Disney Is Trying To Sell Thousands of Homes, Move-in Scheduled for 2028

After the first Storyliving by Disney homes sold in Rancho Mirage, California, last year, The Walt Disney Company is officially in the nationwide real estate business. Its next major development is coming to a small North Carolina town that’s about to get a whole lot bigger.

More Than 4,000 Homes Coming to Pittsboro

Storyliving by Disney has shared new details about Asteria, its planned residential community in the Chatham Park area of Pittsboro, North Carolina. The development will eventually encompass more than 4,000 homes spread across roughly 8,500 acres — giving Walt Disney Imagineers considerably more canvas to work with than the company’s first Storyliving community in California.

Sales are expected to open in 2027, starting with an initial release of 300 sites. Move-ins are scheduled for 2028, with the full community expected to develop over the next seven to ten years. All amenity spaces are planned to be complete before the first residents arrive.

The community’s name, Asteria, honors North Carolina’s state flower, the aster. In Greek mythology, the goddess Astria’s tears of stardust were said to have created the first flower when they fell to Earth.

“We thought it was a beautiful way to honor North Carolina’s natural beauty from the Earth to the sky,” a Walt Disney Imagineering representative said in 2025.

Learning From Cotino

Asteria will be the second Storyliving by Disney community in the United States, following Cotino in Rancho Mirage, California. Cotino broke ground in 2022, began selling homes in 2025, and has moved roughly 500 of its planned 1,900 residences so far.

The lessons from Cotino are shaping how Asteria is being developed. Claire Bilby, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Signature Experiences Emerging Businesses, told journalist Scott Gustin that the two communities are serving different markets; Cotino leans toward vacation and second-home buyers, while Asteria is being built around year-round, multigenerational living near the growing Research Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.

“Cotino made sense because of its connection to Walt Disney and the creative history of that area. We leaned into creativity there. And we do have full-time residents at Cotino, but it’s not the majority,” Bilby explained. “Here in Pittsboro, North Carolina, it’s a very different story. The landscape is beautiful, and there’s tremendous growth, especially around the Raleigh area. Storyliving is about multigenerational living, so this is a place where grandparents, parents, and children can all live close together.”

Another structural difference: while Cotino club membership is optional, every Asteria resident will be required to join the community club, guaranteeing equal access to amenities and programming across the board.

What Disney Is Actually Selling

Prospective buyers drawn by the Disney name but wary of living inside something that feels like a vacation destination will find that Storyliving by Disney has heard that concern loud and clear.

“The biggest feedback we heard was: ‘I don’t want to live in a theme park or resort year-round. This is my home,'” Bilby told Gustin. “People want what Disney represents, not a constant theme park environment. We define this as a unique Disney experience. First, there’s place-making by Walt Disney Imagineering, blending regional identity with Disney storytelling. Second, there’s Disney-level service delivered by cast members operating the amenities. And third, there are experiences only Disney can offer.”

In practice, that means a Peter Pan (1953)-inspired main clubhouse called the Second Star Club, featuring a restaurant named Marquet Hall, a wellness center, creative studio spaces, the Piedmont Proper event pavilion, a dedicated 55+ space called Longtable Lodge, and the surrounding Aster Green lawn. Touches from Bambi (1942), Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Beauty and the Beast (1991) also run through the design. A separate five-bedroom storybook residence, Lost Key Cottage, will be available to residents for overnight stays and private events.

Programming, Bilby added, will shift based on what residents actually want.

“The programming will evolve based on what residents want,” she said. “It will never be a theme park, but it will have those Disney touches. And as the community grows, we can expand offerings, whether that’s curated travel, cruises, or Adventures by Disney. Ultimately, we stay flexible and respond to what residents are interested in.”

Interest in the North Carolina development is described as “strong.” Storyliving by Disney is actively building a waitlist, with more details available on the official website and at a dedicated D23 Expo 2026 booth this summer.

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