Celebration Florida

The master-planned community called Celebration was originally founded by The Walt Disney Company¹ in the mid-’90s, fashioned after historical American small towns, with civic building structures by world-famous architects such as Robert A.M. Stern.

Celebration is a charming little town today, with tree-lined streets, fascinating architecture and a welcoming mix of shops and restaurants. In fact, one of America’s 10 most beautiful towns was named Celebration. Compact and walkable, the picturesque downtown is. From grand estate-style homes to condos, all located on pedestrian-friendly streets, the community features a diverse and interesting mix of housing.

By taking a self-guided guided tour, a horse-drawn carriage ride, a Segway tour or by renting bikes to ride through the scenic trails, visitors can learn a lot about Celebration. Celebration also hosts many annual events during the holidays, such as Now Snowing and Oktoberfest, which celebrates the beginning of fall. Every Sunday, make sure to check out the weekly farmers’ market and the monthly art and wine strolls. visitflorida.com – Celebration

History

Walt Disney² made a film promoting what he called EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, in October 1966, just days before being diagnosed with lung cancer and a few weeks before his death. Part of the 43,000 acres of land purchased by the Walt Disney Company was an introduction to his plan for a Central Florida community where individuals could live, work and play.

Alas, Walt died in December 1966, and most of his dreams and ideas for Epcot unfortunately went with him. Although his Disney World plans, then named Walt Disney World in honor of Walt, came to fruition when WDW opened in 1971, for a while, EPCOT was put on the back burner. Of course, in the early 1980s, a theme park called the EPCOT Center opened, but it was nothing like the description of EPCOT by Walt; instead of being a place where people lived, it was still just a theme park with an education theme.

But the Disney Development Company began working on a town in the early 1990s where people could live, work and play, and that promised to have everything state-of-the-art. “The community Disney built” was called Celebration, located on approximately 4,900 acres in Osceola County that was annexed from the WDW estate. Data on Celebration began to be released to the public in the early-mid-90s, and it sounded so perfect that many, many people wanted to live there. A lottery took place and in 1996, the first lucky residents arrived. yourmileagemayvary.net – Celebration

Cornerstones

The Walt Disney Company founded The Celebration Company in order to implement a blueprint for satisfying such a vision and oversee its creation. The Celebration Company conceived five principles using the collective experience of a special unit of world-renowned city and socioeconomic planners, as well as the best builders of our time, that would guide every aspect of the creation of the community. These five guiding principles, known as the Cornerstones of Celebration, consist of…

Sense of Community

What Celebration residents have in common, more than anything else is a shared vision of what life could be with the ability to become as individually engaged as they want to make it happen. This leads to a deep level of interaction that provides the very pulse of the community between friends and neighbors. You will find an unmistakable sense of community and sense of unity throughout the celebration, whether in public areas, at community events, community meetings or simply on the front porch of a neighbor. The memories and social bonds that result are the glue that holds together the celebration, ensuring a bright, lengthy future.

Sense of Belongingness

To stimulate experiences and social interaction, all individuals have a universal need. An important cornerstone behind its creation was to provide a variety of distinctive places” throughout the celebration, where this sort of activity would occur continuously. In Celebration “places” take many forms. The foundation for place-making across the city is provided by a comprehensive master plan. Signature buildings designed in some of the greatest architectural styles in the world provide residential neighborhoods with a timeless character.

Technology

Celebration has gained relevance from the outset as an important means of connecting individuals. Celebration is ready to evolve with technology as it changes in order to accommodate future advances, helping to ensure that technology continues to do exactly what it is intended to bring people together.

Education

Celebration has put education at the core of its vision, believing that lifelong learning is an important key to a better quality of life. In 1995, education began with the 2000-2001 Five Star School Award at The Learning Academy, a school system identified by the Florida Department of Education. KinderCare, a Montessori School, Stetson University Center at Celebration, Celebration K-8 and Celebration High School are currently educational options.

Health

The secret to a happy life is good health. Thus the Cornerstone of Health at Celebration focuses first on prevention and treatment for the whole person-mind, body and spirit. Numerous amenities, parks, and trails encourage people to stay active and get out. The commitment of Celebration to health and well-being is further supported by a state-of-the-art Florida Hospital facility and thorough fitness centre located within the community.

Quick Facts

In northwestern Osceola County, Florida, the Masterplan community
The homes and condominiums with modern floor plans are a cross-pollination of classical, colonial, French, coastal, Mediterranean, and Victorian exteriors. The majority of homes have a welcoming front porch and access via a service alley to rear garages.
Residential offerings, along with townhomes and condominiums, include single family terrace, bungalow, garden, cottage, village, manor and estate homes.
Residents enjoy five large multi-facility recreational areas, a Community Center, more than 40 parks in the neighborhood and more than 26 miles of walking trails.
Commercial areas with various restaurants and stores include Downtown Celebration and Water Tower Shoppes. Residents benefit from schools within the boundaries of the Community (Celebration K-8, Celebration High School, Stetson University Extension), Osceola County Fire Station, office complexes, a boutique hotel, gas station, churches, and Celebration Health Hospital and Fitness Centre.
There are approximately 10,000 residents at Celebration and 4,300 homes and condos.
Downtown Orlando is 30 minutes northeast, and 20 minutes east is Orlando International Airport³. celebration.fl.us/ – Celebration