A Disney Park in... WISCONSIN?

[ItlngrlBella]

I live in Kenosha, WI. It's smack in the middle of the Milwaukee/Chicago Interstate 94 (I94) corridor - giant suburbs are located between and around these cities - pretty much a giant city of "Chiwaukee."

Chicago is 1 hour south, Milwaukee is 1/2 hour north, Minneapolis is 6 hours northwest, Indianapolis 4-5 hours southeast.

In Kenosha we have a defunct greyhound racetrack that is an eyesore sitting on tons of prime acreage along I94.

Our governor but the kabosh (forever) on developing the site for a Hard Rock Casino & Entertainment Complex.

Now community stakeholders are looking at "what's next" for the site.

I opened to the editorial page of KNews to read "Disney at Dairyland?" and immediately laughed at the headline.

I'm thought "Wisconsin? Disney park?" "That is crazy - this IS the FROZEN tundra - people want to escape this forsaken place!"

Then I began to read... This guy makes some very good points. I'm not holding my breath because I realize it's a pipe dream, but I'd love to see this happen in my community.

It's an AMAZING location, we have people who need jobs and would jump at the chance to work for Disney, plus for DCP, we have 3 colleges/universities in our town alone and too many to count in our region.

Here is the link:

http://www.kenoshanews.com/entertainment/larsen_dreaming_of_a_disney_heartland_481968898.html

 

[draybook]

Yeah, that weather would be the main obstacle. If they ever do build another resort/park in the States, it would be in the South/Mid-West for the warmth.

 

[Lucky]

Yeah, that weather would be the main obstacle. If they ever do build another resort/park in the States, it would be in the South/Mid-West for the warmth.

And lower labor costs. Hattiesburg would be good.

 

[ItlngrlBella]

Yes, but the article has the idea of splitting the park seasonal and year 'round.

If you do "Frozen" inspired theming as a central point (castle), what better place than the frozen tundra of Wisconsin? Midwesterners are hearty that way - snow is nothing for us and we go out in it - unless it's a 6in+ blizzard which we only get 1-2 times a winter on this side of Lake Michigan.

In regards to labor costs - we just became a right to work state 2 weeks ago.

 

[EpcoTim]

This rumor has been floating around Chicago since I was a kid. Except the resort was to be enclosed. If I remember correctly, there was even drawings in the Trib.

 

[ItlngrlBella]

That must have been long ago when I was a kid? I don't remember that? I do remember a rumor thy they were going to enclose Great America! Lol!!

 

[Mike C]

I can't see this happening. Although the parks in Wisconsin Dells are nice.

 

[Master Yoda]

Sounds like yet another plan to temporarily raise property values by invoking the name 'Disney".

 

[EpcoTim]

That must have been long ago when I was a kid? I don't rememebee that? I do remember a rumor thy they were going to enclose Great America! Lol!!

Not sure how old you are, but I'm guessing this was mid to late 80's??

And I think the Great America rumor was that they were going to lock all the exits on its busiest day and then burn it to the ground. Not actually "enclose" it. Just the rid the earth of it.

 

[ItlngrlBella]

Not sure how old you are, but I'm guessing this was mid to late 80's??

And I think the Great America rumor was that they were going to lock all the exits on its busiest day and then burn it to the ground. Not actually "enclose" it. Just the rid the earth of it.

I'm in my 30's and I was a wee one during the 80's - so that's the first I heard about that rumor. The Great America one never dies. I was asked about it all the time when I interned for them.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I don't know... Seems like the perfect place for a FROZEN Theme Park.

 

[BigRedDad]

Not a chance. They will not build a park in a place that cannot be open 24/7/365. It is highly unlikely they build another park in the US. They have room to expand in Orlando still. If they would even consider it, it would have to be where the weather is nice. Not too many places to look at. Midwest has tornadoes. That leaves Texas and maybe 1 or 2 others. Simply not worth it. They are better served building more cruise ships.

 

[BalooChicago]

Anybody remember Old Chicago? It was an indoor park in the Chicago suburbs from 1975-80.

 

[Pocahontas]

I don't see this being plausible at all... weather is a big thing in that area. I also just don't see a lot of people traveling to Wisconsin of all places, even if there is a Disney Park there. I don't even think you could put a lot there - it wouldn't be as big as the other parks.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Air travel is too cheap and plentiful for this (or anything like it) to ever happen. Chicagoans are already going to WDW, so you don't gain much by bringing the fun to them.

 

[PUSH]

Not a chance. They will not build a park in a place that cannot be open 24/7/365. It is highly unlikely they build another park in the US. They have room to expand in Orlando still. If they would even consider it, it would have to be where the weather is nice. Not too many places to look at. Midwest has tornadoes. That leaves Texas and maybe 1 or 2 others. Simply not worth it. They are better served building more cruise ships.

Not that I expect a Disney park in the Midwest, but in Wisconsin tornadoes aren't all that frequent... although that comes from me who went through two tornadoes in the same night last summer. Hurricanes in WDW would be a bigger concern than tornadoes in Wisconsin IMO.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Chicagoans are already going to WDW, so you don't gain much by bringing the fun to them.

They did once.......

 

[donaldtoo]

There has been a similar rumor floating around here in the Austin, Texas area since the late 70's.
We are in the middle-ish of the state, and on I-35. Although, we do get cold weather, and occasionally ice and snow, it's pretty much (for me, anyway) t-shirt, shorts, and flip flop weather most of the year.

We have Sea World and Six Flags Fiesta Texas about 1.5 hrs. away down in San Antonio, and Schlitterbahn about 45 min. down the road in New Braunfels. None of those are open all 365 days of the year. With the exception of some accommodations on Schlitterbahn property, none of those are park/resort type operations, either.

I don't see another full-blown WDW kinda' resort comin' anywhere in the states anytime soon.
They've got too many other irons in the fire, and really need to make sure the already existing stateside Parks are properly taken care of.
Just my opinion.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I read the article. It actually has me rethink for the Wisconsin Disneyland imagineering idea that I'm working on off and on. The additional 83 acres does change what I have in mind.

I do have a problem with the article mentioning Marvel. All can be done with Marvel Right now is big hero 6 and Guardians of the Galaxy.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I don't see this being plausible at all... weather is a big thing in that area. I also just don't see a lot of people traveling to Wisconsin of all places, even if there is a Disney Park there. I don't even think you could put a lot there - it wouldn't be as big as the other parks.

I grew up in Wisconsin. The only issue is Snow that can't be worked around and that is only due to transportation when you are dealing with blizzards.

The cold is something that can be worked around. The solution is creating an indoor theme park although it would be more expensive than doing a normal outdoor theme park.

Walt Disney back in the 1960's matter of fact had plans of doing Walt Disney's Riverfront Square in St. Louis and that was going to be a 5 story building. Costs was one of the factors that didn't happen.

I also bring up indoor theme park as solution to the weather due to the fact Mall of America actually has an indoor Amusement park called Nickelodeon Universe aka formerly known as Camp Snoopy. I actually went to Mall of America a couple times matter of fact and saw Camp Snoopy.