people living on property??

**dcbush12** · 02-07-2008, 01:47 PM

my girlfriend has never been to disney and we are going in august, but she asked me the other day if anyone actually lived in lake buena vista on disney property......and i couldnt remember if anyone does or not.....i remember a room of people living in a shack or something on property????? can anyone help us with this question?

**angharad** · 02-07-2008, 03:05 PM

There are two "cities" in WDW: Lake Buena Vista (originally Reedy Creek) and Bay Lake. In the 2004 census, 15 people lived in Lake Buena Vista and an estimated 22 lived in Bay Lake. These cities are both part of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a District basically run by Disney, giving them great independence from other local government about what can and can't be built there, etc.

**princessariel** · 02-07-2008, 03:25 PM

oh how cool would that be to live at WDW!

**Maestr034** · 02-08-2008, 12:07 AM

Yea i Have driven around the Lake Buena Vista area one. Never knew about the Bay Lake one anyone know where it is. I would love to see if it is like the Lake Buena Vista one.

**EeyoresButterfl** · 02-08-2008, 12:08 AM

Lake Buena Vista is just outside Disney property, that is where the CPs live, there are also one or two little apartment complexes that are not exclusively Disney People. Disney also had a hand in creating Celebration (sort of an attempt at the realization Walt's plan for a living community at Epcot). I am not aware of anybody actually living on Disney property, although I know a couple of years ago International Program Participants were housed at the old Tree House Villas due to lack of room in the apartments provided to CPs and IPs

**angharad** · 02-08-2008, 12:25 AM

Originally Posted by Maestr034

Yea i Have driven around the Lake Buena Vista area one. Never knew about the Bay Lake one anyone know where it is. I would love to see if it is like the Lake Buena Vista one.

Officially (at least according to Google), it's between the Dolphin & Swan Resorts and Coronado Springs, kind of southwest of EPCOT.

Originally Posted by EeyoresButterfl

Lake Buena Vista is just outside Disney property, that is where the CPs live, there are also one or two little apartment complexes that are not exclusively Disney People.

I'm not sure, in all honesty. LBV is kind of on the boundary of Disney/non-Disney. I don't think that CPs tend to live there, though.

**EeyoresButterfl** · 02-08-2008, 12:38 AM

I've done 3 CPs, I know what I'm talking about .Lake Buena Vista is basically along 535 right outside Disney Property, all of their apartment complexes are located there.

**Maestr034** · 02-08-2008, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by EeyoresButterfl

I've done 3 CPs, I know what I'm talking about .Lake Buena Vista is basically along 535 right outside Disney Property, all of their apartment complexes are located there.

I am not talking about the apartment complexes. Right next to the Fire Station by Downtown Disney there is a little community made up of long time disney employees. There is only about 8 small homes there. It is hidden from sight but easy to drive around. I think it is really amazing.

**BamaJenn** · 02-08-2008, 11:00 AM

My grandmother lived in Lake Buena Vista for over 20 years (until she passed away last year). It's technically not "Disney property" in the WDW sense though it is part of the Reedy Creek district.

There's always Celebration.

**angharad** · 02-08-2008, 12:46 PM

I'm interested, then, in the fact that the census for Lake Buena Vista lists 9 households with 15 people living there. The Vista Way apartments, part of LBV for awhile, were de-annexed from it in 1990, dropping the official population from about 2000 to less than 20. It's interesting, but I can't find a good timeline or legal division map or anything. Any resources would be appreciated, BTW.

**BamaJenn** · 02-08-2008, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by angharad

I'm interested, then, in the fact that the census for Lake Buena Vista lists 9 households with 15 people living there. The Vista Way apartments, part of LBV for awhile, were de-annexed from it in 1990, dropping the official population from about 2000 to less than 20. It's interesting, but I can't find a good timeline or legal division map or anything. Any resources would be appreciated, BTW.

The development my grandmother was in was within Lake Buena Vista boundaries and there are at least 100 or so houses there. I do know that her zip code changed back about 10 years ago or so to 32819 and most of LBV is 32830. Maybe they split the town and we just didn't know? Hmmmm....

**Disneyworldbuff** · 02-09-2008, 01:09 PM

This is the first time I've heard of this. I'll have to take a drive and check it out when I'm there next week !

Originally Posted by Maestr034

I am not talking about the apartment complexes. Right next to the Fire Station by Downtown Disney there is a little community made up of long time disney employees. There is only about 8 small homes there. It is hidden from sight but easy to drive around. I think it is really amazing.

**JoshK47** · 07-06-2011, 03:37 PM

Very interesting - never realized that people lived on Disney-owned land, apart from Celebration, of course.

**TXTaylors5** · 07-08-2011, 08:12 PM

When I first read the title, I thought it was like the tree people we encountered in San Diego, camping-out on the property. If you've been there, you know what I am talking about.

If you have a million dollars +, you can live on Disney property. It was announced last year they are building a gated-community ON Disney property called Golden Oak.

Read the Orlando Sentinel article HERE