Anyone ever move to Orlando just to be closer to Disney?

[mefordis]

Yes, it's pretty horrible. Top level execs are making 62 times more than the average worker in bonuses alone.

http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2011/03/18/ceo-pay-up-average-worker-not-so-much/

Sadly $10/hour is considered very good pay at WDW (unless you are in a professional position and you are competing with thousands of CM's plus countless outsiders for those positions.) It is also pretty good pay around Orlando! Can you imagine?! I grew up in NYC and DH grew up North of Boston. When we heard most CM's started at $7.00/hour (2004) we were shocked. I NEVER made $7/hr -even in high school jobs in 1987! I was amazed in 2004 they expected ADULTS to live on that wage.

A study just came out that in order to have an OK life (save for retirement, put kids through college) you would need to make about three times what our government/media are telling us is a living wage/minimum wage. This is with no extras like vacations, etc.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/business/economy/01jobs.html?_r=1

http://www.wowonline.org/usbest/

According to the report, a single worker needs an income of $30,012 a year — or just above $14 an hour — to cover basic expenses and save for retirement and emergencies. That is close to three times the 2010 national poverty level of $10,830 for a single person, and nearly twice the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

A single worker with two young children needs an annual income of $57,756, or just over $27 an hour, to attain economic stability, and a family with two working parents and two young children needs to earn $67,920 a year, or about $16 an hour per worker.

That compares with the national poverty level of $22,050 for a family of four. The most recent data from the Census Bureau found that 14.3 percent of Americans were living below the poverty line in 2009.

 

[MelissathePooh]

We are hopefully retiring at the end of the year and relocating to the area to be close to the parks, the beach etc. The kids are grown and scattered across the country and we hope this will bring them to us. Not to mention the greater availabilty of flights in and out of the area. I will have to find something to supplement my pension but that shouldn't be too big of an issue.I am looking forward to having a variety of quick day trips and the ability to pop over to the parks whenever the mood strikes.

Unless you're pretty specialized - start looking early. The unemployment rate in the great Orlando area is stifling. There was a position open at DVC member services - over 2000 people applied. Part time is as tough as full time. My mom is retired down there and has been looking for supplement income for about 2 years now since leaving Disney.

Not trying to rain on any parades - just the reality that is the greater Orlando area.

 

[We_love_WDW]

Anyone have info on the Saint Petersburg area? As far as schools, house prices, etc?

 

[DisDarling]

We move to Florida in under 2 months, and we couldn't be more excited.

We have been over the pros and cons a billion times, and it comes down to what our hearts are telling us and where our passions lie.

We have lived in WI all of our lives and we are TIRED of it. I fell on the ice last year and I had had enough. The snow, the stress with having to drive in the snow and ice, and constantly being inside 6 months out of the year gets ANNOYING and OLD.

With constant heat, I can go indoors and put the air on. When the sun goes down, I can go outside and take a walk. Yes, it may be humid, but I wont kill myself on a patch of ice or not be able to do it all because its below 0.

No, I could care less about the seasons- I have had 37 years of them.

Dont let anyone hinder your dreams- go for it and see what happens.

P.S. Hubby has a job working from home, so yes, we have a job going into this thats stable and we would NOT do it without having a job and hefty savings going into it. We have planning for a year and a half now.

 

[dlhvac]

http://www.landwatch.com/default.aspx?ct=r&type=5,35;6,203;268,6843&pg=30

THIS IS THE FLORIDA MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Ooooh, I wouldn't recommend Orlando. I've lived in Florida for nearly 40 years, all over the state, and Orlando is in pretty tough economic trouble. It's extremely transient. Not good for anyone with kids. The worst traffic I've ever been in is I4. Doesn't matter the time of day. Now, I learned to drive in Miami, which some say is the worst traffic (and drivers) in the country. I also routinely drive to the NE, so I've dealt with DC, Philly, etc. None of it holds a candle to Orlando's traffic and drivers.

But there are a lot of nice places to call home in Florida that are an hour or two away from Orlando. You can go south and get the raciness of big city life in Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. You can go east and west on the central Florida coasts and live in sleepy beach towns. Or you can head north and live in the "deep south," enjoy strong southern accents, hospitality and sweet tea.

I wouldn't move to Orlando to be close to Disney, but I'd never move more than two hours away from Orlando. You get the best of both worlds.

 

[palmtreegirl]

We moved down to Florida 6 years ago but not just for Disney. I went to college in Florida and always wanted to move back.

We live in Lake County and love it. We have actual real hills, beautiful lakes and our town has a southern feel to it, that I really love. We're about 30-45 minutes from Disney depending on what part you"re going to.

 

[MMmomto5]

We moved here 6 months ago from Pennsylvania (DH worked at Lehigh Valley Hospital, OP), and we couldn't be happier. We live in Windermere and are literally 2 minutes behind Magic Kingdom. We love our town, the community, neighbors. The schools my kids attend are excellent. We don't mind the heat, because as someone mentioned, you can go out and enjoy it and when it gets too hot, you go back in the house. The weather and sunshine has done wonders for our moods and has allowed us to get out and do more outside activities as a family. We researched, saved, and planned everything so we would be prepared if things came up. For our family, it has been a great thing.

 

[loveysbydesign]

We moved here 6 months ago from Pennsylvania (DH worked at Lehigh Valley Hospital, OP), and we couldn't be happier. We live in Windermere and are literally 2 minutes behind Magic Kingdom. We love our town, the community, neighbors. The schools my kids attend are excellent. We don't mind the heat, because as someone mentioned, you can go out and enjoy it and when it gets too hot, you go back in the house. The weather and sunshine has done wonders for our moods and has allowed us to get out and do more outside activities as a family. We researched, saved, and planned everything so we would be prepared if things came up. For our family, it has been a great thing.

That's great to hear! We live in the Lehigh Valley and are hoping to move down that way in 2 years! Did you rent 1st before buying???

 

[loveysbydesign]

We moved here 6 months ago from Pennsylvania (DH worked at Lehigh Valley Hospital, OP), and we couldn't be happier. We live in Windermere and are literally 2 minutes behind Magic Kingdom. We love our town, the community, neighbors. The schools my kids attend are excellent. We don't mind the heat, because as someone mentioned, you can go out and enjoy it and when it gets too hot, you go back in the house. The weather and sunshine has done wonders for our moods and has allowed us to get out and do more outside activities as a family. We researched, saved, and planned everything so we would be prepared if things came up. For our family, it has been a great thing.

Oops...double post!

 

[Jeanieblue114]

I moved to Jacksonville Florida a few months ago and one of the main reasons was access to Disney. It's about 2 hours away and a pretty nice drive. I think i've gone down about 5 or 6 times since (2 of them just day trips). Getting Florida resident season tickets is almost worth the move...lol. (155.00 including tax for a 4 day ticket with 4 days of waterparks/more added...good for 5 months. And leftover days i can trade in towards the cost of an upgraded season pass.)

I"m loving it.

 

[kristin t]

We moved here 6 months ago from Pennsylvania (DH worked at Lehigh Valley Hospital, OP), and we couldn't be happier. We live in Windermere and are literally 2 minutes behind Magic Kingdom. We love our town, the community, neighbors. The schools my kids attend are excellent. We don't mind the heat, because as someone mentioned, you can go out and enjoy it and when it gets too hot, you go back in the house. The weather and sunshine has done wonders for our moods and has allowed us to get out and do more outside activities as a family. We researched, saved, and planned everything so we would be prepared if things came up. For our family, it has been a great thing.

Wow - We live about 10 minutes from Lehigh Valley Hospital!
The company my husband works for has an office about 45 minutes outside of Orlando, and people have transferred from here, so he would have a job. I have my degree in Elementary Ed, but I haven't worked in 10 years - since my oldest was born. I would eventually like to get back into teaching, but I don't know how the market for teachers is around Orlando. That would be something I would definitely have to look into.
My husband and I were both born in the Lehigh Valley, went to college nearby, and never ventured out of this area. I just feel like I don't want to look back and regret never trying something new. We're both VERY sick of the horribly cold and snowy winters. Really, the only thing that is holding us back is the fact that both sets of our parents live near us, and they are extremely close to our kids - aged 9 and 5. I think it would break their hearts to not see the kids all the time.

 

[loveysbydesign]

Wow - We live about 10 minutes from Lehigh Valley Hospital!
The company my husband works for has an office about 45 minutes outside of Orlando, and people have transferred from here, so he would have a job. I have my degree in Elementary Ed, but I haven't worked in 10 years - since my oldest was born. I would eventually like to get back into teaching, but I don't know how the market for teachers is around Orlando. That would be something I would definitely have to look into.
My husband and I were both born in the Lehigh Valley, went to college nearby, and never ventured out of this area. I just feel like I don't want to look back and regret never trying something new. We're both VERY sick of the horribly cold and snowy winters. Really, the only thing that is holding us back is the fact that both sets of our parents live near us, and they are extremely close to our kids - aged 9 and 5. I think it would break their hearts to not see the kids all the time.

OMG!!!! Are you sure you're not me????
We are in the almost exact situation with the exception that my dh's employer does not have a place near Orlando! I keep telling my dh that we will never know unless we try it. That being said my 3 kids are very close to both sets of grandparents and that is the main thing holding us back!

 

[NORMA MUNOZ]

I WANT TO BUT MY MOM SAYS THAT IM CRAZY.

 

[kristin t]

OMG!!!! Are you sure you're not me????

Did you happen to go to Kutztown for El Ed??

 

[Feralpeg]

Wow - We live about 10 minutes from Lehigh Valley Hospital!
The company my husband works for has an office about 45 minutes outside of Orlando, and people have transferred from here, so he would have a job. I have my degree in Elementary Ed, but I haven't worked in 10 years - since my oldest was born. I would eventually like to get back into teaching, but I don't know how the market for teachers is around Orlando. That would be something I would definitely have to look into.
My husband and I were both born in the Lehigh Valley, went to college nearby, and never ventured out of this area. I just feel like I don't want to look back and regret never trying something new. We're both VERY sick of the horribly cold and snowy winters. Really, the only thing that is holding us back is the fact that both sets of our parents live near us, and they are extremely close to our kids - aged 9 and 5. I think it would break their hearts to not see the kids all the time.

I also live in Windermere and adore it! It is a great place to live.

Concerning the teaching market, it is not good. As in most areas of the country, the first to get hit with budget cuts were the schools. Many teachers have been let go. Most school districts are not hiring. Both my daughter and I have teaching degrees. She has been actively searching for a year for a teaching position. This is also true for several of her friends who graduated with teaching degrees. Since the market is so bad, my daughter has decided to go back to school for her masters in hope that the market will improve over time.

 

[loveysbydesign]

OMG!!!! Are you sure you're not me????

Did you happen to go to Kutztown for El Ed??

Nope...went to LCCC and Cedar Crest although Kutztown is where I plan to go if I do go back to school here in PA!

 

[PatriciaH]

We move to Florida in under 2 months, and we couldn't be more excited.

We have been over the pros and cons a billion times, and it comes down to what our hearts are telling us and where our passions lie.

We have lived in WI all of our lives and we are TIRED of it. I fell on the ice last year and I had had enough. The snow, the stress with having to drive in the snow and ice, and constantly being inside 6 months out of the year gets ANNOYING and OLD.

With constant heat, I can go indoors and put the air on. When the sun goes down, I can go outside and take a walk. Yes, it may be humid, but I wont kill myself on a patch of ice or not be able to do it all because its below 0.

No, I could care less about the seasons- I have had 37 years of them.

Dont let anyone hinder your dreams- go for it and see what happens.

P.S. Hubby has a job working from home, so yes, we have a job going into this thats stable and we would NOT do it without having a job and hefty savings going into it. We have planning for a year and a half now.

It is funny DH grew up in MA and I grew up in NYC. He never slipped on the ice here but fell in the garage in flip flops in FL (wet from the sprinklers) and broke his elbow. Go figure!

I HATE the winter too and am not happy to be back in 5-6 months of it. It would be ideal to be a snowbird. We had to go where the jobs/good pay/good benefits were though.

 

[larryz]

Living in central Florida is a lot like being in a hot tub -- it's fun for a while, and then you realize you're just hot and wet all the time.

On the other hand, if you visit the hot tub -- Florida -- once in a while, it's actually pretty refreshing and relaxing.

That's my take, anyway.

And I lived the Tampastan dream for about 8 or 9 years so I'm speaking from experience...

 

[mortimor]

My wife and I are hoping to move down to FL when we retire. We have hopes of working as a bus or boat driver (me) and she wants to sell popcorn in one of the small air-conditioned kiosks.

I can't see complaining about the heat. Coldest weather I ever worked in was 43 degrees....below zero.