Disney to Develop "Storyliving" Residential Communities

For its latest business venture, Disney enters the real estate business with plans to develop curated “Storyliving” residential communities.

The first residential community named Cotino, will be a 1,900-house project inclusive of both single-family homes and condos, located in Rancho Mirage, California where Walt Disney himself once lived. A clubhouse, beach, shops, dining spots, and a beachfront hotel will be erected around a nearby lagoon. Promising tailored elements specific to the region, a team of Disney Imagineers will plan Disney programming and entertainment events throughout the year.

“As we prepare to enter our second century, we are developing new and exciting ways to bring the magic of Disney to people wherever they are,” said Disney parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro in a statement.

Planning a utopian city of the future was in fact one of Walt Disney’s biggest dreams. Dubbed Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT), Disney’s vision was to use the proceeds from his theme parks to create his own special district “demonstrating to the world what American communities can accomplish through proper control of planning and design.” However, with Disney’s passing, the company’s board lacked the direction to continue the project, and the EPCOT plot was used to build a theme park instead.

Elsewhere, Disney and UNIQLO UT deliver a “Mickey Stands” T-Shirt collection.