Orlando Becoming East Coast Headquarters for Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products

cranbiz

Well-Known Member
This was back in 2011, but at one point I was working in CA as a contractor for my current Hi Tech company in a contract to hire position. I was expected to stay in Santa Clara. When the contract ended, 3/4 of the contractors were not offered positions, I was. I was also given the choice to stay in CA or to work in NC. My wife was still in FL at the time. I chose NC and I'm glad I was given the option. There is no way I would continue to live in CA. 6 months was enough to tell me that was not the place for me.

My offer was my current CA pay (in either location) and $5000 relocation expenses. So no pay cut and moving to a place with a less expensive CoL is not unusual.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
This article states relocation costs are being paid.


My guess is we have two versions of the same thing and 'middle truth'. Like.. Maybe Disney is offering a relo BUDGET vs paying actual costs. IE: Here's 10k each to help with your move... when the people may occur WAY more expense then 10k which isn't covered so people say "Disney isn't paying for relocation!" - when the fact would be "Disney isn't paying ALL reloc expenses.

Maybe it's one of those situations and why there is different versions of the same story. "Relocation Assistance" vs "Paying for relocation" :)
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
My guess is we have two versions of the same thing and 'middle truth'. Like.. Maybe Disney is offering a relo BUDGET vs paying actual costs. IE: Here's 10k each to help with your move... when the people may occur WAY more expense then 10k which isn't covered so people say "Disney isn't paying for relocation!" - when the fact would be "Disney isn't paying ALL reloc expenses.

Maybe it's one of those situations and why there is different versions of the same story. "Relocation Assistance" vs "Paying for relocation" :)
Uhaul company and similar moving companies sees an opportunity to increase profits when they see numbers moving to FL thereby relocations costs increase .
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
My guess is we have two versions of the same thing and 'middle truth'. Like.. Maybe Disney is offering a relo BUDGET vs paying actual costs. IE: Here's 10k each to help with your move... when the people may occur WAY more expense then 10k which isn't covered so people say "Disney isn't paying for relocation!" - when the fact would be "Disney isn't paying ALL reloc expenses.

Maybe it's one of those situations and why there is different versions of the same story. "Relocation Assistance" vs "Paying for relocation" :)
It could also depend on the specifics of the terms of employment. A lot of Imagineers are not traditional employees. Many are “temporary” and project hires. There are though people who have worked for years on “temporary” work strung together. If your current contract in Glendale is coming to an end and the new ones are all in Orlando you’re not technically an employee being relocated. We saw something similar with the layoffs following the opening of Shanghai Disneyland where the number of people departing Walt Disney Imagineering was greater than the number reported to the state.
 
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bpiper

Well-Known Member
At least you claim part of it on your taxes.
No you can't, not anymore.

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed the rules for claiming the moving expense tax deduction. For most taxpayers, moving expenses are no longer deductible, meaning you can no longer claim this deduction on your federal return. This change is set to stay in place for tax years 2018-2025.
 

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
I will referring to low COL of FL compared to high COL CA. In Orange County CA $250k will get you maybe a 1 bedroom condo in a sketchy area . $250K will get you in Kissimmee or parts of Orlando a 3 bed/2 bath. Great schools in FL which hardly invests in education? That's wishful thinking.
The vast majority of WDI staff are based in Glendale, in Los Angeles County.
 

djsamuel

New Member
I'm not quite excited for everything to be located in Orlando, it was nice to have film studios close by for when projects get shifted or turned down it was easy to get side hustles in anything from consultations to fun with film production. I can diversify and my home state of Florida does have great options two-three-or an hours drive from Orlando, but all this upheaval is really hurting moral. I hate seeing good people have to leave, but that's just business.
There should be plenty of side opportunities for you in the Orlando area. I work in the simulation industry in Orlando. Just about 30 minutes north of Lake Nona is Research Park, which houses both military simulation activities (where I work until I retire in December) as well as many private companies developing both actual simulators and/or desktop based simulations. In any case, the skill sets are very applicable.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Deanna Armel of Armel Realty is advising that some cast relocating from CA to FL are paying all cash to buy homes in Winter Garden, FL. The median price in the area is $318K compared to similar housing in CA that exceeds $900K.
Fyi - Most of Winter Garden is a nice place to live.
 
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CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Deanna Armel of Armel Realty is advising that some cast relocating from CA to FL are paying all cash to buy homes in Winter Garden, FL. The median price in the area is $318K compared to similar housing in CA that exceeds $900K.
Fyi - Most of Winter Garden is a nice place to live.
Jeeze, Winter Garden to Lake Nona is a friggin hike of a commute. Nothing like a California commute but still.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Jeeze, Winter Garden to Lake Nona is a friggin hike of a commute. Nothing like a California commute but still.
Yes, about 30 miles each way, but if one wants to live in the up and coming Lake Nona area, who wants to be in the approaching flight path of the planes take off / landing at MCO runways a few miles away? And the international flights are not even in full swing yet.
 
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UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Jeeze, Winter Garden to Lake Nona is a friggin hike of a commute. Nothing like a California commute but still.

Yeah, that's likely a nothing commute to most people in LA.

It doesn't even seem like a major commute to me living in Atlanta. There are tons of people here with a longer daily commute than that.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Yeah, that's likely a nothing commute to most people in LA.

It doesn't even seem like a major commute to me living in Atlanta. There are tons of people here with a longer daily commute than that.
Right but those are people who commute to a major metropolitan area and have no choice because the only decent schools are 45 minutes outside the city, or people who took their current job when they already had a home. When you KNOW where work is and you have the opportunity to pick a house with that information in-hand, I can't imagine not wanting to live closer.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Right but those are people who commute to a major metropolitan area and have no choice because the only decent schools are 45 minutes outside the city, or people who took their current job when they already had a home. When you KNOW where work is and you have the opportunity to pick a house with that information in-hand, I can't imagine not wanting to live closer.
Unfortunately when you research the info at hand , Clermont and Winter Garden come up as favorites to some minus the long commute.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Yeah, that's likely a nothing commute to most people in LA.

It doesn't even seem like a major commute to me living in Atlanta. There are tons of people here with a longer daily commute than that.
It’d likely be worse than 30 minutes just because of the time it would actually take in rush hour traffic to get from Winter Park over to FL-417. I guess people could schlep down Semoran through the airport. It’d be like people flocking to Alpharetta for their new job in Marietta.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
It’d likely be worse than 30 minutes just because of the time it would actually take in rush hour traffic to get from Winter Park over to FL-417. I guess people could schlep down Semoran through the airport. It’d be like people flocking to Alpharetta for their new job in Marietta.
The area is Winter Garden not Winter Park but WP is also one of the better areas to live in ( except East WP and nearby Eatonville are a little dicey ) minus the craziness and construction of I-4 nearby.
 

hopemax

Well-Known Member
Maybe they expect that WFH will be a legitimate option, with only having to commute to Lake Nona infrequently. But anything that raises property values in WG is hopefully a plus for my Dad ;).
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Maybe they expect that WFH will be a legitimate option, with only having to commute to Lake Nona infrequently. But anything that raises property values in WG is hopefully a plus for my Dad ;).
Parks is very anti-WFH. I expect that much of DMED will be WFH or Hybrid long term, but not DPEP.
 

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