Would/Have you moved to FL (in part) for WDW?

POLY LOVER

Well-Known Member
My brother and his family moved to Orlando to be close to WDW and it didn't work out well for them. They got tired of the parks. I'm sure part of that was because my SIL worked for Disney Reservations and they were able to go so often at no cost. I used to want to meet him and his family at a park when we were at WDW. They would meet us, go on two or three of their favorite attractions and then want to go home. They ended up moving back to Minnesota because they missed friends and family.
Minnesota wow they must love living indoors or they have snow dogs.
 

RoadTrip

Member
Minnesota wow they must love living indoors or they have snow dogs.
Other than the winters, Minnesota is a wonderful place to live. That said, as soon as I was able to take early retirement I headed for a warmer climate. Florida heat and humidity during the summer was too much for me so I ended up in SW Missouri. A much more moderate climate than Minnesota but still has four seasons. :)
 

emcclay

Well-Known Member
Moved down here from Connecticut in April '13. I lived in Orlando for half the time and now I have been in Clermont for the other. Can't see myself leaving this area until I'm done working and retire by the beach. Going to look into buying a house in the Clermont/Davenport area within the next couple years.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Second, as to the context of non-retirees moving someplace to be near a theme park: how is that much different from someone moving to Florida for the beach? Or to Colorado for skiing? People find different things that make them happy in life, and sometimes it makes sense, financially and/or emotionally, to pursue them beyond vacation time.
The difference is the way that theme parks are so predominately framed as an escape. It's not something that so much happens on this forum/site, but that notion gets abused to a rather alarming degree. The escape being a very real part of a trip, used sort of like a drug. From that comes justifications that are not responsible, like taking on debt to visit or moving to avoid some other misery by spending too much time and money at the parks. There are too many who move when it is not financially and emotionally appropriate.
 

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
The difference is the way that theme parks are so predominately framed as an escape. It's not something that so much happens on this forum/site, but that notion gets abused to a rather alarming degree. The escape being a very real part of a trip, used sort of like a drug. From that comes justifications that are not responsible, like taking on debt to visit or moving to avoid some other misery by spending too much time and money at the parks. There are too many who move when it is not financially and emotionally appropriate.

Well, in those cases I would recommend a shrink LOL.
 

bhg469

Well-Known Member
This past year I had been hoping that a client we were trying to get in St. Pete would come through. About 2 months ago I was told it wouldnt happen, needless to say I was a little upset but I still have my job, which I love, but the downside its up here in NY. Now I love the city I live in but the state of ny is just not my cup of tea anymore. Florida stood out to us because the houses are cheap, taxes are low and my wife's family already moved there a few years ago. My parents planned to follow us down after. Well just recently, about 2 weeks ago, I found out that the client we weren't getting suddenly needed us to work with them and the position is in the negotiating phase. There is still a chance they may just work with a rep remotely and if thats the case I have no chance but there is a shot I may get my chance. WDW has a small part of my desire to go down there. My wife and I actually discussed annual passes and we basically said we were bored with the place and the lack of growth and instead would be perfectly happy with the Florida resident Epcot after 4 passes. That way we could at least participate in food and wine as well as go there for dinner occasionally after work.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
The difference is the way that theme parks are so predominately framed as an escape. It's not something that so much happens on this forum/site, but that notion gets abused to a rather alarming degree. The escape being a very real part of a trip, used sort of like a drug. From that comes justifications that are not responsible, like taking on debt to visit or moving to avoid some other misery by spending too much time and money at the parks. There are too many who move when it is not financially and emotionally appropriate.
Absolutely this. We've seen people on these boards with legitimate professional careers move to Orlando to go work quick serve F&B at Animal Kingdom. It's remarkably irresponsible to willingly and intentionally go from a self-supporting, productive member of society to a borderline-minimum-wage-earner dependent on State benefits to get by. If you have a career and you modify your career trajectory to be closer to something you love (within reason), then more power to you. But that's often not the case when we talk about people moving to Central Florida specifically for Disney.
 

POLY LOVER

Well-Known Member
Absolutely this. We've seen people on these boards with legitimate professional careers move to Orlando to go work quick serve F&B at Animal Kingdom. It's remarkably irresponsible to willingly and intentionally go from a self-supporting, productive member of society to a borderline-minimum-wage-earner dependent on State benefits to get by. If you have a career and you modify your career trajectory to be closer to something you love (within reason), then more power to you. But that's often not the case when we talk about people moving to Central Florida specifically for Disney.

who said they are dependant on the state to get by? How do you support that claim?
 

ULPO46

Well-Known Member
I was born and raised in Florida. In due part to my father working on the corporate side of life in central Florida. I was luck enough to grow up there and everyday after school could just walk to Universal or take a short bus ride to the Walt Disney World Resort. But Florida is not worth moving yo just for the parks. Yes there are great benefits such as low taxes, but the interest rates and literally every other hidden ta ruins what you'd call the Florida experience. I love my home state. It's been home to my family for over 500 years, but the times have changed and Disney it's self cannot support the weak economy of the State. All we have left is the tourism industry and the US DOD. If you work in Florida chances are you have to do business with either the tourist industry or with the Military. I love Disney don't get me wrong, I work for it. But I no longer live in Florida, I choose to move to Burbank to make more money and so did much of my family except my dad now heads a Fortune 500 in Columbus, Ohio.
 

ULPO46

Well-Known Member
who said they are dependant on the state to get by? How do you support that claim?
Exactly I have friends who quit 200K a year jobs to work for Disney just because they were tired of bureaucracy and wanted less stress. They are HAPPY with what they do and they have saved enough to not have to work another day in their lives yet they still work there. To those people, I have no issue with them because they are Happy. Now don't get me wrong I have a long list of people who hate working at Universal and Disney World, but then again it all depends on your preference and why you choose to work at the parks. I thought Food Stamps came from the Fed's :)
 

POLY LOVER

Well-Known Member
I was born and raised in Florida. In due part to my father working on the corporate side of life in central Florida. I was luck enough to grow up there and everyday after school could just walk to Universal or take a short bus ride to the Walt Disney World Resort. But Florida is not worth moving yo just for the parks. Yes there are great benefits such as low taxes, but the interest rates and literally every other hidden ta ruins what you'd call the Florida experience. I love my home state. It's been home to my family for over 500 years, but the times have changed and Disney it's self cannot support the weak economy of the State. All we have left is the tourism industry and the US DOD. If you work in Florida chances are you have to do business with either the tourist industry or with the Military. I love Disney don't get me wrong, I work for it. But I no longer live in Florida, I choose to move to Burbank to make more money and so did much of my family except my dad now heads a Fortune 500 in Columbus, Ohio.


I guess your issue is with the Governor of FL. not Disney. Disney employs people low wages be it but they employ. Folks that work for Disney except maybe management I don't think they are looking for a career so to speak.
 

ULPO46

Well-Known Member
I guess your issue is with the Governor of FL. not Disney. Disney employs people low wages be it but they employee. Folks that work for Disney except maybe management I don't think they are looking for a career so to speak.
Not really Florida has no natural resources. A.K.A. Mining or non protected abundant forest for lumber. So the economy has been shrinking. Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumman have been slowly moving their production facilities away from Florida, not to mention that the current president cut the Space Program in half and the influx of immigrants from Puerto Rico don't make anything better as jobs are scarce. Sure Florida welcomes anyone who wants to move, but if you want a good paying job, the average is 60,000 a year which doesn't do well for a family of four.
 

POLY LOVER

Well-Known Member
Exactly I have friends who quit 200K a year jobs to work for Disney just because they were tired of bureaucracy and wanted less stress. They are HAPPY with what they do and they have saved enough to not have to work another day in their lives yet they still work there. To those people, I have no issue with them because they are Happy. Now don't get me wrong I have a long list of people who hate working at Universal and Disney World, but then again it all depends on your preference and why you choose to work at the parks. I thought Food Stamps came from the Fed's :)


That was a terrible indictment on a large group of working people that person made..
 

Tom P.

Well-Known Member
I, along with all my family members, am a huge Disney fan. I would never want to live close by. First off, I like having my four seasons. :) I could not stand living in an environment where Christmas Day could be warm and sunny. It just wouldn't feel right. But I also agree with what some others have said... I love the magic of Disney. I love the anticipation that builds toward a trip. I love planning the vacation. I think a great deal of that would be lost if we had easy access to the parks any time we chose. I just don't think it would be for me.
 

POLY LOVER

Well-Known Member
I, along with all my family members, am a huge Disney fan. I would never want to live close by. First off, I like having my four seasons. :) I could not stand living in an environment where Christmas Day could be warm and sunny. It just wouldn't feel right. But I also agree with what some others have said... I love the magic of Disney. I love the anticipation that builds toward a trip. I love planning the vacation. I think a great deal of that would be lost if we had easy access to the parks any time we chose. I just don't think it would be for me.


I sure its not for everyone like living in Buffalo NY or Main etc. and having mostly cold weather and very short summers. Every area has pluse and minus .
 

bhg469

Well-Known Member
I sure its not for everyone like living in Buffalo NY or Main etc. and having mostly cold weather and very short summers. Every area has pluse and minus .
Sitting in Buffalo as we speak. It was a very short summer after record cold winter combined with record snowfalls.. My argument for the whole 4 seasons thing is that we get about 6 months of winter 3 months of summer and then 3 months cold disgusting rain. I don't mind the snow as much as I despise 40 degrees and raining.

As soon as I heard that my company was probably going to hire for a position in Tampa I jumped on it. I hopefully will know more in the next few weeks but we will not hesitate to move out of here.
 

POLY LOVER

Well-Known Member
Sitting in Buffalo as we speak. It was a very short summer after record cold winter combined with record snowfalls.. My argument for the whole 4 seasons thing is that we get about 6 months of winter 3 months of summer and then 3 months cold disgusting rain. I don't mind the snow as much as I despise 40 degrees and raining.

As soon as I heard that my company was probably going to hire for a position in Tampa I jumped on it. I hopefully will know more in the next few weeks but we will not hesitate to move out of here.


I'm just about sick of walking out the door in the morning and not knowing what to expect on my drive in or stepping gingerly across the parking lot and hoping not to break something I need. Last year was a mess.

Sorry I did not mean to pick on Buffalo I was actually there once and had some great wings at the Anchor.
 

Tom P.

Well-Known Member
Because someone earning $8.00 an hour as a cashier in a theme park cannot, by simple mathematics, pay rent, grocery, utility, and healthcare bills.
Let's be fair, though. You cited someone leaving a $200,000 per year career. That person could have reasonably saved and invested for years and gotten to the point where they could sustain themselves without worrying about their week-to-week salary. We could also be talking about a two income family where one person decides to work at Disney for $8.00 per hour but the other person is still earning a very good income.

My point is not that those things are common, merely that there are other possibilities besides "being on the government dole."
 

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