Genie_naughty_whispers
Well-Known Member
How about a 5th gate before they shell out money for a new location
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Will Disney ever build a resort in America’s second largest state Texas?
- Thread starter OrlandoIsTheBest6124
- Start date
SteamboatJoe
Well-Known Member
I could be completely wrong, but unless Disney believes building a third park closer to the east coast (but west of the Mississippi) could help with the whole no-Avengers in WDW problem, I highly doubt we'll see a third resort any time soon. But, for the sake of forum conversation, let's say it was on the table. To me, Texas seems like it is just way too extreme, both in terms of temperatures and storms, to build a year-round Disney park. Though, I will admit I am personally bias towards a more northern option if such a thing were ever a possibility.
EDIT: While Dallas and San Antonio have large city-proper and metro populations, on average, the number of people within wider travel radii are, on average, smaller compared to several other cities.
EDIT: While Dallas and San Antonio have large city-proper and metro populations, on average, the number of people within wider travel radii are, on average, smaller compared to several other cities.
Last edited:
BromBones
Well-Known Member
Texas has very pleasant weather most of the year. It starts to get warm in June through September, but if you're in North Texas the Dallas/Fort Worth area it's not humid. It is hot, 90's to just over 100, but again not humid. And it doesn't rain a whole lot in Texas.
BromBones
Well-Known Member
I actually wouldn't have a problem if Disney built a Marvel World and a full on Star Wars themed park with much of the original and prequel trilogies represented (Tatooine, Endor, the Death Star, Hoth, Naboo, Coruscant, etc.)
networkpro
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Haha, our ranches are West of DFW and the weather is inconsistent. Some summers it'll be in the 110's from July till September, while some winters it'll be like artic tundra since the only thing blocking the wind are three strands of bar wire. Killer hail the size of baseballs, tornados, and grassland fires.
Nope, no Disney parks. Heck Six Flags over Texas gets flooded out regularly.
SteamboatJoe
Well-Known Member
In my personal opinion, it's too hot for anyone not from Texas or the Deep South. Both Dallas and San Antonio have top monthly temps that are nearly 5+ degrees higher than Orlando which itself can be downright unbearable at times. Granted, humidity plays a huge role in Florida but, still, in climate terms, 5 degrees is a big jump. Texas is also part of the heart of tornado alley and hail is way worse than rain.
To introduce another point, LA and Orlando are year-round tourist destinations. Texas, while popular in its own right, is just not in the same league. A place that is not a year-round tourist destination needs a larger population within a few hours drive to support it during off-season. Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio just don't have that. The population within 500 miles of Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio ranges from approximately 43.0 to 45.3 million, which is comparable to LA and Orlando but those Texas numbers are dwarfed by other cities. For example: Pittsburgh = 148.2+ million, Columbus = 143.6+ million, Cleveland = 141.8+ million, Washington D.C. = 125.7+ million, Cincinnati = 125.0+ million, NYC = 104+ million, Chicago = 92.3+ million, St. Louis = 91.7+ million. Each of those cities have their own unique sets of challenges but they all are well over double, some over triple, the Texas numbers.
Last edited:
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Not sure about Texas, but I'm 100% in favor of turning Marineland in Naigara Falls into a park owned by Disney, Universal or Busch.
The park is 1,000 acres in size, double the size of the Disneyland Resort and about 4x the size of Epcot. Unlike many other potential sites, this land is already an amusement park and the city's mayor supports it staying that way. It would be a shame if it just became another casino or housing development. Niagara Falls isn't going to stop being a tourist attraction and with the park on the Canadian side it would be seen as a less expensive alternative for those in Ontario or the North Eastern US. With Tokyo and Paris Disneylands, the company now has experience designing and operating parks in winter climates. Other brands like Great Wolf Lodge have built indoor waterparks in the area, but there's little doubt in my mind Disney or Universal could do better.
Marineland has been marred in controversy for years, and the park has never lived up to its potential due to funding issues. The original owner died last year and he was the main reason it was never sold off. IMO, now's the time to make it something better.
The park is 1,000 acres in size, double the size of the Disneyland Resort and about 4x the size of Epcot. Unlike many other potential sites, this land is already an amusement park and the city's mayor supports it staying that way. It would be a shame if it just became another casino or housing development. Niagara Falls isn't going to stop being a tourist attraction and with the park on the Canadian side it would be seen as a less expensive alternative for those in Ontario or the North Eastern US. With Tokyo and Paris Disneylands, the company now has experience designing and operating parks in winter climates. Other brands like Great Wolf Lodge have built indoor waterparks in the area, but there's little doubt in my mind Disney or Universal could do better.
Marineland has been marred in controversy for years, and the park has never lived up to its potential due to funding issues. The original owner died last year and he was the main reason it was never sold off. IMO, now's the time to make it something better.
Heppenheimer
Well-Known Member
Those regions, though, experience significantly milder winters than the Niagara Falls area. I don't think Marineland sits directly in line of the lake effect "snow machine" that regularly buries Buffalo, but the Niagara Falls-Fort Erie corridor still receives far more annual snow fall than Tokyo and Marne-la-Vallée. Even without snow, Niagara Falls can be bitingly cold in the winter (I lived just to the north of there for a few years).
Great Wolf Lodge has the advantage in that it operates entirely indoors.
Last edited:
PixarPerfect
Active Member
Humidity plays a part when the sun is up, but it can also make for cooler mornings and evenings. That doesn't happen with dry heat. It's just HOT all the time. Like 100 degrees at 11pm hot.
Heppenheimer
Well-Known Member
You reminded me of the summer I spent at Fort Sam for OBC. If I really wanted to get a good run on my own, it was well after 10 PM before the temperature was safe to even attempt it.
Dead2009
Horror Movie Guru
Building a completely different theme park would not relieve the crowds at WDW. People will still want to go to Orlando.
SteamboatJoe
Well-Known Member
Disney could pull off a park/resort in the Midwest/East Coast if they really wanted to:
-As mentioned, dozens of years of experience in Paris and Tokyo to borrow from in regards to cold and snow.
-They've contemplated attractions in these types of climates before: St. Louis (completely indoors), Mineral King, America, and DisneyQuest Chicago.
-People in those parts of the country will go to outdoor places in fairly cold temperatures if it is worth going to and the roads aren't terrible, especially in the holiday season. The Halloween and Christmas fests put on by amusement parks, zoos, and communities are often well attended.
-A number of Disney attractions are indoors anyway. Think about Epcot to this point. Everything but some of the pavilion shows, several seconds of Test Track, and the nighttime spectacular is done indoors.
-To make it a fruitful venture during the winter months, it would simply need to incorporate a Great Wolf Lodge type of set-up and/or winter oriented recreational activities.
-Cedar Fair and other operators are only open some of the year and still can turn a profit.
yedliW
Well-Known Member
Keep in mind that Orland was not a big city by any stretch before Disney moved in.. The population basically doubled from the 50s to the 70s, and has kept growing by nearly 30% a decade since.
Heppenheimer
Well-Known Member
Florida in general, though, has been a significant tourist destination since the early 20th century.
ninjaprincesst
Well-Known Member
Yes it is and does but all of Texas weather is not suitable for a park that is open 365 days a year, all the climates have extemes and A.D.D. weather. And most places where there is enough land for such a park are not even remotely near any airports (Im talking 2 or 3 hour drives or more). Texas is just in no way going to work.
Last edited:
2bornot2be
Well-Known Member
Agree and that is the case with a lot of the Major cities but again Texas is very big and Disney could build in places like El Paso, where there is little rain and the climate in warm.
I still don't see this happening!
BromBones
Well-Known Member
I didn't suffer those problems when I was stationed at Fort Hood.
Busch is no longer in the theme park business. After the InBev buyout, the parks operation was sold off and now does business as SeaWorld Entertainment.
scottieRoss
Well-Known Member
I am a resident of the San Antonio, TX area. With that said,
1. do I think Disney will build a new resort in Texas? Nope.
2. do I think Disney should build a new resort in Texas? Nope.
3. do I think Disney could be successful building a new resort in Texas? In the right place..yes.
4. Would I enjoy a Disney resort in Texas? Heck yeah.
I can tell you that during this summer, Lake Buena Vista and San Antonio had almost the same temperatures. LBV was slightly less per day. However, Heat indices were often higher in Florida. Even 6 Flags is moving to 12 month operation here in San Antonio, it was 10 months last year.
1. do I think Disney will build a new resort in Texas? Nope.
2. do I think Disney should build a new resort in Texas? Nope.
3. do I think Disney could be successful building a new resort in Texas? In the right place..yes.
4. Would I enjoy a Disney resort in Texas? Heck yeah.
I can tell you that during this summer, Lake Buena Vista and San Antonio had almost the same temperatures. LBV was slightly less per day. However, Heat indices were often higher in Florida. Even 6 Flags is moving to 12 month operation here in San Antonio, it was 10 months last year.