- When selecting its most recent theme park, Disney opted for the Middle East.
- EXPLORE FURTHER: The Asian location where a beloved British meal has become incredibly popular – and costs only half as much.
Boasting spectacular natural scenery and charming urban areas, Australia remains among the globe’s premier vacation spots — drawing about 7 million tourists in 2024 — yet it seems improbable for certain developments. visit a Disney theme park soon .
Australia, known as the land down under, boasts numerous native amusement parks, with Dreamworld being its largest, located in the nation's heartland. Gold Coast , yet the globe’s premier theme park brand seemingly remains uninterested in establishing a presence there.
Currently, Disney operates six theme parks worldwide, with their first ones located in the United States at the Disneyland Resort. California as well as Walt Disney World Resort, Florida - along with Disneyland Paris in Europe and three others Asia ; in Japan , Hong Kong and Shanghai.
With much excitement, a new Disney attraction debuted. mentioned last month, with proposals revealed for a Disney theme park in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
T The park, scheduled to open in the early 2030s, will mark the brand’s first significant new theme park venture in almost ten years and its inaugural location in the Middle East.
Disney enthusiasts in Australia, however, are likely to face this issue. spend a considerable amount of time waiting for something exciting on Australian soil , where executives have stated that they currently do not have any plans underway.
The reason being? Disney thinks Australia’s population isn’t large enough to sustain a profitable theme park—similarly to how Sega World was launched with great fanfare but ultimately flopped upon opening. Sydney In the 1990s, this may be all the evidence the brand requires.
A gaming hub referred to as 'Sydney's Disneyland,' Sega World launched at Darling Harbour’s Pavilion with an estimated cost exceeding AUS$80 million (£38 million approximately). However, by the start of the new millennium, this indoor theme park had shut down.
Even though Australia has a populace of roughly With over 26.5 million visitors, including an additional 7.6 million tourists, this remains relatively modest when contrasted with other locations that boast a Disney park. For instance, Greater Tokyo boasts a population of around 37 million.
In the past, there were plans for a park, including speculation about a Gold Coast location in the '90s. However, choosing China as part of their growth strategy became more appealing to the American company.
It appears that the Middle East has surpassed Australia. Although Abu Dhabi City boasts a population of around 2.5 million people, Yas Island — set to welcome the new park ‘in the early 2030s’ — saw over 34 million visitors in 2023, marking a 38 percent increase from the previous year, according to Miral.
'Our fascination with this region has remained constant—we aim to introduce Disney’s tales to a fresh generation of young enthusiasts here.' Josh D'Amaro, who leads Disney's Experience division as its chairman, mentioned to Reuters in May, adding, "Abu Dhabi was a perfect spot for our needs."
The Abu Dhabi-based leisure and entertainment company Miral, which is behind the development of Yas Island, will be financing, constructing, and running the resort.
The creative and technical professionals Disney's theme park designers, referred to as Imagineers, will be taking the lead. innovative development with operational supervision .
The theme park in Abu Dhabi marks Disney's first venture of this kind since Shanghai Disney Resort launched in 2016. This signifies an extension of the company’s strategy to ‘supercharge’ its Experiences division, encompassing its six international theme park destinations. cruise ship line as well as a family-oriented resort in Hawaii .
In 2023, Disney declared its intention to invest $60 billion over ten years. expand its Disney cruise ship fleet twofold and put money into its theme parks .
It also acquired a minor share in Epic Games , founder of the online gaming platform Fortnite .
Initially, Miral reached out to Disney to discuss their intentions regarding establishing a tourist center in Abu Dhabi , stated D'Amaro. That discussion prompted Disney executives to tour the potential theme park location last September.
"We got a glimpse of where our potential park might be located and engaged in some significant discussions about what this could mean for our ‘acceleration,’" D'Amaro stated.
Following his return visit to the area in February, D'Amaro stated that they had engaged in substantial talks which ultimately led to an agreement. The specifics regarding the size of Miral's investment were not revealed.
The Miral Group CEO, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, announced that adding a Disney theme park to Yas Island marks a 'significant landmark' in their mission to transform the island into an international entertainment hub. (Reported by Dawn Chmielewski from Los Angeles; Edited by Peter Henderson and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR DOLLAR AT DISNEY THEME PARKS
When it comes to family-friendly attractions, not many places can compete with Disney. Who could turn down adrenaline-pumping rides, exciting shows, and beloved animated characters spanning multiple generations?
But wherever you set sail on your Disney journey , expenses can soon add up. Below is our guide to maximizing your value at Disney theme parks globally.
Disneyland Paris
Highlights of Paris' two parks feature the freshly renovated Sleeping Beauty Castle. Indiana Jones and The Temple of Peril and Ratatouille: The Great Escape.
Optimal period for the best deal when visiting: Whenever feasible, avoid seasonal festivities such as Easter , Halloween and Christmas French school holiday schedules also vary from ours, so make sure to do some homework for a better bargain. If that doesn’t work out, consider traveling in January, February, September, or November when prices tend to be significantly lower. The same goes for weekdays compared to weekends.
Park tickets: Generally speaking, visiting Disney parks for more days tends to reduce the cost. To find deals, consider checking third-party websites such as attractiontickets.com.
Budget stays: Staying one night at Hotel Marne-la-Vallée Val d'Europe, which is just a short ten-minute drive away from the theme park, will cost your family around £117 including breakfast during summertime (check rates at hotel-bb.com). If you're looking for an even more economical choice, consider camping; you could set up your tent equipped with electrical hookups at Camping International de Jablines, located approximately twenty minutes from Disneyland Paris, starting from £14 per person per night (see details at camping-jablines.com).
Eat for less: The Earl of Sandwich offers a range of dishes from morning meals to salads and sandwiches, typically priced below £10. Visitors can bring packed lunches into the park as well.
Disneyland California; Walt Disney World Florida
The initial location to welcome visitors was Disneyland California, which features the enchanting Sleeping Beauty Castle. In contrast, Walt Disney World located in Orlando stands out as the larger—and perhaps superior—sibling of the original, boasting more than 173 attractions. choose from .
Optimal period for the best deal when visiting: Disney provides official promotions all-year-round, but the discounts from January to May typically outshine those offered during the winter holiday season.
Tickets: Browse discounted service providers to find the most favorable offers. Choosing '1 Park Per Day' passes instead of 'Hopper' passes could help reduce your expenses.
Budget stays: At Disneyland, certain out-of-park accommodations can be just as conveniently located as their more expensive counterparts within the resort grounds. The DoubleTree Suites by Hilton, which are a 25-minute stroll away from the theme park, begin at around £105 per night (check hilton.com for details). When visiting Disney World, however, staying at one of the budget-friendly on-site options like the All-Star Movies Resort might serve you better. Here, double rooms cost approximately £118 per night, with kids aged 17 and younger able to stay for free.
Eat for less: Food is permitted within the park boundaries. To minimize expenses, try to avoid dining at table-service restaurants when eating on site.
Disneyland Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan's capital, features two theme parks—Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea—as well as six nearby hotels. A train ride from downtown Tokyo lasts approximately 24 minutes and costs roughly £2.
Optimal period for the best deal when visiting: At present, the yen is quite weak, so if you have Japan on your travel bucket list, there’s no reason to delay your trip. The period from mid-January to mid-March is regarded as low season.
Tickets: Currently, only single-day tickets can be purchased, and the most affordable option is through the official website, tokyodisneyresort.jp/en. The prices are £44 for adults, £37 for individuals aged 12 to 17, and £26 for those between four and 11 years old (children under three enter for free). Weekdays from Tuesday to Friday tend to have smaller crowds.
Budget stays: The family rooms at Mitsui Garden Hotel Prana Tokyo Bay start at £117 during peak seasons, including a complimentary 15-minute shuttle service to the attraction site as per gardenhotels.co.jp. For the equivalent stay at Hotel MiraCosta near DisneySea, you would pay around £440 for the room.
Eat for less: Global quick-service dining can satisfy hunger without breaking the bank – you'll find a petite salami pizza at Pan Galactic Pizza Port within Tokyo Disneyland for approximately £4. Alternatively, be sure not to overlook Ikspiari mall situated near the entrance of the theme park; it stays open until later hours and offers more budget-friendly choices along with an excellent supermarket, check out their website at ikspiari.com.
Hong Kong
The tiniest theme park within the empire, Hong Kong Disneyland can be reached via an MTR train in about 30 minutes from both the airport and downtown area. Featuring eight themed areas, the most recent addition being World of Frozen, which debuted in 2023.
Optimal period for the best deal when visiting: Steer clear of holidays like Golden Week (in May and October) and Lunar New Year (which falls in January or February), along with local school breaks and weekends. On weekdays, Mondays and Fridays tend to be the most crowded.
Tickets: This compact version of Disneyland allows you to experience everything in just one day, keeping the entry fees affordable. You can find deals on klook.com where adult tickets cost £59.85 and those for children or seniors are priced at £45.69, offering a discount of approximately £14.
Budget stays: For the best bargains, opt for accommodations in central Hong Kong; a quad occupancy room at the Dorsett Tsuen Wan hotel located in Kowloon costs approximately £100 per night, check rates at dorsetthotels.com.
Eat for less: Lunch boxes can be brought into the park. The Citygate Outlets in Tung Chung, just a ten-minute taxi ride away, offers 40 different dining choices.
Shanghai
The newest Disney park features eight areas, such as Toy Story Land and Zootopia, along with two hotels and Disneytown which offers entertainment, dining, and shopping options.
Best time to visit: From November through May, you'll encounter fewer tourists and milder temperatures — however, try to skip weekdays and significant observances. Taxis booked via the DiXi app will take about 20 minutes from the airport for roughly £11, similar to using Uber. If traveling from downtown Shanghai, expect the metro journey to last approximately one hour but at a minimal cost of only a few pounds.
Budget stays: When traveling with kids, the Toy Story Hotel is tough to beat, especially since room rates begin at approximately £150. Alternatively, consider The Courtyard by Marriott; it offers complimentary parking shuttles and costs about £136 per night, available via marriott.com.
Tickets: We discovered that the most affordable single-day ticket for adults costs £48, while tickets for children and seniors aged 60+ are priced at £36. To take advantage of any applicable discounts on dining options as well as obtain the Disney Standby Pass through the Shanghai Disney Resort Official App, download this app. This pass allows you to book specific time slots for bypassing regular ride lines.
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