For most people, leaving Walt Disney World means heading back to a hotel or the long drive home. For Cristie Anne, 39, it means pulling into the driveway of her Beauty and the Beast-inspired house — located right inside the resort. The Miami native and her family have spent the past six years splitting time between their primary Miami home and their Golden Oak property, which was designed around Belle's cottage from the beloved film, with details crafted by Disney Imagineers.
Golden Oak is Disney's private residential community on the grounds of Walt Disney World in Florida. Homes there range in price from roughly $2 million to $20 million, and some properties currently on the market within the broader Walt Disney World area are listed at around $8 million. Cristie Anne's specific purchase price has not been disclosed. What sets her home apart, she says, is that rather than featuring scattered Disney touches, the entire design follows a single Disney story — something she describes as uncommon even within the community. The exterior, she notes, closely mirrors the cottage seen in the live-action Beauty and the Beast film.
The family stumbled onto the property almost by accident. They had been focused on beach homes when Cristie Anne's parents happened to tour the Golden Oak house on the very day it hit the market, then FaceTimed her and her brother to show it off. At the time, Cristie Anne's daughter was three years old, and the appeal of a Beauty and the Beast home at Disney felt like an easy decision.
Day-to-day life at Golden Oak offers a version of the Disney experience that looks nothing like a typical vacation. The family can reach any of the parks within minutes by car or via their private Disney transportation van, which drops them at the park entrance. That proximity means they can duck in for a single attraction, catch a resort dinner, or simply watch the fireworks from home — without the pressure of squeezing everything into a finite trip. Golden Oak is a gated community restricted to residents and registered guests, and short-term rentals are not permitted, preserving the neighborhood's residential character. For everyday needs like groceries and schools, the family drives just a few minutes beyond the resort boundary.
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After six years, Cristie Anne says the property has grown into far more than a vacation home, and she has no plans to sell. This story was reported by the Times of India Real Estate Desk.
