2688 South Camino Real, Palm Springs, California 92264

Please, step this way as we explore Walt and Lillian's final vacation home purchase. In 1962, Walt and Lillian returned to Palm Springs and purchased Walt’s “laughing place” and their second property ever owned in the city. If you recall, the Disneys previously purchased another Palm Springs vacation home at Smoke Tree Ranch during 1948. However, the “home-away-from-home” was given up after just a few short years, in order to fund the construction of The Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad as well as purchase and restoration of it's two original engines! As a side note, I must mention that the engines and Disneyland Railroad were both built by Walt's privately owned company - WED. So this was an investment with which he would see a return on.

Walt and Lillian would purchase a second house in the Palm Springs area - “a company house at Canyon Country Club and a 10-acre date ranch at Palm Desert, which he owns with Smoke Tree President Al Weinert and Smoke Tree Manager Herb Siemesen,” according to writer Hildy Crawford of “King of Fantasy” in “Palm Springs Life” magazine. Some employees would follow suit, like architectural and interior planner & illustrator Harper Goff who moved to a home located at 2333 Via Lazo, Palm Springs, California, 92262.

"THE LIVING DESERT - IN TECHNICOLOR"

During 1962, a brand new custom 4-bedroom, 2,433 square-foot house was quickly built on the property. It was intended as a vacation residence in one of Walt's favorite hideaways. It's extremely hard to find photographs of guests enjoying the home during this time. As many of the guests were likely on private retreat, few personal pictures have surfaced or have been made public.

Walt Disney Productions employees Ben Harris (Disneyland Production), Card Walker, Ed Ettinger, and Tommy Walker occasionally utilized the residence for business meetings, e.g. a staff meeting for planning and developing c.1965 Disneyland activities, held January 18-20, 1965. The following document further attests to the function of the structure (in addition to serving as the Disney's vacation home). A carbon copy of a Disneyland interoffice memo (dated July 19, 1966) verifies that the home was even made accessible to certain senior members of Disneyland management. More than the Disney family would live in this desert home!

This Inter-office communication was sent from Disneyland RETLAW conductor Ben Harris, to Royal "Mickey" Clarke (Executive Vice President of Walt Disney's privately held WED Enterprises). Ben makes request to use the Palm Springs vacation home for on… — This Inter-office communication was sent from Disneyland RETLAW conductor Ben Harris, to Royal "Mickey" Clarke (Executive Vice President of Walt Disney's privately held WED Enterprises). Ben makes request to use the Palm Springs vacation home for one week during July of 1966.

After just four years’ time to enjoy his desert retreat, Walt Disney passed away during December of 1966. For the next 53 years, the Disney family owned the home, until one day in 2015 when it was sold at an underappreciated price of $865,000. The new owner had big plans for their new acquisition. Like most Disneyland attractions, a refurbishment was in order! Incorporation of Walt Disney Studios feature film posters and attraction posters were framed to remind guests of it's former owner. Positive Walt Disney-related quotes were added in order to cast character through every room one enters. New colorful accents were added to the otherwise desert palate of the abode, resulting in the owner's "branding" the ranch house "Walt's Technicolor Dream Home".

"YOUR 'TRUE LIFE ADVENTURE' AWAITS!"

Currently (as recent as the publishing of this article - September of 2018), the home is no longer a private residence or exclusively available villa open to just privileged company members. Now, tourists and locals may visit the home as temporary tenants! Thanks to VACATION PALM SPRINGS you can actually rent the former Disney vacation house for a period as short as a weekend. "Walt's Desert Escape" rental rates vary according to the season, so make sure you plan your visit well in advance. Feel free to click the gallery below to browse a slideshow of how the home looks today.