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Celebration, Florida

By Jackie Craven, About.com

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The Town That Disney Built

Town Center in Celebration, Florida

Town Center in Celebration, Florida

Photo © Jackie Craven
Celebration, Florida is a planned community created by a real estate division of The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Company commissioned famous architects to create the master plan and to design the buildings.

Founded in 1994, Celebration has the flavor of southern American village from the 1930s. About 2,500 homes are clustered around a small, pedestrian-friendly shopping area. Celebration, Florida is often cited as an example of New Urbanism, or neo-traditional town design.

In 2004, the Disney Company sold the 16-acre town center to Lexin Capital, a private real estate investment company. However, Market Street still has a storybook atmosphere that some visitors call "Disney-esque." There is a Caribbean flavor to the buildings here. Sided in brightly-colored stucco, the Market Street buildings have wide overhangs, shutters, verandas, and arcades.

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