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The town that Disney built

Posted by Jude Buttle on Thursday, June 11, 2009

Dreams are manufactured in Osceola County, Florida. Not only does it boast Disney World, the ultimate fantasy factory, but also the town of Celebration, a master planned community designed with Utopia in mind...

Once used to relocate alligators caught in the Magic Kingdom, the land on which Celebration stands was developed in 1994 by the Walt Disney Company. It is thought the town was intended to fulfil Disney's vision for EPCOT as an experimental location where people could live and work. Celebration's philosophy is imbedded in community spirit and harmony, and group events such as neighbourhood picnics, block parties and colourful July 4^th Parades are laid on to promote bonding between residents. Each house is built close to the next, with small gardens and no fences, to create a feeling of togetherness and muffin-bearing wholesomeness. But, like all picture perfect Wisteria Lanes, under the surface bubbles real life.

Celebration attracts strong reactions. Some fall in love with the architecture, adoring its neo-traditional looks, whilst others liken it to an artificial movie set with oppressive rules. Many compare Celebration's appearance to the town of Seaside, Florida, used in the filming of the 1998 Jim Carrey film The Truman Show, in which the townsfolk existed inside a bubble of perfection, which ultimately could not translate into reality. Celebration residents are governed by a Homeowners' Association, which uses covenants to protect the feel of the community. Lawns must be kept mowed, boats and vans are not allowed to be parked on streets or on driveways, and the appearance of each house, (everything from for sale signs, to house numbers, birdbaths, and exterior paint colours), must be kept within prescribed bounds. Strolling through the town, the rather eerie perfection seems implausible and temporary, as if waiting to be dismantled and driven off into the sunset. During the Christmas season, it ‘snows' on the main drag, Market Street, (bubbly foam is blown from machines on the lamp-posts), and throughout the humid summer months, the park is sprayed with mosquito repellent.

Market Street is described on the official Celebration website as a ‘unique collection of charming shops and tempting eateries nestled around a dazzling lakeside promenade.' The town also has seven different religious denominations, a hospital, a local newspaper, a school, cinema, fire station, and eighteen-hole golf course. Celebration is not gated, because gates are not part of a community vision, and the downtown area depends on revenue from tourists, who may feel unwelcome should the entrance be barred. There are eight developments; North Village, South Village, East Village, West Village, Celebration Village, Lake Evalyn, Roseville Corner and Artisan Park. Houses are built in various pre-approved styles, such as Victorian, Mediterranean, French, Coastal, and Colonial revival, and there are seven sizes, ranging from tiny bungalows to huge Estates. The sizes and styles of homes are mixed throughout the town to promote equality, and have alleys running behind them to conceal rubbish bins and driveways. Large homes run into millions of American dollars, whilst small apartments begin at around £197,000.

When the town was first marketed in early 1995, a lottery was held for the opportunity to buy a property. All 351 were snapped up, leaving a six-month waiting list. Builders were unprepared for the demand and thus the quality of the initial development was sub-standard, attracting a storm of negative publicity. Buyers, lured by the impression that Disney's involvement with the project would ensure nothing could go wrong, were angry to find that Market Street was not as squeaky clean and controlled as the Magic Kingdom.

Residents realised that, as the town was run by the Celebration Company, a fully owned subsidiary of the Disney Company, some decisions were made with Disney profits in mind rather than the townspeople's desires.

The downtown area was crawling with Disney souvenir shops, but had no petrol station, takeaways or video rental shop. Residents started to fight back, by gaining elected positions on the board of the Celebration Residential Owner's Society, to have more of a say in the future of their town. Disney has divested much of its control in the years since it founded the town, and the downtown area has recently been sold to Lexin Capital, a private Estate Agency. A new development, nearby Water Tower Place, now offers all those amenities Celebration was lacking.

Property in Celebration is currently appreciating faster than in any other part of Orlando, and the strength of the British pound means now is a good time to buy. Celebration welcomes Brits with open arms, even boasting Sherlock's, a traditional English teashop selling Earl Grey and toasted teacakes, to make them feel at home.

The Mona Lisa Condotel hopes to attract British investors who are eager to snap up an affordable luxury apartment to holiday in, and rent out to other tourists. Nestled on the edge of Celebration, Mona Lisa boasts 240 luxury one and two-bedroom suites, with fitted kitchens, balconies, and spacious bedrooms. Proximity to Disneyland means a wealth of visitors, so owners can expect a good rental return.

Celebration is certainly not for everyone, yet the demand for homes continues to grow at an astonishing rate, with 2736 residents on Millennium eve, to more than 9000 today.

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