You hit on something there. The diverse quality food options in Los Angeles and surrounding parts compared to Orlando is no comparison.
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Orlando Becoming East Coast Headquarters for Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products
- Thread starter The Visionary Soul
- Start date
chriskbrown
Active Member
This is about cost of living. Can pay someone 20% less in Central Florida versus Southern California.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't consider rural North Carolina cosmopolitan, its a cesspool of meth addicted rednecks. Orlando isn't cosmopolitan either but I love having the illusion that I lived the high life, after all my zip code was the same as Windermere. At the end of the day, I refuse to live anywhere other than the South. North Carolina is trash compared to Florida and as I said earlier I cannot wait until I can move back
I would definitely rather live in North Carolina than Florida, although of course that depends on where exactly you're living. I wouldn't want to live in rural NC, but I wouldn't want to live in rural Florida either. Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham (and Asheville, although that's a very different weather situation) are much better places to live than anywhere in central Florida IMO.
MorphinePrince
Well-Known Member
My biggest hang-up about not being in Florida anymore is the lack of quality theme parks and the Gulf beaches. I could probably get on board with Asheville; I went to school at App State so I could easily adapt to the mountain weather again. Raleigh is hit or miss for me, some areas are lovely but others are not so pleasant. As for Charlotte, I've never spent any amount of relevant time there to have an informed opinion. If I end up having to stay in North Carolina longer than the three years I've planned, I'd likely go to the Apex/Cary area.
chriskbrown
Active Member
I live in the Charlotte area and have for over 30 years, my parents are from this area. We get all the seasons and it's been a great place to live. Charlotte has more than tripled in size in the 30 years.
Mouse Trap
Well-Known Member
Any Disney employees impacted by the move want to voice their thoughts?
Over on Reddit those impacted are ED and scrambling to find new positions. The few friends I have in Burbank (not impacted) have said the reaction has been mostly negative. Apparently a decent chunk of imagineering isn’t moving… which is surprising?
Those on this forum who think cost of living is everything need a bit of a reality check.
Over on Reddit those impacted are ED and scrambling to find new positions. The few friends I have in Burbank (not impacted) have said the reaction has been mostly negative. Apparently a decent chunk of imagineering isn’t moving… which is surprising?
Those on this forum who think cost of living is everything need a bit of a reality check.
Piebald
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure many are happy on the other side, although people in Orlando looking for a new job may be verrrry interested. For that matter, most companies in Orlando should be on red alert seeing as how a lot of positions are emptying out in lieu of other companies still offering WFH or hybrid. I know of several anecdotes where companies foolishly decided "ok play time is over everyone back to the office" and an exodus occurred.
StaceyH_SD
Well-Known Member
On the one hand, I think it makes sense to have WDW-focused jobs, like Imagineering that’s centered on WDW, near WDW.
On the other…does anybody remember how having part of Feature Animation in Orlando worked out? My ex works at Feature Animation (software engineer) and Disney still had the Orlando animation team there when he started at Disney. It was…clunky.
I am pretty sure that a lot of people will not be interested in relocating from SoCal to Orlando. For all the cost of living there and other issues like traffic, SoCal has so much more to offer. It also has more job opportunities. I would not be at all surprised if headhunters are already contacting Imagineers for jobs that would keep them in SoCal.
On the other…does anybody remember how having part of Feature Animation in Orlando worked out? My ex works at Feature Animation (software engineer) and Disney still had the Orlando animation team there when he started at Disney. It was…clunky.
I am pretty sure that a lot of people will not be interested in relocating from SoCal to Orlando. For all the cost of living there and other issues like traffic, SoCal has so much more to offer. It also has more job opportunities. I would not be at all surprised if headhunters are already contacting Imagineers for jobs that would keep them in SoCal.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
Indeed. I'm sure Central Florida has its charms and is not the worst place in the world to live. In this case, though, you're relocating people accustomed to living in a cosmopolitan city with world class cultural and educational facilities that is also one of the world's great creative hubs... as well as having nice weather and beautiful beaches, mountains, and deserts within driving distance. Particularly for professionals and creatives on a decent income, I'd wager those kinds of quality of life factors outweigh their income stretching further in the sweaty urban expanses of Central Florida. Certainly would for me.
chriskbrown
Active Member
A summer in Orlando will be an adjustment for sure. Interesting in a work from anywhere emerging environment this move - Orlando is not terrible and you are close to the Atlantic or Gulf beaches. But it is not So Cal at all.
tl77
Well-Known Member
I think Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products should be focused in Orlando ...because Orlando has become the "Focus of the Theme Park Industry". I can't believe they keep cramming things in to Disneyland Park when there are so many "future expansion" areas around the WDW property, areas that have been sitting empty for 50 years.
Universal has clearly made Orlando it's focus, but people at WDI are so in love with Disneyland... I guess because they live in California? Why else would you have a Haunted Mansion gift shop in MK, the only Haunted Mansion gift shop anywhere... but a lot of the products in that shop feature "The Hat Box Ghost" ...for some reason?
It's about time they moved it all to Orlando, WDW has been neglected way too long, when Epcot opened in the 80's then MGM, Walt Disney World seemed like it was the center of the Disney Universe, any property that large and that expensive "SHOULD BE THE FOCUS'"!
Universal has clearly made Orlando it's focus, but people at WDI are so in love with Disneyland... I guess because they live in California? Why else would you have a Haunted Mansion gift shop in MK, the only Haunted Mansion gift shop anywhere... but a lot of the products in that shop feature "The Hat Box Ghost" ...for some reason?
It's about time they moved it all to Orlando, WDW has been neglected way too long, when Epcot opened in the 80's then MGM, Walt Disney World seemed like it was the center of the Disney Universe, any property that large and that expensive "SHOULD BE THE FOCUS'"!
Mouse Trap
Well-Known Member
Snakes , gators, love bugs, leaping lizards one can't catch once they enter your home and pre, current and post hurricane experiences are perhaps are somewhat new to some living in FL for the first time for some - April - Oct does feel like summer. one thing CA folks should learn right away living in FL for the first time, don't ever walk near a waters edge by a body of water and think again before swimming in a lake. Gators are always looking for a snack.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Except theme parks are just a portion of this business unit. A large portion of the people described in this move are 'professional' roles in Consumer products. Being in the swamps of florida is the farthest thing from the businesses they interact and sell to.
ETA: they haven't been clear on who moves.. but if it were purely just parks people, you'd think that would be an easy thing for them to say. Instead they basically just excluded people who were working on the CA and international parks. This seems 'calculated' IMO.
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MorphinePrince
Well-Known Member
I didn't feel like a true Floridian until I came home from the bar one night at 2 am and found an alligator chilling outside my townhouse
WannaGoNow
Active Member
Since Disney has sued Orange County, FL, every year since 2016 for excessive property tax appraisals: I wouldn't be so sure Disney is getting sweetheart deals on that tax from the locals.
That would sober one up very quickly. Also not a smart thing when guests at the $2K per night Poly Bungalows were throwing food pieces in the water outside their bungalows to attract the gators to come up and snatch. The gators were just chilling in the Seven Seas Lagoon but food will surely attract them.I didn't feel like a true Floridian until I came home from the bar one night at 2 am and found an alligator chilling outside my townhouse
You forgot to mention the waaaaaay better weather. Also, the lack of mosquitoes. Moved to SoCal from Austin and don’t miss the horrible humidity or insane amount of mosquitoes that make the south awful. It was miserable to be outside six months of the year. I‘m happy to pay the extra taxes for this weather, these beautiful beaches with real waves you can surf on, proximity to skiing and mountain adventures, some of the most beautiful national parks in the U.S., incredible diversity, and progressive thinking about the future and humanity. There are so many reasons why California is the most populous state in the nation and will always be that way.
EricsBiscuit
Well-Known Member
People vote with their feet and if you look at net migration of FL vs NY or CA it tells you everything you need to know. The data doesn’t lie.
MorphinePrince
Well-Known Member
The weather in the south only sucks if you're a total weakling. It's good to see people like you run from the south, makes it a more enjoyable place to live