UAE now top contender for Epcot World Showcase expansion?

[Buffalo]

In light of the Abu Dhabi announcement, it makes sense that Disney will want UAE's reciprocal involvement (and $ investment) in other Disney entities, like media production and parks. All of Disney's global parks have presence in Epcot, except for Abu Dhabi. There's not a lot of global countries who want to or can afford to pay-to-play at Epcot. UAE is flush with cash - seems like a shoo-in to me.

 

[HauntedPirate]

If UAE wanted a spot at Epcot, why wouldn’t they have done something already? This is a licensing agreement for Disney.

 

[britain]

Seems like an attempt to make some deal is likely. Not sure if it will come together.

 

[Buffalo]

If UAE wanted a spot at Epcot, why wouldn’t they have done something already? This is a licensing agreement for Disney.

Reversely, why now for UAE park expansion? UAE has been dangling cash in front of Disney since the Eisner days.

 

[Comped]

If UAE wanted a spot at Epcot, why wouldn’t they have done something already? This is a licensing agreement for Disney.

A licensing agreement with a Tokyo-style arrangement for some level of supervision over ops per Steve, so a bit more of an investment for Disney than say what most major retailers who license their brand do in the ME.

Seems like an attempt to make some deal is likely. Not sure if it will come together.

Yep. This is my view. I'd push for it if I was the UAE government, but I don't know if Disney would be willing to do anything about the request.

 

[WorldExplorer]

"UAE"? What movie is that from? Does it have a princess in it?

"Real place"? Um...why should that go in World Showcase?

 

[Giss Neric]

EPCOT purists will get mad if Disney made a replica of Burj Khalifa cause it will ruin sight lines more.

 

[DonniePeverley]

I'll be honest we went to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we didn't see much culture there.

 

[MJL92]

Much of the world showcase was originally sponsored by companies from those countries. If Miral wants to float the cash to build a UAE pavilion it'll happen.

 

[LittleBuford]

The UAE has very little in the way of traditional architecture; it is a decidedly modern place, built almost from scratch in the last few decades. With its overwhelmingly historical tone, World Showcase is very unlikely to feature anything quite so contemporary.

 

[lazyboy97o]

In light of the Abu Dhabi announcement, it makes sense that Disney will want UAE's reciprocal involvement (and $ investment) in other Disney entities, like media production and parks. All of Disney's global parks have presence in Epcot, except for Abu Dhabi. There's not a lot of global countries who want to or can afford to pay-to-play at Epcot. UAE is flush with cash - seems like a shoo-in to me.

Epcot’s sponsors have overwhelmingly been companies, not countries. The Oriental Land Company has never been a sponsor of the Japan Pavilion. The China Pavilion existed for decades before either park there and neither local government is involved in the pavilion. If Miral was going to sponsor a new pavilion it seems like it would have been part of the agreement and announcement. Disney doesn’t go out of its way to mention Tokyo Disney Resort and that seems like a more likely model going forward than requiring a new pavilion so the countries with parks are all represented in World Showcase.

 

[Bocabear]

UAE Pavilion sponsored by Aladdin...Bob would totally go for that... I just wish they would build the Sinbad ride in the US.
The could kind of direct-lift the Arabian Coast section of Disney Seas right into EPCOT...
but EPCOT will probably never get another country Pavilion at this point...

 

[ToTBellHop]

Yes, this is a possibility. Certainly the highest chance we’ve had for a new pavilion in decades.

The question is: is it a 12th pavilion or does it replace Morocco? The latter is what the Saudis wanted but they aren’t getting a Disneyland now.

 

[lewisc]

does it replace Morocco?

This

 

[LittleBuford]

What do people here imagine a UAE pavilion would look like? What historical landmarks do they think it would reference or recreate?

 

[LittleBuford]

This

This absolutely won’t happen. They would have to raze Morocco to the ground and rebuild from scratch in order to achieve the right look. Why would they go to the expense and trouble?

 

[Tha Realest]

Reversely, why now for UAE park expansion? UAE has been dangling cash in front of Disney since the Eisner days.

Perhaps D+ is not the ATM they had hoped it would be

 

[JD80]

Perhaps D+ is not the ATM they had hoped it would be

They didn't think it would be highly profitable in the short term. It was always a long term play.

 

[ToTBellHop]

This absolutely won’t happen. They would have to raze Morocco to the ground and rebuild from scratch in order to achieve the right look. Why would they go to the expense and trouble?

Because they don’t know what to do with Morocco and it’s largely unused. Spice Road could stay as is, and that’s the only actual THING there.it would actually make more sense in an Emirati pavilion. The spice routes didn’t really go to Morocco.

 

[Andrew25]

Abu Dhabi modern architecture is what Epcot's Future World should have been over the years.

There are some more "historical" places like Al Jahili fort and Qasr Al Hosn that can fit into World Showcase with modern interiors and maybe another theater show? Could fit in the small expansion pad between Morocco and Japan.