If Disney Build a New Resort, What Will It Be Like? (Realistic Imagineering)

[SappySappy]

Last year i came across this thread about Realistic Imagineering in this Imagineering forum, and it was really interesting. It was created by @spacemt354 . So instead of designing a park with 50 E-Ticket rides we have to consider things like budget and location. A Resort that Disney will realistically build if they need to build another one.

I want to do my take on this Realistic Imagineering challenge ever since but never put my hand on it. But now because of quarantine, i have so much free time and can finally write my take on this.

So the questions are, if somehow Disney want to build a new Resort with one Magic Kingdom style park, where will the location of that park be? How big they’re willing to spent? what rides and attractions will be in it's first phase?

I really looking forward to read your take on this challenge, because i don’t know about Disney Parks and Experiences division the way you guys did hahaha.

 

[SappySappy]

Locations

Location of the park turns out will have a huge part on what the final design of the park is going to be. For instance Shanghai Disneyland, people in China love that park like crazy but from what i saw on twitter and this site, people have like zero interest in this park because it “doesn’t have that Disney Magic” hahaha, i might be wrong tho (i love Shanghai Disneyland by the way i think it’s really pretty.)

Anyway, I have a few in mind regarding location for the park:

• Third Park in the U.S.

Disney parks are well beloved in the U.S., and I can guarantee if Disney build another resort it will be successful. But i don’t know how the new resort will impact the two other resorts. I pick Houston, Texas as the location because it was in the middle and far enough from the already existing resorts in the California and Florida.

• Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia has the total population of 655Millions, and many of the hottest tourist hotspots are in there, for instance Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, etc. It’s also really close and can attract visitors from Australia. Southeast Asia has 14-30 days free-visa policy for Southeast Asian to visit another Southeast Asia countries and i think this will help alot. For the exact location, i pick Singapore. Really cool modern country, and i think it fit the vibes of Disney Resort.

• India

Country with 1.3 Billion population, and also no Disney Park in the region (South Asia and Middle East). It also has a good chunk of International visitors number. I pick Delhi for the location because from what i heard the infrastructure of this city are better than other big cities in India like Mumbai. I expect Shanghai Disneyland level of success for this resort hahaha, but i dont know how big Disney is in India. I heard the people prefer movies made by the local rather than the foreign like Hollywood.

• Spain

I put Spain just because i love Europe really much hahaha. One of the most visited country in Europe (about 82 Million visitors.) The problem is it was just too close from the already existing Paris Resort. For the exact location I pick Barcelona. It has the warm Mediterranean temperature and perfect for a Disney Resort, and it was the most visited city in Spain.

 

[SappySappy]

Budget

To put into consideration, Shanghai Disneyland Resort construction budget is about 5.5 Billion USD, and it opened with 8 E-Ticket rides (right?) Also there are Universal Studio Beijing and Epic Universe currently being built, both with construction budget about 6-6.5 Billion USD! That’s just insane. Universal Studio Beijing and Epic Universe are rumored to open with 7-8 main rides. That help gave the idea on how much it will cost Disney to build the resort and how many rides will it get from the budget.

I think Disney will spent 6-7 Billion USD on this resort, because that’s just how you have to spend to build a first class theme park resort based on the three sample cases. They have to go big on this.

 

[spacemt354]

This sounds like a great start! Your locations all have their pros and cons, but they'll all work well and I think you're on the right track in regards to budget.

Recently in an Imagineering game on here called the Sorcerer's Apprentice we designed a Mumbai Disneyland - it was most definitely a bit over budget but it was a lot of fun and we found India with their growing population to be a hotspot for the next Disney park

 

[Outbound]

I think India is the most logical choice considering its booming population. That said I don't feel like designing another Mumbai Disneyland haha.

Brazil, or anywhere in South America, is another option, as Latin America currently lacks any Disney parks.
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In terms of budget, how much of this park would be a copy over from the other Magic Kingdom parks? Shanghai tried something new, but a lot would argue they failed. Would Disney continue to create something new, which costs more money, or would they stick with the safety net of their current lands and attractions?

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

If you put it in Texas you would have to find a spot that allows Disney to use their Marvel IP, and doesn’t violate their licensing agreement with Universal.

 

[SappySappy]

This sounds like a great start! Your locations all have their pros and cons, but they'll all work well and I think you're on the right track in regards to budget.

Recently in an Imagineering game on here called the Sorcerer's Apprentice we designed a Mumbai Disneyland - it was most definitely a bit over budget but it was a lot of fun and we found India with their growing population to be a hotspot for the next Disney park

Thanks! I will definitely check that Mumbai Disney project, sounds like fun hahaha

 

[SappySappy]

I think India is the most logical choice considering its booming population. That said I don't feel like designing another Mumbai Disneyland haha.

Brazil, or anywhere in South America, is another option, as Latin America currently lacks any Disney parks.
--
In terms of budget, how much of this park would be a copy over from the other Magic Kingdom parks? Shanghai tried something new, but a lot would argue they failed. Would Disney continue to create something new, which costs more money, or would they stick with the safety net of their current lands and attractions?

The reason why i put India on my list was mostly because of the population. South America is also a really great option too actually, why i didn't think about that hahaha.
--
For the budget i think i'm going to stick with 7 Billion USD, compared to the other theme park projects happening around the world i think that number is reasonable. What confused me are Shanghai Disneyland, Universal Studio Beijing, and Epic Universe 5-6.5 Billion USD construction budgets are only for the theme parks or for overall Hotels and Infrastructure? Because Shanghai Disneyland and Universal Studio Beijing come with two or more hotels maybe, and also like shopping districts, metro station and other infrastructure.

 

[SappySappy]

If you put it in Texas you would have to find a spot that allows Disney to use their Marvel IP, and doesn’t violate their licensing agreement with Universal.

Disney can use their Marvel IPs on their parks west of Mississippi right? Also is this contract between Disney and Comcast will someday expired, or is this going to be forever?

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Yeah so you would have to put Avengers Campus on the western side of Texas.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

There’s also Abu Dhabi, Queensland ‘s Gold Coast Australia.

 

[Outbound]

Yeah so you would have to put Avengers Campus on the western side of Texas.

The Mississippi is in Lousiana. Texas is fair game.

 

[SappySappy]

Yeah so you would have to put Avengers Campus on the western side of Texas.

Wait, i'm so confused i thought of Mississippi the state

 

[spacemt354]

Wait, i'm so confused i thought of Mississippi the state

The Mississippi River*

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Then there’s also their IP with The Simpsons that Universal has on both sides of the river.

 

[Heppenheimer]

BTW, I find this kind of armchair Imagineering quite a bit more interesting. Part of the amazing skill sets of actual Imagineers, besides just coming up with great ideas, are the talents to actually bring those fantastical ideas to physical fruition.

 

[Miru]

I feel like India is a good pick. Would drive tourism there, and it’s placed to give the Middle East and Russia a home Disney park safely, without running into problems like ISIS. There’s also no IP restrictions whatsoever, much like Paris.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

I feel like India is a good pick. Would drive tourism there, and it’s placed to give the Middle East and Russia a home Disney park safely, without running into problems like ISIS. There’s also no IP restrictions whatsoever, much like Paris.

The United Arab Emirates is one of the best tourism areas in the Middle East, and Disney would have to put their park in Abu Dhabi since one of the Dubai parks has Marvel.