****New Disney Park !!!???*****

[nalabell]

Just saw this on the business wires. Thought I would share.

Malaysia in Talks to Build First Disney Theme Park in Southeast Asia: Government Minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia is exploring plans to build the first Disney theme park in Southeast Asia, a government minister said Tuesday.
Effendi Norwawi, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of economic affairs, said the government is in talks with Disneyland operators in Japan and the United States to establish a theme park in the southern state of Johor, near Singapore.

"We are exploring all our options, including this (Disneyland) because in the southern corridor development, we want it to be a comprehensive and attractive region," he was quoted as saying by national Bernama news agency. "So this will include theme park and other attractions."

Effendi said the government hopes for an agreement with Disney, but it is also "discussing with several other parties to get the best option." He did not give details and could not be reached for further comments.

Building a Disney park would likely boost tourism for Malaysia and would pose stiff competition to Singapore, which is building two casino resorts. Tourism is Malaysia's No. 2 foreign exchange earner, after manufacturing.

Walt Disney Co. opened a theme park in Hong Kong in September.

Alannah Goss, a spokeswoman for Disney's Asian operations based in Hong Kong, told The Associated Press that the company constantly assesses strategic markets worldwide but declined to say if Johor is on the list. She said she is aware of ongoing talks.

"We are constantly evaluating strategic markets in the world to grow our park and resort business and the Disney brand," she said. "We continue to evaluate markets but at this time, we have no plans to announce regarding a park in Malaysia."

The Edge business weekly reported over the weekend that Malaysian government officials have made an attractive offer to Oriental Land Co., the Japanese operator of Tokyo Disneyland, to run a similar park in Johor.

The plan is to bring Mickey Mouse and the fantasyland to a 2,000-acre site in the new proposed Nusajaya township in Johor, it quoted unidentified sources as saying.

The newspaper said Walt Disney Co. is interested in the proposed Malaysian park as it will not compete with other Disney parks in Hong Kong and Tokyo due to geographical distance.

Shanghai's mayor said in March that the city is prepared to build a Disney park, but Disney officials have said while talks were underway, no agreement has been reached.

 

[nalabell]

Anyone want to put odds on if this will be built. I give it 1 in 50.

 

[dbm20th]

I would put the odds slightly higher, considering the money and population there.

 

[DLcastmbr]

this is looking to be very true. Not only have i heard talk of it at disney I just saw the news today.( ABC news owned by disney) about the malasia deal. This has me quite excited. Although i lost a bet with my friend i thought the next one would be in austrailia.

 

[ChrisFL]

Hmm, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Tokyo...and maybe mainland China as well...does it seem to be a bit much to anyone else?

 

[crazy4wdw]

Disney says has no plans for Malaysian park
Tue May 30, 2006 2:02 PM ET

LOS ANGELES, May 30 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday said it has no plans to build a theme park in Malaysia -- even though government officials in that country said they had been in talks to develop one.

"We are constantly exploring opportunities around the world as we look to grow our parks and resorts business. At this time, however, there are no existing discussions in Malaysia and we currently have no plans for a Disney-branded resort development in that country," said Lisa Haines, a spokeswoman for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Malaysian government officials said they are in talks to set up a Disney theme park in southern Johor state, as it battles neighbor Singapore to become a major tourist hub.

Government officials have held talks with executives from Oriental Land Co. Ltd., the Japanese company that operates Tokyo Disneyland, to run a similar park in Malaysia, The Edge financial weekly reported over the weekend, citing sources.

But Disney said it has held no such talks.

"Oriental Land Company, which owns and operates Tokyo Disney Resort as our licensee, is a valued partner; however, they have no role in evaluating or negotiating other opportunities for Disney outside of Japan," Haines said.

Malaysian Economic Planning Minister Effendi Norwawi told reporters on Tuesday the country was exploring all options to make the southern corridor an attractive region.

"So it will include theme parks and other attractions, so we are hoping to get Disney; but we are discussing with several other parties to see which is the most realizable option," he said.

"Yes, we have been in discussions with Tokyo and also with Disney in the U.S," he added, without giving further details.

Japan's Oriental Land said it had done some research in Johor on a possible leisure business but said the project was not related to Disney.

"We are only a Disney licensee. We have no rights to set up a Disney park nor provide advice on its operations," said an Oriental Land spokesman.

The Japanese company late last year did research to see if a leisure business was possible on request from the Malaysian government, he said. No decision has been made following the research, he added.

The Japanese company has conducted such research in several countries in the past, he said.

Malaysia is eager to develop Johor state, separated by a thin strip of water from Singapore -- which is itself chasing the tourist dollar by developing a casino industry.

The theme park could occupy 2,000 acres in Nusajaya, part of a 23,000 acre township being developed by state-controlled UEM World Bhd (UEMW.KL: Quote, Profile, Research), The Edge said.

Tokyo Disneyland is one of Asia's top tourist sites and, with the adjacent DisneySea, draws 25 million visitors a year.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

 

[MJMcBride]

I thought the Hong Kong was doing poorly. Am I wrong about that?

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

Anyone want to put odds on if this will be built. I give it 1 in 50.

Hmm, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Tokyo...and maybe mainland China as well...does it seem to be a bit much to anyone else?

I put my bet on that the next Disneyland will be built in either mainland China or India. If you consider that the majority of the worlds population lives in this area it makes sence. Now, will the average chinese or malaysian family be able to afford it?

 

[Michael623]

What ever happened to the rumor that Disney had committed to a park outside of Seoul? Or did I just imagine that?

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Now, will the average chinese or malaysian family be able to afford it?

The average? no, but the economic gaps over there is tremendous. There are more luxury cars and multimillion-dollars home there than here in North America.

Put it this way, anybody heard of the phone Vertu? I'm talking about a cell phone that costs thousands of dollars, can be custom 'bling-ed' with diamonds etc. Here in North America you can only buy it through catalog and special orders but you can't actually see samples of the items until you buy it. In Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Singapore, there are SEVERAL Vertu stores where people can actually walk in and buy their lower-end phone (the one that's "only" gold plated). There are more Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferarri dealers in South East Asia than in North America.

Yeah, it does make sense for them to open a park in Malaysia.

 

[Mickey1122]

I'd build one in Europe. There's only the one in France.

 

[MJMcBride]

Does the French park do as well as they hoped? I know it started off poorly and rebounded. Where are they now? You never do hear of the possibilty of a new park in Europe.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I for one won't ever go to the one in France. I've had enough with the Frenchmen's attitude during my previous trips to France.

 

[ChrisFL]

I'd build one in Europe. There's only the one in France.

Well, technically 2 if you count the new Disney Studios park