Surprise! Disney To Build Its Seventh Theme Park Resort Destination in Abu Dhabi
Well, I certainly didn’t have this on my bingo card. It was announced this week that Disney will in fact build a seventh theme park destination — though it’s not anywhere near where most of us would have guessed. Disney’s next theme park will be located in Abu Dhabi, in United Arab Emirates.
Announced ahead of its quarterly earnings call, Disney shared the news that it had entered a deal with Miral, an Abu Dhabi-based company that specializes in the creation of entertainment destinations.
Abu Dhabi Is Disney’s Seventh Theme Park Destination
Abu Dhabi will join the lineup of the six previous Disney theme park resort locations: Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Specifically, this new Disney resort will be located on Yas Island, the home of other theme parks such as Ferrari World, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, and Warner Bros. World. Disney Abu Dhabi’s location on Yas Island will be a waterfront resort, as depicted in this concept art released with the announcement:
It was shared in the announcement that Miral would fund the construction of and fully operate Disney Abu Dhabi, with Disney receiving a royalty through the licensing of its intellectual property. While Miral will operate the resort, the design will be overseen by Disney and their Imagineers.
READ MORE: TIMELINE OF MAJOR ADDITIONS COMING TO DISNEY WORLD AND BEYOND
Disney Abu Dhabi Will Be “Authentically Disney and Distinctly Emirati”
Speaking about Disney Abu Dhabi, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, commented, “Our resort in Abu Dhabi will be the most advanced and interactive destination in our portfolio. The location of our park is incredibly unique – anchored by a beautiful waterfront – which will allow us to tell our stories in completely new ways.” This vision of an advanced and interactive destination will be marked with an entirely new kind of castle — a modern structure towering over the park, as seen in this concept art:
At this time, an opening timeline has not been revealed. While speaking on CNBC on May 7, following the announcement, Disney CEO Bob Iger said it would take longer than five years before the project reaches completion. So while we don’t know exactly when Disney Abu Dhabi will welcome its first guests, we can safely assume it won’t be until 2030 at the earliest, and likely later than that.