After Shanghaî, what other destinations for future Disney theme parks?

[tasman]

Australia's population is too small. And it's probably not the easiest thing for most Southeast / East Asians to get visas to Australia.

A proper Disney resort in China - a standard which IMO HKDL has not yet met but Shanghai likely shall - is the most viable and lucrative option outside Japan.

[Hathaway Browne]

No question that the population is not high enough to warrant a full blown Resort, but I can easily see then doing either a much smaller bespoke park (call it boutique if you will, just without the stupidly high entry fee).

Other than that DVC has to be a definite for Australia at some point (providing Hawaii turns out how they expect).

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

I think a lot of Americans would like to visit Australia, and would visit a Disney park. But I suppose just as many want to visit mainland China.

[tasman]

^^ Very few Americans are Disney-crazy enough (yours truly not included) to take time off a foreign visit to go to a Disney park. Folks from southeast or south asia likely would, but as I mentioned before the hastles of a visa (which most Americans have no idea about) would get in the way. Greater Shanghai area with 100 mil people, increasing percentages of whom are able to afford a Disney ticket, is far more practical.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Fair enough, but we're talking AFTER Shanghai what would be the next most profitable move?

[tasman]

^^ After China I don't think there are any places at present that would be amenable to a Magic-Kingdom style park. I think Universal made a good choice in Singapore...that is the hub and most developed point in Southeast Asia, but Universal plus Disney may be too much there.

India might work in a few decades, but not now. The country will have to become more affluent and security situation across the border will have to improve.

The Gulf states are wealthy enough, and also like Singapore attract tourists from across the region, but not every type of park would work with the culture. A Marvel-centric or Studios type park might do well though.

Brazil is another major population center that is en route to becoming a major economic power, but I would think any park there is at least half a century away.

But for now, economically, China is sufficient of a cash cow for Disney. If Shanghai Disneyland can be as profitable, or perhaps even more profitable, than Walt Disney World...which it can be with proper planning and guidance over the next three decades or so (with maybe three major parks plus other facilities built during that time)...then that should be sufficient to bring in plenty for the Mouse's coffers.

[krystledm]

I do think Australia would be a smart move. It is a wholy ignored area of the globe Disney wise.

[flynnibus]

Originally Posted by krystledm

I do think Australia would be a smart move. It is a wholy ignored area of the globe Disney wise.

Ignored? All the population in that area that has money is up near the mainland and Disney has covered the entire SE Asia coast now.

Australia is great.. but still only has less then 25 million people in the entire country. Shanghi has almost that many people in it and it's burbs ALONE.

[WorldDisney]

Originally Posted by krystledm

I do think Australia would be a smart move. It is a wholy ignored area of the globe Disney wise.

Sorry I have to highly disagree. Take it from an American who lived there (left a month ago), it simply is TOO small and out of the way, period! There are about 21 million people in the country, of course the majority in Sydney with about 5 million and Melbourne with just a little under that and the rest of the population is scattered throughout the country, which is pretty vast.

And yes, like others said, it is VERY difficult if you are from South East Asia (and from China) if you want to visit Australia for even a few days/weeks. So, not easy at all. Of course there is New Zealand where they are automatically Australian residents, but that itself is only about 4 million people who live there total.

Also, Australia is a pain in the you-know-what to get to! For Americans and Europeans (the ones with the free visas and the cash) its at least 12+ hours to get to (some cases up to 30) and its not cheap. Of course the other rich country around that is close enough is Japan, but I think we can agree they are already diveded enoung with not only their own parks, but Americas and now Chinas as well . Lots of Koreans go to Austalia, but as for Disney theme parks go, they ironically now are full of riches between Japan and China, cheap package deals to both areas and only 2-3 hours by plane to get there.

And all the other parks are either in a hub city or close enough to one to make a detour. No such luck with Australia. Ironically many Australians stop in Hong Kong or Tokyo to visit HKDL or TDR because they can simply stop over on the way to Europe, go to other places in Asia or America when travelling. But no one can really just 'stop over' in Australia if they just want to see the park for a few days on their way somewhere else unless of course you are going to New Zealand. But my point is its just not as convient as most of the others.

For example, DLP has the advantage of only being 1 hour away from Heathrow by plane, the most travelled airport on the planet, not to mention the hundreds of millions of Europeans within a few hours away and easy acess to France by cheap plane flights, buses and amazing train systems. A Disney theme park in Australia would have NONE of those advantages.

So basically any Disney park there will have to rely highly on its local base, which simply isnt much. Look at the Gold Coast, for example, is Australias theme park mecca and lots of tourist from Australia and other places but even then, parks like Movieworld, Sea World and Dreamworld (see a trend here lol) get maybe around 2 million guest per year average. For a WORLD CLASS Disney theme park to even be considered, it needs a base of at least 5 million with the projections to grow as the years advance like what happened with Japan and is SUPPOSE to be happening in Hong Kong and I'm guessing Shanghai.

But Australia, it will never get beyound a few million at best, so Disney would have to build something there represenative of its base there, which means small and cheap (but QUALITY small and cheap hopefully, not like DCA and WDSP small and cheap , and still any park built would probably have to be waaay cheaper than even those to build) and while maybe nice enough for the locals and attract the tourists who visits Australia, it probably wouldnt be big enough worth dragging people from all corners on the globe to see, which as I said, is a drag to get to in the first place.

So yeah, its a huge dilmma to try and build anything major there, which is why Disney has probably never really tried or considered it. A boutique park might be nice, but whats the point when you can focus all your energy on places like China with the prospect of gold mine of future theme parks, merchandising, media distribution, co-venture projects and etc to a market place of a billion people! Australia is simply too small fry.

[WorldDisney]

Originally Posted by Tomorrowland_1967

With a population of only 20 million .. I don't think Australia can support another theme park. One quarter of that population is in the greater Sydney area itself. And from what I've been told ... there have been some tourist attractions that have gone belly up, that were in Sydney.

Oh yeah, forgot to add, but Sydney HAD a small theme park that closed in 2004 AND a historical theme park that shut down in 2003. They also had a small movie theme park at the FOX Studios backlot, ala Universal Studios, that also closed. So yeah, there is a reason WHY you dont see any major theme parks in Australias biggest, most popular city....they simply fail over and over again. That isnt a good track record and would probably be suicide for Disney to even try at this point.

[Disney Analyst]

im on the Canada bandwagon.. Preferably.. Kelowna haha.. Not a huge population.. but gets the most sun in Canada... but also gets cold and snow.. but oh well.. so does Paris! BRING IT ON!

[dead_Mau5]

^It may be home to both of us, but really Canada actually doesn't seem quite fit for its own Disneyland. I'm not saying the Mouse hasn't tried before, WEM was the proposed home of Canada's own DisneyQuest back in the 90's,but that fell through.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Canada's too cold, WorldDisney points out why Australia may not work.

I don't think Africa or South America will get one any time soon.

So the only place left is Hawaii, where they're building a resort hotel. It might be able to support a boutique park of sorts, perhaps a Disney water park?

[Imagineer Scott]

I don't think that many Americans would venture into China. China has a bad reputation government wise, hey it's true. Also you're kinda limited if you don't like Chinese food and there is a massive language barrier.

Now, DLP? I think people would venture there. There isn't a HUGE language barrier there, the food isn't all that different from US treats, and it's a pretty large resort with Paris right next door.

[WorldDisney]

Originally Posted by Imagineer Scott

I don't think that many Americans would venture into China. China has a bad reputation government wise, hey it's true. Also you're kinda limited if you don't like Chinese food and there is a massive language barrier.

Now, DLP? I think people would venture there. There isn't a HUGE language barrier there, the food isn't all that different from US treats, and it's a pretty large resort with Paris right next door.

Of course a lot of people do travel to DLP from America and other places. I mean its not hard to convince people to go to Paris if they can lol.

As for China, this has little to do with Americans and primarily to do with the people there themselves, so it doesnt really matter nor a huge concern about outsiders visiting as much IF the locals truly like it or not (although HKDL is showing not to be a great indicator...but thats a pretty bad park, so...). Also, this will be the first theme park Disney builds in an area that Americans will have to apply for a VISA for (although you always get one, but you have to apply for it first nevertheless). But I'm guessing they expect Shanghai to act like Tokyos park where 95% of the people who go to that park are Japanese. With the Chinese middle class bigger than the population of the U.S. alone and only growing, I can see the park performing in the same way, IF, once again, they embrace the park. If not, Disney will be in trouble (again).

And its also odd to me that after DLP was built, Disney has never tried to build another park in Europe again, ever. Yeah, of course all the initial DLP problems there are noted, but hopefully they learned from their mistakes (although we will see if they really do with their second Chinese park) and the park itself is considered a hit with Europeans and it seems like Europe is a big enough place where they could build another resort somewhere and it would be a hit as well. But instead, all we hear about these days is Asia. Even all the rumored parks (like this one use to be) are all mostly in Asia. Funny how the thought of Europe again doesnt even enter the conversation even though DLPR gets around 12 million guest a year. With western Europe being twice the population of America, I dont see why they cant fanthom another park somewhere, even if its not as grand as DLP.

And for the record, I been to China myself a few times and yes, while your points are valid, going to big cities like Shanghai isnt really that hard to travel in for foreigners. While much of China is still very difficult and isolated for foreigners, Shanghai is a cosmopolitan city like New York, Paris, London, etc, so you can get around with English no problems (although there will ALWAYS be some language issues) and its very tourist friendly. Also dont worry, Shanghai has a lot more than just Chinese food lol, you find every type of food there possible and of course there is always the endless chains of McDonalds and KFC if they need their fix. There are a few TGIF's IIRC there as well so Disney isnt the only American chain making a footprint there. Also Shanghai use to be a British colony dont forget, so the city itself feels more westernized in general, certainly more than anywhere else on mainland China and it also has a huge expat population, which includes several of my friends personally and they seem to agree Shanghai is certainly more open than any other place you will find there, so I'm guessing thats part of the reason Disney is trying for a park there then say Beijing in the first place.