When Loving Disney Turns Into Imagining Life A Little Closer To It
Blog Author: Jeffrey Funk | Co-Founder, The Funk Collection, Brokered by eXP Realty | ICON Agent
Some people visit Walt Disney World once and move on.
Others keep coming back.
Year after year.
Trip after trip.
At some point, the thought shows up quietly.
What would it be like to live closer?
Closer to the parks.
Closer to the magic.
Close enough that Disney fits into everyday life, not just vacations.
For many Disney fans considering a move to Orlando, it starts there.
A gentle pull that doesn’t quite let go.
Living near Disney World changes the pace.
Fireworks don’t require a hotel stay.
Park days don’t feel rushed.
So, what comes next?
First, let’s unpack a few important questions
Before neighborhoods, home styles, or even price points enter the conversation, it helps to pause. Not to slow the dream down, but to understand it.
These are the questions Disney-loving buyers are encouraged to consider early on. Not as a checklist, but as a way to shape the lifestyle they’re aiming for.
- What is prompting the move to Florida?
- What are three things you love about your current house?
- What is one thing you would change about your current house?
- What are three of your favorite things to do while visiting Walt Disney World?
- Which theme parks do you visit most often?
- At your current home in, what do you love to do on Friday evenings?
- At your current house in, what do you love to do on Sundays?
- What commute time feels comfortable when driving to your favorite activities?
- While we’re on drive time, is there a commute range you prefer to stay within for work?
Where those answers start to matter
Once those questions are answered, patterns begin to appear.
Some buyers want to be close enough for spontaneous park evenings.
Others are craving a true neighborhood feel, with its own sense of community, still within a short drive of the magic.
Southwest Orlando, Windermere, and the surrounding communities offer a wide range of options for buyers who want to live in Walt Disney World’s backyard.
At this stage, it becomes less about choosing the closest option and more about choosing the right fit.
That fit is shaped by lifestyle, routines, and how often Disney is meant to show up in everyday life.
Why local perspective matters
For Disney Fans relocating to Orlando, connection matters.
Not just to the area, but to the people helping guide the move.
Many out-of-town buyers want to talk with someone who understands the pull of Disney firsthand. Someone who has stood in the same place, asked the same questions, and ultimately chose to live here because proximity to the parks felt like part of the lifestyle they wanted.
That perspective shapes how guidance shows up.
It’s the difference between knowing where Disney is on a map and understanding how living nearby actually feels day to day.
This is where working with a locally based team makes a difference. Especially one rooted in Southwest Orlando and Windermere, with agents who understand what it’s like to sneak off to Disney for a quiet morning, grab dinner at the parks, or spend the day with friends and family from out of town.
Hear from team agents on their shared love of Disney and living near the magic:
"Disney shaped so many of my childhood memories, and relocating from Miami allowed me to continue the tradition with my husband. Living near the mouse turned nostalgia into a lifestyle that feels like a daily vacation." - Dawn Reeves-McKinney
Moving 3,100 miles was all about the lifestyle choice. The sunshine and warmer weather year round compared to life in Seattle. After several years of flying across the country and booking resorts multiple times a year to spend a week at Disney World, we decided that life was too short and we wanted to live near the magic. We love living close to Disney World because it IS now a part of our lifestyle instead of planning and waiting for the next vacation. We can do our morning walks in Animal Kingdom or Epcot...stop off on the way home from running errands for a snack or just one ride. Date nights hit differently...head out to grab a drink and watch the fireworks. Our only regret is that we didn't move here sooner! - Timothy Carter
Hear from team admin, Jen Durben on why she chose southwest Orlando when she moved.
"I first visited Disney in my 20's and thought I’d return someday with family. As the pull to visit more and more grew stronger, the idea of escaping Northeast winters and living near the magic became the moment everything clicked.” - Jen Durben
thoughts From A Disney Local
Some of The Funk's favorite parts about living near Disney?
Morning walks where the sound of Walt’s train carries through the neighborhood.
Knowing fireworks are part of the backdrop, not an event.
Having friends and family visit and getting to experience the parks through their eyes, again and again.
As Orlando residents since 2001 and Windermere residents since 2008, Disney has always been part of daily life. Mickey ears, fireworks, Mickey bars, and Cinderella’s Castle included.
If that picture feels familiar, or feels like the life you’ve been imagining, exploring what living near Disney could look like is a natural next step.
When you’re ready, the team is here to help you start that conversation.
Posted by Jeffrey G. Funk P.A. on
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