Disney-branded California community promises the company’s ‘special magic’

Rancho Mirage's mayor says the development is a fabulous fit', but critics question building a giant lagoon in a parched desert

A 24-acre fake lagoon constructed in the middle of the California desert will be at the heart of a new Disney-branded planned community, the company announced this week.

Rancho Mirage, California, a city in the Coachella Valley not far from Palm Springs, will be the site of Disney's first Storyliving" community, the company said in a press release.