Credit: Amaury Laporte, FlickrMickey Mouse recently packed his bags, departing from Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida to celebrate a major development in North Carolina.
Mickey Mouse Joins Disney in North Carolina
On October 17, Storyliving by Disney brought Mickey Mouse to Pittsboro, North Carolina, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Pittsboro Club and the 30th anniversary of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina. Disney is currently developing its second Storyliving Community, Asteria, in Chatham County, North Carolina.
Storyliving by Disney also donated $30,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina, celebrating the organization’s three decades of dedication to children and families in the community. The Walt Disney Company hopes its work with the Boys & Girls Clubs will continue to inspire creative confidence in kids and empower them to build a brighter future.
Join us behind the scenes as we pull off a magical surprise for Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina as #StorylivingbyDisney continues to become part of the Pittsboro community. Mickey Mouse helped make the @bgccentralcarolina 30th anniversary extra special! Asteria, a Storyliving by Disney new home community, is proud to support organizations that help young people learn, grow, and succeed.
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“It is very exciting to have Storyliving by Disney here supporting our organization,” said Dr. Fallon Brewington, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina. “To know they are stepping in as a partner and being here for us on our 30th anniversary of our organization is amazing.”
“Being part of a community means supporting the people and organizations that help make it special,” said Claire Bilby, SVP and General Manager of Storyliving by Disney. “As we look toward the future of Asteria in Pittsboro, we’re excited to build connections in the community and recognize and enhance the important work organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Carolina has already been doing.”
Of course, anyone visiting Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, or an international Disney park during Mickey Mouse’s visit to North Carolina doesn’t need to worry.
Just as Mickey Mouse and his friends use magic to move seamlessly between parades and meet-and-greets at Magic Kingdom Park in Florida and Disneyland Park in California, Mickey made sure to continue greeting Disney Park guests even while he made a surprise appearance in North Carolina. All it takes is a little pixie dust!
Asteria, a Storyliving by Disney Community
Asteria is the second-ever Storyliving by Disney community, following Disney’s first Storyliving community, Cotino in Rancho Mirage, California. According to Walt Disney Imagineering Site Portfolio Executive Shawn Montague, the neighborhood takes its name from the aster flower, which is native to North Carolina. In Greek mythology, the goddess Astria’s tears of stardust fell to Earth and sprouted the first aster flowers.
The 1,500-acre residential community will feature the rentable Lost Key Cottage, a clubhouse inspired by Peter Pan (1953), a recreation center, dedicated outdoor spaces, enrichment programming and Disney-themed activities for residents, a community garden, and other amenities crafted with the unique vision of Walt Disney Imagineers and Disney artists.
“The announcement of the Asteria community builds upon strong initial interest for our first Storyliving by Disney community in California and will expand Disney-branded communities to the East Coast,” Bilbly said in a news release in December 2023. “Our team has been working closely with Disney Imagineers to develop a unique vision for this project inspired by Walt Disney’s innate curiosity and North Carolina’s spirit of discovery.”
The first residential units are expected to be complete and put on the market in 2027, and the first families are expected to move in by the fall of 2028. The more than 4,000 single-family and multi-family homes will be located in Pittsboro, North Carolina, near Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.
It’s unclear whether Storyliving plans to bring more Disney-branded communities, such as Asteria, Cotino, and the Golden Oak residential neighborhood at Walt Disney World Resort, to other areas in the U.S. and around the world.
If you could live in one of the Storyliving by Disney communities, which one would you choose? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments!
