Originally Posted By RoadTrip Well, I AM an AX MURDERER!! Better not provoke me. RoadTrip is OK. Trippy is OK. RT is OK. But Roadkills and I'm sharpening my ax.
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad I considered retiring to the WDW area but I have never found Orlando areas that we drive around in to be that attractive outside of the tourist areas. I am also afraid that moving there would ruin it. I have about 10 years to decide. My wife says whatever that she will go where I go. I don' know, I' m still up in the air. I think a lot of has to do with how tied you are to where you live now. I've always been so family oriented that I haven't really made any real close friends. I'll probably regret that as my kids get older and move out for good. Has anyone else noticed how hard it is to make real friends as an adult?
Originally Posted By disneymusic Idk, as a college student, I've always wanted to work for WDW and wanted to make a career out of it (not much else I can do with my major) but after seeing posts like this all over the web I really don't know if it's truly something worth it.
Originally Posted By LuvsDsnyTrips CDD....know exactly what you are talking about .... With the kids at home and full time work AND moving to this area 16 years ago.....there has not been alot of time to make friendships outside of coworkers.... I seriously am thinking of retiring close to DW .... I could work there....have a place for the kids to go when they visit .... And when those grandchildren start coming....well you know I don't mind the heat....lived thru Wichita KS. summers for many years And working will help to keep me young! Been at a desk job long enough
Originally Posted By RoadTrip What finally finished it off for me (besides deciding that other than the parks, I didn't really like Orlando much) was hurricanes. Sure, Minnesota (as well as Missouri and Kansas) gets tornadoes. But even when they make a direct hit on your city, damage is usually limited to a relatively small portion of the city. With a hurricane you have massive damage over a widespread area, and you know about it several days in advance and get to worry non-stop about just how bad it will be. I was at WDW in the days leading up to hurricane Floyd, and it was a nightmare. My flight back to Minnesota was the last one to leave before MCO was closed. Floyd did less damage to Orlando than expected, but the days preceding it were no fun at all (though the late-night "We're all going to die so who cares?" party at the All Star Music pool bar was a lot of fun). Orlando is so far inland that it is very unlikely that people there would ever be killed. But they can pose a real hardship anyway. My brother lived in Orlando for 10 years, and more than once was left without power for up to a week. It's not very enjoyable being without air-conditioning in Orlando during August and September!!
Originally Posted By steamboat1928 Didn't I say I was new to a laptop!! My profound apologies for not using your correct name RoadTrip. "Trick or trout, oh its the steamboat kid, get the fish". My brother also lived not too far from Orlando and ended up moving back to NH. and he was surprised himself by saying how much he missed the four seasons. The main reason was that the builder of his house was building it his way instead of my brothers'. BIG legal hassle. Let the buyer beware. I'd still like the thought of moving down there. The money I spend for a six-day adult hopper,I could almost buy three FL. resident passes. Money aside other issues as mentioned in past posts...weather,crowds Brazillian Buffalo herds alot to consider. Your thoughts...
Originally Posted By leobloom The hurricane threat is massively overrated. The year with Charley, Frances, and Jeanne was a fluke. That was 2004. There hasn't been another major hurricane near Orlando since then.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<The hurricane threat is massively overrated. The year with Charley, Frances, and Jeanne was a fluke. That was 2004. There hasn't been another major hurricane near Orlando since then.>> Well with Floyd in 1999 and the three in 2004, that made four hurricanes in the space of five years. Since I retired in 2009 and wanted to buy my retirement home a year before that, my serious search for a place to retire really started in 2005 when those hurricanes were a recent memory. Hurricanes were not my number one reason for not choosing Orlando... it was the outrageously hot and humid summer weather (remember, I was coming from Minnesota). Number two was that outside of the theme parks, I just didn't find Orlando to be a very appealing city to live in. Another reason is that SW Missouri is a 10 hour drive from Minneapolis where my kids live and an 8 hour drive from Dallas where my mother and two sisters lived. From Orlando, each would have been a three-day drive.
Originally Posted By leobloom Don't get me wrong -- there are reasons not to settle there, but hurricanes aren't a major threat. Even in 2004 when Central Florida had the three storms, Charley was the only one that caused serious power outages. The other two were mainly heavy rain.
Originally Posted By LadyandtheTramp Way back when, our original thought was that we wanted to retire (early) to Orlando and work for the mouse. Things didn't quite work out as planned, and we ended up in LA. Great to be near Disneyland, and the weather is unbeatable. However, 14 million people in a close area was more than we could take. Fortune would have it that we accepted a job on the east coast of Florida, about 1 1/4 hours from WDW. Got to learn what Florida living was like, and still managed to get to the world twice a weekend. Lived through the hurricanes, and learned that, unlike a tornado, a hurricane covers a wide area but pretty not much in the way of concentration. Learned that Florida heat is the same as northern cold - you only stay out in it for the absolute minimum, and stay indoors the rest of the time. As I like to put it, "I don't have to shovel heat!" Now we've retired (kinda) in an over 55 community close to WDW, where we can go over whenever we want (20 minute drive), and really enjoy it. Part of the reason why we decided to stay here was something one of our friends said - if we lived somewhere else, they'd probably never see us, but since we live near Orlando, they'll be visiting and able to stop over. Never really thought about it, but we see a lot of friends who come to WDW and always get in touch. That is a big incentive to live in the area. We don't work at the world, and probably never will - just doesn't seem to be something that we want to do for fear it will spoil the magic. Annual passes are doable -- 34.17 a month -- which doesn't hurt as much as paying for the whole thing at once, and Universal and Sea World are even cheaper. We tend to alternate between the two, and even throw in Busch Gardens occasionally. And after what we encountered at the coast, the social life here in Orlando is much much better. As to distance from family, we view it as a two hour flight to see the grandkids, rather than a 16 hour drive. Have done both, and flying makes the country that much smaller. And if you really study the fares, you can find those that are about the same cost as the drive. Since we have no time constraints, the flexibility allows for finding really cheap flights.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip True, you don't have to shovel heat. But I never shoveled snow either. I always had an annual snow removal contract. Any time we had 2" or more someone was out within hours to plow our driveway and shovel our walks. Unfortunately, in Orlando you can't hire someone to take away the heat for you. And since Disney tends to frown on naked, you can only dress down so much. Of course in Orlando, not even naked feels very comfortable during the summer. As for flying, it is not so much the expense. I despise the experience. Between TSA security, reduced service onboard and packing the planes like sardines in a can, it is even less pleasant than taking a a Disney bus at park close. I would far rather drive, as long as I can get there with just one night on the road... which going to WDW from SW Missouri is easily done. I'm not saying Orlando would be bad for everyone, but I know it would have been bad for me. YMMV. Working for the Mouse would really not be an issue for me. Although I originally thought I would probably work part time when I took early retirement, I decided not to. I thought I might be bored without a job to go to... especially when I retired relatively young (57). I have found that totally not to be the case. There is always SOMETHING interesting to do. I decided if I wanted to still work I would have stayed with a job paying $50 per hour sitting at a desk in a nice private office. Why on earth would I want to work standing on my feet for $8 per hour? Once again, YMMV. I found I didn't need the money, and I certainly didn't want the work! What I have done works best for me, but everyone is different. Really think about what would work best for YOU.
Originally Posted By demderedoseguys I thought I was getting burned out on Disney, but having just returned this past weekend from a great trip with my wife, I have already booked next years trip. DVC remains the best purchase I have ever made.
Originally Posted By LuvsDsnyTrips I am thinking (for myself).....after years of working behind a desk ....being able to walk (and the sunshine is an added bonus)....might be good for me
Originally Posted By Disney Joy Loving Disney .... I have just started a 5 yr plan to RETIRE... about couple weeks ago. I have property in Louisiana... paid off about 6-8 hrs from Disney World. Reviewing plans cost to build a new home. They are really reasonable price in the little community I am moving too. I usually do 2-3 trips a year.. WDW DL and occasion cruise. # 1 Goal .. Debt free including car within 2 yrs and save. I am working on retirement money, looking into medical, etc. I think about it DAILY and can't wait to be closer to the mouse. So I am only taking 1 trip a year until I move. Right now I am 18 hrs away from DL.. but fly. Not working I will be able to do so much last minute specials and anytime of the year. SO Excited ... and will never burn out from the mouse. It's a life time dream. Gotta GO For it.
