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I made it! Finally!
Some of you old-timers here may remember reading about my plans to move back to Florida and to eventually work for Disney in semi-retirement. Well, stage one has finally been completed. I start a new job in Central Florida in late July, and I've already purchased a condo in Clermont. So it's work for a few more years at my regular job, then I'll switch over to Disney for the golden years.
What a journey! And moving all my stuff from Pittsburgh to Clermont wasn't easy either, but life should be an adventure, and I've lived it the last couple of days, and I'm looking forward to many decades of warmth, Disney (because I must get a season pass now that I'm here, and that means I finally get to do the Food and Wine festival this fall!), and many varied adventures.
I've been away a bit thanks to a tumultuous life, but my feet have hit the ground; so I hope to be a regular fixture here again. In fact, I'd love the opportunity to provide updates and perhaps articles if the powers that be so desire. Have pen, will write!
i hope all are well. I'll look forward to reconnecting with some of my old friends and of course making some new ones.
Forward!
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I made it! Finally!
Congrats Pete. Sounds like a dream come true!
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Congrats to your new adventure. I have the same future plans for my retirement years, though I have a while to go. I would certainly be interested in reading about your experiences.
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Pete- you made it! Congrats! Enjoy the adventure. Would love to read articles, trip reports, anything you desire to share with us. We will all live vicariously through you.
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Congrats Pete! I've loved reading your trip reports over the years. Your new adventures will be fun to follow as well.
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Congratulations on your move and good luck with your plans for the future
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Welcome Home Pete! You finally made it. :) Enjoy all the new magical times you will have down here. :)
GnP
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This is awesome. This is the route I want to go also. I told my wife that once the kids are all out of the house that I want to move to Florida and look at getting a corporate job at Disney World and then eventually work in the theme parks later in life.
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Sweet! Congratulations Pete. I would love to hear all about it we hope to move there some day in the future from the Philly area.
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Yeah, it hasn’t been the easiest thing I’ve ever tried to do, but I’ve known for a while that my future long-term happiness depended on me being close to the magic.
First step after getting my driver’s license etc. is to get my annual pass. Floridians get a nice discount. Then the WDW Resort will be my very own playground! I’ll still stay at the resorts, hopefully annually, even though I’ll be living about a half-hour away, just because it is so special to me. But imagine being able to take a quick run into Disney for a slice of Mango pie! Or finally getting to enjoy the food and wine festival! I’m so excited I can’t sleep!
More to follow. Watch this space!
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I'm doing the same thing you are, just slightly different. I'm hoping to retire here in Texas, then move to the Orlando area and hire on to Disney as a boat driver. We'll see if I live that long.
Congrats on your move - keep us posted on all the day to day in the parks!
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Such excellent news, my friend!
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I made it! Finally!
Hi. This is great jews for you Pete! I just got home from a trip where we used Uber a lot. One driver was fab. He had semi retired and moved to Orlando. Spent 10 years in charge of front of gate security at MK and then fully retired although he’s now ubering daily, eating lunch every day in a park and riding a large touring motorbike daily which was also on his bucket list. Living his dream. It does seem to happen.
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Scoob, I'll play the part of Dan for a moment. While I love all people, including the Jewish people, I don't see how moving here has any impact on them, lol.
Well, I'm here in earnest. I have been meaning to start a proper report on the lead up, brief, the process, the stress, lol, minimal, and the jubilation, but I just haven't had the time yet. I arrived in town last Sunday with the last few things from my Pittsburgh life crammed into my Prius. I dodged severe thunderstorms as I traversed I-75 into Clermont (by way of the Florida Turnpike, for which I purchased an E-pass, not to be confused with the SunPass -- apparently the E-pass has better rates for the other toll roads in Central Florida) and to my storage facility where I dumped everything as carefully as possible. I rushed to the Sea World area, right across from the park (because of an insane rate for a brand new Holiday Inn Express), and got to my room at about 7:00. A few hours later and I'm starting my new job with the Orange County Sheriff's Office, no stress at all, lol.
An uneventful week led to a pleasant weekend. I changed hotels, again because of a good rate I was able to find (both, by the way were under $100 after all taxes and fees, and both were Holiday Inn Expresses -- although the new one across from Sea World is far superior and as I said, brand new), and spent the weekend buying things for my new place...which I close on tomorrow! No stress, sigh. I also spent an enjoyable hour on a great walking trail near my hotel here in Apopka: the Wekiva trail. Very pleasant. This week and next weekend will be spent getting everything into the new place, awaiting furniture I ordered today, and getting acquainted with my new surroundings.
So the following weekend will see me at Walt Disney World to buy my season pass and enjoying some of the parks!!!!
Thanks for all the well-wishes, and after I get my bearings and decompress a little, I'll try to give some ins and outs to the whole experience, and I hope to give sort of a running narrative of my early days. Then in a few years when I can start working at Disney, I'll share my experiences there as well. I hope not to bore but to give hope to those dreaming of being here year round.
Watch this space!
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Sounds great! We're coming to see you in October for Food and Wine Fest. Staying at our timeshare one last time before we ditch it.
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I made it! Finally!
I would call this good stress. Again congrats. Can’t wait to hear more about it. And like the Andrews boys, we will be there in October as well.
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Well I am certainly willing and interested to meet anyone who'd like to, although it's your vacation, so let your conscience be your guide. Just let me know. Each passing day makes me feel a little more at home, but I'm still not in that comfort mode yet. I took advantage of our clubhouse here at my subdivision, and swimming on a pleasant evening after work cheered me up quite a bit, I also know that once I get my pass and head to the Wolrd, I'll feel like I'm well and truly home.
To to all who dream of living near the world, I can't wait to see you join me. We can have a Mouse Planet Club or something.
Much more detailed reports come soon.
Watch this space.
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pete, we'll be talking in about 4 years!
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I have a few more years as well....but I plan to join at some point.
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I'm thinking I'll stay here in Texas if things go as planned. Moving is far too painful. But Joey and I might but a condo there and rent it out between trips to pay for trips...
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I'll look forward to your respective arrivals, be it full-time or just seasonal. I've never been one to have a lot of friends, for whatever reason, and I'm the poorer for it. Maybe I can fix it in my later years.
I might have a chance to get my pass this weekend, just a few weeks shy of the start of the Food and Wine Festival. Imagine not having to cram in all inI during one vacation, but being able to slowly eat and drink,your way around the world. It will be one item off my bucket list: I've always coveted attending the F & W fest. Cannot wait!
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You'll love it, it's awesome! By far the best dish last year was the Spam Hash. Not kidding, all of us thought so. I can't wait to get it again in October.
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I made it! Finally!
We have been looking at the offerings. We cannot wait to sample the food and drinks as well.
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Yeah, there's a lot of stuff I want to eat!