Is it too far fetched to think Cotino could be DVC, after visiting I dont think so.

[Girlstar30]

Since I hijacked another thread, I am moving conversation about it here. I just did a 2 hour tour of Cotino in Rancho Mirage, CA. Seeing the renderings made my mind wander if DVC was possible here.

The hotel will be built where I circled in red below right next to the beautiful oasis man made beach. I was told it was part of phase 3 or 4 (I believe 4) and we can expect the hotel to open in around 8 years (A good time for a new DVC hotel ) The homes were an open, gorgeous concept. I was skeptical hearing about this beach oasis, but it really is a breathtaking ginormous sight to see in person. The picture doesnt do it justice. Only homeowners will be able to utilize the parks inside, but day passes will be available for the main attraction which is the oasis.

Residents and outsiders (Yes the Artisans club will be open to some outsiders) will have a private beach area at the Oasis.

The whole concept reminded me of DVC in that you can live there, but if you do not join the Artisan's club which is a hefty extra price tag then you cannot participate in membership extras such as cooking, painting classes, gym access, panels with Walt Disney archives cast members, wine tasting, access to the Parr house, star gazing etc. Pretty much lots of things that makes living here very appealing and you will likely feel left out if you dont get to participate. Ofc they throw in resident's first year of membership for free to get you hooked. Smart Disney. Im sure the first year will be amazing!

Membership initiation is $20,000 and then you will be paying anywhere from $11,000-$19,000 annually for this club ($11,000 if its just your immediate family, up to $19k for extended. This does not include a $600 hoa fee just for living here that all residents must pay.

There's going to be a nice beach bar and restaurant open to the public and a shopping center, food trucks etc. Golf carts are allowed and will be used throughout. Some of the models had a garage just for your golf cart. Cabanas available for rent and water sports such as kayaking. A farmers market was also mentioned.

Why I think DVC is a possibility? There is plenty to do here to keep you entertained that you dont even have to leave (I wouldnt want to leave the bubble) and you do not have to live here to partake. Why not? Before I could care less about it (we happened to be in the area for something else, we did not make a trek out here just to see it) and now we are super excited to stay in the hotel in the future. I really think this will be a highly sought after summer destination. Im sure hotel guests will probably get oasis access. Ofc im also thinking about it being DVC because I would definitely welcome this. I loved what I saw so far and they're just getting started.

I would definitely use points here for a few days if allowed and would be very excited about it. I walked in thinking it was going to be lame, but as always Disney impressed with that beautiful beach that looks like the water in the Bahamas (Apparently some kind of Crystal lagoon technology) One side will also be freshwater. I've attached some pictures for those interested and I have more if anyone wants to see more.

 

[Girlstar30]

The model home on the lower end (Roughly 2 milly) had a cruella themed. The other 3 models we toured did not have a Disney theme which i was looking forward to all of them having one after seeing this one first

 

[Brian Noble]

Palm Springs is really awesome…

…about four months out of the year. Maybe.

Other timeshare developers are there, and the resorts are VERY seasonal in demand. I can’t see why this would be any different. Translation: you might need to own there to stay at any time other than Surface Of The Sun Season.

I also hope the whole-ownership buyers there paid attention to Celebration.

 

[Girlstar30]

Palm Springs is really awesome…

…about four months out of the year. Maybe.

Other timeshare developers are there, and the resorts are VERY seasonal in demand. I can’t see why this would be any different. Translation: you might need to own there to stay at any time other than Surface Of The Sun Season.

I also hope the whole-ownership buyers there paid attention to Celebration.

Now I need to look up Celebration People are already living there and yes it was hot as hell!!

 

[kilik64]

Now I need to look up Celebration People are already living there and yes it was hot as hell!!

At least its a dry heat.

 

[Girlstar30]

I dont know which i find worse, dry or humid, I couldnt stand to be outside, even the car she was taking us around in was so hot with the air blasting because it needed time to cool down I felt trapped

I think thats why that oasis looked so good to me, it was like a mirage i wanted to run over and dive in ASAP When she was showing us the amenities (dog park, tennis/pickle ball courts, etc) i was thinking thats nice, but no one will be able to use it

At least its a dry heat

 

[Girlstar30]

Very interesting read about Celebration, I wonder if Disney will keep it like Golden Oak or ditch it down the line. It seems to fall in the middle of the two in terms of pricing.

 

[disneylandtour]

I also hope the whole-ownership buyers there paid attention to Celebration.

I'd say this looks to be a bigger mess than Celebration. I know construction quality around Water St was not great. Some of the later Village (not-built-by-Disney-subs) areas, like Mirasol, have much, much better construction. Overall, Disney left, vision changed, and some of the construction in the central village wasn't the best. But in terms of StoryLiving a lot of the Imagineers attached to the project have already left Disney, including the lead (Barbara Bouza). The other StoryLiving project in North Carolina is in on-again/off-again mode. (It's presently in on-again mode--likely because too much was already invested to walk away.). But I'm having trouble seeing a situation in which Disney is still deeply involved in StoryLiving in the 2030s.

I'm also having trouble seeing the general "Disney" appeal of Palm Springs. Sure, Walt had a second house there (actually two, one that he sold then a second one in the same community). And WED had retreat housing there. But as someone who lives in California, Palm Springs is frigging hot most of the year. Celebration is also frigging hot in the summer, but there are four theme parks, two water parks, and an endless line of pretty good restaurants just on the other side of the I-4 to offset the discomfort of that heat. I mean, IMO, there's a somewhat reasonable trade off. (Plus Celebration is lovely for about seven months of the year.). The big draw at Cotino is an outdoor lake. And sure it looks nice. But it's just a recreational lake. Whereas I'm willing to brave the heat in Florida (occasionally) to be at the parks in the summer, I can't think of any reason that would compel me to visit Cotino in August to visit an outdoor lake, even if it is pretty nice. Average daily tempreture in Palm springs in Jul/Aug is 109. AVERAGE. Average daily tempreture at Disney World in Jul/Aug is 92. Still very hot. (I often avoid Florida in the summer--because it's 92 degrees.). But just take your average miserable day at Disney World in August and then add another 17 degrees to it. That's Palm Springs. And if 109 doesn't sound hot enough. Let me add this--last year Palm Springs hit 124 degrees in July. Disney World RARELY gets above 100.

 

[Girlstar30]

I'd say this looks to be a bigger mess than Celebration. I know construction quality around Water St was not great. Some of the later Village (not-built-by-Disney-subs) areas, like Mirasol, have much, much better construction. Overall, Disney left, vision changed, and some of the construction in the central village wasn't the best. But in terms of StoryLiving a lot of the Imagineers attached to the project have already left Disney, including the lead (Barbara Bouza). The other StoryLiving project in North Carolina is in on-again/off-again mode. (It's presently in on-again mode--likely because too much was already invested to walk away.). But I'm having trouble seeing a situation in which Disney is still deeply involved in StoryLiving in the 2030s.

I'm also having trouble seeing the general "Disney" appeal of Palm Springs. Sure, Walt had a second house there (actually two, one that he sold then a second one in the same community). And WED had retreat housing there. But as someone who lives in California, Palm Springs is frigging hot most of the year. Celebration is also frigging hot in the summer, but there are four theme parks, two water parks, and an endless line of pretty good restaurants just on the other side of the I-4 to offset the discomfort of that heat. I mean, IMO, there's a somewhat reasonable trade off. (Plus Celebration is lovely for about seven months of the year.). The big draw at Cotino is an outdoor lake. And sure it looks nice. But it's just a recreational lake. Whereas I'm willing to brave the heat in Florida (occasionally) to be at the parks in the summer, I can't think of any reason that would compel me to visit Cotino in August to visit an outdoor lake, even if it is pretty nice. Average daily tempreture in Palm springs in Jul/Aug is 109. AVERAGE. Average daily tempreture at Disney World in Jul/Aug is 92. Still very hot. (I often avoid Florida in the summer--because it's 92 degrees.). But just take your average miserable day at Disney World in August and then add another 17 degrees to it. That's Palm Springs. And if 109 doesn't sound hot enough. Let me add this--last year Palm Springs hit 124 degrees in July. Disney World RARELY gets above 100.

Palm Springs is a hot spot for the gay community and that is a core Disney fan base. There is a lot to do there for the community.

I think Disney would likely stick around because of how Disney themed this club they're offering is and that they're doing multiple projects in this Storyliving bubble, but you never know, Disney will do whats best for them as always.

It's not a typical lake, it looks nothing like just a lake. It has crystal clear turquoise water and will be surrounded by white sand reminiscent of the beaches in the carribbean. I wouldnt brave the heat to go to just a typical lake either, but this isn't that.

I've lived in California my whole life too, always wishing the beaches were nicer, more warm and with clearer water. This fake beach might be the solution I've been dreaming of

There is a lot to do surrounding it. There are cabanas, a "beach" bar, restaurant, food trucks, outdoor volleyball, etc. It has more of the feels of a beach which will draw people in much more than a lake.

It was 117 degrees yesterday. Insane.

 

[Mle8308]

Palm Springs is really awesome…

…about four months out of the year. Maybe.

Other timeshare developers are there, and the resorts are VERY seasonal in demand. I can’t see why this would be any different. Translation: you might need to own there to stay at any time other than Surface Of The Sun Season.

I also hope the whole-ownership buyers there paid attention to Celebration.

I was just about to say the same thing - and I lived in Celebration! Years after Disney disassociated with it.

 

[Girlstar30]

I was just about to say the same thing - and I lived in Celebration! Years after Disney disassociated with it.

Give me the good, the bad and the ugly about living there please I am so curious! Is there still a strong Disney presence (I saw a picture of goofy topiary online) or were those things erased after Disney bounced? Do they still have the rights to do Disney decor outside?

Even after reading about the mess I will admit I am drawn to it We drove by to see it when we went to Florida a few years ago. I loved the look, my wife hated how close the houses were together. She keeps raving about Cotino though she absolutely loved it.

 

[Mle8308]

Give me the good, the bad and the ugly about living there please I am so curious! Is there still a strong Disney presence (I saw a picture of goofy topiary online) or were those things erased after Disney bounced? Do they still have the rights to do Disney decor outside?

Even after reading about the mess I will admit I am drawn to it We drove by to see it when we went to Florida a few years ago. I loved the look, my wife hated how close the houses were together. She keeps raving about Cotino though she absolutely loved it.

I moved back to Boston about 15 years ago, but I did enjoy living there because it reminded me of home. My house was like a traditional house up in the Northeast. No Disney touches, it was like living anywhere else, except your neighbors were close! There is very little yard, so if that is important, then it's probably not a good choice. Even what we called the McMansions had no yard, no privacy. Yard space was not a big issue for me, less lawn to care for! Originally the schools were a big draw, but then they were opened to any Osceola County resident, so that was really not a selling point anymore. There were a lot of issues with some of the homes and condos and shoddy building, fortunately that was not my house. It was nice to have a walkable community and a cute downtown, that was also a drawback for some. Lots of tourists constantly driving around looking at your house/neighborhood. I lived a little off the main street (I was on Wild Elm), so not so bad. But some friends were closer to the downtown area and it wasn't so great. Like I said, I lived there post-Disney, so I can't really comment on how it was before. There are a lot of rules you have to follow, wasn't a big deal to me but may be restrictive to some. I have to admit I really didn't pay attention to them, we just made sure the yard was kept up and didn't do anything that might be questionable. You don't want to make a homeowners association angry! It was very convenient when I worked for Disney, the commute was great. However, I don't think I would buy there if I ever moved back to the area again. Good was close to Disney/work, houses and yards were kept up, walkable community, bad would be all the constant traffic of the "looky-loos" and being so close to your neighbors, the regulations (may have changed by now), and being off of 192 in Kissimmee - ick. Most of the time it was like living anywhere. It reminded me of home, I enjoyed it overall.

 

[Girlstar30]

I moved back to Boston about 15 years ago, but I did enjoy living there because it reminded me of home. My house was like a traditional house up in the Northeast. No Disney touches, it was like living anywhere else, except your neighbors were close! There is very little yard, so if that is important, then it's probably not a good choice. Even what we called the McMansions had no yard, no privacy. Yard space was not a big issue for me, less lawn to care for! Originally the schools were a big draw, but then they were opened to any Osceola County resident, so that was really not a selling point anymore. There were a lot of issues with some of the homes and condos and shoddy building, fortunately that was not my house. It was nice to have a walkable community and a cute downtown, that was also a drawback for some. Lots of tourists constantly driving around looking at your house/neighborhood. I lived a little off the main street (I was on Wild Elm), so not so bad. But some friends were closer to the downtown area and it wasn't so great. Like I said, I lived there post-Disney, so I can't really comment on how it was before. There are a lot of rules you have to follow, wasn't a big deal to me but may be restrictive to some. I have to admit I really didn't pay attention to them, we just made sure the yard was kept up and didn't do anything that might be questionable. You don't want to make a homeowners association angry! It was very convenient when I worked for Disney, the commute was great. However, I don't think I would buy there if I ever moved back to the area again. Good was close to Disney/work, houses and yards were kept up, walkable community, bad would be all the constant traffic of the "looky-loos" and being so close to your neighbors, the regulations (may have changed by now), and being off of 192 in Kissimmee - ick. Most of the time it was like living anywhere. It reminded me of home, I enjoyed it overall.

I am used to living in an HOA and I could care less about having a front yard, but yes that was the issue with my wife, she likes houses that have a lot of land (Which Cotino owners wont have, but i think my wife is in la la land because she has not seen the houses all built together, just the secluded model homes. They are not letting people go to where residents are already living.

Tourists driving by all the time would be super annoying! It seems that non residents wont be allowed in the residential area of Cotino so they got that going for them. We have no privacy right now where we live sounds like Celebration except not as Stepford wifeish lol and thats precisely why we're moving. Why does being off 192 Kissimmee matter? (I am unfamiliar)

Thanks for the review!

 

[Mle8308]

I am used to living in an HOA and I could care less about having a front yard, but yes that was the issue with my wife, she likes houses that have a lot of land (Which Cotino owners wont have, but i think my wife is in la la land because she has not seen the houses all built together, just the secluded model homes. They are not letting people go to where residents are already living.

Tourists driving by all the time would be super annoying! It seems that non residents wont be allowed in the residential area of Cotino so they got that going for them. We have no privacy right now where we live sounds like Celebration except not as Stepford wifeish lol and thats precisely why we're moving. Why does being off 192 Kissimmee matter? (I am unfamiliar)

Thanks for the review!

Drive down 192 in Kissimmee and you will understand - or Google map it. A family member was a police officer in Kissimmee for a while, I would not want to live there. 192 is the polar opposite of Celebration. Lots of $50 a night motels and tacky tourist shops. Just ick.

 

[Girlstar30]

Drive down 192 in Kissimmee and you will understand - or Google map it. A family member was a police officer in Kissimmee for a while, I would not want to live there. 192 is the polar opposite of Celebration. Lots of $50 a night motels and tacky tourist shops. Just ick.

We're renting a car for vero in September, I just might

 

[disneylandtour]

Drive down 192 in Kissimmee and you will understand - or Google map it. A family member was a police officer in Kissimmee for a while, I would not want to live there. 192 is the polar opposite of Celebration. Lots of $50 a night motels and tacky tourist shops. Just ick.

192 is really mixed. There are some nice spots on 192--also some dives. That is true. Celebration (in terms of the village) is about one and a half to two miles from 192. Property values rise quickly in those two miles. Also, the part of 192 closest to the front entrance of Celebration (with Publix, etc.) is one of the nicer parts of 192. But yes, there's some old-school, 1970s dives still on 192.

 

[cruisehopeful]

When they first announced Cotino a few years ago, I told my husband that we were going to move there. We've been back and forth with moving to Palm Springs for our entire marriage (over 30 years). Rancho Mirage is my favorite city in the area. When we first got married, we almost bought a studio in Palm Springs that was like a co-op. We would have been able to stay in it for a total of 6 months, at a week at a time, or the whole 6 months at a time and then the "resort" would rent out our unit for the rest of the time and I presume keep all that money. We thought we'd circle back to it in a few years, but it wasn't meant to be as it was sold and turned into something else.

Very long story long, as soon as Cotino set pricing and sent me the list, it was a hard no for me. Even if I struck gold, I just couldn't bring myself to buy it. If it became a DVC property, sure, I would love to visit it. I still love the greater area and I like the desert climate a lot. If they sell day passes, I'll probably buy one sometime when staying somewhere else. I think of it as a man made oasis, which is lovely, but at the end of the day, the weather is the weather out there. Incredibly hot for many months and terribly windy with sand in your face during the winter.

 

[VGCgroupie]

The only upside I would see for me is I have in law family there so I could use that as an excuse to not stay with the in laws. Aside from that zero interest in going to Palm Springs for anything. Im completely unsure what the lure is there. If Im going to CA Im going to the beach areas not the desert. If I wanted to go desert much better options in Arizona tbh.

 

[Girlstar30]

The only upside I would see for me is I have in law family there so I could use that as an excuse to not stay with the in laws. Aside from that zero interest in going to Palm Springs for anything. Im completely unsure what the lure is there. If Im going to CA Im going to the beach areas not the desert. If I wanted to go desert much better options in Arizona tbh.

I felt the same until I went there I was like whats so great about Palm Springs, going to a resort with a pool? Only Disney could have me daydreaming about being there

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Drive down 192 in Kissimmee and you will understand - or Google map it. A family member was a police officer in Kissimmee for a while, I would not want to live there. 192 is the polar opposite of Celebration. Lots of $50 a night motels and tacky tourist shops. Just ick.

I don’t think this is true.
Most 192 motels rent by the hour, not per night.