See also:
25 Best Places to Retire in Florida
Ultimate List of 55+ Communities in Florida
If one of your concerns is that you move to Florida for retirement and your kids and grandkids never come to visit, that won’t be the case if you end up in Kissimmee.
In fact, you might have a hard time getting them to leave!
Kissimmee is located just south of Orlando and is just minutes from popular attractions like the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios, Sea World, and more.
They call Kissimmee the “attraction zone” and it’s easy to see why.
Where to Stay
When you consider Kissimmee’s location in the Theme Park capital of the world, it stands to reason there are going to be lots of hotels and resorts from which to choose when you come visit to check out the area, and such is the case.
But one place stands out, at least for me, and that’s Gaylord Palms. It’s part of the Marriott family, and 9 times out of 10 it’s where I stay with my family when we visit the area.
Staying at the Gaylord is like getting a mini-tour of Florida, as the resort is divided into different themed areas that represent different parts of Florida like the Everglades, St. Augustine, and Key West. You really have to see it to believe it.
Also, every year at Christmastime they have an event called ICE, where you get to walk through a 9-degree indoor winter wonderland complete with ice carvings, ice slides, and more. This event is popular with people from communities like The Villages and others, and they come in by the busload just for this event.
Theme Parks
Kissimmee is literally just minutes from the front door of the Walt Disney World Resort and its various parks like Walt Disney World, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios.
About a 15-minute drive away are two more parks in Universal Studious and Islands of Adventure, and right down the road from there you also have Sea World.
Like I said before, with easy access to all of these parks, your guests may never want to leave.
But don’t just think these parks are only for the young ones. Some of the best times I’ve had have been while visiting them with just my wife and I.
One of our favorite events is the Epcot Food and Wine festival held over several weeks each Fall. If you enjoy good food, exploring new wines and beers, this is a can’t miss event.
Planning to Work in Retirement?
Lots of people, even if they didn’t initially plan to, end up getting part-time work in retirement.
Sometimes this is to make a little extra money to pay for trips they want to take or to cover some bills, and other times it’s just to stay active and keep a routine going.
But whatever the reason, the theme parks are a great place for retirees to consider working, and they employ thousands of retirees as part-time employees already.
In addition to the pay, they offer some great perks like free park admission and other discounts that can come in handy when friends and relatives do visit.
Kissimmee Retirement Communities
The most popular retirement community in Kissimmee by far is Solivita.
Solivita is a national award-winning retirement community, offering great natural beauty, vast recreational amenities and enough to do to keep any active adult as busy as you care to be.
No matter where you live within this lush gated 55-plus community in Kissimmee, you can easily walk, bike or drive your golf cart to indoor and outdoor dining venues, state-of-the-art spa and fitness complexes, pickleball or tennis courts, and other facilities for sports and games.
You can also meet up with newfound friends, share the fun in social clubs, and enjoy lifelong learning classes and countless other amenities—inviting you to do it all, or nothing at all.
With two stunning championship golf courses, intimate neighborhood centers, softball field, miles of green space for walking, cycling and meandering, and too many classes and clubs to count, you will have many ways to enjoy the Solivita life.
Residents have access to a full-time on-site Activities Director and Lifestyle Team dedicated to creating a diverse, packed schedule of events, as well as assisting the 200+ Social Clubs created by Solivita residents. Your most difficult decision each day will be deciding how busy you’d like to be.
Wife is not over 55 even though I am. Is that a problem?