What is WDW like to locals?

Walt Disney1955

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Just was talking to a co-worker the other day and he spent the weekend in Niagara Falls. I live 90 minutes from there and pretty much everyone I know will visit Niagara Falls (in Canada) once in a while. For me it is at least once a year. I never grow tired of it. There is so much to do and easily 3-4 days of things to fill in your time if you include Marineland (a poor man's version of Sea World). So to us seeing the Falls is still exciting, but maybe not quite the same as someone coming over from China to see it. There are always loads of Asian tourists in Niagara Falls year round as it is still one of the wonders of the world. But I still think despite going every year that it is special each time. I always try something different or see something new.

How is that with people in Central Florida? Is WDW revered by most? Obviously it will be to the people on these boards, but I mean just locals in general? Niagara Falls is a fixture of Ontario and most people would recognize that up here. Is WDW the same, or just obtrusive to some?
 

AndyS2992

Well-Known Member
It really depends on what type of person you are. Young families will love that it's close by whereas childless adults will possibly find it a nuisance especially in the summer as it causes increased traffic and the roads become a little more dangerous with foreign tourists not used to driving in America. I could go on but it's different for different people I would imagine.

Though to people that find Disney obtrusive, I don't know why they would choose to settle in the Orlando area in the first place. It's like the people who move to Anaheim and complain to Disney that the fireworks bother them every night, they moved there fully knowing Disneyland was nearby so it's their own fault.. and the fact Disneyland was there first lol
 

mj2v

Well-Known Member
We live close enough to set the clock at 910pm for the Epcot fireworks. Have lived here for nearly 20 years. Love being close to the parks, except during the huge holidays when the line in Publix can be down the aisles.

Most of our trips to the parks 2-3 hours.

Our kids are 13 and up. My wife and I will go to the park on our own and sometimes the kids will come.

We are DVC members and will stay on property at times. It is still a great experience.
 

Driver

Well-Known Member
Ditto to all the above plus it can make the traffic crazy. Personally I like the parks so I don't mind the other stuff it goes with the territory.
 

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
To the majority of the folks in the Orlando metro area, the parks really aren't a thing. And they are far enough away and so expensive that most people don't even really think about them.

The Downtown Business Class do go embarrass themselves at F&W at least once a year.
 

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
Most people who live here don't touch Disney at all. Ucf students and staff do but not all.

The biggest benefit is i can get off work at 5pm and be on splash mountain at 7pm. Traffic here is horrible.
 

POLY LOVER

Well-Known Member
I love it for the convenience of the parks and entertainment. During wine and food we are at Epcot seeing all of the music acts. Aside from that I'm basically 90 minutes from the Atlantic and the gulf, tons of beaches, the Everglades etc. so much to do and see I don't think I will ever be able to visit every beach area in my lifetime. Being a baseball fan I can see almost ever pro team during spring training.
 

yaksplat

Well-Known Member
Just was talking to a co-worker the other day and he spent the weekend in Niagara Falls. I live 90 minutes from there and pretty much everyone I know will visit Niagara Falls (in Canada) once in a while. For me it is at least once a year. I never grow tired of it. There is so much to do and easily 3-4 days of things to fill in your time if you include Marineland (a poor man's version of Sea World). So to us seeing the Falls is still exciting, but maybe not quite the same as someone coming over from China to see it. There are always loads of Asian tourists in Niagara Falls year round as it is still one of the wonders of the world. But I still think despite going every year that it is special each time. I always try something different or see something new.

How is that with people in Central Florida? Is WDW revered by most? Obviously it will be to the people on these boards, but I mean just locals in general? Niagara Falls is a fixture of Ontario and most people would recognize that up here. Is WDW the same, or just obtrusive to some?

That's funny, I'm 30 minutes from niagara Falls, just east of Buffalo, and I think I've been to the falls about 5 times in the last 40 years. It's nice and all, much more so on the canadian side, but I really don't see the draw. I don't know why people would come from around the world to see the waterfall. Of course I'm excluding the years spent on Lundy's Lane, but there were no visits to the falls on those trips. :D
 

rk03221

Well-Known Member
Just was talking to a co-worker the other day and he spent the weekend in Niagara Falls. I live 90 minutes from there and pretty much everyone I know will visit Niagara Falls (in Canada) once in a while. For me it is at least once a year. I never grow tired of it. There is so much to do and easily 3-4 days of things to fill in your time if you include Marineland (a poor man's version of Sea World). So to us seeing the Falls is still exciting, but maybe not quite the same as someone coming over from China to see it. There are always loads of Asian tourists in Niagara Falls year round as it is still one of the wonders of the world. But I still think despite going every year that it is special each time. I always try something different or see something new.

How is that with people in Central Florida? Is WDW revered by most? Obviously it will be to the people on these boards, but I mean just locals in general? Niagara Falls is a fixture of Ontario and most people would recognize that up here. Is WDW the same, or just obtrusive to some?

Most of my friends born and raised in Florida resent Disney and seem to hate it. Most Floridians who were here before Disney was here hate it even more lol. We love Disney but we don't go all the time, it's expensive and we've done everything there. But it's fun to go every once and awhile, we stay away from the touristy areas, we live close to Disney but nowhere near the tourists.
 

NiarrNDisney

Well-Known Member
Here's what it's like for locals who live there and can't afford Disney, or much of anything else.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_florida_project



Sorry off subject but this looks pretty good! Release date says Oct. 5 2017 so I will have out keep and eye out for it.

As for the discussion:

My folks live in Satellite Beach (Space Coast) and as locals they head to the parks once in a while especially during festivals and during the Holiday season (late Oct to early Dec.) but not every week where frequent visits would dull the magic or in the high touring seasons when the parks are just to crowded to enjoy them.
 

raven

Well-Known Member
Like other cities who have major companies, it can grow old after a while. The parks here keep things interesting by coming up with new creative ways to get you to spend more money but I think locals see through most of that and know how to find better deals. But locals have MANY options besides just Disney. There's so much to do but they all cost money so it isn't like the majority of locals are always at the parks. Some people think that locals must have seasons passes to ALL of the parks and attractions nearby but that's not realistic for most. Locals that aren't Disney nuts may go to a Disney park only once a year or even longer.
 

75disney

Well-Known Member
My parents retired to Florida to be near Disney. They go to the parks at least once a week. They usually go in mid-late morning when traffic has died down. They will make fast passes for a few attractions or rides. Otherwise they walk around, do whatever interests them, shop, see a show. They stay for a few hours and leave before the rain or rush hour starts. They will get a snack at Disney, but they usually eat at a restaurant outside Disney closer to home. They occasionally will eat at a Disney restaurant for a special occasion. They go in for special events. For the Food and Wine Festival, they will go several times. They also have annual passes to Sea World. My sister and brother-in-law, both of whom work for Disney, avoid it when they are not working and complain constantly about the traffic. They do go in for special events, like Food and Wine though.
 

Walt Disney1955

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My parents retired to Florida to be near Disney. They go to the parks at least once a week. They usually go in mid-late morning when traffic has died down. They will make fast passes for a few attractions or rides. Otherwise they walk around, do whatever interests them, shop, see a show. They stay for a few hours and leave before the rain or rush hour starts. They will get a snack at Disney, but they usually eat at a restaurant outside Disney closer to home. They occasionally will eat at a Disney restaurant for a special occasion. They go in for special events. For the Food and Wine Festival, they will go several times. They also have annual passes to Sea World. My sister and brother-in-law, both of whom work for Disney, avoid it when they are not working and complain constantly about the traffic. They do go in for special events, like Food and Wine though.

Fair enough. I just wonder if the novelty wears off with people who live around there. With me it is not like that at Niagara Falls because you can always find yourself finding something to do.
 

GVentola

Well-Known Member
I'm a passholder and go often. I went today! They are always adding and tweaking stuff, so it doesn't grow old for me. I feel like I am blessed to live here. I am also a passholder to Sea World. I was a passholder to Universal, but now I have a neighbor who can get me in for free in exchange for my Mom walking her dogs. Every once in a while, I go through a phase, usually a month long, where I feel tired of going to the most magical place on Earth, and just dine out for an outing. It's not necessarily that the parks have become boring; it's getting there. Like at Magic Kingdom, you have to park, take a tram, then take a ferry or monorail before even stepping inside the park. I get exhausted just thinking about it. I usually don't stay all day at the parks. Usually two-three hours is enough, and I try to do three things--an attraction, a restaurant, maybe even buying something at a shop or going on another attraction.
 

fireworksandfairytales

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
The majority of my friends/co-workers in Orlando have annual passes and most of them go to the parks about once a month. My close friends and I usually go about once a week. Usually we'll go after work to catch fireworks or just for a few hours in the afternoon to catch Festival of Fantasy and have Starbucks in the hub grass. We also take advantage of Trader Sam's and Jellyrolls for nights out and the AMC in Disney Springs is actually my closest movie theater, so that's where I go see movies.

I don't think the novelty wears off, because there's so much to do at WDW. There's so many different restaurants to try and recreational activities and resorts to explore and characters to meet.

We also still enjoy having vacations at WDW as well. We recently stayed at Fort Wilderness in the cabins for a few nights. We spent our days by the pool and playing board games in our cabin and then in the evening when it started to cool off some we'd head to the parks for our fastpasses.

All of that aside, I also have co-workers who have only been to Disney a few times in their lives (despite it being right down the street) and who don't see the value in being an annual passholder.
 
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