Celebration, Florida is a census-designated place and an unincorporated master-planned community in Osceola County in the U.S. state of Florida, near Walt Disney World Resort. It was developed by The Walt Disney Company.
Celebration is connected directly to the Walt Disney World parks and resorts by World Drive; the north end of World Drive begins near the Magic Kingdom and its south end connects to Celebration Boulevard, allowing Celebration residents and guests to drive to Disney property without having to use any busy thoroughfares. However, Celebration residents are not treated any differently than other Disney guests and do not receive free park passes, discounts, or any sort of preferential treatment. In fact Disney Cast Members receive dining and shopping discounts throughout the area, including downtown Celebration, while Celebration residents do not. With the rising population, Disney has divested most of its control over Celebration in the years since it founded the town, although several Disney business units occupy many of the town's office buildings. Recently, some residents have petitioned that the town incorporate; a ballot measure could go before voters in 2007.
Celebration was founded in 1994 on Disney-owned land that had previously been undeveloped (and used for relocating alligators which had been caught near Disney guest areas). One story for the reason behind Disney's idea to build a community there was that Osceola County was considering taxing the land at a higher rate to recognize its potential, and so Disney chose to make money from it. Celebration was de-annexed from the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Another version is that Celebration was intended to fulfill Walt Disney's original vision for EPCOT as an experimental location where people could live. Interestingly, the original 1967 borders of the City of Reedy Creek covered much of the land that is now Celebration, before being moved northeast in 1969 and soon being renamed to the City of Lake Buena Vista. At that time, this city (along with the City of Bay Lake) covered only portions of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, presumably the portions that were being considered for communities.
The philosophy behind the town is that it is to be a friendly, neighborly place, drawing its design and its sensibility from such places as Savannah, Georgia; Nantucket, Massachusetts; and Charleston, South Carolina. The master plan was developed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects and Cooper Robertson & Partners, both of New York City. Instead of using Disney's vision for EPCOT which was based on modernism and futurism, the town uses the concept of "New Urbanism" to emphasize parks, sidewalks, and a mix of residential and commercial space. The bank, the post office, the town hall, the movie theater, and other downtown buildings were designed by renowned architects. The majority of homes are within one mile of the downtown area. Segway scooters and small electric cars called "NEVs" ("Neighborhood Electric Vehicle") are common. Community events are held downtown throughout the year; for example, during the Christmas season it "snows" on Market Street (bubbly foam blown from machines on the lampposts). The first church to inhabit Celebration was a Presbyterian Christian church. There are currently 7 different denominations including a Jewish congregation. There is also a hospital (Celebration Health) and a fire station in Celebration. An eighteen-hole golf course winds through the town. Celebration is not a gated community; because gates are not part of a new urbanist vision, and the downtown area depends on revenue from tourists.
There are eight developments in Celebration: North Village, South Village, East Village, West Village, Celebration Village, Lake Evalyn, Roseville Corner, and Artisan Park. Homes are built in various pre-approved styles including Victorian, Mediterranean, French, Coastal, and Colonial Revival, and there are seven general 'sizes' of homes ranging from cozy Bungalows to huge Estates. The styles and sizes of homes are mixed through the town; there are streets of large homes right next to streets of small homes. Most homes have alleys behind them to hide driveways and trashcans. Most homes have front porches, and all homes are fairly close to the street and to their neighbors to encourage a closer sense of community. Celebration homes do not have large yards. Pricing for homes begins around $390,000 for condominiums up to $700,000-$1,000,000 for houses, estates run in the millions. Apartments typically rent for $800/month and up, and several apartments are available above the downtown businesses.
As in most new golf-course subdivisions in Florida, Celebration residents are governed by a homeowners' association which uses "covenants" to protect the 'feel' of the community: residents must keep lawns mowed, are not allowed to park boats or RVs in streets or drives, and must keep the street appearance of the house (everything including "for sale" signs, house numbers, lawn furniture like birdbaths, and exterior paint colors) within prescribed bounds.
As a result of its neotraditional design and its rules, Celebration tends to evoke strong reactions in people: some fall in love with the architecture, saying they prefer its neotraditional looks to standard, modern "cookie cutter" style subdivisions; others cynically compare it to an artificial movie set with oppressive rules. Some compare Celebration's appearance to that of the town of Seaside, Florida (which was used in the filming of the movie The Truman Show). Other visitors find such comparisons to be blown out of proportion, viewing its appearance and homeowners' association rules as typical of those of numerous subdivisions in other parts of the United States that have generated much less negative attention, including several similar New Urban communities such as Harbor Town.
In 1995, all that existed of the town were a few roads under construction and one trailer with the facade of a stately home to advertise future plans. A lottery was held for the opportunity to buy a home in this new "Disney town," and all 351 home lots in the town's first development were quickly sold through the lottery, leaving a six-month waiting list. But the builders were unprepared for the demand and therefore the quality of the initial construction was sometimes sub-par, helping to earn Celebration ridicule in the press. Another point of contention was the Celebration School (K-12), which attempted to incorporate many progressive ideas in ways that turned out to be more confusing than successful. People purchasing homes there early on had the general impression that Disney's connection to the project meant that nothing could go wrong, but that misconception was short-lived.
Residents first moved into homes in Celebration on June 18, 1996. Through the first years of the town, many townspeople persevered and banded together even more tightly as a community to make sure that the town lived up to its commitments and its promise. As a result the town of Celebration, Florida, can be said to have fulfilled most of its original intentions.
One peculiarity of the town early on was that it was run by The Celebration Company, a fully-owned subsidiary of the Disney Company, rather than by elected officials. The result of this has been that some decisions made on behalf of the residents of the community were made with Disney's profits in mind rather than the townspeople’s desires – for example, the downtown area contains several shops selling collectibles, but no gas station or video rental store. This problem is going away as residents have gained elected positions on the board of the Celebration Residential Owners' Association, and as Disney diminishes its role in the town. Disney recently sold the downtown area to Lexin Capital, a private real estate investment firm, and Water Tower Place is built with Chick-fil-A, Mobil, dry cleaners, and a video rental store among its tenants.
Contrary to its design as a quintessential American town, Celebration does not have any road named Main Street, because that name is already used elsewhere in Osceola County. The two main roads going through the center of the downtown area are named Market Street and Front Street.
The band Chumbawamba included a song called "Celebration, Florida" on their album WYSIWYG. It satirises the (perceived) excesses of American consumerism and "nostalgia for a time they can't remember" which the town supposedly embodies. The character Brian in the broadway musical Avenue Q, makes a wry reference to the city before the song “Special” is performed at The Around the Clock by a curvaceous puppet, all in good fun of course. Also, an animated cartoon episode of The Simpsons about the “Globex Corporation” portrays a similar town which ironically appears to be like Celebration, Florida. Actor/Martial Arts Expert Chuck Norris has been spotted numerous time shopping for property in Celebration. One for residence, another for Celebration's first ever karate dojo.
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