By Sioux Falls standards, Kevin and Delena Tupy’s home in the Orlando area is an eye-popping Disney-inspired mansion.

The Beauty & the Beast-themed French chateau-inspired home in the master-planned community of Golden Oak includes a statue of Lumière by the expansive outdoor pool, a rose-adorned stained glass window and a library themed to fit the Disney classic.

But in comparison to other homes in the community of Disney-obsessed owners with millions to back their passion, it’s almost subtle.

That was the idea, said Tupy, founder of Cresten Capital, who bought the home for $5.5 million in 2019.

His was among several homes in Golden Oak featured this week in the Wall Street Journal, which reported on the Disney-themed community.

The Tupy home was included in a feature headlined “The Disney-obsessed shell out millions for homes inside this exclusive Florida community.”

“I read the Wall Street Journal real estate (section) every day,” Tupy said. “It was pretty cool (to be interviewed). I was pretty stoked.”

The reporter found him through a public records search and Tupy told the story of their move to Golden Oak from there. It’s the only residential community located on the same property as the Walt Disney World Resort. Resident perks include private transportation to Disney parks and early access to new rides.

“We love Disney and we’d heard about this community, and to us it seemed like it was this mysterious Disney community with beautiful houses and mansions, and one day while we were visiting there a friend of ours said, ‘Come on, let’s go, I want to show you something,’ and he literally took us to the Golden Oak realty office. And I get out of the car, we’re like, ‘Where are we?’ and he goes, ‘I’ve heard you talk about this for years, now let’s do something about it.'”

They toured several homes, and “we were blown away by the subtleness and the beauty of the manicured lawns and beautiful homes, but the subtleness of Disney appealed to us the most,” he said. “It wasn’t in-your-face over-the-top.”

Now, look inside some of the resulting homes — as the Wall Street Journal did — and you’ll realize that’s not universally the case.

The approximately 300 homes in Golden Oak range from the low millions to nearly $20 million, and many are overflowing with Disney collectibles and elaborately themed rooms. Character statues abound inside and out.

A home featured in the article from a member of the Bacardi liquor family includes a “Frozen” bedroom featuring “life-size figures of Anna and Elsa, as well as a bed frame dripping with giant icicles.”

Coldwellbankerhomes.com

“In a ‘Finding Nemo; room, a giant shark head protrudes from the wall, an octopus wraps its tentacles around the base of bunk beds, and visitors are greeted by the squawking of seagulls,” the article said. It’s listed for sale for $19 million.

“There are $500,000 or $750,000 theater systems that are actual replicas of the Millennium Falcon, with your screen being your movie screen,” Tupy said.

Coldwellbankerhomes.com

“We did a lot of remodeling, and some of the finishes were more French chateau than we liked, so we modernized things and we also put in a wine cellar,” Tupy said.

“And we created a second master bedroom and the guest house.”

The Lumière statue stayed, though — it has gas flames and sits at the edge of the pool — “and the flooring is just like the flooring in the original animated movie. It’s the same style and theme,” Tupy said.

“It’s very subtle. Some of the homes in Golden Oak go over the top on some of the theming. We prefer more subtle nuances to characters and themes. The stained glass rose is a big one.”

His wife, Delena, enjoys hunting for vintage Disney memorabilia and has it displayed in the library as well as throughout the home.

Tupy estimates they visit the home at least once per month, as several locations in his Anytime Fitness portfolio are in the Orlando area.

“We’re still looking at developing in the market, because obviously it’s so significantly growing and expanding. Competition is all institutional and private equity groups, so it makes it a harder play, but we do have a residential real estate firm down there called Society Partners with a couple agents that work for the firm,” he said.

The Wall Street Journal article references recent controversy surrounding Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his feuds with The Walt Disney Co.

Tupy, however, took a tongue-in-cheek approach when saying politics isn’t discussed much in Golden Oak.

 “Disney is more of a religion,” he said in the interview. “We worship the mouse.”

Meanwhile, Mickey’s master-planned community hasn’t been a bad investment, he added.

“Home values have doubled,” Tupy said. “I think the standard is $1,000 per square foot. But the thing is, you’re not going to buy anything there because all the lots are sold and have been for awhile, and now they’re finishing up building on the remaining lots.”