In the 1990s, the Walt Disney Company transformed around 8 square miles of Florida swamp into the residential community of Celebration. The idea was to create an idyllic small town with parks, playgrounds, small lakes and homes that are a mix of architectural styles. During his life, Walt Disney had planned to build a utopian community and there are traces of his ideology in Celebration.
Walk through the community’s cluster of villages to see Victorian, Colonial, Mediterranean and other building designs. Note their neat and orderly appearance. Houses are painted from a selected palette of colours and grass must be maintained at a specific length. Stretch your legs even further on more than 26 miles (42 kilometres) of walking trails.
Enjoy a range of recreational activities. Go for a swim in the pools at Spring Park and Lakeside Park and play volleyball at The Commons Park. Some of the parks also have tennis courts. Golfers can swing their clubs at the 18-hole golf course.
Visit Market Street, the lakeside main street in the downtown area. Here you will find shops, restaurants and businesses. Observe the post office building that resembles a farm silo. Come back on Sunday mornings for the farmers’ market.
Throughout the year, Celebration hosts a packed calendar of events. They include the Founders Day weekend in November with games, competitions and a parade. One of the most popular celebrations is the month-long Now Snowing festival in December. Artificial snow falls on Market Street each night, the outdoor ice rink is open and there are Christmas carolers and community performances. For a full list of events, visit Celebration's official website.
Celebration is situated 21 miles (34 kilometres) south of downtown Orlando and about the same distance west of Orlando International Airport. Reach the community by rental car, taxi or bus. Once at Celebration get around on foot, rental bike or Segway. The community promotes the use of environmentally friendly forms of transport.
