The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[mlayton144]

Hurricanes not a huge concern in centraL FL unless you near the coast , might get Cat1 winds and some power outages a couple times per summer. Unlike earthquakes and twisters though though you get many days notice to prepare. It sounds like you could deal with tropical climate , and yes Florida has a lot of sunshine - most summer days you get late afternoon thunderstorms with sun out before and after. And yes , the ocean and gulf are much nicer to swim in than the west coast.

There are droves of moving to Orlando (just search on that term for a competitor to this site) YouTube videos that talk about different neighborhoods in that metro area with cost and pros/cons - one thing that’s not good about that area is traffic , but you live in SoCal so no worry there

 

[mlayton144]

Hurricanes not a huge concern in centraL FL unless you near the coast , might get Cat1 winds and some power outages a couple times per summer. Unlike earthquakes and twisters though though you get many days notice to prepare. It sounds like you could deal with tropical climate , and yes Florida has a lot of sunshine - most summer days you get late afternoon thunderstorms with sun out before and after. And yes , the ocean and gulf are much nicer to swim in than the west coast.

There are droves of moving to Orlando (just search on that term for a competitor to this site) YouTube videos that talk about different neighborhoods in that metro area with cost and pros/cons - one thing that’s not good about that area is traffic , but you live in SoCal so no worry there

One more note - the areas around Disney have gotten ALOT more expensive the last few years since COVID - many northerners moved down there since WFH is so easy now

 

[tcool123]

. Are there a lot of cloudy days with no sunshine in the Sunshine state?

You'll usually have Sun at some point, but we're no stranger to cloudy days. After a while it just blurs together lol, but more often than there's sun but dont be surprised if there are days where yes its light out yes its raining and yes the sun is not visible lol.

Im more of an Independent I'd say but these days I'm definitely leaning Red. Just meant to say that I didn't specifically choose those states because they were Red states. If that was the case I'd be picking the panhandle as my Florida destination. I've read even Jacksonville is a little more Conservative? Interesting to hear Orlando is progressive. I'm sure it would feel like Alabama to me in comparison to Los Angeles. Lol.

Mind you it's Florida progressive not California progressive we likely have different reaches for progressiveness. Jacksonville sometimes goes blue, but as a whole the state itself remains red so its good mixture of ideologies. If you're in the panhandle do keep in mind that while you have easy access to other states you do lose more of that cultural mix as well as proximity to the theme parks - my former roommate lived near Pensacola and would have to drive seven hours just to get to Orlando for the parks.

I think you nailed why I don't go to the beach all that often even though it's only 30 min away. It's freezing! Half the time we go it's just for the drive anyway or just to eat some seafood on the beach.

Haha yes! When we visited Cali my mother ignored our words about how cold the Pacific was and decided we were going to spend the whole day at the beach like we did here. She took one step in that water, and we were soon back in the car lol. We did enjoy the seafood and vibes of the beachside drives though!

The hurricanes don’t really hit central Florida though do they? Point taken on the rest but I wouldn’t be going only for WDW. I’m not sure I’ll ever be afford a nice place here. It would probably take something catastrophic. Wish I would have bought something in 2012.

Yes we do get them albeit historically never more than say a Category 2? Most newer homes are built to withstand Category 3 thanks to legislation passed following a series of disastrous hurricanes such as Andrew, Wilma, etc. With that said the bigger issue is flooding and power loss after a storm. This past hurricane season for Ian I camped out with my friends in Windermere and hardly noticed there was a storm outside with power never going out nor water damage - the same can not be said in areas such as Alafaya. I'd definitely look into the aftermath reports from the various cities following Hurricane Ian to get a better picture of what you may be getting into.

You also have days - sometimes weeks to prepare your strategy for hurricanes. For Ian I had plenty of water and food ready over a week ahead of time as I had that gut feeling. Ended up not needing most of it so I donated it to a nearby food kitchen

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Hey, the alligators are AWESOME! My neighbor gator turned around to tan his other side today. (I see this guy nearly every day on my walks).

The humidity in the summer defies description, though. I have to change my shirt after getting the mail. On the plus side: No state income tax.

As a bonus as long as you leave the wildlife be they will do the same. I've seen plenty of alligators, pythons, iguanas, hawks, armadillos, snakes, etc. up close and personal minded my own business and kept going.

During the summer here in Florida you learn that the morning and night quickly become your friends if you want to go out and do something with 1 PM to 5 PM window sometimes feeling awful - one time I remember the feels like was a "comfy" 112 degrees

 

[TP2000]

I always liked Terry.

"Whaaaaat's up, police, what's up!" (I will sometimes say that line from this GIF scene out loud when I see a police car in traffic.)

Terry Bernardino was truly a gift. The tiny sombreros that he and Pedro wore at Tacos, Tacos, Tacos! were a nice touch.

Everyone on that show was brilliant. When you realize that most of the jokes were unscripted improv, it's even better.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Doesn’t Florida have some housing insurance crisis brewing?

 

[Phroobar]

No way! I went to Crespi. My cousins went to Notre Dame. Mom used to drag me to the Fashion Square all the time. I saw sweet sweet Robbie Schneider (as Adam Sandler once called him) once at the Galleria (when it was still an indoor mall). This is right around the time Beverly Hill Billies the movie came out. I can still remember him telling me not to put my finger in the bird cage at the pet store. I went to Dixie Canyon Elementary in Sherman Oaks for 4th, -6th grade. When I was there the Olsen twins were in my sisters Kindergarten class. I’m not sure if you re all that familiar with the Sherman Oaks area but Tony’s Liquor had the best burgers once upon a time.

Good idea. Road trips sound like a fun and productive way to go about it. Might leave the two year old at home though. Haha

Edit: @Phroobar from what I understand companies are starting to lower your salary if you move out of state which is kind of concerning.

Oh my ga, I do remember Tony's Liquor those burgers were fantastic! We would walk there after school on Ventura. I remember Fashion Square, and Topanga mall. I especially loved the Castle mini golf course down by the 405/101. That is where they filmed Karate Kid. I always had to take bus home until I bought a car since we lived up on Mulholland. My parents were rich but cheap. You're like my little brother since your about ten years younger than me.

Crespi were our Valley rivals. We were the first co-ed class at ND. I remember Tony Danza's kids went there a few years after me.

 

[TP2000]

Utah has gorgeous national parks and certain cultural quirks that come from being a state founded in connection to (and still influenced by) the LDS church.

Not 100% my thing, but I can see why some might want to live there.

Agreed. I wouldn't have considered Utah if some friends hadn't moved there first and then start raving about it. I had a pre-conceived notion of Utah being a living version of the Donny & Marie show with strict liquor laws. It may have been that way in the 20th century, but it's certainly changed now.

Then again, I lived in the South and New England in the 20th century, and the liquor laws there were far more restrictive than Utah is now. There were dry towns and counties where not even kosher wine could be sold, and in the more open towns or counties they'd put giant padlocks on the beer case in supermarkets and 7-11's on Saturday night and keep them locked up until Monday morning.

I also lived in Washington state where the only place to buy hard liquor was at government-run and highly regulated and taxed state liquor stores. They would close by 7pm on weekdays, close at 5pm on Saturdays, and be closed entirely on Sundays and holidays. Bars and cocktail lounges could not operate on Sundays in Washington state. Talk about ignoring the separation of Church and State!

And the state liquor stores all had the same depressing look, bearing a close resemblance to a Soviet run market in 1970's Leningrad.
I just Googled that up to see if my hazy memory was remembering it right, and sure enough the Google pics look exactly like they used to!

Washington state finally abandoned that law in 2012 (only a decade ago!), and now allows liquor to be sold in food stores that are at least 10,000 square feet (basically only big supermarkets or Costco). But Washington taxes all alcohol at 20.5%! Beer and wine can be sold in small stores in Washington, but it's still rather restrictive on getting a license.

My point, and I do have one , is that for many older folks who remember the 20th century, when you compare big city life in the 1970's or 80's in places like Seattle or Boston or Atlanta, suddenly in the 2020's even a small city in Utah can seem like a sinful Swingers Paradise! in comparison.

 

[Phroobar]

Astoria, Oregon looks cool. That is where they film the Goonies. I don't think I can deal with the lack of sunshine though.

 

[TP2000]

Oh, and this memory just got processed by my old vacuum tubes!.... In the Washington state liquor stores back then they always had a giant portrait of a very stern George Washington staring down at you above the checkout register. It was a less than subtle reminder that you were being judged not just by your community, but also by the father of your country.

Now, do you really want that bottle of Jack Daniels? What would George think?

 

[TP2000]

Astoria, Oregon looks cool. That is where they film the Goonies. I don't think I can deal with the lack of sunshine though.

I mentioned this earlier, but it can't be said enough.

If you do not grow up in the Great Pacific Northwest on the coastal side of the Cascades, when you move there the 8 months of overcast skies and drizzle can really take their toll on your mental health. Even native Northwesterners can have difficulty with it, which is why Alaska Airlines flies several non-stops per day from Seattle and Portland to Palm Springs Airport from October through April.

But someone from a southerly climate can have a difficult time adjusting to the climate and lack of direct sunshine in the Northwest.

 

[Parteecia]

There are risk maps available online for areas you may be interested in. Let you know what damage the weather and geography/geology may do. As @Disney Analyst mentioned earlier, you might look at insurance rates for an idea of possible local liabilities. And crime maps while you're at it.

Personally, I was in Orlando twice in late Feb-early March for my boyfriend's conventions and once in Miami over Halloween on business. The humidity walloped me every time. My glasses fogged so badly whenever I left an air conditioned building.

I still remember coming out of the car stunt show and thinking that everyone stunk really bad. I ended up throwing away shoes instead of bringing them home because they smelled moldy rotten. This has never happened to me here in SoCal.

 

[Parteecia]

Doesn’t Florida have some housing insurance crisis brewing?

Wow. I had no idea.

... "This situation could get out of hand fast. Florida’s property insurance premiums are already about three times higher than the national average, and analysts expect them to rise another 20 or 30 percent next year. Companies that can’t raise more money through loans or price hikes will collapse, forcing more people to join Citizens. As that public insurance program keeps growing, it will get more vulnerable to a big storm, potentially putting the state on the hook for billions of dollars that it will have to raise from taxes." ...

Republicans Are Coughing Up Billions to Save Florida’s Home Insurance Market

The state's insurance companies are struggling to survive an onslaught of hurricanes and litigation.

gizmodo.com

 

[SuddenStorm]

When I was there on Christmas Eve, The Main Street Vehicles were running until midnight. I was blown away- I don't recall ever seeing them run that late and there was something delightfully charming about seeing the omnibus going down with the street lit up for Christmas.

 

[Rich T]

Astoria, Oregon looks cool. That is where they film the Goonies. I don't think I can deal with the lack of sunshine though.

Visited it. By the way, it went up for sale recently. Don’t know if it sold yet. just sayin’…

Also, when we were there about 10 years ago, Astoria had a local band called “Troy’s Bucket.”

 

[SuddenStorm]

Disney sent me a survey after my visit- which I had a ton of fun filling out. It focused primarily on the App/Genie+ side of things, asking about what I used and what I thought of it. I don't recall many questions asking about the quality of service received by cast members- or an opportunity to share highlights of cm interactions or issues experienced. A red flag, as it shows guest satisfaction is not a main priority, though it could be argued Genie+, the app, and guest satisfaction go hand in hand.

The most interesting part was a section that asked me to rate how big of a 'fan' I was of different brands- Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, or Disney in general. I thought it interesting, and disheartening that 'Disneyland' or 'Disney Parks' or something was not on that list. It really does look like right now the company does not view Disneyland as it's own brand with it's own fans- but solely as a venue to promote their other brands.

It also asked how many times I've been to Disneyland, with the highest option being '99+'. I hope that doesn't change how they rank my answers, or if it would have them weigh my opinion higher for things I'm unhappy with as I've been there numerous times.

 

[DCBaker]

"An after hours fire at Disneyland that damaged the New Orleans Square train station has left the faint smell of smoke wafting over the Anaheim theme park during the busy holiday season.

The fire that broke out in the early morning hours of Thursday, Dec. 29 during Disneyland’s overnight shift was quickly extinguished, according to Anaheim Fire Department officials.

The small fire near the New Orleans Square train station caused minimal disruption and no injuries, according to Disneyland officials.

The Anaheim Fire Department received a call at 3:29 a.m. on Thursday morning of a structure fire in the radio house of the New Orleans Square train station at Disneyland, according to Anaheim Police and Fire spokesperson Sgt. Jacob Gallacher. The Anaheim Fire Department and the on-site Disneyland Fire Department crews fought the small fire for 15 minutes.

The flames damaged the train station radio house building between the New Orleans Square depot and a water tower used to refill the steam engines. The radio house is used by Disneyland employees as a staff break room.

Disneyland erected white construction walls and a 20-foot-tall beige scrim to shield the fire-damaged building from visitors while the Disneyland Railroad continued to take riders on a “Grand Circle Tour” around the park."

Disneyland fire damages New Orleans Square train station

The flames damaged the train station radio house used by Disneyland employees as a staff break room.

www.ocregister.com

 

[TP2000]

The flames damaged the train station radio house building between the New Orleans Square depot and a water tower used to refill the steam engines. The radio house is used by Disneyland employees as a staff break room.

That's the station structure on the opposite side of the tracks from the passenger platform, where Walt's opening day speech is being typed out in Morse Code by the telegraph. You often see CM's going in and out of there as its apparently a break room.

It sounds like some CM accidentally left the Mr. Coffee on overnight, or a batch of microwave popcorn went awry.

 

[Phroobar]

I think this guy did it.

 

[eddie104]

One more note - the areas around Disney have gotten ALOT more expensive the last few years since COVID - many northerners moved down there since WFH is so easy now

Yes being a native I’ve seen the impact all the growth has caused for the local residents. It’s really expensive in certain areas especially in South Florida. I think it’s more important to make sure you have a job lined up and move to the right location than the weather.

I mean it’s not like you are going from Cali to NY which is a drastic change. Moving from one warm sunny location to another is not the big adjustment posters are trying to make it out to be. Yes the whole dry vs humidity factor might impact you a little but it’s still hot as hell either way.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I mean it’s not like you are going from Cali to NY which is a drastic change. Moving from one warm sunny location to another is not the big adjustment posters are trying to make it out to be. Yes the whole dry vs humidity factor might impact you a little but it’s still hot as hell either way.

I would say it is drastic and it is a big adjustment for some. The humidity in Florida is nasty. Yeah, it gets hot here as well, but I’ve never experienced similar heat I experienced in Orlando anywhere here in California. And it’s not just the heat, it’s the rain, too. Moving from Southern California, where it drizzles a handful of times, to somewhere where it randomly rains through the day is a big difference. Not to mention hurricanes vs wildfires and earthquakes. That’s pretty drastic.