Disney's Cotino in Rancho Mirage: 2027 Plans & News

A beach day in Rancho Mirage, then an Italian lunch, a little shopping and gelato by the water. That is the visitor experience taking shape at Cotino, the first Storyliving by Disney community. Residents are already settling in, a public waterfront district is on the way, and it has become one of Greater Palm Springs’ most talked-about new stories.

The news to plan around: Cotino Bay Beach, Dining, Shops is now expected to open to the public in spring 2027. Disney has also announced six more restaurants and shops for it. For travelers, that means the chance to add a waterfront afternoon to a desert vacation, with coffee, local makers and dinner all part of the picture.

The latest Cotino news: a spring 2027 public debut

Storyliving by Disney’s August 6, 2026 announcement named six new tenants and put the first phase of the waterfront town center in spring 2027. It had been due in fall 2026, the date you will still see in older coverage.

The announcement also gives a feel for the place: well-known local businesses alongside new restaurant concepts, an open-air marketplace and gathering spaces, with farmers markets, live music, art displays and seasonal events to come. No event dates have been published yet.

Spring 2027 is an expected opening window, not a grand-opening day, and plans can change. A hotel is part of later phases, with no opening date.

What is Cotino, and where is it?

Cotino is a residential community in Rancho Mirage. Storyliving by Disney brings Disney Imagineering’s creative direction and Disney service to a community built by a developer and independent homebuilders. DMB Development is the developer; Disney does not build or sell the homes.

It sits off Monterey Avenue between Gerald Ford Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive. The centerpiece is Cotino Bay, a lagoon of about 24 acres built with Crystal Lagoons technology. That much turquoise water gives it a look nothing like the valley’s familiar fairways and backyard pools.

There is a local thread behind it, too. Walt and Lillian Disney came to the desert to unwind: Walt bought a lot at Smoke Tree Ranch in Palm Springs in 1946, sold that first house to help pay for Disneyland, and built another there in 1957. Disney’s original Storyliving announcement tied Cotino to that history. It is a place to live with a public destination alongside it, not a new theme park.

What will visitors be able to do at Cotino?

The thing to understand is that there are three kinds of access: the public town center, the separately ticketed beach and the private club.

• Shop and dine: the waterfront town center is planned to be open to everyone. You won’t need to own a home or belong to the club to visit its restaurants and shops.
• Spend time at the beach: beach access will be ticketed, separately, so visitors can linger by the water. Disney says prices will be released later.
• Artisan Club: the community’s private club, open to Cotino residents, with its own fees and rules. A beach ticket doesn’t include it.

Ticket prices, on-sale dates and hours haven’t been announced. Check the official Cotino Bay page before building a day around the beach, especially with children or a big group.

The restaurants, coffee and shopping announced so far

The tenant list is the most appealing part of the story for a visitor. You could come for a meal and a browse without the beach being the reason for the trip. None of these are open at Cotino yet.

Six new additions

• Asada Cantina + Kitchen: Mexican food and cocktails, for lunch and dinner.
• SottoSopra: Italian from the team behind SottoVoce Cafe, from pastries and paninis to dinner.
• Big Juice: juices, smoothies, specialty coffee, breakfast and lunch.
• Mojave Flea Trading Post: a marketplace of makers and small brands, with clothing, ceramics, art and home goods.
• It Refills: refillable household and personal-care products.
• La Dolce Piccola Gelateria: homemade gelato, coffee and baked treats from a Palm Desert favorite.

Announced earlier

Elevare is planned as a waterfront restaurant serving American food. Artigiano brings Canadian specialty coffee to its first U.S. location. On the Mark Fine Foods & Provisions, already a Palm Springs favorite, is opening a second market with sandwiches and specialty foods. Khaga Yoga, a yoga studio, was also among the first tenants announced in October 2025.

Our take: the mix should suit a group with different appetites. One person wants a proper lunch, another a coffee and a shop, and the kids are lobbying for gelato. Once reservations open, book one anchor meal and leave room for the rest. Opening dates and menus are still to come.

Artisan Club: already open, for residents

Artisan Club opened in October 2025. It is the community’s private club, with places to eat, exercise, make things and spend time on the water. Disney’s look inside the club describes mid-century modern interiors filled with art and architectural pieces from the Imagineering archives.

The club has Architects Fork, a table-service restaurant; Plot Twist, a beachside restaurant and bar; a wellness center with a lap pool; tennis and pickleball courts; and creative studios. These names sometimes turn up in coverage of the public town center, but they belong to the club.

Members get art, talks, fitness, entertainment and outings, some of it inspired by Disney stories, with wellness programs run with Optum. Membership is for Cotino residents and costs extra; a vacation rental nearby doesn’t include access. Details are on the Artisan Club page.

Parr House and the desert-modern design story

For architecture lovers and Pixar fans, Parr House is the conversation piece. Inspired by the family home in Incredibles 2, it is an exaggerated take on midcentury design, built as a gathering space for club members.

Disney’s Parr House tour points out the big rockwork fireplace, the yellow kitchen cabinets and props made with Pixar: a nod to the film without turning the community into a set.

Members can book it for events and, at extra cost, for a limited number of overnight stays. It isn’t open for public tours. For a design day you can plan yourself, see our Palm Springs arts and architecture guide; in October, Modernism Week ran a sold-out tour of Cotino’s model homes, the club and the bay.

The homes behind the headlines

Cotino is planned for about 2,000 homes. It is open to buyers of all ages, with a 55-and-over neighborhood, Longtable Park. The home collections include Cottage, Grand and Estate.

The builders are Shea Homes, Woodbridge Pacific Group, Davidson Communities and Brian Foster Residences, whose designs lean into sculptural forms, materials and light.

Disney advertises homes from the mid-$1 millions, a starting point rather than an all-in cost. Buying a home doesn’t include access to Cotino Bay; that takes separate fees. For homes, prices and model visits, see the Cotino sales site.

Cotino is the first of its kind. Disney’s second Storyliving community, Asteria, is planned near Pittsboro, North Carolina.

How we would fit Cotino into a Greater Palm Springs stay

Before the public opening: plan around what is already open. Our Sunnylands guide is the place to start for a Rancho Mirage garden and design morning, and for boutiques, galleries and a long lunch, there’s El Paseo in Palm Desert. If you’re seriously thinking of buying, Cotino’s sales team arranges visits.

Once it opens: keep the first visit simple. Coffee and shopping, a beach afternoon or dinner by the water, not all three. If the beach is the point, buy the ticket first and check what it includes: shade, chairs, rentals.

With family: leave time between the outing and dinner. An hour back at the house to shower and change makes the evening easier. For a celebration, book the table you want first and build the day around it.

Check our weather guide when choosing dates, and confirm the public entrance, parking, accessibility and hours with Cotino before setting out: the sales studio is not necessarily the beach entrance.

Questions people ask

Is Cotino open to the public?

Not yet. Residents have moved in and Artisan Club is open to them. The public Cotino Bay Beach, Dining, Shops is expected to open in spring 2027. A sales visit doesn’t include the beach or the club.

When will Cotino Bay open, and how much will tickets cost?

Spring 2027 is the target. As of October 29, 2026, Disney hasn’t announced an opening day, beach ticket prices or an on-sale date. Check the official Cotino Bay page before you plan.

Is Cotino a Disney theme park?

No. It is a Storyliving by Disney residential community with a private club and a planned public shopping, dining and beach destination. Don’t expect rides, parades or characters.

Can nonresidents eat and shop at Cotino?

Yes, once the town center opens; it is meant for everyone. The beach will need a separate ticket. Architects Fork and Plot Twist are Artisan Club venues, not public restaurants.

Can anyone visit Parr House?

No. It is an Artisan Club space for member events and a limited number of paid overnight stays.

Will Cotino have a hotel?

A hotel is in the plans for a later phase, with no opening date yet.

Where is Cotino?

In Rancho Mirage, off Monterey Avenue between Gerald Ford Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive, about 20 minutes down valley from downtown Palm Springs.

A new reason to explore Rancho Mirage

Cotino’s next chapter could add a new rhythm to a desert getaway: a morning by the water, something from a local maker and a meal worth lingering over. Keep an eye on the opening news, and build the rest of the stay around the places you already love.

Sources: Storyliving by Disney, Disney’s August 2026 and October 2025 announcements, the Disney Parks Blog and D23, linked above. Checked October 29, 2026; openings, tenants, access and prices can change. Desert Luxury Estates is independent of Disney, and our homes don’t include access to Cotino or Artisan Club.