Did disney buy land in oklahoma?

[JeanfromBNA]

I always thought that a National Park themed resort in the Western U.S. would be an awesome DVC.

 

[WaywardMemphian]

The North side of Houston is pretty much the only one of these rumors that makes sense. Both north-south and East-west interstates passes thru, 2 airports, two cruise terminals, large cheap work force availability, ~20 million people within a 6 hour drive, relatively plentiful water, far enough inland that a tropical storm is only a one day event, gets 1-3 freezes year, already a Latin American tourist destination, etc.

Didn't Houston Poop can their cruise terminal? Now I hear Corpus Christi is getting delusions of grandeur.

 

[OSUZorba]

Didn't Houston Poop can their cruise terminal? Now I hear Corpus Christi is getting delusions of grandeur.

Galveston has grown rapidly as a cruise terminal the last few years. It is almost entirely supported by Texas and connecting states.

If there was any truth to mid America Disney Land, I think it would go into Houston, San Antonio or somewhere in between. Oklahoma gets too cold in the winter for a year round park. Houston would have no competition also, while San Antonio has Six Flags.

 

[dreiwhit]

Count Missouri on the long list of states that have had rumors of Disney buying up lots of land there too.

Alabama as well. There was a hush hush rumor about 10 years ago that Disney was looking at land near the city I live to put in a water park. Where they were looking was right off I-65 and 20 minutes north of Montgomery, so I thought it had at least a glimmer of truth to it. I was told later that Disney decided not to open up a water park there.

 

[WaywardMemphian]

Galveston has grown rapidly as a cruise terminal the last few years. It is almost entirely supported by Texas and connecting states.

If there was any truth to mid America Disney Land, I think it would go into Houston, San Antonio or somewhere in between. Oklahoma gets too cold in the winter for a year round park. Houston would have no competition also, while San Antonio has Six Flags.

Paris, Tokyo, and Shanghai say you are wrong on the cold thing.

Six Flags and Sea World are unimportant to Disney cause Disney.

 

[OSUZorba]

Paris, Tokyo, and Shanghai say you are wrong on the cold thing.

Six Flags and Sea World are unimportant to Disney cause Disney.

Yeah, there are other cold weather Disney Parks, but I really don't see them putting one in the US, especially when Texas makes the most sense any ways.

I agree Sea World and Fiesta Texas wouldn't be huge competition, but Houston is a bigger market, with no competition at all.

 

[Q-man]

I doesn't really make sense for Disney to build another DL/WDW style resort in the US. The two existing resorts are convenient to most of the US population and most international destinations. A new park in the middle somewhere wouldn't dramatically increase the number of people who are going to US Disney parks.

They could have used a DL style park in mid-America but there is no reason to copy WDW.

I agree it probably will never happen because of DVC sales at WDW.

When I lived in Houston I dreamt of a DCL route between Port Canaveral- Houston. 3 days to PC, 5-8 days at WDW and 3 days back to Houston. Stop at Key West one way and Castaway Cay the other way.

 

[OSUZorba]

They could have used a DL style park in mid-America but there is no reason to copy WDW.

I agree it probably will never happen because of DVC sales at WDW.

When I lived in Houston I dreamt of a DCL route between Port Canaveral- Houston. 3 days to PC, 5-8 days at WDW and 3 days back to Houston. Stop at Key West one way and Castaway Cay the other way.

Too bad they would have to Flag in the US to do a Galveston to PC one-way, without visiting a distant foreign port first. They also can't do an all US itinerary unless they flagged in the US.

 

[jknezek]

Too bad they would have to Flag in the US to do a Galveston to PC one-way, with visiting a far away port first. They also can't do an all US itinerary unless they flagged in the US.

It would be easily solved stopping at Castaway Cay in both directions, or Castaway and Freeport. Or Mexico one direction, Castaway the other. Or if the politics ever get cleared up, Castaway and Cuba. I think it's a clever idea, I just wonder how many people would be interested in taking a 6 day cruise broken up into 2 choppy pieces. Let alone everyone has to be at WDW the same amount of time.

I've always thought the better idea was 4 days at WDW, a week or 10 days to transit the Panama Canal with a stop, and 2 days at DLR. Then they send the boat back the other way. I'm sure Disney could work with an airfare partner to make the two required one-way tickets work for those needing them.

 

[Q-man]

Too bad they would have to Flag in the US to do a Galveston to PC one-way, with visiting a far away port first. They also can't do an all US itinerary unless they flagged in the US.

Castaway cay twice? I looked at shipping lane maps and had no idea you pretty much have to have to sail south to the Mexico border before turning east to clear all the oil rigs.

 

[Q-man]

It would be easily solved stopping at Castaway Cay in both directions, or Castaway and Freeport. Or Mexico one direction, Castaway the other. Or if the politics ever get cleared up, Castaway and Cuba. I think it's a clever idea, I just wonder how many people would be interested in taking a 6 day cruise broken up into 2 choppy pieces. Let alone everyone has to be at WDW the same amount of time.

I've always thought the better idea was 4 days at WDW, a week or 10 days to transit the Panama Canal with a stop, and 2 days at DLR. Then they send the boat back the other way. I'm sure Disney could work with an airfare partner to make the two required one-way tickets work for those needing them.

Run it each way every 3-4 days so people can decide how long they want to stay at WDW. It would be ~6 days apart with only one ship on the route. Also, you'd have a lot of people fly one way and take DCL the other way. You'd also pick up some cruisers just taking it round trip without going to WDW.

 

[skippytx]

When Waggoner Ranch in Texas went up for sale (800sq miles!), I read some comments elsewhere about how Disney should buy the land and do a theme park there. It would never work due to the location of course, but it got me thinking about where a good place for a potential 3rd US park would be. The most logical conclusion I came to is an area South West of Houston.

San Antonio wouldn't work, honestly I don't think the area could handle the extra water requirements another themepark would put on the area, and SeaWorld and SixFlags are already here. The airport is subpar compared to larger airports as well. I live in the San Antonio area and most flights you have to connect in DFW our Houston to get out of the state. I drive to Austin usually to fly to WDW and DL on direct flights as the flight selection is better out of Austin.

Houston doesn't freeze, so year round attendance wouldn't be impacted. Plenty of water, 2 International Airports, a large city to provide the workforce needed. From my perspective if it would ever happen the area would work out.

That being said, it's never going to happen. A project like that would cost way too much money in the US. Look at what Shanghai cost and that was with Disney only footing a little less than half the bill. I also agree with the comments about inexpensive airfare being a factor.

 

[ucfknight]

Run it each way every 3-4 days so people can decide how long they want to stay at WDW. It would be ~6 days apart with only one ship on the route. Also, you'd have a lot of people fly one way and take DCL the other way. You'd also pick up some cruisers just taking it round trip without going to WDW.

Except they wouldn't be allowed to do that with non-US flagged vessels unless they stopped at a "distant foreign port" (e.g. the ABC islands) on every trip.

 

[OSUZorba]

It would be easily solved stopping at Castaway Cay in both directions, or Castaway and Freeport. Or Mexico one direction, Castaway the other. Or if the politics ever get cleared up, Castaway and Cuba. I think it's a clever idea, I just wonder how many people would be interested in taking a 6 day cruise broken up into 2 choppy pieces. Let alone everyone has to be at WDW the same amount of time.

I've always thought the better idea was 4 days at WDW, a week or 10 days to transit the Panama Canal with a stop, and 2 days at DLR. Then they send the boat back the other way. I'm sure Disney could work with an airfare partner to make the two required one-way tickets work for those needing them.

That would only clear the all US ports requirement. To do a one-way between US ports you have to visit a "Distant" foreign port. The only islands in the Caribbean that meet that requirement are the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). That is why almost all Eastern US repo cruises hit the ABC islands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

 

[jknezek]

That would only clear the all US ports requirement. To do a one-way between US ports you have to visit a "Distant" foreign port. The only islands in the Caribbean that meet that requirement are the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). That is why almost all Eastern US repo cruises hit the ABC islands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

Huh. Didn't know the distant part. Nice to learn something new. Thanks!

 

[WaywardMemphian]

It would be easily solved stopping at Castaway Cay in both directions, or Castaway and Freeport. Or Mexico one direction, Castaway the other. Or if the politics ever get cleared up, Castaway and Cuba. I think it's a clever idea, I just wonder how many people would be interested in taking a 6 day cruise broken up into 2 choppy pieces. Let alone everyone has to be at WDW the same amount of time.

I've always thought the better idea was 4 days at WDW, a week or 10 days to transit the Panama Canal with a stop, and 2 days at DLR. Then they send the boat back the other way. I'm sure Disney could work with an airfare partner to make the two required one-way tickets work for those needing them.

A sidenote to this, is that Viking Cruise Lines wants to start river cruising on the Mississippi. They have to have their type of boats built I the US. They can't find anyone that can that can build it close to the cost they need on this side of the pond.

 

[WaywardMemphian]

Castaway cay twice? I looked at shipping lane maps and had no idea you pretty much have to have to sail south to the Mexico border before turning east to clear all the oil rigs.

They do cruises that go to Castaway twice and skip Nassau.

I'd love to do that.

 

[jknezek]

A sidenote to this, is that Viking Cruise Lines wants to start river cruising on the Mississippi. They have to have their type of boats built I the US. They can't find anyone that can that can build it close to the cost they need on this side of the pond.

I don't doubt it. Our shipbuilding industry is limited in capacity and capability.

 

[OSUZorba]

Huh. Didn't know the distant part. Nice to learn something new. Thanks!

I do agree it would be an awesome cruise, if they could do it.

 

[OSUZorba]

A sidenote to this, is that Viking Cruise Lines wants to start river cruising on the Mississippi. They have to have their type of boats built I the US. They can't find anyone that can that can build it close to the cost they need on this side of the pond.

That's interesting. I never knew that was part of the law. I didn't realize until just now that NCL Pride of America was also built in the US.