Disney dropped a bombshell this week when it revealed plans for the seventh Disney theme park resort. This time, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that the company will bring its timeless characters to a world-class destination in the Middle East, where Disneyland Abu Dhabi is due to open in the United Arab Emirates in the coming years.
The UAE’s theme park scene has been gradually growing for several years now, with Motiongate, IMG Worlds of Adventure, and Legoland present in nearby Dubai while Abu Dhabi builds its own theme park hub on Yas Island.
As of right now, the latter is home to three major theme parks: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi (which is set to receive its own Harry Potter land in the coming years), and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. It also boasts its own water park, Yas Waterworld, which is currently undergoing expansion. Like Disney’s upcoming park, all three of these parks are operated by local developer Miral with a slew of licensing deals shaping their attractions.
Walt Disney Imagineering may be leading the creative design of Disneyland Abu Dhabi, but the three existing theme parks on Yas Island offer plenty of clues about what to expect from this historic milestone. After several years living in the UAE—and making full use of a Yas Annual Pass—I’ve come to know these parks inside and out. If Disney follows in their footsteps, here’s what we’re likely to see.
Low Wait Times
We’ll start off with the biggest stretch on this list. Realistically, nobody has ever put “Disney” and “consistently low wait times” in the same sentence, but could that change at Disneyland Abu Dhabi?
Yas Island’s current theme parks are home to a slew of iconic attractions, including Formula Rossa (the world’s fastest roller coaster) at Ferrari World. While the parks do have their busy periods – namely during the likes of Eid or school holidays – and certain rides can rack up lengthier wait times than others, such as the aforementioned Formula Rossa and Warner Bros. World’s Tom and Jerry-themed roller coaster, they’re also consistently pretty low when it comes to wait times.
There are plenty of reasons for that. In general, daily routines in the UAE tend to kick in later in the day, meaning mornings and early afternoons can be pretty quiet at plenty of tourist destinations. That’s especially true in the extremely hot summer months. A fair number of guests also like to pay for line-skipping services, which makes the standby queues relatively calm.
Disney is in a league of its own when it comes to theme park appeal. The brand alone will draw massive tourism to Yas Island, which can be reached by a four-hour flight of one-third of the world. There’s little doubt Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be packed – especially in its opening months. As much as we enjoy the current parks, this new global destination is bound to be the area’s crown jewel. That said, we’re fairly confident local attendance patterns will look very different from what Disney fans may be used to.
Record-Breaking Attractions
The UAE is a country of superlatives. The tallest building, the biggest observation wheel, the fastest roller coaster, the fastest indoor roller coaster (which can actually be found inside a Dubai mall, not a theme park) – you name it, the nation’s been there, done that. Disney also has its fair share of experience with breaking records. Combine the two, and we’re fairly sure we’re in for something special.
Right now, Warner Bros. World is the largest of the indoor theme parks on Yas Island. At one point, it was the biggest in the world. While Disney and Miral haven’t confirmed the park’s size, we doubt that it would come in any smaller than the existing parks in the area – especially seeing as how Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is around 38 acres, and Disney’s current smallest theme park, Walt Disney Studios Park, spans 62 acres (via Statista).
With Miral funding the project and The Walt Disney Company simply providing its boundless creativity, the possibilities for Disneyland Abu Dhabi are virtually limitless. When budget isn’t a constraint, Imagineering tends to deliver some of its most ambitious work—just look at Tokyo DisneySea. In a country where exclusivity is king, we wouldn’t be surprised to see entirely original attractions designed to set this park apart from anything else on Earth.
A Focus on Indoor Experiences
Abu Dhabi once reached a high of 50.8 degrees Celsius (123.44 degrees Fahrenheit). Yes, really. Summers in the UAE are no joke, with the vast majority of social activities taking place post-sundown and several outdoor experiences – such as Global Village – closing up shop until the autumn.
While Motiongate, Legoland, and Real Madrid World all combine indoor and outdoor experiences, Yas Island’s theme parks are nearly entirely indoors, with the exception of the odd roller coaster – such as SeaWorld Abu Dhabi’s Manta – which partially take riders outside.
To ensure guest comfort, we expect Disneyland Abu Dhabi to follow a similar model. Disney is no stranger to heat—Walt Disney World is in Orlando, Florida, for crying out loud, and all of its parks have weathered extreme temperatures. That said, this new park will likely take things a step further.
Given the region’s climate, it seems safe to assume that much of the experience – if not the entire thing – will be indoors. We’re leaning towards it being partially indoors, considering Disney’s confirmation that its waterfront location on the shorelines of Abu Dhabi will be integrated into the park.
Drones Over Fireworks
If Disney’s seventh theme park destination ends up being fully indoors, traditional fireworks are likely off the table. Even with an outdoor component, we wouldn’t be surprised to see drones take center stage instead. Disney has been steadily experimenting with drone technology in recent years – most notably at Disneyland Paris with the über-popular Disney Electrical Sky Parade, and at Walt Disney World, where a nightly drone show lit up the skies above Disney Springs last summer.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi already incorporates drones in its signature show, One Epic Ocean, and the UAE recently demonstrated its flair for the tech with a Disney-inspired drone spectacular celebrating the park’s announcement. In a country that prides itself on innovation – and with Josh D’Amaro calling this Disney’s most technologically advanced park to date – it’s hard to imagine a traditional fireworks finale. Given growing industry chatter around phasing out fireworks for cost and sustainability reasons, we expect Disneyland Abu Dhabi’s nighttime entertainment to look very different.
What are your predictions for Disneyland Abu Dhabi?
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