Celebration Fun Facts

The town of Celebration in Florida is a place that attracts many people including celebrities due to its beautiful 20th-century architectural style and peaceful environment, but do you know who is the biggest celebrity that has ever lived in our town? I do understand that considering a person a celebrity can be subjective, however, when a country with a territory almost as big as the United States considers someone to be the greatest personality in the history of television, I would say that this person is indeed the biggest celebrity to ever live in our town. That country is Brazil and that name is Silvio Santos.   The Man Behind the Name He was famous by his stage name of Silvio Santos but his real name was Senor Abravanel. He was the son of a father of Greek Jewish descent and a mother of Turkish Jewish heritage, who grew up in the neighborhood of Lapa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started as a street vendor at the age of 14 in the 1940's in downtown Rio and went on to become the biggest TV host of all time. He was the owner of Grupo Silvio Santos that included his own TV channel called “SBT” which is the second largest television network in Brazil. His net worth was USD $2.3 billion in 2013. It is impossible to find a person in Brazil who does not know who Silvio Santos is.     His Charisma He connected with the audience like no other TV host. He had an ear-to-ear smile. His laugh was something that can’t be explained in words other than if he was laughing, the entire room was laughing, as was everyone watching him at home. He had a very charismatic personality, a very unique style and a voice like no other. He was considered one of the most influential and beloved people in Brazil. His famous catchphrase was “Who wants money?” and every Sunday the entire country would be watching him in his several shows and contests. He became part of Brazilian history.     Life in Brazil He lived in the prominent neighborhood of Morumbi in São Paulo which should be similar to the quality of life of the United States. However, he used his platform to criticize aspects of life in Brazil including poverty, inequality, lack of access to basic services, all which contributed to higher crime rates in Brazil. In 2001, one of his daughters was kidnapped but thankfully returned unharmed. Once, Silvio Santos himself was held hostage at gunpoint in his own home. He often expressed his dream for Brazilians to be able to enjoy a similar standard of living as people in the United States.    Photo: Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil   His Love for Celebration He was a resident of Celebration and he found comfort and joy in being in our town. He spent months each year in his Celebration home with his wife and pets enjoying the simple things in life. In Celebration, he was able to live a more “normal” life away from the big crowds of fans and most importantly away from the constant threat of crime. He was sometimes seen at the Publix on Blake Road while shopping in his pajamas or enjoying dinner at downtown Celebration with his family.  He would interact with the few Brazilian fans who were lucky to spot him, he gave autographs and took pictures.    Photo: Silvio Santos with wife and pets in front of their Celebration home.    Photo: Silvio Santos and wife at the Italian restaurant in downtown Celebration, Reggiano's of Celebration.   Many people in Brazil know about Celebration because of Silvio Santos. If he liked living here, then it must be a great town. He passed away in August of 2024 at the age of 93. Even though he’s no longer with us, his legacy lives on and the Abravanel family continues to be a big part of our Celebration community. He was a very smart man to have been able to build his empire from nothing but he was a smarter man for having discovered the beauty of Celebration.    Photo: After Silvio Santos' passing, fans left flowers in front of his home in Celebration.    Photo: Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil dressed as Silvio Santos as a tribute after his passing.   Valeu Silvio!                  

Have you ever wondered why you cannot find any Airbnb options in Celebration, Florida when trying to book an Airbnb for your Disney World vacation? Some Airbnb posts include Celebration in the title but in fact those places are not located in Celebration but the surrounding areas. So why can’t you find any?Honestly, from a visitor’s point of view it would be a dream come true to stay in one of the beautifully designed homes in the town Walt Disney dreamed of and waking up to see all the green areas around Celebration while enjoying a cup of coffee on a comfortable rocking chair on a front porch overseeing a pond. You might even be able to see a deer or two walking around!   However, the truth is that Celebration believes that only residents should be able to enjoy those precious moments. In fact, Celebration does not allow Airbnbs to operate within the town and it strictly prohibits short-term rentals in residential areas. This makes it a difficult environment for Airbnb hosts to operate legally and without the risk of penalties. You can find Airbnbs in nearby neighborhoods around Disney World like Kissimmee, Davenport and Windermere but Celebration is kept out of reach for these types of rentals and this just adds to the uniqueness of the town. The message from the town is you can come by, eat at our restaurants, walk around, even enjoy some of our events but when the day is over only residents can enjoy these amazing houses, townhouses, condos and long-term apartment rentals.   The good news is that there are other options that will allow you to stay in Celebration and see how it feels to wake up in Walt Disney’s town. The top choices are hotels like the Celebration Hotel located downtown steps away from all the downtown fun or the Meliá Orlando Celebration Hotel which a resort with lots of amenities that guarantee a great time.   Celebration Hotel   Meliá Orlando Celebration   Celebration really is a unique town and no you will not find any Airbnbs here. If you have love for the town like I do, you might want to consider buying a vacation property here. A house, a townhouse or a condo would be a perfect vacation home when visiting Disney World and it could even become a stay-forever home. There are also luxurious long-term rental apartments available like the ones at the Cortland Colburn complex. I am beyond lucky to call Celebration my home and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Are you ready to love Celebration?

The town of Celebration in Florida is a beautiful place for sure, you can immediately see its beauty as soon as you step into this amazing town. Its green areas and trails, the beautifully designed homes and streets look so surreal. But besides all this, do you know why Celebration is so special? Some residents might have different reasons as to why Celebration is special to them but for most of us, it all started with a mouse.Location, Location, Location!Celebration is located just outside the Most Magical Place on Earth, a 5-minute drive to Disney World. This is a dream come true for any Disney fan or anyone who loves to have a good time. Disney World does not only consist of theme parks, there is also amazing dining options, shows, live music, entertainment, shopping, just anything you can imagine when you think of having a good time either as a family, as a couple or solo. A Very Special HistoryCelebration is a town that was designed by Disney so it is not a surprise that its first name was Disney’s Town of Celebration. Disney was inspired by the charm of small-town America and had the dream of creating a community that combined both modern conveniences with a traditional look. The Disney Development Company (DDC) established the Celebration Company to oversee the development of the community. The DDC invested an estimated US$2.5 billion in the project. To decide who would be the first residents, Disney held a lottery type of selection process where 1,200 people submitted $1,000 deposits. The first family moved in on June 18, 1996, and the downtown area was completed on November 12, 1996. Beautiful Design and PlanCelebration is a master planned community (MPC) which is a large, custom built residential community. The community was designed in an early 20th-century architectural style, with homes featuring porches, picket fences, and different types of roof lines. Civic buildings were designed by world-famous architects like Philip Johnson, Cesar Pelli, and Robert A.M. Stern.   If You Get It, You Get ItSimilar to Disney, those who like Celebration are those who understand its magic so yes if you get it, you get it. The appreciation of the town from its residents and fans in general come from each person's connection and life memories of Disney and you can see it and feel it while you walk around Celebration. Residents are always happy, smiling and greeting each other.   Celebration has a special place in my heart. Even though it is no longer owned by Disney, Celebration is located on land that used to be part of the Walt Disney World Resort which is now part of Kissimmee and Osceola County. Celebration is a fun place to live with lots of events and activities, not to mention the ongoing growth of amazing restaurants and shopping options as a result of a recent expansion project of the town. While growth is inevitable, the Disney and Celebration fans hope that the special feeling that you get while you are in Celebration never goes away. Thanks to Walt Disney for making his dreams come true because they became our dreams.