New Look & Visit to Site of Upscale Disney Living Community Coming to Southern California

Construction is underway for Cotino, the first Storyliving by Disney community located in Rancho Mirage, California just beyond Palm Springs. The Storyliving by Disney communities are managed by Disney Cast Members and aim to bring people together with engaging activities and experiences that will inspire new passions.

The Cotino community, developed in collaboration with DMB Development, will feature several homes and experiences for residents including community parks, the Artisan Club, beach activities at Cotino Bay, Town Center, and more. Walt Disney Imagineering provided creative insight on the different home designs of the community. Keep reading for a look at the scale models at the visitors' center and the construction progress for the community!

You can see our full guide to Cotino, Disney's first Storyliving by Disney community, for details on its residential plans, offerings, and concept art.

Cotino Construction Progress and Scale Models

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Brilliance Drive is the main entrance to Cotino, located off Gerald Ford Drive. In the area, some construction has started on spec homes and some purchased homes. The bay is also already dug, and a number of small parks are completed.

Steven Clark, the former head of D23, shared photos with us from his trip to the visitors' center and tour of the area this weekend. The visitors' center opened back in November 2023 and contains models of the upcoming community.

At the sales center, they will drive you around the property to see everything that is there.

Here is a look at the visitors' center with decor showcasing the natural beauty of the area and its inhabitants.

The visitors' center contains scale models of Cotino Bay Beach and the Artisan Club as well as a large map on the wall that shows plans for future expansion.

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Disney just has the 1 square mile property, but quite a bit is future development. Cast Members guessed it would be about 10 years before it is fully developed. Quite a lot of the south end of the property is still desert scrub. Roughly the lower third is currently undeveloped as you can see on the map below that shows future expansion.

They also plan a potential hotel future development on the east side near the bay. We would take all of this as somewhat speculative based on the demand for the homes in this Southern California property.

At the Cotino visitors center, you can see scale models of the community, which will be centered around the beautiful waters of Cotino Bay.

The bay will have a promenade “with striking views of the oasis and the mountains beyond,” with various activities offered on the beach.

Members of the Artisan Club can access Cotino Bay through their own private beaches, while Cotino Bay Beach will give visitors access to Cotino Bay for a fee.

Membership to the Artisan Club will give guests access to a waterfront clubhouse featuring a fitness center, pool, pickleball courts, restaurant, and more.

The Artisan Club will also include the Parr House, a gathering space and location for events and celebrations inspired by the home of the Parr family from the film Incredibles 2.

You can see an overview look at the beach and pickleball courts below:

Here is a closer look at the waterfront bar below which offers an open-air space with outdoor tables and chairs.

The first homes are expected to be completed between January and March 2025 according to The Desert Sun newspaper.

Steven shared his experience at Cotino on his Instagram with a caption starting with, “Disney’s stylish Cotino Sales Studio in Rancho Mirage showcases the fun new Storyliving by Disney models for their exclusive membership Artisan Club and publicly accessible Cotino Bay Beach, as well as a detailed site map of the property a la Walt’s EPCOT Film! Disney and Desert Fans should visit!!”

He also mentioned “While there wasn’t really any evident Disney iconography/connection, which I was sort of hoping for…I discovered the name Cotino is derived from the genus name of the Smoketree. If you’re an avid Disney fan, you now get the Walt connection!! 🤯 [Just look at Walt’s tie on the Partners Statues at every Disney Park and the Studio…that’s how important it is!]”

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