Choosing a Snowbird Home in Orlando
We received an email from a reader who asked for our advice in choosing a snowbird home in Orlando. Visiting Walt Disney World was part of her concern, and she's fine with being up to an hour's drive away from the parks.
As it happens, we live roughly an hour's drive away from the parks. That has a huge impact on our visits, but it's not the only issue to consider if you're looking for an Orlando vacation home.
The options are seemingly endless, so Lee and I decided to share what factors would matter to us if we were moving to Orlando or seeking a vacation home here.
How Much Disney Do You Need?
Living in Orlando is very different than visiting Orlando, particularly if your primary purpose is visiting Walt Disney World. Everyone's tastes and desires vary a bit, so we don't have a one-size fits all answer here.
If you want to visit Walt Disney World are your primary purpose, we recommend living as close to the resort area as possible. Believe it or not, there are wildly varying price ranges for living spaces that are quite close to the parks. You can spend millions in Golden Oaks and live right on Disney property.
Living just a short drive off-property gives you options from the Disney built city of Celebration, FL to buying in a trailer park at Vista Del Lago. Before you turn your nose up at the idea of living in a trailer park, check out the reviews. For a vacation home, this may be a good combination of living space, proximity to Walt Disney World, amenities and price.
Just those options give you the choice of living in a mansion, single family or multi-family homes, apartments or trailers. Life is wonderful.
Of course, your options grow if you want more than Walt Disney World in your life.
Major Florida Highways You Will Love or Hate
There are four major roads that lead to and from Walt Disney World. If I were choosing a snowbird home in Orlando, these roads would have a major impact upon my consideration. It's not just a matter of how you get too and from Disney, but also how you get too and from everything else you need to live here.
Here they are in no particular order.
Interstate 4
Despite being called an Interstate highway, it only travels through Florida from Daytona to Tampa. It's also in the early stages of a major reconstruction project called I-4 Ultimate. In other words, plan on traffic plagues for the next 5-6 years.
Yes, it's a major artery leading too and from the Disney Resort area, but it also has frequent traffic jams that bring cars to a dead stop near all of the Disney exit ramps, in either direction.
While that may change in a few years, it means that you're going to face a lot of issues if you rely upon this road from most of the major areas of Orlando and the surrounding communities.
The Beltway Roads – 417 & 429
These are both toll roads and they encircle the Orlando metro area. 417 runs from Sanford, FL down to I-4 by the Walt Disney World exits. You could take I-4 from Sanford and it would be shorter, but it's worth paying the tolls on 417 for a better, calmer driving experience to Disney.
If you fly into either Orlando International Airport (MCO) or Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), then both are near 417 and would be my recommendation to visit Walt Disney World. It's the same road that the Disney Magical Express uses.
429 is the western half of the beltway. While it doesn't serve any major airports, it's another option leading to Walt Disney World from relatively less populated parts of the Orlando Metro area and beyond. Mostly beyond.