News Disney and Miral Announce New Seventh Theme Park Planned for Abu Dhabi

[marni1971]

I might be not seeing the whole picture but, from a financial standpoint, how would it not be beneficial? It's free money for Disney, they get their teams employed and they sell to someone for a large amount of money.

Absolutely it is beneficial either way for TWDC. I meant the wider project / beneficial also for Miral and the wider region.

Sea World and Ferrari will also be grinning no doubt.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Absolutely it is beneficial either way for TWDC. I meant the wider project / beneficial also for Miral and the wider region.

Sea World and Ferrari will also be grinning no doubt.

Highly disagree…

Disney’s branding is tied to a certain “stability” that I don’t qualify sheiks as meeting

 

[MisterPenguin]

Absolutely it is beneficial either way for TWDC. I meant the wider project / beneficial also for Miral and the wider region.

Sea World and Ferrari will also be grinning no doubt.

You think maybe there are Emiratis calling the new Disney park a Ferrari-killer? Or a Sea-World-swatter?

 

[ChrisFL]

Side note: The Sea World park they have is absolutely insane, imagine SeaBase Alpha from Epcot but on a MUCH, MUCH grander scale

 

[solidyne]

Of course it does…but the kids in the sandbox haven’t figured out to hedge that with tact yet…so it’s a no go

Well, even when you're hedging, Raleigh, I can read between your lines...

 

[Tha Realest]

That's kind of how I see it. Disney probably wanted reassurance it wouldn't end up closed and abandoned in the near future due to brand damage, but whether the park itself turns a profit is Miral's problem.

Disney only wants reassurance the cash arrives on time.

 

[John park hopper]

I wish Disney would spend the money on WDW and Disneyland and bring them back to the standards they had in the 70's and 80's.

 

[WoundedDreamer]

NY post has reposted the estimate as over 10 billion.

This is huge news. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a smaller park or something more ambitious. This budget is gargantuan. Shanghai Disney cost ~$7.4 billion in 2025 dollars (when most construction wrapped). A budget like this permits a truly ambitious resort.

Disneyland Abu Dhabi is going to be a spectacle. You’ll want to visit!

 

[larryz]

And $7B is just for air conditioning!!

If anyone or anyplace could afford to put a Magic Kingdom under a dome, Abu Dhabi is them/there.

 

[larryz]

Though Abu Dhabi has some important architecture, it’s the grand mosque, palace and oriental hotel

I attended a conference at that hotel, and it's beyond 5-star.

 

[Lilofan]

If anyone or anyplace could afford to put a Magic Kingdom under a dome, Abu Dhabi is them/there.

They will need advice on the builder who built Ski Dubai for guests who want to ski in the desert.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I don't know how true it is, but i heard a vlogger say Disney this was in the works for 10 years.
Just like Disney knew about EPIC for 10 years.
Just like the haunted mansion gift shop was in development for 10 years.

Disney loves to use "for 10 years"

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

This is huge news. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a smaller park or something more ambitious. This budget is gargantuan. Shanghai Disney cost ~$7.4 billion in 2025 dollars (when most construction wrapped). A budget like this permits a truly ambitious resort.

Disneyland Abu Dhabi is going to be a spectacle. You’ll want to visit!

Our Middle East division has been working there for about 20 years. The scope and scale of construction that is being performed there, and that you have the capacity to build there is absolutely unmatched. It is what i image the gilded age was in the US, or the height of the roman empire as far as extravagance, scale, and spending. Value Engineering isn't a concept there for construction. Even in the construction of office buildings or government complexes, visual appeal, grandeur, are just as important as design elements as form or function. Zoning, permitting, restrictions just don't apply, assuming you have government backing/support.

And while they will watch budgets, and are hard on overspending from a contractors side and not that forgiving of contractor/subcontractor cost overruns, or for their oversights, they will think nothing of blowing budgets out of the water on changes/adds to a project.

 

[Ayla]

This is huge news. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a smaller park or something more ambitious. This budget is gargantuan. Shanghai Disney cost ~$7.4 billion in 2025 dollars (when most construction wrapped). A budget like this permits a truly ambitious resort.

Disneyland Abu Dhabi is going to be a spectacle. You’ll want to visit!

When money is no object (literally), they can build whatever they want.

 

[rd805]

I think you are actually thinking mostly of Dubai, without realizing the divergence that already exists between the two cities.

Though Dubai at one time also had these aspirations, it’s far more about luxury shopping and grandiose high rises. Abu Dhabi is already more about theme parks and museums without Disney changing that calculus.

Though Abu Dhabi has some important architecture, it’s the grand mosque, palace and oriental hotel (not a high rise) than exclusively crazy high rises and malls and private enclaves like Dubai.

Two differing cities, but a great way to combine in one vacation and do a few nights in each.

 

[tanc]

If the budget is 10 billion, I can't even fathom the possibilities that could be created. Not even Tokyo has invested like that, practically next to no cuts anywhere.

 

[Gusey]

I wish Disney would spend the money on WDW and Disneyland and bring them back to the standards they had in the 70's and 80's.

It's not Disney's money. It's all Miral's money. Disney's main involvement is licensing and imagineers

 

[Disstevefan1]

When money is no object (literally), they can build whatever they want.

This is the exact opposite of how Disney works

Disney has strict budgets and cannot build whatever they want

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

And if you think Florida is hot, you ain't seen nuthin' yet!!!

They've overcome all possibilities! Bringing water through skyscrapers!

 

[Lilofan]

Not really an issue with most large scale construction projects in region actually. Not because of any human rights issues, but more because of the availability of the number of skilled workers you need for any project getting up over a billion dollars. You have some local hire requirements sure, but most of the time for mega projects like this you are building up a man camp as part of your mobilization and importing a captured labor force.

The immigrant workers will live in their own basic housing , dining areas and even restaurants to cater to them. Anthony Bourdain did a segment in the Gulf Region where he visited the Indian and Pakistani construction workers where they lived and ate and joined them for a meal.