Have you always dreamed of living at Disney World? (Who hasn’t?) Well, at Golden Oak, you can — but at a steep price. Located near Disney Springs and nestled diagonally across from Disney’s Port Orleans resort, Golden Oak offers that dream to a very exclusive audience indeed — homes start at $2 million and go way past $10 million, which does not include over $20,000 annually in homeowner association and club fees.
So what do you get for that price, aside from a presumably beautiful house and proximity to Disney World? Lots of luxuries, it turns out.
Tastefully appointed Disney touches throughout the development: Golden Oak does scream “Disney”, but it whispers it ever-so-elegantly. This bronze sculpture of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a favorite.
Interior design with a bolder Disney brush: While there are numerous architectural restrictions on the classically styled homes in Golden Oak (as with many gated communities), on the inside, owners can feel free to explore their inner Disney to the fullest, including Hidden Mickeys, murals, statues and all kinds of interior stylings reflecting favorite Disney characters. Some owners are restrained, but others let their imagination run wild. From The Huffington Post: “Rial Jones, whose construction company is one of eight approved to build in Golden Oak, has become accustomed to building full-blown Disney fantasies. One house under construction, for a single man in his 20s, will feature a drawbridge between the bathroom and bedroom and a submarine-themed basement with a porthole providing an underwater pool view. Jones is also building a 20,000-square-foot house that will include a Cinderella-inspired 50-foot-long ballroom, an “Alice in Wonderland” themed bunk room with singing cake platters, and a re-creation of the Haunted Mansion’s stretching room.”
Access to the Four Seasons: Golden Oak is also home to the five-star Four Seasons. Residents can access all of the Four Seasons’ amenities.
Transportation to and from the Parks: The complimentary shuttle and mini-coach service is dedicated to Golden Oak residents along with their guests, who can be dropped off at any of the four Parks, Disney Springs, or either of the water parks.
Concierge services: The Golden Oak Resident Services team brings Disney’s renowned guest service culture directly to residents and their guests. The team can help assist with select personal, residential and resort requests, for a fee. To name a few:
- Disney parks and special event tickets
- Private VIP tours
- In-home dinners and parties
- Disney-inspired holiday décor
- Dining reservations
- Spa reservations
- Golf tee-times
- Home maintenance services
Sales of homes at Disney’s exclusive Florida community are doing quite well. Named after the Walt Disney Company’s California ranch, the original projections for the gated community expected these costly retreats to mostly function as vacation homes. But most buyers are moving to the Mouse full-time, prompting Disney to urge realtors to market the remaining properties in the 300-home development to families. (I can’t imagine it’ll be a hard sell — where else can Disney-obsessed millionaires live out their fantasies?)
For most of us, Golden Oak is far out of reach — but, I suspect, on quite a few “if I win the lottery” bucket lists!
