Disney Studies has formally introduced plans for Disneyland Abu Dhabi, the corporate’s first-ever theme park & hotel complicated within the Center East, positioned on Yas Island within the capital town of the United Arab Emirates. The venture has been printed by the use of new thought artwork and main points by the use of CEO Bob Iger and state companions in Dubai.
The Walt Disney Corporate and Miral, Abu Dhabi’s main writer of immersive locations and studies, introduced an settlement to create a landmark Disney theme park hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The waterfront hotel complicated can be positioned on Yas Island, a world-class vacation spot for leisure and recreational, connecting vacationers from the Center East and Africa, India, Asia, Europe, and past.
Disneyland Abu Dhabi would be the 7th Disney theme park hotel will mix the corporate’s 100-plus yr custom of iconic tales, characters and points of interest with Abu Dhabi’s colourful tradition, shocking shorelines, and breathtaking structure. This seventh Disney Parks Vacation spot will prolong the corporate’s international succeed in and captivate a brand new target market in a thriving and dynamic hub.
“Abu Dhabi is a spot the place heritage meets innovation, the place we keep our previous whilst designing the longer term,” His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman at Miral, stated. “The collaboration between Abu Dhabi and Disney demonstrates the outstanding result of combining visionary management and artistic excellence.”
“What we’re developing with Disney in Abu Dhabi is a complete new global of creativeness — an enjoy that can encourage generations around the area and the sector, developing magical moments and recollections that households will treasure perpetually. Throughout the building of distinctive points of interest and studies, Abu Dhabi is still a vacation spot of selection for the sector,” Al Mubarak added.
The brand new hotel can be totally evolved and constructed via Miral. Disney and its mythical Imagineers will lead ingenious design and operational oversight to supply a world-class enjoy. Miral, which has evolved quite a few relatives leisure locations on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in collaboration with American and Eu manufacturers, will run the hotel.
“This can be a exciting second for our corporate as we announce plans to construct an exhilarating Disney theme park hotel in Abu Dhabi, whose tradition is wealthy with an appreciation of the humanities and creativity,” stated Robert A. Iger, Leader Government Officer, The Walt Disney Corporate.
“As our 7th theme park vacation spot, it is going to upward thrust from this land in impressive type, mixing recent structure with leading edge generation to provide visitors deeply immersive leisure studies in distinctive and fashionable tactics. Disneyland Abu Dhabi can be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati – an oasis of ordinary Disney leisure at this crossroads of the sector that can carry to lifestyles our undying characters and tales in lots of new tactics and can turn into a supply of pleasure and inspiration for the folk of this huge area to revel in for generations to come back.”
The UAE is positioned inside of a four-hour flight of one-third of the sector’s inhabitants, making it a vital gateway for tourism. The UAE is house to the most important international airline hub on the planet, with 120 million passengers touring via Abu Dhabi and Dubai each and every yr.
“This groundbreaking hotel vacation spot represents a brand new frontier in theme park building,” stated Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Studies. “Our hotel in Abu Dhabi would be the maximum complex and interactive vacation spot in our portfolio. The site of our park is extremely distinctive – anchored via a stupendous waterfront – which can permit us to inform our tales in totally new tactics. This venture will succeed in visitors in a complete new a part of the sector, welcoming extra households to enjoy Disney than ever earlier than. In the long run, it is going to be a birthday party of what’s imaginable when creativity and development come in combination.”
“Bringing a Disney theme park hotel to Yas Island marks a historical milestone in our adventure to additional advance the island’s place as an international vacation spot for remarkable leisure and recreational,” stated Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Crew CEO, Miral. “In combination, we’re developing a spot of boundless innovation, the place the imaginative and prescient of our management continues to encourage the sector.” The advance of distinctive studies will reinforce sustained financial expansion in Abu Dhabi and past.
Upon of entirety, the brand new Disneyland Abu Dhabi theme park hotel will be offering signature Disney leisure, themed lodging, distinctive eating and retail studies, and storytelling in some way that celebrates each the heritage of Disney and the futuristic and cultural essence of Abu Dhabi.
Additional main points can be introduced because the Disneyland Abu Dhabi venture progresses. Please discuss with the corporate’s 10-Q submitting later these days for added main points in regards to the economic settlement. Right here’s early thought artwork of Disneyland Abu Dhabi:
Our Observation & Background Deep Dive
Since addressing this rumor in Disney Parks in New Nations “Inevitable”, I’ve had the risk to mull over the potentiality of Disneyland Abu Dhabi and do just a little extra digging. In so doing, I’ve long gone from doubtful that Disney would transfer ahead with a venture within the UAE to viewing Disneyland Abu Dhabi as an, in Iger’s phrases, inevitability. After all, that’s simple to write down now that we’ve got an professional announcement–however I’m no longer pretending I noticed this coming previous to this week.
Because it seems, CEO Bob Iger has been leaving a path of breadcrumbs and laying the groundwork for this announcement since 2018. It used to be then that Iger first made feedback suggesting new theme parks past China all through a February 2018 income name. He printed that Disney is “continuously enticing in conversations with folks from other markets who would like us to place Disneyland of their marketplace.”
“I’d say that there’s an inevitability to us construction parks in different nations, nevertheless it doesn’t essentially imply that we’re going to construct one thing anytime very quickly,” Iger added. “However we’re going to appear.” As we’ve mentioned up to now, this is sensible. The sector’s demographics are converting, with more youthful and rising heart category populations in nations the place Disney has no presence.
In line with Disney’s interior analysis that used to be first printed as a part of its $60 billion plan to “turbocharge” theme park funding, there’s an addressable marketplace of greater than 700 million folks with excessive Disney affinity it has but to achieve with its parks. Actually, for each and every one visitor who visits a Disney Park, there are greater than ten folks with Disney affinity who don’t seek advice from the parks. Disneyland Abu Dhabi addresses this for 500 million of that 700 million.
This used to be obviously best of thoughts for Iger earlier than he departed as CEO, COVID upended the sector, and the corporate’s focal point shifted to streaming. All the way through an April 2018 interview with the Council on Overseas Family members, Iger shared that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had “made an impassioned plea to me to imagine construction Disneyland in Saudi Arabia.”
Iger defined that he “listened with interest and rather of an open thoughts. And I defined that after we make choices like this, we imagine cultural problems, financial problems, and political problems…it should appear easy, nevertheless it’s way more complicated. And he attempted to make the verdict more uncomplicated from an financial standpoint.”
“I used to be very—I in fact used to be very frank with him about it. And I’m no longer going to get into the ones main points both,” Iger endured. “And I stopped up announcing that I might seek advice from and notice for myself, however that that not at all must be interpreted to imply we’re growing a park, however that I might concentrate…I regularly say to the senior executives of Disney, if you happen to don’t pass you’ll’t develop.”
“And so I’ll pass. Whether or not we develop or no longer there, I don’t know. However I’ll pass. There’s a large number of individuals who are living in that a part of the sector. We’ve got, through the years, been requested via many from that area to imagine hanging a park in that area. And thus far, it hasn’t—it hasn’t been on the best of our listing in the case of markets that we might open up in, however we’ll have a look.”
Up to now, the corporate’s riskiest mission has been its foray into mainland China with Shanghai Disneyland, a three way partnership with the state-owned Shanghai Shendi Crew. The parks in Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong (on the time it used to be constructed) didn’t provide even remotely related considerations.
Studying between the traces, what Iger appears to be announcing is that the construction a Disney park within the Center East would’ve been simple as a industry determination that will’ve stepped forward the corporate’s base line. However as of 2018, it used to be nonetheless no longer politically palatable and an excessive amount of of a logo possibility, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
“Historical past doesn’t repeat itself nevertheless it regularly rhymes.” That’s the Mark Twain quote I’m reminded of via this information. CEO Bob Iger stated this all through an income name in February 2019: “I don’t see The Walt Disney Corporate, definitely within the close to time period, becoming concerned within the industry of playing, in impact, via facilitating playing by any means.” That got here in accordance with an analyst mentioning Deadpool, and asking whether or not sports activities making a bet may just additionally “coexist inside the family-friendly Disney logo?”
Speedy-forward just a couple years, and playing commercials had been ubiquitous in ESPN protection. You couldn’t activate sports activities protection with out listening to about odds, myth stats, or seeing commercials for Caesars, MGM, and so on. Nearly in a single day, making a bet went from being considered as immoral and a stain on sports activities to actively embraced and an engrained facet of the fan enjoy. Two years in the past, ESPN partnered with Penn Leisure to release ESPN Guess, its personal sportsbook.
We coated this in Disney’s Getting Into Playing from the attitude of the affect to Disney’s family-friendly logo. Nearly no person cared. Because it grew to become out, via merely ready out public sentiment, Disney entered the marketplace at a time when sports activities making a bet used to be totally normalized. If the rest, the corporate waited too lengthy. I by no means would’ve predicted how public perceptions of playing would’ve “developed” from 2018 to these days.
This seems like a identical tale with Disneyland Abu Dhabi. Had Disney introduced a partnership with Saudi Arabia again in October 2018, it surely would’ve been arguable. Saudi Arabia were making inroads with Hollywood at the moment, however as Self-importance Honest reported, the ones relationships all went up in smoke that month.
Speedy-forward 7 years and with a unique and not more arguable nation within the Center East, and the scoop might be met with a unique response. LIV Golfing has softened stances amongst American citizens even in opposition to Saudi Arabia; whilst extremely arguable to start with, its acceptance through the years has more than likely desensitized folks. Long term American entities that guess giant on Saudi Arabia gained’t be met with just about the similar scrutiny, because the dam already broke. This isn’t the primary time sports activities has had that impact; the similar might be stated concerning the 2008 Beijing Summer season Olympics and Shanghai Disneyland.
As for the United Arab Emirates, its public belief isn’t the same as Saudi Arabia within the first position, and has additional stepped forward within the ultimate a number of years amongst more youthful generations because of social media influencers, of all issues. The UAE is now considered as a playground for the prosperous with leading edge generation and posh trends; it’s an aspirational vacation spot. It additionally is helping that numerous western industry have planted roots within the UAE, so Disneyland Abu Dhabi is infrequently surroundings any precedent.
The listing of western firms within the UAE is extremely lengthy, together with Microsoft, Financial institution of The us, Uber, Nvidia, Boeing, Basic Motors, FedEx, Amazon, Google and Mastercard. There also are numerous American chains with outstanding presences within the UAE, together with Bloomingdale’s, Tub & Frame Works, Payless, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chuck E. Cheese, Tony Roma’s, Starbucks, and McDonald’s. Any luxurious store or main American eating place chain you’ll identify more than likely has outposts within the UAE.
For its phase, Disney simply opened the first standalone Disney Retailer at Dubai Mall again in March (picture above of flagship Disney Retailer in Shanghai, no longer Dubai). Dropped at the UAE via the Alshaya Crew, some other Disney retailer may even open in Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. All of that is most probably owing to the excessive expat inhabitants within the United Arab Emirates, and there’s a robust affinity for western manufacturers.
Additional suggesting there can be minimum controversy surrounding this–or a minimum of lower than would’ve existed a decade in the past–is that the Trump Group additionally introduced this month its intentions to create a brand new luxurious {golfing} vacation spot in within reach Doha. That venture spans roughly 790,000m² and, amongst different issues, it is going to come with a hotel complicated and theme park. So say good-bye to the Disney vs. Common contention and hi to Disneyland Abu Dhabi vs. Trumpland Center East! The ones fan debates about which is awesome must be “amusing.”
None of that is to say that this determination via Disney is wholly uncontroversial or morally proper. There clearly can be a point of backlash. It’s extra to signify that timing is the whole lot, and Bob Iger’s strikes on each playing and the Center East are much less an about-face and extra a reputation of moving sentiment and public perceptions.
Crucially, ready additionally gave Iger and Disney time to look at, looking at the early bulletins take form to verify that they weren’t simply vaporware. The listing of theme parks formally introduced for the Center East is a ways longer than the ones which have been constructed. After all, there’s no be sure that Disneyland Abu Dhabi gained’t finally end up struggling the similar destiny for no matter reason why, nevertheless it definitely seems that issues are other with Yas Island and Miral, and reason why to imagine this park in fact will come to fruition.
In line with the UAE’s Central Financial institution, the rustic’s expansion is being pushed via expansion momentum within the nation’s non-oil sectors because the Arab global’s second-largest financial system continues to push for diversification. Non-oil segments grew via 4.6% ultimate yr and is anticipated to surpass 5% this yr, UAE Central Financial institution knowledge indicated.
The UAE has been focusing closely on diversifying its financial system from oil via growing sectors comparable to generation, production, tourism, business and innovation. The rustic has offered a number of reforms together with longer-stay place of abode visas as neatly creating a push to draw best ability from out of the country.
Abu Dhabi’s Financial Imaginative and prescient 2030 is main the pressure in opposition to diversification. This is a part of the UAE’s method to reinvest its oil fortunes for the inevitable decline of the fossil gas trade and its reserves. More or less like how Philip Morris has invested closely in different industries in preparation for a smoke-free long term.
Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Technique 2030 outlines its plan for the way the town will reach such expansion. The 2030 plan seeks to spice up customer numbers from just about 24 million ultimate yr to 39.3 million via 2030 (in a single day and same-day), with a 7% year-on-year expansion. Additionally, it plans to noticeably raise the tourism and shuttle sector’s contribution to the UAE’s GDP, elevating it from roughly AED 49 billion in 2023 to AED 90 billion once a year via 2030.
The Technique will generate an estimated 178,000 new jobs via 2030 as all the tourism infrastructure develops to satisfy this call for. It intends to just about double global in a single day guests from 3.8 million in 2023 roughly to 7.2 million in 2030, amplify resort room availability from 34,000 in 2023 to 52,000 via 2030, and additional diversify lodging choices.
The UAE Tourism Technique 2031 likewise units formidable objectives for the field, aiming to extend its contribution to the GDP to AED 450 billion and draw in 40 million resort visitors once a year via 2031. To succeed in this, Abu Dhabi intends to speculate $10 billion on tourism infrastructure technique. That quantity used to be introduced earlier than Disneyland Abu Dhabi; it’s unclear whether or not this venture is a part of that $10 billion or along with it.
Theme parks, retails choices and new resort chains are a lynchpin to this plan, as is increasing its global succeed in from 11 to 26 markets. It is going to additionally determine strategic international partnerships with well known manufacturers for high-profile collaborations and expanded media succeed in. And what higher logo for that than Disney?!
The UAE is readily turning into a significant international theme park vacation spot, with the purpose of positioning itself because the Center East rival to Orlando for the crown of the sector’s theme park capital. From making an investment in world-class parks to attracting international manufacturers, the UAE is drawing global guests. Central to this are Yas Island and Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. The Disneyland Abu Dhabi venture must serve to toughen the ones comparisons.
Situated at the golden shores of Abu Dhabi, Yas Island provides a various mixture of recreational and leisure studies. From award-winning theme parks comparable to Ferrari International Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. International Abu Dhabi, and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi to unbelievable leisure choices all inside the 25 sq. km island. With those 4 theme parks and different points of interest, Yas Island is aiming to solidify its global popularity as a premier vacation spot.
Yas Island boasts world-class buying groceries at Abu Dhabi’s biggest mall, Yas Mall, very good eating at Yas Bay Waterfront, and award-winning golfing at Yas Hyperlinks golfing direction. The island provides a year-round line-up of occasions and homes ten resorts, together with W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, and The WB Abu Dhabi, the sector’s first Warner Bros. themed resort. With greater than 165 eating studies, the vacation spot additionally options indoor and out of doors live performance venues together with WHITE Abu Dhabi and Etihad Enviornment.
Yas Island recorded over 38 million visits in 2024, a notable 10% building up in comparison to 2023. Reaching their perfect efficiency since 2019, Yas Island resorts’ occupancy reached 82% peaking as much as 90% in August 2024; an annual 9% expansion in resort occupancy along a 17% building up within the reasonable day-to-day charge (ADR) in comparison to 2023.
This expansion is attributed to the UAE authorities’s efforts in nurturing the nascent trade, and fostering an atmosphere for the theme park trade to increase and mature. Nearly all of theme parks within the UAE are government-owned and operated, with the state’s huge sources backstopping their present losses and fueling enlargement till the funding bears fruit.
Central to this building in Abu Dhabi is Miral, the crowd liable for growing and working the man-made Yas Island’s selection of theme parks (and a lot more). As you most probably noticed, the announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi used to be a joint press free up between the Walt Disney Corporate and Miral, with the latter totally growing and construction Disneyland Abu Dhabi. So let’s dig deeper into Miral and what it has completed to this point in 15 years of Yas Island…
Miral Crew handles the introduction and control of recreational, leisure and cultural locations and studies in Abu Dhabi. The gang may be developing communities with year-round recreational and leisure facilities on Yas Island and around the Emirates, kind of like a Storyliving via Disney form of deal.
Miral’s first foray into theme parks used to be Ferrari International Abu Dhabi. This authentic indoor park is house to rides comparable to System Rossa, the sector’s quickest coaster, and Flying Aces, a dynamic coaster with some of the tallest loops on the planet. Extra currently, the park opened Project Ferrari, which is alleged to be phase curler coaster, phase darkish trip.
Subsequent to open used to be the 37-acre Yas Waterworld, which provides greater than 40 rides, waterslides, and different studies. It’s additionally the one out of doors park at Yas Island. Designed to rejoice the UAE’s pearl-diving previous, the park options the sector’s biggest surfable sheet wave, and the area’s first and most effective 5D water journey.
Warner Bros. International Abu Dhabi opened in 2018, and is now house to just about 30 thrill rides, family-friendly points of interest, and are living leisure throughout 1.65 million sq. ft and 6 immersive lands. Warner Bros. International is the most important indoor theme park on the planet, in keeping with Guinness International Information. Miral is now growing a brand new Harry Potter-themed land for Warner Bros. International Abu Dhabi.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, the area’s first marine lifestyles theme park, is the latest theme park to open on Yas Island. Advanced via Miral in partnership with SeaWorld, the park covers 5 indoor ranges and greater than 183,000 sq. metres. It provides 8 geographical regions with family-friendly studies together with animal encounters and displays, leisure, greater than 15 points of interest, plus two dozen-plus buying groceries and eating choices.
Yas Island has “spared no expense” John Hammond vibes, and no longer simply because it’s an island like Jurassic Park (fortunately with animals rather then dinosaurs…for now). The person-made island reportedly charge $40 billion to carry to lifestyles, at the side of estimated prices of over $1 billion for each and every of the parks. Miral is alleged to have a portfolio of tasks beneath building value greater than $3.4 billion on Yas Island and throughout Abu Dhabi. That used to be earlier than the announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi. For sure that quantity will a minimum of double within the decade to come back.
That is because of Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, the chief and the Crew Leader Government Officer of Miral Crew. Al Zaabi has been the motive force in reworking the corporate right into a powerhouse inside the theme parks trade since becoming a member of Miral in 2015.
Beneath his management, Miral’s portfolio on Yas Island has thrived as the crowd has constructed, operated and controlled immersive locations and studies that draw in guests from all over the world, accelerating the purpose of the Emirate’s financial diversification. Miral has invested in a couple of mega tasks on Yas Island and Abu Dhabi, effectively forging key industry partnerships with Ferrari, SeaWorld, and Warner Brothers.
All the way through a attention-grabbing interview, Al Zaabi shared that his favourite theme parks on the planet had been in fact no longer his personal, however Walt Disney International in Florida. Particularly, he stated that Pandora – International of Avatar is his #1 theme park space. He used to be additionally requested about negotiations to construct a Disney Park on Yas Island, which he disregarded with a “subsequent, please” plus fun and fist bump with the interviewer.
He used to be additionally requested concerning the finish sport for Yas Island, and whether or not profitability used to be the primary purpose, if breaking even used to be imaginable, or if the advance is “an funding within the nationwide status of Abu Dhabi?” Al Zaabi indicated that theme parks are a part of a “long run imaginative and prescient for Abu Dhabi and Yas Island” with economic and non-financial targets.
He additional elaborated that there are oblique economic advantages, comparable to expanding occupancy and duration of live at the island and in Abu Dhabi. He stated the corporate is “more than pleased, extraordinarily satisfied, with the consequences we’ve accomplished the ultimate ten years.”
When pressed on Emirates demographics and the long-term economic viability of the parks (or lack thereof), Al Zaabi defined that the purpose is to turn into the vacation spot theme park & recreational capital in the midst of more or less part of the earth’s inhabitants. He identified that vast populations in India and past are all with 2-3 hour flights. Past that, citizens are mechanically presented reductions to fill the parks.
The entire interview is fascinating, and means that Al Zaabi is any individual who in fact cares about theme parks. In doing just a little of digging into Al Zaabi’s (strangely huge) on-line footprint, he vaguely strikes a chord in my memory of Matt Ouimet (that’s reward, for many who are unfamiliar with that identify). For the ones with considerations about Miral main the advance of Disneyland Abu Dhabi, that may put your thoughts a bit comfy.
From our standpoint, this background is each attention-grabbing by itself and related to working out simply what Disney is doing with Disneyland Abu Dhabi. Probably the most best reactions on every occasion we proportion information from the global parks is that Disney must be making an investment locally on Walt Disney International and Disneyland, as an alternative of spending on international parks.
There’s a standpoint that Walt Disney International is the ‘golden goose’ and that the global gates are money-losers sponsored via the U.S. parks. The truth take a look at on that is ‘most commonly false/deceptive.’ It’s true that capital expenditures in construction parks in Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai have had momentary damaging affects on the ones in Florida and California.
The Euro Disney boondoggle used to be an albatross for over a decade, with ramifications for the ‘Disney Decade’ at Walt Disney International and Disneyland, in addition to a ripple impact that ended in next under-investments on new gates within the past due Nineteen Nineties and early aughts. Disney has now spent the easier a part of the ultimate 15 years undoing that because it’s long gone again and stuck DCA, HKDL, and now WDSP. Euro Disney has forged an extended shadow. Even a lot more currently, “Thank you, Shanghai” become a catchphrase in charge cost-cutting measures in 2014-2016 at the new park in China.
All of the ones parks are actually winning and give a contribution to Disney’s base line; none are sponsored via Walt Disney International or Disneyland.
We pay attention proceedings like this even on the subject of Tokyo Disney Lodge, which is wholly owned and operated via Oriental Land Corporate. From a guest-facing standpoint, the Tokyo parks are natural Disney magic–arguably the purest type of it.
Imagineering is the unique contractor for design paintings, with the company being paid for the lands, points of interest, resorts, and all different Disney ingenious at Tokyo Disney Lodge. This can be a giant a part of why Disney is all the time seeking to promote OLC on recently-completed tasks within the home parks–it spreads out R&D prices.
Disney additionally earns royalties on all earnings generated at Tokyo Disney Lodge. The best settlement and quantity of the royalties don’t seem to be publicly disclosed in income stories via OLC or Disney, however are believed to be 10% of price ticket gross sales and 5% of in-park purchases. No matter they’re, Michael Eisner got here to view the licensure fashion as a mistake and went a unique path (arguably the incorrect one) with the park in Paris.
After all, hindsight is 20/20. When Disney struck its care for OLC, the corporate that isn’t the behemoth that it’s these days. Disney didn’t have the sources for the herculean undertakings of each EPCOT Heart and global park enlargement, concurrently. Nor did they’ve the experience to do industry in Japan.
The partnership with OLC gave Disney a earnings move to bear the early years of EPCOT Heart, fund long term enlargement, and in the long run propelled the corporate into turning into the behemoth it’s these days. So having a look again these days, it’s simple to mention Disney must’ve constructed Tokyo Disneyland on their very own, however the contemporaneous cases and dangers had been very other.
Whilst Disney’s 10-Q submitting has no longer but been launched, it’s our working out that Disneyland Abu Dhabi will observe the Tokyo Disney Lodge fashion. Which is to mention that the venture is being fully-funded via Miral and state companions, and that Disney will receiving licensing, royalty, and building charges.
Disney isn’t offering any capital for the introduction of Disneyland Abu Dhabi. This doesn’t affect the advance of any present tasks at Walt Disney International, Disneyland, or Disney Cruise Line which have been up to now introduced as a part of the $60 billion ‘turbocharged’ funding over the following decade.
As with its Japan counterpart, Disneyland Abu Dhabi can be a distinctly Disney hotel within the sense that it’s Imagineers main ingenious design and the Walt Disney Corporate having operational oversight. And naturally, there can be Disney highbrow assets right through the hotel. The open query, at this level, is the level to which Miral can have a job in design and building, and whether or not that can be more than OLC at Tokyo Disney Lodge.
Time will inform whether or not what the Walt Disney Corporate is doing with Disneyland Abu Dhabi within the Center East is the fitting or incorrect manner from a industry standpoint.
Even if he gained’t be round when the park opens to the general public, present CEO Bob Iger surely perspectives it as one ultimate legacy venture. Now not most effective will it amplify the corporate’s footprint into a wholly new and main marketplace, simply as he did with Shanghai Disneyland, however it is going to additionally inject money into the corporate’s coffers and supply a long term earnings move that the corporate may want one day is the media panorama continues to switch.
The Mouse Area that Bob Iger constructed is in large part predicated on massive IP acquisitions. His first main transfer as CEO used to be obtaining Pixar for $7.4 billion in 2006. He adopted that up with the masterful strikes of obtaining Wonder for $4 billion in 2009 and Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012. Then there used to be possibly Iger’s maximum doubtful determination–excluding naming Chapek his successor–in obtaining twenty first Century Fox for $71.3 billion in 2019. Disney nonetheless hasn’t correctly “digested” that ultimate deal, and its after-effects had been important.
Reasonably than Iger’s ultimate legacy venture being concerning the park itself, it’s more than likely extra about Iger hanging Disney again at the proper direction, financially. Serving to pay down the debt load incurred on account of the Fox acquisition, purchasing Hulu outright from Comcast, scale-up prices of streaming, and offsetting what’s been misplaced from different earnings streams that experience slowed to a trickle. Bringing this full-circle, that used to be additionally the impetus at the back of the ESPN Guess transfer that may’ve left a in a similar way sour style within the mouths of a few lovers and moved Disney clear of its family-friendly roots.
However possibly the longest-lasting legacy of CEO Bob Iger that Disneyland Abu Dhabi additional cements is Disney’s shift from a media corporate to a theme parks & lodges industry, initially. Closing yr, Disney Studies generated $34.15 billion of the corporate’s $91.4 billion in earnings, however $9.27 billion of its $15.6 billion working source of revenue. Parks & Accommodations already accounts for ~60% of Disney’s earnings, dwarfing every other department. This deal will most effective widen that hole, which truly calls into query whether or not a “Hollywood individual” must be the following CEO of Disney, or if it must be a “Parks individual.”
In the long run, there’s much more floor to hide with this venture and we’ll surely comment on numerous subjects within the months and years between now and the hole of Disneyland Abu Dhabi. This simply scratches the outside, and gives fundamental background into what we will be able to be expecting from a brand new Disney theme park & hotel complicated within the Center East.
It’s humorous, as a result of after experiencing Common’s Epic Universe for the primary time, I used to be beginning to write a put up titled “Why We Will By no means See Any other Tokyo DisneySea.” It’s a just right factor I by no means hit put up on that, as it won’t finally end up being true.
With state companions which might be motivated much less via quick earnings and as a lot or extra via status, Disneyland Abu Dhabi may just finally end up being the Tokyo DisneySea of the Center East. Now not simply from the “spare no expense” standpoint of its companions, however in that the local weather of Abu Dhabi will again Imagineers into an artistic nook in designing this in large part indoors park. It’s method too quickly to make any sweeping statements there, however Disneyland Abu Dhabi has super possible.
Want Disney travel making plans pointers and complete recommendation? You’ll want to learn Disney Parks Holiday Making plans Guides, the place you’ll in finding complete guides to Walt Disney International, Disneyland, and past! For Disney updates, cut price data, loose downloads of our eBooks and wallpapers, and a lot more, join our FREE electronic mail publication!
Your Ideas
What do you call to mind Disney’s determination to create Disneyland Abu Dhabi? Will this be the ultimate legacy venture of CEO Bob Iger? Must it cement Disney as a theme parks industry, initially, versus a media corporate? Do you assume we’ll see a brand new citadel park in our lifetimes? The place is your dream location for a Disney theme park–both with regards to house or your favourite shuttle vacation spot? Another hypothesis, observation, or questions? Listening to from you is part the joys, so please proportion your take under!
Disney Studies has formally introduced plans for Disneyland Abu Dhabi, the corporate’s first-ever theme park & hotel complicated within the Center East, positioned on Yas Island within the capital town of the United Arab Emirates. The venture has been printed by the use of new thought artwork and main points by the use of CEO Bob Iger and state companions in Dubai.
The Walt Disney Corporate and Miral, Abu Dhabi’s main writer of immersive locations and studies, introduced an settlement to create a landmark Disney theme park hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The waterfront hotel complicated can be positioned on Yas Island, a world-class vacation spot for leisure and recreational, connecting vacationers from the Center East and Africa, India, Asia, Europe, and past.
Disneyland Abu Dhabi would be the 7th Disney theme park hotel will mix the corporate’s 100-plus yr custom of iconic tales, characters and points of interest with Abu Dhabi’s colourful tradition, shocking shorelines, and breathtaking structure. This seventh Disney Parks Vacation spot will prolong the corporate’s international succeed in and captivate a brand new target market in a thriving and dynamic hub.
“Abu Dhabi is a spot the place heritage meets innovation, the place we keep our previous whilst designing the longer term,” His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman at Miral, stated. “The collaboration between Abu Dhabi and Disney demonstrates the outstanding result of combining visionary management and artistic excellence.”
“What we’re developing with Disney in Abu Dhabi is a complete new global of creativeness — an enjoy that can encourage generations around the area and the sector, developing magical moments and recollections that households will treasure perpetually. Throughout the building of distinctive points of interest and studies, Abu Dhabi is still a vacation spot of selection for the sector,” Al Mubarak added.
The brand new hotel can be totally evolved and constructed via Miral. Disney and its mythical Imagineers will lead ingenious design and operational oversight to supply a world-class enjoy. Miral, which has evolved quite a few relatives leisure locations on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in collaboration with American and Eu manufacturers, will run the hotel.
“This can be a exciting second for our corporate as we announce plans to construct an exhilarating Disney theme park hotel in Abu Dhabi, whose tradition is wealthy with an appreciation of the humanities and creativity,” stated Robert A. Iger, Leader Government Officer, The Walt Disney Corporate.
“As our 7th theme park vacation spot, it is going to upward thrust from this land in impressive type, mixing recent structure with leading edge generation to provide visitors deeply immersive leisure studies in distinctive and fashionable tactics. Disneyland Abu Dhabi can be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati – an oasis of ordinary Disney leisure at this crossroads of the sector that can carry to lifestyles our undying characters and tales in lots of new tactics and can turn into a supply of pleasure and inspiration for the folk of this huge area to revel in for generations to come back.”
The UAE is positioned inside of a four-hour flight of one-third of the sector’s inhabitants, making it a vital gateway for tourism. The UAE is house to the most important international airline hub on the planet, with 120 million passengers touring via Abu Dhabi and Dubai each and every yr.
“This groundbreaking hotel vacation spot represents a brand new frontier in theme park building,” stated Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Studies. “Our hotel in Abu Dhabi would be the maximum complex and interactive vacation spot in our portfolio. The site of our park is extremely distinctive – anchored via a stupendous waterfront – which can permit us to inform our tales in totally new tactics. This venture will succeed in visitors in a complete new a part of the sector, welcoming extra households to enjoy Disney than ever earlier than. In the long run, it is going to be a birthday party of what’s imaginable when creativity and development come in combination.”
“Bringing a Disney theme park hotel to Yas Island marks a historical milestone in our adventure to additional advance the island’s place as an international vacation spot for remarkable leisure and recreational,” stated Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Crew CEO, Miral. “In combination, we’re developing a spot of boundless innovation, the place the imaginative and prescient of our management continues to encourage the sector.” The advance of distinctive studies will reinforce sustained financial expansion in Abu Dhabi and past.
Upon of entirety, the brand new Disneyland Abu Dhabi theme park hotel will be offering signature Disney leisure, themed lodging, distinctive eating and retail studies, and storytelling in some way that celebrates each the heritage of Disney and the futuristic and cultural essence of Abu Dhabi.
Additional main points can be introduced because the Disneyland Abu Dhabi venture progresses. Please discuss with the corporate’s 10-Q submitting later these days for added main points in regards to the economic settlement. Right here’s early thought artwork of Disneyland Abu Dhabi:
Our Observation & Background Deep Dive
Since addressing this rumor in Disney Parks in New Nations “Inevitable”, I’ve had the risk to mull over the potentiality of Disneyland Abu Dhabi and do just a little extra digging. In so doing, I’ve long gone from doubtful that Disney would transfer ahead with a venture within the UAE to viewing Disneyland Abu Dhabi as an, in Iger’s phrases, inevitability. After all, that’s simple to write down now that we’ve got an professional announcement–however I’m no longer pretending I noticed this coming previous to this week.
Because it seems, CEO Bob Iger has been leaving a path of breadcrumbs and laying the groundwork for this announcement since 2018. It used to be then that Iger first made feedback suggesting new theme parks past China all through a February 2018 income name. He printed that Disney is “continuously enticing in conversations with folks from other markets who would like us to place Disneyland of their marketplace.”
“I’d say that there’s an inevitability to us construction parks in different nations, nevertheless it doesn’t essentially imply that we’re going to construct one thing anytime very quickly,” Iger added. “However we’re going to appear.” As we’ve mentioned up to now, this is sensible. The sector’s demographics are converting, with more youthful and rising heart category populations in nations the place Disney has no presence.
In line with Disney’s interior analysis that used to be first printed as a part of its $60 billion plan to “turbocharge” theme park funding, there’s an addressable marketplace of greater than 700 million folks with excessive Disney affinity it has but to achieve with its parks. Actually, for each and every one visitor who visits a Disney Park, there are greater than ten folks with Disney affinity who don’t seek advice from the parks. Disneyland Abu Dhabi addresses this for 500 million of that 700 million.
This used to be obviously best of thoughts for Iger earlier than he departed as CEO, COVID upended the sector, and the corporate’s focal point shifted to streaming. All the way through an April 2018 interview with the Council on Overseas Family members, Iger shared that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had “made an impassioned plea to me to imagine construction Disneyland in Saudi Arabia.”
Iger defined that he “listened with interest and rather of an open thoughts. And I defined that after we make choices like this, we imagine cultural problems, financial problems, and political problems…it should appear easy, nevertheless it’s way more complicated. And he attempted to make the verdict more uncomplicated from an financial standpoint.”
“I used to be very—I in fact used to be very frank with him about it. And I’m no longer going to get into the ones main points both,” Iger endured. “And I stopped up announcing that I might seek advice from and notice for myself, however that that not at all must be interpreted to imply we’re growing a park, however that I might concentrate…I regularly say to the senior executives of Disney, if you happen to don’t pass you’ll’t develop.”
“And so I’ll pass. Whether or not we develop or no longer there, I don’t know. However I’ll pass. There’s a large number of individuals who are living in that a part of the sector. We’ve got, through the years, been requested via many from that area to imagine hanging a park in that area. And thus far, it hasn’t—it hasn’t been on the best of our listing in the case of markets that we might open up in, however we’ll have a look.”
Up to now, the corporate’s riskiest mission has been its foray into mainland China with Shanghai Disneyland, a three way partnership with the state-owned Shanghai Shendi Crew. The parks in Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong (on the time it used to be constructed) didn’t provide even remotely related considerations.
Studying between the traces, what Iger appears to be announcing is that the construction a Disney park within the Center East would’ve been simple as a industry determination that will’ve stepped forward the corporate’s base line. However as of 2018, it used to be nonetheless no longer politically palatable and an excessive amount of of a logo possibility, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
“Historical past doesn’t repeat itself nevertheless it regularly rhymes.” That’s the Mark Twain quote I’m reminded of via this information. CEO Bob Iger stated this all through an income name in February 2019: “I don’t see The Walt Disney Corporate, definitely within the close to time period, becoming concerned within the industry of playing, in impact, via facilitating playing by any means.” That got here in accordance with an analyst mentioning Deadpool, and asking whether or not sports activities making a bet may just additionally “coexist inside the family-friendly Disney logo?”
Speedy-forward just a couple years, and playing commercials had been ubiquitous in ESPN protection. You couldn’t activate sports activities protection with out listening to about odds, myth stats, or seeing commercials for Caesars, MGM, and so on. Nearly in a single day, making a bet went from being considered as immoral and a stain on sports activities to actively embraced and an engrained facet of the fan enjoy. Two years in the past, ESPN partnered with Penn Leisure to release ESPN Guess, its personal sportsbook.
We coated this in Disney’s Getting Into Playing from the attitude of the affect to Disney’s family-friendly logo. Nearly no person cared. Because it grew to become out, via merely ready out public sentiment, Disney entered the marketplace at a time when sports activities making a bet used to be totally normalized. If the rest, the corporate waited too lengthy. I by no means would’ve predicted how public perceptions of playing would’ve “developed” from 2018 to these days.
This seems like a identical tale with Disneyland Abu Dhabi. Had Disney introduced a partnership with Saudi Arabia again in October 2018, it surely would’ve been arguable. Saudi Arabia were making inroads with Hollywood at the moment, however as Self-importance Honest reported, the ones relationships all went up in smoke that month.
Speedy-forward 7 years and with a unique and not more arguable nation within the Center East, and the scoop might be met with a unique response. LIV Golfing has softened stances amongst American citizens even in opposition to Saudi Arabia; whilst extremely arguable to start with, its acceptance through the years has more than likely desensitized folks. Long term American entities that guess giant on Saudi Arabia gained’t be met with just about the similar scrutiny, because the dam already broke. This isn’t the primary time sports activities has had that impact; the similar might be stated concerning the 2008 Beijing Summer season Olympics and Shanghai Disneyland.
As for the United Arab Emirates, its public belief isn’t the same as Saudi Arabia within the first position, and has additional stepped forward within the ultimate a number of years amongst more youthful generations because of social media influencers, of all issues. The UAE is now considered as a playground for the prosperous with leading edge generation and posh trends; it’s an aspirational vacation spot. It additionally is helping that numerous western industry have planted roots within the UAE, so Disneyland Abu Dhabi is infrequently surroundings any precedent.
The listing of western firms within the UAE is extremely lengthy, together with Microsoft, Financial institution of The us, Uber, Nvidia, Boeing, Basic Motors, FedEx, Amazon, Google and Mastercard. There also are numerous American chains with outstanding presences within the UAE, together with Bloomingdale’s, Tub & Frame Works, Payless, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chuck E. Cheese, Tony Roma’s, Starbucks, and McDonald’s. Any luxurious store or main American eating place chain you’ll identify more than likely has outposts within the UAE.
For its phase, Disney simply opened the first standalone Disney Retailer at Dubai Mall again in March (picture above of flagship Disney Retailer in Shanghai, no longer Dubai). Dropped at the UAE via the Alshaya Crew, some other Disney retailer may even open in Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. All of that is most probably owing to the excessive expat inhabitants within the United Arab Emirates, and there’s a robust affinity for western manufacturers.
Additional suggesting there can be minimum controversy surrounding this–or a minimum of lower than would’ve existed a decade in the past–is that the Trump Group additionally introduced this month its intentions to create a brand new luxurious {golfing} vacation spot in within reach Doha. That venture spans roughly 790,000m² and, amongst different issues, it is going to come with a hotel complicated and theme park. So say good-bye to the Disney vs. Common contention and hi to Disneyland Abu Dhabi vs. Trumpland Center East! The ones fan debates about which is awesome must be “amusing.”
None of that is to say that this determination via Disney is wholly uncontroversial or morally proper. There clearly can be a point of backlash. It’s extra to signify that timing is the whole lot, and Bob Iger’s strikes on each playing and the Center East are much less an about-face and extra a reputation of moving sentiment and public perceptions.
Crucially, ready additionally gave Iger and Disney time to look at, looking at the early bulletins take form to verify that they weren’t simply vaporware. The listing of theme parks formally introduced for the Center East is a ways longer than the ones which have been constructed. After all, there’s no be sure that Disneyland Abu Dhabi gained’t finally end up struggling the similar destiny for no matter reason why, nevertheless it definitely seems that issues are other with Yas Island and Miral, and reason why to imagine this park in fact will come to fruition.
In line with the UAE’s Central Financial institution, the rustic’s expansion is being pushed via expansion momentum within the nation’s non-oil sectors because the Arab global’s second-largest financial system continues to push for diversification. Non-oil segments grew via 4.6% ultimate yr and is anticipated to surpass 5% this yr, UAE Central Financial institution knowledge indicated.
The UAE has been focusing closely on diversifying its financial system from oil via growing sectors comparable to generation, production, tourism, business and innovation. The rustic has offered a number of reforms together with longer-stay place of abode visas as neatly creating a push to draw best ability from out of the country.
Abu Dhabi’s Financial Imaginative and prescient 2030 is main the pressure in opposition to diversification. This is a part of the UAE’s method to reinvest its oil fortunes for the inevitable decline of the fossil gas trade and its reserves. More or less like how Philip Morris has invested closely in different industries in preparation for a smoke-free long term.
Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Technique 2030 outlines its plan for the way the town will reach such expansion. The 2030 plan seeks to spice up customer numbers from just about 24 million ultimate yr to 39.3 million via 2030 (in a single day and same-day), with a 7% year-on-year expansion. Additionally, it plans to noticeably raise the tourism and shuttle sector’s contribution to the UAE’s GDP, elevating it from roughly AED 49 billion in 2023 to AED 90 billion once a year via 2030.
The Technique will generate an estimated 178,000 new jobs via 2030 as all the tourism infrastructure develops to satisfy this call for. It intends to just about double global in a single day guests from 3.8 million in 2023 roughly to 7.2 million in 2030, amplify resort room availability from 34,000 in 2023 to 52,000 via 2030, and additional diversify lodging choices.
The UAE Tourism Technique 2031 likewise units formidable objectives for the field, aiming to extend its contribution to the GDP to AED 450 billion and draw in 40 million resort visitors once a year via 2031. To succeed in this, Abu Dhabi intends to speculate $10 billion on tourism infrastructure technique. That quantity used to be introduced earlier than Disneyland Abu Dhabi; it’s unclear whether or not this venture is a part of that $10 billion or along with it.
Theme parks, retails choices and new resort chains are a lynchpin to this plan, as is increasing its global succeed in from 11 to 26 markets. It is going to additionally determine strategic international partnerships with well known manufacturers for high-profile collaborations and expanded media succeed in. And what higher logo for that than Disney?!
The UAE is readily turning into a significant international theme park vacation spot, with the purpose of positioning itself because the Center East rival to Orlando for the crown of the sector’s theme park capital. From making an investment in world-class parks to attracting international manufacturers, the UAE is drawing global guests. Central to this are Yas Island and Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. The Disneyland Abu Dhabi venture must serve to toughen the ones comparisons.
Situated at the golden shores of Abu Dhabi, Yas Island provides a various mixture of recreational and leisure studies. From award-winning theme parks comparable to Ferrari International Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. International Abu Dhabi, and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi to unbelievable leisure choices all inside the 25 sq. km island. With those 4 theme parks and different points of interest, Yas Island is aiming to solidify its global popularity as a premier vacation spot.
Yas Island boasts world-class buying groceries at Abu Dhabi’s biggest mall, Yas Mall, very good eating at Yas Bay Waterfront, and award-winning golfing at Yas Hyperlinks golfing direction. The island provides a year-round line-up of occasions and homes ten resorts, together with W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island, Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, and The WB Abu Dhabi, the sector’s first Warner Bros. themed resort. With greater than 165 eating studies, the vacation spot additionally options indoor and out of doors live performance venues together with WHITE Abu Dhabi and Etihad Enviornment.
Yas Island recorded over 38 million visits in 2024, a notable 10% building up in comparison to 2023. Reaching their perfect efficiency since 2019, Yas Island resorts’ occupancy reached 82% peaking as much as 90% in August 2024; an annual 9% expansion in resort occupancy along a 17% building up within the reasonable day-to-day charge (ADR) in comparison to 2023.
This expansion is attributed to the UAE authorities’s efforts in nurturing the nascent trade, and fostering an atmosphere for the theme park trade to increase and mature. Nearly all of theme parks within the UAE are government-owned and operated, with the state’s huge sources backstopping their present losses and fueling enlargement till the funding bears fruit.
Central to this building in Abu Dhabi is Miral, the crowd liable for growing and working the man-made Yas Island’s selection of theme parks (and a lot more). As you most probably noticed, the announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi used to be a joint press free up between the Walt Disney Corporate and Miral, with the latter totally growing and construction Disneyland Abu Dhabi. So let’s dig deeper into Miral and what it has completed to this point in 15 years of Yas Island…
Miral Crew handles the introduction and control of recreational, leisure and cultural locations and studies in Abu Dhabi. The gang may be developing communities with year-round recreational and leisure facilities on Yas Island and around the Emirates, kind of like a Storyliving via Disney form of deal.
Miral’s first foray into theme parks used to be Ferrari International Abu Dhabi. This authentic indoor park is house to rides comparable to System Rossa, the sector’s quickest coaster, and Flying Aces, a dynamic coaster with some of the tallest loops on the planet. Extra currently, the park opened Project Ferrari, which is alleged to be phase curler coaster, phase darkish trip.
Subsequent to open used to be the 37-acre Yas Waterworld, which provides greater than 40 rides, waterslides, and different studies. It’s additionally the one out of doors park at Yas Island. Designed to rejoice the UAE’s pearl-diving previous, the park options the sector’s biggest surfable sheet wave, and the area’s first and most effective 5D water journey.
Warner Bros. International Abu Dhabi opened in 2018, and is now house to just about 30 thrill rides, family-friendly points of interest, and are living leisure throughout 1.65 million sq. ft and 6 immersive lands. Warner Bros. International is the most important indoor theme park on the planet, in keeping with Guinness International Information. Miral is now growing a brand new Harry Potter-themed land for Warner Bros. International Abu Dhabi.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, the area’s first marine lifestyles theme park, is the latest theme park to open on Yas Island. Advanced via Miral in partnership with SeaWorld, the park covers 5 indoor ranges and greater than 183,000 sq. metres. It provides 8 geographical regions with family-friendly studies together with animal encounters and displays, leisure, greater than 15 points of interest, plus two dozen-plus buying groceries and eating choices.
Yas Island has “spared no expense” John Hammond vibes, and no longer simply because it’s an island like Jurassic Park (fortunately with animals rather then dinosaurs…for now). The person-made island reportedly charge $40 billion to carry to lifestyles, at the side of estimated prices of over $1 billion for each and every of the parks. Miral is alleged to have a portfolio of tasks beneath building value greater than $3.4 billion on Yas Island and throughout Abu Dhabi. That used to be earlier than the announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi. For sure that quantity will a minimum of double within the decade to come back.
That is because of Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, the chief and the Crew Leader Government Officer of Miral Crew. Al Zaabi has been the motive force in reworking the corporate right into a powerhouse inside the theme parks trade since becoming a member of Miral in 2015.
Beneath his management, Miral’s portfolio on Yas Island has thrived as the crowd has constructed, operated and controlled immersive locations and studies that draw in guests from all over the world, accelerating the purpose of the Emirate’s financial diversification. Miral has invested in a couple of mega tasks on Yas Island and Abu Dhabi, effectively forging key industry partnerships with Ferrari, SeaWorld, and Warner Brothers.
All the way through a attention-grabbing interview, Al Zaabi shared that his favourite theme parks on the planet had been in fact no longer his personal, however Walt Disney International in Florida. Particularly, he stated that Pandora – International of Avatar is his #1 theme park space. He used to be additionally requested about negotiations to construct a Disney Park on Yas Island, which he disregarded with a “subsequent, please” plus fun and fist bump with the interviewer.
He used to be additionally requested concerning the finish sport for Yas Island, and whether or not profitability used to be the primary purpose, if breaking even used to be imaginable, or if the advance is “an funding within the nationwide status of Abu Dhabi?” Al Zaabi indicated that theme parks are a part of a “long run imaginative and prescient for Abu Dhabi and Yas Island” with economic and non-financial targets.
He additional elaborated that there are oblique economic advantages, comparable to expanding occupancy and duration of live at the island and in Abu Dhabi. He stated the corporate is “more than pleased, extraordinarily satisfied, with the consequences we’ve accomplished the ultimate ten years.”
When pressed on Emirates demographics and the long-term economic viability of the parks (or lack thereof), Al Zaabi defined that the purpose is to turn into the vacation spot theme park & recreational capital in the midst of more or less part of the earth’s inhabitants. He identified that vast populations in India and past are all with 2-3 hour flights. Past that, citizens are mechanically presented reductions to fill the parks.
The entire interview is fascinating, and means that Al Zaabi is any individual who in fact cares about theme parks. In doing just a little of digging into Al Zaabi’s (strangely huge) on-line footprint, he vaguely strikes a chord in my memory of Matt Ouimet (that’s reward, for many who are unfamiliar with that identify). For the ones with considerations about Miral main the advance of Disneyland Abu Dhabi, that may put your thoughts a bit comfy.
From our standpoint, this background is each attention-grabbing by itself and related to working out simply what Disney is doing with Disneyland Abu Dhabi. Probably the most best reactions on every occasion we proportion information from the global parks is that Disney must be making an investment locally on Walt Disney International and Disneyland, as an alternative of spending on international parks.
There’s a standpoint that Walt Disney International is the ‘golden goose’ and that the global gates are money-losers sponsored via the U.S. parks. The truth take a look at on that is ‘most commonly false/deceptive.’ It’s true that capital expenditures in construction parks in Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai have had momentary damaging affects on the ones in Florida and California.
The Euro Disney boondoggle used to be an albatross for over a decade, with ramifications for the ‘Disney Decade’ at Walt Disney International and Disneyland, in addition to a ripple impact that ended in next under-investments on new gates within the past due Nineteen Nineties and early aughts. Disney has now spent the easier a part of the ultimate 15 years undoing that because it’s long gone again and stuck DCA, HKDL, and now WDSP. Euro Disney has forged an extended shadow. Even a lot more currently, “Thank you, Shanghai” become a catchphrase in charge cost-cutting measures in 2014-2016 at the new park in China.
All of the ones parks are actually winning and give a contribution to Disney’s base line; none are sponsored via Walt Disney International or Disneyland.
We pay attention proceedings like this even on the subject of Tokyo Disney Lodge, which is wholly owned and operated via Oriental Land Corporate. From a guest-facing standpoint, the Tokyo parks are natural Disney magic–arguably the purest type of it.
Imagineering is the unique contractor for design paintings, with the company being paid for the lands, points of interest, resorts, and all different Disney ingenious at Tokyo Disney Lodge. This can be a giant a part of why Disney is all the time seeking to promote OLC on recently-completed tasks within the home parks–it spreads out R&D prices.
Disney additionally earns royalties on all earnings generated at Tokyo Disney Lodge. The best settlement and quantity of the royalties don’t seem to be publicly disclosed in income stories via OLC or Disney, however are believed to be 10% of price ticket gross sales and 5% of in-park purchases. No matter they’re, Michael Eisner got here to view the licensure fashion as a mistake and went a unique path (arguably the incorrect one) with the park in Paris.
After all, hindsight is 20/20. When Disney struck its care for OLC, the corporate that isn’t the behemoth that it’s these days. Disney didn’t have the sources for the herculean undertakings of each EPCOT Heart and global park enlargement, concurrently. Nor did they’ve the experience to do industry in Japan.
The partnership with OLC gave Disney a earnings move to bear the early years of EPCOT Heart, fund long term enlargement, and in the long run propelled the corporate into turning into the behemoth it’s these days. So having a look again these days, it’s simple to mention Disney must’ve constructed Tokyo Disneyland on their very own, however the contemporaneous cases and dangers had been very other.
Whilst Disney’s 10-Q submitting has no longer but been launched, it’s our working out that Disneyland Abu Dhabi will observe the Tokyo Disney Lodge fashion. Which is to mention that the venture is being fully-funded via Miral and state companions, and that Disney will receiving licensing, royalty, and building charges.
Disney isn’t offering any capital for the introduction of Disneyland Abu Dhabi. This doesn’t affect the advance of any present tasks at Walt Disney International, Disneyland, or Disney Cruise Line which have been up to now introduced as a part of the $60 billion ‘turbocharged’ funding over the following decade.
As with its Japan counterpart, Disneyland Abu Dhabi can be a distinctly Disney hotel within the sense that it’s Imagineers main ingenious design and the Walt Disney Corporate having operational oversight. And naturally, there can be Disney highbrow assets right through the hotel. The open query, at this level, is the level to which Miral can have a job in design and building, and whether or not that can be more than OLC at Tokyo Disney Lodge.
Time will inform whether or not what the Walt Disney Corporate is doing with Disneyland Abu Dhabi within the Center East is the fitting or incorrect manner from a industry standpoint.
Even if he gained’t be round when the park opens to the general public, present CEO Bob Iger surely perspectives it as one ultimate legacy venture. Now not most effective will it amplify the corporate’s footprint into a wholly new and main marketplace, simply as he did with Shanghai Disneyland, however it is going to additionally inject money into the corporate’s coffers and supply a long term earnings move that the corporate may want one day is the media panorama continues to switch.
The Mouse Area that Bob Iger constructed is in large part predicated on massive IP acquisitions. His first main transfer as CEO used to be obtaining Pixar for $7.4 billion in 2006. He adopted that up with the masterful strikes of obtaining Wonder for $4 billion in 2009 and Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012. Then there used to be possibly Iger’s maximum doubtful determination–excluding naming Chapek his successor–in obtaining twenty first Century Fox for $71.3 billion in 2019. Disney nonetheless hasn’t correctly “digested” that ultimate deal, and its after-effects had been important.
Reasonably than Iger’s ultimate legacy venture being concerning the park itself, it’s more than likely extra about Iger hanging Disney again at the proper direction, financially. Serving to pay down the debt load incurred on account of the Fox acquisition, purchasing Hulu outright from Comcast, scale-up prices of streaming, and offsetting what’s been misplaced from different earnings streams that experience slowed to a trickle. Bringing this full-circle, that used to be additionally the impetus at the back of the ESPN Guess transfer that may’ve left a in a similar way sour style within the mouths of a few lovers and moved Disney clear of its family-friendly roots.
However possibly the longest-lasting legacy of CEO Bob Iger that Disneyland Abu Dhabi additional cements is Disney’s shift from a media corporate to a theme parks & lodges industry, initially. Closing yr, Disney Studies generated $34.15 billion of the corporate’s $91.4 billion in earnings, however $9.27 billion of its $15.6 billion working source of revenue. Parks & Accommodations already accounts for ~60% of Disney’s earnings, dwarfing every other department. This deal will most effective widen that hole, which truly calls into query whether or not a “Hollywood individual” must be the following CEO of Disney, or if it must be a “Parks individual.”
In the long run, there’s much more floor to hide with this venture and we’ll surely comment on numerous subjects within the months and years between now and the hole of Disneyland Abu Dhabi. This simply scratches the outside, and gives fundamental background into what we will be able to be expecting from a brand new Disney theme park & hotel complicated within the Center East.
It’s humorous, as a result of after experiencing Common’s Epic Universe for the primary time, I used to be beginning to write a put up titled “Why We Will By no means See Any other Tokyo DisneySea.” It’s a just right factor I by no means hit put up on that, as it won’t finally end up being true.
With state companions which might be motivated much less via quick earnings and as a lot or extra via status, Disneyland Abu Dhabi may just finally end up being the Tokyo DisneySea of the Center East. Now not simply from the “spare no expense” standpoint of its companions, however in that the local weather of Abu Dhabi will again Imagineers into an artistic nook in designing this in large part indoors park. It’s method too quickly to make any sweeping statements there, however Disneyland Abu Dhabi has super possible.
Want Disney travel making plans pointers and complete recommendation? You’ll want to learn Disney Parks Holiday Making plans Guides, the place you’ll in finding complete guides to Walt Disney International, Disneyland, and past! For Disney updates, cut price data, loose downloads of our eBooks and wallpapers, and a lot more, join our FREE electronic mail publication!
Your Ideas
What do you call to mind Disney’s determination to create Disneyland Abu Dhabi? Will this be the ultimate legacy venture of CEO Bob Iger? Must it cement Disney as a theme parks industry, initially, versus a media corporate? Do you assume we’ll see a brand new citadel park in our lifetimes? The place is your dream location for a Disney theme park–both with regards to house or your favourite shuttle vacation spot? Another hypothesis, observation, or questions? Listening to from you is part the joys, so please proportion your take under!
