Moving To Florida And Visiting WDW More Often

[FastPasser.]

Good grief, how old ARE you??!? LOL

In my 70s.

That sounds like a great career path.

I've been very fortunate and of course very lucky.

Congrats on all the hard work and good luck in your next chapter!

Thank you.

 

[rstevens333]

Any tips if someone were to try this temporarily?

I'd love to sublet or rent for like 2-3 months some time. Somewhere we can work from home, decent access to a post office, not the worst possible ride into the parks. We would be two people, self-employed.

 

[stephnerninnie1984]

We moved to Melbourne,FL just 6 months ago. Melbourne is on the coast south of Cocoa Beach and it takes us a little over an hour to get to the parks. And we LOVE it. It’s the perfect distance away that we aren’t stuck in the Orlando craziness, but close enough to make a day trip or even be there 4-6 hours at a time. We’re also close to the beach so that makes things happy too.

Being APs has been pretty awesome so far. And we look forward to years of it to come!

 

[jhaig]

Does the ‘Disney Magic’ wear off after a while? Going once a year was always special. Now I just wonder if will just become routine.

 

[vacationer1954]

Even without living in Florida, the Disney magic that we had during our first dozen or two trips has worn off. The questions is whether a more lasting feeling develops (very much like how people describe marriage! )

 

[JRodgers]

Any tips if someone were to try this temporarily?

I'd love to sublet or rent for like 2-3 months some time. Somewhere we can work from home, decent access to a post office, not the worst possible ride into the parks. We would be two people, self-employed.

Most apartment complexes require that you sign a minimum lease of 7 months. If you wanted to do it for 2-3 months there are an abundance of vacation homes and rental properties in the general vicinity of the parks that I'm sure you could arrange to rent for a few months. Lots of areas to choose from. I'm happy in the Clermont/Four corners area. It's 25-30 minutes to the parks. Farther to the city. If your primary criteria is good access to a post office I think you'll find a lot of options.

Does the ‘Disney Magic’ wear off after a while? Going once a year was always special. Now I just wonder if will just become routine.

Hasn't "worn off" for me but it's changed. I find that I'm more easily annoyed by things like the magic of disney traffic (marathon weekends I'm looking at you). Driving under the WDW arches doesn't pack the same punch that it did when vacationing. Things that you could more easily shrug off on vacation just feel more blah. This is offset though by days where we've decided on a somewhat random excursion, whether dining or entertainment, I'll get the feeling of "What a great way to spend a Tuesday night". Things like being able to surprise my wife and son with dinner at the polynesian followed by fireworks. Plenty of opportunities for moments of random awesomeness.

 

[stephnerninnie1984]

Does the ‘Disney Magic’ wear off after a while? Going once a year was always special. Now I just wonder if will just become routine.

Not for us but we’ve also only been passholders for a few months. My sister in law has been an AP for 3 years and she says that we will get burnt out but I just don’t see it happening. We were bigger Disney fans then she was to begin with.

I love Disney and all it has to offer. We just did 5 days in a row with family who was visiting and while I was tired, I found myself dying to go back after a couple of days off. We go practically every weekend also. It makes it easy too because we have 2 young kids so seeing the magic through their eyes help keep it alive as well.

 

[FastPasser.]

Does the ‘Disney Magic’ wear off after a while?

Depends on how big a Disney fan you are and how often you go?

 

[jhaig]

Not for us but we’ve also only been passholders for a few months. My sister in law has been an AP for 3 years and she says that we will get burnt out but I just don’t see it happening. We were bigger Disney fans then she was to begin with.

I love Disney and all it has to offer. We just did 5 days in a row with family who was visiting and while I was tired, I found myself dying to go back after a couple of days off. We go practically every weekend also. It makes it easy too because we have 2 young kids so seeing the magic through their eyes help keep it alive as well.

Right now I don’t see how burnout could happen. We’ll see after we get down there and eat at Le Cellier or the Boathouse for the hundredth time.

 

[NH-to-FL]

After many years of Disney vacations DW and I became Disney snowbirds and just finished our 4th winter near Disney. We still enjoy our time near Disney though, as others have noted, it is different when when you live there. We currently have gold resident AP's as we avoid the holiday crowds but do make the occasional summer visit. At the next price increase silver APs will probably be our choice. We visit the parks a couple times a week, mostly Epcot and the AK with occasional visits to the MK. Sometimes I'll make 30 day FPs but mostly I'll look for some last minute FPs when we decide it's time for a trip to a park. We usually visit a park for a few hours, catch a couple of favorite attractions, wander around a bit, and then head back home. Depending on the time of day we are in the park we might grab a CS meal, sometimes just get a snack. As others have said, if a restaurant meal is what you are looking for there are plenty of offsite choices. I think what we most enjoy now is the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the Disney magic for a few hours whenever we want.

Most apartment complexes require that you sign a minimum lease of 7 months. If you wanted to do it for 2-3 months there are an abundance of vacation homes and rental properties in the general vicinity of the parks that I'm sure you could arrange to rent for a few months. Lots of areas to choose from. I'm happy in the Clermont/Four corners area. It's 25-30 minutes to the parks. Farther to the city. If your primary criteria is good access to a post office I think you'll find a lot of options.

I'll second the Four Corners area as a good place for a temporary living experiment. The area is zoned for vacation rentals and there are plenty of choices. Our house is in that area, close to Champions Gate, and have met a few snowbirds who rely on rentals for their winter visits.

I will also second the thought that the area around Disney is growing quickly right now. There is a lot of building going on and the traffic reflects that growth. Spending some time in or near the areas you are interested in is definitely worth it.

To the OP, I wish you all the best in your future near Disney.

 

[KenHutch]

I have just read all of the above threads with interest. In December I hit 40 years of federal service and in 2022 I will pay the last of the tuition on my daughters engineering degree (advanced degrees on her). The only place that I relax at is Disney so after retirement I am thinking the same as others Mover close to Disney. I walk 12 miles a day so I am thinking with Disney/Universal and all of the others stuff there finding a place to walk every day will be easy. I learned a lot already and I am hoping more people respond to this thread because so far it has been very informative.

 

[disneyseniors]

I have the same thoughts as most of you about retiring to Disney. For us, it's just a fantasy. We love our yearly trips and that suits us at this time.
I wonder what effect living close to Disney would have on our outlook of the parks? I'm afraid that it would taint it. I guess it's all in your outlook.
We have friends who were born and raised here in Mn, and moved down near the East Coast. They lived through 2 hurricanes where they lost their food in the freezer and had to pay to stay at a hotel for days. After the second bad one, they decided it was not for them. They also didn't like having to wash off their patio/siding every day to prevent mildew. The bugs didn't help either.
They are now happily back in N. Mn and only visit occasionally.
If I every got the bug to move to Florida, I would rent a place for a few months at least (we are retired) and see what living there is actually like, without all the magic of Disney surrounding us.
Let us know what you decide and how it is going if you do decide to move.

 

[FastPasser.]

Having lived in Central Florida for over two decades, we've gone through a whole bunch of hurricanes with the eye of more than one going directly over us, but we never considered leaving. We love the weather, even the heat. But I can see some people having second thoughts though. I won't miss the apprehension during hurricane season at the new location.

I guess it depends on what the conditions are where someone lives but where we are mildew and bugs are not a big enough of an issue not to live here. For us pressure washing the pool screen enclosure and walkways twice a year takes care of the mildew and a good pest control program takes care of the bugs. I'll take some mildew and bugs over cold, snow and winter drabness.

 

[Disney & ME]

I'm in the process of doing the opposite. We've lived next door to WDW for decades and are moving out of state in a few months. It's been great, we've enjoyed living here.

We've never needed to buy APs so no help there. We visit WDW mostly when we have family or friends visit us. Because of my history at WDW I don't have the need to visit much anymore.

Depending on where you end up, you'll discover that stopping by at the drop of a hat is not as easy or convenient as it sounds, especially to MK. Due to the cost, you'll find that the frequency of going over just for dinner will diminish over time because there are so many other good choices outside of WDW.

In our case it was very difficult to make the move 25 years ago but we have no regrets. But things were different then and I'm not sure we'd do it again today. The area has become so built up and will be even busier in the coming years. I would test the waters for a few months before committing.

@FastPasser, congrats on the lifestyle change. Thanks for all your fabulous WDW advice and we were happy to meet up with a fellow New Englander transplant a few years ago!

 

[FastPasser.]

@FastPasser, congrats on the lifestyle change.

Thank you.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I’m still about 10 years from full retirement but my wife and I just moved from Oregon and are now working as CM’s. In 10 years I can retire from Disney and have a lifetime pass and CM discounts but I might keep working seasonally for another 10 years. Coming from Central Oregon, it is definitely much hotter and more humid here but we knew that coming down. We used to love the snow but got tired of it after a few bad years so are looking forward to being here in the winter and then going north in the summer.

 

[CaLuCa]

We moved here late last summer after living about 7 hours away for the last 7 years and even farther previously. I am approaching my 40th anniversary of going to WDW. My parents instilled a deep love of the parks and magical things in me, and I am doing the same for my kids. I adore Disney. My husband does not. He tolerates it for the kids and the impressive tech for the rides. He is, however, totally into SWL.

I am a Former rope drop, commando, load the stroller with a change of outfits and shoes, multiple meals, snacks, water bottles, sunscreen, etc. You know when you see those threads that ask, "What on earth are you putting in that backpack?" Yeah, that's me sherpa-ing to explore MK. We only recently gave up the stroller when my youngest hit 6 this last fall. He was fine about it, but the 8 year old was not happy! I also was afraid where was I going to put ALL that stuff?? Now, we have turned into people who do NOT even take a bag in!

I still love rope drop. I love getting there early and being at the front. I adore the mass movement to SDD and avatar. I've never been lucky enough to be the FIRST on a ride (other than Astro Orbitter which was really amazing to watch the sun rise while flying in a rocket ship...I hope my kids always remember that!), and that's okay but getting there early and getting excited about the day is amazing.

We used to go all day. Kids would nap in the stroller, we'd cover everything. I'd plan it out meticulously. Now, sometimes we pop in for 3 hours and do a couple of rides and go. We live about an 1.5 hour away. We initially looked at the Orlando area, but the traffic was a big down side. A job opportunity came up and we took the Space Coast instead. It's far enough to run over for the weekend or even the night. Once I picked the kids up from school on Friday and went over just and came back after Fantasmic. We haven't done that again. It's doable, but not ideal. We went every weekend in March and are going every weekend in May. Hadn't planned on the every weekend in May but then we got a bee in our bonnet to do Star Tours on May the Fourth, plus we had some Sea World Food passes that needed to be used up. Other months, we've gone every other weekend. My husband is blocked out in the summer, and he is looking forward to Disney NOT being an option. Kids and I will still go. Honestly, he only goes about half the time.

We've started doing "other things"...you know like the things you put on the skip list if time doesn't work out. We haven't walked the animal trails in AK for quite awhile and plan on doing that this summer (yeah, heat!). We know all the cool (meaning air conditioning) spots and the "good" ice water. I feel so bad for people when I see them trying to navigate off the map or app. The parks are like second nature to us and we can get around so easily. It takes a lot of mental energy to figure out where you are and where you need to get to.

The best thing is that you can leave when you want. There is no fear that "I didn't get to do such and such." It will be there next time. Granted, that's always not true, but we usually have a good amount of notice. My kids have never seen Illuminations (rope droppers with little kids rarely can make it to fireworks and I made MK the priority for fireworks), so I'm set on them seeing it before it goes away.

I'm not tired of it yet. I adore going. My kids (part of them) adore going. Our strategies change and will continue to change. It's magical and amazing to be this close and get to do something that a lot of people only get to experience once or twice in their life. I do see our ability to go as often decreasing as my kids get older and more involved in things. For now, I'm working on creating awesome memories for them and with them.

 

[CaLuCa]

So I haven’t posted here in quite a while, but there are some exciting possibilities coming up for myself and my family. We may (stress the word may) be moving to Florida, specifically the Orlando area. I am currently exploring job opportunities in my field with several possibilities. While we are thinking about more important things like selling our home, buying a new one, etc., another thought has come to mind - being close to WDW, how do we go about adjusting to being once a year visitors to locals and soon to be AP holders?

I’m just trying to envision the logistics of having AP’s. For instance, meeting after work for dinner at Le Cellier used to be a dream. Now it could be possible. So now, how does that work? Do we park at Disney Springs and take a bus? Park at Epcot with everyone else? How do FP’s work? We’ve always done everything 180 days out before.

I realize this may be strange but I’ve never before considered being able to visit WDW as often as I want. We always have been able to go once a year, if that. How do we transition to being able to go much more often?

Research Orlando fully. Depending on where you come from, multiple things might be more expensive (home insurance, car insurance, groceries) while for us the cost of housing was less than were we were. Traffic is busy here. Try to choose your home where you do not have a long commute. It's easier to drive farther to the parks than to work. It's easy when you are in the Disney bubble to forget all those life things that are outside that magic sign. The rest of Orlando is NOT disney but full of people who are visiting and don't know their way around yet drive very fast.

Wanted to answer some specifics.

Don't park at DS to go to a park. You get parking at the parks included with your AP. Just park at the parks and ride the tram.

Popping in for dinner is awesome, but in reality more time consuming than you think. Traffic, parking, lines to get in, all eat up time. Calculate that in for your ADR. You will also discover that you can get ADRs day of or day before when people cancel. As long as you are not trying to get something for a huge group or on a holiday, you can probably get it. The only one I haven't been able to get was Sci-Fi on Vetern's Day Sunday. Tried multiple times and finally gave up. I haven't tried the Castle or BOG, as been there done that.

FP. As an AP you can have 7 days of FP scheduled. This annoys me. I go a lot. I want more. But I don't know what is "fair". All the locals can't hold multiple days of FP just in case, but I wish there was some way to have more if you are actually going that often. My problem ran into staying on property and only having 7 in 60 days. This seems to have resolved itself somewhat. I have learned to "save" one of my 7 to play around with in case we want to go for the day. I've also gotten much better at shifting FP on the go.

Basically, you'll adjust and find a strategy that works for you. Also, realize that just like once a year visitors you have to take into account the really busy times (Christmas/New Years) that you normally think about, but also the minor holidays that locals and Georgia/SC residents take advantage of long weekends to come (Columbus day, Vetern's Day, MLK and Presidents weekend...MLK and Presidents weekend are so awful we only go one day...I'd rather do Spring Day any day than MLK and Presidents weekend).

 

[jhaig]

Research Orlando fully. Depending on where you come from, multiple things might be more expensive (home insurance, car insurance, groceries) while for us the cost of housing was less than were we were. Traffic is busy here. Try to choose your home where you do not have a long commute. It's easier to drive farther to the parks than to work. It's easy when you are in the Disney bubble to forget all those life things that are outside that magic sign. The rest of Orlando is NOT disney but full of people who are visiting and don't know their way around yet drive very fast.

Wanted to answer some specifics.

Don't park at DS to go to a park. You get parking at the parks included with your AP. Just park at the parks and ride the tram.

Popping in for dinner is awesome, but in reality more time consuming than you think. Traffic, parking, lines to get in, all eat up time. Calculate that in for your ADR. You will also discover that you can get ADRs day of or day before when people cancel. As long as you are not trying to get something for a huge group or on a holiday, you can probably get it. The only one I haven't been able to get was Sci-Fi on Vetern's Day Sunday. Tried multiple times and finally gave up. I haven't tried the Castle or BOG, as been there done that.

FP. As an AP you can have 7 days of FP scheduled. This annoys me. I go a lot. I want more. But I don't know what is "fair". All the locals can't hold multiple days of FP just in case, but I wish there was some way to have more if you are actually going that often. My problem ran into staying on property and only having 7 in 60 days. This seems to have resolved itself somewhat. I have learned to "save" one of my 7 to play around with in case we want to go for the day. I've also gotten much better at shifting FP on the go.

Basically, you'll adjust and find a strategy that works for you. Also, realize that just like once a year visitors you have to take into account the really busy times (Christmas/New Years) that you normally think about, but also the minor holidays that locals and Georgia/SC residents take advantage of long weekends to come (Columbus day, Vetern's Day, MLK and Presidents weekend...MLK and Presidents weekend are so awful we only go one day...I'd rather do Spring Day any day than MLK and Presidents weekend).

This is great info. Thanks!