Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and add to that list Bahrain, all lists of places where Disney has been rumored to be building future themeparks. Usually it’s a government agency making the claim, but sometimes it’s a private individual. In almost every case, Disney denies that they’re in talks to build a themepark then eventually down the line it comes out that some low level, blue sky dreaming was going on, but nothing concrete. Whether that turns out to be the case with the 8 billion dollar offer from Saudi billionaire Prince
Alwaleed bin Talal remains to be seen.
What’s different about this case is that Disney has worked with the Saudi Prince before, he played a large role in the rescue of Disneyland Paris from bankruptcy. Bahrain is quickly becoming the vacation capital of the world (don’t tell Las Vegas – although Vegas will always have the gambling angle) attracting wealthy tourists from Asia, Europe, and Africa as well as a growing number of American clients.
Do I think it will happen. Maybe. If it does it will likely poach tourists from the Disneyland Paris Resort, but Bahrain is already doing that to an extent. Might be a good idea for Disney to get in on that market.
How serious would be the problem of culture clash?
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