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[KBCraig]

I think that all of us who visited SDC as kids dreamed about living there. I'm sure that's true of everyone's favorite park.

Some Disney fans got that chance. It turned into more of a nightmare.

https://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/north-america/the-creepy-history-of-disneys-perfect-town/news-story/8b9a034e93ddb074b5fbdbb286f83806

[History Buff]

I've driven through there, and it does feel like The Truman Show.  Yes, it looked nice - trimmed and clean - but at the same time, it was obvious that some of the store fronts were empty.

At the same time, Celebration is not the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow; EPCOT is (hence the initials).  EPCOT never could become what Walt envisioned - an actual prototype community - so TPTB took his idea, dumbed it down to a SIMS game in real life, and came up with Celebration.

[KBCraig]

I have never understood the obsession with "perfect" communities. I would never live under an HOA; I don't even like zoning.

Freedom is frequently messy, but it's always beautiful. If you want to control what is done with a piece of property, buy it.

[sirwillow]

We didn't live in Celebration when we lived in the area and didn't know anyone who did.  So I can't comment one way or the other on the article.

But we did end up at the hospital there for a surgery my wife had (very nice hospital, very screwed up experience with their billing who, while I was outside in my car waiting for them to bring her out wheeled her over to billing and demanded full payment, even though we hadn't seen a bill and it hadn't been submitted to insurance yet.  I had to go in and forcefully wheel my wife out to the car)

We also went to one of their Christmas festivals, which was actually really nice, with the outdoor skating rink, music, horse carriage rides, "snow", and a number of other things.  We really did enjoy that.

[palallin]

I have never understood the obsession with "perfect" communities. I would never live under an HOA; I don't even like zoning.

Freedom is frequently messy, but it's always beautiful. If you want to control what is done with a piece of property, buy it.

This.  I will never willingly return to living in an incorporated area.

[palallin]

You know what?  I still have that dream.  SDC isn't perfect; I don't aim at perfection.  but I do love the past.

As a practical matter, I dont' want to live at SDC so macu as to move back to the lake area.  Important years of my childhood (2 - 7 years of age) were spent living literally on the shore of Bull Soals and Table Rock Lakes.  SDC was a big part of that experience, but so were the fishing, swimming, boating, and other aspects of living there.

My wife and I hope to retire there (though there is no way we'll be able to afford lakefront property!).  Having SDC a 30 minute drive (or less) will be good enough for us.  And maybe, just maybe, we can work there . . . .