The announcement of Disney’s newest park brought elation, skepticism, and disappointment
It should n’t add up as a vast surprise that — as CEO of The Walt Disney Company , Bob Iger , announcedon May 7 — Walt Disney will be give its newest root word park destination in Abu Dhabi . The United Arab Emirates capital already seems like one massive stem park , with its sprawl of shopping mall , manmade island , monolithic skyscrapers , and , quite literally , 18 melodic theme parks . It also tracks from a byplay linear perspective ; the parking lot will pull a new craw of Disney fans from the Middle East and is only a four 60 minutes flight from India and six hours from some parts of Europe . With the addition of this placement , Disney theme parks could be visited bypotentially 500 million people .
The Disney diehard are brimming with a mixing of excitement , theories , and skepticism . Some trust the announcement is in response to Universal Orlando ’s forthcoming theme park , Epic Universe , which is set to open May 22 .
One person report the announcement as a“slap in the face”given the amount of stamping ground and tending to detail demand on already exist parking area — just a few months ago , the ceiling at EPCOT ’s Soarin ’ Around the World attraction at Disney Worldcollapsedand nearly strike multiple guests and cast members . Another parkland goerreported see various malfunctionson one of the original Disneyland in Anaheim ’s rides “ It ’s A Small World ” . Multiple dolls were cracked , missing pegleg , or not be active at all . ( In Disney ’s defense , they are n’t allocating any of their own pecuniary resource to the Abu Dhabi park ) .
Rendering of Disneyland Abu Dhabi|Rendering courtesy of Walt Disney Company
Many take in it as afinancial play — the newfangled paper park is expected to be $ 10 billion , which will be amply fund by UAE - based society Miral Group . The parkland will still be design by Disney Imagineers , but Disney itself wo n’t have todrop a dime bag . It makes sense , seeing that last class , the parks made up59 % of Disney ’s operating income , making the parks their highest wage earner and most worthful assets .
Disneyland Abu Dhabi could also be a chance for the company to push further into the immersive play blank ; Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro toldBlogMickeythat he wants to “ gamify everything ” and see how technology and interactive game can cross with the young parkland .
Regardless , plenty of Disney fanatics are overjoyed . Youtuber Jonathan Crichton , whose subject focuses on Disney and theme car park , said in a response video“As someone who ’s been to every undivided Walt Disney musical theme park , I am not concerned in the svelte when it comes to the Disney team being able to play the thaumaturgy of Disney to Abu Dhabi … it ’s insane and almost very rigorous how Disney keeps their parks feel just the same but different . I absolutely love this . ”
Whether you ’re all agog about the declaration and planning to visit Disneyland Abu Dhabi , or just rum , here ’s what you need to have a go at it .
Where in Abu Dhabi will the Disney theme park and resort be?
The novel theme Mungo Park and resort will be located on the waterfront of Yas Island , which already has democratic melodic theme parks like SeaWorld , Ferrari World , and Warner Bros. World , all developed by Miral as well . The 9.7 square mile island is particularly commodious for tourists ; there are 10 hotels , a shuttle serve that transports guest to and from various attractions , a mangrove - run along beach , golf game course , and Yas Mall , one of Abu Dhabi ’s largest malls .
When will the theme park and resort open?
As of right on now , there is no set possible action date , but the cosmopolitan timeline has them on track to debut sometime in the former 2030s .
What will the theme park look like?
Per early renderings , it looks like a large lechatelierite castle will sit around in the heart and soul of the park and be its identifying feature of speech , as is a signature of Disney Rosa Parks . So far it appears the resort will sport one theme park and a number of hotel properties , though specific have not been announced .
What will the rides be like?
There ’s no official info yet on the specific rides or attractions . In astatement , CEO Bob Iger said the park “ will be genuinely Disney and distinctly Emirati — an haven of extraordinary Disney amusement at this crossroads of the world that will add to life our timeless role and story in many new shipway . ” Whatever that mean .
What are some of the concerns?
Let ’s start on the downhearted level here : drinking . Abu Dhabi once required non - Muslims to have a permission to buy alcohol . In 2020 , the cityloosened up some of its drinking lawsto boost touristry . Now , tourist and non - Muslim exile 21 and older are allowed to tope intoxicant in their homes and at licensed areas like bars and hotel . It ’s ill-defined if the new Disney park will have any licensed areas , but at the very least , it ’s extremely likely there wo n’t be an equivalent todrinking around the world at Epcot .
Then there ’s the very basic fact that this is the UAE : a country that ’s long been on theHuman Rights Watch Listof country with significant human right field concerns , which one would think might be in opposition to all that so - called “ Disney Magic . ” Islamic women in the UAE ca n’t go forth their homes without permission from a male guardian ( typically a husband , crony , or father ) . By law , they are consideredsecond class to men . Non - Muslim distaff tourists are not hold to the same criterion , and are leave to walk freely , but all women and men are have a bun in the oven to primp conservatively , covering their shoulder and knees unless at the beach or a hotel puddle .
Homosexuality is illegal in the UAE , and the punishment can go so far as the demise punishment . There is also alawthat criminalize “ men who enter a place designated for woman while disguised as a fair sex , ” which has resulted in multiple trans womengetting arrestedfor “ imitating women . ” Then there are the airport troubles : Youtuber Gigi Gorgeous had herpassport confiscatedand was detained at Dubai International Airport for not having a " logical " gender on her passport . Even if you ’re a cisgender , heterosexual man , you should also know that regardless of sexuality , public show of fondness are consider inappropriate in most surface area and illegal at religious sites .
While all of this may seem extremely UN - Disney , do n’t forget there ’s already a Disney Mungo Park in Shanghai , which — like this new labor — is not wholly owned by Disney , and is a joint speculation between The Walt Disney Company andShanghai Shendi Group . Then , of course , there ’s Florida …
It all beg the interrogation : can the Happiest Place on Earth take root and thrive in a place like Abu Dhabi ? We ’ll have to wait and see .
