Making a Home at Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort; Robust Construction of Luxury Residences Continues as Families Move In

Copyright 2012 Walt Disney Company

Hey loyal readers, this comes directly from the "I wanna live there" file...

Golden Oak, the unique residential home community at Walt Disney World Resort, continues to bustle with construction, with more than a dozen families settling into their dream homes situated just minutes from Magic Kingdom.

Construction of the luxury Golden Oak homes continues at a steady pace, driven by strong demand from buyers. Of the 81 Golden Oak homesites that were initially released, the greatest demand so far has been for Grand Estate homes in the Carolwood and Carolwood Reserve neighborhoods, which feature homesites up to three-quarters acre in size. Based upon current development plans, the 980-acre Golden Oak community, when fully completed, will contain 450 luxury homes ranging in price from $1.5 to $8 million.

Meanwhile, construction of Summerhouse, the luxury residential community clubhouse within Golden Oak, is complete. Golden Oak residents and their guests have already begun to enjoy some of the key amenities Summerhouse has to offer such as: lounge areas, lap and family pool, game room and state-of-the-art fitness facilities. Summerhouse also will feature full food and beverage accommodations in indoor and outdoor dining areas once it is fully operational early next year.

“Once fully operational, we will be offering exciting opportunities for food and wine events within Summerhouse – featuring talented Walt Disney World chefs as well as sommeliers,” says Page Pierce, vice president of Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort.

Just across the tree line from Summerhouse, construction on the 444-room Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, anticipated to open in 2014, is well underway. The building will ‘top-out’ this month and will be fully enclosed next summer for a projected opening in 2014. The resort will feature several exciting dining outlets, a conference center, a full-service luxury spa and fitness center, as well as various pools. Once opened, the resort will also encompass the existing Tom Fazio-designed Osprey Ridge 18-hole championship golf course, which will be renovated and managed by Four Seasons.

“The level of activity right now at Golden Oak is very exciting, with residents moving in and construction taking place throughout the community,” says Pierce. “And, of course, nothing is more exciting than having families in residence, beginning to make memories that will last a lifetime.”

FAMILIES MAKE MEMORIES, ENJOY AMENITIES

The families, who hail from the Northeast, Midwest, and Southwest regions of the United States, as well as international locations such as Brazil, have two things in common: a strong love of Disney Parks and a desire for a unique and personalized resort home experience.

Russ and Lorrie, who live in the Midwest, see Golden Oak as a place where their three-generation family can gather to make memories. As Russ says: “We cannot think of a more positive and happy place to spend time with the people we love. It is comforting to know that someday my great-great-great grandchildren will be enjoying this home and will know who built it for them.”

Russ and Lorrie, like other buyers who purchased homesites at Golden Oak, received a “Disney Connection” suite of amenities, including a complimentary Golden Oak VIP Pass that allows them admission to all four Walt Disney World theme parks, water parks, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park, and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex every day of the year with no block-out dates. As part of the Disney Connection, Russ and Lorrie are also entitled to complimentary theme and water parks parking for one car, discounts of up to 20 percent on select merchandise purchased at select Walt Disney World® Resort parks or Downtown Disney area locations, access to door-to-park transportation, merchandise delivery, discounted golf services and much more.

Also available to residents and located within Summerhouse is a dedicated Resident Services team, which helps Golden Oak residents with a variety of concierge-style services, including:

• Arrangement of private transportation
• Disney Parks and special-event tickets
• Golf tee-times
• Dinner reservations
• Private VIP Tours
• In-home dinners and parties
• Holiday home decorating
• Grocery shopping
• Recommendations for pre-arrival and post-departure home maintenance services

“We have so many fond Disney memories. It’s the common thread that runs through our family – something we can all relate to and share,” says Sam who purchased a Golden Oak home with his wife, Lois just weeks after first looking into it. “What better way to be a part of the Disney Parks than to live at Golden Oak?”

ABOUT GOLDEN OAK at WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT

Golden Oak brings together family, friends, and cherished Disney traditions in a unique, luxury residential resort community of single-family custom homes. To live at Golden Oak is to enjoy a destination experience year-round, with distinctive neighborhoods, expansive natural preserves, and inviting amenities – including a private clubhouse, concierge-style Resident Services, Walt Disney World® Resort park offerings, and the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, scheduled to open in 2014.

Golden Oak presently consists of three types of single-family homes: Village, Estate, and Grand Estate Homes. Village Homes capture the romantic look of a Mediterranean village on homesites up to one-quarter acre. Estate Homes, on approximately one-half acre homesites, offer a variety of architectural styles, including Tuscan, Spanish Revival, Venetian, Italianate, Dutch Colonial, and Island Colonial. At up to three-quarters of an acre in size, Grand Estate Homes include architectural styles consistent with Estate Homes and accommodate the needs of large families.