Living Near Walt Disney World - What It's Really Like (Moving to Florida)
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- Опубліковано 17 кві 2019
- Today's we talk about what it's like living near Disney World in Orlando Florida. We have had a lot of people ask us how life has been since moving to Florida. Do we regret our choice? Does it change how we feel about going to parks? Do we have any tips for people looking to move to the area? We tell all about what it's been like to live near Walt Disney World for the last seven months.
Every week we share unique and geeky places from all around the world - make sure you check out the rest of our videos and subscribe. Please leave us a comment to let us know where you’d like to see a video from next!
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If you enjoy this video, check out this playlist about moving to Florida: ua-cam.com/video/xuXI9Xwr18s/v-deo.html&t
I have lived in Florida for 20 years moved down from NYC. While I don't miss shoveling and driving in snow I do miss change of seasons foliage, here everything is either green or brown. And I miss certain types of food, pizza, chinese food, deli, etc. are much better up north.
I'm from Connecticut, I miss the foliage too, but I also don't miss the snow. If only we could find the perfect world.
Been here for 5 years ( also from NYC) and the “seasons” thing finally started getting to me. Different phases of heat , and a few weeks of relatively chilly weather, just kind of gets monotonous after a while. Also, the lack of walk ability is something I’m starting to miss. Getting up and going for an interesting walk, without having to drive to a specific location first, is a little difficult
I love the honesty in this video. I don't think I'd ever move from home, but moving closer to Disney has at least crossed my mind on occasion, so I appreciate the pros and cons of it.
And own pros and cons might be different than yours too. We just wanted to give some answers to questions that we have been asked. Thanks for checking it out!
Great video! Appreciate the honesty about living there vs. Vacation
Thanks! It's still a lot of fun, but it's not exactly the same as coming for vacation.
As a lifelong Floridian, it's always interesting to hear the perspectives and experiences of friends who move here. Being four hours away is weird, I'm not local enough for some of the things you mentioned, but local enough to pop up for a weekend spur of the moment. I'll move from south to central Florida within the year, I'm sure of it! All in all, I'm glad you guys live here and hope to get to see you more when I'm closer! Also, we should really try to get you guys to visit me in Miami while I still live down here!!
We will have talk about a trip down while you're still there!
Florida definitely has a yin to its yang, I know sometimes we dont think about it much, being from here. Its always nice and refreshing to hear an "outside insider" view. I love how you're making the best of it, it is special, it can be difficult, it will be worth it if you let it.
We feel like we're n the brink of a better situation. It has it's rough moments, but it is going to be worth it!
Thank you for sharing! This was super helpful! Everyone we get home from a Disney trip I get so sad and wish we lived closer! It was so helpful to hear your perspective! We hope that living closer to a Disney park is in our future someday, but for now, we love visiting as often as we can and we live vicariously through our favorite Disney vloggers! :) Thanks for sharing your Disney adventures!
Glad we can be helpful for you guys! Maybe someday it'll be the right time for you guys, but the vlogs always helped us before we got here too!
This was a great video! Thanks for sharing the pros and cons of moving! i think anytime you move to a new area researching is super super important!
Thanks, Joel! We did a lot of research, but I feel like the job market was something we should have looked at a little more at. We're still happy with our choice it just probably would have made the transition a little smoother.
Good thoughts! Sent this to my roommates as they are talking about moving down and I've been wanting to forever, we're looking towards Tampa right now, but I would LOVE to be closer to you guys
It's definitely a balancing act of figuring out what all works best for you. Tampa seems nice. We need to really go explore it.
Great video guys! We moved to Florida five years ago and live about 2 hours from WDW and agree with all your points. Before moving to Florida, we would take trips to WDW each November for 8-10 nights. Disney is still amazing, but nothing really compares to those past vacation staying in the Disney Bubble. We don't do many day trips from where we live, so most of our visits are for a couple of days which lets us experience resort life still. Florida is definitely a unique place to live and overall hasn't been a bad experience for us. We do hate the summers and hurricanes, but we did evacuate to WDW for both Mathew and Irma which was kind of a positive experience. Not sure if we'll stay here forever, but for now it's home! It's nice to know that we're not the only Disney Transplants that don't think Florida Life is far from perfect! Happy Easter from the Mouse Streeters!
Life isn't perfect anywhere. We're not sure the Florida will be home forever either, but we're enjoying it overall so far.
I just discovered your vlog after watching The Brookhart Project. I love your channel! Thanks for sharing your feedback on moving to Florida. My hubby and I are discussing a move to Orlando in the next year. Hope to see you in the parks soon!
Thank you! We love Peter and Sarah! We're glad you're enjoying the videos. If you have questions about the area we'll try and help you out as I'm sure Peter and Sarah would too!
This was a great Vlog! I know we are looking to move to Florida and with my research, I can see exactly what you are saying. I will def be on the lookout for your podcast! UGH i have so many questions about living in Florida. lol
Thanks! If you have questions you think we can help with you can send us an email themagicgeekdom@gmail.com
Thank you so much all this good information.
Love you vlogs. Sweet couple.
Thank you for watching, Diane. We're glad you enjoyed it!
What an honest perspective about moving there. I appreciate it. I think a lot of us have thought of moving there because we don't want the vacation to end but those who do realize its no longer a vacation anymore once you live there.
And we don't want to make it sound bad. Some days are a mini vacation, but it's not everyday. We do still really enjoy it here!
Thanks for the video. It gives you a lot to think about. When we come to Disney we save for vacation for 2 years and only have that money to spend. But living there sounds quite different. I think maybe we will wait till my husband retires. Thanks for all the great information and sharing it.
We still really enjoy it, but it is a different feeling living here. Thanks for watching it, Jean!
You mention such great points! I'm always shocked when we compare salaries, OUCH. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Diane! We're glad you got something out of it!
@@TheMagicGeekdom coming from NYC everything is so much cheaper. We've toured apartments/homes in different neighborhoods over the last few years, but the salary difference still is shocking as I said. I do think not being completely in the bubble when I'm at the parks will be weird. Not sure if I'll like it. Hope you both are well!
Great info, friends!! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for checking it out guys!
Great video! Thank you for being honest and hitting on some really good points. I’m going to head over and check out the podcast.
Thanks! You been following us for a long time and we super appreciate it. Maybe it will be helpful for you!
We've never stayed at the Poly but it is one of our favorite resorts and we try to visit it every time we are down there. Trader Sam's is a must do for us on Disney trips. Happy you guys have had such a positive experience living down there! Kati lived in Orlando for about a year and I know she really misses it. We talk about moving probably 2-3 times a month hah.
We've been lucky enough to stay at the Poly once. It did happen to be during hurricane Irma, so it wasn't an ideal time but still pretty good. It's a fun place to live, but makes sure you're ready for it.
Thank you so much for this video! I’m always secretly scheming to move to Florida (Disney freak here, clearly) but I have some reservations. This was extremely helpful!
Liz C you’re not alone - same here!
Thank you so much for your honesty! 😊💖
Thank you for watching. We hope it was helpful!
What a great video. Thanks for being honest. I someday may want to move to orlando and it was nice to see how you feel about your move.😊🌸 I love the poly too, someday I hope I can stay there.😁
Hopefully, we were at least a little bit helpful. The Poly is so good!
Thank you for this! This really helped ease my mind. We really want to move there. We used to live in Tallahassee Fl and that wasn’t horrible but wayyy to far from Disney. Came to Colorado and realized it’s not for us. So back to Florida but closer to Disney haha
Just do your research and hopefully you'll be happy where you end up!
I've lived in Orlando my whole life. Born and raised. Unless you are moving here from the Northeast or California, where you have the money to drop on a home then the cost of living compared to the average income is terrible. A lot of people think the cost of living is cheaper but not when you factor in that we get paid far far less down here than most of the country. Whether you're out to rent or buy, good luck being able to afford anything in a decent neighborhood with the wages down here. Generally speaking, Orlando is also pretty crime-ridden with there only being a few "middle-class" areas that are worth it. As with anywhere, the tourist attractions do not paint a real picture of Central Florida. The traffic is also terrible and when you add in millions of tourists who don't know their way around (obviously understandable), it can get extremely frustrating to commute daily. However, if you are lucky to live in a good area then you'll enjoy it. The weather is nice, the sun is always shining, the beaches are close by, and having annual passes to the theme parks is a good way to pass the time.
All super valid points!
I love how honest y'all are. I'm a Texan through and through, but if I were to move anywhere it would be Florida or California because I LOVE Disney. I also didn't realize just how long I've been a fan of your channel, but I remember how excited I was when I y'all posted about moving near Disney.
That's so cool. You been around for a bit! Thank you, Misty! We've both lived it California and Florida now. They are both nice places with unique things and of course, Disney. Very cool places.
The Magic Geekdom Do you have a preference between FL and CA? I grew up in CA and LOVE going to Disneyland. Never been to FL though.
Glad you both are enjoying living near the parks!!! Hopefully things start looking up in the job area etc. Have a great evening! ~Dawn
Thanks, Dawn!
Just moved here from Memphis In Nov and can totally relate to your video. So far, the weather and traffic are the major cons. Both will take some getting used to. I subscribed and will check out your podcast. ♥️
Thanks, Heather! The weather is so great in the winter, but so brutal right now! The traffic is definitely one of the biggest issues for me (Cara). Thanks for commenting. We appreciate the support. ❤
I remember an experience when I was riding a Disney bus to a resort. I was sitting across from a family of 5 and they all looked so sad. Listening to their conversation I found out that this was their last day at Disney and tomorrow they would return home. I don’t know where home was for them, but they were not excited about leaving Disney. I didn’t say anything, but I remember thinking to myself how glad I was that I didn’t have to leave. I had just moved to Kissimmee a couple of months before! I’ve been here over 25 years now-originally from Maryland-and I still feel grateful that I don’t have to leave. I still enjoy exploring the hotels just as you were doing in this video.
Our sad moments are now when our friends have to go home from Disney. Being here is overall pretty great. We love resort hopping too!
@@TheMagicGeekdom That is the other element of living here, every friend of yours from across the country will eventually come to visit. Always keep clean sheets for that pull-out sofa! You'll have plenty of visitors! :)
Another great video! :) You guys are looking great! just remember the weather in Fl is a lot nicer than in the PNW.. although.. no hurricanes in Portland.. :)
The heat can get a bit much, but I didn't not miss the snow this past winter. We made it past the last hurricane season unscathed hopefully this year is okay too!
Thank you for your honesty. Keep rocking those cool shirt, Jeremy.
Thanks! Will do!
I can't believe it's been 7 months already! Once again good information! We're still torn on whether we want to move there in a couple of years or MB. Sorry the wage issue has been difficult. We don't plan to move until we are done needing to work (hopefully) so at least that should not be a factor we have to worry about. My concerns are more what life is going to be like when not in the parks. The traffic, the crowds/tourists, etc. FL has a lot to offer in the way of entertainment (not just WDW, but other parks, nature, close to cruise ports). Plus it's close to beaches which is another favorite destination of ours. Another big concern is moving so far from aging parents that might need us. Flying back and forth could get really expensive and while we could drive if necessary, it's a tiring drive (9+ hours in bad traffic on i-95).
It is pretty crazy that it has been this long already! There are a lot of things to take into consideration. Your vacation home seems nice from what we've gathered from videos, but I'm sure you guys would find a lot to enjoy living here too! We don't know that this is our forever home, but we'd love to get to see you guys more often!
My husband and I want to move "to Disney" but like you said in the video, the wage difference and such are the main things holding us back. My husband has a really good job with pay and benefits, but we have long cold winters and those winter days and nights make Disney look so good. Thanks for this video, it has given me so much more to think about.....
You're totally welcome. If you think there's a question that we might be able to help answer let us know!
@@TheMagicGeekdom North or South of Disney, how far do you have to go to get a nice town and an affordable house? We would want a 3 bedroom house for sure. I've tried looking on Zillow but I don't even know what towns to really look in. What makes it so expensive (besides the wages and theme parks) to live near Disney? How is the healthcare? Doctors, dentist etc....
Missy Miner The best thing to do is invest in a summer place here. You can always rent it out when not in use. I have come across many people who regret it but now cant afford to go back and got use to the weather. Its sort of a trap.
Summer in Orlando is brutal
Really interesting video! Even though the likelihood of me ever being able to move to Florida is very slim, really interesting to hear about your experience ☺️
Thanks! We're glad you found it interesting even if it doesn't effect you directly.
@@TheMagicGeekdom Definitely! I can dream haha
I lived in Wisconsin all my life and now I'm in Iowa only for 5 years and then I'm moving down to Florida outside of Orlando and the reason is, WEATHER!!!
The weather is nice a lot of the time. The hurricane season can be scary and it gets really hot in the summer, but it's still pretty nice.
Thank you for this honest post. I will check the link below as well.
Hope it was helpful! Thanks!
Thanks for being so honest! Planning to soon move to Orlando once I graduate from College next year! It’s a dream of mine to become a theme park vlogger!
The thing we can tell you is do it because you enjoy it. There's a lot of people doing here and we're friends with a lot of them and most of them have to work other jobs on top of making all of their content. It doesn't pay the bills for most people.
Sharon Zavaleta same here - family park vlogger. But I’d love to know more about the realities of that before making such a big move.
The Magic Geekdom thanks for your honesty
I've lived near Disney since 2001. I've gone to it a whole lot of times. Like with anything if you do it a lot it tends to lose it's magic and just becomes something to get out of the house.
Although now with this coronavirus you don't even have that.
Totally fair observation and definitely correct on the pandemic front.
Great video! Would love your help on where to get info on areas that are family friendly / great schools and close to the parks?
I wanna be able to just pop into the parks! Good point about it not being the same as being on vacation (real life) outside the Disney bubble. I’ve been researching retiring there. I wouldn’t mind being an hour away so I could just drive there.
Absolutely!!
It is so crazy that I came across this video! When you said Portland, I was like Wahhhhh! lol We are thinking about moving to WDW also. I've been looking at zillow for a few years. If we do, we are going to try to do it after our youngest graduates in a few years. But NONE of our kids want to go with us to Florida. I will totally check out your podcast!
BTW I loved your honesty about this. We have thought about a lot of the cons and worry about that stuff too.
Thanks for the kind words. There's a big difference being here. Hopefully, you'll make the best decision for you!
I appreciated the candor in this video about a rather personal topic. I must say I came away a bit depressed. On the other hand I suspect it is difficult to keep expectations in check. Living next to a Theme Park (not nearly on the scale of WDW) I would be afraid that the wow factor would get diminished with time. I enjoy Hersheypark a lot. We are season ticket holders. We get the meal plan. Yet, I am always a bit stunned seeing Georgia or Ontario license plates in town during tourist season. (Really? You drove nine hours to come here?) . To the visitors they rave and rave, but to us it's that neat park that causes traffic to go bonkers in the summer, and the New York drivers try to kill me crossing the street with the dog. Thanks for the episode. It was sobering.
We're sorry it was a bit depressing. We didn't really intend it to be, but we did also want to be honest. Overall we do really enjoy it here and our access to the parks is great, but it does have pluses and minuses.
Ooo...this is a good one!! I grew up in Melbourne but my fav aunt an uncle live off of S Econ. While I can miss having access to anything at any time....yea..no thank you. And the heat..ugh. Other than my family and Disney...I miss nothing about FLA. I love living in western NC. Nice seasons, nice ppl. Pay can suck but affordable housing is still doable. Thanks guys!!!
All of those are totally valid reasons. We have friends in NC and some that just moved away from it and they both enjoy it there. Thanks for watching Rebecca!
I also love living in Western NC, enjoy visiting WDW as much as I can but "home" is in these amazing Blue Ridge Mountains :-)
HOLA you guys😃. Living in Florida ALL MY LIFE😎🌞. Has been really good for us THANKS TO GOD🙄. It is interesting to hear about your experiences and I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND for sure!. I am sure it might be hard at first to adjust in a new State😏. But I'll tell you what I AM SO HAPPY for you guys and LOVE the great times you bring. Again and always MUCH LOVE FROM FLORIDA BELINDA LONG 😎😃😄😎😃😄
We overall love being here and plan on staying at least for a while. Thanks for the well wishes!
@@TheMagicGeekdom THANK you guys!.. MUCH LOVE always!🤗
My question is:
Who has been your favorite two people who moved from Chicago with an adorable Pomeranian to Florida that you've become friends with?!
See Shaun Vlogs doesn't count!
I believe that would be Peter and Sarah Brookhart!
We love you guys and appreciate you being supportive of us before and after we got here. And like we said a few weeks ago we should try and get together more often. As much fun as it is to see you at 4 am by a running course, more reasonable hours are cool too. 😆
Dont worry Peter, we havent moved there yet!
Same question, but Maine and a pug. Whozzit
He wouldn't be a fan of Slaughter Sinema by chance?
@@TheMagicGeekdom the biggest. BEAST BABY
Great information. We are waiting until we get close to retirement age until we move down to Florida. We are thinking about buying a house and renting it out in the next few years though. We are under two years until we pay off our mortgage in our current home. Eventually we plan to rent our current home and use that money to help with the mortgage on our Florida home. Looking forward to watching more of these videos👍🏻
I'm definetly interested in moving near orlando in the not so long future. great video
Thanks! We're not total experts, but if you have any questions let us know!
Pretty great video guys. Really interesting!
Thank you, sir!
You nailed this!! I feel everything you said. The only difference is that we live over an hour north of Disney. We’ve thought about moving closer but Lily loves her school (Brandon Spect is her teacher so she’s in the best hands). Money is the main struggle with us too. You made me feel better after watching this. If you guys are ever in the mood for a meet up that doesn’t involve money...we’re your people! 🤣 I thought we were the only ones dealing with that. Plus we only have one car and 4 schedules to work around. It’s worth it to be so close to the parks though. We use to eat at the Disney restaurants, buy souvenirs, drink there etc but now we eat dollar menu on the way and pack a backpack with frozen water bottles and snacks 😆. We have a Disney Visa credit card with Disney rewards and we use those rewards to get mouse ears, snacks or a souvenir, once a month. Or we shop the Disney Warehouse 😀 Just being in the parks is a special experience to me so I’m ok with the trade off.
You are totally not the only ones! We're always down for low cost/free meet ups with you guys!
The Magic Geekdom yay!
My wife and i wanted to move to Fl near Disney, but after resarching there were more job opportunities in our field closer to Tampa. So no we live 20 min from the beaches living in tampa and just 1 and 1/2 hour from Disney. We do Disney on the weekend so it still feels like a mini vacay and hv the opportunity to stay at the resorts. But i still think it would be nice living 20min from Mickey! Nice Video i subbed!
That's so great. We hope you guys are getting through these interesting times okay.
Good video! Appreciate the honesty about the wages- we have talked about moving away from KC for years to FL but our careers and cost of living in relation to wages is really nice so it’s hard to justify moving somewhere where it could be tighter as amazing as Florida is. That is really awesome being just 20 min away though, can’t even imagine!
It totally has pluses and minuses like anywhere. You guys get down here quite a bit though!
It totally has pluses and minuses like anywhere. You guys get down here quite a bit though!
It totally has pluses and minuses like anywhere. You guys get down here quite a bit though!
It totally has pluses and minuses like anywhere. You guys get down here quite a bit though!
It totally has pluses and minuses like anywhere. You guys get down here quite a bit though!
I'll be a snowbird there in about 5 years. Looking along I4 to the Southwest of Disney, Auburndale or the area.
Oh nice. We haven't really explored Auburndale, but have heard good things.
Good point on having to scale back on the WDW merch you buy because of being so close you always have that merchandise around you, so you wouldn't be able to buy everything you wanted. That would be a hard thing for me...to keep saying no to the merch.
Honestly, merch has gotten easier for the most part. We see the character warehouse life cycle now and so much of the stuff ends up there it's easy to wait and sometimes, by the time it gets there I'm not sure I want it anymore. 😆 Food and such has become the rougher thing. I know you're pretty good at bringing your own food and such. We need to get a little better at bringing snacks and stuff so the other foods are less tempting. Even if we've majorly cut down on that too.
@@TheMagicGeekdom Good point about the character warehouse. I'm often surprised of what ends up there :-)
Are you thinking about moving to Florida? Do have any other questions you want us to answer about living in Florida? Ask us here!
Thanks for the insight. We are moving to Orlando from WA State. It should be Delightful. My wife survived Stage 4 cancer, so I'm letting her move to Disney. We have a Moving to Orlando vlog series on our channel.
How do you guys like Orlando?
How difficult or how long was it before you got a job there? Husband can transfer with his job however I just recently started a new job two months ago and I would have to be looking for a new job when we move we have been wanting to move for a few years I am in the process now of doing serious research stumbled upon your guises page and your insight and tips are super helpful we will be moving from Boston hopefully within the next 3 to 4 months I am nervous and excited at the same time!
Is the rent cheaper where you guys live now
Great video! Moving to altamont springs from CT next year!
Nice! That's a good location to be in for proximity to the city and the theme parks.
The Magic Geekdom definitely! The wife and I love the parks and it’s close to work for us, works out perfect 💪🏻
Love this Orlando vlog because they are going through relatable problems like wage issues. Sounds like Orlando is one of those places that would be ideal if you are retired with cash on hand, work for an international or national company that doesnt adjust wages to region, or federal government would be good.
That is not a bad assessment. We have a friend that moved with a job with an international company and he loves it.
@@TheMagicGeekdomI've had the benefit of living all around the US and over the years have researched wage discrepancies and living conditions. Detroit area has the most favorable in the country wage/housing cost ratio believe it or not, so it is a good place to save money, and salaries are higher than most places such as Atlanta. A lot of factors, but if you're dead set on one place like Orlando(where it would be nice to join you one day), you've got to make it work in some way. I will say one free service in Orlando are the free media and computer design classes in the library system there. No other city's library has such resources.
What exact city did you move from?
Every time someone says they are moving to Florida... I ask why? It can be nice, but the cost to living to salary ratio has always been terrible. Even as far north in Florida as I am. Unless you transfer with a job that will continue you to pay what you are making. Life is why we have not been down in a few months. It is hard to live close to where you work also.
We knew it was a different ratio from where we were, but didn't realize how different it can be.
I'm thinking about moving to Tampa or Largo when i retire. I live in New York (state) right now.
Good video.
Best of luck! Thanks for watching it!
Thank you for being real about job pay and research. I didn’t think about that. Also when you said you can just pop into the parks, do you have an annual pass? And when you pop in, do you pay to park your car each time? Btw i love how you keep changing scenery. It makes the video even more interesting
You are so welcome! We have annual passes. Most of them have parking included with the annual pass.
I grew up in Kansas and I live 20 mins from disney as well. I find it more expensive here, but the cost of living in Kansas is very cheap. I have lived here for 9 yrs and have learned to be very frugel
I totally agree!
Thank you for the infomation. I want to move to the Orlando area as well. How long did it take you to find jobs?
Cara took about a month, I took a bit longer, but was doing some freelance work on the side while looking for a more steady job.
Great information, as me and my wife have plans to move down there. I have researched in my profession that it's a step down in salary, but like you said the cost of living is low. For me, I am making sure unnecessary bills are getting paid off before moving.
Sounds like you're doing your research my friend! I think that's the best step you can take.
Love it!!! Let us know if you're ever interested in relocating to downsize or upgrade! Tons of beautiful homes on the market right now and rates are at the lowest!
Thanks!
This is the most honest review I’ve seen.
Thanks!
I love your sunglasses! Would you tell me where you got them? 🙂
They are Marc by Marc Jacobs. Cara got them at Nordstrom Rack a couple of years ago.
Its been my experience also...wages are ridiculously low and obtain jobs very difficult. Housing was astronomical and getting worse. I left Orlando after 2 years to New Smyrna. Port Orange, Daytona Beach. Deland is a town where you can get a lot from your money but its about 1 hour or more away due to traffic to Orlando and that area.
Thanks, Diana! Those are those are some more places we need to check out. One of our friends by Deland. I think if he bought a house it would be there.
Single guy here, contemplating a move to the ‘Disney” area of Florida, somewhere. My problem is my 1 income and not knowing a safe area to move to. I’m fairly frugal but only make about 35k a year. ‘Think I could do make it there on that wage?
All good things to think about! Some of the wage differences are pretty crazy but I guess that’s the sacrifice for no snow 😂 We’re in the process of trying to make the move reality but the struggle has been choosing an area we like & also finding something we like in that area. Honestly though, my biggest fear is the people & the new area as a whole. I’ve heard that Florida people are not very friendly (not that many are friendly here either lol) but I am still a little off put by the idea of basically being a loner once we’re there 😂
I don't feel the Florida people have been really unfriendly. We do spend a lot of time Disney though and a lot the cast members there aren't really from here. I don't know.
I have lived in Florida for 31 years, my whole life actually. I can say that I do not like living here anymore which has not always been the case. I will give it to people who move from up north or from out west from expensive areas. You can come out to Orlando or Celebration or even down to South Florida, you would see bargains for homes compared to your area that you lived in before. As a Floridian, the prices of homes have gone up substantially thanks in part to foreign and out of state buyers that buy up all these homes. It is also sad to see all these communities pop up on land that was once a beautiful farmland with cows or orange groves that has now been torn down and cookie cutter HOA homes being built for ungodly amounts of money. Many people love Florida others just don’t like it. Unfortunately though, I see this state turning into California within 5-10 years
So i could never move to Florida, because it just doesn't work for me or my husband's career. We both work in marketing, and NYC (where ive lived my whole life, and he's from CT) just has the better options for jobs, salary, etc.granted, we have a VERY high cost of living here, but we just wouldn't be able to find the same sort of jobs with similar pay. We've got some huge brands here (including an arm of Disney with their Marvel, ESPN, Disney+, ABC offices here!) and digital agencies, and so there's a huge incentive here for both of us to stay. I do agree that i enjoy the aspect of disney being a full vacation that i get to go and tune everything else off, rather than it being a weekend thing. But, i do get jealous of people who get to pop in for special events, etc. whereas id have to plan a whole trip around that. Anyway, this was a great video! Very honest! Hopefully i run into you guys while im down in a week-ish ;)
Totally understandable. Neither of us was very passionate about the jobs we had before even though Cara's paid pretty well, so it was easy to let the actual jobs go. The pay rate just isn't great here overall. There are pluses and minuses, either way, you work it. It why we want to push people to do their research. We can give them our thoughts, but our situation isn't everyone's. I'm glad you liked it, Christine. It would be cool to get to meet you while you're here!
Did you plan on the length of the video being 808 the area code for Hawaii, ❤️
We didn't. Happy accident I suppose. 😁
Oh my goodness, you are from Portland Oregon? I live in Gladstone. Where did you live? I have wanted to live in Florida all my life. You need to get into buying and selling stuff on eBay. I do it full time. And have since 1995. I'm a daily bins shopper. And I know they have bins in Florida. You know what the bins are yes? Goodwill outlets. You could easily make extra cash on the side. I do it full time and that is my concern that I don't think I could do it full time in Florida. Portland is a Mecca of used clothing.
We actually lived in the Vancouver area in Washington. We might have to check into the eBay thing as a side job. Thank you for watching!
The Poly is my fav. When we retire we plan to move there. We have family there
That's awesome! We love the Poly too! Animal Kingdom is also a fav!
@@TheMagicGeekdom I've never been to AKL as of yet but I want to visit.
Thinking of moving to Florida for Disney too. I’m from Portland Oregon, moved to GA last year. Looking to move again lol
Lol it's a lot different from Portland, but I guess so is Georgia!
Questions:
1. I understand one can get a "restricted" Florida resident annual pass (i.e. no holidays, summer, etc.) for a reasonable price. Is that true?
2. What is your favorite park?
God Bless in your move.
1. There is a silver pass for just over $500 that Spring Break, most of summer, and the last two weeks of December are blocked out.
2. I guess Magic Kingdom, but they all have things that we love in them.
This is unacceptable, according to my daughters, everyone on UA-cam is rich, has a huge home and they go on unlimited shopping sprees weekly. Kidding obviously, thank you for keeping it real, excellent video. Telling people what they should hear instead of what they want to hear.
Lol thank you! We came here to live the dream and it is a dream, but definitely a modified version. Thanks for watching! 😀
Portland area native here. Interviewing for a job in Orlando.... would love to ask you guys some questions!
Are you guys still in Orlando? We’re moving to Tampa from GA.
Yep! Congrats on moving! We have not spent nearly enough time in Tampa, but we are hoping to change that next year.
I grew up on the Gulf and I absolutely miss it since I live in the midatlantic now. looking at moving back down as my daughter has moved down... she is not used to the lack of seasons but I don't think it would bother me since I grew up that way. I was surprised when I visited at how most houses just don't look like much to me and I'm used to having really nice houses up here. I would be able to get the same salary if I transferred down but I wouldn't get the cost of living allowance that I get now so it may not be worth it. I would have to really do my research. Fact is I love Florida and I would much prefer 3 months of it being way too hot during the summer and 9 months of it being nice as compared to here 3 months of nice summer and 9 months that I really don't like it. Hope that makes sense. 😄
That totally makes sense.
do you guys ever "get sick of" Disney and kind of loose the "magic feel"? I really want to move to Orlando but don't want to get a different feel or not be as happy when going to my favorite place in the whole world.
It's different, but doesn't necessarily lose the magic feel. We went to Disney almost every day when we first moved here. The last few months we've only been 2-3 times per month and that's now the level we enjoy. I miss being on vacation and staying inside the Disney bubble for a week, but I also still appreciate how cool it is that we can drive 20 minutes and go to a park if we want to.
it's also fair to note that winter gardens is one of the most expensive areas in orlando....
That's probably true.
I'm sorry if I missed it, but where do you guys live?
We live in the Orlando area.
The Magic Geekdom I belong to a Facebook group called moving to the magic. Everyone in the group is like you guys. Wanting to move to the magic. Was asking where you live just to see how you get to Disney so quickly. Regardless, good for you guys.
Too much in common guys lol! I live 20 mins away too! Been here for about 10 years now! Love the Poly, money is always tight too, housing is getting ridiculous and economy isn't catching up. But I really don't want to live anywhere else but here. :) Great video guys, with a lot of good points! Hit me up anytime you guys want to vlog together! My door is always open to you guys! Much love, Your Pal Al!
It's interesting that the overall cost of living is cheap here, but the pay ratio just isn't great.
The Magic Geekdom It’s either that or we spend way too much in the parks lol... I have a bit of a problem. 😂jk It’s true tho. The struggle is real. 😳
PS- let’s get together and do a vlog on how to be affordable at Disney World 😉 😜
What area are you guys in? Kissimmee?
No, we live more west of the parks.
Is renting near Disney expensive?
It can be, but you can also find more reasonable options.
I love 15 minutes from Disneyland… I have no idea it’s there sometimes
4 years later... are you still living there and enjoying the Disney life? Any regrets?
I seen many blogs and post about wages in Florida, I wish someone would actually give dollar amount of comparisons instead of just saying it's way less then anywhere else.....The places each people come from may or may not be less it just depends......But a more precise perspective would be of great help....other helpful information would be cost of living, food, housing, utilities, toll roads ect......
Hi Scheryl, thanks for the comment. It's hard to pinpoint wages because they vary from field to field. We came from Washington state. I make 1/3 less than what I did in Washington. To give you some perspective - minimum wage in Washington is $12/hr. Florida is $8.25. Maybe comparing minimum wage to what it is in your area would help give some perspective? The other thing is that we came from a job market in the Portland area where there was a shortage of employees and you could easily negotiate your wage. Everyone is moving to Orlando, so if you don't accept the job as it is, there are 10 other people they could offer it to instead. That's my perspective anyway. We have covered some of the other topics you mentioned in videos and on our podcast, but will be making more in the future. Thanks for watching!
@@TheMagicGeekdom WOW 12 an hour, I live in Alabama and the min. wage here is only 7.25 an hour. Good thing my husband makes about 5 times that pay...I am not sure how anyone can live on min. wage....min wage is not a living wage in any state. I actually have one more question.....I went to the Disney website and was looking at season tickets, but in order to look at the Florida cost you have to be a resident of Florida, while I am not a resident as of yet, could you tell me what the cost difference is for Florida residences vs an outsider for the platinum plus pass? Thanks for your reply.
Well this was a bummer! :D
Mostly it's it been pretty awesome being here, but it's not all perfect. Getting to become friends with people like you has been amazing, but we want to meter people's expectations and be honest because we get a decent amount of questions about it. We're also pretty optimistic that some things are going to change soon and make the situation as a whole better and not just our recreational life!
@@TheMagicGeekdom can you guys move back and start over in Portland or anywhere you can be financially more stable and then just take vacations to Orlando?
Is 85K salary for a single adult looking at Winter Garden area manageable?
That should be okay
Could you do a video showing the most efficient way to go to all the Disney World resorts in one day and all the important things to see in each one of them? I'm taking a resort day the first day I get there instead of going to the parks. Such as explaining which resorts are close enough together to walk to, take the monorail to see or to take a boat to arrive at in the most efficient manner possible. I have been watching all of your videos to get some extra information. I'll be taking a solo vacation there this year from September 9 - 12 for fun and research. Could you tell me about all of the quick service food places at Disney World parks and resorts that serve steak for lunch or dinner?
I'm going to be retiring & moving to Orlando in 6 years to work at Disney. I have read several Disney books about the people, parks & company since last fall to learn much of the history. It is going to be cool to be able to experience many of the things that I've been reading about and seeing in your videos when I come to the parks and resorts this fall.
First of all thank you, Mark! We can totally on some of this info for you!
@@TheMagicGeekdom I appreciate your reply and thanks for any help that you can give me. I've seen you guys on the video blogs of Jackie quite a bit, it's cool how you guys can all work together on different blogs for the same goal of helping people with Disney information. Thanks again!
💜
Hopefully we'll see you soon!
@@TheMagicGeekdom YES!!
Yea. Try looking at MAKO outside your window from your house and hearing everyone screaming having fun in the park and YOU CANT GO bc of budget 😡
We haven't thought about that. We're close to Disney, but not that close.
@@TheMagicGeekdom yes.. lol i can smell the animals.. But hey.. The free fireworks that I can see from my house are great ( there free🤣)
My husband and I have been debating on moving down there for years. We want more opportunities for our children than what our run down town has to offer. I'm an elementary teacher. Teachers start around 35k here in NW FL where I am now. Some counties in Central Florida start teachers at 40-45k a year. It is a sad and pathetic pay rate either place. There is a reason Florida's education system always ranks in the bottom!
Wow, that's not great especially in the NW. From what we've reading some of the schools here have gotten better, but I'm no expert and better doesn't mean great either.
Have you guys ever thought about becoming Cast members!?!?!?! There seems like there are alot of job opportunities there!!!?!? And ud get to enjoy the parks on a daily basis and at a different level!!
Jeremy has considered it. It would potentially limit some things we could do on the channel though too, so I don't know. We do have friends that enjoy their rolls there though!
@@TheMagicGeekdom that is True!!!!! I guess there would be some set backs... but there could also be some cool potential also!!! Definitely something to think about!!!
Orlando is much better than Both Tampa and Miami. Ive lived all over florida and have liked Orlando the best. Plenty of job opportunities and high paying jobs. House is very cheap if you venture 2 or 30 minutes outisde of orlando.
We haven't spent much time in Tampa or Miami, but we enjoy Orlando. Thanks for the comment! 😊
the best research is to move more north of Disney. It gets a bit cheaper and affordable then living in the disney epicenter.
everyone moves towards disney but quickly realize that the money does not justify it. but the more you are away from it, it fits the need better.
I KNOW THIS DO NOT PLAY WITH ME CLERIC
I struggle with this idea daily. After living here 629 days (more than 70ish percent of those days resulted in an on property visit) and being able to go to property for quick night trips for just 2 hours during the work nights has been incredible...just my personal mental debate especially considering Sarah and I are two unique birds.
Valid points. We like the area that we are in, but whole knows if we'll stay here once the lease is up. Moving further out is totally a possibility.
It’s not bad at all actually 🤷🏻♂️
It's pretty good.
There is a reason, they are making a video at the Disney Resort vs. their apartment complex👀👀. Spoiler 🚨Mickey Mouse ain’t gonna be your neighbor just bc you buy a house...
Also, we don't want the whole world to know where our apartment complex is. If we bought a house we probably wouldn't be showing the outside either.
This is what working class americans have accepted as the norm. To be an underpaid wage slave with little to no rights. We have corrupt politicians to thank for that.
You're not wrong.
Two hot. No. Work.
It can be pretty hot.