Disney World Dubai ?

[Ed]

From today's Orlando Sentinel:

COMMENTARY

Wonder when we'll see Mickey Mouse in Dubai?

Beth Kassab
Business Columnist
March 3, 2008

Tourism pundits who aren't worried that Dubai could one day seize Orlando's title as the theme park capital of the world, take note. It could happen. Here's why:

Orlando is most at risk for continuing to lose market share among Europeans, a group that has traveled to the United States in far fewer numbers since 9-11 as a result of increased hassles at the border.

A national travel lobbying group forecasts 17 percent fewer German, 24 percent fewer French and 4 percent fewer British travelers will come to the United States this year than in 2000.

The flight from London to Dubai is even about an hour shorter than the flight from there to Orlando.

Nigel Worrall, who sells vacation homes primarily to travelers from the United Kingdom, tells me he's already feeling the heat from Dubai.

Busch Entertainment Corp.'s announcement last week that it has partnered with a developer in the United Arab Emirates to build four parks there under the SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Aquatica and Busch Gardens flags just upped the ante even further.

"They [Brits] like what they're doing over there," Worrall, president of Florida Leisure Vacation Homes, told me. "We've certainly got some homeowners who think it's becoming a better investment out there."

And Dubai has the shiny, new factor going for it -- with everything from an indoor ski slope to a theme park centered on Ferrari/Formula 1 that could give the Middle Eastern city a stronghold in the leisure market.

Orlando's trump card, of course, remains Walt Disney World. But for how much longer will Disney stay out of the Dubai mix?

That worries John Thomerson, owner of a wholesale fruit and vegetable company in London, who rents out his second home in Kissimmee part of the year to fellow Brits.

"That would be another nail in the coffin [for Orlando] if Disney built a park there," he said.

He's been to Dubai three times in the past two years. As far as hotels go, he said, "it's the best upmarket experience I've ever encountered."

To be sure, Orlando has a lot going for it. The weather is actually cooler here in the summer than in Dubai, and it will take some time before this town's diversity and quality of attractions can be matched.

But don't be surprised if you start to hear tourism industry folks here talk about Dubai in the same way they bemoan the marketing prowess of Las Vegas.

[SBETigg]

I wonder if Beth Kassab has some interest in promoting Dubai. She doesn't list exactly what national travel lobbyist group "forecasts" that foreign travel is down to the US. With our weak dollar, all other accounts I've read have mentioned a dramatic increase in recent travel from Europe to the US, especially from the UK. Buying a vacation home in the US is a bargain for our British friends now. And further proof of the article's lack of factual basis is in the fact that WDW hasn't been suffering from lack of visitors.

[Ian]

I agree with Sherri. This is the very first time I've seen anything, anywhere implying that foreign travel to the U.S. is down.

Every article I've read on this topic has indicated that the weak dollar is responsible for bringing foreign tourists in in droves.

Also, I'm not sure what kind of pressures Disney would get if they moved into Dubai. I mean it is in the UAE after all and we all know that the Middle East is not well-known for being the most progressive thinking in terms of things like human and women's rights. Would Disney really want to be associated with a country like the UAE?

[MickeyChick]

I was thinking along the same lines... who said this? Cause when I was at the World everyone was talking about how many people from abroad there were flooding the parks and Disney in the Middle East? I don't think so! The place would probably have a bigger bullseye on it than Manhattan.

[BrerSchultzy]

Disney would never go to Dubai, until Dubai cleaned up its human rights record. Ben Mezrich has written a book about Dubai, and the stories he has to tell are both horrifying and extreme. I mean, underwater hotels? But the stories of the people who are building this "paradise" and the people who are stuck in Dubai are just heart-breaking.

Disney won't build in Vegas. And they certainly won't build in Dubai.

[meldan98]

From a practicallity stand point, they would be hard pressed to find female cast members because of it being a primarily Muslim country. In addition, all of the princesses would be covered from head to toe.

[GrumpyFan]

Disney would never go to Dubai, until Dubai cleaned up its human rights record.

Disney won't build in Vegas. And they certainly won't build in Dubai.

I would like to agree with these statements, but then again, I seem to remember similar things being said about China some years ago. So, never say never.

Personally, I think Disney needs to fortify their existing establishments. People have travelled afar to visit Disneyland and Walt Disney World for many years because of the uniqueness and the experience the parks offer. Some of that has been diminished in the last 20 years with the openining of Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland. But, Magic Kingdom at WDW and the original Disneyland park are still the top rated and visited parks in the world. They will remain so, as long as Disney continues to invest in them and keep them balanced with both the classic attractions, as well as a fresh new attraction from time to time. Disney offers something noone else can, and that's the "magic" of escaping reality. As long as this is preserved, they will remain at the top of the list, regardless of whether they have a park in Dubai or India or Australia or Las Vegas.

[ibrowse17]

They need to finish their giant palm tree in the sea first:thumbsup:

[Ed]

Recently posted on the Orlando Sentinel's website:

posted by ScottPowers on Mar 4, 2008 4:19:09 PM

If Dubai's theme park community wasn't crowded yet, it will soon.

A few days after Busch Entertainment Corp. announced that it would develop four parks in the Middle East boomtown, Six Flags announced it too will create a theme park there.

They follow Universal Studios, which announced it was headed to Dubai last year, and several smaller theme park companies worldwide, including Warner Brothers. Dubai, a city of explosive growth in the country of the United Arab Emirates, now has attracted theme park commitments from three of the world's five largest theme park companies, but still has nothing from the industry's Goliath, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. At least nothing's been made public. Dubai also has nothing yet from Cedar Fair, the company ranked as the world's fourth largest by ParkWorld Magazine, based on research from TEA and ERA.

In Six Flags, Dubai gets a company that calls itself the world's largest owner of regional theme parks. Six Flags, along with Cedar Fair, also is known as one of the top developers of thrill rides, particularly roller coasters.

Six Flags is working with Tatweer, a Dubai developer in an area known as Dubailand. That's the same area that Universal, Warner and several other theme park companies are in. Busch Entertainment is working with a different developer in a different area, called Palm Jebel Ali, where a SeaWorld, a Busch Gardens, an Aquatica and a Discovery Cove will be built.

As with Universal and Busch Entertainment, SIx Flags plans to license its concepts and products and run the park, but not develop or own it. Tatweer will put up the capital and actually own the park.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looks to me like all the big players are following the $$$$$$$$$$$. Hopefully, Disney will just say "No".

[Scar]

Dubai is (basically) owned by some very, very, very, very,... rich people. If they wanted Disney there, they just might be able to make Disney an offer they can't refuse.

[Jasper]

One other thing that has not been mentioned in this thread is how incredibly much money Dubai and UAE has!! I agree with all the other reasons why Disney might not go to the Middle East but in the end if enough money is thrown at them Disney would suddenly find a way around all of the other issues!!

[Ed]

Dubai is (basically) owned by some very, very, very, very,... rich people.


One other thing that has not been mentioned in this thread is how incredibly much money Dubai and UAE has!!

You've got that right. Take, for example, this little tidbit from CNN:

"The most ostentatious deal signed at this year's Dubai Art Show was by Saudi billionaire, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal who shelled out around $300 million to upgrade his personal Boeing 747 to an Airbus A380 superjumbo."

:eek:

[Aurora]

This is deja vu to me on a personal level because we vacationed in New York City last year and ran into a London family in the hotel pool whose last vacation was in -- you guessed it -- Dubai. I thought it was unusual but maybe Dubai is making a big push in the European market.

I don't know that it would cut that much into the European demographic that comes to Disney -- I agree that the bigger issue is probably the value of the American dollar.

[wizardmickey]

My wife will be winging her way first to Mumbai & then to Dubai next week. The clients she will be working with/doing training for are a company (Oceaneering) that has had it's hand in helping develop/build theme park attractions (including AK's Dinosaur, among others). Although this sort of work is not this companies primary function, they do already have offices and people on place in Dubai, so if/when theme parks start popping up all over the place there, I'm sure they'll have some hand in it eventually.
I don't think though that they'd share any info with her while she's there...