Do you recall how – back in October of last year — The Walt Disney Company announced that it planned to build a brand-new production facility out at Golden Oak Ranch in the Santa Clarita Valley?
Well, based on a series of domain names that the Mouse registered late last month, it initially appeared that Mickey might have a similar sort of project in the works for The Walt Disney World Resort.
Don’t believe me? Okay, then let’s check out the names that The Walt Disney Company registered back on January 22nd & 23rd:
- DISNEYGOLDENOAK.COM
- GOLDENOAKDISNEY.COM
- GOLDENOAKSDISNEY.COM
- GOLDENOAKATDISNEY.COM
- GOLDENOAKSATDISNEY.COM
- GOLDENOAKATWALTDISNEYWORLD.COM
- GOLDENOAKATWALTDISNEYWORLDRESORT.COM
- GOLDENOAKSATWALTDISNEYWORLD.COM
- GOLDENOAKSATWALTDISNEYWORLDRESORT.COM
And given that several of these recently registered domain names said …
- GOLDENOAKORLANDO.COM
- GOLDENOAKSORLANDO.COM
- GOLDENOAKFLORIDA.COM
… it intially appeared as though the Studio’s expansion project suddenly had a Florida-based component.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved
“So does this mean that the Company’s going to start shooting films again at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?,” you ask.To be honest, no. For if you take a gander at some of the other Golden Oaks-related names that Mickey’s attorneys recently grabbed:
- GOLDENOAKESTATE.COM
- GOLDENOAKSCOMMUNITY.COM
- GOLDENOAKDISNEYCOMMUNITY.COM
- GOLDENOAKRESIDENTS.COM
One has to assume that TV production & movie making will NOT be the main focus of Florida’s Golden Oak / Oaks project. Indeed, when you check out the next four domain names that Disney registered …
- GOLDENOAKREALTYLLC.COM
- GOLDENOAKSALES.COM
- DISNEYGOLDENOAKSALES.COM
- GOLDENOAKBROCHURE.COM
… doesn’t this sound like The Walt Disney Company is getting back into the real estate game in the Sunshine State?
Well, as it turns out, Disney is. But in a very limited way. According to Mouse House insiders that I spoke with over this past weekend, Golden Oak / Oaks is the name that the Mouse & Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts have tentatively chosen for that teeny-tiny gated community which will be built as part of the luxury hotel complex that’s currently under construction on WDW property.
Copyright Disney / Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Inc. All Rights Reserved
And when I say “tiny,” I mean “tiny.” The Four Seasons reportedly plans on building only 30 – 50 private homes as part of its Disney World project. And given that these houses will be located right alongside an 18-hole golf course, they’re expected to sell for upwards of seven figures.
Now please keep in mind that just because The Walt Disney Company has registered a dozen or more domain names related to Golden Oaks & Florida doesn’t mean this Four Seasons residential development will actually wind up being called Golden Oak / Oaks. These things are subject to change without notice.
Meanwhile — out in Newhall, CA — Disney’s plans to build upwards 12 new sound stages at Golden Oak Ranch are slowly making their way through the approval process. In fact, the first official scoping meeting was held back on January 21st. And given that we’re still basically in the public-commentary phase of this project … Well, it could be a year or more before construction actually gets underway.
So — in the long run — it’ll be interesting to see which Golden Oak opens first? The residential area at WDW’s new Four Seasons Resort or the expanded production facility at Disney – ABC Studios at the Ranch?
Your thoughts?