The Harsh Reality of Living Near Disney World and Why I Left After 3 Years

Until very recently, I lived just 10 minutes away from Disney World in Celebration, Florida!

Growing up, it was my lifelong dream to live near Disney World, be an annual passholder, and work in the parks! For 3 years, my dreams came true…and then I moved back home. Now, I’m going to share the harsh realities of living near the parks and what finally made me move back. 

I absolutely love Disney World. I grew up going to the parks, I participated in the Disney College Program, and I lived in the town that Disney built. Even now, I work for a company that focuses on travel planning to theme parks because it’s truly what fills my cup up in life. (The company is AllEars.Net, ever heard of it?)

When my husband and I moved to Florida three years ago, I truly felt like it was the start of my forever. I told people I didn’t have any plans of moving home, and that was true at the time. I loved our home; we were 10 minutes from the parks, and I had an Annual Pass that was burning a hole in my pocket. So what was the thing that convinced me it was time to move back to Tennessee?

It started off as a slow burn. I knew the summers would be freakishly hot (they always are), but I didn’t anticipate that working outdoors in the heat would make me as sick as it did. Sure, I was staying hydrated and taking breaks, but the summers were beginning to drain me. I would come home after work with little to no energy left for myself or my family, and would end up sleeping the moment I managed to scarf down some dinner.

Now the summers aren’t what made me move home, but it did start a few thoughts along the lines of “I miss Tennessee a bit.” Another harsh reality I wasn’t prepared for was what it meant to not leave “the Disney Bubble.” If you’ve never heard of the Disney Bubble, this essentially encompasses the entirety of the Walt Disney World Resort. People would encourage me to branch out beyond this bubble, but honestly? I was happy where I was!

I loved being in the parks, and when I did want to branch out, the traffic deterred me every single time. It would be a truly stressful experience because of how much traffic there was, plus it’s no secret that I-4 isn’t the safest road to be on. Because I stayed in the Disney Bubble (which, again, I loved), I also spent way too much money all the time. We can all agree that Disney is expensive, even when you’re attempting to be budget-friendly. My husband and I ended up with a joke saying, “We’re on vacation!” anytime we were in the parks or friends came to visit.

When living near Disney World, the impulse control just went out of the window for us because it was all so exciting and new. Again, this was a choice we made (and we loved it), but it didn’t help when it came time to pay rent or other bills. You might be thinking, “Oh, I won’t have that problem,” but I would bet money you will! (Maybe I shouldn’t be betting money after I spent it all in the parks, but alas.)

Another thing that a lot of people feel is that living near the parks can take away from the “magic” of the experience. I did feel myself watching people on vacation, silently wishing that I was the one getting on the bus and heading back to a Disney resort at times. I missed the feeling of being on vacation, which I had always associated with Disney, but it wasn’t that bad. Luckily, the parks didn’t lose magic for me; the magic just changed a bit.

While these things are important to note before you consider moving down, they aren’t what made me move. The thing that was truly the nail in the coffin, the thing that pushed me over the edge, was just missing my family and my friends. I know, I know. It might seem simple, but it’s the truth. I’ve always been very family-oriented, but I’ve also always been independent. I just thought, well, I can travel home, and they will come to the parks! It will be fine! That was until my cousin, whom I’m very close to, gave birth to her last baby, and I cried my eyes out in my living room. That was my moment when I knew I needed to be home.

I knew that there would be things I would miss when moving states away. It wasn’t that the thought had never occurred to me; I just didn’t realize how much it would hurt. I missed my best friends’ bridal showers. I missed childhood friends’ weddings. I missed graduations, birthdays, and even just weeknight get-togethers that normally would have been at. No matter how many times they came to me or I traveled home, I would find myself crying each time I had to part with my family and friends. That’s why the moment my husband had a chance to transfer back to Tennessee, we took it. 

It wasn’t a long decision; we got the offer and made the move within a matter of 2 months. While it was scary, it was also such a comfort to know, I wouldn’t miss more of those moments that will never happen again. Yes, Disney makes me so happy, but it truly couldn’t fill the void of what the relationships in my life gave me. Even now, when I find myself missing the parks or wishing I were at special events, I can’t bring myself to regret moving home. 

One day that I was truly sad to miss out on was the closing of Muppets Courtyard. Yeah, it broke my heart to miss that one.  On the same day it closed, I was packing my bags to go on vacation with my family, and while I was sad to miss it, I was more excited to be with the people I love.

There was a period of time in my life when my daily walks were on Main Street, U.S.A., and my nightly desserts were Disney sweets. Now, my days look like dinners at home with my husband, weekends with my brother and sister-in-law, and nights with my best friends on the couch watching movies. So yes, I’m so incredibly grateful for the time I lived in Disney World, but I’m also so, so happy to be home. It might be tacky, but this is also your reminder to hug your friends and family today. As always, be sure to keep following AllEars for more.

Epic Universe Has Honestly Made Me Really Mad At Disney

Would you ever move to Disney World? Tell me your thoughts in the comments!

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