Sprawling Home Built By Disney Exec Goes Viral For What’s Hiding in the Basement

A recently-listed home in Brentwood, Tennessee, has taken the internet by storm–and not just because it was built by a former Disney executive.

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Related: Former Disney CEO Sells His Sprawling Malibu Estate for More Than $225 Million

A Gorgeous, Sprawling Mansion in Tennessee

Originally listed on May 15, 2024, for $6 million, a larger-than-life home in the affluent Nashville suburb of Brentwood, Tennessee, has become the talk of the town.

The four-story home encompasses more than 11,000 square feet and features five bedrooms–two of which are located on the first floor–and nine bathrooms. There are four fireplaces, a catering kitchen, an 18-seat theater, a media room, and even cathedral ceilings.

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But wait! There’s more:

Designed by a Disney illustrator, it exudes whimsy and meticulous planning. The Great Room features a majestic fireplace, 1st Century Cross, rolling ladder bookcase, cathedral ceiling, and fine woodworking. A playhouse, rec room, dining room, & KitchenAid kitchen enhance family life. Solar panels & Tesla Power Walls ensure energy efficiency. The 2nd floor offers vaulted ceilings, media room, & private loft.

The stunning Craftsman-style home sits on approximately 1.7 acres and is nestled in an estate cul-de-sac. There’s room to park 15 of your favorite vehicles outside, and the home is also equipped with accessible features that include an elevator–pretty handy, considering the home climbs into the clouds over four levels.

But it’s not the home’s giant size or its four levels that have left the internet abuzz.

Related: Bluey’s House Sells For Nearly $1.9 Million in Silent Auction

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Designed and Built By a Former Disney Exec With Big Plans

According to agent Suzanne Flynn, the home is only nine years old and was designed and built by a former Disney illustrator, who wanted the abode to be a place for entertaining–or even a venue for performers.

Apparently, that mystery Disney employee wished on enough stars–or had collected just enough pixie dust–because the dream that he wished came true.

Credit: Disney Dining

Not Just a Home, But a Concert Venue, Events Center, and More

The home, located in Williamson County, Tennessee, features a commercial kitchen, complete with commercial appliances, which might not sound overly thrilling.

But it’s also outfitted with a huge theater and performance stage, as well as a coffee shop, an ice cream parlor, and even a diner with booths. The basement level also features a media room full of sound and recording equipment. Each of these amenities is located on the lower level of the home, inside the basement.

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“A lot of the chairs and fixtures are actual Disney items,” Flynn said in an interview about the home.

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Features like these would lend themselves nicely to the work and performances of entertainers, musicians, and the like, who have an engaged audience. And, believe it or not, that’s exactly how the lavish amenities have been used over the years.

The Tennessee abode has doubled as an events center for charitable organizations and is currently being used as a church on Sundays.

Ice cream parlor located on the basement level/Credit: Zillow

That’s because the basement level of the home features enough space for as many as 100 visitors or guests to comfortably enjoy a concert or other performance. In fact, several professional performers have set up their shows on the basement level of the home and perform for audiences.

The media and sound room/Credit: Zillow

According to the home’s official listing via Zillow, the home has hosted “faculties, musicians, and charitable events with performances by [comedian] Nate Bargatze, [singer-songwriter] Bart Millard (from the band MercyMe), and Tim Timmons.” The listing goes on to say that “this home epitomizes splendor, innovation, and community spirit.”

Bart Millard, lead singer of MercyMe/Credit: Disney Dining

And though the home has continually attracted the admiration and awe of social media users since its listing debut, it isn’t the only home to be listed recently that boasts a Disney designer’s fingerprints in its design.

What’s It Like to Live in a Home Designed By Someone Who Designed Disney Parks Attractions?

A beautiful Mid-Century modern three-bedroom, three-bathroom home in California’s San Fernando Valley was most recently listed for sale in 2021, and its claim to fame–in addition to its breathtaking beauty–is that it was designed and built by one of Walt Disney’s very first Imagineers–specifically an Imagineer who designed rides and attractions that would find their way into Disney’s very first theme park: Disneyland Resort in California.

Related: “Carb Appeal” Could Be Ruining Your “Curb Appeal” at Walt Disney World

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It was built in 1953 by Imagineer Fred Joerger, who worked with Walt Disney before Disneyland was built. Walt hand-selected Joerger to create various three-dimensional mini-models of props and movie sets and models for future attractions at Disney’s brand-new, first-of-its-kind family theme park in Anaheim, California.

Joerger worked alongside two other famous Imagineers: Harriet Burns and Wathel Rogers. Together, this terrific trio was responsible for operating Disney’s very first model shop.

Imagineer Fred Joerger (L)/Credit: D23

Joerger was responsible for creating models of prop sets to be used in Disney films–most notably, Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and Mary Poppins (1964), starring Julie Andrews.

But the seasoned Imagineer likely got the most experience in building a large structure in which to live when he began the work of creating mini-models of Sleeping Beauty Castle that would one day lead to the construction of the real-life Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

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At just 77 feet in height, the Disneyland castle is the smallest of the six castles across Disney’s theme park resorts. But what it lacks in height, the castle makes up for in amenities–a bit like the Los Angeles County home Joerger designed in California.

The home features lush landscaping and indoor waterfalls and is said to have it all. In fact, it’s like there’s a Disney attraction in almost every room.

Related: This Ginormous 11,000-Square-Foot Mansion Is the Only One We’ve Ever Seen to Get That ‘Star Wars’ Thing Right

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According to those who’ve seen it with their own eyes, each room in the home literally points to a different “attraction.” And though those “attractions” aren’t what guests might see inside a Disney park, Joerger’s design of the home does keep the eye moving, and there’s something almost magical to see from every vantage point.

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