Why Disney World is in Florida
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- čas přidán 8. 06. 2023
- Disney World really is a kingdom.
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Have you ever wondered why Disney World is located where it is? Or how it came to be such a massive, self-contained universe? It’s a story that involves secret land deals, special districts, and, now, a corporation and a government locked in a feud.
The story of why Disney World is in Florida marries business and governmental concerns about the creation of the massive property. The engineering ranges from unique physical construction (like the creation of a lake) to unique legal construction (like the creation of a self-running government that could even build its own sewer system).
Further Reading:
Buying Disney’s World (www.amazon.com/Buying-Disneys...) by Aaron H. Goldberg is an authoritative work about the purchase of Disney. Drawing from corporate records, internal histories, and more, it’s a comprehensive narrative about Disney World’s creation and early years.
There are a lot of great Disney fan websites out there that are obsessive in their Disney coverage. I found Jim Hill’s history of Reedy Creek to be a good intro to the topic. (jimhillmedia.com/history-reed...)
Disney news is also vibrant on CZcams. Mickey Views provides good perspective on the current battles.
www.youtube.com/@MickeyViews/...
For the latest news and updates about the DeSantis-Disney conflict: bit.ly/3oOHz75
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Before deciding that year-round warm weather was a requirement, Disney considered two other East Coast locations: New Jersey’s Meadlowlands and a site near Washington DC.
Thanks for watching!
-Phil
Thank god they didn’t choose the meadowlands. That would’ve absolutely ruined the calming chemical wasteland aesthetic taking the train into the city
What information do you have about Disney considering West Haven, CT. Former site of Savin Rock amusement?
Always heard growing up here that it was a possibility
The National Harbor Site was the proposed DC location. A small portion of the site is still undeveloped where the east coast Disney location was allotted.
Woah. Disney wanted to do it in NJ? That would have been really interesting
too bad he didn't factor in how climate change would make Disneyland part of the Atlantis district due to rising oceans :/
Central Florida wouldn't be what it is today without Disney
True. Overcrowded, overpriced, and too much traffic.
@@SpaceWizardCosplay NIMBY mentality. If not, it would have been like some parts of Lousiana under developed without proper water or sewage system
@@paulg9484 This is an incredibly dangerous mindset, just because Disney stood up against Ron DeFascist doesn't mean they're the victims, both are evil scumbags
@@SpaceWizardCosplay Still a fun city to visit
Or SeaWorld, or universal, that doesn't justify unfair advantages given to one and not the others.
I wonder how Epcot would look today if they had continued making it a futuristic city as opposed to a part of the theme park.
Have urban planners of today looked at the Epcot plans and judged it on its merits? I wonder how good the Epcot plans actually are given todays problems with car dependency and urban sprawl.
Depends in the economy. Despite the rhetoric, EPCOT is for all intents and purposes a massive company town owned and operated by Disney. He said it in the presentation film: nobody without a job with Disney can live there, and nobody own anything in there. Given Disney's seesaw of luck post Walt Disney, I doubt it will last long...
@WDSimp watch the movie tomorrowland starring george clooney. I feel that is what they were going for
@@smiles0013 is that what Disney what trying to build a futuristic city??
That's easy to answer. One word: Singapore. It would be like Singapore.
You missed one big thing- Walt Disney originally wanted Disney World to be in Daytona Beach. However the city voted it down, as it wasn't wholesome enough, which is hilarious given what Daytona would become synonymous with.
what is daytona synonymous with ?
@@rakeemkoroma2398Spring Break
more specifically spring break for college and highschool students.
That’s sad since I consider going to Daytona once a year so having Disney World right in the city would’ve been really really good. Oh well it’s just gonna be synonymous with goofball college kids and NASCAR.
Lgbt?
It's almost comical that Florida has no idea how much they need Disney. Classic Florida-man right there
Yeah, but Disney isn't going anywhere from Florida. There may be short term consequences for DeSantis and maybe lack of expansion from Disney in Florida, but Disney would ultimately allow the state to do whatever it wants to it because of how deeply established it is in Florida currently.
@@Ctasker5 I would actually say the exact opposite. Florida is going to let Disney do whatever they want (as is evidenced by this video) but may put on a strong face to appease certain voters.
@@MustyMouse yeah they 100 percent know lol, as u said it’s just politics nothing drastic gonna happen
Florida has the #4 highest GDP of all states. It has a GDP of well over $1 trillion. It's hard to measure the impact exactly, but studies have shown Disney World contributes up to $80 billion to Florida's economy annually (many say it is far lower, around $18 billion, but they probably don't account for tourism quite as well). That's a sizable amount of money, it's likely somewhere between 5-8% if you're being generous, but if you actually look at the numbers losing that money wouldn't even drop Florida down to #5 highest GDP.
Disney helps, but Florida definitely doesn't need it like you claim. That's simply untrue.
@@craigape the GDP of Over 1 TRILLION has to have come from Disney and u can't convince me otherwise,
any drop in the economy let alone one THIS BIG would definitely be bad for Florida.
Is it weird that the conservative dream of a privately owned city with minimal government may be ended by people who call themselves conservative?
No because the people who call themselves conservative wants to take over disney board like a socialist.
Conservatives hate laws only when they restrict their own freedom. They love to restrict the freedom of others though.
Not in the least. If it weren't for hypocrisy, conservatives wouldn't have any values.
Thats not a conservative dream. I dont know what rock your living under.
@@prypiatshadow6371 It's definitely a libertarian or at least neoliberal dream...so conservative adjacent. Also, in the context you were using the word, it's "you're" not "your."
Interesting... I'm a native Floridian and local to the area, and I wasn't entirely clear on the politics involved that were highlighted in recent headlines. I also didn't truly realize just how flippin large the land was!! (Us locals avoid that area as much as we can... Far too much traffic) 😄 Great video, thanks!! 💕
Well, to make it easy to understand, Disney was actively supporting Floridian laws that allowed teachers to teach LGBTQ, and identity politics agendas to kids under 3rd grade, Desantis, and people who can actually think normally (right wing people), decided that that wasn't okay, so we're going after Disney. DESANTIS 2024
Traffic in Disney World is so manageable that I use it to avoid traffic elsewhere (I-4, 192, etc) on my commute home frome work
Why did it rain every day in Disney world?
@@tigerabraham5582 because that’s what happens in Florida during the summer.
too much traffic? then they SHOULD invest in public transportation. in the Anaheim park, the monorail is essentially a concept that most developed European and Asian countries made into high-speed rails.
then again, America was duped into buying cars because the auto industry lobbied for dominance in the name of profit (and oppressinng marginalized communities for being poor and/or black. thaaaaat's hypercapitalism :/
So basically Walt Disney was playing Cities Skylines IRL.
Fun fact. Walt Disney's parents were married in central Florida, 50 miles north of the land Walt Disney World was built on.
Another Fun Fact: Disney gave money to Hitler.
Walt Disney would have been a great antagonist for a Bioshock game
No one can convince me that the antagonists we had weren't inspired by him
He already is. Who do you think Andrew Ryan is based of
Bioshock?
@@lovelylipbonesouwwwwwwwolv2198 the video game from 2007. You know one of the best games of all time
I mean Andrew Ryan kinda looks like walt Disney
It's funny how corporations control municipalities. In Japan, the city where Toyota's headquarters is located was renamed from Koromo City to Toyota City.
Oh that's interesting. I always thought the company was named after the city.
@@thomicrisler9855 It's the same with Mitsubishi and Honda.
Money talks
My mom’s family moved to Orlando in 1959 and my parents still live there. It feels like he is spitting on town history. Disney World is something generations of my family are proud of, they remember it being built my mom was employed there as a teen in the 60s and drove the monorail, myself, and my cousins worked summer jobs. My uncle was a full-time employee. I just want him to leave Orange county out of his simple bumpkin soundbite seeking mind. People like Disney more than politicians, and he needs to get over it.
If her family actually lives there like you say, it’s a massive double edged sword. Tons of tourism, but the EXTREME traffic and overpopulation, especially during summer months, are unbearable.
Excuse me but Disneyworld under pays its employees who live in cramped Disney housing a Disney truck driver gets paid $15/ hr barely making it and recently they cut off employees discount for their own families to enjoy the place at a discount. This is a billionaire corporation that owes 55+ yrs back taxes !! Money that’s used to build schools fix roads, etc for the community.
Everyone pays taxes and many Floridians were paying way more than Disney who thinks they’re above the law.
Good for De Santi to take them to court and get them to pay up they’re fair share of back taxes and taxes!
If it wasn’t for their employees Disney wouldn’t exist!
They actually considered New Orleans at one point. Imagine if they got that economic boost like Florida did
God i wish they would have drained NOLA like they did those florida swamps xD
I am from New Orleans and I knew about this! I think they planned to use (or build?) an island in Lake Pontchartrain. If the multiverse exists, I would love to visit the universe where New Orleans got Disney World - it would have been such a different city haha
It would have been in the hotspot for hurricanes, which is where you would NOT want to build a multi-million dollar theme park.
@@Creepereye20 So is florida 🤨
@@Creepereye20 Central Florida is less on the hurricane pathway than sitting right on a gulf
I'm glad Governor Ron Disaster showed us who he is before running for president.
One of the things Walt learned from Disneyland was how hotels were popping up miles out to capitalise on demand for the resort, the scale of Dsineyworld was explicitly to capture the externalties. Because of the scale however the land purchases had to be kept secet as long as possible to stop owners or land speculators from holding the land titles in expectation of the massive value the investment would create.
However though Disney did unusually create a large amount of local land value (and this argument is sometimes used to discredit land value tax despite being a total outlier), the sites were not chosen at random but to capitalse on exisiting and new public goods, as wiki entry explains
'. After witnessing the well-developed network of roads and taking the planned construction of both Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike into account, with McCoy Air Force Base (later Orlando International Airport) to the east, Disney selected a centrally located site near Bay Lake.'
So the state should still capture that value via a land tax or equivalent methods of value capture.
Amen.🙏.
I wished this went into more of the feud going on, but when I looked back at the title, I realized it may need its own video for that. This video did a great job of explaining what the title promises, and that’s all I can ask for!
The feud is the governor with a massive ego, presidential ambitions and doesnt like being questioned.
It's still ongoing so maybe after the elections there will be a vid about it
ron desatan
The two big issues Walt had with the Anaheim location, which are still true today, are that out-of-towners could stay "off property" at completely non-Disney-affiliated hotels which are easy walking distance from the main gate and locals (particularly) could see traffic on I-5 from the top of the Ferris wheel and strategically time their exit based on that.
Disney wasn't in the hotel business in Walt's lifetime, the Disneyland Hotel was run by his Hollywood friend Jack Wrather. The company had no history as a lodging operator until after Walt died, when they took over Disney World's two hotels following visitor complaints about the outside operator they initially hired to staff them.
Now we can’t afford to go at all😂
Epic battle between two cartoon rodents: Rat vs. Mouse.
"Don't mess with the mouse"
As a former disney world employee, the only thing we're told as to why it was built in Florida was due to it being warm all year round, and it had lots of open areas which was good for building a big theme park. I knew Disney was a Republican but I had no idea him building the parks involved politics. Definitely makes sense though.
Do you read what you are commenting!?
Your point?
@@ellatignor3250 my point is I was stating facts from someone who used to work for the corporation. Clearly you didn't read nor comprehend my comment.
Disney now is liberal which is problematic to the area. I only support the cancellation of their power over the land because they shouldn't be political.@@mariaholmstead4508
Mickey knows how to throw hands bruh
That's why he's always gloves up. Gotta hide those brass knuckles.
Local Floridian! Disney world is wild because now a million other amusement parks have built up in downtown central Florida just to mimic their success story. No local wants to go into the area because it’s so overcrowded with tourists most of the time. I never go to Disney even though I live close by.
Haha, just like Times Square 😂
I watched a documentary about Disneyland before. I think it was at Disney family museum. What happened with California Disneyland was that he wanted to whole area to be kid friendly. A lot of businesses nearby started to do whatever to benefit from the popularity of Disneyland that it started to become not so kid friendly. He bought a larger land in Florida to make sure that the surrounding areas will be Disneyland property in case he wants to expand and also to prevent businesses that will build things surrounding the park that will ruin the “fantasy” world that he wanted to build.
There's a movie called "The Florida Project" that shows this issue in particular, because it highlights a motel in Kissimmee having to cater to Disney tourists.
40 min drive from Los Angeles in the middle of the night with no traffic. 3 hours at any time in the daylight
I think he was referring to the era when Disneyland was built.
This video just made me realise Iron man 2’s stark expo was inspired by this EPCOT.
Walt Disney almost became the real life equivalent of Andrew Ryan from Bioshock
Ryan was created by Ken Levine of Irrational Games based on figures including Ayn Rand, Howard Hughes, Charles Foster Kane, and Walt Disney. The character has received significant praise from critics, with Electronic Gaming Monthly ranking him ninth on their list of top ten video game politicians.
“I chose the impossible m, I chose Disneyland 😤”
If only DeSantis would actually fight Disney on things that actually matters, like how much Disney pays and treats it's 'cast members', then he might actually gain more support and may even win against the other republican candidates
Or maybe how Disney uses/abuses copyright laws and owns almost all the most profitable media rights now.
That would be against the real Republican values: enrich the rich and mega corporates while hollowing out the working class
That man needs to lose before his head inflates to become the next Furher Hindenburg.
If cast members don’t like their pay or treatment, they are free to quit
Republicans don't want employees to be paid more or receive better benefits. They want true Laissez-faire capitalism so their rich cronies can get richer off of the hard work of employees. Not that Democrats are tons better, but make no mistake, DeSantis would never fight for worker rights. He would get called a "socialist" or be called out for "re-distribution of wealth", and just like that, he would vanish into thin air politically.
I went to Disney World first week of June this year. It's shocking to see the influence they have over the area, and everyone knows about it. Even at Universal studios in the horror make-up show, a stage artist spilled water on an audience member (as part of the act). They asked them if they would like a towel, followed by "that will be $10. Welcome to Orlando!" Amazing experience.
Lol 50-100% increase in tourism for Florida the governor had no idea how big his vision was I imagine it is more like X10 that 😆
this was put together so well!! thanks for sharing, the video is a lot of fun to watch!
That will teach them and other industries not to build in a swamp. Walt considered everything when he chose Florida, everything except the possibility that the swamp people might elect a tyrannical government.
A "tyrannical government" -Angry Liberal
More like the entirety of the western world. Are your communities so insular that you can’t see how Florida looks compared to everyone else? Come back down to reality before you hit your head on the ceiling.
As a swamp person I do not approve this message
@@mariolouis6412 "here we see the scaredy republican/conservative, watching the liberal herd with great fear" grow up
Yah i can confirm the recent conservative pushback in Florida has largely been fueled by less extreme left leaners deciding to vote for Ron after seeing the stuff folks in Cali. Have been getting up too
Well done video. Good infographics and archival video
Phil Edwards' videos are always great to watch. Great one!
Grateful for these endlessly interesting videos on topics I never knew were so cool!
Great video, Phil! Thank you for all you do
Disney is building communities now in the Coachella Valley area in CA
Growing up in south GA, there was a rumor that Walt also considered placing WDW in Valdosta, GA. We share a lot of the same warm weather, and it's on I-75. But the owner of the land, Stafford, didn't want to sell. Not sure how much proof there is to say that's true. Today though, there is an amusement park in the area, Wild Adventures.
It is true
Fascinating stuff!
For good or for bad Disney is Orlando and Orlando is Disney.
Easy, half of the people I know in the area work in something related to them parks or hospitality.
Great video and information 💯
"Legal Mindset" is a great place to get all of the answers about "the feud".
Florida was already a tourist state and the land near Orlando was very cheap at the time.
Make FLORIDA Great Again 😎 Ron DeSantis
Why would tourist flock to Florida without disneyworld?
@@TheOfficialChannelOfChannels Because of the coastline/beaches, kind of like California. Disney World added on to its appeal.
@@supernovaxs9480 ohh Alligators and Swamps and Humid Air true , everyone would love to see that
@SupernovaXS sorry I meant like how was Florida before Disney was there? Like people really flew out there cause of the coastlines back then?
Florida depends on Tourism, without Tourism you really only have left is farming & fishing
The ending was a spectacular reference of the clause!
Desantis really about to F around and find out. Never mess with the Mouse lol
Desantis is comically bad to get me rooting for a megacorporation that owns practically everything.
Which is why I'm rooting for DeSantis, and not the corporation who sued a grieving father for putting an image of Spiderman on his son's grave. I've never heard any stories about DeSantis intentionally destroying a terminally ill child's final wish.
@@TheRaptorPopewhich is worse, a transphobic politician or a corporation doing rainbow capitalism hmm🤔🤔🤔
@@TheRaptorPope DeSantis, who calls trans people mutants and think the whole group of people should be eradicated? Does it remind you of someone (hint - Hitler)?
@@EquestriaGuy he never said they should be eradicated, stop the hyperbole
Disney had more influence
But has Disney World in many countries
Most people are smart enough to know
that you don't F with Mickey.
I respect Mickey
@@izzatsufian2796 I don't hate, fear, or respect Mickey. He's a fictionalized character for entertaining children. Basically, he's just like DeSantis but more authentic with higher depth of character!
@@stevechance150 as a watcher of film theory, there’s plenty of evidence in favor of this
Hey, speaking of which, there's a Disney show that premiered today called 'Hailey's On It!', where the protagonist sings about rollerskating to Orlando.
The DC project was just an hotel project in National Harbor. They purchased 11 acres back in 2009 but ended cancelling the project. However, the first DC-area site they saw was on Haymarket, VA proposed in the early 90s, to be called "Disney America" to which they decided to not go through due to climate, recession and the then-failure of the Euro Disney park (Disneyland Paris)
The more I see and hear Ron, the more I see his lack of personality and awkwardness.
Make GATORs Great Again 😎 Ron DeSantis
hes awesome
Honestly, at least, Trump was.... colorful. Ron is just Trump with less seasoning.
@@kingace6186 So you think Ron needs some ORANGE makeup?
It’s sad that the only way for people to stop unpopular legislation is to have a corporation fight against it
The legislation you speak of was supported by the majority of Floridians
@@adanalyst6925 No, just the majority of northern transplants who moved to a tourist destination at 70 and then complain about the tourists.
*unethical legislation
Legislation is only unpopular if people vote against it. The definition of unpopular means that the majority of people don’t like it. The legislation you speak of was, by definition, popular in Florida because the majority of people voted for it. What you want is for a corporation to step in and overturn legislation that you don’t like.
@@LeScratch89People who live there are Floridians too. Thats how it works.
There were also a lot of good Cuban artists and architects who worked on the project I would know because my grandfather was the one who owned the construction company’s and got the artists on the job. I believe most of his involvement was in the creation of it’s a small world
Ah yes - the handpan, the official instrument of Fantasyland
All of the grainy footage from 50s and 60s are certainly a different vibe that is hard to describe
It’s sad that Walt Disney didn’t live to see the opening of Disney World.
No it’s not. He was a horrible man
@@MrJimheeren You knew him? Cool!
@@princevalencia8816the rumours are big
@@MrJimheeren the single greatest individual ever to embody the “American Dream” was not actually a terrible person, but I understand that’s a popular thing to read on the internet.
@@MrJimheeren how? elaborate (i’m not being ignorant i just don’t know what he did)
Nice touch with the background music around 5:30. I'm sure at least one other person who works at Vox got that joke!
Any idea why there’s a huge gap in the land Disney purchased and the Reedy Creek district south of Route 530? The video uses both interchangeablely.
Celebration. It used to be owned by Disney as the company built the city, however they annexed it since residents wanted voting power and Disney was against it. Native Floridian and very local resident.
@@Yuma305I think you mean “deannexed” it from the Reedy Creek District
Thanks Vox! For always answering the questions we don’t ask.
I think that this argument between Disney and the state government is basically by my guess like changing the constitution to something else. I also think that if someone had rights for about 50 years they should keep those rights due to they did things good for many years
Ron's problem is the government constitutionally cannot break a contract. So he can blather all he wants but he's very limited
@@screetchycello I get what you mean
Thanks for showing our 🏡state of Florida! With this video
This built up the history really well and then just said 'somehow palpatine returned' and ended.
Why do they keep building in the middle of swamps? Disney world, Washington DC, Versailles
Everywhere else is taken.
Ooo I’m in Orlando Florida and went to Disney world sea world yesterday
Nice video, these are some real cool guys right here. I wonder if they are even rappers tbh. Gd I wish I could read frfr I wanna start making more money by farming tbh
Interesting information
Now we need a Disney vs Florida
We Appreciate You
What a story!!! That continues to be unwritten. Let’s go Disney, fight that hate! 🔥
Who else is here in the comments just to comment a fun fact straight from Defunctland’s EPCOT video?
Usually, Vox videos are shorter but get the point across in a very well-reasoned manner and very well. This one felt a bit rushed / incomplete.
I agree, leaving a lot out and felt incredibly rushed
Editing team is elite
walt disney is truly one of the absolute best
Except for the National Socialist support thing.
Oh...and the racist and sexist thing.
Other than that...a genius and by genius I mean he built his kingdom off someone else's idea
Does anyone know what condos/apartments are owned by Disney on Little Lake Bryan, that he was talking about?
That’s where the college housing used to be
5:08 Captain America wrote that newspaper article 😮
Good eye
So that's what he chose to do after going back to Peggy...
That steel drum cover of 'A Postcard to Henry Purcell' is so amazing! If anyone knows where I could find it I would really appreciate it.
They prolly have an army there
Hmm... Goofy Marines, Donald's Navy, Crashdown heading the Air Force. The recruitment ads would be spectacular.
An army of malnourished early adult employees, yes of course
“A 40 minute drive from Los Angeles” 👀. When???
In 1955. When they built Disneyland.
because florida is a place where florida mans exist.
Was the intro music "A Postcard to Henry Purcell"?
i'm most surprised by the fact that Disney have the legal right to operate a nuclear fission power plant right in the middle of florida
nuclear is a safe technology if you actually look into why the meltdowns happened
Yeah Nuclear is annihilation. I would much rather have a coal fire power plant because these are much better for the health and Climate of Florida! /s
I’m not sure how true it is but I heard Disney buys more explosives then US military cuz of all the fireworks lol
@@Black_CoreyNFin why not speed up the rate in which Florida goes underwater?
@@science_bear You've heard of property on the water, now get ready for property UNDER the water!
the politics of this area was defined, before the 1st blade of soil was turned - that is after Gulf Oil donated the land.
Wow, the original blueprints looks like burning man's actual layout 😅
Ron DeSantis should know not to pick a fight with Disney’s lawyers, they’ve single-handedly changed copyright law several times
Make FLORIDA Great Again 😎 Ron DeSantis
@@Booz2020 Make Florida Lose Again 😎Ron DeSterile
You'd prefer that Disney go unchecked then? Mickey Mouse should have been public domain like 30 years ago but they keep getting laws changed and you are chill with them having that level of influence? If I'm misreading you then just say so but that's how you are coming off
@@thanospatrick9093 i think his point is that it's pointless to fight against the freaking mouse. but yeah they shouldn't be so unchecked. Reedy Creek should still remain under disney otherwise us Floridians will legit have to pay for it as said in the video
Disney should move to southern Arizona...maybe Phoenix or Tucson area..weather is better year around without the humidity .
I live in Anaheim! It’s amazing here❤
Its pretty easy. Popular destination area East of the Mississippi, good weather, and tax friendly in the 60s.
So wasn't a site in Louisiana around New Orleans ( Near Slidell/ Lacombe) under strong consideration before Florida ??
Six Flags got flooded near Slidell. Disney likely knew NOLA was a bad choice because of flooding. Walt also liked existing interstate access in Florida.
A 40 min drive from LA? Sure maybe at 3 in the morning
This has been very informative. Vox is worried about deSantos
To save 10 minutes land was cheap and in flordia it can be open year round
What is that classical song that plays at the end? Oboes and/ clarinets playing slowly? Thanks
Nice weather?
P. S. Thank you for the quality videos :)
Another win for us
He actually reminds me of Howard stark 😂
Hopefully I'll get to see this amazing place someday🤩
I think Texas would be a decent location. Doesn't get too cold and sees snow like 3 days out of the year.
Respect Disney❤
wonderful
Well, I think Disney identified the fact land south of Orlando, Florida was literally dirt cheap. That's why the Walt Disney Company bought all that huge amount of land through a shell company between 1962 and 1966.
Walt did fly over Orlando 1:54. He did see I-4 & the FL turnpike intersect, (& barely any developments SW of that spot) But he(one) cannot see I-95 from Orlando. Its over 50+ miles away.
-
& you generalized too much about Central Florida being the only location considered.
He did consider other places
(as others have mentioned) and he did seriously look at Ocala, FL, because that’s where his mom was from.
(And land was even cheaper there, than in Orlando)