Dubai Disneyland - A Decade in the Making

It was ten years ago that I first stumbled upon the concept art for Dubai Disneyland. It was such a large discovery that I even surprised fellow blogger and friend Alain Littaye of the Disney and More blog. (May he rest in peace.) He leaked my find on his site and received a much wider response. Websites around the globe began posting these - and many other- pieces of concept art I had found for the proposed park. It's been a decade, and it is time to consider the future of the project. 

Let's recap further-

I published these pieces immediately, perhaps seven or eight total, much to the delight of Disney Park fans. I continue to receive inquiries and questions, with some even doubting I had the art. I do, and the most popular piece- to prove so- is above. A couple of weeks after I first posted it, I was contacted by the firm and asked to remove it all, as the client was upset they had even made it relatively public. I did so. But now, I feel at liberty to repost one image to prove it all. One image that, by now, can be found on too many websites and blogs to track...so I have no qualms posting it now.

Immediately below is what I posted in November 2014, and I repeat it here for your understanding:

"Yes, once more,  this post by The Disney Times is 100% correct. As are others who reported something similar. I did post a series of pieces of concept art on the proposed Dubai Disneyland, and yes, I was contacted by Favilli Studio. A very nice request was made by the Director of Operations, Linus Sora, a very kind man, to have me take down the pieces- which I did as a courtesy. 

Why did they ask me to take them down? Easy, the proposed project is very real and very sensitive. The clients were upset the pieces made their way to the public  Imagine a Disneyland in the Middle East and everything that could mean and everything that could lead to. The area is already a world power, and we all know Disney is solely in the market to make money. Win / Win. 

Favilli also took their pieces down off the web, but you can still find a concept for Glacier Bay, a land once proposed for Tokyo Disney Sea."

With the first stage of Dubai Parks and Resorts opening October 31, can a version of Disneyland Dubai be far behind? The concept art for it is all over the web (and I should know as I first shared it in 2014). 

My guess to the question is "No". Why? First, with Legoland there and the inevitable Six Flags and Universal Studios, I can't imagine Disney will offer their product in a place that puts them at the same level as their competitors in the minds of travelers. Which is exactly what would happen if they do go there. 

Secondly, Shanghai Disneyland has just premiered, and my bet is the suits and the public are finding there is much more work behind the scenes in making this really work in addition to what's needed to keep it going. Including necessary expansion straight away.

Lastly, with Star Wars Land and Pandora World of Avatar- not to mention upcoming projects based on Marvel and Frozen, Disney is finally taking an active role in the competition for the buck. Their parks will soon once again offer compelling reasons to "do Disney". And just in the nick of time."

Below are most all the pieces of concept art I found. Saving some for future posts.

With official branding.

Look at the above piece again- The larger park view may be the best. It includes a different version of Cars Land as well as a Star Wars based version of Tomorrowland. There's even a much earlier proposed version of Main Street U.S.A. which is more like a Fantasyland styled avenue. Not quite Mickey Avenue in Shanghai, but a European styled village with dark ride attractions, shops and restaurants. Just imagine!

Even a bit of California Adventure here.

As of this date, world events and tensions in the region seem to have placed this project on hold. Maybe indefinitely. No, we won't get an announcement for this at D23, as things will have to cool. But you never know what the suits will pull out of the sleeves. Money talks, and be it China, Dubai, India or anywhere else, Disney always succumbs to the lure of the buck over anything else.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)