The Coachella valley typically brings a few things to mind: hot desert sun, the most Instagrammable music festival in the country, and even more sun. What it doesn’t bring to mind, however, is the family-friendly, Mickey Mouse-eared nostalgia associated with all things Disney. But that may be changing.
In 2022, Disney announced plans to build a first-of-its-kind branded residential community, which they have named “Storyliving by Disney”. The first of the Storyliving communities, Cotino, is officially welcoming residents into model homes in Rancho Mirage, a city nestled in Coachella valley. When all plans are finished, the 618-acre community will feature almost 2,000 residential units, including single-family homes and condos.
Residents are already moving into their very own Disney castles, which went on sale at the beginning of 2024. The model homes range in sizes, with the smallest two-bedroom, two-bathroom “Cottage Collection” homes starting at prices in the mid-$1m range and totaling about 2,200 square feet.
The three-bed, three-bathroom “Grand Collection” homes hover around 3,000 square feet and a $2.5m price tag. Finally, the homes within the “Estate Collection” can be up to six bedrooms and six bathrooms, nearly 5,000 square feet, and cost a hefty $3.2m. All of the homes currently for sale were built by luxury builders Shea Homes, Davidson Communities or Woodbridge Pacific Group.
If that wasn’t enough, Cotino will also include specific houses in the Cottage and Grand Collections designated for adults 55 and above, which will be part of a senior living community known as “Longtable Park”. The exclusive park is marketed as an “inspiring retreat” for those entering their golden years, and is based on Walt Disney’s own visits to the area, which included horseback rides and decadent meals shared with friends and family around a large, long table (hence the name).
A quick look at the model homes and desert-chic design and you’ll realize this development doesn’t actually feel very “Disney”. That’s the point. The community is inspired by Walt Disney’s love of the region, its natural beauty, and mid-century modern architecture.
Carly Caramanna, a travel writer who frequently covers Disney theme parks and experiences, recently toured the Cotino development. Compared with some of the company’s other hospitality ventures, she acknowledged that this one “is much less in your face Disney”. The emphasis was placed on Walt Disney himself, not the studio.
“Palm Springs was basically his happiest place on Earth,” she said. “This is where he was happiest, and he loved bringing his family. [Cotino] is distinctly Disney, but it is very much authentically Palm Springs.”
While there are no overt nods to Mickey, Minnie or the rest of the gang in any of the houses, there are still opportunities for Disney fanatics to get their fill amid the cacti and mesquite.
One of the highlights of Cotino for the Disney-obsessed is the Artisan Club, which just opened at the end of October. All Cotino residents are eligible to join the Artisan Club, which is optional and requires an additional membership fee. The membership includes access to a wellness center, outdoor tennis and pickleball courts and two restaurants. Members will also have access to the Parr House, a clubhouse designed to be a life-size replica of the home from Disney’s Incredibles 2. The Artisan Club also offers exclusive Disney-themed fitness programs, including “Incredibles Super Circuit”, “Encanto Latin Dance Cardio”, “Moana Breathwork” and “Villain Era Power Sculpt: Maleficent Edition”.
The Artisan Club sits along the Cotino Bay, a 24-acre artificial lagoon that uses patented Crystal Lagoons technology, which lessens environmental impact by using recycled water, minimal chemical additives and a sophisticated filtration system.
To prospective buyers like Carl, the sparkling Cotino Bay is the main draw, not the fact that it’s a Disney property. He currently lives across the street in a neighboring gated community with his wife and toddler, but is considering making the move to Cotino.
“Being able to live somewhere that essentially has a man-made beach here in the desert – in the summer – is an absolutely massive attraction to us,” he told the Guardian. It would be a welcome reprieve from the hot summer days, which can top off around 115F.
Carl and his wife have been in Rancho Mirage only about a year, but acknowledged that Cotino’s presence had been polarizing.
“People either hate it or they love it,” he said. “I don’t really see any negatives. It only increases our home value by being able to say, ‘oh, by the way, you can walk through the beach in just a couple miles.”
Currently, Cotino Bay is only accessible to community residents, but the next phase of construction will focus on the construction of a Cotino town center which will feature shopping and dining accessible to the public.
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