'Disney Will Be Indoors': Abu Dhabi Developer Confirms Plan for New Theme Park
Many visitors to a Disney park will know the magic of walking down that path towards the castle. In Abu Dhabi, it'll have to be indoors.
Disneyland Abu Dhabi was announced on Wednesday, and one big question Skift had about the project was how it would manage heat. The answer is that it will be Disney's first indoor theme park.
Miral Group CEO Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi told local radio station Dubai Eye that the park would be indoors. "Disney will be indoors," he said Thursday. "As you know, all of our theme parks are indoors."
Miral is a local developer in Abu Dhabi and the owner of Yas Island, the location of the eventual Disney park and many other attractions. Its other parks, all indoors, include Ferrari World, SeaWorld, and Warner Bros World.
Disney has other parks in hot climates, such as Orlando, but the emirate is on another level. Temperatures often surpass 100°F in the emirates, and can even reach 120°F in the summer months. Many outdoor parks in the country, such as Global Village in Dubai, have to close during these hotter periods.
Al Zaabi explained that this Disney would be the most advanced in the portfolio. "I would say it's too early to share details about the design, but I will say it'll be the most advanced Disney theme park in the world. Expect local tech companies to be involved, as well as Disney's experience from around the world. It's a resort, so it'll include so many features and so many elements.'
On the topic of heat management, Abu Dhabi does have some tech. In March this year, the capital unveiled what it dubbed the world's first air-conditioned street. In Dubai, a resort claims to have built the first outdoor street where it can make rain on command.
Asked whether Yas Island would have to be expanded to fit a Disney park, Al Zaabi couldn't give a firm answer. 'That will be considered. There will be an upgrade to services and infrastructure,' he said.
'Miral will fully fund this project. They will build the project…. And then ultimately, when it's fully built out, they'll operate it, with oversight from us,' said Disney Parks chairperson Josh D'Amaro in an interview on CNBC when the project was unveiled.
No timeline or budget has been given for the project yet, but Disney chief Bob Iger told CNBC that once construction begins, it would take at least five years.
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