Does Disney loose any magic living in FL?

[CP_alum08]

First off I'd like to say I have been reading these forums for a while a really enjoy it! This is my first post, so go easy on me

I have been to Disney World more times than I can remember, did the College Program in '08, been back twice since, etc...I love Disney! My girlfriend and I just graduated from college and have been looking for jobs. She has found a potential job in Orlando and I was just wondering if there is anyone who lives in Orlando, or surrounding areas, that can tell me how they still feel about DW.

While I was doing the CP it lost a little, little, bit of appeal but I assume that was just because it was my place of work. When I went back a year later I still got goosebumps walking under the bridge an onto Main Street.

So is it still the same feeling when you can go whenever you want?

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Welcome to WDWMagic! :wave:


I live in Miami, and it doesn't detract at all. Makes it much easier to go, but does not detract at all.

 

[MissM]

I live about 1:15 away from WDW. We've been Passholders for a few years now. Disney as a local is definitely a different experience. It's much more casual and about doing whatever you want without pressure to NEED to get a list of things done.

I still love going to WDW. We head out about once a month - sometimes more. Just for the day. I think you get a very different perspective when you can come and go without it being a big deal. You see a lot more of the little things and little changes.

I for one can't actually imagine being 5, 7, or more days there straight just because it's not how I've ever done it. But it still is very nice to make a weekend out of it sometimes just to enjoy other things on property and get a relaxed little getaway.

I don't think being a FL-resident AP is better or worse. Just a different experience.

 

[rsoxguy]

Welcome to the forum! In answer to your question, living in Florida (2 1/2 hour drive) only makes it better. I never feel the need to rush through a park to see everything. I guess its all a matter of perspective, but I enjoy the ability to go at a mellower pace, knowing that I'll eventually be back to see more.

 

[puntagordabob]

My feelings mirror MissM's .... we live 2 hours ans 20 minutes away from WDW....so day trips, one night trips, or slightly longer trips are not hard for us to do.... living here gives you theopportunity to say at 8pm at night: "Ya know what? I think tomorrow I am going to WDW!" I ask my family if they want to go, if my wife & kids want to then that is awesome! If they dont, well then I love ya, have a nice day tomorrow, and Oh by the way: dont wait up for me!

We still do the 1 week trips once a year with our family from up north....

Also, being a member of the DVC makes it kind of nice too...the Disney Resorts are magical all by themselves! Our favorites are the Bayl Lake Tower @ the Contemporary Resort (I love the CR anyways so what I can I say!!!!), Old Key West, and Boardwalk Villas, Wilderness Lodge, Gosh they are ALL AWESOME so really can I not add the other DVC resorts!!!???!!??!?

MissM i correct...No pressure....just relax and have fun....wanna see something specific then we go for it...otherwise if my boy wants to play basketball at Old Key West well then thats Magical too!

There are 48 square miles to Walt Disney World.....maybe being local gives you one awesome thing that our out of state friends who are here for such a limited time & frequency are denied, and that is the opportunity to Explore all the little pieces of WDW that you can miss rushing from place to place.... WDW has something for everyone, and discovering your favorite parts of the magic is far more of wonderful adventure than you may imagine and can be very rewarding for your heart and soul!

 

[Master Yoda]

I live about 2-1/2 hours away and like others have said it has really made my park experience much better. There is not that rush to "do everything". The urgency for planning every second of a trip goes away. You can sit back and relax and really enjoy the parks.

 

[corey154]

lived here in central florida my whole life....still love going to the parks. i agree with the others that say it's nice b/c you don't have to rush. I read on the forums about planning what to do and have the parks and rides planned out, we've never done that. We try to hit our fav's and sometimes we don't make them, but it isn't a big deal b/c we know we'll be back soon enough. if you're a die hard disney fan, i think you'll always enjoy it. now to be honest, i don't enjoy going in the summer when it's super hot and crowded..but the nice thing about living here is, we don't have to! sometimes we'll do a week in the begining of june, but it's not too bad then..it's july/august we stay away.

 

[MickeyMind]

i live about 3 hours away, me and my family are seasonal passholders, it really is great to be able to go up about once a month for an overnight stay to get that disney fix, it doesnt loose its magic at all, in fact I find myself getting very excited as the days get closer, just like it was a long vacation, we're still always finding new things to see and explore there, and no two trips are ever alike, besides the rule that we must always finish the night at the magic kingdom, dont know why but it is always a unanimously agreed upon way to end the night there everytime we go... its a nice little break from our daily lives, we stay at different resorts everytime, suffice to say that for us, it hasnt lost its magic at all, if anything the magic just keeps expanding everytime we go, I find myself more in awe and more in appreciation of things there now more than ever. in fact I'm gonna plan a trip for next weekend right now, it would be nice to spend valentines in wdw

 

[RiversideBunny]

What about the repetitive factor?
It seems like the more you visit then the more attractions you would add to your 'been there done that one' list. Soon there's not a lot you haven't done so many times already that it's no longer interesting.

We all have attractions that we have done once but don't won't to do again. There are others that have been done over and over and aren't as fun as they used to be so they usually get skipped.

So after being so close physically and having WDW so handy, do you eventually reach a point where there's nothing interesting any more?
You find yourself just sitting in the parks and watching the shrubbery, and the people, and the architecture?

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

What about the repetitive factor?
It seems like the more you visit then the more attractions you would add to your 'been there done that one' list. Soon there's not a lot you haven't done so many times already that it's no longer interesting.

We all have attractions that we have done once but don't won't to do again. There are others that have been done over and over and aren't as fun as they used to be so they usually get skipped.

So after being so close physically and having WDW so handy, do you eventually reach a point where there's nothing interesting any more?
You find yourself just sitting in the parks and watching the shrubbery, and the people, and the architecture?

I've gone 3 times in the past year, and it NEVER feels like that. It's different each time. And there's such similarity that it's more like nostalgia.

 

[Laura]

I don't live in Florida, but I live an hour from Disneyland. I always wondered if living this close to Disney would ruin it for me, but it definitely doesn't. In fact, it's more magical.

Like Miss M said, there's no pressure to hurry up and see everything. Usually I'll head up for a day and throughout the course of that day only ride 3-4 things. I mostly just enjoy the ambience and little details and have a nice meal while I'm there.

No rushing, no stress, and lots of meandering. Really fun.

The only thing I miss is the hardcore planning! If I'm bored, I just get in the car and go to DL. The most "planning" I do is sometimes I'll call on my way out the door to reserve a table for dinner.

 

[rsoxguy]

What about the repetitive factor?
It seems like the more you visit then the more attractions you would add to your 'been there done that one' list. Soon there's not a lot you haven't done so many times already that it's no longer interesting.

We all have attractions that we have done once but don't won't to do again. There are others that have been done over and over and aren't as fun as they used to be so they usually get skipped.

So after being so close physically and having WDW so handy, do you eventually reach a point where there's nothing interesting any more?
You find yourself just sitting in the parks and watching the shrubbery, and the people, and the architecture?

I must admit that there are certain things about the parks that loose their appeal after so many trips, but by and large it is still a fun place to visit. I try to not visit the same park twice in a row, and we often look for little things that we have never really focused on in the past. For instance, we sometimes spend more time visiting Innoventions at EPCOT, and less time wandering around the World Showcase. Also, we sometimes spend more of our time watching the different shows instead of going on rides. WDW is such a beautiful and diverse experience that we never truly get tired of going. (I should add that my daughter personifies the term "Disney Fanatic")

 

[Master Yoda]

What about the repetitive factor?
It seems like the more you visit then the more attractions you would add to your 'been there done that one' list. Soon there's not a lot you haven't done so many times already that it's no longer interesting.

We all have attractions that we have done once but don't won't to do again. There are others that have been done over and over and aren't as fun as they used to be so they usually get skipped.

So after being so close physically and having WDW so handy, do you eventually reach a point where there's nothing interesting any more?
You find yourself just sitting in the parks and watching the shrubbery, and the people, and the architecture?

Not at all. Sure there are those attractions that we might only do once per year (ie LMA, SGE, etc) but there are far more that we like to go on as often as we can. Riding them over and over again gives you the chance to take in more detail on the those attractions. Visiting frequently also forces you to dig deeper and find other things to do both inside and outside the parks. Last weekend we spent about 1/2 an hour watching a guy hand blow a glass and it did not bother me one bit to let my 8 year old run around the dinoland play ground for a good hour and a half. Lastly it seems no matter how frequently we go there always seems to be something still on our "haven't done yet" list.

 

[Master Yoda]

I don't live in Florida, but I live an hour from Disneyland. I always wondered if living this close to Disney would ruin it for me, but it definitely doesn't. In fact, it's more magical.

Like Miss M said, there's no pressure to hurry up and see everything. Usually I'll head up for a day and throughout the course of that day only ride 3-4 things. I mostly just enjoy the ambience and little details and have a nice meal while I'm there.

No rushing, no stress, and lots of meandering. Really fun.

The only thing I miss is the hardcore planning! If I'm bored, I just get in the car and go to DL. The most "planning" I do is sometimes I'll call on my way out the door to reserve a table for dinner.

Sounds like our planing for weekend trips. Last weekend our planning consisted of ride space mountain to check out the green screen and eat at Pecos Bill's to check out the new angus burgers.

 

[LucyintheSky]

I've lived in Orlando for 10 years now, and I love WDW as much as I ever did. I was a CM for a couple years, and even that didn't make it lose any "magic" for me. I love being so close to WDW, even though I've had periods where I couldn't go to the parks.

The only thing I miss about coming on here on a vacation is the whole "vacation" feeling... the planning, waiting, getting excited, packing, traveling, staying in a resort, not having to drive 30-40 minutes home at the end of the night... that sort of stuff. I've thought about doing all that sometime (minus the traveling :ROFLOL , but my husband is NOT a Disney fan at ALL :brick:so there's no way he would want to do that. Maybe I'll just do a solo thing some time!

But all in all I love it here. Oh! And about the whole, getting tired of it thing... For me, no way! I never get tired of the parks. And I've found that in going so often, you tend to get to the stuff that you might not have time for on vacation. Even just sitting on a bench and people watching. Sitting and watching the Fountain of Nations, playing the game at the exit of Mission: Space, or exploring the things that are off the beaten path.

 

[crazydaveh]

I live about 25 minutes north of WDW and honestly, I've gotten burned out by the mouse and the other parks from time to time. It just happens, not that I want it to, but it does.

The only time it really happens is when family or friends visit during the summer or the busy holiday periods such as Christmas through New Year's, Spring Break, and July 4th. It's so busy I tell them they don't want to go, but they do and I go with... A few days of that and I'm ready for a vacation from Mickey and friends.

I now relive the magic by taking my 14 month old daughter down there. She's just starting to really recognize the characters and runs to them, knocking other people in line down, to give them a hug. She can say "Mickey" and "Duck" and Goof" as well as "Pooh" (she learned that from something else though) and it's a lot of fun. She also loves some of the rides at MK, so that's fun watching her react to them. So far, her favorite is POC. She always tries to sing along with them but ends up with a POC/Itsy Bitsy Spider version!

I echo what others have said, we go for a few hours at a time and take our time doing stuff. If we don't get to ride or see something, no worries, we try again on the next visit. If we get down there and it's busier than we thought it would be, oh well, we try again another day. That's what's honestly great about living here and having an AP, you can do what you want when you want most of the time.

 

[Victor]

I've lived in Florida all my life, and gone to WDW all my life. It's practically a second home. I'm an adult now, but to me it's like the equivalent of going to grandma's for the weekend. I dunno...it just feels safe and comforting knowing it all like the back of your hand.

I'm about 2 1/2 hours away, so when I go it's for a few nights, and usually about 4-5 times a year. I too could never imagine having to plan my vacation out. I'm in the middle of doing that for family coming in from out of state and they haven't been to WDW in over 20 years (plus it's the kiddies first time), it's pretty time consuming!

 

[Victor]

I live about 25 minutes north of WDW and honestly, I've gotten burned out by the mouse and the other parks from time to time. It just happens, not that I want it to, but it does.

The only time it really happens is when family or friends visit during the summer or the busy holiday periods such as Christmas through New Year's, Spring Break, and July 4th. It's so busy I tell them they don't want to go, but they do and I go with... A few days of that and I'm ready for a vacation from Mickey and friends.

I know what you mean. I have family coming down last week of March and again in July. While it's exciting, because first timers are fun, I am not looking forward to the crowds and heat. I hope it's not too bad to scare them off visiting Disney again.

 

[WelshBatman]

I live about 15 minutes away from Disney (in fact I can see Wishes from my window at night) and I can say that it just seems like I see a different side of Disney living so close. I used to live in Rhode Island and when I came down as a kid it was completely different. Now when I go, I find myself experiencing attractions that I might not have before because my time in the world was limited.

You can get "burned out" by Disney if you visit the parks non-stop, but if you pace yourself and go maybe a couple of times a month, or, do what I do, wait until the attendance is down, you can really have fun and see things you might not have before. I mean, I've been going to Disney for 20 years and I'm still finding new stuff.

 

[need2go2wdw]

I just moved to FL (2.5 hrs from the world) about a month ago from MI and I have to say that even though I haven't experienced the joy that I know I will get out of being able to go anytime I want, I already know that I am going to be one of those people who can go and go and go and never get tired of it! Its been sheer torture waiting this last month to be able to go. Its been a little too crazy with my DH's new job and stuff to go yet, but I finally have my first weekend getaway coming up in a couple weeks and I can't wait! We have a longer trip planned for May, but I can see us going for an overnight stay or two between Feb and May...Like everyone else said, the ability to go, whenever you want, and take your time is going to be wonderful! I love the resorts and knowing I can go and just hang out there, have dinner, relax, and just "be" there is such a wonderful thing to me. I love the parks, and I really like going to them, but I can see skipping them and spending time doing other things once in a while. Esp since we haven't purchased our AP's yet . But once we do, knowing we could run into a park and grab lunch at our favorite CS restaurant and let our 2 year old run over and hug her favorite characters then leave if we wanted with no big deal, its just going to be awesome! I only wish we lived a little closer!