I, like so many others, spent much of my childhood road tripping to Florida, especially to see the theme parks of Orlando, namely Disney and Universal. I thought I’d seen it all until I visited Kissimmee, an adjacent community, earlier this year. Among our explorations of the lesser-known landmarks, including ziplining and air boating (more here) was an afternoon in Celebration, also known as the town that Disney built.
This post contains affiliate links that can earn this website a small income. They will not cost you anything to use.
Walt Disney started planning for the future well before the creation of his theme parks. The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, also known as Epcot, was intended as a real planned community, not a futuristic theme park. But when that didn’t come to fruition in that form, the plans were put aside.
In the 1990s, the Disney Development Corporation purchased land originally intended for an airport and Disney airline. The first section of what became Celebration opened in 1996. Disney CEO Michael Eisner encouraged fellow executives to get involved and move there. A lottery system was created for buyers 20 years ago.
The residences are inspired by the architectural styles of the 1940s and each neighborhood within Celebration has different types of houses. Some even have Disney details like one with mouse-ears gate work. They range from condos and townhouses to multi-million dollar houses. Around 10,000 people live there and it’s still growing. Brazilian celebrity Silvio Santos even owns the largest house as his vacation home. It’s easy to see why it inspired The Truman Show.
The area is now made up of boardwalk nature trails for bikes and pedestrians as well as manmade lakes. There’s also the Disney Wilderness Preserve, reclaimed cattle land protected by the company. The entire community is on Disney’s power grid so they aren’t affected by outages from hurricanes.
The Celebration Town Center has a number of businesses including a post office designed by Michael Graves, a movie theatre, churches, restaurants, and shops. There are also schools and a campus of Stetson University. The crime rate is incredibly low and even though it’s unincorporated, Celebration has its own fire department and security officers.
Celebration is an incredible example of new urbanism, an architectural movement popular in Florida that features walkable neighborhoods and community gathering spaces. Similar examples include Seaside, also in Florida, and I’On, outside Charleston.
What to Do in Celebration
The best way to learn about Celebration and hear about it from a resident is to take a Celebration Bike Tour, which runs from the Bohemian Hotel. The excursion navigates the boardwalks and pathways that wind through the area. Visitors can also browse the shops and boutiques like Dazzling, Gypsy Moon, and Little Thimble Craft Studio.
Where to Eat and Drink in Celebration
You don’t have to drive into Kissimmee or Orlando for a good meal. Celebration has a number of restaurants ranging from sushi to Mexican to Italian to an outpost of the famous Columbia Restaurant, a Cuban eatery originally from Tampa. Imperium Food and Wine, pictured, is another favorite, decked out in colorful artwork that is all for sale. They have an incredible wine list and options for every palate (and palette!).
Where to Stay in Celebration
While Celebration is mostly residential, it is anchored by the stunning Bohemian Hotel Celebration, which is a part of the Savannah-based Kessler Collection. The property has balconies, an incredible art collection, and an in-house restaurant. Vacation rentals are another option, including from Celebration-based Home 2U and websites like VRBO. But keep in mind that rentals are limited.
Further Reading
- Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World by Carl Hiassen
- Celebration, Florida: The Utopian Town That America Just Couldn’t Trust, Gizmodo
- When Disney imagineered a $2.5 billion town, Curbed
My visit to Celebration was hosted by Experience Kissimmee.
Leave a Reply