The Downside of “Moving to the Magic”
There are plenty of happily ever after articles about relocating to be closer to Disney Parks, typically Walt Disney World. This post offers anecdotal reflections of our experience living close to Disneyland for the last couple of years, which includes the downside–for me–of moving to the magic.
To my knowledge, there aren’t many people who express disappointment and regret about living closer to the parks. There’s probably good reason for this: Florida and California are relative paradise, and Disney fans love the ease of access afforded by being close to parks.
Even those with regrets might be reluctant to share them given that it’s a dream for so many and it come across as a “woe is me” or ungrateful attitude. Well, as a curmudgeon who can manage to suck the joy out of even unequivocally positive things like unicorns (just try keeping that white coat clean!) and sunshine (does it have to be so blindingly bright?!), I thought I’d share my thoughts, which seem to deviate from the norm.
I jest, but I should be clear up front: this article is about the downside (as a Disney fan) I’ve found in living a short drive from Disneyland, but it is not intended to be a woe is me piece. There is no regret or disappointment here. Moving to California was the best decision we ever made, and every day I wake up happy to be here. I likewise assume many who have taken the plunge and moved to Florida would agree with this sentiment–and it would remain true for them even if they took being close to Walt Disney World out of the equation.
Taking a step back, most regular readers are probably by now aware that we moved from Indiana to California nearly 2 years ago, as we’ve alluded to this in numerous posts. Given that we write a Disney blog, you might (understandably) assume that this was to be closer to Disneyland.
However, this was not why we moved to California. Actually, we moved to be closer to In-N-Out Burger…duh! 😉
Proximity to Disneyland certainly wasn’t on the “con” side of reasons to move, but it wasn’t our primary motivation. We fell in love with California during our first visit to Anaheim and Huntington Beach, and subsequent trips to Disneyland, Yosemite National Park, the Pacific Ocean, and other locales reinforced this, as did places unseen that we desired to visit.
We became intrigued by the prospect of living in California, and researched the myriad pros and cons of living here. I could write a treatise on why I love California, but that isn’t exactly germane to this post. Suffice to say, after a lot of consideration of where we were and wanted to be, moving to California just made sense.
A lot of people have asked about our move, and we haven’t shared much about it. Although we put a lot of ourselves “out there” on the internet, we still like to maintain some degree of privacy. Our move hasn’t been a particularly pertinent topic for the blog. With that said, we thought this post might share some of our post-move experience through a Disney prism…
As part of the move, we were definitely excited about the prospect of being within driving distance of Disneyland. I was also apprehensive that regular exposure would make Disneyland less special.
Despite taking multiple trips to Walt Disney World and writing about it on a regular basis, part of what I love about those parks is the feeling I get the first time I step onto Main Street and see Cinderella Castle in the distance. Or that sense of satisfaction and inspiration felt watching IllumiNations. I can’t necessarily pinpoint any singular reason for these feelings, but I assume it’s a mix of nostalgia, anticipation, and excitement.
In terms of the downsides (plural) of living closer to the parks, there really is only one downside (singular): familiarity can take away that excitement and anticipating, and make anything lose its luster (“familiarity breeds contempt” would be far too strong here). Also, I guess you could say that another downside I discovered was that “too much” (is that even possible?) Plaza Inn fried chicken and Yule Logs might be bad for wallet and waistline. 😉
Our first year in California, we visited Disneyland an average of about once per week. Living nearby presented a host of intriguing options at first, from dropping by for dinner without not doing a single attraction to going to the “Wednesdays with Walt” Annual Passholder event and meeting up with friends. It enabled us to visit the parks in a way we never had: casually.
There was never a sense of anticipation because our visits to Disneyland were seldom planned more than a few hours or a day in advance. Rather than arriving at rope drop and being excited to start our day with favorite attractions, we usually arrived in late afternoon with no agenda beyond eating or meeting with friends. The visits were more often preceded by the sense of frustration from fighting California traffic than they were nostalgia or any other emotion.
By the end of our first year as locals, visiting Disneyland had almost become mundane for me. It’s as if what made the parks so special when visiting as tourists had faded into the background, becoming instead a convenient place to socialize–a better themed public park, almost. If there is a word I never want associated with visiting Disneyland, it is mundane. I always want what makes Disneyland special at the front of my mind when visiting.
I know not everyone experiences this feeling. Heck, not even Sarah feels the same sentiments as I do. Some variant of “for me, personally” can (and maybe should?) be appended to virtually every sentence in this post. I am probably the exception, not the rule. We have friends who are born and raised Californians, and I don’t think that luster and sense of awe has ever faded for them.
We know people who moved to the Orlando area and have told us that every visit is magical for them. Others we know enjoy the relaxed feeling of slowly being able to explore everything Disney has to offer without feeling a sense of urgency to do and see it all in a week. For them, being a local offers freedom and a different way to do Disney. Not better or worse–just different.
This story is not intended to be a rebuke of moving to the magic. Quite simply, it’s just an anecdote offering my perspective. It’s obviously personal, and in no way some sort of definitive assessment of moving closer to the parks. It’s perhaps something to think about if you’re thinking of moving to Florida or California, but that’s such a highly personal decision that no subjective post you read is going to help you there. Just because this is how I felt doesn’t mean it’s how you would or will feel.
The same experience can provoke dramatically different responses in different people, and no one reaction is “right” or “wrong.” This is no value judgment intended or implied here. Certainly we’ve all been asked the sneering question, “why do you visit Disney so much?!” This post in no way seeks to perpetuate that judgmental type of thinking.
The sentiment that Disneyland was becoming mundane was one factor that led to us deciding not to renew our Annual Passes in the spring. I figured some time away might be good, helping me hit reset. I didn’t want to take Disneyland for granted, and wanted to find a way to “fix” that.
After reflecting upon our first year, I realized most of my best memories were those that were driven by a specific “Disney” purpose. One of our first days in California, we had the rare experience of a rainy day, and decided to visit for short lines, plus the combo of Christmas lights and puddles.
Another time, we went went first thing to see the new baby goats in Big Thunder Ranch, and made a day of that. After the Disneyland Half Marathon, I rope dropped the park, spending several hours doing things I hadn’t in a while, and getting probably vain on-ride photos wearing my medal. Before the first day of Halloween Time at Disneyland, we got a hotel and rope-dropped Disneyland.
Even just dropping in for dinner was memorable when it was a special meal at Napa Rose and we made the visit about that meal. Without spending time in the park, it actually built anticipation for a future trip to the parks. The commonality I found with all of these visits is that they had a clearly-defined purpose that focused on Disney rather than something that could’ve been accomplished outside of the parks.
For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been doing Pilates in the Park for Disney Vacation Club Members at Disney California Adventure before the park opens. Originally, it was a way to get a “taste” of the parks while we don’t have APs (with “getting into shape” being a nice unintended benefit, I suppose), but it’s also been a great way to build anticipation for getting back.
As we’ve walked past Grizzly River Run, I’ve gotten excited about doing that. Same goes for dining at Carthay Circle, riding California Screamin’ at dusk, watching the Frozen Musical for the first time, and seeing the original World of Color again.
Now, we are both ready to revisit the parks. We’re excited for Halloween and Christmas. More importantly, I now know how to be a Disneyland local in a way that works for me, without diminishing the “magic” that makes the Disney parks so special.
While my apprehension about living closer to Disneyland was realized, I think I’ve found how to have the best of both worlds, living locally but having the excitement of a tourist–to have my cake and eat it, too. So, like most Disney stories, even this bit of a cautionary tale has a happy ending.
If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, tips for booking a hotel (off-site or on-site), where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!
Your Thoughts
What do you think of ‘moving to the magic’? Is it something you’ve considered? If you are a local to Disneyland or Walt Disney World, what has your experience been like as a local? Share any questions or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
For the same reasons you love Disney, I love Cedar Point (and all other parks with roller coasters), but other coaster enthusiasts can’t believe when I tell them I go only a couple times a year because I get bored with it easily. I’ve thought about staying away for a long period of time before heading back just like you mentioned and that might be what it takes to bring the charm back there for me. So I totally understand what you mean by it becoming mundane for you.
I do want to ask without getting too personal because I’ve always wondered – are you still a lawyer since you relocated? I remember following your pictures and things before the DisneyTouristBlog became a thing on WDWMAGIC and whatnot and I just curious.
Great post! We have been going from Cincinnati to Orlando every year for as long as I can remember. Our kids are all grown now and love Disney just as much now as they did as kids. We took the plunge and joined DVC last year. I love knowing that we can always go home at least once a year. Last year we went 5-6 times for extended periods and I have to admit it lost a little magic. Staying onsite in places we could not otherwise afford this past summer was amazing! I no longer cry on our last night wondering when the next trip will be. We vacation in a more relaxed manor which I love. (DH was always a commando tourist) I have always admired your frequent trips to Disney..jealous is more the word. But, I guess too much of a good thing is possible. Thanks for sharing your experiences! ( both on the blog and in your photos!)
I can see how it would be so easy to OD especially in your first year out. We would love to do a part year in California sometime but a full year is not in the cards for us as we are Canadian.As it is is is such a long (and expensive) flight that more than once a year is a huge luxury.
I’m a SoCal local and have barely let my AP expire for more than a couple months for the past 9 years… I grew up going to the park a couple times a year and basically my entire adult life has been as an AP… and I still love it! BUT since I only started visiting WDW three years ago and make it out there about once a year… NOTHING compares to the feeling I get when I see Cinderella’s Castle at WDW for the first time. So I kind of feel like I get the best of both “worlds” (pun intended) that I can live so close to one park and get to experience it about 2-3 times a month…but then still get that “magical” feeling on the much rarer visit to WDW.
I completely related to everything you described in this post. Growing up in Orange County with an annual pass to the park, I rarely ever experienced the excitement of going to a Disney park. Sure, I loved it, and always had a great time, but I always longed for the anticipation of experiencing something for the first time, or that feeling of getting to ride my favorite coaster once again. The first park I visited outside of DL was in 2014 and the excitement and almost nervousness I felt was totally unexplainable. I had been so accustomed to what was such a normal part of my life, that the anticipation of something new was completely and overwhelmingly joyous.
Mildly unrelated, but when you get the chance to come to the park and see Frozen at DCA, I would love to get you priority seating. I work backstage on the show, and am always encouraging people to go and see it live for themselves. I know that Aladdin will always be dearly missed and respected but I really do think magic is made within Frozen.
We are WDW regulars and we visited Disneyland for the second time this summer. It’s so amazing to me how different the parks are. And I don’t mean the size of the parks or the rides. To me, Disneyland is so chill! I get the vibe that it’s a place where the locals go. I mean, of course there are tourists there, but not like WDW where there are tons of international tourists. And my favorite thing about Disneyland is that EVERYONE wears their Disney gear!! °O°
I have to say that I got excited about this post. Who hasn’t dreamed of moving closer to the magic, right? My wife and I are in our mid 40’s and we have always dreamed of living close to WDW and possibly work there as we get older. The dream was that she would work in the Ole Christmas Shoppe and I would captain the boat from Port Orleans Riverside to DTD. We would then meet up for a ride on Splash Mountain at WDW (my favorite in all Disney Parks) or eat at the Riverside Mill for dinner.
We have entertained the idea quite a bit lately. Thinking of all the pro’s and cons. We fell in LOVE with California as well when we first visited back in 2007 and even dreamed of California but deemed it to expensive and to many (crazy) people to really be happy there. After growing up in the Midwest I’m not sure I would be comfortable with the concentration of people per square foot in CA. If I ever did move it would be to the central coast or somewhere near Monterey. Any way back to WDW as it is our Home park and where great memories of our kids has always tugged at our heart. I do have to say though that DL is my favorite park. We have looked at houses and job possibilities in Orlando and the surrounding areas. I want to live close to the ocean someday this much is true. The reality is that I have three kids and they mean more to me than the ocean or WDW. Maybe someday Orlando might be in my distant future but its fun to dream. Maybe when they “fix” Epcot (Journey into Imag) in 20 years as a renaissance back to its former glory I will be down there.
Do you miss the four seasons? The older I get the more I despise Winter.
Just wondering what you miss most about the Midwest?
Did you ever consider Florida?
Thanks for this post.
Thank you so much! What a blessing this article is! DH and I are preparing for a move in March from Oahu to Central/Orlando FL area, for various reasons and not just to be close to WDW, and have been talking about this. I have the same worries as you did- that visits to WDW will become just another day at the park. I like your suggestion to give each trip a purpose or focus. Now, I can’t wait!
Again, thanks!
I couldn’t agree more with you on the familiarity taking away the luster. We lived in Tampa for two and a half years and were only an hour away from WDW which obviously led us to become AP holders. I found that we visited about twice a month sometimes even getting a hotel for the weekend if there was a good deal. While it was great to be this close for things like the opening of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (yup I called out of work sick that day) or even for my husband to take his Dad to Victoria and Albert’s one night for some father son bonding I do agree we started to look at it as a place of “oh we have nothing going on this weekend, ok lets do to Disney!” We have since moved home to the Northeast and purchased DVC now going about 2-3 times a year but for extended periods of time. One of things we love the most now about traveling down is we actually get to take the Magical Express!! Until we lived there we didn’t realize how awesome that bus ride is and how amped up you get while en route to your hotel (and then subsequently depressed going back to the airport). While I wouldn’t trade our time in FL and proximity to WDW for anything I am glad to be back in a place of getting excited and feeling the butterflies in my stomach as I walk through the arches of the train station and come around the corner and see Cinderella Castle; I nearly cry every time. But as you did, I have a burning desire to move to Cali and I’m sure one day I will find myself again trying to balance out how much time I spend at Disneyland. Thanks so much for sharing your story it’s great to know others feel the same way!
I can relate to this. We used to live in Sarasota, and had annual passes for WDW. When we went, it was at least an overnight trip (we took a day trip once or twice, and that was just too difficult). Several months ago we moved to Orlando to be near our daughter’s family and spend more time with our grand-daughter. When we did, the way we did Disney changed. Now it’s a 45 minute drive, even with traffic, so we never stay near the parks. We can go after work, and just go to dinner or ride a single ride, or whatever. And we never feel pressed to “work it all in” the way we sometimes did when we traveled to the parks. I do sometimes miss the anticipation (although our AP has summer blackout dates, and I found myself counting down to our visit last week). But aside from that, the way we do it now is not better or worse, just different. It is a lot of fun, in my view, to decide at 4 o’clock that we want to go ride Haunted Mansion or get a Dole Whip.
This was a really interesting read as someone who has always romanticized living at/near a Disney park. We’re an easy 8 hour drive away from Walt Disney World and this allows us to visit frequently (we got APs this year), but it is far enough that a trip is definitely anticipated. Thanks for the personal insight on your thoughts after moving.
Your comment about Halloween and Christmas being too close together really cracked me up because we’re often asked the “didn’t you just go to Disney World?” question at that time of the year when we try to hit both.
I think Disney fans who happen to move close to the parks might be more enthusiastic about very frequent visits when having it so close is kind of a novelty. I had a similar train of thought as yours when I was deciding whether or not I wanted to commit to an AP. Being able to anticipate a visit is important, and I never want to think, “Oh, again…?” when going back. I wasn’t really bothered about being blocked out for the summer, and now I get to look forward to going back in the next week or so. As with anything, moderation is key.
I know that, as someone living in Wisconsin with plans to move out to California in the next few years, this is always a prominent topic on my mind. I’m a frequent visitor of WDW, and I’m often asked why I’d rather move to California to be near Disneyland than to Florida, where I could be near the parks I’m familiar with. The answer is simple, and it has everything to do with what you’re talking about here. While I’m looking to pursue a career with Disney and it’s pretty obvious that career options in that area are more available in Southern California than they are in Central Florida, I’ve always had this part of me that wants to keep Walt Disney World as a “vacation spot,” to keep that magic and excitement alive the same way I’ve grown up with it. This could change, easily and quickly, depending on where I end up attending the College Program and the options available to me, but I completely understand where you’re coming from, and thanks for sharing! It’s a situation many of us don’t always think about!
Interesting topic. Growing up in New England, we always visited WDW and never Disneyland. As a family we’d visit every couple of years from elementary school through college. The anticipation of an upcoming trip was (is) one of my favorite things about Disney trips. You don’t have that anticipation when you live close by a park and can go whenever. Of course the ability to go whenever is also a perk to balance things out.
I now live in SoCal and we got our DLR AP when our fist son was born (4 yrs ago). This was about 6 years after moving here and in those years prior I probably visited a total of 5 times. After the first year of the AP I had the same attitude as you do. We went a couple of times a month and loved it the first year. But sometimes the traffic and crowds just weren’t worth it. We never had a bad time we’d just leave earlier than we planned.
Also in “commuting” to the parks you don’t have the Disney bubble that many of us who lived outside of FL and grew up visiting WDW are used to. You start to see the negative side of things.
To “fix this” we now only go once or twice a month in the fall, winter, and early spring. We never go in the summer and never go when we expect it to be too crowded.
We also will do mini-vacations when family from out of town visits. Even though we are only an hour away, we’ll spend 2-3 nights as the Disneyland Hotel or GC and enjoy the bubble feeling again and of course the pools.
Of course we still do a WDW trip every couple of years.
I think your comment about DL seeming like a well themed public park is right on. I say this all of the time and I think this is a common feeling for those AP holders close by. As our kids are still small we spend most of our time walking around, snacking, and just generally enjoying the atmosphere. Now with 4 passes it can be expensive to just use as a public park but of course it’s a lot more than that and we love it. It’s also a very safe place to be with the kids and this is very important.
Also one last note.. (and this truly isn’t meant as a jab at those without children but instead is an honest thought from someone who has spent a lot of time in the parks both with and without kids).. when visiting the parks with your kids you also get to experience the wonder through them. Even if things start to get mundane for me I look at how excited and amazed they are and that in itself is a reason to keep coming back.
Wow that was incredibly long. Sorry!
Sounds similar to some of the marriages I’ve known. The kind that works best when the couples don’t see each other all the time. As does the annual passport.
I lived in the Orlando area for a while and visited WDW quite often. Sometimes it was just for breakfast and a stroll. Other times it included meeting friends or family who were on vacation. No matter what, I never tired of it. What I did tire of was the intense summer heat and humidity. In fact, it sent me back home to the northeast. And, just like that, I’m back to being a WDW once or twice a year visitor. Sometimes you just can’t win.
Tom,
Thanks for a timely post. My family bought AP’s for Florida last December for the first time even though we live about 700 miles away. So far, we have spent 28 days on Disney property in Florida since then (three driving trips) and we have enjoyed every moment, including our most recent visit in mid-July. We’re booked to return near the end of Food & Wine and may go back in early December before the AP’s expire.
We will be moving to the Orlando area next May with some of the same concerns you have expressed about familiarity. I don’t anticipate it being a major issue but we probably will end up going less frequently than we think. We have friends who live about three hours from Disney and they still go a fair number of times per year. My daughter, who will be 10 when we move, is more concerned about living in the area because she likes visiting and being in ‘the Disney bubble.’ I am more excited about the move because I grew up with Disney just a few hours away (CA) and went to college at UCLA so frequent visits were easy. Now I live in the mid-South and we have made visits to the Florida parks every year except 2010.
I lived in Orlando for less than a year in the 1990’s after college after living in LA for four years. I left for economic reasons that are no longer a concern. Do you think the experience of living near the magic is different in California than in Florida? We’ve talked about a return to SoCal but my wife is dead set against that for a variety of reasons.
Rob
“Do you think the experience of living near the magic is different in California than in Florida?”
I think it certainly could be, but I don’t think there’s any inherent differences. Why I say it could be is by virtue of the sheer size of WDW as compared to DLR. There’s a lot more potential for visits with a specific purpose that don’t focus on the parks–at all. For instance, you decide to watch the sunset at Old Key West, dine at Olivia’s, and then take a boat to Disney Springs for a nightcap. There are numerous experiences like that at WDW, and you could do months of Disney experiences without ever setting foot in Magic Kingdom.
Obviously, parks aside, there are significant differences between California and Florida, but I think that’s the biggest thing in terms of the two resort complexes themselves.
What a fascinating post!
I guess my thinking is that nobody should move just for Disney. It’s sacreligeous for me to say it, given that I seem to spend many hours a week looking at the stuff, but it is simply not a rich enough seam to be worth moving for (in my opinion).
That’s not to say I haven’t seriously thought about it – but I view Disney as one small ingredient in a larger list of reasons to live somewhere, and so far those other factors outweigh my wish to be near a resort. The places I have serious thought of moving to are Hong Kong and New York – so maybe one day I might become an HKDL ‘local’. But even though it’s my favourite city on the planet, Hong Kong still has enough downsides that I don’t think I’d want to give up London for it.
Have you ever visited Hong Kong in the summer? That experience forever crossed it off the “places I could live” list for me. It would still make the list of places I’d love to live for a few months (Dec-Mar), but I just couldn’t handle that summer humidity.
Never mind Hong Kong in the summer – try Doha. I spent a summer there and it was an “experience” with temperatures near 120 🙂 Less tropical though.
All good as long as you rush from one air conditioned building to the next one! In some ways I prefer it to the south of England which isn’t set up for air conditioning, but reaches 80+ several days a year.
We live about an hour and a half from Disneyland. We tend to get passes for a year, then take 2 years off, then do it again. It works out well, because the anticipation of going back when we get new passes is great. There starts to be a “been there, done that” feel near the end iof the passes. We just started our off cycle again, so the next time we get passes should be shortly after Star Wars land opens, so there will be a lot of new things to explore.
Great article!
While owning DVC allows us to visit more easily, visiting more than 2 (or 3) times a year would diminish our enthusiasm.
I don’t think I’d be brave enough to drop my AP, but kudos!
And I hope you don’t get bored with your photography!
In fairness, it’s not like dropping the AP was really some bold move that cut us off from Disney completely for a few months–we’ve taken trips to other parks during that time.
Our average for Walt Disney World right now is around 3 times per year, and I’d actually love to cut that back to twice per year. The problem is that Halloween and Christmas are just too close together (stupid calendar-makers) and we just “have” to visit for both seasons, meaning if we only visited twice, that would leave a big gap the rest of the year. First world problems, I know…
But you can do Halloween and Christmas in one trip. That’s what I’m doing this year. MNSSHP on October 28, 7 day Disney Cruise, 2 days at Universal, MVMCP on November 7. I can’t wait!
Tom – great post. I am a life long Californian of 54 years and have been an AP holder since 2000 (before that I’ve been going once a year since age 5). I use my AP similar to what you described about dinners and other events. I don’t visit weekly or in any kind of regular basis. However, if a new show exists, new activity, new food, etc., I will make a point to visit. Also my time during the Holidays increases due to the nostalgia it provides from my childhood. I can’t get over it. This, for me, has been how I don’t lose the magic (though I do find at times I am more critical of changes). Thanks for sharing your thoughts.