See One Utterly Magical Disney-Inspired Neighborhood
This Disney-Inspired neighborhood, called Golden Oak gated community, is filled with homes inspired by Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast.
Some people can only hope to live in a Disney-inspired neighborhood one day. But for a lucky few, that dream is a reality. Residents of the Golden Oak gated community reside in luxury homes on the theme park’s property just down the road from Disney World. Each home in the 980-acre district allows residents to live in houses inspired by the company’s popular films.
Each home was designed by the Walt Disney Imagineering team who incorporated custom touches inside each unit. This includes hidden Mickey Mouse shapes. After the Cottages at Symphony Grove opened in the Disney-inspired neighborhood, Miami blogger Cristie Anne Cabrera and her family snagged one with a French provincial design inspired by Beauty and the Beast.
Cabrera is a blogger and social media influencer who works under The Traveling Red moniker. In a story she penned for CNBC in 2022, she said her parents spotted the Disney-inspired neighborhood home and convinced her and her brother to invest in it with them. When she’s not stuck at the office in Miami, Cristie stays at the house twice a month with her husband and 5-year-old daughter.
According to Simple Most, the main floor follows a French cottage theme. It was fully furnished when the Cabrera family purchased it and features character statues from Beauty and the Beast. The kitchen gives a nod to Ratatouille and boasts an open-plan dining area/living room. The cottage inside the Disney-inspired neighborhood also comes with a third floor which serves as a playroom for the kids.
The intricate spiral staircase that leads up to the playroom has Beauty and the Beast characters in the banister design. The Disney-inspired neighborhood home also has a pool and jacuzzi nestled inside to offer complete privacy. The rest of the outdoor space includes a covered patio with a fireplace, grill area, and lounge.
The home also comes with a princess-themed guest house. The master princess suite includes a kitchenette and beautiful little details throughout the inside. But living in a Disney-inspired neighborhood like Golden Oak is rather costly. Prices range between $2 million and $12 million. The houses currently for sale are a $6 million Tuscan villa and a $9.5 million Old Florida-style mansion.
Moreover, houses in Cabrera’s Disney-inspired neighborhood sold for $3.69 million and $2.67 million in 2020. A home in the more contemporary Symphony Grove neighborhood is currently on the market for $7.8 million. Living in Golden Oak also requires residents to purchase an annual club membership. This includes access to the exclusive clubhouse, concierge services, and other activities.
Despite the hefty price tag, there is a growing demand for houses inside Disney-inspired neighborhoods. As such, the company is constructing a residential community in Rancho Mirage, California. Known as Storyliving by Disney, the homes are situated about two hours from Disneyland. Each property will include a resort-like body of water with clubhouse activities.
Residents will also have access to custom experiences like wellness programming, live entertainment, cooking classes, philanthropic endeavors, and more. Sales of the homes inside the newest Disney-inspired neighborhood are expected to begin later this year. The magical community hopes to welcome its first residents sometime in 2024.
