Touristburbia! Living in the shadow of Walt Disney World

December 30, 2020

INTRODUCTION:

It all started in the mid 1990s. My husband and I began making annual trips to Walt Disney World. We would stay at least a week each time. We bought annual passes, even though we lived miles away in Birmingham, Alabama. The annual pass discount on our room in a Disney on-property resort more than paid the cost of the annual pass. Disney is the ultimate get away. It is, as the ads say, the most magical place in the world. The ten hour drive through Alabama, Georgia and Florida was not so magical sometimes. We often dreamed of living in the Orlando area, so we could visit the parks every day if we wanted. We forgot about minor things like having to work, maintain a house, fight traffic, and living our lives surrounded by temporary visitors (a nice way of saying "tourists.") Walt Disney World is still the most magical place on earth. It's also a nice place to visit. But would you want to live there? In this blog, I will explore the pros and the cons of living so close we can hear the fireworks at night. I'll share pictures of my trips to the parks, to Disney Springs, and to places in the Disney area. I'd love to have you as a neighbor. Or you can enjoy my posts and live vicariously through me.

Magical!

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December 31, 2020

CAST MEMBERS/NEIGHBORS:

As we close out 2020, I have to acknowledge that this has been a rough year for a lot of my neighbors here in Touristburbia. Many of my neighbors work in the theme parks (Disney, Universal, Sea World, LegoLand). The tourism industry in central Florida took a major hit. Park employees got laid off, furloughed, or had reduced hours. Many got let go permanently. Some have moved on to new careers. Many are eager to return to work they love, making the day magical for the park visitors. Today I went through my photo files from the last few years and found some photos I have taken of some of the Disney employees (cast members) who entertain the people in the parks. There are many more who work in stores, restaurants, maintenance, hotels, tech support, security, guest services and more. Please keep all these neighbors and friends in your heart as you look at today's photo gallery.