It's crowded here.. If you aren't used to Los Angeles/ New York/ Austin level crowds, then you might want to avoid living here. Taxes are high too. Try the Disney College Program for a few months to get your feet wet in this town before you make up your mind and if you regret it you can just move back after the program is over.
Would it be crazy to live in Florida just cause of Disney?
- Thread starter Nnilak
- Start date
For someone truly LOVES 
Disney, it is not crazy. I have a lot of Cast Member friends that have told me they all literally moved here just for Disney. Some were able to get jobs at WDW right away, but others said they took other jobs until they got a job at Disney. Some even told me they took a part time job with WDW, while they had their regular job, just so they could apply for jobs internally before they were opened up out to the public. I have other friends that just want to be annual pass holders. You can spot the AP's around town by the AP stickers on their cars. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/76/61/d5/7661d59ad37012434123cdc1d72fb518.jpg
As @Bird mentioned though, it can get crowded, but like anwhere, you would get use to where and when it is crowded. It is still a pain if you have to go through it though. For someone really into Disney, unless you have a specific draw to a certain part of town, because of the all the people in Orlando and on the North/East sides of town, many of us live on the west / southwest side of WDW. The traffic is not as bad, but the areas is still actively growing. A lot of Cast Members live west of WDW down I-4 between WDW and Lakeland. There is smaller cities/rural areas that direction, with Lakeland being the biggest city you pass through until you get to Tampa.
The heat. The challenge with the heat is not the heat itself, but rather the humidity. That is what can make it tough. Unless your work requires you to be outside, during the peak summer heat, we typically move between AC when ever we can. Home to car to office to car to restaurant to car to..., you get the picture. To give you an idea, up north, you can go to a car lot and pick a new car without AC. Here, you would have to special order that car because they all come with AC. However, during peek summer, because of the heat, we get a lot of rain moving through. Because we are between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, the heat will cause evaporation on both coast and the that moisture will collide somewhere over the state and the storms start happening. Which direction they are moving (west to east or east to west) and where you are located will determine how much rain you could see. The nice thing with the rain on hot days is that it helps cool things down some. But no question, the humidity can be rough when you are not use to it and not sure how to adapt to it yet.
Now, talk about Disney from November to April and, in general, the weather is great and makes going to Disney awesome and outside of special events, which Disney has been trying to add more of, the crowds are not as bad. It is nice to be able to go to the parks for 2-3 hours and do a bunch of stuff. As a AP holder or Cast Member, you can also spend time doing the stuff you skip over otherwise because you are try to pack in as much as you can during a visit.
Just some food for thought in case it helps any.
Disney, it is not crazy. I have a lot of Cast Member friends that have told me they all literally moved here just for Disney. Some were able to get jobs at WDW right away, but others said they took other jobs until they got a job at Disney. Some even told me they took a part time job with WDW, while they had their regular job, just so they could apply for jobs internally before they were opened up out to the public. I have other friends that just want to be annual pass holders. You can spot the AP's around town by the AP stickers on their cars. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/76/61/d5/7661d59ad37012434123cdc1d72fb518.jpgAs @Bird mentioned though, it can get crowded, but like anwhere, you would get use to where and when it is crowded. It is still a pain if you have to go through it though. For someone really into Disney, unless you have a specific draw to a certain part of town, because of the all the people in Orlando and on the North/East sides of town, many of us live on the west / southwest side of WDW. The traffic is not as bad, but the areas is still actively growing. A lot of Cast Members live west of WDW down I-4 between WDW and Lakeland. There is smaller cities/rural areas that direction, with Lakeland being the biggest city you pass through until you get to Tampa.
The heat. The challenge with the heat is not the heat itself, but rather the humidity. That is what can make it tough. Unless your work requires you to be outside, during the peak summer heat, we typically move between AC when ever we can. Home to car to office to car to restaurant to car to..., you get the picture. To give you an idea, up north, you can go to a car lot and pick a new car without AC. Here, you would have to special order that car because they all come with AC. However, during peek summer, because of the heat, we get a lot of rain moving through. Because we are between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, the heat will cause evaporation on both coast and the that moisture will collide somewhere over the state and the storms start happening. Which direction they are moving (west to east or east to west) and where you are located will determine how much rain you could see. The nice thing with the rain on hot days is that it helps cool things down some. But no question, the humidity can be rough when you are not use to it and not sure how to adapt to it yet.
Now, talk about Disney from November to April and, in general, the weather is great and makes going to Disney awesome and outside of special events, which Disney has been trying to add more of, the crowds are not as bad. It is nice to be able to go to the parks for 2-3 hours and do a bunch of stuff. As a AP holder or Cast Member, you can also spend time doing the stuff you skip over otherwise because you are try to pack in as much as you can during a visit.
Just some food for thought in case it helps any.
I have lived in Florida all of my life, and Orlando for the majority of it. I've been an annual passholder since birth and I couldn't imagine my life without the parks. When I think about moving up North to a city post graduation, I am very hesitant sometimes simply because I know I will be away from Disney. If having tourist attractions for leisure is a big deal to you, then it isn't extreme at all to factor in Disney when choosing new residency. Some people absolutely want to move to a city, some people need sports stadiums close by, some people want to be near the beach, and some people want to be near Disney.
You are JUST about to start your life as an adult. Not to overstep any boundaries, but are you actually alright with NOT moving near Disney, choosing a state that your boyfriend prefers, and either A) not being happy there or B) breaking up and being stuck there?
This is the first time in your life where YOU get to choose how it starts. Clean slate. Don't sabatoge the type of future you're looking forward to for anyone else. Not a boyfriend, not family, not anyone. Follow YOUR dreams -- just like Walt would want you to
You are JUST about to start your life as an adult. Not to overstep any boundaries, but are you actually alright with NOT moving near Disney, choosing a state that your boyfriend prefers, and either A) not being happy there or B) breaking up and being stuck there?
This is the first time in your life where YOU get to choose how it starts. Clean slate. Don't sabatoge the type of future you're looking forward to for anyone else. Not a boyfriend, not family, not anyone. Follow YOUR dreams -- just like Walt would want you to
@Nnilak,
People have made good points about money (I live in California and everything is expensive, so my mind always wonders where the next dollar for the bills are coming from,) but honestly, this is your life. If this is what you're feeling called to do, go for it! Listen to your heart! Even if it's only for a year or so, at least you took a chance and stayed true to yourself and your dreams.
If you want to move closer to WDW, do it. Apply for a job there, or in the area so that you will always be near!
The plus side to trying to work there are the benefits. Free entry for you (save for special days where you're blocked out. I think you get blocked out about 15 days of the year, but that's it,) 20-35% discounts, a whole slew of 'real world' discounts, including apartments and housing, plus you have options for medical.
Should you work elsewhere, consider getting an annual pass. I've have one for 19 consecutive years, and I live about 40 minutes from Disneyland CA on a good traffic day. Granted, all my entertainment money for the year goes to Disney, and my house is littered with Disney merch. I don't have cable and I don't see many movies, and apart from Internet, Netlfix and books from half.com, I really don't buy too much to entertain myself. However, when my family and I just want to go have some fun, we go to Disneyland. There's parking on my pass, and we can stay for as long as we want. Sometimes we go in for 4 hours in the morning, and leave when it gets hot, or go in for the fireworks in the evening.
If Disney is your passion, and you just want to be around your fav park, I say go for it. You're not ridiculous, you're not childish, you're not being unrealistic, or whatever anyone else will say to try to stop you. You can forge a path in any location. What matters most is if you're happy, because if you're happy, then those around you are happy, and your boss is happy because you're working hard to be able to go have more fun after work!
People have made good points about money (I live in California and everything is expensive, so my mind always wonders where the next dollar for the bills are coming from,) but honestly, this is your life. If this is what you're feeling called to do, go for it! Listen to your heart! Even if it's only for a year or so, at least you took a chance and stayed true to yourself and your dreams.
If you want to move closer to WDW, do it. Apply for a job there, or in the area so that you will always be near!
The plus side to trying to work there are the benefits. Free entry for you (save for special days where you're blocked out. I think you get blocked out about 15 days of the year, but that's it,) 20-35% discounts, a whole slew of 'real world' discounts, including apartments and housing, plus you have options for medical.
Should you work elsewhere, consider getting an annual pass. I've have one for 19 consecutive years, and I live about 40 minutes from Disneyland CA on a good traffic day. Granted, all my entertainment money for the year goes to Disney, and my house is littered with Disney merch. I don't have cable and I don't see many movies, and apart from Internet, Netlfix and books from half.com, I really don't buy too much to entertain myself. However, when my family and I just want to go have some fun, we go to Disneyland. There's parking on my pass, and we can stay for as long as we want. Sometimes we go in for 4 hours in the morning, and leave when it gets hot, or go in for the fireworks in the evening.
If Disney is your passion, and you just want to be around your fav park, I say go for it. You're not ridiculous, you're not childish, you're not being unrealistic, or whatever anyone else will say to try to stop you. You can forge a path in any location. What matters most is if you're happy, because if you're happy, then those around you are happy, and your boss is happy because you're working hard to be able to go have more fun after work!
I've lived in Florida since I was three, and I'm about an hour from the parks. I will say this: Orlando is crowded. Things are super expensive (tourist central), so it will be hard to keep money flowing. If anything, I would suggest looking into the DCP if you're looking for a job, but a lot of people forget that it is indeed a job. It's not like visiting the parks. But it's a good way to make money while being at the place you love! If not, you could always try Universal Orlando, or even the outlet mall in Orlando - they are ALWAYS busy.
As for the boyfriend scenario, if you truly loved him (and he loved you) I think you both would try to make it work. If it seems easier to forget about him and move to Florida, maybe the relationship you're in isn't the one. But it's a two way street, so you both should find a balance. Maybe you don't have to live in Florida (if he really doesn't want to) but you could live in a state closer to Florida (if you both can agree). You could still take frequent trips to WDW, just have a lengthy drive.
Also, remember that Florida is swampy - and the 'Sunshine State' about 50% of the time. It's very HOT, HUMID, and buggy. Then a downpour happens and it's HOT, HUMID, and flooded. No more cold winters, I should also add: we are lucky to get into the 60s.
If this is something that still seems right to you after these comments, then totally go for it, and I hope you enjoy the parks. It will be a big transition, and I wish you the best of luck!
As for the boyfriend scenario, if you truly loved him (and he loved you) I think you both would try to make it work. If it seems easier to forget about him and move to Florida, maybe the relationship you're in isn't the one. But it's a two way street, so you both should find a balance. Maybe you don't have to live in Florida (if he really doesn't want to) but you could live in a state closer to Florida (if you both can agree). You could still take frequent trips to WDW, just have a lengthy drive.
Also, remember that Florida is swampy - and the 'Sunshine State' about 50% of the time. It's very HOT, HUMID, and buggy. Then a downpour happens and it's HOT, HUMID, and flooded. No more cold winters, I should also add: we are lucky to get into the 60s.
If this is something that still seems right to you after these comments, then totally go for it, and I hope you enjoy the parks. It will be a big transition, and I wish you the best of luck!
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your life, live to the fullest. my sister does the disney college program out there, and loves it so much, she's staying there just because she's so in love with disney. maybe look into even working/interning for disney while you're out there?
honestly, if your boyfriend doesn't want to go with you, you just go do what makes you happy.
honestly, if your boyfriend doesn't want to go with you, you just go do what makes you happy.
I've been in Florida since July 7th and have yet to go anywhere near Disney (well once I was close). Disney is expensive which is just one reason why I haven't been able to go. The second is not nearly enough time with working. And thirdly its so hot and rainy I don't understand how people live here their whole lives. I don't live that far from Orlando (at least I don't think I do, I have no idea) and the most Disney I've seen is Disney credit cards. Remember the real world isn't all sunshine and rollercoasters.
