Since being announced in May, there have been many questions about how a Disney theme park in Abu Dhabi will work. Disney is partnering with Miral to create this new theme park. Miral will be providing the capital and will operate the theme park, with Disney will lead creative design and operational oversight to provide a world-class experience. Miral already operates several theme parks in Abu Dhabi, including Warner Bros. World, SeaWorld, and Ferrari World.
One of the big questions about Disneyland Abu Dhabi has been about the environment. All of the other theme parks operated by Miral on Yas Island are indoors. This is due to the desert environment. In a recent interview with Forbes, Miral CEO Dr. Mohamed Al Zaabi said, “We know from our experience that an outdoor theme park would never work.”
A Hybrid Disney Park
Al Zaabi told Forbes Middle East, “We know for sure that Disney will be hybrid, it will be indoor and outdoor. At this stage, it is too early to decide, but I reckon a good percentage of it will be indoor.” While most of the theme parks in Abu Dhabi are indoors, Ferrari World does have an outdoor component. Its roller coasters zoom around outside, allowing guests to cool off from the heat as they zoom around the theme park.
Abu Dhabi can be quite warm all year round. In the winter, it can be 90 degrees, and in the summer, it can soar up to 110 degrees, accompanied by high humidity. This can make it difficult to stay cool when outdoors, even with fans and misters, as the “feels like” temperature hits 130 degrees. Sidewalks have also been known to get so hot that they can melt shoes. As Miral has adapted to the climate, it has become the world’s leader in indoor theme parks.
An Out of the Box Disney Theme Park
When Disneyland Abu Dhabi was initially announced, Bob Iger seemed to lean toward an outdoor experience. Recently, he told CNBC, “We’re not talking about anything small or anything in a box,” and continued by saying, “This will be a significant theme park that we’re putting here.” Around the same time, Al Zaabi said that Miral’s “priority is to create convenient and unique customer experiences for our guests. We really want them to enjoy their time and have the best experience here in Abu Dhabi. And it has to be as convenient as we can. As you know, we have done all our theme parks indoor. So Disney will be an indoor theme park.” Sources inside Miral told the media later that this didn’t necessarily mean completely indoors.
However, much of the theme park ends up being indoors or out, Disney does have a model for much of what is being done at a corporate level. It is very similar to the partnership that Disney has with Oriental Land Company for Tokyo Disney Resort. Disney also has experience building a new theme park in a culture that is different than the United States of America. Disney CEO Bob Iger said when the project was announced, “Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati.” This is a statement that is similar to what was said when building Shanghai Disney Resort.
Looking Forward
At this point, Imagineers are hard at work conceptualizing and designing this new Disney resort. A timeline for opening has not been revealed yet. “We’re not pinning down a date yet,” Iger said on the matter. “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.” The Miral CEO also recently confirmed that design work for the new theme park is progressing rapidly.
“This groundbreaking resort destination represents a new frontier in theme park development,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences said when the project was announced. “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 project will reach guests in a whole new part of the world, welcoming more families to experience Disney than ever before. Ultimately, it will be a celebration of what’s possible when creativity and progress come together.”
The United Arab Emirates is within four hours by flight to a third of the world’s population and is a significant gateway for tourism. It is also the home of the largest global airline hub in the world. 120 million passengers travel through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year.
What do you think of what you are seeing of Disneyland Abu Dhabi? What are you most looking forward to with this new Disney destination? Do you have any predictions about what attractions, stories, and characters will be found there? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
