The magic carpet is officially touching down in the Middle East! Disney has just revealed plans to open a brand-new theme park and resort in Abu Dhabi, making it the entertainment giant’s seventh global destination and the very first in the region.
Set to open on Yas Island, already a hotbed of major attractions like Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, this new Disney resort is poised to make the luxury island an even bigger international hotspot.
While fans are already buzzing with excitement (and Googling flights), there’s one big question still floating in the Arabian night: When will it open?
“We’re not pinning down a date yet,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger during an interview with CNBC on Wednesday. “It typically takes us between 18 months and two years to design and fully develop and approximately five years to build, but we’re not making any commitments right now.” Basically what Iger is saying is don’t pack your Minnie ears just yet, but the planning wheels are in motion.
Iger couldn’t hide his enthusiasm over the groundbreaking project, calling it a perfect marriage of innovation and cultural appreciation. “This is a thrilling moment for our company as we announce plans to build an exciting Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, whose culture is rich with an appreciation of the arts and creativity,” he said in a statement.
The Disney CEO continued, “As our seventh theme park destination, it will rise from this land in spectacular fashion, blending contemporary architecture with cutting-edge technology to offer guests deeply immersive entertainment experiences in unique and modern ways.”
The new resort will be developed in partnership with Miral, the same company behind many of Yas Island’s world-class attractions. While Disney won’t be investing capital into the build itself, it will provide its trademark Imagineering talent and operational oversight. The company will also earn royalties from the resort once it opens.
And if you’re wondering why Abu Dhabi makes sense for Disney’s latest venture, Iger has an answer for that too. According to the company, nearly a third of the global population lives within a four-hour flight of the UAE capital, offering a potential market of over 500 million guests. That’s a whole lot of Mickey ears.
“This groundbreaking resort destination represents a new frontier in theme park development,” Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, said. “Our resort in Abu Dhabi will be the most advanced and interactive destination in our portfolio.”
Disney had reportedly been eyeing the region since as far back as 2017 or 2018, but the project faced delays due to internal leadership changes and the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with the deal finalized, Imagineers are already hard at work designing the park, which promises to raise the bar with futuristic tech and immersive experiences never before seen at a Disney resort.
While the exact park themes and lands haven’t been disclosed yet, fans can expect Disney’s signature blend of storytelling, innovation, and spectacle. So while we wait for that opening date, one thing is clear: Disney’s magic is going global in a whole new way, and Abu Dhabi just got a lot more enchanting.
Are you excited about the new park?