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On February 16, Disney announced that they were planning to build their very own communities! No, we aren’t talking about the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. We are talking about actual communities that put residents in the height of luxury and give them that little dose of Disney that makes each day magical. The communities will be called Storyliving by Disney, and the plan is to have the communities throughout the country. Disney also shared that the first Storyliving community will be in Rancho Mirage, California.
Credit: Disney
As with other big Disney announcements, fans quickly took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the new project. Many felt that Disney was building yet another area that would only cater to the wealthy and not those Disney fans who are looking for a beautiful and affordable place to live.
Aly (@hiltsAlyyy) doesn’t believe that there are enough wealthy people who love Disney enough to make these communities worth it.
Is there rly that many ppl of the 1 percent who love Disney that much that they’re going to build neighborhoods for them????
Is there rly that many ppl of the 1 percent who love Disney that much that they’re going to build neighborhoods for them????
— Aly 🌴 (@hiItsAlyyy) February 16, 2022
Many agreed with Aly, but also pointed out that Disney has built these types of communities catered to the wealthy in the past. Both Celebration and Golden Oaks started out as planned Disney communities. The town of Celebration is no longer owned by Disney, but Golden Oaks is owned by a Disney subsidiary, Golden Oak Realty within Disney Signature Experiences.
Credit: Disney
Twitter user Buddy Duquesne said that he wished that Disney had announced a community that would be more focused on Walt’s original version of EPCOT. He pointed out that housing developments owned by big corporations are raising their rates and pricing people out of their homes. So Disney announcing another luxury community may not be a great look.
Imagine if this had been the announcement of a high-density, walkable community with access to multiple forms of public transit, an excess of green space/water features, and a focus on locally-owned retail/dining/entertainment, inspired by the design philosophy of theme parks.
I mean, if we’re trying to rely on the famous placemaking associated with the company, that’s what I’d go for. Instead this is just…kind of a bad look, at a time when corporate-owned housing is pricing folks out of their homes, and home ownership is increasingly unattainable.
I mean, if we're trying to rely on the famous placemaking associated with the company, that's what I'd go for. Instead this is just…kind of a bad look, at a time when corporate-owned housing is pricing folks out of their homes, and home ownership is increasingly unattainable.
— Buddy Duquesne (@buddy_duquesne) February 16, 2022
Wesley James (@wesleymjames) doesn’t believe that Disney will even be running Storyliving. Although he admits he does not know for certain, he believes that this new community will have the Disney name, but will be built by a developer who simply wanted the Disney name attached to help drive sales. Disney indicates that the communities will be run by Disney, but he thinks that remains to be seen.
I think people think Disney is buying hundreds of acres of land near Palm Springs, funding, designing and building a community that they will sell to residents and then maintain and staff when it’s more like they’re getting a cut from a developer to call it Storytelling living.
Obviously I don’t know but this feels like the first large and distinct decision made by the Chapek team. Either way it’s my opinion that it’s a very bad one.
A bad idea unless they plan on directly managing the property over its lifespan. Articles seem to suggest that it will be run by Disney’s Parks and Resorts division but I would be surprised if this were actually the case.
https://twitter.com/wesleymjames/status/1494296807404294146
While many were skeptical of this new community, others who love Disney, like Twitter user Courtney V., were excited to hear about the new Storyliving areas.
I would live in a #Disney #storyliving community in a heartbeat.
https://twitter.com/LaVaudreuil/status/1494340139153195015
Overall, the reactions to Storyliving By Disney seem to be in line with other recent announcements and changes — like moving from FastPass to Disney Genie+ — that have come out — not all that positive. It is important to note that Disney has not yet revealed what it will cost for those who want to live in these new communities. It is possible that Disney wants to live up to Walt’s dream of creating a community where people are able to come together and live in harmony — regardless of how big their bank account is.
DisneyDining.com will keep readers updated as Disney releases more information on this new community venture.
What do you think of Storyliving by Disney?
