Celebration, FL Properties | Stephanie LeFew

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Celebration is a master-planned community and census-designated place in Osceola County, Florida, set southwest of Orlando and just south of the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of the most recognizable planned communities in the country, founded by the Walt Disney Company as a showcase of New Urbanist design and settled beginning in 1996. The community's origins lie in Disney's vision of a walkable, traditionally designed town. Construction began in the mid-1990s, the first family moved in on June 18, 1996, and the downtown was completed later that year, with November 12, 1996 celebrated as Founders Day. Disney has since exited ownership, and Celebration's homes and businesses are now privately owned, but its founding principles remain visible in its architecture and layout. Today Celebration is home to roughly 11,200 residents across about 4,900 acres. Its downtown centers on Market Street, with restaurants and shops along a walkable main street, surrounded by lakes, parks, a golf course, and a network of trails. Celebration K-8 School, which opened in 1996, anchors the community's education and is part of the Osceola County School District. Celebration's architecture and layout are deliberately traditional. Homes draw on a range of historic American styles, and the community is threaded with sidewalks, boardwalks, and green spaces that encourage walking and neighborly interaction. Its setting between Kissimmee and the Disney resort places it at the center of Central Florida's tourism economy, while its lakes and golf course give it a resort-residential feel distinct from the surrounding suburban sprawl. For homebuyers, Celebration offers a distinctive alternative within the Orlando market: a cohesive, pedestrian-oriented community with traditional architecture, resort-style amenities, and close proximity to Walt Disney World and the region's tourism and service economy. It is a place that was designed as a complete town — and has largely become one.

Population 11,200

County Osceola County

Active Listings 147

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Frequently Asked Questions

What county is Celebration in?

Celebration is located in Osceola County, Florida, southwest of the city of Orlando and west of Kissimmee. The community sits just south of the Walt Disney World Resort, which lies immediately to the north.

Who developed Celebration?

Celebration was developed by the Walt Disney Company and founded in 1996, when the first family moved in on June 18 of that year. Disney no longer owns the community, which is now made up of privately owned properties.

What school district serves Celebration?

Celebration is served by the Osceola County School District, which operates the public schools for the county. Celebration K-8 School, which opened in 1996, is located within the community and serves its elementary and middle school students.

Is Celebration near Disney World?

Yes. Celebration is located near Walt Disney World Resort, just south of the theme park complex. Its proximity to the parks and the surrounding tourism economy is central to the community's identity.

What is Celebration known for?

Celebration is known for its New Urbanist design, which emphasizes walkable streets, traditional architecture, and a compact downtown centered on Market Street. It was conceived as a showcase planned community by the Walt Disney Company.

City Guide

About Celebration

Real Estate & Housing

Celebration's housing reflects its founding principles of traditional design and walkability. The community offers a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums, many built in a range of classical architectural styles arranged around parks, lakes, and the downtown. With roughly 4,300 homes across about 4,900 acres, Celebration is denser and more deliberately designed than a typical suburban subdivision, and its cohesive, planned character is a defining feature that distinguishes it from surrounding Osceola County communities.

Neighborhoods

Celebration is organized as a series of residential villages arranged around its downtown rather than a single undifferentiated subdivision. The villages are connected by sidewalks, trails, and boardwalks that lead toward Market Street and the community's lakes and golf course. This village structure, central to the New Urbanist plan, gives each area a distinct, small-scale identity while keeping the downtown and amenities within walking or biking distance for much of the community.

Lifestyle in Celebration

Celebration's lifestyle is shaped by its walkable, New Urbanist design and its lakeside setting. Residents gather in the downtown on Market Street, where restaurants, cafés, and shops line the main promenade, and the community's pools, trails, and parks encourage an active, neighborly rhythm. Families are drawn by the community's small-town feel and its schools, while the proximity to Walt Disney World and the Orlando area's attractions adds a distinctly Floridian backdrop. Life here blends the polish of a planned community with the everyday routines of a real town.

Schools & Education

Celebration is served by the Osceola County School District, which operates public schools for the county. Celebration K-8 School, located within the community, opened in 1996 and serves elementary and middle school students; high school students attend district high schools in the surrounding Osceola County area. Families also have access to private and charter options in Kissimmee, Orlando, and the wider Central Florida region.

Getting Around

Celebration sits just south of Walt Disney World and west of Kissimmee, with U.S. Route 192 and Interstate 4 nearby providing access to Orlando, the theme parks, and the region's airports. Downtown Orlando is roughly twenty miles to the northeast, and Orlando International Airport is within easy reach. The community's location on the edge of the Disney property and its highway access make it convenient for both the tourism economy and the broader Central Florida region.

Parks & Recreation

Celebration's recreation is built into its design, with community pools, parks, lakes, and miles of trails and boardwalks connecting the villages and downtown. The community's golf course and lakeside setting provide outdoor options close to home, while the downtown's restaurants and events anchor social life. Its location next to Walt Disney World and within the Orlando area puts world-class theme parks, golf, and entertainment within minutes, making recreation a central part of life in Celebration.

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