The newest Magical Place on Earth™ will be located somewhere even hotter than Central Florida: the United Arab Emirates.
Our thoughts are already with those who’ll have to put on those Mickey Mouse mascot suits.
What happened: Disney announced that its next Disneyland theme park and resort will be on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, set to open in the early 2030s. The resort, which Disney says will be its most high-tech yet, will have at least one park and an unknown number of hotels.
- It will be Disney’s seventh international park and resort, and will likely be the first new one since Shanghai Disneyland opened in 2016.
Why it matters: As Disney deals with a shaky box office and brutal streaming competition, parks have become an increasingly important (perhaps its most important) moneymaker. They accounted for 59% of operating income in fiscal 2024 and 37% of overall revenue.
- Entertainment companies of all stripes see cash in international theme park expansion, with Universal announcing a new park in the U.K. last month, Legoland expanding to Shanghai this year, and even Minecraft theme parks coming soon.
Zoom out: Abu Dhabi is leading the charge when it comes to the broader push of Gulf states trying to become premier tourist hubs. Earlier this week, its tourism department unveiled multiple strategic initiatives to reach its goal of welcoming 39.3 million visitors by 2030.—QH