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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.
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.
History
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). Celebration was de-annexed from the Reedy Creek Improvement
District. Coincidentally, the original 1967 borders of the City of Reedy Creek
covered much of the land that is now Celebration, before the borders of Reedy
Creek were moved northeast in 1969 and the town was shortly thereafter 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.
It is sometimes claimed that Celebration was intended to fulfill Walt Disney's
original vision for EPCOT as an experimental location where people could live,
but the Celebration Company has never stated this as a motivation.
The basis for the city of Celebration is to reflect the 'new-urbanism' movement.
The signs of new-urbanism are seen through the homes being close to each other
and the sidewalk to promote a better sense of community. 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, owned and operated by Florida
Hospital/Adventist Health System. There is a fire station in Celebration
operated by the Osceola Fire and Rescue District. 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.
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, Memphis.
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. Recently, another commercial development
called Water Tower Place was built adjacent to U.S. 192 with businesses such as
Chick-fil-A, Mobil, a dry cleaners, a video rental store, and the West Osceola
Branch of the Osceola library system among its tenants.
Celebration residents do not receive free passes, discounts, or any sort of
preferential treatment at Disney theme parks or resorts. In fact, Disney
employees receive dining and shopping discounts throughout the area including
downtown Celebration (due to arrangements with businesses which want to attract
business from the large number of Disney employees), while Celebration residents
do not.
Developments
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
new begins around $390,000 for non resale condominiums up to $700,000-$1,000,000
for houses, estates run in the millions. Apartments typically rent for
$900/month and up or roughly a dollar per square foot, and several apartments
are available above the downtown businesses and garages (garage apartments).
Transportation
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. Some streets include:
* Celebration Boulevard
An avenue parallel to I-4 that includes many commercial businesses and the
Celebration High School. The architecture on the street is the Celebration
Modern style. This style reflects art Streamline Moderne and Art Deco influences
with its sleek lines, sparse but effective ornamentation, and ample
opportunities for individually expressive special features. The entire street is
lines with two rows of Washington Palms. The buildings on the street include
sitting areas under the shade of trees and trellises along their frontage.
* Celebration Place
An area with a Plinth area that includes commercial buildings with a Campo Santo
image, and a landmark section, an area that stands by itself on the edge of a
natural conservation area with its own identity. The Plinth area has three
sections:
* Plinth Section
* Building Section
* Parking Section
Each section has defined design elements.
Pop culture
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. Also, an animated cartoon episode of The Simpsons about the
“Globex Corporation” portrays a similar town which appears to be like
Celebration, Florida. 80s teen pop sensation, Jordan Knight, from New Kids on
the Block performed a concert downtown in December 2006 where he performed new
songs from a current CD as well as New Kids on the Block songs.
Geography
Location of Celebration, Florida
Celebration is located at 28°19′12″N, 81°32′25″W (28.320059, -81.540149)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the community has a total area of
27.7 km˛ (10.7 mi˛). 27.6 km˛ (10.7 mi˛) of it is land and 0.1 km˛ (0.04 mi˛) of
it (0.28%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 2,736 people, 952 households, and 716
families residing in the community. The population density was 99.0/km˛
(256.4/mi˛). There were 1,093 housing units at an average density of 39.6/km˛
(102.4/mi˛). The racial makeup of the census-designated place (CDP) is 93.57%
White, 1.72% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 2.41% Asian,
1.02% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. 7.60% of the
population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 952 households out of which 45.1% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 66.5% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 20.2% of all
households were made up of individuals and 3.6% had someone living alone who was
65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average
family size was 3.30.
In the community the population was spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18,
5.1% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were
65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females
there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5
males.
The median income for a household in the community was $74,231, and the median
income for a family was $92,334. Males had a median income of $51,250 versus
$46,650 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $39,521. 6.2% of the
population and 4.3% of families were below the poverty line. 8.5% are under the
age of 18.
As of 2004, there are 9,500 residents in 3,745 households (including
apartments).