The "Celebration" Is Done!

[Dznefreek]

It appears that the <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/custom/growth/orl-aseccelebration26122603dec26,0,2646917.story?coll=orl-home-promo">Celebration </a> is over.

 

[JimB.]

Actually, that's not entirely true. Disney has sold Celebration Golf Course & seeks to sell the Town Center, so that they may concentrate on the developement of the surrounding land along the SR 192 corridor.

If you read the article closely, it appears that most residents are quite upbeat about the transactions.

What's surprising is that Disney hung in there as long as they did. They are in the entertainment business, not the "town building" business.

Anyone who thought that Celebration was going to be "living inside Disney World" had on a really thick pair of rose colored glasses, and as the article states, Disney always intended to sell Town Center at one point or another.

note some points from residents:

"It's a business transaction. It's good for them. It's good for us," said Tammy Martinez, a stay-at-home mom who moved into town in August. "I am happy with it."

"Every morning they come down with the blowers and sweepers blasting," the retired policeman said of the noisy cleaning crews that keep the enclave looking pristine. "Maybe that finally stops. Maybe it will be better."

Said Teresa Haeuszer, a six-year resident sipping java with Averill, "All in all, our town has survived every change it's been through. We come out better and more tightknit because of it."




Not exactly doom & gloom is it?

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Gotta wonder what happens once the residents are responsible for running their town.

 

[Towncrier]

The only resident of Celebration that I personally know is very upset with what is happening there. She is most upset with the changes that are taking place with the Celebration schools. I don't have the details, but apparently the school system operation has been turned over to the county. As far as she is concerned, the Celebration is over.

 

[Dznefreek]

I believe Celebration Schools were recently sued sucessfully by a family for what was equivalent to "malpractice".

Florida law does not allow this but the judge saw fit to make an exception.

 

[StormShadow]

Actually, the original Celebration K-12 school was always a part of the county school district.

This year Celebration High School opened and took 9-12 to a different school. It also was zoned outside of Celebration, about 75% of the students are now not from Celebration, but from Poinciana, a community with which Celebration does not want to share a school. Especially after education was tauted so much by the town's promoters.

So the push is on to build a new private school for Celebration, so that their educational dreams may be realized.

 

[seashoreCM]

Originally posted by JimB.
What's surprising is that Disney hung in there as long as they did. They are in the entertainment business, not the "town building" business.

Yes they are, or were, in the town building business. Walt's dream included an E.P.C.O.T. and the closest thing to that realized so far was Celebration.

The E.P.C.O.T. as first envisioned by Walt is depicted as a model that can be seen during the Tomorrowland Transit Authority ride (MK). Walt's own voice is heard discussing it in the One Man's Dream exhibit (Studios).

The lessons learned by the Celebration experience may well include that the E.P.C.O.T. envisioned by Walt is not sustainable in the current U.S. economic, social, and judicial climate.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[Mark P.]

Back in '99, we had a nice walk through the town and some model homes, as well as a sales presentation.
While we liked the Celebration ideal overall, the place was almost too perfect - Just didn't seem that it would fit us. (Not to mention the cost!)

One big selling point was education & schooling. Sorry to hear that there's some problems going on with that.

Beautiful homes and very nice town though - I hope everything works out in the end for those that bought into it...

 

[Towncrier]

From http://boingboing.net

Disney selling off Celebration, FL

Celebration, Florida, the New Urbanist planned community that Disney built on the grounds at Walt Disney World, is being sold off as part of the general disintegration of the Disney company. I just finished Walt Disney and the Quest for Community, an academic book by a real-estate scholar about Walt's obsession with urban reform and the fascinating shift in the Disney Company's focus from building futuristic, ambitious domed cities (the original plan for EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow) to this modest, New Urbanist venture in which the emphasis was on high-speed data, alternative education, and building all the houses out to the curb to encourage inter-neighbor communications.

"I moved here because I loved Disney ? we had such blind faith," said Mrs. Shaw, treasurer of the association board. "But this was just a business venture for them, and now it's up to us. Their success is based on financials, and ours is going to be more, `Are you proud to live here? Do you love your life here?' "

Others, like David Manuchia, who owns two downtown restaurants, said they feared that the town might not be as well-oiled a machine without Disney. "There are enough trash cans, the streets are cleaned, the traffic is orderly," Mr. Manuchia said, citing how meticulous the Celebration Company has been, about special events in particular. "There is probably nobody better than Disney at making things run smoothly."

Link to NY Times article

 

[atlnewf]

Disney Sells Heart of City It Created
Wed Jan 21,10:28 PM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!


By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer

CELEBRATION, Fla. - The Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday sold the heart of a city it created, ending the entertainment giant's most visible connection to an experiment in urban planning.



Disney sold the town center of Celebration to Lexin Capital, a private real estate investment firm, for an undisclosed amount.


The purchase encompasses 18 acres of shops, restaurants, offices, apartments and three land parcels. A spokesman for Lexin Capital didn't return a call seeking comment.


Disney will keep a presence in the town of 8,000 near Disney World for several years while focusing on selling its remaining commercial land, said Andrea Finger, a spokeswoman for Celebration Co., a real estate development division of Disney.


Residents and retailers said they were reassured by Lexin Capital officials that there would be little change.


"It's just a different name on the rent check," resident Heather Clayton said.


Disney's name attracted residents who had high hopes the affiliation would recreate the idyllic small-town ambiance found in many Disney films. While the town has had some problems, such as early criticism of its public school and its rigid covenants, most residents call Celebration a success. Property values are among the highest in the Orlando market.


When Disney founded Celebration in 1994, it based its designs on the concepts of "new urbanism," a school of urban planning that emphasized parks, sidewalks and the mixing of residential and commercial space.


The city now has two public schools, an 18-hole golf course and a hotel, along with the retail area.


"It's a wonderful place to raise a family," Clayton said.



Actual article

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

Aloha, all!

I, for one, am very saddened by the sale of ANY PART of Celebration to a non-Disney entity.

This was the closest DISNEY would come to realizing some of WALT's dreams of establishing a 'Proto-Type Community'.

This sale may be the beginning of the end of another of WALT's visions.

I feel very badly for those who bought there because they shared WALT's values. Say what you want about the restrictions and forced adherence to rules. For many of the residents, these helped promote exactly the lifestyle they desired. Celebration IS NOT for everyone. For my family, we envied the lucky ducks who call it home.

I'm afraid this transaction represents more of the short-sighted, short-term profit-taking that is the DISNEY COMPANY today! Forget about quality, promises, loyalty...take the money and run!

Shame on DISNEY!

Please go to www.savedisney.com to see how ROY DISNEY feels about DISNEY's current approach!

YIKES!!! Hope DVC isn't on the auction-block next!!!!!

Thanks for letting me vent!!! Going off to watch one of DISNEY's ANIMATOR-CREATED Classic films now!