My wife and I are probably going to fly out to Florida next year to visit different areas to live. We’d like to be in between both coasts, very close to Disneyworld, and close to some of the bigger cities (Tampa, Orlando, etc). We have a 2 year old girl and a 4 year old boy. Windermere looks like a good school district area. Can someone out there tell me a bit more about the town feel? Would you recommend a better city/town to live in? Is Windermere is rural area? We can afford the houses in that area. What city would you live in near Disneyworld?
I just moved out of Windermere 2 weeks ago and moved to S Florida. There are 2 different parts to Windermere. There is the older town area which is primarily around the chain of lakes- Lake Butler, Lake Down etc. There are some houses there that are reasonably priced but they are mostly older homes and mansions around there. It’s a quaint area with a small town feel. Then there is the rest of Windermere which is the newer developments. They can vary in price from the mid-200’s to 1mill+ depending on the neighborhood. These are also places that have been hit very very hard with foreclosures and the home owners associations are very strict. Some of the neighborhoods are pretty far out into rural country but it’s really a very suburban feel to the area.
As for schools, the public schools in that area are all ‘A’ rated so they are the better schools in the county. However, in general Florida’s education system leaves a lot to be desired so keep that in mind.
As for being close to Disney. Windermere borders Disney property and in the neighborhood I just left we had a nightly fireworks show from the Magic Kingdom. Sounds good in theory but that novelty wears off and we were left with 12 minutes of having our house shook every single night of the year….with no exceptions.
Other areas to consider would be Clermont if you’d like a more rural town and Winter Garden. Both are within 20 min to Disney.
Good luck
kikismom | Jul 30, 2009
you are so lucky to move to windermere, i love that town. soooo nice. the best place to live being close to disney, its not as crowded as orlando, but yet your still close to it. its not exactly rural, but it would be VERY reasonable to live there.. i wish i did.. but i live in los angeles.. oh well
if your moving to windermere make sure to get anual disney passes xD
sportsbabe23 | Jul 29, 2009
If you decided to live in Windermere, you would not be making a mistake. I lived there for 2 years and loved it. It has great schools, both public and private. It’s close to everything and they have just built a large shopping area a couple of miles away . They take pride in the community and it has a good reputation.
I now live in a place called Hunter’s Creek , half way between Disney and Orlando International Airport. It ’s alot like Windermere with great schools, community atmosphere, family activities, etc. It has different priced neighborhoods so people of all incomes can usually find a place to live. It is a great place to live and raise a family.
Dr PHILLIPS is also another area to consider. It also offers the same things as Windermere and Hunter’s Creek. It is located in the Universal Studios area, close to everything and offers many amenities.
I would recommend any of those areas and you would be very happy and proud to live there.
Good luck with the decision and the move.
Susan T | Jul 31, 2009
