Homes Fit for McDuck and Glomgold

I filed a story earlier today that might be the only time in my professional writing career that I'll be able to mention the world's two richest ducks. Even better, the reference fits the story (actually just three graphs of a column), which is about Walt Disney Co.'s curious new plans to develop an upper-end residential community at DisneyWorld. Upper-end, as in resort homes for which the Mouse will ask $1.5 million to $8 million each. It seems like a contrarian play, but I suppose if anyone can make it work, it's Disney.

"Not every player in the new-home game is discouraged, however," I wrote. "Certainly not Walt Disney Co., which unveiled plans on Wednesday to develop vacation homes at its Walt Disney World resort in central Florida. Not just any vacation homes, either, but properties aimed at a distinctly upscale clientele — say Scrooge McDuck or Flintheart Glomgold."

For those unfamiliar with Flintheart Glomgold, familiarize yourself immediately. And then go to the main page of Who's Who in Duckburg to fritter away even more time. Or maybe "fritter" isn't the right word; the Ducks were part of my education, after all. But I realize that not everyone was fortunate enough to grow up in a house stocked with 1950s and '60s vintage Walt Disney's Comics & Stories, or have a subscription Walt Disney Comics Digest during most of its run, but the Internet can partly make up for that in our time.