Disneyland Abu Dhabi

[PerceptiveCoot]

I think they're referring to the IMG/Motiongate parks that were created by a separate entity that loved to spend money on technology, but not scenic design. Like all the rides at Motiongate being trackless... but ultimately useless for what the attraction ended up doing story/experience-wise.

I am actually referring to what I've seen from WB: Abu Dhabi POVs. Even though the themed design of the lands is superlative, outside of Batman, I'd be hard pressed to call any of their rides up to the quality of Universal or Disney attractions.

 

[Alicia]

I’m sure budgets also depend on the scope and scale of a project.

Did I see some stories saying this park will cost $10 billion???

 

[Galactus]

I think they're referring to the IMG/Motiongate parks that were created by a separate entity that loved to spend money on technology, but not scenic design. Like all the rides at Motiongate being trackless... but ultimately useless for what the attraction ended up doing story/experience-wise.

Oh no totally. You're not going to get any disagreement from me about IMG especially but also Motiongate to a degree (although I thought the Hotel Transylvania ride made the best use of the trackless tech this side of Rise). I have a lot more faith in Miral than in either of those two parks.

I am actually referring to what I've seen from WB: Abu Dhabi POVs. Even though the themed design of the lands is superlative, outside of Batman, I'd be hard pressed to call any of their rides up to the quality of Universal or Disney attractions.

I thought the Justice League ride was just a half step behind Spidey, the Green Lantern theater I'd put ahead of Soarin, the Looney Tunes shooting ride was a good bit behind MIB but a little ahead of TSMM. Scooby Doo was a better family friendly dark ride than anything at UOR. Granted there were some losers like the Tom and Jerry coaster but in my opinion on a whole the park absolutely lives up to the Disney and Universal level although I certainly admit to loving the IP which likely skews my opinions.

 

[BatCom]

NY Post reporting the budget for this is over $10 billion.

If true, that’s significantly more than Shanghai, even adjusted for inflation.

 

[Mad Dog]

I would guess that the need for most of the park to be indoors kicks up the cost considerably. But they do have really really cheap imported labor, so that helps cost wise.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Are we talking AED or USD?

 

[JaySalahi]

If it’s a full scale Disney park plus 2 hotels, 10B is what I expected.

However I think it’s gonna be Hong Kong/Uni Singapore opening sized park but with big scale still to be impressive.

There is like 6 theme parks in Abu Dhabi and Dubai already and none of them have even hit 2m a year right? Half struggling to pull in 1m. And these are parks with big IPs like DC, Marvel, Cartoon Network.

I know they aren’t paying for it, but idk why they would build a park/resort for 8-10m+ guest a year. Maybe the Disney name really is that big tho

 

[Mad Dog]

If it’s a full scale Disney park plus 2 hotels, 10B is what I expected.

However I think it’s gonna be Hong Kong/Uni Singapore opening sized park but with big scale still to be impressive.

There is like 6 theme parks in Abu Dhabi and Dubai already and none of them have even hit 2m a year right? Half struggling to pull in 1m. And these are parks with big IPs like DC, Marvel, Cartoon Network.

I know they aren’t paying for it, but idk why they would build a park/resort for 8-10m+ guest a year. Maybe the Disney name really is that big tho

or....they're 'wishing upon a star' that the Disney name is really that big. .....I doubt they'll ever achieve those kinds of numbers. Probably 4 to 6 million tops, if everything goes right. Plus it will drain attendance from those other under attended parks. One thing these parks lack....and that's a huge local population that can 'afford' to attend parks, or whose cultural values align with the parks. All these parks mostly depend on tourist traffic, unlike theme parks in other parts of the world.

 

[Alicia]

or....they're 'wishing upon a star' that the Disney name is really that big. .....I doubt they'll ever achieve those kinds of numbers. Probably 4 to 6 million tops, if everything goes right. Plus it will drain attendance from those other under attended parks.

I wonder if they’ll be allowed to bundle vacation tickets with the other Miral parks like they do now, or if Disney won’t allow their park to be bundled.

 

[Mad Dog]

I wonder if they’ll be allowed to bundle vacation tickets with the other Miral parks like they do now, or if Disney won’t allow their park to be bundled.

Interesting thought. My money is on Disney not allowing their park to be bundled with the others. They're pretty arrogant about all things.

 

[Alicia]

Interesting thought. My money is on Disney not allowing their park to be bundled with the others. They're pretty arrogant about all things.

That’s probably what helps get visitors to some of the existing parks might not have gotten them if people were only coming for WB and got upsold to the others, etc.

If they’re allowed to bundle, Disney could be the big draw they need to help bring folks to the others. (And even if they don’t visit all the others, at least they bring in money that way.)

Personally I can’t imagine how this island ever makes back its money for decades to come at this rate, but I guess you gotta trust the process? lol

 

[Mad Dog]

That’s probably what helps get visitors to some of the existing parks might not have gotten them if people were only coming for WB and got upsold to the others, etc.

If they’re allowed to bundle, Disney could be the big draw they need to help bring folks to the others. (And even if they don’t visit all the others, at least they bring in money that way.)

Personally I can’t imagine how this island ever makes back its money for decades to come at this rate, but I guess you gotta trust the process? lol

I'm with you. I don't think they'll ever make the money back. And, I don't think it will really work out great in the long run. But being devoid of everything but oil and sand, this is their only economic hope once the oil revenue just about dies. There's a reason why only wondering nomadic tribes occupied this part of the world once the desert replaced almost all the non desert areas. Its not really all that livable, outside of air conditioning.

 

[HandsomePete]

Personally I can’t imagine how this island ever makes back its money for decades to come at this rate, but I guess you gotta trust the process? lol

I'm with you. I don't think they'll ever make the money back.

If you're attempting to elevate the standard of living for Emiratis by (what is for all intents and purposes) distributing oil wealth, how do you accomplish that - doing something plainly inflationary like writing everyone a check or doing something like a tourism version of the New Deal except instead of running up a bunch of debt you just pay it off? If it never makes the money back, that's essentially just a welfare of sorts.

Sovereign wealth thinking and corporate thinking are not the same.

 

[Mad Dog]

If you're attempting to elevate the standard of living for Emiratis by (what is for all intents and purposes) distributing oil wealth, how do you accomplish that - doing something plainly inflationary like writing everyone a check or doing something like a tourism version of the New Deal except instead of running up a bunch of debt you just pay it off? If it never makes the money back, that's essentially just a welfare of sorts.

Sovereign wealth thinking and corporate thinking are not the same.

I doubt they care much about the standard of living for the populace since they've really not done much of that with all the oil proceeds over the years. They're still a top heavy social system and they only distribute enough money to keep the GP from revolting and hanging the sheiks and their families. But they know the oil revenue is finite, and this is a gamble that they'll become a tourist mecca for a ton of people. But it's never going to replace the oil money, and a day of reckoning will come. Either the Fundamentalists will get them or the emerging more liberal segment of the population will. And then there's always a restive immigrant workers population, paid and treated like serfs, that could be a future disruptive source. All of these Arabian sheikdoms are on borrowed time. They walk a tightrope that is only bolstered by fear and selected largess.

 

[GAcoaster]

IF Disney is smart (and this is is a BIG if), they'll include a monorail in the plans and use it as an excuse to build a new fleet for Orlando and share the costs...