Disney has announced its new “Storyliving” development; creating residential villages for fans of the Mouse to live in luxurious communities dotted around the States.
The Disney conglomerate has once again broadened its horizons and delved into a new venture: real estate.
On the 16th February 2022, the youtube channel Disney Parks uploaded a video announcing the new venture, and showing us some really exciting artist visuals depicting the scope and style of the project.
The first of these communities is Cotino, located in Rancho Mirage – one of the nine cities comprising Coachella Valley in California.
With an impressive dessert landscape and a lot of room for potential, the current plan is a residential village of around 2000 homes encircling a stunning turquoise lagoon as the piece de resistance smack-bang in the middle.
Disney has said it’s the perfect opportunity for fans to live in a supportive community amongst other Disney fanatics, and that they hope that the charm and character of the communities will inspire residents creatively and offer them a luxurious and uplifting lifestyle.
If Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, then maybe, just maybe, they can pull off creating the happiest Residential Community on Earth too.
The build promises state-of-the-art architecture, with an open town center filled with shopping and cafes for residents to enjoy, and a hotel offering non-residents the chance to experience the community short term.
Furthermore, with an additional club membership (optional, but why wouldn’t you?) you’ll have access to the waterfront clubhouse, an impressive piece of architecture made in the shape of an artist’s studio.
With the membership, you’ll also gain access to a pristinely manicured man-made beach that encompasses a section of the lagoon, and will play host to watersports and other leisure activities.
Disney has also said that a specific area for residents 55 and over will be created to offer them a quiet space and a relaxed way of life, whilst still having access to all the world-class amenities and charm of the Disney brand.
Why Rancho Mirage?
It’s no surprise that California is the first state to get the Storyliving experience – the Walt Disney Studios are located in Burbank, and of course there’s the Disneyland California in Anaheim too.
However, there is another, more sentimental reason for the location of this first Storytelling community. Apparently, Walt Disney himself adored the region just outside Palm Springs and would tarry there when in need of inspiration – he even lived there for a while with his wife Lillian.
As Cotino is currently the only of these communities to be announced, we can only speculate where all is going to get the Disney treatment. They’ve made it very clear that each community will be unique and will incorporate the local history and culture into its creation – of course with the usual Disney flair sprinkled in.
It’ll be interesting to see how this idea translates to other states, and I’m excited to see the visuals for each community as you just know they’re going to be impressive.
Check out the announcement video below and have a look for yourself!
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