Disney to open theme park in the Middle East
Walt Disney has announced plans to open its first theme park in the Middle East.
The resort, which will be in the United Arab Emirates on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island, is a collaboration between Walt Disney and local leisure and entertainment company Miral.
Disney already has six theme parks spanning North America, Europe and Asia. Its most recent opening was in 2016 in Shanghai.
Miral is responsible for the development of Yas Island as a tourist destination and already operates SeaWorld and Warner Bros World where it is developing a Harry Potter-themed park.
In a statement announcing the new facility, Disney said the UAE was located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world's population, making it a "significant gateway for tourism".
It added that 120 million passengers travel through Abu Dhabi and Dubai every year, making the Emirates the biggest global airline hub in the world.
Disney chief executive Robert Iger described the plans for the new park as a "thrilling" moment for the company and said Disneyland Abu Dhabi would be "authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati".
The 25 sq km Yas Island is 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi and 50 minutes from Dubai.
Miral's boss Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi said bringing a Disney theme park resort to the area marked a "milestone in our journey to further advance the island's position as a global destination for exceptional entertainment and leisure".
He said the development would "support sustained economic growth in Abu Dhabi and beyond".
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Lilo & Stitch' Positively Bubbly With $611M Global, ‘Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning' Easily Runs To $354M WW
Updated: With a pair of phenomenal holds, Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning continued to dominate global turnstiles this weekend. To wit: Disney's Lilo & Stitch added $113.1M from 52 offshore markets, lifting the international box office cume to $330.7M. The overseas drop was just 28%. The worldwide total through today is $610.8M. More from Deadline 'Lilo & Stitch' Kicks Up $63M Second Weekend, 'Mission Impossible 8' $27M+, 'Karate Kid: Legends' At $21M - Box Office Update 'Lilo & Stitch': All The Box Office Records Broken Peter Bart: Barry Diller's New Memoir Might Be The True Final Reckoning Paramount/Skydance's Mission: Impossible 8's sophomore offshore session was good for $76.1M, a great 33% dip from opening. The international total on the Tom Cruise-starrer is now $231.2M, and global is $353.8M. Before we dig into details on the above, note that Sony's Karate Kid: Legends, which kicked off international rollout in early May ahead of its wide global release this weekend, kicked up another $12M from 43 offshore markets this session. That takes the international cume to $26M through Sunday. Alongside domestic, the global gross to date is $47M. Major markets to come on this one are: Australia (June 5), Italy (June 5), China (June 7), Spain (August 8), France (August 13) and Japan (August 29). Now, turning back to Lilo & Mission… Disney's live-action take on the 2002 animated adventure has already become the No. 2 studio release of the year internationally, and is the No. 1 non-local title across Europe (except for Denmark and Finland), and in all markets across Latin America as well as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Philippines and Thailand. Notable holds this frame include France (0%), Germany (-12%), UK (-28%), Australia (-29%), Brazil (-34%), Spain (-36%), Mexico (-40%), Korea (-44%) and Italy (-46%). Some markets saw increases, including Netherlands (+21%), Belgium (+13%), Saudi Arabia (+8%), Poland (+7%), Singapore (+3%) and Ukraine (+1%). New this session was Hong Kong ($1.1M), where the little blue alien opened at No. 1 and 4% ahead of The Minecraft Movie. Among other benchmarks, L&S is notably the 2nd highest grossing Disney live-action title of all-time across the Latin American region (behind only The Lion King); the 2nd highest grossing Disney live-action title ever in Mexico, 3rd highest in Colombia and 4th highest in Brazil. Further, it is the highest grossing film of 2025 in Italy (non-local), Brazil, Mexico and Thailand. The Top 5 to date are: Mexico ($45.9M), UK ($34.5M), France ($23.1M), Brazil ($21.6M) and Germany ($18.1M). Japan opens next weekend. As for Mission 8, audiences continued to accept. Notable strong holds were seen in Netherlands (-4%), Germany (-10%), France (-21%), Indonesia (-21%) and Japan (-23%). Also notably, China debuted this frame. This is a market that typically gravitates towards the franchise, but has been wonky of late with Hollywood fare. So, great news that The Final Reckoning became the highest-grossing imported film on a single day this year, and the fastest imported film to reach the RMB 100M mark in 2025. The gross there is a strong $25.2M while social scores are the highest of the franchise. The Top 5 markets to date are: China ($25.2M), UK ($22.3M), Japan ($18.5M), Korea ($17M) and France ($14.2M). Elsewhere, New Line/Warner Bros' Final Destination Bloodlines landed with another $14.4M from 75 offshore markets, a strong 37% drop from last weekend. The international running total is $117.6M through Sunday with worldwide at $229.3M. The Top 5 are: UK ($12.5M), Mexico ($11.2M), India ($7.6M), Philippines ($6.9M) and France ($6.7M). The film has also become the biggest horror movie of all time in Pakistan, and the 4th best ever there for a WB title. MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE (UNI): $4.2M intl weekend (41 markets); $6.2M intl cume/$6.8M global (WB): $3.1M intl weekend (73 markets); $524.1M intl cume/$947.1M global (DIS): $2.8M intl weekend (52 markets); $187.7M intl cume/$369.6M global (WB): $1.8M intl weekend (59 markets); $83M intl cume/$350.1M global (SNY): $1M intl weekend (8 markets)*Denotes new Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'Stranger Things' Season 5 So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bryce Dallas Howard Doesn't Care If You Think Her Wearable Electromagnetic Frequency Devices Are Woo-Woo
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. There's no right way to 'do' wellness, but Marie Claire's Doing Well offers a glimpse into the self-care mantras, therapies, and affirmations practiced by industry trailblazers. When I finally log into my Zoom with Bryce Dallas Howard—late, thanks to classic tech issues—I expect awkwardness and scrambling. Instead, she smiles big, laughs, and says, "That gave me some extra time to apply my lip!" Her vibe? Down-to-earth, sharp, and quick-witted. Then I clock the product in her hand: the unmistakable bright purple, stacked compact from my newest beauty brand favorite. "Wait—is that Subtl Beauty?" I ask. We instantly bond over a shared "I'm obsessed" before she tells me she discovered it mid-flight, while overhearing the brand's founder in the seat in front of her (hi, Rachel!). "I DMed her as soon as we landed," she laughs. That's when I knew this wasn't going to be your standard celebrity profile. Howard doesn't do small talk or scripted interviews. Chatting with her feels more like catching up with your smartest, most grounded friend—the one who, oh yeah, just directed a Disney+ documentary and is starring in an upcoming Prime Video action-comedy (it premieres June 12 on Amazon, mark your calendar). Between our conversation about Pets (the documentary that was inspired by her personal relationship with animals) and Deep Cover (think improv comedy meets undercover sting operations), it's clear she's been busy. But when I ask how she manages to juggle everything and have a good relationship with wellness at the same time, it becomes clear that Howard's approach isn't about control or perfection. Instead, it's about joy and self-kindness. She's candid about emotional eating, talks openly about walking away from diet culture, and finds happiness in the things she values the most, big or small—like frequency devices, a skincare product she's been scraping from the same jar since 2017, and the cute animal videos she binges that send her into a dopamine spiral. Howard isn't here with a wellness playbook—just real talk about listening to your body, ditching the guilt, and finding calm in the everyday. Oh, and, of course, she's got her lip on. I'm a huge fan of frequency healing. When I'm stressed or feeling overwhelmed, I put on frequency sessions. It helps me drop out of the mental chatter and just be present. I wear these devices—I actually just ordered a new one. It's a Trinity. My mom wears hers pretty much around the clock. My husband's been having sinus issues, so we busted it out for him today. I just really believe in that stuff—frequencies, EMFs, radiation, all of it. It's powerful. I'm very into it. Over the years, I've learned to pay attention to it whenever something pops up. My mom used to get cold sores on her lips, and now she keeps it on the 'cold sore' setting. She hasn't had one in years. It's this thing where you can use sound, vibration, or electromagnetic frequencies to help your body and mind reset and relax. It feels like this deep recalibration. I had my first experience with it a few years ago, and I was like, 'Whoa, what is this?' It's one of those things that sounds woo-woo but actually makes a huge difference in how I feel physically and mentally. I usually reach for something that's calm and doesn't require much brain energy. It's less about active learning and more about a pause. Usually, videos of pets. Online comedy. Laughter is the most powerful form of self-care for me. When I'm feeling really overwhelmed, I like to take a break and watch videos of animals—pets doing silly, joyful things. It's such a quick way to ground myself and bring a little lightness back into the moment. If I have just 10 minutes to reset, I'll watch videos of animals being their goofy, authentic selves. There's something about their pure joy and spontaneity that immediately shifts my mood. That kind of lightheartedness is pure medicine for me. In our hectic lives, we often forget how much animals ground us. That's exactly what I wanted to capture in my new documentary, Pets on Disney+—the deep, sometimes surprising, relationships that enrich our well-being. I basically made Pets as a place to house all those wonderful, funny videos that just make me laugh. The Retrouvé Revitalizing Eye Concentrate. Okay, I'm going to admit something I probably shouldn't...a bottle of this lasts forever. I'm still using one I got in 2017. And I did get another one—basically, I tend to pick one up every time I do a movie. So I got a new one in 2020. But I still have both—they just never seem to run out. You only need the tiniest dab. It's so powerful. Weleda Skin Food. I put it everywhere—especially around my mouth. I'll let it sink in like a moisturizing mask. I use it daily; I have eczema, so I'll use it on my hands too, and it's the only thing that helps. By taking things one day at a time, and trying to stay playful. That also kind of ties in with [my new movie] Deep Cover. I play a comedy improv teacher in the movie. Improv helps you stay present, listen, and build on what's already there. So instead of reaching or constructing something unrealistic, I'm trying to be grounded in the here and now. Laughter, playfulness, staying present, moment to moment. That's what really helps. I paint! I'm finishing up an online fine arts program at the Milan Art Institute—I'm in the portfolio phase right now. Even when I'm not working on portfolio pieces, I'll do watercolor or something. It's constant, I have all my [painting] supplies right here next to me. Being a raw foodist. And it's not a knock on veganism—I'd totally do that again. But I was a vegan raw foodist, and raw food was just one step too far. I did it for three and a half years, and when I stopped, it was a big deal because it became a real health issue, especially during pregnancy and after. I saw four doctors, and each of them said, 'You're missing amino acids and essential nutrients. You need to eat some meat.' I was like, 'No.' The last doctor said, 'Bryce, I completely respect your choice, but you're going to have to decide between your ethics and your future.' It was really emotional starting to incorporate meat again—I felt like I was betraying my values. And it's still something I struggle with: where's this coming from, and what's the real cost of this choice? Because the slaughterhouse industry is incredibly abusive. So yeah, the veganism I still value, but I took it too far with the raw foodism. Still, I've learned a lot from it and kept a lot of those tenets in my life. Well…I could definitely improve. But there are two big things for me: First, I don't diet or try to manipulate what I eat or how I move in order to control how I look. When I stopped doing that—when I stopped trying to fit into a certain size—my health totally turned around. I was finally listening to my body again. It became a collaboration instead of a dictatorship shaped by outside pressure. So not dieting has been huge. I don't let my appearance dictate what goes into my body anymore. The second thing is kind of on the other end of the spectrum—I have celiac, so I can't eat gluten. And in the last few years, I developed a pretty severe allergy to eggs. I can still eat eggs if they're baked into something, but if I have scrambled eggs? Whoa. I get just so, so sick. Then, about two years ago, I started to get a very similar reaction to coffee, so I had to give that up as well. Now, more than ever, I am careful not to be restrictive in any way that isn't medically necessary, because there are already so many foods I literally can't have. But hot chocolate works great. Honestly, better [than coffee]. I need a shirt that says 'Powered by Hot Chocolate.' I'd talk about dieting. I'd say: if you knew with certainty that no matter what you did physically, or what you ate, it would have zero impact on your weight or size—how would you eat? How would you move? That kind of framing forces you to reconnect with what you actually enjoy and what actually feels good. It shifts your relationship with your body into something supportive and appreciative. I really believe in the power of emotional eating. I think it's beautiful. People demonize it, but to me, emotional eating can be a way to ground yourself, reconnect, even heal. When you can make food choices that reflect how you feel and you're not judging yourself—that's holistic wellness. I stopped dieting ten years ago, and healing that relationship has been miraculous for me. I've raised my kids that way too, and they're so much more in tune with their own needs than I ever was. I say 'healthy' with caution, but they have a grounded relationship with food. One of them doesn't like meat and just naturally avoids it. The other one doesn't like sugar. They crave salads. It's wild. Of course, there was a lot of brainwashing growing up—in the '80s, '90s, early 2000s—about how we should relate to food. What I'm saying might not work for everyone, but it works for me. I feel empowered not to change myself through things that don't actually serve or support me.


Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
My heart broke when this musical comedy show was canceled — but at least it's streaming on Hulu
Musical TV shows are hit or miss, but the best ones lean into satire and self-awareness. To sell the idea of characters randomly bursting into song, a little camp goes a long way. Some shows like "Glee" and "Smash" build singing into the story through a cappella groups or theater settings. Others, like "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," invent quirky setups for musical numbers that teeter between realism and ridiculousness (the sweet spot). But I'm here for genre chaos. The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" musical episode set the bar high for '90s kids and the entire TV industry. Plenty of shows have tried to match its iconic status, but most have fallen flatter than the pitchiest note. One-off episodes are hard enough. Sustaining that energy for a whole series? Nearly impossible — except "Galavant" pulled it off. ABC's short-lived medieval musical show turned every fairy tale trope on its head with biting wit, satirical absurdity and a soundtrack as fresh as its plot. RIP to the real king. True love won't get you far in medieval times — especially if you're a woman. The show opens with our wannabe hero Galavant (Joshua Sasse) on a quest to rescue his beloved Madalena (Mallory Jansen). Except ... she's not in distress. She left Galavant for the king who kidnapped her. Why? Power and money, obviously. King Richard (Timothy Omundson) may sit on the throne, but Madalena's running the show. She knows how to weaponize toxic masculinity — and does, with perfection. Meanwhile, Galavant's off trying to rescue someone who doesn't want to be rescued. Sorry, Galavant, but Madalena is just not that into you. She's not even subtle about it. Yes, she uses her charms to get what she wants, but it's not manipulation — she tells everyone exactly what she's doing. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. She's not the only badass in the realm. Princess Isabella (Karen David) tricks Galavant into fighting for her kingdom under the pretense of needing a big, strong man. It's not hard; the guy's got a raging ego. He's also a washed-up loser and kind of an idiot. But at least he has a good personality ... just kidding! Medieval Women: 2Medieval Men: 0 You know Alan Menken, the legendary composer behind Disney movies including "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin" and "Newsies." He co-composed Galavant with Christopher Lennertz ("Pitch Perfect," "The Boys"). These heavyweights poured genuine talent into this absurd little gem of a show, and it shows. "Galavant's" soundtrack could easily pass as a Broadway cast album. It's not just the vocals — it's the composition, the pacing, the comic timing. Every song is completely self-aware and absurd without veering into nonsense. Somehow, it all works. From 'Hero's Journey' to 'A New Season,' the show breaks the fourth wall with abandon and dares you not to hum along. Galavant himself may be a mildly lovable, mostly pitiful mess, but the show? It's a legendary feminist parody that lands every punch — often to Galavant's face. Sadly, "Galavant" met the fate of too many quirky cult classics like "Pushing Daisies," "Dead Like Me" and "Reaper." Despite all the jokes about low budgets and imminent cancellation, the show's brilliance wasn't enough to save it. "Galavant" may have ridden off into the sunset too soon, but fortunately, the entire series is streaming on Hulu. So if you missed it the first time (like most people did), you've got a second chance to witness the chaotic, catchy brilliance for yourself. And if you've already seen it? Watch it again (and again). The songs still slap, the jokes still land and Galavant is still gloriously bad at being a hero. Watch "Galavant" on Hulu