WDW vs Dubailand

For those of you unfamiliar with the project, Dubailand is a proposed (under construction sort of) project in Dubai, UAE. It is proposed to be twice the size of the entire Walt Disney World complex. My question is - how do you think this will affect WDW? Will people find more interest in Dubailand due to it's novelty, will Disney still retain it's leadership through better theming and better non-park connections? Will Disney change, or is Dubailand too far away to have a deep impact?

A couple of things, please. I know this has bee talked about before, and I want to reiterate THIS IS NOT A PLACE TO DISCUSS WHETHER WE LIKE THE UAE OR NOT. Please keep this related to the parks. I understand that it's location in the world could have some effects on attendance and such, but again, lets keep this discussion focused on the parks themselves.

Now, to see how long this lasts...

I think that DubaiLand does pose a big threat in that they have a huge amount of money going into that park. They seem to have some pretty good planning, and they look like they have done their homework. So I do see it as a big threat. However, I am worried they are trying to tackle too much with too many different elements (sports, malls, parks, resorts, etc.) that they aren't going to put enough focus on any one of them.

What keeps me guessing is how Disney is going to respond to this. Will they be putting up new rides to attract new people, or will they focus on their current guest base. And will they start to take a more global view with the parks, or actually emphasize the "Americanness" of WDW?

Forgot to get the link in there. Here is a link that explains the project a bit:
http://guide.theemiratesnetwork.com/living/dubai/dubailand.php

I don't know much about this new place of which you speak, but I think the vast majority of WDW's business is from American tourists. And I just don't see many American tourists deciding that they'd rather board a jet and fly to the middle east instead of flying to Orlando, FL. I know I wouldn't. And that's not even anything necessarily to do with the fact that it is located in the violence capital of the world. Just a matter of preferring to make the shorter trip to a familiar place that I love without the hassle of changing currency over, getting a passport, etc. I don't even see this place taking away too many British tourists, for that matter. But certainly, I don't see much of a threat to WDW's business from Americans.

If this project ends up being as amazing as its hyped to be.... And if I have enough money.... I will for sure visit someday. I mean, UAE isn't exactly Iran. They do a great job of attracting, welcoming and protecting Western tourists... it's damn expensive though!

From what I've seen of Dubailand proposals, its parks will not have the quality that Disney (and to a lesser extent, Universal and Busch) parks have.

It appears to me like it will be lots of Cedair Fair and Six Flags parks on steroids.

This certainly sounds interesting. Looks like something worth checking out if it does get built. I'm sure it will be quite different from WDW so I don't think they have to worry about it stealing away all their business. (Especially since it offers services in English and there are so many English speakers in the world.) However, I do think it will have an affect in that Dubailand has a location that is in closer proximity to many countries.

This will have as much impact on Walt Disney World as Six Flags Seattle does. Meaning, it won't have any impact at all.

Dubailand only really exists on hyped up websites. There is no major theme park company building anything currently in Dubai. 10 years from now only one fourth of what is proposed on that website will actually have been built, and that which does get built will be dramatically less appealing than the proposal.

Will there eventually be some Six Flags rides plopped down in the desert with little regard to showmanship or theatrics? Maybe.
Will it have any real impact on Walt Disney World? No.
Will it have any real impact on Disneyland Paris? No.

About the only people who should be worried about a theme park of any significance being built in Dubai is a group of investors considering a Six Flags Bagdhad proposal.

Ha! Everyone is accusing Haliburton of relocating to Dubai to avoid corporate taxes and US Government scrutiny. Now we know the truth: The corporate execs are theme park geeks!

But seriously. I'd love to see another perspective on a "Vacation Kingdom", so to speak. Sadly, as an American, I just don't feel completely safe leaving the country at all right now, except for travel to Canada. I think it will probably take at least the next 10 years to repair how the world views us right now before I would consider going. WDW has nothing to worry about.

If someone would rather go to Dubai then WDW, great. One less person to stand in line behind.

Dubailnd? LOL....:ROFLOL:

I'm pretty sure WDW will be ok...:ROFLOL:

:lol:

justducky78 said:

Dubailnd? LOL....:ROFLOL:

I'm pretty sure WDW will be ok...:ROFLOL:

:lol:

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Ditto :ROFLOL:

A better comparison for Dubailand would be Nara Dreamworld....

WaltzingMatilda said:

One less person to stand in line behind.

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Brief departure from the topic for a moment... Hasn't the above response reached "no longer original" status yet?

Okay, back to topic... I think this project looks incredible and would certainly rival WDW if it ever gets built as planned. However I don't see it as being a threat to WDW's business due to it's proximity.

A threat to what? WDW doesn't have to worry about losing many potential visitors because frankly, the majority of this country is going to have ignorant views regarding Dubai. You can click on any thread on this forum discussing this park and find a pretty good example of that. I really doubt WDW would see a decent decline in international guests, as well.

Forget ignorance about the political nature of Dubai. What about the fact that it's just too far for most people over here? There are actual Disney parks in France, China, and Japan which don't seem to have hurt WDW. Why would a non-Disney park (or resort) in the UAE do any damage?

Wilt Dasney said:

Forget ignorance about the political nature of Dubai. What about the fact that it's just too far for most people over here? There are actual Disney parks in France, China, and Japan which don't seem to have hurt WDW. Why would a non-Disney park (or resort) in the UAE do any damage?

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I don't think any of those parks are nearly as large as WDW whereas the proposed park in Dubai is twice the size of WDW. I think that's where the question of threat comes from.

WHat we have to understand is that WDW and Disney have their own way of doung things. No park, resort, vacation center will ever approach the passion that WDI and Fans have for WDW.

I wonder how many DubaiLand fan sites will be popping up within the next 10 years?

WaltzingMatilda said:

If someone would rather go to Dubai then WDW, great. One less person to stand in line behind.

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Yes. Please go.:wave:

Wilt Dasney said:

Forget ignorance about the political nature of Dubai. What about the fact that it's just too far for most people over here? There are actual Disney parks in France, China, and Japan which don't seem to have hurt WDW. Why would a non-Disney park (or resort) in the UAE do any damage?

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Excellent, excellent point. I whole-heartedly agree. I really don't think there is any reason this could hurt Walt Disney World.

I think the jury is out on any effect this will have on Disney parks. I think they are two separate things because Disney has the brand recognition. Where I think the fascinating part will be is if this is equally as successful as WDW. The biggest reason: this has no brand recognition as of yet. In a way, this seems to be like a massive EPCOT Center meets zoo meets non-Disney MK. If current Disney trends are correct, this should fail miserably. If not, I think some of Disney's current decisions may be exposed as not as "trend following" as they think. Time will tell, I guess.

I think they are biting off more than they can chew, even though it's to be built in phases. It's taken over 30 years for WDW to be what it is today. Sure it will attract people from that area of the world, but I will not be flying to UAE to visit Dubailand. I am very happy with Orlando. The concept is interesting, but it seems a bit humorous-maybe the name needs to be changed.