Disney News, Discussion & an Element of Fun - 2025 Edition

[ChrisFL]

So I looked into the company that is building this park and found their portfolio:
https://miral.ae/miral-portfolio/

They seem to focus on hotels/resorts but the closest things I can find that could be similar to a Disney park are Seaworld, Ferrari Land and Warner Bros. Abu Dhabi. All 3 of these parks are indoor theme parks (due to how insanely hot it is climate wise) so I wonder if Disney will go the same route? I'm 100% ignoring that concept art; Disney are the masters of NOT following that LOL

I'm also wondering if this will ever be built to begin with. Six Flags and Universal had plans to build theme parks in the MIddle East but both were eventually canceled.

I believe the Six Flags and Universal plans were prior to the 2008 financial meltdown, it's (theoretically) a much better time now.

 

[DeeBee3]

Less than 5% of the world's population lives in the US. The US is not a consideration for this.

And, it wasn't for any of the other non-domestic resorts, either.

Agree completely. My thought process is why does it take so long for them to update or build rides in the US, but then 123, things are done overseas. Is it simply because it's another company's financing? Just thinking how quickly Epic developed compared to something like Tron or an update to Splash. I'm not an engineer or a financial person, but it just seems jarring.

 

[ChrisFL]

Agree completely. My thought process is why does it take so long for them to update or build rides in the US, but then 123, things are done overseas. Is it simply because it's another company's financing? Just thinking how quickly Epic developed compared to something like Tron or an update to Splash. I'm not an engineer or a financial person, but it just seems jarring.

something something shareholders and capex costs

 

[Brian Noble]

Just thinking how quickly Epic developed compared to something like Tron or an update to Splash.

Epic wasn't developed in the middle of the world's most popular operating theme park. That has at least something to do with it.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Agree completely. My thought process is why does it take so long for them to update or build rides in the US, but then 123, things are done overseas. Is it simply because it's another company's financing? Just thinking how quickly Epic developed compared to something like Tron or an update to Splash. I'm not an engineer or a financial person, but it just seems jarring.

From what I've read: building new is inherently faster: no theme park guests and current operations getting in the way, the whole site can be a construction zone. Then there's the spreading out of the costs. Then there's spreading out the big new things opening for marketing purposes. Finally, most guests aren't tuned in to Disney news on the daily so they don't notice whether something takes a while or not, they often just find out when the marketing for a new ride ramps up in the lead up to the opening.

Maybe

 

[fatmanatee]

Agree completely. My thought process is why does it take so long for them to update or build rides in the US, but then 123, things are done overseas. Is it simply because it's another company's financing? Just thinking how quickly Epic developed compared to something like Tron or an update to Splash. I'm not an engineer or a financial person, but it just seems jarring.

TDL's Space Mountain project is expected to take three years, and that's assuming there's no delay. I believe Frozen in Paris is also at least a three year project? I'm not really convinced this is a US thing, or even a Disney thing. I think the F&F coaster at Universal Hollywood is a three year project, and that one seems to be a lightly themed outdoor coaster.

EU probably has a benefit to being developed on new land, fewer restrictions to keep construction moving. Will be curious to see how long projects take once they finally start moving on Islands and USO replacements.

 

[HokieRaven5]

From what I've read: building new is inherently faster: no theme park guests and current operations getting in the way, the whole site can be a construction zone. Then there's the spreading out of the costs. Then there's spreading out the big new things opening for marketing purposes. Finally, most guests aren't tuned in to Disney news on the daily so they don't notice whether something takes a while or not, they often just find out when the marketing for a new ride ramps up in the lead up to the opening.

Maybe

Theres definitely less restrictions building in an undeveloped lot vs an existing infrastructure. The concern over guest disruption being one of the aspects Disney would have to consider for it.

Disney also had global projects going on beyond just Tron which once closures happened they had to pick and choose which projects to push forward with more over the others.

Will also remind that while Epic was completed in a timely fashion it was also delayed by 2 years from the initial start of construction in 2019 with an original completion date of 2023

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

TDL's Space Mountain project is expected to take three years, and that's assuming there's no delay. I believe Frozen in Paris is also at least a three year project? I'm not really convinced this is a US thing, or even a Disney thing. I think the F&F coaster at Universal Hollywood is a three year project, and that one seems to be a lightly themed outdoor coaster.

EU probably has a benefit to being developed on new land, fewer restrictions to keep construction moving. Will be curious to see how long projects take once they finally start moving on Islands and USO replacements.

Theres definitely less restrictions building in an undeveloped lot vs an existing infrastructure. The concern over guest disruption being one of the aspects Disney would have to consider for it.

Disney also had global projects going on beyond just Tron which once closures happened they had to pick and choose which projects to push forward with more over the others.

Will also remind that while Epic was completed in a timely fashion it was also delayed by 2 years from the initial start of construction in 2019 with an original completion date of 2023

Always good to consider the wider context!

 

[Minnie1222]

I cannot wait for the mass protests, walkouts, moments of silence, etc. from Disney employees and others regarding the LGBTQAI+ community betrayal by the leadership of this for-profit enterprise.

I hope they don't do any of that. Think of this as an opportunity to bring our culture into another region.

 

[Minnie1222]

Now we got new leadership, they are now openly touting that UAE is the greatest opportunity for expansion. "It was very, very clear to us that of all of the places that we could choose from, there didn't seem to be any place that was better than this," Iger said. Really?

Yes, really! Geographically this is one of the best locations. Ever flown from Europe to Asia?

 

[ChrisFL]

In general (not really related to Disney), I think the influence of a lot of "western" things to the middle east MAY help slowly ease the more extreme historic issues with diversity, etc.

In other words, the more exposure everyone gets to various cultures, the more they're willing to bend on things IMO and MAYBE we'll see less restrictions of things just due to it being more financially viable.

This isn't like building in Iran or Saudi Arabia.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

In general (not really related to Disney), I think the influence of a lot of "western" things to the middle east MAY help slowly ease the more extreme historic issues with diversity, etc.

In other words, the more exposure everyone gets to various cultures, the more they're willing to bend on things IMO and MAYBE we'll see less restrictions of things just due to it being more financially viable.

This isn't like building in Iran or Saudi Arabia.

Has this approach and thinking worked in China? The People's Republic of China (i.e. Chinese Government) hasn't been getting more tolerant with Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Dali Lama (etc.) as more and more western influence comes ashore, like the Olympics, US enterprise industry/manufacturing, NBA games and Disney parks.

Has all of the "westernization" of UAE thus far has really changed their minds to de-criminalize marital rape? You know, I have to work cases, that involve sexual abuse. Fortunately, the cases are not marital rape. Unfortunately, the cases are child sexual assaults. So, I have a big problem with folks trying message that we will change minds by financial investment with countries that we know have been unwilling to adopt basic human rights (and yes, I think being free from rape is a basic human right).

In the end I hope you are proven correct. I won't hold my breath for UAE Parks exclusive Pride merchandise or the UAE Disney Park hard-ticketed Pride night to ease and bend on issue like de-criminalization of homosexuality. I guess I am a total skeptic that TWDC actually cares about the LGBTQAI+ community and instead TWDC just says words.

 

[Brian Noble]

"It was very, very clear to us that of all of the places that we could choose from, there didn't seem to be any place that was better than this," Iger said. Really?

Well, it depends on what your metric is. For $ome metric$, it's probably correct.

 

[peder]

Has this approach and thinking worked in [anywhere]

100% agreed with you. In the last decade or even longer, culture is now considered a critical aspect of national security. Many countries ban or make it very difficult for foreign social media apps to thrive, for instance. China, Brazil, Russia, the EU and more all have corporate nationalism, pushing home-grown companies ahead of American firms. Basically: using the free-market to push Americanism hit a wall, and the global economy is fracturing because many countries now view Americanization of their own culture as a fundamental threat to their continued existence.

Next 20 years of decoupling are going to be kinda wild.

 

[ChrisFL]

Has this approach and thinking worked in China? The People's Republic of China (i.e. Chinese Government) hasn't been getting more tolerant with Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Dali Lama (etc.) as more and more western influence comes ashore, like the Olympics, US enterprise industry/manufacturing, NBA games and Disney parks.

Has all of the "westernization" of UAE thus far has really changed their minds to de-criminalize marital rape? You know, I have to work cases, that involve sexual abuse. Fortunately, the cases are not marital rape. Unfortunately, the cases are child sexual assaults. So, I have a big problem with folks trying message that we will change minds by financial investment with countries that we know have been unwilling to adopt basic human rights (and yes, I think being free from rape is a basic human right).

In the end I hope you are proven correct. I won't hold my breath for UAE Parks exclusive Pride merchandise or the UAE Disney Park hard-ticketed Pride night to ease and bend on issue like de-criminalization of homosexuality. I guess I am a total skeptic that TWDC actually cares about the LGBTQAI+ community and instead TWDC just says words.

I do think it's different as China (Shanghai) is only catered toward Chinese where UAE is trying to attract a wider audience from Asia/Europe

 

[Minnie1222]

The UAE knows where Disney stands with certain human right issues. Inviting Disney into their culture is a big leap for them.

 

[lowlight]

The UAE knows where Disney stands with certain human right issues. Inviting Disney into their culture is a big leap for them.

Yes, I’m sure they will not use any of the forced labor they are known for to build this theme park. We should call it “UAE’s Great Leap Forward”.

 

[Minnie1222]

Yes, I’m sure they will not use any of the forced labor they are known for to build this theme park. We should call it “UAE’s Great Leap Forward”.

Every country has its own problem. I'm sure there are no forced labor on migrant workers here in America.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

My head hurts.

 

[bookbabe626]

My head hurts.

Mine too. I’d just like people to move away from the politics of this announcement and back onto the “Disney” topic more specifically, before they get the thread shut down.

Can we debate what rides we think might work in an indoor Disneyland instead?