Disney begins sales of new 5 million dollar 'Four Seasons Private Residences' at Golden Oak

Aug 07, 2015 in "Four Seasons Luxury Resort and Golf Community"

Posted: Friday August 7, 2015 12:50pm EDT by WDWMAGIC Staff

Earlier this week Disney began sales of the new Four Seasons Private Residences at the Golden Oak community.

Ranging in size from 6000 sq. ft. to over 10,000 sq. ft., these super luxury homes will start at $5 million.

Located inside Golden Oak, just minutes away from the Magic Kingdom, these unique residences will offer a luxury lifestyle featuring personalized service delivered by Four Seasons. Owners of Four Seasons Private Residences will also have a private entry and access to the amenities and services at the neighboring Four Seasons Resort Orlando, which includes a full-service spa, five pool areas, tennis courts and six onsite restaurants.

"Homeowners at Golden Oak have the rare opportunity to create unforgettable memories with family and friends for generations to come," said Page Pierce, vice president of Disney Resort Real Estate Development. "Located within the community of Golden Oak, Four Seasons Private Residences Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort combines two brands renowned for impeccable service, outstanding amenities and exceptional experiences: Walt Disney World Resort and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts."

As well as the services and amenities offered to these residents by Four Seasons, owners will also be members of the Golden Oak Club with access to other amenities including Summerhouse, the private community clubhouse featuring the full-service Markham's dining room and Tyler's Lounge, and concierge-style Resident Services which organizes a variety of engaging activities and events throughout the year, including seasonal parties and private theme park events, as well as, park transportation, golf services, and more.

These custom residences, ranging in size from 6,000 to over 10,000 square feet, will feature three European-inspired styles embodying Venetian, Italianate and Spanish Revival architectural precedents.

If you are wondering what the floor plan looks like, here is an example from one of the planned residences.

The Golden Oak community offers the only current opportunity for families to own homes at Walt Disney World Resort. The community welcomed its first residents in 2012 and Four Seasons Resort Orlando opened in August 2014. Four Seasons Private Residences prices start at $5 million and construction is anticipated to begin later this summer.

For more information about Four Seasons Private Residences Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, visit www.orlandoprivateresidences.com.

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betty roseAug 13, 2015

I think I know who Disney wants to visit the upscale restaurants in Disney Springs.:)

MinnieM123Aug 13, 2015

That comment brought a smile to my face. ;)

COProgressFanAug 12, 2015

I think you hit the nail on the head here, and put into words what many of us have been feeling but couldn't exactly pinpoint why.

prberkAug 12, 2015

I do have one related question: Does anyone know if this whole community and Four-Seasons relationship came about in some way related to that time that the Board of Directors met with a foreign (middle-Eastern, I think) dignitary about the possible sale and lease-back at the time of the whole WDW resort? It seems I remember him having a Four-Seasons connection, and maybe some other investment connection with WDW that put him in a good position to do something like this. My memory is foggy, but I seem to remember some connections there. Am I off-base here? If I am not, maybe this is a result of some deal they made to give him significant part for a Four Seasons resort and community, but not the big deal. Just wondering.

Master YodaAug 12, 2015

It is hard to wrap your brain around it, but there is a small segment of our population where $5 million dollars is chump change. I will never be that guy no matter how much I have in the bank, but they do exist. Ratios are something that will put things into perspective. A person with $500 million in the bank spending $5 million on a home is the same as a person $500 in the bank spending $5. It also does not hurt that the $5 million they drop on the house will most likely make them money 10 +/- years later.

prberkAug 12, 2015

@lazyboy97o , I think you are right on why it is cold to me. I mean, the only way I would EVER consider buying one of these places if I had crazy amounts of money were if I could justify it by often bringing people to stay for the vacation of a lifetime for people who would never otherwise be able to do it (or maybe like the kids who have terminal diseases). But the sad fact is that the homeowners' association in such a community would probably disallow such sharing of it. Too much riff-raff and too many "guest passes" through the security gate. Not certain, but it would seem that would be the case for such an exclusive community wishing to keep up their property values -- which fits in with your statement. Exclusivity was the opposite of Walt's dream. He did, in fact, recognize that there would be suburbs of EPCOT (in the outer circles), but they still participated in the whole. Which is not really the case in an exclusive, gated community of McMansions with piped-in "magic" and paid services to decorate your house for you during the holidays. I don't think that the family in the Carousel of Progress would recognize their home in Golden Oak, no matter what year it is. But maybe I am wrong. I know that this has sounded like I just have a stump to grind against the rich, but that is not the case. (In that case I would have something against The Grand Floridian.) But I have really tried to figure out why Golden Oak itself so disappoints and unsetttles me as a fan of Disney and WDW. And I think that LazyBoy97 is right in a lot of it. It is not any one thing within it, but more the concept and whole of it. It is contrary completely to Walt Disney World's original purpose and vision, even as flawed as it might have become over the years.

lazyboy97oAug 11, 2015

Houses also had to be smaller because they lacked mechanical systems. A massive house today is cool because it is pumped full of cold air, not because of how it is designed into the local environment. Golden Oak is cold because it really is the exact opposite of what EPCOT was about. The very sort of place that Walt Disney was reacting against. It is entirely automobile focused. It is live only, no work. No openness or sharing of an idea. It is the same tired, old, subdivision concept except with Walt Disney World branding.

prberkAug 11, 2015

You are right about the construction methods and advances in technology. I guess I am more philosophical about it in the long run. I cannot put my finger on exactly why, but so much about this Golden Oak project just strikes me as cold and wrong. I do know that the Monticello and Graceland visits did remind me that so much about a "mansion" and intrinsic value of anything as a thing of value is inherently guided by our notion of importance. This much is true. But beyond that I think there is something more haunting me about Golden Oak. I don't know if it is more that it seems so crass or that it goes so far against what Disney has so long stood far. Yes, Disney World has long been a moneymaking machine, and even had overpriced hotels, and even lately has slipped in service (bringing the value of the hotels somewhat into question), but has also always been ostensibly about the dreams and aspirations of common folks. It is hardly ever about the prince -- unless the prince (or king or queen) needed to learn to be humble. And the parks and resorts, while sometimes pushing the limits on expense for "normal" people, have also remained in most ways accessible. So, maybe that is part of it. But something makes this whole project to me come up feeling that it is very cold. I am not sure I would ever care to live there, even if I were a billionaire.

Master YodaAug 11, 2015

While I am sure there are other factors involved, modern technology has made larger and much more complex structures easier to build and less expensive to boot. Back when the homes you mentioned were built, post and beam was the primary method of construction. Not only did this put constraints on the design and appearance of the house, but it worked to limit its size as well. Post and beam is also a very time consuming process especially when you get into more complicated designs. Conventional wood beams can only span so far until you need additional bearing. While you could technically build almost anything, you quickly reached a point where things got exponentially more expensive. Fast forward to today and your biggest limiting factor is what you can physically ship to a job site. Clear spanned roofs in excess of 50' are common place and use nothing more than 2x4's. Up the lumber size to 2x6 and we can max out our shipping length which is around 80'. Assembly is also made much easier. Setting the trusses on the projects like the ones you will find in Golden Oaks often only take 2-5 days vs weeks of conventional framing.

prberkAug 11, 2015

You know, I was at Monticello last month, and this has really made me think. Monticello is, of course, the historic home of Thomas Jefferson -- the great inventor and father of our country (writer of the Declaration of Independence and a major contributor to the constitution of our country). It sits atop a mountain in Albemarle County, just outside of Charlottesville, with great view of the city and UVa. It is on the back of older nickels, and is probably the most famous residence in the United States (second perhaps to Elvis' Graceland). But is it also considerably smaller than these and other "McMansions" built these days. In fact, so is Graceland. If you have ever taken a tour of either of these, especially Monticello, you will be struck with how outsized our current tastes have come for the way even the rich and powerful live. It helps put some things in perspective. I am primarily a conservative, with hands-off approach to the market, believing that the market decides. In some ways I find myself hoping that the market will eventually show some of this excess to be rediculous and counter to what Walt intended, and to good sense. It is clearly a money-grab, obviously, but more than that, I just think it is gaudy and contrary to so many things.

Master YodaAug 11, 2015

Exactly. For your average subdivision the builder/developer will either adjust the plans to a particular width or set up the lots to match up with a current set of various plans of the same width. This way you have nearly every house in the subdivision built up right to the BRLs and you sell the most number of houses.

lazyboy97oAug 11, 2015

Tighter lots also play a role in image building. It is an attempt to project ideas of walk-ability, human scale and community. To make things more quaint.

rob0519Aug 11, 2015

Why no land? Simple. The less land you're sold, the more land there is to squeeze in several more houses and the profit that goes along with them. You want more room, buy somewhere else or pay for another lot. Real Estate Sub Division Construction 101.

bristol's momAug 11, 2015

Has to be because who makes this kind of money in Orlando? I can see the Bin Laden's buying a home here and they could easily keep it occupied year-round since there are estimated to be 600 family members.