Will WDW change to compare with Dubailand?

[Since1976]

For those unfamiliar with the project in Dubai, check here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubailand

The theme park/city will be *twice* the size of WDW. Now, Disney is not one to take such competition lightly. The question is, will Disney wait until this park opens to take competitive action, or will it start kicking into high gear sooner?

If Disney perceives Dubailand as a threat to its cred and reputation, what radical changes might be made to WDW to keep up?

I'm of the opinion that bigger is not necessarily better. Dubailand could very well crash under its own weight, even though the park has billiions and billions of dollars to play with.

 

[TP2000]

The WDW sized version of Dubailand won't ever exist. It's all talk and press releases and worthless "letters of intent" from Arab bankers who know nothing about operating a major theme park. Did you see the picture on that wikipedia site of what the currently operating Dubailand theme park looks like?!? A half dozen carnival rides out in the desert behind a giant brick wall to protect it from sand storms! Yeah, that's a recipe for success.

Dubai currently has a few million tourists visiting each year, and few of them are part of any demographic that would visit a theme park; these aren't happy little families coming to roast in the desert, these are European bankers and Saudi businessmen escaping for indulgent weekends in 5 star hotels with their mistresses away from the prying eyes of their wives and business associates. The climate there only supports tourism 7 or 8 months out of the year, from May through September it's 120 degrees with raging sand storms and makes Orlando's heat and humidity look like a crisp walk through a New Hampshire forest.

Even if they do try to build Dubailand, they don't have the knowledge and experience behind the project to make it anything that anyone would want to visit, even if the tourist demographic visiting Dubai would be interested in a theme park in the first place. Take another look at the Wikipedia picture of the tiny carnival they currently call Dubailand, just for a second reality check.

Dubailand has an extremely slim chance of even being built in the next 10 years. And if it does get built in some dramatically scaled back version of the proposals on the Internet and in Press Release blather, it's not going to be anything that would even compete with a Disney property anywhere.

There's a miniature golf course with a ferris wheel and two water slides about 10 minutes down the freeway from Disneyland, but somehow Disneyland continues to operate succesfully. Dubailand, if it even gets built, will have about the same impact on Disney's global operation as that mini-golf course.

 

[typhoonguy]

Well said 2000. Burj Dubai is a lot of hype and not much else.

 

[CoffeeJedi]

Wow, the press releases for Dubailand are so vaguely worded. They're just throwing out ideas and writing them down as "future expansion plans".

"And then we're going to have... uh... super... monkey land! Yeah! Supermonkeyland! and um, we're planning a... uh.... space-shuttle that will take you to the moon- no! Mars! yes, we're definitely doing daily shuttle trips to Mars, yeah, we're almost ready... oh, and uh, how about... the Loch Ness monster! we're totally going to bring Nessie down here... as soon as we... prove and find it.... also, everyone wins a million dollars and a unicorn for coming"

edit: lol, i didn't even see the space shuttle in the picture when i wrote that!

 

[MeTa]

Can anyone explain to me where and what that park is. I can't even pronounce the name. I am very lost on this topic.:brick:

 

[TP2000]

Wow, the press releases for Dubailand are so vaguely worded. They're just throwing out ideas and writing them down as "future expansion plans".

Ha! So true! :lol:

Dubailand will only exist in the world of splashy Internet websites where every link you click on for more information simply says "COMING SOON!", and where endless press releases flow out of unknown PR firms from Dubai touting more "plans" for exciting things referenced on some website that is "COMING SOON!".

I think we may have stumbled upon the actual purpose of Dubailand; it only exists in concept to provide work to Arab PR firms and website designers.

 

[TP2000]

Can anyone explain to me where and what that park is. I can't even pronounce the name. I am very lost on this topic.:brick:

Dubailand is planned to be located in Dubai. It's a small country in the Middle East, adjacent to Saudi Arabia; Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) if I remember correctly. I'm sure a Google search or Wikipedia would come up with info on Dubai.

Dubai is pronouned "Doo-Buy".

 

[SirGoofy]

Another valid question about Dubailand is are people really eager to travel to the Middle East? I mean this could be an easily attacked spot for terrorists.

 

[MuRkErY]

. It's all talk and press releases and worthless "letters of intent" from Arab bankers who know nothing about operating a major theme park. Did you see the picture on that wikipedia site of what the currently operating Dubailand theme park looks like?!? A half dozen carnival rides out in the desert behind a giant brick wall to protect it from sand storms! Yeah, that's a recipe for success.

One small correction. Those are not operating rides, they are the theming of Dubai Land, the rollercoaster track etc... is fake, it's just theming for the entrace.

Dubailand will never match WDW though, it will not have the soul that WDW, and DL do.

 

[Nero the dog]

Do not under estimate what they can achieve in Dubai, believe me MONEY IS NO OBJECT . If they have deceided that they want a theme park twice the size of WDW then they WILL get it. Economic viability just does not apply here. They will not care much if there are no visitors.
As a tourist resort it is already attracting huge numbers of ordinary european visitors, especailly during the winter months.

 

[kcnole]

hmmm, I wonder if Sea World knows they are using their image for concept art?

See link:

Image from site

 

[CoffeeJedi]

here's an "interesting" press release:
http://realestate.theemiratesnetwork.com/developments/dubai/dubailand.php
They use the term "critcal mass" twice, do they actually know what that phrase means? :lol:

What's killing me is the bizarre redundancy of the place. Check out "Attractions and Experience World" (there's a mouthfull if i ever heard one), inside this area set aside for theme parks, is "Falcon City of Wonders", a mini-city complete with apartment buildings and its own entertainment district; it even has its own themepark inside of it! That makes no sense.

The whole place is screwy like that, theme parks, shopping, and entertainment, all sort of mashed together. Its almost as if every developer wanted a piece of everything in their own section, so now its going to be competing with itself.

 

[MeTa]

Another valid question about Dubailand is are people really eager to travel to the Middle East? I mean this could be an easily attacked spot for terrorists.

Good Point! Even if this wasn't an issue I would not want to travel there, and I don't personally know anyone who would.:hammer: :hurl: :wave:

 

[kcnole]

from an american perspective we wouldn't travel there, but the Europeans aren't as afraid of the middle east as we are. Europeans, asians, etc... travel all over that area of the world. Dubai is already a big tourism area.

 

[miles1]

Good Point! Even if this wasn't an issue I would not want to travel there, and I don't personally know anyone who would.:hammer: :hurl: :wave:

UM, not to mention that a certain "MJ" currently resides there. Great enticement to bring the kids for vacation. Geez, maybe he has something to do with this behind the scenes...

 

[cmatt]

doubt they really need too! Disney branding you see i do believe they need more NEW rides in magic kingdom... bulldoze BTMRR and put in one similar to the one in paris on tom sawyer island

Ive personally always wanted to go to dubai, mainly for the fact you get waited hand on foot!... No need to be scared of Dubai lovely place - its a good example of western influence working WITH the middle east.

 

[Chloe's Mom]

Actually MJ lives in Bahrain not Dubai. I am English and went to Dubai for a week in August. Yes it was very hot but there were many families there and many people I know have been or are planning to go. The hotel we stopped in had a waterpark next door which was probably smaller than Blizzard or Typhoon, but the rides were of the same quality. As someone has already said, the amount of money available out there means that they can build whatever they want. Although we liked Dubai, Florida remains our favourite holiday destination and we are all looking forward to visiting WDW again next Easter.:sohappy:

 

[CoffeeJedi]

I belive the world's most expensive hotel is in Dubai. You've all probably seen pics, its shaped like a giant windsail.

 

[cmatt]

I belive the world's most expensive hotel is in Dubai. You've all probably seen pics, its shaped like a giant windsail.

aye! but you can still go and stay in the same area for less... i believe there was andre aggasi and another tennis player in an advert playing tennis on the hellipad!

 

[Connor002]

Personally, I don't think Dubai invests their money well, I'm curious to see in what shape the country will be years from now...