Here is a fresh take on why Disney chose to build its next theme park resort in Abu Dhabi.
Back in May, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in Abu Dhabi that the company would build its seventh theme park resort on Yas Island. We were there for the announcement, and followed it up with the post, Why did Disney choose Abu Dhabi for its next theme park?
Now, there is another take on that question worth considering.
The easy, and cynical, answer to the question is, of course, money. Disney Abu Dhabi - whatever its official name turns out to be - will be a no-risk deal for The Walt Disney Company, financially. Miral will build and operate the Disney resort on Yas Island, leaving Disney to design and oversee the project (at Miral's expense), while cashing some very large licensing checks.
But Disney reportedly left a lot of money on the table by choosing to expand in Abu Dhabi rather than Saudi Arabia. So while easy cash flow certainly influences Disney's business decisions, it is hardly the only factor that Disney considers when choosing what to do next.
The Middle East, and specifically, Abu Dhabi, lured Disney because it offers easier access to millions of Disney fans - and potential Disney fans - in the most populated part of the world. These are fans who may have the money to visit Disney's existing theme parks in France and the United States but who still cannot get there.
Why? It's all about the visas... and I am not taking about credit cards.
In an article on Forbes.com, Caroline Reid writes about how visa policies help make the United Arab Emirates a more attractive destination than the United States or Europe for billions of people: The Real Reason For Building Disneyland In Abu Dhabi.
The post references reporting that details how difficult it can be for people from the Middle East and South Asia to get into Europe or the United States for vacations. Nearly one in four visa application's from UAE residents to visit Europe's Schengen countries get rejected. Visitors from Asia face rejection rates from 16-46% percent when applying to visit the United States.
Even those who get approval to visit can face new fees, long queues, and uncomfortable interrogations when they arrive. Stories about long stays in detention camps for entering tourists are crushing international interest in visiting the US.
In comparison, the UAE is an easy country to visit. For adults from the US, Canada, most of Europe, and many countries in Asia, including all the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, you can sign up in advance via a government app to use the country's "smart gates" upon entry. Those use facial recognition and allow you to enter officially without even taking out your passport. Entering Abu Dhabi or Dubai takes seconds, not minutes or hours. No questions, no hassle, no delays.
(And in case you were curious, no one cares about your religion or sexual orientation when entering the UAE. Unlike, say... the United States.)
Even if people cannot use the smart gates, such as families with children, the UAE's passport control moves swiftly. The UAE provides the easiest entry - by far - of any country I have visited, and that includes re-entering the United States as an American citizen with Global Entry on my passport.
Visa difficulties are not often an issue for Americans vacationing abroad. The US passport allows entry into most popular destinations without the need to apply for a visa in advance. In some cases, you might need to pay a fee - such as £10 for the new electronic travel authorization to enter the United Kingdom. But the type of hassle that the U.S. makes citizens of other nations endure is rare.
(But not unheard of. The only Disney park I have not visited in person in Shanghai Disneyland. Not coincidentally, China is the only nation that hosts a Disney theme park that requires advance entry visas of US citizens.)
Tourism is a multi-billion-dollar business in the United States, as well as in many other countries around the world. Having great attractions helps drive a country's appeal among international visitors. But even the best attractions in the world will not help a country that locks its front door to visitors.
That is why Disney is now working with a nation that has chosen to open its doors widely.
It is good to hear that Abu Dhabi is - and hopefully will still be - a relatively easy country to enter.
Shanghai has been the ‘White Whale’ of Disney fan theme park completionists because of the pesky Visa requirements.
Mainland China does currently offer a 240 hour loophole in which tourists from the USA can enter Mainland China without a Visa with ‘Transit without Visa’ program.
There are certain requirements that must be met and I’ve read some horror stories online of US Airlines denying eligible passengers boarding because the airline is not aware of how this exemption actually works - which I’m sure scares a lot of otherwise eager American tourists that would love to visit.
I’ll find out myself in a few weeks when I try to visit Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland in one trip.
I just got back from backpacking through Asia post college graduation (and have now visited every Disney park until this new one opens) and I absolutely loved Shanghai Disney. I hadn’t been planning on going to Shanghai Disney but when I was at Hong Kong Disney I overheard some people speaking English and started talking to them and they mentioned the updated visa free transit loophole and I immediately added Shanghai to my plans so I could visit this park.
The way the transit free visa works is that you can show up to the check in desk at the airport (preferably a Chinese airline because they know about the policy so it’s easier) and they help you check in (need to have proof of stay, plans booked, and flight out booked) and then when on the flight or after you just fill out a form to take to the customs. It was an incredibly simple process and I had been stressed for nothing.
I do not think the visa free transit works flying from or to the USA, you have to be traveling from one country to another (I was going from Thailand to Japan and stopped for 40-ish hours in Shanghai).
I absolutely loved the park. Pirates is one of the best themed rides I’ve been on, zootopia is great, and the park is gorgeous. Contrary to popular belief, the people were incredibly nice to me (it started pouring while I was there and people shared their umbrellas with me while in line, and when others saw I was by myself setting up a timer photo they came and offered to take my pictures for me). I recommend visiting if you are able and am happy to reply to any other questions about the park or that visa process!
"And in case you were curious, no one cares about your religion or sexual orientation when entering the UAE. Unlike, say... the United States."
I feel like this is a deliberately charged statement looking to push an agenda. Firstly, while in most cases the UAE does not choose to actively enforce laws against homosexuality at the airport or other ports of entry, there is a clear written prohibition against the practice that makes it illegal to be openly gay in the country. While being openly gay in the US may bring some level of discrimination and ridicule, holding hands or otherwise showing affection for your partner (even if they might be your legal husband/wife) won't land you in JAIL like it can in the UAE and other Middle Eastern Countries. Even if you're not gay, many allies would probably find it amoral to in any way support the concept of a ban on homosexuality by visiting a region that codifies such a prohibition.
Also, while the UAE is generally open to tourism from all over the world, and particularly from highly populated areas in south-central Asia, the Emirates are clearly courting certain types of tourists with their lavish spending. Americans and Europeans might find the thought of a vacation in Abu Dhabi as a value, especially if you want to splurge on luxuries that would otherwise be completely unaffordable in other high-end destinations - allowing upper middle class folks to feel like c-suite executives for a week. However, the baseline cost to travel and visit the Middle East isn't cheap, and will continue to be a barrier for a majority of people. Even though this new Disney park will be geographically positioned closer to the world's largest population centers than any other entertainment region, the overall lack of resources and free cash in those population centers means that the Emirates will continue to draw from the same usual suspects in Northern Africa, Central/Western Europe and other countries with people that actually have discretionary funds.
Everything that I've read on this development has indicated that Disney was ready to sign on the dotted line with PIF (Saudi Arabia), and was going to be positioned as the "Crown Jewel" of the country's portfolio. The upcoming World Cup in 2034 and likelihood of the KSA hosting the Olympics in the next decade are going to shine a bright light on the country (and region) that Disney was willing to piggyback on. However, it's been widely rumored that Bob Iger refused to do business with the KSA for a multitude of reasons and instead used the PIF deal to leverage a similar pact with Miral and Abu Dhabi. I do feel like Disney desperately wanted to get into the market, but also didn't want to upset shareholders, and chose the partner that had the more legitimate entertainment portfolio and investment instead of the PIF, which has such an aura of "dirty money". Also, let's not forget that one of the most visible arms of the Walt Disney Company (ESPN) has openly campaigned against "sportswashing" from the KSA/PIF, and has been pretty steadfast in not doing business with entities backed by the PIF, and in fact deliberately minimizing coverage of sports that are linked with the KSA. If Disney were to have announced a park in Saudi Arabia, ESPN would have seen a major backlash that almost certainly would have included a walk-out from so much of their on-air talent who have often used their mouthpieces to criticize and opine against the rampant "sportswashing".
The amount of mental gymnastics you jump through to continue to promote the UAE is shameful. And for what? Every single park you've shilled is garbage. What a tool.
I've always turned to you, Robert, for the best coverage of theme park news, along with thoughtful commentary from you and others who write in your name, so to speak. For my money you're still the best theme park website, taken in the round. As such I expect you to cover the announcement and development of this park in the UAE. You'd be failing in your mission if you didn't. But it does feel as if you are going beyond simple reporting and veering into promotional territory. There's less sense of objectivity about your reports on this park and it feels more as if you are pursuing an agenda, and it sits uneasily with everything you have established with this website and the Theme Park Insider brand. I'm sure this park will be physically sensational but I can't help feeling that it's going to sit uncomfortably within the Disney empire.
Pretty gross and pathetic take. Last time I checked being gay wasn’t against the law in the U.S. like it is in the UAE. So yeah I think they kind of do care. Just because you were personally treated differently doesn’t mean that’s the reality for everyone on the ground.
Sorry Robert but the UAE in no way can compare to the US. Granted things have gone off the rails over there and I am a proud Canadian currently boycotting the US due to the lies and disrespect we have been receiving from the US government but as a gay man myself I have never felt unsafe while visiting Florida. Homophobic people are everywhere including Canada and comments can happen anywhere in the world but to compare a country that bans my existence to the US is down right insulting.
I do enjoy your site and despite my personal feelings on the UAE I still think its important to include them on here but don't insult us by trying to claim its all sunshine and roses over there!
This feels like the good old days of Covid when we were exchanging gunfire on this site over masks.
I completely support you, Robert, for including this posting. It's important Theme Park news and should be here.
As for the negative responses, since when did the only measure of a country become how they treat gay people? It is important, but not the only thing that matters. Surely other measures, like the murder rate, the level of child poverty, the fraction of people who live below the poverty line, the number of people who live without health insurance, and others matter too. In all of these the US is far worse than Abu Dahbi.
GLASS HOUSES!
While largely accurate on a factual level as far as I can tell, this feels very much like an unnecessary persuasive piece that is tangential to the core topic of theme parks and instead is aimed at pushing for increased UAE tourism. I do think Americans in particular are probably too closed-minded on the idea of traveling to any Middle East destination, but I also feel that's not really the sort of discussion most to this site are looking for, and unless Disney or Miral themselves explicitly say that visa policies were a key motivator for the project, speculatory pieces on the role it played probably are best left off the front page. I'd also like to see some statistics regarding American and European tourism to back up claims, as I've often wondered whether rejections and detentions have actually increased by a meaningful amount or are just far more publicized now due to the perpetual presence of social media in everyday life.
There have been multiple discussions on this site regarding what type of coverage readers wanted to see regarding Six Flags Qiddiya City. My two cents is articles such as this, which are more about the policies than the park, are the sort of coverage I really neither need nor want. While Disney Abu Dhabi is absolutely a big deal, it is also something that is at least five years from opening, and thus it's not really something I care that much about reading up on right now (unless there are major developments coming from Disney themselves, of course). I really hope this site will refrain from putting out so many fluff pieces over that time that fatigue of the project sets in, because quite frankly the tendency of fan communities to do that as almost as much of a contributor to my lessened interest in the company as the poor decisions they're making themselves.
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Your shameless defending of the horrible human rights record of UAE is sickening. It's clear you cannot be a neutral party on this after accepting free trips from them. Stop reporting on this if you can't be unbiased.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/report-united-arab-emirates/