Ultimate Guide to Living Near Disney World: Top Neighborhoods

Ultimate Guide to Living Near Disney World: Top Neighborhoods Within 20 Minutes

August 15, 2024

Introduction

So you’ve been bitten by the bug. You want to live within 20 minutes of Disney World. Well, you’re in luck. You’ve just stumbled on the ultimate buying guide for anyone looking to live in the area around the Disney World parks, as well as Universal and SeaWorld. Over the past five years, we’ve seen a huge influx of people relocating here thanks to companies opening offices in Florida and the rise of remote workers. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to live near Disney World, right?

Disney has a cult-like following, and for good reason. Imagine living so close to the magic every day that you could visit it just like it’s the local park. Not only is it incredibly convenient, but the benefits are amazing. Today, we’ll explore the upsides of living near Disney, and I’ll show you the best neighborhoods that are within a 20-minute drive from the gates of the most magical place on earth.

Why Listen to Me?

Well, it just so happens, I grew up going to Disney World as a kid. My dad was one of the cast members that grand opened the park. I’ve been a longstanding pass holder to both Disneyland and Disney World. And I also just happen to be a real estate expert with over 20 years experience and nearly 4,000 sales. So not only have I been selling real estate since I was a kid, but I’ve also been enjoying the parks as well. It’s almost as if Walt Disney had a stepson who happened to be a real estate expert.

The Perks of Living Near Disney

Well, first up, let’s talk about the perks. Living near Disney means you get great deals on annual passes being a local. Disney offers interest-free payment plans, making it easy to enjoy the parks year-round. And guess what? This summer at Disney, it really hasn’t been that busy, except for Hollywood Studios. And I know what you’re thinking. Oh, Jared, it’s always Disney. I’m talking about it’s been a lot lighter this year than in years past. As locals, we watch the app.

When we see the wait time start to dip, we head in for an evening stroll or grab a meal. And most of all, we get to skip the hottest times and we get to skip the busiest times. Simply put, locals enjoy Disney in a way that vacationers never will. We hit the parks weekly, sometimes multiple times a week. And it’s not just Disney. You’re so close to Universal Studios and SeaWorld as well. Living here means you get the full theme park experience all year long and right on your doorstep.

Median List Price and Inventory for Orlando, Fl

Neighborhoods Near Disney

Right here, you can see the greater Orlando area in the middle. And down here on the southwest side, you can see the Orlando theme parks. Now, I’m using a tool called Smappen. And what this does is it allows me to put Epcot as a location and then a map 20-minute drive in all directions. Now, the areas we’re left with are Celebration, Middle West Kissimmee, South Claremont, Reunion, West Kissimmee, which is 34747, South Winter Garden, the south side of Windermere, North Davenport, West Orlando, Dr. Phillips, Hunters Creek, and Williamsburg. These neighborhoods offer a range of options from $300,000 to over $3 million. So there’s literally something for everyone.

Let’s start with Celebration. This master plan community was originally developed by Disney, so it has that magical touch. Homes here range from charming condos to luxurious estates. It’s a beautiful, walkable community with shops, restaurants, and top-rated schools. Next up, Reunion. This area is known for its resort-style living, three championship golf courses, and incredible amenities. It’s perfect for those looking for a vacation-like lifestyle year-round inside their own community.

For Claremont, we’re talking largely about South Claremont, which offers a suburban feel with great schools and family-friendly neighborhoods. It’s a bit more affordable and still just a short drive to Disney. I will also say much of South Claremont is also focused at catering towards the Airbnb market. So you see a lot of communities here that actually allow short-term renting as well.

Dr. Phillips is another fantastic option known for its luxury homes, top-notch schools, and famed Restaurant Row, a foodie’s paradise. Plus, you’re just minutes from Universal Studios. Hunter’s Creek is a well-established community with a variety of home styles and price ranges. It offers great amenities, parks, highly-rated schools, and it makes it a popular choice for families.

Real Estate Market Overview

So now you’re up to speed on the layout of the area. What I’m gonna do next is I’m gonna take you over a range of properties from 300,000 all the way up to the luxury range at 3 million-plus to give you an idea that if you’re entering the market here, this is what you have to choose. Now, I’m gonna show you everything. You’re gonna see the description, the photos, all the details, and understand these properties are actually under contract or fully sold. I wanna show you properties that buyers have actually chosen to buy in this given area so you have a clear picture of appreciable properties that sold rather quickly in these particular areas to give you an idea of if you’re looking to buy here across all these budgets, this is an example of what you’re looking at in the different areas here.

Now, the first marketplace is Windermere, Florida. This is literally just north of Disney, just right against the northern doorstep of the Magic Kingdom, actually. This is known to locals as being a very desirable place to live. The price ranges here tend to be a little above the running average for the Orlando marketplace. This is a three-bedroom, two-bath home, 1,442 square feet that just sold for $365,000. You can see the exterior amenities, kind of an interior finish. Again, 1,442 square feet. This is kind of like an idealistic starting position for most people.

Mid-Range Properties

Now, lakeside here in Windermere, you can see, it’s got some amenities, clubhouse, places to entertain guests, pool tables, and a swimming pool. Now, we’re still in the $300,000 to $400,000 price range. Davenport is a blend of full-time homeowners and also Airbnb. So if you think of Davenport, maybe you’ve stayed here in the past when you were in town for a VRBO, things of that nature, it is not just short-term rental, okay? I would say there’s about 65, 35 mixed. 65% of the residents here are full-time.

Now, what we have here is a five-bedroom, two-and-one-half-bath, 2,200 five-square-foot home that is pending. Don’t have the age on it, but it looks like about a 20-year-old home. Really open ceilings on a two-floor home with an in-ground pool. Looks like they might’ve vacated it. In some of these photos, they have furnishings in them.

I’m gonna tell you, folks, in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, yes, you are going to see homes that you will feel like you want to improve upon. And again, this one sold very fast. So even though you might be scratching your eyes and saying, am I looking at emerald-colored floors and emerald-colored countertops? Why, yes, you are, because maybe 20 years ago, that was hip as can be.

And obviously, you can see that it needs work, stains on the carpet, and things of that nature. Look where we’re at. We’re in the 300s. This tells you, okay, well, what would a house like this sell in really good condition? Probably 420, 430, something like that.

Now look at this by contrast. Same marketplace. We’re still in Davenport. Roughly the same size house, four-bedroom, two-and-one-half bath, 2,155 square feet, $389,000 home. Obviously, you can tell it’s got a stone facade, a little bit more of a modern house. I think this one’s like a 2017. You got tile flooring, nice. You got stone counters, white cabinets.

And again, this is kind of an entry-ish level home. Maybe a move-up house. I mean, it’s over 2,100 square feet. It’s HGTVed out in terms of the people that, very high pride of ownership is what we call this. But look at this. You see no swimming pool in the backyard. In Florida, an in-ground pool these days to start costs just 60 to 120 grand, depends on the finishes you put in the pool. And I’m telling you, 60 grand’s hard to reach in a brand new pool. So yes, the pool that was in that last house, that house was 399. It’s actually more expensive than this one for a similar size house that’s older. But just gives you an idea.

Some people have said, hey, you know what? I don’t have to dig a pool. I don’t have to take another $100,000 in debt. I’m just gonna buy the house just like this.

Higher Price Range

All right, we’re in the next price range, which I would tell you, three to $400,000 price point in this area, 20 minutes from the parks, represents about 30% of all the inventory. Tells you there’s a lot to afford between three and $400,000 in the area around Disney. Now, if you go to four to $600,000, you have another 30% or so listings in the move-up, what we call the mid-range marketplace. Let’s take a look at what you can get.

Now, my friends, we are in Hunter’s Creek, that established popular community I told you about that’s just east of the gates of Disney. This is a four bedroom, two bath, 2,340 square foot home. And again, little bit nicer design. It looks like the lot’s got some room to it. You got the side entry garage that’s kind of hiding the garage from the street. And it looks like it might be in a cul-de-sac, but take a look at this.

You have a little bit nicer aesthetic on the inside. Again, we jumped up in price. So before we were capped out at $400,000, obviously we have just jumped to 560 and this home sold very quickly.

So you see, you have tray ceilings, you have a nice, what’s most likely either a wood lamb flooring, which is laminate, or you have a luxury vinyl plank, hard to tell through the photos. And look at those, still need some cabinets. And a house like this still sold very quickly.

That’s the pool. This is what grabs $560,000 in Hunters Creek. For Florida, this is a good size lot. I mean, this is probably like 65 to 75 foot wide lot. And I mean, depending on where you’re from, that may be like, oh man, Jared, it’s too close. Trust me, you’re gonna see some homes in the price range.

There’s the cul-de-sac I was telling you about that are not gonna perform like this, okay? This is Falcons Point in Hunters Creek area. And that’s close to Disney, minutes away.

Luxury Market

All right, now the first listing that we’re gonna see in famed Celebration, that town that Disney built. This is a $487,000 property, three bedroom, two bath condo for 1,612 square feet. Sold inside of two weeks, folks. This was 10 days on the market. Gives you an idea of price values. I mean, people like Celebration because it’s got an amazing aesthetic. You have rear-facing garage in the back. The interior of the house, it looks like it’s got two patio doors. This is probably the same shot. Looks like three. Isn’t that interesting? I mean, that’s a very nice setup for a condo.

There’s the kitchen, opens up to that living area. Nice and open, looks like it’s got space back here on the other side. The charming streets lined with trees and all the amenities that come with it.

Now the next property we’re gonna show in the 400 to 600 range is represented in Kissimmee. Now to pull up a map real quick, the property we’re gonna look at, just to show you, when I say Kissimmee, this is, we were just in Celebration. We’re further out here west. The parks are right here. So we are just off the park entrance southwest. Kissimmee runs all the way back here.

So if you are looking to buy a home, you will have a lot of options because Kissimmee really is this entire stretch all the way down here. Any of this area gets you to the park inside of 20 minutes for the most part.

Final Thoughts on Kissimmee and Nearby Areas

This is a six-bedroom home, three and one-half bath, 3,096 square feet. Florida, this is popular. You have a lot of people in the south, Miami areas. They get a lot of tile roofs. We don’t have them here so much. So when you see them, it just adds a nice aesthetic and they tend to be popular.

You can see the door, it’s got an arch over the top, really nice, sharp-looking entry there. So this is a little more of a semi-custom feel. Yeah, I would imagine this is an Airbnb because you see twin beds here, twin beds here, and a theme.

Yeah, so this is Airbnb. Nice patio, look at the view. Everybody up north, they’re terrified of this. The lake, the pond, it’s not even a lake.

Now next up, we’re just above Disney to the northeast. Disney Park is all right here. This is literally, I mean, you could ride a bike to the park from here. And again, we’re in the $600,000 to $900,000 price range. This is a three-bedroom, two-and-one-half-bath, 2,561 square foot property. Looks like another beautiful view with a pool, nice patio area. And no, before you ask, this is not gonna be Airbnb. This is gonna be something that you will live in full-time if it’s yours. Looks like it’s got quartz counters.

All right, next up, we are just above Disney to the northwest. Disney’s all in this area right here. We are in Winter Garden, particularly the Horizon West area of Winter Garden, which is a newer area. There’s a lot of new construction here. The shopping centers are newer. They have continuity, meaning the architecture matches. It’s a very well-planned community. And this is a pool home. This is around 3,000 square feet asking $750,000. That’s a tandem three-car garage in this two-story home.

Really big yard for this area. I think it was around eight or 9,000 square feet of yard space. This home wasn’t on the market for very long. Inside the front door, you’ve got what could have been a formal living room, but it’s set up as a home office or possibly a family school or work scenario. Here’s a shot of the backyard without the twilight feature that we just saw a second ago. Beautiful pool. This is an end lot, so there’s a corner here. The neighbor’s yard is massive too, but this lot still offers a huge space.

This particular community has lots of features: a big resort-style pool, beautiful amenities, and plenty of walking trails. There’s a lot to do, a lot to see, and this area has just had so much investment coming in. So that’s Winter Garden.

The Luxury Market Near Disney

For this last piece, I’m gonna show you the luxury market in this area. So we have Disney right here. We’re just above it. You can see this pin sitting right on Lake Tibet. Lake Tibet, Lake Sheen, this is all part of what’s called the Butler Chain of Lakes, which is this massive chain right here, which boating enthusiasts, nature lovers, and water enthusiasts of all types absolutely love. You might recognize Bay Hill over here, home to the famed Bay Hill Country Club. But it’s very expensive, my friends.

Today, we’re in a guard-gated community here called Keen’s Point. And this particular property is a seven-bedroom, six-and-one-half-bath, 8,500 square foot home. It sits on a big, beautiful lot right on the lake. And if you want a luxury home in this particular market, you’re in good company, because every single home on this stretch is six, seven, eight thousand square feet of living space, with the most beautiful finishes imaginable in most of them.

There’s nothing like shooting some pool near those lake views. Look at that pool. That last property in Keen’s Point went under contract for $6.9 million.

This next property sold for $7.3 million. This one is in Golden Oak, which is actually on Disney property. Now, everybody knows the city that Disney built in Celebration, but Celebration is now independent from Disney. Golden Oak, on the other hand, is still Disney property, and it offers an exquisite living experience unlike any other in the world. The gated community features magnificent homes and world-class amenities. Some of the amenities include access to Golden Oak’s private clubhouse, Summerhouse, which offers a resort-style pool area, restaurant, bar, concierge service, and so much more.

This property sold for $7.3 million recently, at a price of $1,406 per square foot. Golden Oak is filled with beautiful custom homes, and you’ll see that this is a premium community with a very specific clientele.

Wrapping Up

So as you can see, there are many options when it comes to living near Disney, across a wide range of budget levels. And if, like so many others, you are considering making a move to the Orlando area, think of me as the eHarmony of real estate. I match buyers with the perfect sellers. If you’re already in the Central Florida market and it’s time to sell your home, remember that hundreds of buyers reach out to me all year long looking for great properties in this area. Your home may already be sold!

But if you’ve listened this far and you haven’t dropped down and smashed that like button, do me a favor and hit it right now. And let’s continue the conversation in the comments below. Would you want to consider living near Disney World? Why or why not? And if you already live in the area, what do you think about being this close to the parks?

That’s it for now. We’ll see you on the next one.

Best Realtor Near Disney - Reach Out Today

If you’re ready to make a move in Florida’s real estate market, don’t hesitate to reach out. Contact Jared Jones at 407-706-5000 (call or text) or email info@jaredjones.com for professional guidance and personalized service that will help you achieve your real estate goals.

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