infloencer
Member
Last time I rode it (in March) I was impressed by how much smoother it was than I remembered. Guess that explains it. So yeah you definitely feel the difference. Overall it’s still not a great experience though
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MAGICal DLP News, Rumours & Thoughts
- Thread starter Animaniac93-98
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Last time I rode it (in March) I was impressed by how much smoother it was than I remembered. Guess that explains it. So yeah you definitely feel the difference. Overall it’s still not a great experience though
cjkeating
Well-Known Member
I'm not normally one for advocating the removal of attractions when there are plenty of expansion pads available but if the solution to guest complaints and/or the aging structure they should just remove it and replace it with something better. Retrack BTM and then SM and then replace this with something new. And this is from someone who liked the prior 'intense' version of the attraction before the decrease in ride speed.
In fact when I took a group of non theme park people to DLP in 2020 they preferred this over BTM and SM so... who knows what the general public actually like in attractions.
mrflo
Well-Known Member
Breaking News: Disney announces new theme park coming to Abu Dhabi
Pretty wild news. I’m sure there’ll be a dedicated thread soon for all the details, but I’m really curious how this might affect Disneyland Paris.
After visiting Abu Dhabi again this winter, I could definitely see myself skipping some DLP trips in favor of the new park — assuming the price and overall experience are solid. The team behind SeaWorld Abu Dhabi did a fantastic job, so I’m pretty confident they’ll make something really special with WDI involved.
Plus, with Universal opening a new park in the UK, the competition is getting interesting. Might actually be good news for DLP fans if it pushes them to up their game a little.
Pretty wild news. I’m sure there’ll be a dedicated thread soon for all the details, but I’m really curious how this might affect Disneyland Paris.
After visiting Abu Dhabi again this winter, I could definitely see myself skipping some DLP trips in favor of the new park — assuming the price and overall experience are solid. The team behind SeaWorld Abu Dhabi did a fantastic job, so I’m pretty confident they’ll make something really special with WDI involved.
Plus, with Universal opening a new park in the UK, the competition is getting interesting. Might actually be good news for DLP fans if it pushes them to up their game a little.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure it is going to be a huge issue for Disneyland Paris. Abu Dhabi is a long way away and I don't honestly hear about many people in Europe taking their vacations there. DLRP is still easily connected to the rest of Europe within a few hours by train or air and attached to a massive population and tourism centre in Paris. I would imagine only the most hardcore Disney fans will be tossing up between a Disneyland Paris and a Disneyland Abu Dhabi trip.
Charlie The Chatbox Ghost
Well-Known Member
I hope this sparks some new additions and improvements to Paris, as despite how amazing their castle park is, it could still use some updates, namely Discoveryland. But I don’t think Abu Dhabi is going to affect attendance much, as iirc that area is much more expensive to visit than Paris. Plus it’s hotter than Orlando and less friendly to certain groups of people. I also expect that the park will be constructed in a way that I’d Disneys decides to cut their licensing deal, Miral can just quickly retheme things to non-Disney. So, we might get original attractions and lands, but I also expect them to be cheap, a la the other parks there. The Hotel Transylvania and Shrek rides come to mind.
The concept art is so vague and messy that there’s no use speculating on what it hints at, so we’ll have to wait and see!
Jordan dby
Well-Known Member
Disneylsnd California and Paris are typically 2-3 day visit parks, max. many will be 1 day visits from people who live nearby. lots will be people who are visiting the area and include a day or two at the park as part of a general trip.
Florida is a week or two doing theme parks every day. it's a very different clientele than the other Disney parks.
i might beb wrong but i see Abu Dhabi being an alternative to Florida, not Paris.
Florida is a week or two doing theme parks every day. it's a very different clientele than the other Disney parks.
i might beb wrong but i see Abu Dhabi being an alternative to Florida, not Paris.
aleh021
Member
I havent been to Paris so I cant talk on that.
But Disneyland can easily be a 4-5 day park visit.
So can Paris easily.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
Yes, I don't think people travelling from Spain, the UK, Netherlands, etc. to Disneyland Paris for a few days will start tossing up whether to instead fly to Abu Dhabi. It is more a case of competing with other long-haul tourist destinations such as the United States.
For Europeans, I also find it hard to imagine a Disney park is going to be a huge determining factor in going there when they will have more substantial resorts in Europe and Florida within a comparable distance. It probably makes Abu Dhabi more attractive for those already considering going there, but I would think it is more of a lure for those who like relatively close to Abu Dhabi but far away from all the other Disney resorts.
nickys
Premium Member
I agree with your first paragraph. Not the second.
Dubai have been advertising heavily in the UK recently. Abu Dhabi much less so.
But between them there is a glut of theme parks, some that never opened (either unfinished or ready to open but haven’t). Others have shuttered. It’s like the market has reached saturation point. So they will need international visitors to come and visit.
That’s why this announcement surprised me. The Disney name should mean this is a success - as long as it is more like Disney Seas than WDSP, for example.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
Maybe I am wrong, I just find it hard to image people travelling that far from the UK for a theme park vacation when there is Orlando a comparable distance away for longer trips and Disneyland Paris for shorter trips. This will also just be one Disney park vs. two in Paris and everything Orlando has to offer. I know there is also Warner Bros. World, Ferrari World, and Sea World, but do they really compare with everything WDW and Universal have between them in Florida?
A Disney park is, without a doubt, an extra incentive for people to visit. I just suspect it is more competition for Disneyland Paris or WDW for UK/European visitors in the same way, say, Greece is competition for both of them.
nickys
Premium Member
I don’t think people will see it as a destination to rival Florida either.
But my point is they need to start ramping up the adverts and lures because the locals are clearly theme-parked out.
There’s a definite downward trend in Orlando’s popularity for UK and European visitors. Sky falling stuff? Certainly not. But edging towards double digit percentage. Those choosing not to visit - for whatever reason - would be probably looking elsewhere. And like @nickys said the area is being marketed heavily. For a project not relying on Europeans to be successful, any additional visitation from us would be the cherry on top.
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Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
The trend away from tourism to the US is an interesting point I didn't think of which could benefit UAE as another warm, sunny and relatively safe and family-friendly destination. Where things stand in that regard by the time this park opens is anyone's guess. Now is probably a good time for them to be pitching to UK holidaymakers, though.
infloencer
Member
It seems kind of hypocritical for people to avoid traveling to the US for political reasons but then happily go to the UAE
sedati
Well-Known Member
One is showing signs of becoming more open and global while one is running in very much the opposite direction.
Who said it's political. Maybe it's the money money money approach of the east coast park that is putting a lot of people off.
mrflo
Well-Known Member
Like I mentioned earlier, I recently took a spontaneous trip to Abu Dhabi — and it really surprised me in a good way. It’s just a six-hour direct flight from Germany & Switzerland, with barely any time difference, so no jet lag. Compared to Orlando, which is over 10 hours and doesn’t even offer many direct flights from my nearby airports, it’s a much easier getaway.
There’s definitely a growing trend of people from German-speaking countries heading to the UAE in winter. The value is great — beaches, culture, luxury hotels, world-class museums and increasingly strong theme parks. They’ve clearly learned from the old Dubailand days and are focusing more on quality. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi was very impressive, and WB World is already planning a Harry Potter expansion. They’re even building their own version of the Sphere like in Vegas, which should add even more draw.
Also, with millions already using UAE airports to fly to Asia or Australia, the growing list of attractions makes it an appealing stopover option too.
As for Disneyland Paris, I don’t think this will cause a drop, but if the resort wants to grow significantly — especially to justify a potential third park — it’ll need to attract more international visitors. The German-speaking markets have already declined since the ’90s, as with Europa-Park and others upping their game, DLP has more solid competition. Among casual travelers in German-speaking countries, the reputation of DLP isn’t that great. So while Disney Abu Dhabi doesn’t rewrite the playbook, it’s definitely another pressure point - especially if we see Tokyo-level quality from this park. And I have a feeling money/budget will not be an issue for this one.
There’s definitely a growing trend of people from German-speaking countries heading to the UAE in winter. The value is great — beaches, culture, luxury hotels, world-class museums and increasingly strong theme parks. They’ve clearly learned from the old Dubailand days and are focusing more on quality. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi was very impressive, and WB World is already planning a Harry Potter expansion. They’re even building their own version of the Sphere like in Vegas, which should add even more draw.
Also, with millions already using UAE airports to fly to Asia or Australia, the growing list of attractions makes it an appealing stopover option too.
As for Disneyland Paris, I don’t think this will cause a drop, but if the resort wants to grow significantly — especially to justify a potential third park — it’ll need to attract more international visitors. The German-speaking markets have already declined since the ’90s, as with Europa-Park and others upping their game, DLP has more solid competition. Among casual travelers in German-speaking countries, the reputation of DLP isn’t that great. So while Disney Abu Dhabi doesn’t rewrite the playbook, it’s definitely another pressure point - especially if we see Tokyo-level quality from this park. And I have a feeling money/budget will not be an issue for this one.
Very simple straw poll amongst some people I know over here, politics was just the nail in the coffin. There’s a perception WDW has become too busy and too expensive. Even one family I know who are every year types are using Uni as their primary destination and not going to WDW at all for the first time. I was surprised. Again, tiny straw poll but multiply by x and there’s a definite trend emerging. If the new resort can market itself correctly to those willing to try it, it could be a winner.
If political it also depends on people’s opinions and thoughts about US politics v UAE politics. One is certainly much more in your face mainstream wise than the other. I dare say many don’t even know about certain UAE rules. And if they did would they really care? (not judging either way)
In Europe there’s broadly 2 types of holidays; a short few days trip and a longer few weeks one. Many do both the same year. I don’t see Paris being affected much since it’s the shorter holiday, but that 2-3 week trip to Orlando? The Emirates are already perceived as aspirational. Flights are already more than comparable in price and length. If they can get the pricing and marketing right it could easily be a viable alternative to Florida. Although again I don’t believe westerners are the primary target.
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