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

[indylaw99]

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?

I think almost all of my favorite Disney rides are actually indoors! The bigger problem is that a lot of the queues extend outdoors. (MMRR, Rock 'n Roller Coaster, etc). So not only do they need indoor rides, but they have to deal with the queues as well.

Disney also isn't great about indoor seating for eating. I can't imagine eating outdoors in that kind of heat. Maybe there will just be a lot more shaded areas in general than we get in the U.S. parks?

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

The Little Mermaid port at Tokyo DisneySea is all indoors and it works pretty well. Creating an underwater theme lends itself to indoor lands.

I think the Imagineers will rise to the challenge of creating great indoor spaces along with lots of for shade the outdoor spaces. I'm thinking covered walkways at the least, or open air spaces that have roofs

 

[klcts]

I’ll be there on opening day!!!

 

[bookbabe626]

The Little Mermaid port at Tokyo DisneySea is all indoors and out works pretty well. Creating an underwater theme lends itself to indoor lands.

I think the Imagineers will rise to the challenge of creating great indoor spaces along with lots of shade the outdoor spaces

It’s all pretty small rides, though. I wonder what they’d do for large coasters…thinking Tron and Space Mountain, side by side with both queues fully indoors. What portion of the other rides/etc in the current Yas theme parks is outdoors versus indoors?

I guess my worry is that lands like Toy Story at DHS and all of AK are just so boiling hot in just Florida weather, I can’t picture adding 20 degrees and less rain. Even if queues and seating areas were indoors, I’d be getting sunburnt even just during the less than five minutes you spend on a coaster like Mine Train or Big Thunder

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

It’s all pretty small rides, though. I wonder what they’d do for large coasters…thinking Tron and Space Mountain, side by side with both queues fully indoors. What portion of the other rides/etc in the current Yas theme parks is outdoors versus indoors?

I guess my worry is that lands like Toy Story at DHS and all of AK are just so boiling hot in just Florida weather, I can’t picture adding 20 degrees and less rain. Even if queues and seating areas were indoors, I’d be getting sunburnt even just during the less than five minutes you spend on a coaster like Mine Train or Big Thunder

Yeah, a challenge for sure! But on the bright side, as FL is only getting hotter and climate events more extreme, designing a park in the desert may provide valuable lessons for Imagineering that can later be applied to WDW! (Or even Tokyo and Hong Kong as their summers are brutal, too)

 

[TheDailyMoo]

They're going to build a man made island and a small themed city on top it in less time than it took to build the Cake Bake Shop

 

[HokieRaven5]

Drone show from Dubai earlier

https://twitter.com/x/status/1920237870847041734

https://twitter.com/x/status/1920248636354461827

 

[DianaMB333]

Drone show from Dubai earlier

View attachment 963485

View attachment 963486

https://twitter.com/x/status/1920237870847041734

https://twitter.com/x/status/1920248636354461827

the night shows there are going to be amazingly extravagant!! I will start saving LOL

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Did they give a projected date of when it’s scheduled to open?

I’ve enjoyed being able to say I’ve visited all Disney theme parks, but this may be an ethical compromise too far. I’ve already seen many Disney fans express their sorrow that it wouldn’t be safe for them to travel to the newest park with their family and I also worry about the atrocities that may be committed during park construction.

I understand why Disney wants to take the easy money and spread its brand throughout an area of the globe that is quite far from the current parks, and I do think the domestic parks will probably be able to free ride on some of Miral’s investment dollars… but I also feel sad that the current leadership at Disney chose to make some pretty hideous moral compromises here. There is space to be a Disney parks superfan and also mourn the choice of location here.

 

[fatmanatee]

Did they give a projected date of when it’s scheduled to open?

No. Forbes put something out about how it might be open by 2030 (i think based on an interpretation of a quote by D’Amaro but Iger was later asked by it and implied that it’s at least 6 years away. I don’t think it’s clear how early they are in the process.

 

[kylenne]

I sincerely, genuinely hope the people who are expressing anger about this know where that butterbeer and wand money down the street has been going all this time and understand the impact it’s had (particularly given recent events across the pond).

I personally won’t be going, and have doubts this place will even ever happen, but I do find it all very curious where people draw lines and where they don’t.

 

[peder]

It’s all pretty small rides, though. I wonder what they’d do for large coasters…thinking Tron and Space Mountain, side by side with both queues fully indoors. What portion of the other rides/etc in the current Yas theme parks is outdoors versus indoors?

I guess my worry is that lands like Toy Story at DHS and all of AK are just so boiling hot in just Florida weather, I can’t picture adding 20 degrees and less rain. Even if queues and seating areas were indoors, I’d be getting sunburnt even just during the less than five minutes you spend on a coaster like Mine Train or Big Thunder

Only a few months a year appear to be over-the-top hot in Abu Dhabi. We've talked about a trip to this area (we had been talking about Dubai, but same diff) during January or February when the weather is brutally cold back in the plains states.

No. Forbes put something out about how it might be open by 2030 (i think based on an interpretation of a quote by D’Amaro but Iger was later asked by it and implied that it’s at least 6 years away. I don’t think it’s clear how early they are in the process.

SeaWorld over there took something like 7 years from announcement to opening date. These giant projects do take a while to develop.

Given an extended timeline, I assume they're going to lean heavily into LLMs / chat experiences. Can you imagine animatronics that fully chat with you? That react to their environment? Rides that have a slightly different script each time?

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Did they give a projected date of when it’s scheduled to open?

I’ve enjoyed being able to say I’ve visited all Disney theme parks, but this may be an ethical compromise too far. I’ve already seen many Disney fans express their sorrow that it wouldn’t be safe for them to travel to the newest park with their family and I also worry about the atrocities that may be committed during park construction.

I understand why Disney wants to take the easy money and spread its brand throughout an area of the globe that is quite far from the current parks, and I do think the domestic parks will probably be able to free ride on some of Miral’s investment dollars… but I also feel sad that the current leadership at Disney chose to make some pretty hideous moral compromises here. There is space to be a Disney parks superfan and also mourn the choice of location here.

Though I wouldn't use your same words, the spirit behind your post is more or less how I feel. This is a great business decision and brings the Disney brand close to a lot of people "with Disney affinity" as Iger said without a lot of financial risk. I'm thinking in particular about India--LOTS of people, 3.5 hr flight from Delhi, and they don't already visit the parks in China (there aren't even direct flights between India and China, that's how poor their relationship is). I also think a lot of Imagineering advancements will be made through this deal that will benefit domestic parks, and that's exciting.

But the construction is definitely a concern. For that reason, I was trying to look up how other projects on Yas Island were built though there isn't a lot of info at a glance. I did see that the Warner Bros. Park, which is owned by Miral, was contracted out to the Belgium-based Besix group for construction. They have a Fair Labour & Migrant Workers statement on their website, which is something? My hope is that Disney will negotiate some kind of worker safety guarantee.

I think this concern and other concerns are very valid. I think it's also important not to denigrate an entire country and its people while voicing specific concerns.

 

[ChrisFL]

As a business decision.....people from the U.S. by and large would never visit this park AND additionally they would also not decide to boycott the U.S. parks because of it. The same for any other region where there's already a Disney parks presence.

The same way I forget there's a Universal park in China, I'll probably forget there's even a park in Abu Dhabi after it opens.

For Disney, it's the biggest win-win.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

I sincerely, genuinely hope the people who are expressing anger about this know where that butterbeer and wand money down the street has been going all this time and understand the impact it’s had (particularly given recent events across the pond).

I personally won’t be going, and have doubts this place will even ever happen, but I do find it all very curious where people draw lines and where they don’t.

I understand what you are saying, but respectfully, we are going to agree to disagree.

To compare a person's opinions (whether you agree or disagree) with a company that elects to do business in a country that refuses to criminalize marital rape, for instance, are not in the same ballpark at all.

I cannot control George Lucas' opinion calling Walt Disney leadership "white slavers" and treating slavery as something jovial, humorous and a joke. I don't share the same opinion as George Lucas. I think George Lucas was wrong. I forgive him. Do you expect TWDC to divest from Star Wars because George Lucas says stupid, hurtful things? I don't. Should people boycott GE and Andor because the creator of Star Wars is a puke? No, because that's stupid.

This isn't about drawing lines or people's opinions. This is about business decisions and how the company will treat its customers and serve its customers. And it cracks me up when people make it about profits over everything else.

The TWDC (a for-profit enterprise -- as some Posters like to point out) are telling its customers (who are the essential part in turning a profit -- because there is no money tree inside the Burbank office) that we are introducing a park in a country-location where you cannot be safe from the country's legal system! This business decision is materially different than a company that does business (e.g. purchases creative property) with an artist that holds an opinion that I don't necessarily share and receives royalties.

If everyone has to stop doing business with other who don't share the same opinions, there will be no business done at all. We're not monolithic, we're individuals. This issue is about laws and a legal system, not does the UAE and companies within the UAE share my opinions.

There was a time when a certain leader of the company said "To all who come to this happy place: Welcome!" Yesterday, Bob Iger masterfully got the stock bump he desperately wanted. And, he did it at the expense of his customers and their legal rights and safety! That's why I am extremely concerned with this company's direction and why an enema is needed at 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA.

 

[Minnie1222]

And, he did it at the expense of his customers and their legal rights and safety! That's why I am extremely concerned with this company's direction and why an enema is needed at 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA.

No places are perfect. Visitors were greeted with certain flags upon entering WDW. Should we all stop going to Florida?

 

[Gabby01]

I understand what you are saying, but respectfully, we are going to agree to disagree.

To compare a person's opinions (whether you agree or disagree) with a company that elects to do business in a country that refuses to criminalize marital rape, for instance, are not in the same ballpark at all.

I cannot control George Lucas' opinion calling Walt Disney leadership "white slavers" and treating slavery as something jovial, humorous and a joke. I don't share the same opinion as George Lucas. I think George Lucas was wrong. I forgive him. Do you expect TWDC to divest from Star Wars because George Lucas says stupid, hurtful things? I don't. Should people boycott GE and Andor because the creator of Star Wars is a puke? No, because that's stupid.

This isn't about drawing lines or people's opinions. This is about business decisions and how the company will treat its customers and serve its customers. And it cracks me up when people make it about profits over everything else.

The TWDC (a for-profit enterprise -- as some Posters like to point out) are telling its customers (who are the essential part in turning a profit -- because there is no money tree inside the Burbank office) that we are introducing a park in a country-location where you cannot be safe from the country's legal system! This business decision is materially different than a company that does business (e.g. purchases creative property) with an artist that holds an opinion that I don't necessarily share and receives royalties.

If everyone has to stop doing business with other who don't share the same opinions, there will be no business done at all. We're not monolithic, we're individuals. This issue is about laws and a legal system, not does the UAE and companies within the UAE share my opinions.

There was a time when a certain leader of the company said "To all who come to this happy place: Welcome!" Yesterday, Bob Iger masterfully got the stock bump he desperately wanted. And, he did it at the expense of his customers and their legal rights and safety! That's why I am extremely concerned with this company's direction and why an enema is needed at 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA.

I think the safety of the construction workers is the biggest concern here. I remember reading horrible things about migrant workers in the UAE having their passports confiscated by their employers and being forced to work in the extreme heat until many of them died. (This was years ago and to be fair, I don't know the current situation, but at the very least it remains a regional problem, as demonstrated by the World Cup in Qatar.) I don't think I could enjoy a theme park knowing it was built that way.

 

[Sir Pellinore]

I understand what you are saying, but respectfully, we are going to agree to disagree.

To compare a person's opinions (whether you agree or disagree) with a company that elects to do business in a country that refuses to criminalize marital rape, for instance, are not in the same ballpark at all.

I cannot control George Lucas' opinion calling Walt Disney leadership "white slavers" and treating slavery as something jovial, humorous and a joke. I don't share the same opinion as George Lucas. I think George Lucas was wrong. I forgive him. Do you expect TWDC to divest from Star Wars because George Lucas says stupid, hurtful things? I don't. Should people boycott GE and Andor because the creator of Star Wars is a puke? No, because that's stupid.

This isn't about drawing lines or people's opinions. This is about business decisions and how the company will treat its customers and serve its customers. And it cracks me up when people make it about profits over everything else.

The TWDC (a for-profit enterprise -- as some Posters like to point out) are telling its customers (who are the essential part in turning a profit -- because there is no money tree inside the Burbank office) that we are introducing a park in a country-location where you cannot be safe from the country's legal system! This business decision is materially different than a company that does business (e.g. purchases creative property) with an artist that holds an opinion that I don't necessarily share and receives royalties.

If everyone has to stop doing business with other who don't share the same opinions, there will be no business done at all. We're not monolithic, we're individuals. This issue is about laws and a legal system, not does the UAE and companies within the UAE share my opinions.

There was a time when a certain leader of the company said "To all who come to this happy place: Welcome!" Yesterday, Bob Iger masterfully got the stock bump he desperately wanted. And, he did it at the expense of his customers and their legal rights and safety! That's why I am extremely concerned with this company's direction and why an enema is needed at 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA.

Lots of other beloved US companies operate in UAE. Pretty much every American company. Coca Cola does so under the business name of Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverges, and are enhancing and expanding their facilities there. These facilities were built with whatever local labor practices exist, yet nobody is outraged by this.

If we're separating theme parks from the equation for some reason, then we need to be outraged at SeaWorld for building there, and Warner Brothers too. That's not to say we shouldn't hope and advocate for, say, women's rights in the Middle East. I'm pointing out that Disney is just doing what pretty much all other American companies have done forever: going after international markets.

 

[chiburple]

I think the safety of the construction workers is the biggest concern here. I remember reading horrible things about migrant workers in the UAE having their passports confiscated by their employers and being forced to work in the extreme heat until many of them died. (This was years ago and to be fair, I don't know the current situation, but at the very least it remains a regional problem, as demonstrated by the World Cup in Qatar.) I don't think I could enjoy a theme park knowing it was built that way.

I can’t imagine Disney would allow itself to be associated with those types of practices. The media hit would be too damaging.

My guess from my time living in Egypt is that the UAE government wouldn’t arrest tourists either unless the behavior was particularly overt.

Not that any of this is an excuse- I’m still disappointed in the decision.

 

[Sir Pellinore]

For whatever little it's worth (and honestly, I don't think it's worth much), I doubt Abu Dabi would arrest tourists unless their behavior is very public, which most would

I have been to Dubai and this is very true. Lots of expats there as well. But they just want your tourist dollars, nobody is asking about lifestyles at the airport or anything. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi are rather cosmopolitan (which doesn't excuse their laws, of course). Regardless I doubt few Americans will go as is the case with Disney's China parks.