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We took a couple trips recently to Yulee. It seems like it may end up being nice but the areas where we can afford a house or land are not in the nicer areas of the county. The other reasons we want to go towards Orlando is to be able to get off the coast a bit to minimize our hurricane risks but still be able to be within an hour or so to beaches.
The housing and land costs are similar to St Johns county from what we have found. We looked at some places that are exactly what we are staying in now and basically there the same price. Not to mention , we been here since December and it’s atill a little colder than we would like and we are looking a little further south.
I am not for sure if Chuluota or Geneva are still rural or less developed , I haven’t been there , and I realize the assault they are under to become more developed. I’ve been following the large development controversy outside of Lake Pickett and realize that it would turn the roads, schools, and infrastructure into the same congestion and overcrowded nature of what we experience in other areas of Florida.
I’m open to anywhere. I just want to spend the next two years figuring out what suits our family.
We plan to visit lots of other areas including some west coast areas. We plan to visit safety harbor , oldsmar, Sarasota and maybe some areas outside the Lakeland ranch development. We don’t mind being close to a large development, we don’t commute, we just want to not be INSIDE the development.
As an FYI the NE Florida region historically has the lowest risk of hurricane landfall in the state due to the dynamics of the Gulfstream ocean current which at that part of the state draws storms farther out to sea and on up toward the coast of the Carolinas, or farther north yet. Given Florida is a peninsula moving further south and inland actually increases the odds for hurricane involvement since they do pass over from side to side, and can be as recent years have shown to provide significant damage to the interior of the state.
If looking to avoid an out of the pot and into the frying pan situation where leaving one overdeveloped/crowded area for another, moving to the Oviedo area (or Central Florida in general) probably isn't the best idea. Seminole County's elected officials and developers have yet to truly demonstrate the ability to find sacred any plot of land not yet plowed under.
In my opinion you're getting warmer with your options though Sarasota and Safety Harbor are fairly dense and congested/well-developed. Lakewood Ranch is a large planned community and not too bad. You might check out the area north of Oldsmar known as East Lake which is unincorporated and is shared by Palm Harbor and Tarpons Springs further north. It's a very nice area and lower density minus any apparent rush to build out, with excellent schools as well. https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...ah_crid/0_mmm/
As an FYI the NE Florida region historically has the lowest risk of hurricane landfall in the state due to the dynamics of the Gulfstream ocean current which at that part of the state draws storms farther out to sea and on up toward the coast of the Carolinas, or farther north yet. Given Florida is a peninsula moving further south and inland actually increases the odds for hurricane involvement since they do pass over from side to side, and can be as recent years have shown to provide significant damage to the interior of the state.
If looking to avoid an out of the pot and into the frying pan situation where leaving one overdeveloped/crowded area for another, moving to the Oviedo area (or Central Florida in general) probably isn't the best idea. Seminole County's elected officials and developers have yet to truly demonstrate the ability to find sacred any plot of land not yet plowed under.
In my opinion you're getting warmer with your options though Sarasota and Safety Harbor are fairly dense and congested/well-developed. Lakewood Ranch is a large planned community and not too bad. You might check out the area north of Oldsmar known as East Lake which is unincorporated and is shared by Palm Harbor and Tarpons Springs further north. It's a very nice area and lower density minus any apparent rush to build out, with excellent schools as well. https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...ah_crid/0_mmm/
Yeah we got the benefit of that Gulf Stream deflection as we had to evacuate our home in South Carolina when we lived there. The location we live in now had to evactuate with Mathew. Too close to the intercostal and creeks. I worry more about spin off tornados here. I’d like to be on the other side of I-95 and live in a neighborhood without a strict HOA so I can add a concrete garage/ 1 bedroom apartment that would allow us to have a secure shelter in place. Then I’d like to have full backup propane generators and water well.
I realize we are in the best location for hurricanes but I don’t feel any safer here because we are in a stick frame house just miles from the ocean. I’d rather be in the central part of the state and have the safety of a shelter and backup water/power.
My wife’s family used to live in the area that is now Lakewood ranch in Sarasota. We’ve never been there but would like to visit. We have also added east lake /Odessa to our trip details and see that house prices and lots sizes are really good over there, in addition to having A rated schools . Looks like a nice area.
One thing I would like to ask is for those with young kids, how often do you really visit the theme parks and water parks ? We have friends who go like every week it seems and live two hours away. Is it realistic to think that an annual pass is worth fighting the boards of people and traffic to get there even if we live an hour or less away? In my mind it’s worth it and we could find the times and days that aren’t as crowded and line waiting wouldn’t be so bad, am I being naive ?
One thing I would like to ask is for those with young kids, how often do you really visit the theme parks and water parks ? We have friends who go like every week it seems and live two hours away. Is it realistic to think that an annual pass is worth fighting the boards of people and traffic to get there even if we live an hour or less away? In my mind it’s worth it and we could find the times and days that aren’t as crowded and line waiting wouldn’t be so bad, am I being naive ?
I have annual passes to all the theme parks and water parks. It depends on the family and where you live. If you live near the parks, many people will go just for a couple hours during non-peak hours and then go home. The further away you are from the parks, the longer you'll want to stay to make the drive worth it. There are tons of families who go to the park every week and there are tons of families who never go.
Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure / Volcano Bay - You can get away with a normal annual pass, just get the one with free parking. However, if you can afford it, the premier pass is amazing because you get free express passes after 4PM any day of the week, any time of the year. However, the lines at Universal/Islands/Volcano aren't bad. We go very often, but then again it's only 10 minutes from our house all local roads. I think this regardless of where you live is the best 3 park pass to buy, Volcano Bay is an amazing water park!
Disney World - These days it seems to ALWAYS be busy regardless of the time of year. You can guarantee yourself 3 rides per visit because with an annual pass you can choose 3 fast passes ahead of time, I think 30 days in advance. Disney is more about the atmosphere than rides IMO, so it's still fun to walk around. Epcot also has some fun events throughout the year like right now it's the Flower and Garden Festival.
Seaworld / Aquatica / Busch Gardens - You definitely get a lot for the price tag and wait times are the lowest out of all the parks. However, I like the above more than these parks, with the exception of Busch Gardens. It's just a good hour away, so it feels like I have to spend the whole day there, where as the other ones... I'm just 10-20 minutes away.
I know some people who will get Universal passes one year and then the next year Disney and then Universal and then Disney etc. We have passes to them all because we love theme parks and water parks. If you could only choose one, definitely definitely get the 3 park Universal/Islands/Volcano pass.
Forgot to add... I didn't get Aquatica this year because Volcano Bay erases all Seaworld and Disney water parks.
One thing I would like to ask is for those with young kids, how often do you really visit the theme parks and water parks ? We have friends who go like every week it seems and live two hours away. Is it realistic to think that an annual pass is worth fighting the boards of people and traffic to get there even if we live an hour or less away? In my mind it’s worth it and we could find the times and days that aren’t as crowded and line waiting wouldn’t be so bad, am I being naive ?
Bear in mind it's also something of a fantasy to some that doesn't equate to reality once you move here. Real life which for the vast majority includes both spouses working full time jobs, kids in school/after school activities and if fortunate a sliver of time left for the parents' idea of fun. So getting to the attractions isn't as easy as it first sounds and in real time perspective perhaps not one of the central cogs to build your life around when moving here.
Bear in mind it's also something of a fantasy to some that doesn't equate to reality once you move here. Real life which for the vast majority includes both spouses working full time jobs, kids in school/after school activities and if fortunate a sliver of time left for the parents' idea of fun. So getting to the attractions isn't as easy as it first sounds and in real time perspective perhaps not one of the central cogs to build your life around when moving here.
This is such a great point . For us can now we are just trying to make it through everyday safely and calmly. I don’t know how families do it with four or more kids. Two is enough for us and our sanity suffers. I guess that’s how it is when two selfish millennials have kids.
I have annual passes to all the theme parks and water parks. It depends on the family and where you live. If you live near the parks, many people will go just for a couple hours during non-peak hours and then go home. The further away you are from the parks, the longer you'll want to stay to make the drive worth it. There are tons of families who go to the park every week and there are tons of families who never go.
Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure / Volcano Bay - You can get away with a normal annual pass, just get the one with free parking. However, if you can afford it, the premier pass is amazing because you get free express passes after 4PM any day of the week, any time of the year. However, the lines at Universal/Islands/Volcano aren't bad. We go very often, but then again it's only 10 minutes from our house all local roads. I think this regardless of where you live is the best 3 park pass to buy, Volcano Bay is an amazing water park!
Disney World - These days it seems to ALWAYS be busy regardless of the time of year. You can guarantee yourself 3 rides per visit because with an annual pass you can choose 3 fast passes ahead of time, I think 30 days in advance. Disney is more about the atmosphere than rides IMO, so it's still fun to walk around. Epcot also has some fun events throughout the year like right now it's the Flower and Garden Festival.
Seaworld / Aquatica / Busch Gardens - You definitely get a lot for the price tag and wait times are the lowest out of all the parks. However, I like the above more than these parks, with the exception of Busch Gardens. It's just a good hour away, so it feels like I have to spend the whole day there, where as the other ones... I'm just 10-20 minutes away.
I know some people who will get Universal passes one year and then the next year Disney and then Universal and then Disney etc. We have passes to them all because we love theme parks and water parks. If you could only choose one, definitely definitely get the 3 park Universal/Islands/Volcano pass.
Forgot to add... I didn't get Aquatica this year because Volcano Bay erases all Seaworld and Disney water parks.
This is a great breakdown of all the parks, thank you so much for taking the time to lay out all the options! Who knew there was so much to think about. This is a great strategy. It make me want to convince my wife to consider the west side of Orlando or the areas northeast of Tampa.
This is a great breakdown of all the parks, thank you so much for taking the time to lay out all the options! Who knew there was so much to think about. This is a great strategy. It make me want to convince my wife to consider the west side of Orlando or the areas northeast of Tampa.
You're welcome! Yeah we have a ton of options here lol. When we visited Orlando on vacation, I remember waking up early and getting to the park right when it opens and then staying until closing to watch whatever show they had and coming back to the hotel exhausted. Looking back, I wonder how we did it because now we are so spoiled. We can just go there and stay a couple hours, grab a snack, go on a couple rides, walk around and then come home feeling great. Having the parks in your back yard is great and honestly it's great value. Having annual passes will keep your family busy and satisfied and there are a ton of places you can hike, bike, swim in springs, go tubing at little to no cost in the Orlando area.
We go to the parks about twice a month. Maybe more. With the amount of discounts Florida residents get to ALL of them, I don't see why someone with kids wouldn't want to go regularly. There are so many, and each is unique. If you live here and have annual passes, go during non-peak-hours, as BMW said.
It's a standard weekend thing for us. Kids' Sports games on Saturdays, parks on Sundays.
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