LAKE NONA, Fla. – Edwin Harris is the owner of The Master Barber Experience in Lake Nona. He opened his shop nearly a year ago after working at Disney Springs and said the area is constantly busy.
When he heard about Disney’s plans to open a new business hub in Lake Nona, he wasn’t surprised.
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“It’s more people we get to service, more people we get to spoil, more people we get to interact with. That’s the joy in what I do. I get to interact with so many different people,” Harris said.
Disney announced Thursday it is relocating at least 2,000 employees from California to Central Florida.
In a letter to workers, executives played up a lower cost of living and no state income tax as benefits of the move.
Lake Nona is known as a family-friendly community and is home to Nemours Children’s Hospital, UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, UCF College of Medicine and the Orlando VA Medical Center.
“I was recently introduced to the Lake Nona area and I see how up and coming it is,” Stephanie Arias said.
Arias, who is moving to Lake Nona at the end of the month, said she’s looking forward to starting a new job in the Lake Nona community and explained she’s excited about the expansion.
“I don’t think it’s going to be too bad. Two-thousand people dispersed within this large area? I think it will be just fine,” Arias said.
So far, Disney has not released an exact location for their new offices, though a spokesperson told News 6 on Friday they are still in the “early phases of the project.”