It’s been THREE YEARS since we packed up our Uhaul and moved halfway across the country to Orlando so that we could live next to Disney World!!! Today, we’re updating on our lives, what we’ve been up to, the business, and the channel and podcast.
If you need help planning your next magical vacation to Disney, Universal, or a Cruise, please check out Fantastical Vacations here:
https://www.fantasticalvacations.com
Like the Addicted to the Mouse merchandise you see us wear in the show? Check it out here: https://www.addictedtothemerch.com
Want behind-the-scenes content you can’t get anywhere else? Check out our Patreon page for personal interactions with Dan and Leslie, a private Facebook page and more! https://www.patreon.com/addictedtothemouse
We can be found at www.addictedtothemouse.com and be reached at danandleslie@addictedtothemouse.com
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Royalty-free music by Epidemic Sound. Here is our referral link to where we find all of our music:
https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/jld2ov
#movingtoorlando #movingtodisney #movingtoflorida
37 Comments
Our daughter just got accepted to UCF Summer 2025!! We are beyond thrilled!! She will be majoring in Theme Park and Attractions Management at the Rosen College of Hospitality! Thankfully, she was able to already earn 54 college credits in high school through dual enrollment! This year they did admissions differently, and we had to wait 3 months to get an answer!! Go Knights!!
Always good to hear how well your move to Orlando is turning out!! Hubby and I retired from N.J. to the Tampa Bay area also just over 3 years ago to be near family, professional sports and of course Disney!! Becoming AP Holders and visiting the parks often is awesome!! The "Magic" never wears off, it is different every time!! While the summer heat is intense, we do not miss snow or the cold weather. Please keep these updates coming and continued success on Fantastical Vacations!!!!
I lived in the central Oklahoma area for years then moved to the Orlando area during the pandemic as well (and happen to be a UCF mom!) I'm in the parks weekly and it never gets old! Thanks for all the park updates and restaurant reviews!
Really excited to hear about Japan. Finding that a daunting plan for 2026 at the moment!
your videos make my wife & i want to move there even more! hopefully we can find work soon so we can get closer to disney. arizona is kind of far lol
I personally am very happy you moved to Orlando and started this Chanel and business! I love your videos and pray that when we plan our big family Disneyworld trip that we will use Fantastical Vacations. You guys are the best! Such a sweet family 💕🙏💕
I’ve got twin girls who are sophomores at UCF 🎉
My daughter is a freshman theatre major at UCF ! Go Knights
This was fun to watch. We moved down from Massachusetts in July to be closer to wdw.
Awesome video as usual! Love all of your content!
We are moving to Orlando in June and sooo appreciate your videos on your move and feel optimistic hearing how well it went for you. It’s exciting to hear that three years later you both feel like this was such a positive change for your family. Thank you!
Our son Tyler who’s a Senior at Horizon High School just got accepted into UCF for Pre Med Track and I’ll be wearing my UCF Mom shirt soon too! Also we moved here during pandemic and closed on our home 10/21/21 here in Winter Garden and too moved here due to our love for the Disney Magic. Your story seems so similar to ours ❤️ here’s to many more amazing years living here near the Magic
Regina
Our son Tyler who’s a Senior at Horizon High School just got accepted into UCF for Pre Med Track and I’ll be wearing my UCF Mom shirt soon too! Also we moved here during pandemic and closed on our home 10/21/21 here in Winter Garden and too moved here due to our love for the Disney Magic. Your story seems so similar to ours ❤️ here’s to many more amazing years living here near the Magic
Regina
I found your channel and podcast because we were also looking at moving to the mouse. I retired 6 months after we bought our house. We live in a 55+ community. We now live in Horizon West about a 2 minute drive from the west gate and couldn’t be more happy! Disney is our playground and it never gets old. Last night we saw 98 degrees at Epcot! I love going to the parks like a local instead of “vacation mode” because it is not as exhausting—we can savor it now!
You guys are amazing. Love seeing your content and your channel grow. Looking forward to the Japan content if yall go next year. It’s a bucket list of ours to do Disney sea in Japan. We are going to disneyworld in the first week of December so counting down the days. Enjoy the cruises. We also just became empty nesters so totally understand that stuff.
We took a quick trip in August and decided “we’re going to do this”. After a few years of being discontented where we live, we make the final move to Windermere w/ our 8 y/o the day after Thanksgiving. Watched your videos earlier this Summer and it made the whole idea seem perfectly plausible. Thank you for the nudge 🙏
I began listening to your podcast during Covid. It’s been so fun to see your transition. Thanks for bringing us along!! From this Univ of Alabama Mom.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Did yall do the marching band at broken arrow?
Congratulations on the growth of your company! Your family is an inspiration ❤
I live 6 miles away from Disney world I love it
How could you possibly get tired of Disney? ? Can't wait to retire and work there.
Disney is overrated and over priced. Take a look at the new terminal that is being used at Port Canaveral for the Disney Wish. The terminal is dirty and outdated. Everyone going through that terminal is very upset. I'm sure videos will be posted to put a spin on it and make it wonderful just for the benefit of the video maker and also to kiss Disney's you know what. Also take a look at all the problems and attractions that are broken at the Magic Kingdom from Buzz Light Year, People mover, Space Mountain and on and on.
Ohhh what spring break cruise are you doing?? Love following your journey
Fellow travel creator, great info. I have lived in Orlando before. I agree it is slightly different. Orlando changes so fast that it’s cool to try a new restaurant or attraction. We live in Charleston so a quick car ride and we’re there. Orlando always keeps you busy.
We have been in celebration for over a year now, so grateful for your videos that helped us feel comfortable and prepared for our move from Alaska
Hi to all- literally just discovered this channel and can't thank you enough for everything you covered! My name is Anya–my husband Paul and I will be relocating to Orlando from upstate NY in June. We are very soon to be empty nesters, absolutely love all things Disney, dining, travel and beyond. Watching this instantly relieved my worries regarding establishing a new social circle–we will be leaving behind family, friends and most difficult, our children who prefer to stay here. So excited to become Orlando residents and looking forward to opportunities to connect with others who share similar interests–our current plan is relocating to Lake Nona–appreciate any other thoughts, advice or suggestions from any!
Thank you so much for sharing. I’ve shared your company several times to help fellow Disney lovers travel.
Better than "OU MOM"
So jealous, my dream is to move close, my hubby isn’t as enthusiastic as me
We are a year and 6 month in. Both of my girls are in Maine part of the tine. One stayed to attend a private college and the other is going back for college. I have no regrets at all. If my kids were younger it may be different. I knew I was about to be an empty nester. Love going to the parks still on the weekend.
We moved to Florida in 2016 and got our annual passes. With just a two hour car ride, we would go several times a year and stay for several days each. We really enjoyed it. Then the shut down hit and Disney was still charging us the monthly fee for the parks that were closed! In the after time, Disney kept reducing services while increasing prices pretty substantially. We stopped doing because it didn’t make sense anymore. Instead we went to Europe twice. We had a good run, but now we are going to Discovery Cove and Sea World this week too.
It is just too expensive. We went back in the day and loved it . I wish we could afford it but we just can't and I do not like what Disney hasdone with prices, tickets, etc.
I grew up in the San Francisco area and then moved to Orange County to work at Disneyland in the late 70’s. Now my wife and I are ready to get out of this crazy state! I have gone around Celebration a few times so I know that area, but wow has it gotten pricey for the homes! I first saw a model home there along Water Street for about $250K which I was told at the time was much more than the surrounding area, but coming from California it was cheap!
So what area areas around Disney World are less expensive to buy a home but just a nice as Celebration? I know Windermere is quite nice (from watching Paging Mr. Morrow) and I have watched The Tim Tracker go up to Mount Dora and saying how nice it is and sort of “old school Florida” (and it looks nice!).
Also, what was it like dealing with the humidity and heat on a daily basis (and the rain!). Yes it gets hot in SoCal and we are getting more humid each year, but nothing like Florida and certainly not the rain they get every summer day!
We are Disneyland Magic Key holders and go every week, so we would never get tired of Disney World!
Unfortunately Disney has become anti consumer in those 3 years.
We will be selling our single family house behind Levi’s Stadium in about 4 years. Our house will be paid off in less than 4 years. We look forward to purchasing a house close to Disneyland, California. Don’t get me wrong! We love to vacation in Disneyworld, Florida! We just could not live year round in Florida. We would miss the hills and mountains in California. We would also miss the Redwood trees in California.