Question for Those who Live Near the Magic

[wendydarling826]

There is a strong possibility that DH will be relocated to the Orlando area in the not distant future, and among the overwhelmingly many questions running through our minds is the question of whether vacations in WDW are as magical when you live nearby and can go whenever you want. For those of you who live in the area - how do you make use of your DVC points - extended stays? mini-getaways? Do you still feel that magical "away from it all" feeling? We love Orlando when we go on vacation, but I have very mixed feelings about the move..... I've been a northern girl all my life. What will I complain about in the winter if there isn't any snow to hate?

 

[wildernessDad]

I lived in Florida for about 9 years, but I was about an hour and 15 minute drive away from WDW. It was a real drag for me driving home after a long day at the parks with everybody else sleeping in the van.

We had PAPs and used them, but the driving to and from was the drag on me. I'd imagine that you could use your DVC points there and have a better time than people who live there.

 

[ammo]

We recently completed a year in Orlando -- if you miss complaining about the snow, you can replace it with sweltering during the long, muggy summers. WDW is nothing like Orlando (it is not even in Orlando), so it still felt like a getaway to us each time we went. No loss of magic, just a nagging temptation to head over there every chance we had.

 

[deej696]

My fiance and I live about an hour away and we love our DVC. We visit about once a month for a 2 or 3 night mini getaway. We like doing this because we dont have to have a plan. We can just go and sit at the resort for 3 days if we want, or pop in the parks just to ride one or 2 rides, it doesnt really matter. It is still just as special to go as it always has been....

 

[dclfun]

We've lived in Florida ( Lakeland...about 30 min from WDW) for 11 years now. I'd have to say the magic is different. It's not gone but it isn't the same as coming down once a year, being immersed in the "world" and then going home to reality. We go more often, still love our DVC as it's not nearly as much fun to be a day guest only, get to go to special events all year long ( food and wine fest, pirates/princess parties, Christmas and Halloween parties, Candlelight processional, to name a few) without thinking about the expense and time of airfare and driving. The tradeoff is that it's just not as exciting and it does get "old hat". When I think about moving away though I know I would miss having WDW in my virtual back yard and wouldn't enjoy doing more careful planning to make the most of every minute we're there. As was mentioned you'll trade the issues with snow to ones with heat/humidity, and sometimes hurricanes. There's a plus and minus to every situation but can a Northern girl adapt and enjoy?...sure you can! ---Kathy

 

[ScottakaMickey]

We have lived in FL for 18 years. And have always treated Disney the same way, so the annual excersion that other do is actually foreign to us. Every time I walk into MK I feel the Magic of my first trip with my then girlfriend and now wife. When DVC came along we struggled with justifying due to be semi-local as we found with the number of times we go over requires a lot more points as it was heavy weekend usage, which everyone knows uses significantly more points. Well, we finally decided to buy DVC with the minimum points and will see how it grows. I see us either buying more points or if we have to paying for a resort stay. Our original favorite resort is Dixies Landings, and we always find it fairly economical to get a FL resident rate there when we hop over for a weekend.

We actually had to hold back for a few years and not go over as often as it was costing us more then we realized. We are getting back into the swing again, so you can always just not go. Remember that you will be FL and there are lots and lots of other things to go and explore and do.

 

[luna99]

While I don't have DVC, I did live in kissimme for two years (it took me 5 minutes to drive to work at downtown disney!) ...

I think living so close had it's ups and downs. Certainly it was nice to be able to go to the parks whenever I wanted to.. since I worked for disney I could into the parks for free and it was really nice to be able to go to magic kingdom in the evening just to catch a show or to epcot in the morning to eat breakfast in France and then stroll around leisurely and leave early. You feel like you can take your time because if you don't see or do everything... well, hey! you can always come back tomorrow!!

but on the other hand.. I do think it took away some of that "getting away from it all" magic... it's not as much of a "vacation" feel as when you live far away and you take a plane and stay in a disney hotel...

that being said.. maybe staying in a DVC resort WILL feel vacation-y... I never stayed at a disney hotel the entire time I lived there...

either way, good luck!!

 

[wendydarling826]

Thanks everybody - maybe we'll be neighbors one day soon!

 

[bridger71]

DW and I have been living in Orlando for almost 4 years and have had annual passes the last 2 years. Our take is similar to many that posted. Your whole dynamic of how you go to the parks changes. You no longer have to worry about the "commando" approach. It is sooo nice to go in the evening during F&WF for dinner and sample some wines or to casually visit the different resorts during the holidays.

Having said that, we just recently joined DVC this past January after debating it for a little over a year (we were turned on to it by table mates on a DCL cruise). Again, like many here, we have/will be taking 4 to 5 extended weekend getaways per year and at least for us, the magic is definitely there. Its just a different experience when you stay on property and enjoy what the resorts have to offer as well. You also have the Vero Beach resort to enjoy for some R&R.

Bottom line, we don't regret our purchase. At least not yet.

 

[dwelty]

We live about an hour from the Disneyland Resort. Whenever we go for a visit, we like to stay at the Grand Californian. We used to go for just day trips, but it was less special. I would say if you want to keep it special, stay on property when you go, and stay for at least 2 days. It helps it retain the "Vacation" feel.

 

[ammo]

Here is a plus to having DVC and living close to WDW. What's the worst part of a trip to Disney? For us, it is the "trip to" (and back home) part. So living nearby eliminates the flight or shortens the drive.

And staying on-site with DVC eliminates a drawback that we experienced living nearby and having Florida passes -- dealing with transportation on day trips. MK is the worst -- you drive to the parking lot, wait for a tram to take you to the TTC, then you wait for a monorail or ferry to MK. We felt that it added a half hour to both the front and back end of a very long day. And then you face the drive back home, which can be busy around Orlando. Staying on-site makes trips to the parks much simpler and less stressful.

Of course, none of this ever stopped us from going on day trips. It just required a little planning and preparation. Good luck if you move!