According to the Orlando Sentinel, almost 50,000 people move to the greater Orlando area each year. They make the move for a variety of reasons. Some people move to Orlando because of a new job. Some people move to Orland to be closer to family members. Some people move to Orlando to escape the harsh winters up north and enjoy a more temperate climate.
But some people move just to be closer to Disney World.
The story talks about families who used to visit Florida yearly, or several times a year. They eventually decide that they no longer want to make Disney their vacation spot and another place their permanent home.
They want Disney World to be their home.
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Would you move to Florida just to be close to Disney World?
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The Sentinel tells the story of several families, including John Saccheri from Long Island. He made a promise to his father when he was a child that someday he would move to Florida to be close to Disney World. Nearly 30 years after making that promise as a child, he made good on it and moved his business from New York to Florida. He is quoted as saying that it is crazy, but that he loves it and that – even now as a local – he still enjoys visiting the Disney parks and the fantasy they create.
Many of the people in the story talked about the “Disney bubble,” which is a term that talks about how things are magically perfect while on Disney property. That contrasts with the real world, where things are dirty, disorganized, messy, and sometimes dangerous.
In a sense, some people long so much for the “Disney bubble” experience that they want to have it all the time.
Living On Disney Property
While it seems most of the people in this story live near Disney property, there are actually two ways that a few lucky people can live directly on Disney property.
The first way is through a long term rental of a Recreational Vehicle (RV) campsite spot at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground. These folks stay at the campgrounds for months at a time. Some stay all year long. In effect, they become permanent residents of the campgrounds by renting a parking spot day after day. They are often known as the folks who create extravagant Christmas and Halloween displays around their RVs.
The second way is much more expensive. It involves purchasing a residence at Disney’s Golden Oak housing development. Located just east of the Magic Kingdom, the development contains neighborhoods with Disney-inspired names like Marceline (the city in Missouri where Walt lived as a boy) and Carolwood (the name of the street where Walt lived in California). The cost generally starts at about $1 million. Nice if you can afford it.
Would you move to Orlando just to be close to Disney World?