I’m not exactly sure what I expected as I pulled off Gerald Ford Drive into Cotino, the 618-acre Disney-branded development taking shape in Rancho Mirage between Monterey Avenue and Bob Hope Drive. The anticipation of experiencing a totally new piece of Disney land made me feel a bit like a kid again. Would I be joyfully greeted by a waving Mickey Mouse? Or hear The Lion King soundtrack blasting out of rock-shaped speakers? Might there be a churro stand?
The reality was more real, less magical as I parked my vehicle outside Cotino’s sales studio. The sleek structure was surrounded by perfectly symmetrical rows of cactus and, well, not much else. While the first residents have begun to move in to an initial wave of newly built homes, they will largely be living on a construction site throughout 2025 as more houses, a town center, parks, and the ambitious community’s other amenities continue to rise from the sand.
Video by James Aitken
I’d been invited by Disney for an exclusive daylong media preview of Cotino. (The genus-inspired name is a nod to Smoke Tree Ranch, the neighborhood where Walt Disney kept a home in Palm Springs.) In 2022, the Mouse House and Arizona-based DMB Development announced they’d partnered for the first-ever Storyliving by Disney community, in the desert. In 2023, they revealed plans for a second development, Asteria, located outside Raleigh, North Carolina.
A rendering of the beachside Parr House, inspired by Incredibles 2.
During my tour, representatives from Cotino’s trio of official homebuilders — Shea Homes, Davidson Communities, and Woodbridge Pacific Group — showcased their model abodes. They range from about $2 million for single-story, single-family houses of around 3,500 square feet to $4 million for properties that reach beyond 7,100 square feet on larger lots. One section of residences is strictly for homebuyers ages 55 and up.
Stylistically, this is not Mickey’s Toontown. The geometric structures blend several desert styles. Cohesive but not pronounced. From toned-down renditions of midcentury modernism to adobe-like forms inspired by the area’s agrarian heritage, each is embellished with architectural flourishes such as sloped rooflines, arched entryways, and stone façades. Inside, almost everything is customizable — from the countertops to the pool.
As a midcentury modern buff, I was particularly drawn to one of Woodbridge Pacific Group’s designs from the Estate Collection, the largest of Cotino’s homes, called The Westwind II. A curved concrete wall envelops the front courtyard, while a three-car garage sits at the back. On the second floor, a private guest suite with its own living room, kitchenette, and view of Cotino’s lagoon is accessible through its own
entrance. (Sorry, short-term renters not allowed per city rules.)
Cotino is not Disney’s first foray into town planning. Walt Disney himself first imagined Epcot, which originally stood for “experimental prototype community of tomorrow,” as a perpetually evolving city with cutting-edge transportation and conscientiously designed homes — a living lab for future living. After Disney’s death in 1966, Epcot’s scope was significantly narrowed to serve as a theme park sibling to Magic Kingdom, and the residential aspects were scrapped.
In the 1990s, The Walt Disney Company again envisioned an idyllic master-planned community with the debut of Celebration, Florida. However, over time, Disney strategically shifted its focus, divesting much of its direct control over Celebration’s operations and governance. While the town’s origins are undeniably rooted in Disney’s vision, and some Disney business units still occupy office spaces there, Celebration now functions as a fully independent community.
Progress on the Parr House area.
On my sojourn, I learned that the development was never really meant to be a fairy tale. “What makes the story that we’re telling at Cotino different [from] any story that we’ve told before is that it is rooted so deeply in authenticity,” says Caroline Boone, executive creative director of Cotino and Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative arm usually tasked with building new attractions, not luxurious master-planned communities.
The only unapologetically cartoony part of Cotino is the Parr House, a re-creation of the super-
powered family home from Incredibles 2 that will serve as a community event space. It was a wooden shell when I entered wearing a safety helmet, but the comically long cantilevered roof evoked the drama of Disney architecture like Epcot’s Spaceship Earth or the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, dueling hotels designed by Michael Graves.
My time concluded on the shores of Cotino Bay, the 24-acre recreational lagoon that serves as the community’s state-of-the-art centerpiece. As I approached the body of water — and it is indeed a body of water — a lump formed in my throat. I expected something akin to a pool or water park. Looking out at the crystalline blue waters,
I had a similar feeling to the moment I first glimpsed the Salton Sea. It was, in a word, surreal.
Gawrsh! But isn’t an artificial lagoon in the desert irresponsible? Earlier in the day, DMB Development CEO Brent Herrington explained that the bay — built with technology from Florida-based Crystal Lagoons — uses less chemicals than a traditional swimming pool and a fraction of the water of a golf course. A large oval-shaped zone sectioned off within the lagoon will be heated by renewable resources.
Woodbridge Pacific Group’s Westwind II model was built for entertaining, with a spacious outdoor lounge that flows right into the grand kitchen.
The kitchen in Woodbridge Pacific Group’s Westwind II model.
On the other side of the bay, whose sandy shores will be publicly accessible for a fee, a town center set to open to the public in 2026 will feature independently operated restaurants and retail as well as an artisan village where local merchants can showcase their wares. On the day of my visit, the only visible part of the town center was a lighthouse-themed building between the public and private beaches that will become a restaurant.
Cotino is a lifestyle, says Claire Bilby, senior vice president of emerging businesses at Disney Signature Experiences. “We’re not a theme park,” she attests. “This is where [residents] are going to live 365 days a year.” Ahh. That’s why there is no waving Mickey Mouse, Lion King tunes, or churros. (Bilby would neither confirm nor deny Disney treats like churros or Dole Whip may be available in the town center.)
The lifestyle comes at a cost: a one-time initiation fee of $20,000, plus annual dues starting at $11,000 a year gets residents or anyone else access to the Artisan Club, which offers programming as well as access to a restaurant, bar, wellness center, creative studio, and private beach on Cotino Bay.
As I drove away from my day at Cotino, I wondered: “Who should live there?” The home collections suggest a true attempt to integrate into the existing landscape rather than impose Disney on the desert. As it stands now — a mix of dazzling dreams and construction materials — the community presents an intriguing duality, catering to a spectrum of fervent Disney enthusiasts and discerning country clubbers.
The first chapter in Cotino’s story has yet to be written. The promise of Disney-infused living could translate into a tangible happily ever after. With backing from the city of Rancho Mirage and worldwide curiosity, success will likely hinge on the ability to strike a fine balance, offering enough Disney magic to satisfy its core audience while maintaining a genuine connection to the unique character of the Coachella Valley. But they should definitely serve churros.
