We get it: The real world is just too much to handle sometimes. If you’d rather ditch the bleak ennui of grown-up life for something a little more unadulterated, look no further than Disney Parks’ new master-planned residential communities, where the young at heart can live like a fairytale character.
Designed by Disney’s creative staff, “Storyliving by Disney” will operate as part of the company’s theme parks division. Somewhere between the corporatization of a Disney resort and the sterilization of McMansions, “Storyliving by Disney” is a Disney Adult’s wet dream.
“Picture an energetic community with the warmth and charm of a small town and the beauty of a resort,” Disney Parks’ Helen Pak said in an abysmal promo video. In an interview with USA Today, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney parks, experiences, and products, added, “You can be part of Disney all of the time.”
D’Amaro continued by saying that “every single element of these communities will be steeped in a story,” with the residents being active participants in the stories.
So far, Disney has only announced one location for these residential communities: Cotino, which will be built in Rancho Mirage in California’s Coachella Valley. It will be comprised of 1,900 housing units varying between villas, condos, and complexes clustered around a 24-acre “grand oasis,” which Disney says will offer “clear turquoise waters” powered by the Crystal Lagoons technology used at the resorts.
Cotino’s amenities include “shopping, dining, and entertainment,” as well as a beachfront hotel and clubhouse hosting “Disney programming, entertainment and activities throughout the year.”
Disney has not yet shared how much these units will cost, or when potential residents would be able to move in. This isn’t the first time Disney has explored residential communities, however: Back in 1996, they opened a master-planned community called Celebration, Florida, near Walt Disney World in Orlando. That park is also home to Golden Oak resort, which began selling million-dollar abodes to Disney fanatics in 2011.
Either way, these new communities sound like a Black Mirror episode writing itself (“Happily Ever After” TBD). See a promo video for “Storyliving by Disney” below.
