Brand-New Disney Theme Parks & Resort | Abu Dhabi, UAE

[Intamin Forever]

The Walt Disney Company and Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, announced an agreement to create a landmark Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The waterfront resort will be located on Yas Island, a world-class destination for entertainment and leisure, connecting travelers from the Middle East and Africa, India, Asia, Europe, and beyond. This seventh Disney theme park resort will combine Disney’s iconic stories, characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culture, stunning shorelines, and breathtaking architecture.

“Abu Dhabi is a place where heritage meets innovation, where we preserve our past while designing the future,” His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman at Miral, said. “The collaboration between Abu Dhabi and Disney demonstrates the remarkable results of combining visionary leadership and creative excellence. What we are creating with Disney in Abu Dhabi is a whole new world of imagination — an experience that will inspire generations across the region and the world, creating magical moments and memories that families will treasure forever. Through the development of unique attractions and experiences, Abu Dhabi continues to be a destination of choice for the world.”

The new resort will be fully developed and built by Miral. Disney and its legendary Imagineers will lead creative design and operational oversight to provide a world-class experience. Miral, which has developed a number of family entertainment destinations on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in collaboration with American and European brands, will operate the resort.

“This is a thrilling moment for our company as we announce plans to build an exciting Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, whose culture is rich with an appreciation of the arts and creativity,” said Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “As our seventh theme park destination, it will rise from this land in spectacular fashion, blending contemporary architecture with cutting-edge technology to offer guests deeply immersive entertainment experiences in unique and modern ways. Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati – an oasis of extraordinary Disney entertainment at this crossroads of the world that will bring to life our timeless characters and stories in many new ways and will become a source of joy and inspiration for the people of this vast region to enjoy for generations to come.”

The UAE is located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population, making it a significant gateway for tourism. The UAE is home to the largest global airline hub in the world, with 120 million passengers traveling through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year. 

“This groundbreaking resort destination represents a new frontier in theme park development,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences. “Our resort in Abu Dhabi will be the most advanced and interactive destination in our portfolio. The location of our park is incredibly unique – anchored by a beautiful waterfront – which will allow us to tell our stories in completely new ways. This project will reach guests in a whole new part of the world, welcoming more families to experience Disney than ever before. Ultimately, it will be a celebration of what’s possible when creativity and progress come together.”

“Bringing a Disney theme park resort to Yas Island marks a historic milestone in our journey to further advance the island’s position as a global destination for exceptional entertainment and leisure,” said Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO, Miral. “Together, we are creating a place of boundless innovation, where the vision of our leadership continues to inspire the world.” The development of unique experiences will support sustained economic growth in Abu Dhabi and beyond.

Upon completion, the new theme park resort will offer signature Disney entertainment, themed accommodations, unique dining and retail experiences, and storytelling in a way that celebrates both the heritage of Disney and the futuristic and cultural essence of Abu Dhabi.

Credit:
Disney Parks Blog

 

[davidm]

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Disney Announces New Theme Park with Miral in Abu Dhabi

The Walt Disney Company and Miral announced an agreement to create a landmark Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

disneyparksblog.com

 

[cookie]

A very random announcement. Guess Miral offered Disney a deal they couldn’t pass up.

Not sure how this will work in the Abu Dhabi climate if it’s all outdoors. There’s a reason the other Yas Island parks except the waterpark are indoors.

 

[spicy]

Well that has come from absolutely nowhere.

Very excited to see what they do with it though, with the backing of Abu Dhabi developers Miral the imagineers will have a huge budget to work with like in Tokyo and create something special.

I bet this opens before Universal UK too

 

[Geeky Pastimes]

This will be huge for the other Yas Island parks too, imagine how many people will travel for Disney, but then take advantage of all of those other parks on their trip.

Wouldn't be surprised to see some big investments in them all soon, suddenly the 'significant' coaster being built at Ferrari World makes more sense

 

[jpw251]

Something tells me that this is a not a sign of strength. Disney needs a gigantic cash infusion from oil money.

 

[Sjnoebel]

When was the announcement of Harry Potter for the Warner Park? Several years ago, the works haven't even started yet, I can imagine that this is also very premature, I can imagine that it will take 6 to 8 years before it opens. They also announced big attractions to all the orther parks from Miral.

 

[Pink Cadillac]

Not here! NOT HERE!

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

 

[NemesisRider]

Not sure how this will work in the Abu Dhabi climate if it’s all outdoors. There’s a reason the other Yas Island parks except the waterpark are indoors.

This is, to me, the most surprising part of this news: the Disney park appears to have significant outdoor portions.

When I was in Qatar last week, temperatures were maxing out around 42°C and didn't drop below 30°C at night. Just being outside was uncomfortably sweaty, and walking in the direct sun for any more than 15 minutes felt a real chore. This poses an interesting design problem for Disney, and solving it might make Disney Abu Dhabi feel like a fundamentally different experience compared to the other parks.

If you were going to open a Disney park in the region, Yas Island is undoubtedly the place to do it. Ferrari World is by all accounts the most successful park in the region, so copying that location is a solid play. Miral will also much enjoy the attendance bump at their other parks.

As for Disney, I suspect they must be getting a lot out of the deal financially. The choice to open a park in a... not exactly progressive country seems to be playing about as badly as I would expect, mostly with younger and more liberal Disney fans in the USA. This is not a universally-held, or necessarily correct, take but I've seen it a lot on social media. Whilst the park will probably make a lot of money, they're really banking on the foreign tourists to show up to enable that.

 

[spicy]

As for Disney, I suspect they must be getting a lot out of the deal financially. The choice to open a park in a... not exactly progressive country seems to be playing about as badly as I would expect, mostly with younger and more liberal Disney fans in the USA. This is not a universally-held, or necessarily correct, take but I've seen it a lot on social media. Whilst the park will probably make a lot of money, they're really banking on the foreign tourists to show up to enable that.

Yeah I’ve seen the backlash and comments online, I mean these people don’t have to go?

if they don’t like the UAE then simply don’t visit, no one is forcing them too.

I think it will be a huge success, you got Dubai only up the road and I bet a huge amount of tourists are more likely to add on a trip to Disney from Dubai, rather than a trip to visit any of the current parks.

Personally i’m very excited for it and can’t wait to see what they have planned.

 

[Ethan]

I think some people take issue as Dubai/UAE aren't exactly known for outstanding morals and human rights. However I think it's slightly foolish to think Disney care all that much about staff and morals either so it's a wonderful pairing.

I won't be visiting, I have no interest in visiting that part of the world, but will be interesting to see what solutions they come up with.

 

[Jamesss]

As exciting as it is that this park might get a DisneySea-level budget, I just don't trust today's Imagineering to deliver a park of that calibre. I don't think the talent or vision is there. I hope I'm proven wrong.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Yeah I’ve seen the backlash and comments online, I mean these people don’t have to go?

if they don’t like the UAE then simply don’t visit, no one is forcing them too.

I think it will be a huge success, you got Dubai only up the road and I bet a huge amount of tourists are more likely to add on a trip to Disney from Dubai, rather than a trip to visit any of the current parks.

Personally i’m very excited for it and can’t wait to see what they have planned.

It's like nobody has seen what's been going on in our Western and supposedly 'more liberal' countries lately. At this point we're making the Middle East look tolerant. But I digress, and this is not a political site.

Back on topic, and on your touristy point... I wasn't about to rush to Dubai for what they currently have, given the unreliable nature of things. But I would love to visit a new Disney park there, and will absolutely include other parks whilst there. So maybe they'll at least attract a few more thoosies.

Love that they went with the Aladdin tagline "A whole new world." Caught me off guard a little, but I love it. Does this settle the debate of whether the Disney version is set in India, Iraq, Iran, Saudi or the UAE... Do we get to settle on the UAE now?

 

[jpw251]

(not trying to make this political)

but i truly think a company that “allegedly” values inclusion at all their parks, opening a park in a country where basic human rights and modern day equality aren’t practiced, is a dumb decision. the income will be good for them as it’s all oil money, but i’ve already seen the company facing a lot of backlash since half of their fan base won’t even be able to visit this property.

 

[roomraider]

(not trying to make this political)

but i truly think a company that “allegedly” values inclusion at all their parks, opening a park in a country where basic human rights and modern day equality aren’t practiced, is a dumb decision. the income will be good for them as it’s all oil money, but i’ve already seen the company facing a lot of backlash since half of their fan base won’t even be able to visit this property.

I mean they opened those parks in the 50s and 70s. How were they to know that modern day America would turn in to a country that denies women basic human rights, refuses to teach about the LGBT community, practices modern day slavery with it's prison population and heavily pushes fossil fuels to the detriment of the rest of the world.

You can't blame it on Disney.

Oh wait that's not what you meant, sorry crossed wires.

It's like nobody has seen what's been going on in our Western and supposedly 'more liberal' countries lately. At this point we're making the Middle East look tolerant. But I digress, and this is not a political site.

Back on topic, and on your touristy point... I wasn't about to rush to Dubai for what they currently have, given the unreliable nature of things. But I would love to visit a new Disney park there, and will absolutely include other parks whilst there. So maybe they'll at least attract a few more thoosies.

Love that they went with the Aladdin tagline "A whole new world." Caught me off guard a little, but I love it. Does this settle the debate of whether the Disney version is set in India, Iraq, Iran, Saudi or the UAE... Do we get to settle on the UAE now?

There will be a lot of virtue signalling going on at the moment from people who seem to think their countries are beyond that kind of thing.

I think the question is will opening up like this force them to be more open or will it make no difference at all.

I really hope it's the former, and there's certainly been signs of that, look back at the UAE 30 years ago and it was unrecognisable, can only hope that trend continues.

I suspect with a park here they are hoping to tap into that lucrative Indian middle class market without the logistical issues that come with actually building in India itself.

The UAE is by far and away the biggest Indian tourist market in the world.



It didn't work for Bollywood but maybe Disney will have more luck.

 

[TPoseOnTantrum]

(not trying to make this political)

but i truly think a company that “allegedly” values inclusion at all their parks, opening a park in a country where basic human rights and modern day equality aren’t practiced, is a dumb decision. the income will be good for them as it’s all oil money, but i’ve already seen the company facing a lot of backlash since half of their fan base won’t even be able to visit this property.

Today was a wake up call for the contingent of progressives who live in the colourful Disney bubble and largely shut out the company's ethical dealings in China. The hard message is that Disney as a conglomerate isn't there to throw their weight behind any particular worldview, cause, political leaning, social zeitgeist, etc. Of course, staff and executives at every level have their own interests, but at the end of the day Disney always follows the money. And right now the money, talent, and demand is in the Middle East.

The other part of that facet is the public response, in which... LOL!! At this rate Disney would have to explicitly fund domestic terrorism to sink their own ship by means of a single issue. It's too far away from the American public and too vague to attribute to more than a general wariness, one that will have the same moot response as to where Disney filmed Mulan a few years ago. The attendance won't be dependent on the States for Abu Dhabi. And regarding any discontent among their fanbase, what are they going to do, boycott Disney? Or just simply chose to not visit the park and instead keep their money at Florida/Cali/Paris?

So far today's announcement has been well received. Disney's stock price jumped 10% and both from a tourism and business standpoint it's seen as an excellent move. Strictly theme park fans have agreed that this has good potential, those who've experienced Yas Island as is are thrilled. There's some natural apprehension being voiced over visiting the UAE, but a lot of that discussion today was open-ended really. Definitely some hard words from much of the Disney community, yes. Fair to say there's definitely going to be a lot of eyes on that project and the country in the years ahead.

As for myself, I've never visited the Middle East and have also admittedly fallen into the Disney hate camp over the years. I've leveled a lot of criticism at current-day Disney, yet here I am with my interest ensnared. At the end of the day we all just want good theme parks; Miral will certainly achieve that standard and ultimately the world may come to terms with the Middle East. Should be an interesting watch for sure.

 

[Pink Cadillac]

Visiting all the Disney parks is very high on my bucket list and I've been to the UAE before with family, but I'm not sure I want to go back myself. It reminds me of Coraline. We'll see what happens.

I've seen reactions on Reddit where people complain about inclusivity & hypocrisy and I get the feeling of betrayal, but it's frustrating that people still think like this because that's not how it works. It is a corporation which seeks out solely to grow and maximise profits. It's not a sentient being, nor your 'friend'. It does not have morals or support causes - It's a corporation, not a human. Any perceived 'support' was just marketing campaigns with the goal of targeting and profiting of certain groups. And also the marketing will only last while they remain profitable. It's easy to fall for these though.

On another note, I don't want to think about how sweaty the inside of those character costumes will get if it's outside.

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

 

[CloudRuben]

I get the negativity about the project. Sorry to be such a bummer, but I do want to share my views on the project.
Despite my negativity, I also do get the enthusiasm. The area will be very interesting for theme park fans. I just personally do not share the enthusiasm.

It is a corporation which seeks out solely to grow and maximise profits.

This to me is the problem with Disney. It is solely about (unsustainable endless) growth and maximizing profits.

Why does that have to be the case? Disney is so big and successful, they can decide what kind of company they want to be. They will make a good profits whatever they do. They could take risks and fail every once in a while. They could stand for something they believe in. They have the resources to achieve that. Instead, they chose to be all about maximizing profits.
It's the same with recent Disney movies and series: play it safe and maximize profits. They could take risks and be creative, but chose not to do that. It makes me sad.. I grew up with the classic Disney movies in the 90s and 00s. I used to like them.

This park is exactly the same to me. There is no reason to do this, except for money.. The area is not suited for a typical Disney park, given the climate. Maybe there is a large Disney fanbase in the region, but I doubt it. It's just about money for Disney. And about prestige for the region of course. It is a good move on their part.
Maybe they will surprise me and incorporate the local culture into the park, make it something truly unique. That does not seem to fit with the Disney company and Disney properties, however. It will probably be the most expensive and over the top theme park in the world.

So I don't like this project, for multiple reasons. It also perfectly fits into my cynical view of Disney as a company. I will never visit.

 

[spicy]

Time Out Abu Dhabi on Instagram: "This is how Abu Dhabi does Disney magic 🪄🏰 A massive drone show and fireworks lit up the skies as pianist Lang Lang played to celebrate the big announcement – and yes, it was straight out of a fairytale. ✨ #abudhab

42K likes, 262 comments - timeoutabudhabi on May 7, 2025: "This is how Abu Dhabi does Disney magic 🪄🏰 A massive drone show and fireworks lit up the skies as pianist Lang Lang played to celebrate the big announcement – and yes, it was straight out of a fairytale. ✨ #abudhabi #inabudhabi".

www.instagram.com

Wow


Even better view:

Ale Silva • The Wink Travel on Instagram: "Disney anunciando humildemente su nuevo parque temático en Abu Dhabi. Este video fue grabado en Abu Dhabi, muy cerca de donde estará ubicado el nuevo parque🤯 Gracias a mi viajero por compartir este video

3,141 likes, 28 comments - thewinktravel on May 7, 2025: "Disney anunciando humildemente su nuevo parque temático en Abu Dhabi. Este video fue grabado en Abu Dhabi, muy cerca de donde estará ubicado el nuevo parque🤯 Gracias a mi viajero por compartir este video conmigo y para ustedes💕🥰...

www.instagram.com

They have managed to do a better fireworks display than Paris have in 33 years before a brick has been laid

 

[bratcurry]

It didn't work for Bollywood but maybe Disney will have more luck.

Well, in that case, I won't visit.