What Is Storyliving by Disney
Storyliving by Disney is a residential real estate development brand created by The Walt Disney Company to build master-planned communities near its theme parks and resorts. The first project, Storyliving by Disney at Catamaran, is located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, on a 517-acre former vineyard site acquired by Disney in 2018. The brand is a joint venture between Disney and DMB Development, with Disney handling creative direction, community design, and branding while DMB Development leads construction and sales operations. The project targets families seeking a themed living environment connected to Disney parks and aims to deliver homes starting in the mid-2020s with phased construction over multiple years.
The Rancho Cucamonga project is planned to include approximately 1,300 homes, a town center, parks, trails, and retail spaces designed around Disney storytelling principles. Home prices are expected to start in the upper $300,000s and range into the millions, positioning the community in the mid-to-upper tier of the Inland Empire housing market. The development is located near Interstate 15 and the Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink station, providing commuter access to the Greater Los Angeles area. The project has received approvals from the city of Rancho Cucamonga and is being developed under standard residential zoning and building regulations applicable to large-scale master-planned communities in San Bernardino County.
How Storyliving by Disney Works
Storyliving by Disney operates as a master-planned community where the design, amenities, and resident experience are guided by Disney's creative and storytelling expertise. The brand applies Disney theme park design principles, such as themed architecture, immersive streetscapes, and curated public art, to residential neighborhoods and common areas. DMB Development handles the actual homebuilding, lot development, and sales process, while Disney oversees the community vision, brand standards, and long-term placemaking strategy. The business model relies on selling homes and lots to individual buyers, with revenue generated through home sales rather than Disney's traditional media or park admission income streams.
The first phase of the Rancho Cucamonga community includes single-family homes, townhomes, and mixed-use commercial spaces around a central town center. Homebuyers work with DMB Development's sales team and are subject to standard mortgage qualification processes, with no Disney membership or annual fee required to purchase a home. The community includes parks, walking trails, playgrounds, and a planned town center with retail and dining options designed to create a walkable, family-oriented environment. As a large-scale residential development, the project is subject to local building codes, environmental review processes, and the standard approvals required for new communities in California.
Financial and Strategic Context
Storyliving by Disney represents a diversification of The Walt Disney Company's revenue streams beyond its core media, parks, and resort operations into residential real estate development. The project is structured as a joint venture with DMB Development, allowing Disney to contribute its brand, creative vision, and land assets while sharing development risk and capital requirements with a specialized homebuilder. The Rancho Cucamonga land was acquired by Disney in 2018 for approximately $200 million, and the development is being executed without direct public funding or government subsidies beyond standard residential infrastructure approvals. Home sales revenue will flow to DMB Development and the joint venture partners, with Disney earning income through its role as creative director and brand licensee.
The project aligns with broader trends in experiential real estate and themed communities, where developers integrate entertainment and lifestyle branding into residential design. Storyliving by Disney competes with other themed and master-planned communities in Southern California, such as those by Shea Homes and KB Home, but differentiates itself through direct Disney intellectual property and creative oversight. The brand's long-term success depends on home sales velocity, buyer demand for Disney-themed living environments, and the ability to maintain community standards as the development scales. For investors and industry analysts, Storyliving by Disney