agame2323
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
One of the coolest things about being a Sports Agent is having the opportunity to live vicariously through your clients. Whether its them being featured in an ESPN highlight segment or winning a prestigious award, its always an enjoyable experience. So I just knew I would have a thrilling time during my recent trip to Golden Oak with one of my more fortunate clients.
I wont bore you with the things you already know. There is plenty of information available online about the Golden Oak community. Instead, Ill try to focus on the noncommercial elements to give you a feel on how it would be to live at Golden Oak.
Golden Oak is comprised of 4 different neighborhoods. The one we checked out is called Kimble Trace. Whats interesting is Golden Oak is pretty much unnoticeable if you driving down Vista Blvd. Lakes and tress surround Golden Oak and completely separates you from the outside world. Yes, this place has that Disney feel to it the second you arrive. There is even a buffer-zone that you go through prior to entering the development (kind of like the Ferry crossing the Seven Seas Lagoon).
The first thing I can tell you is that Golden Oak is the real-deal in terms of luxury living. My client currently owns a home in Atlanta and his interest was to have Golden Oak serve as a vacation home. The homes in Kimble Trace are some of the smallest on the property. The interior of the home is stunning. State-of-the-art would be an understatement to describe the bells and whistles that surround you. The designers of these homes went all-out on the technology. The coolest thing was the voice recognition system that allows you to operate features in each room with a simple voice command Play MP3. Turn on lights. Turn on TV. Lock all doors. Heat the Pool. Its Siri on steroids!
The home we looked at was located on Lot 40#. Whats that mean? Well, Golden Oak offers you the opportunity to purchase the Lot that the home was built on. This comes in handy if youre not ready to purchase the home but dont want to miss out on the location. The price to purchase a Lot can start at $500,000. Yup. If you purchase the Lot number, thats all you have. You cant move in and you dont receive any of the perks that Golden Oak residents receive because, technically, you are not a resident. So the Lot #s numbers just serve as a place holder.
However, the real magic is not in the home its what comes with the home. The first thing Page (our Golden Oak rep) let us know was how convenient life would be living at Golden Oak. As a resident, you get First Class service. Shuttle service to the parks, discounts, and tickets to all exclusive events the list goes on and on. The thing that interested me the most was, as a resident, you will NEVER stand in line for a Disney attraction AGAIN. (Unless you want to). Imagine going to MK during the busiest times of the year and never having to stand in line. As a Golden Oak resident, you and your family are granted with backstage entrances to ALL attraction throughout the WDW Resort. NOW, Page did mention this particular perk might not be around forever. As of today, its one of the biggest draws for people thinking about moving in Golden Oak. Let me tell you about your neighbors.
Golden Oak is completely private and exclusive so there is no way of knowing whos living in the development. I know from having a relationship with other Professional Athletes and Agents that Tiger Woods, Dwight Howard, Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) and Richard Petty have all toured the property. Driving through the neighborhood there was very little activity. We were told that currently there are only 12 residents. I didnt see anyone but its almost impossible to see into your neighbors property. Depending on where you stay, it is possible to see a bit of Epcot and we were told that the development was designed so everyone could see the nightly fireworks from MK. The lake that runs alongside the #40s Lots is beautiful. Peaceful would best describe any home located by the Lake.
Each home is completely different in its design. While you could spend time touring each home, it probably isnt the best way to go about making a purchase. Owning a home in Golden Oak is all about location. Each home comes completely furnished; however you are allowed to do some interior decorating. Each piece of furniture fits the theme of the home and honestly, after seeing the inside design, I dont see why anyone would want to make changes. As for the outside of your home, you have to get the okay from Golden Oak if you plan on making any alterations. There is a annual association fee
Overall, the homes in Golden Oak are spectacular. Despite being completely isolated and surrounded by trees, Golden Oak still immerses you in the Disney Magic. Each home has plenty of internal décor to remind you that youre in Disneys backyard.
Final verdict: I personally think Golden Oak might a bit too much, even for the Disney enthusiast. The lavish homes, beautiful neighborhood and perks are all great but the price tag seems unjustifiable. My client is a professional athlete whos spent over 5 years with his organization and is currently playing out his second contract. His wife owns a fashion line that is doing pretty well in the industry. In other words, they can definitely afford anything in Golden Oak. But Golden Oak was mainly his wifes suggestion. She loves Disney and felt DVC wouldnt be enough. ( I know...) However, even SHE thought Golden Oak took away some of the Disney magic. In a strange way, I agree with her. You forget where you are and it feels like you should be located in a pristine neighborhood like Greenwich, as opposed to Orange County. We walked away torn between rather to move forward or to wait on buying a home. As a community, Golden Oak has a lot of growing to do. There are plans for a Four Seasons hotel as well as a Shopping Mall, Restaurants, and Super Market. 5-10 years from now the homes in Golden Oak could be worth double the amount. So buying now could yield a nice return should you choose to put the home back on the market. The question becomes; how fast will Golden Oak reach its occupancy? There are still plenty of homes available and personally, I dont think therere going to sell at a fast rate. I feel like you need to love luxury just as much or even more than you love Disney in order to feel like youre getting your moneys worth. But hey, if you have a few million to throw at a second home and want to live the life of Disney royalty, Golden Oak is for you!
Now...instead of providing you with pictures, I went a step further. Click the link below and you can view the exact homes that I walked through!
http://www.omnisightinc.com/virtual-tours/disney1/goldenoak/lot40/
I wont bore you with the things you already know. There is plenty of information available online about the Golden Oak community. Instead, Ill try to focus on the noncommercial elements to give you a feel on how it would be to live at Golden Oak.
Golden Oak is comprised of 4 different neighborhoods. The one we checked out is called Kimble Trace. Whats interesting is Golden Oak is pretty much unnoticeable if you driving down Vista Blvd. Lakes and tress surround Golden Oak and completely separates you from the outside world. Yes, this place has that Disney feel to it the second you arrive. There is even a buffer-zone that you go through prior to entering the development (kind of like the Ferry crossing the Seven Seas Lagoon).
The first thing I can tell you is that Golden Oak is the real-deal in terms of luxury living. My client currently owns a home in Atlanta and his interest was to have Golden Oak serve as a vacation home. The homes in Kimble Trace are some of the smallest on the property. The interior of the home is stunning. State-of-the-art would be an understatement to describe the bells and whistles that surround you. The designers of these homes went all-out on the technology. The coolest thing was the voice recognition system that allows you to operate features in each room with a simple voice command Play MP3. Turn on lights. Turn on TV. Lock all doors. Heat the Pool. Its Siri on steroids!
The home we looked at was located on Lot 40#. Whats that mean? Well, Golden Oak offers you the opportunity to purchase the Lot that the home was built on. This comes in handy if youre not ready to purchase the home but dont want to miss out on the location. The price to purchase a Lot can start at $500,000. Yup. If you purchase the Lot number, thats all you have. You cant move in and you dont receive any of the perks that Golden Oak residents receive because, technically, you are not a resident. So the Lot #s numbers just serve as a place holder.
However, the real magic is not in the home its what comes with the home. The first thing Page (our Golden Oak rep) let us know was how convenient life would be living at Golden Oak. As a resident, you get First Class service. Shuttle service to the parks, discounts, and tickets to all exclusive events the list goes on and on. The thing that interested me the most was, as a resident, you will NEVER stand in line for a Disney attraction AGAIN. (Unless you want to). Imagine going to MK during the busiest times of the year and never having to stand in line. As a Golden Oak resident, you and your family are granted with backstage entrances to ALL attraction throughout the WDW Resort. NOW, Page did mention this particular perk might not be around forever. As of today, its one of the biggest draws for people thinking about moving in Golden Oak. Let me tell you about your neighbors.
Golden Oak is completely private and exclusive so there is no way of knowing whos living in the development. I know from having a relationship with other Professional Athletes and Agents that Tiger Woods, Dwight Howard, Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) and Richard Petty have all toured the property. Driving through the neighborhood there was very little activity. We were told that currently there are only 12 residents. I didnt see anyone but its almost impossible to see into your neighbors property. Depending on where you stay, it is possible to see a bit of Epcot and we were told that the development was designed so everyone could see the nightly fireworks from MK. The lake that runs alongside the #40s Lots is beautiful. Peaceful would best describe any home located by the Lake.
Each home is completely different in its design. While you could spend time touring each home, it probably isnt the best way to go about making a purchase. Owning a home in Golden Oak is all about location. Each home comes completely furnished; however you are allowed to do some interior decorating. Each piece of furniture fits the theme of the home and honestly, after seeing the inside design, I dont see why anyone would want to make changes. As for the outside of your home, you have to get the okay from Golden Oak if you plan on making any alterations. There is a annual association fee
Overall, the homes in Golden Oak are spectacular. Despite being completely isolated and surrounded by trees, Golden Oak still immerses you in the Disney Magic. Each home has plenty of internal décor to remind you that youre in Disneys backyard.
Final verdict: I personally think Golden Oak might a bit too much, even for the Disney enthusiast. The lavish homes, beautiful neighborhood and perks are all great but the price tag seems unjustifiable. My client is a professional athlete whos spent over 5 years with his organization and is currently playing out his second contract. His wife owns a fashion line that is doing pretty well in the industry. In other words, they can definitely afford anything in Golden Oak. But Golden Oak was mainly his wifes suggestion. She loves Disney and felt DVC wouldnt be enough. ( I know...) However, even SHE thought Golden Oak took away some of the Disney magic. In a strange way, I agree with her. You forget where you are and it feels like you should be located in a pristine neighborhood like Greenwich, as opposed to Orange County. We walked away torn between rather to move forward or to wait on buying a home. As a community, Golden Oak has a lot of growing to do. There are plans for a Four Seasons hotel as well as a Shopping Mall, Restaurants, and Super Market. 5-10 years from now the homes in Golden Oak could be worth double the amount. So buying now could yield a nice return should you choose to put the home back on the market. The question becomes; how fast will Golden Oak reach its occupancy? There are still plenty of homes available and personally, I dont think therere going to sell at a fast rate. I feel like you need to love luxury just as much or even more than you love Disney in order to feel like youre getting your moneys worth. But hey, if you have a few million to throw at a second home and want to live the life of Disney royalty, Golden Oak is for you!
Now...instead of providing you with pictures, I went a step further. Click the link below and you can view the exact homes that I walked through!
http://www.omnisightinc.com/virtual-tours/disney1/goldenoak/lot40/
Thanks for the update and thought!
) but just this "community" Disney is setting up. I'm thinking of setting up a tour one of these days, as I'm a developer (doing more affordable housing properties) and I'd be interested to see what Disney's doing.
