This Master Planned Community Has 13,000 Residents Living in Disney’s Vision of Small Town America

Celebration, Florida

Disney built a town in 1996 where every street looks like a movie set and neighbors still wave hello. Celebration, Florida was supposed to be the perfect American community. Some say it worked, others call it creepy. Here’s a peek at Disney’s planned paradise.

The Town Begins

Disney broke ground on Celebration in 1994, establishing the Celebration Company to develop 4,900 acres. The project required $2.5 billion in investment.

Nearly 5,000 people applied for the first 474 homes sold through a lottery in 1995. Residents celebrate November 12, 1996 as the official “Founders Day” when the community formally began.

Disney’s Vision

Michael Graves created the post office as a blue cylinder with porthole windows, which instantly became the downtown icon.

Philip Johnson also placed 52 thin columns under a pyramid-shaped roof for Town Hall. The columns crowd together rather than form traditional symmetrical rows.

Cesar Pelli added two spires to the cinema, drawing from 1950s futuristic styles, based on the optimistic “Googie” architecture popular during America’s space age.

New Urbanism Shape The Town

Celebration exemplifies “New Urbanism,” a planning approach promoting walkable neighborhoods across its 10.7 square miles. The concept pushes back against car-centered suburban sprawl.

Double rows of Washington Palms line the streets, and uniform landscaping ties neighborhoods together.

Downtown buildings include covered “porches” and sitting areas beneath trees to encourage residents to interact.

The front porches also face streets while garages hide on rear alleys.

Limited Style Options

Homes follow a “Pattern Book” of architectural guidelines.

Six styles are available: Classical, Victorian, Colonial Revival, Coastal, Mediterranean, and French.

However, window treatments need only be neutral-colored, not white as commonly believed. This dispels one myth about overly strict design rules.

Neighborhoods With Character

Planners designed neighborhoods to eventually house 20,000 residents. By 2017, the population reached 8,540 with a median income of $83,228.

The community contains about 4,300 homes and condos across several distinct areas. Each neighborhood maintains its own identity within community guidelines.

For instance, Artisan Park offers exclusive amenities like the Artisan Club for residents.

The Disney Connection That Faded

Disney Cruise Line headquarters remains in Celebration along with other Disney business units. These offices maintain a corporate link despite reduced Disney ownership.

Disney kept commercial parcels near I-4 on Celebration Boulevard after selling downtown.

Home ownership does not revert to Disney after 30 years, contrary to persistent rumors. Celebration homes function like any other real estate.

Life In Celebration Today

In 2011, 91% of working residents commuted to jobs outside Celebration. Most residents find employment beyond community boundaries despite the live-work vision.

Property values reached a median of $401,600 in 2017.

Census data from 2010 showed a population that was 91.0% white, with 81.9% non-Hispanic white, 1.5% black, and 3.2% Asian.

Visiting Celebration, Florida

Celebration sits 25 minutes southwest of Orlando via Interstate 4 and U.S. Highway 192. Exit at Celebration Avenue or World Drive for direct access.

No gates or guard houses block entry, as Celebration operates as a public community.

The Town Center features shops and restaurants along Front Street and Market Street. A weekly farmers market happens every Sunday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Sycamore Street.

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