I didn't realize the extent to which people completely uproot themselves for Disney until 5 or 6 years ago.
I was waiting in a long line at Epcot, and struck up a conversation with a young couple in front of me. They were in their early 20s and had moved from England to Orlando earlier in the year. Despite the fact that neither of them had a job -- nor apparently any inclination to find a job anytime soon -- they had bought a house just minutes away from WDW. I had the distinct impression that their house, and lifestyle, were fully funded by their parents... who, they implied, were vehemently opposed to the move -- but obviously also concerned about what would happen to their kids in a foreign country without any financial support.
I don't know how large the house was, but the couple described every room being packed with Disney paraphernalia, including drawers and drawers stuffed so full of pins they couldn't be used for clothing or anything else. They showed me the pins they'd bought that day -- pins that would go straight into storage, and would never be worn. They made it a point to buy (at least) two copies of every single pin, including all the various Passholder and special event pins.
That was the first time I can recall truly feeling sad while at WDW. Ironically, the couple wasn't particularly joyful either, despite ostensibly living their dream. Rather than appreciating a beautiful morning at Epcot, they seemed to be intensely concerned with making sure that they had made all their necessary acquisitions for the day.
There's nothing wrong per se with moving somewhere because of someone or something that's there... and there's nothing wrong with "escaping from reality" for a week or two when the stresses of "real life" get to be too much. But when your "escape from reality" becomes your reality, that is the time to reflect and figure out whether Disney is just an addictive pastime -- or an actual addiction.
