I just wanted to get an idea as to the possibility of Disney opening a 3rd resort in the US.
1 big issue Disney currently faces is that of overcrowding, a problem faced by many of its US parks, particularly at peak times. I've only been to WDW once, in early December (about as non-prak as you can get, although Orlando was hosting a Junior High cheerleading competition so there were lots of groups present), and I was put off then by the crowds.
Orlando has the possibility to expand due to the huge acreage of their resort, but Disneyland has limited ability to and may or may not be able to open a third gate.
I was thinking then there may be a possibility of a third resort. My thoughts were that somewhere warmer (to run year round) and west of the Mississippi (so they are free to develop Marvel IP) so perhaps near Houston Texas. Its remarkably central in the US, has reasonable climate and is coastal.
What are people's thoughts? Is it viable?
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If Disney ever builds a third resort in the United States, I expect it to be built in either Virginia or Texas. However, several of their parks need work before they even start thinking about building a new one. DHS and DAK at WDW are pretty well known and it appears Disney is addressing those, but Disneyland Paris (especially Walt Disney Studios) is in need of a major overhaul and, from what I've heard, Hong Kong Disneyland is still lacking. Once all those parks are fixed up, then Disney can focus on new parks. I think we'll see a fifth park at WDW before we see a third US resort, but I wouldn't completely out-rule it yet. However, it will definitely be a very long time before it would happen (15+ years).
I don't see any other parks besides at a new resort, and I don't see that for a long time. DHS and Epcot have been in need of some major changes for years. I would argue that Disney isn't focused on the U.S. anymore, and the slow pace of change at WDW reflects that. They want to be the worldwide leader in theme parks, and as far as attendance and revenue, they already are in the U.S. Its abroad that they have struggled with. At some I think we will see a new Disneyland but not until they think the added revenue will exceed the lost revenue at the other resorts.. I think Missouri would be a great place location wise and np because of Walt's years he spent there as a boy.. The winter climate would not be perfect, but southern Missouri would still be much nicer than Paris or Japan. I'd love them to buy Silver Dollar City and expand by building a new Disneyland and hotels next store, but that seems unlikely unless they can buy the land as well as the park. For now they just need to keep improving their existing parks and resorts, and let Shanghai be the last new resort until every park and resort worldwide is profitable and up to Disney standards.
There will not be a third Disney theme park resort in the United States. And we can make up much more entertaining hypotheticals than this, too.
But....Alaska has a lot of open spaces. They could just build a park underground, or under a huge glass dome. Or maybe Montana. Just call up Ted Turner and ask him to relocate some of his buffalo.
Since Hong Kong Disneyland is my "home park", I know first hand that it's painfully small. I can't imagine what anyone did there before Mystic Point, Grizzly Gulch, and Toy Story Land, and even after Iron Man Experience opens, it's still small. Granted, Google Maps looks like Disney was very smart, thinking long-term with an obvious spot for a sister park, and a lot more expansion available at the existing one.
I haven't been to Disneyland Paris, and as much as I'm in awe of that beautiful castle, and would love to see some of their unique versions of rides (Pirates sans Johnny Depp, specifically), I just can't bring myself to imagine it's worth a trip at this juncture.
That is my long-winded way of saying no, I don't think there will be a third U.S park. There's far too much to do in other parts of the world, and heck, I would imagine a second Hong Kong park and a second Shanghai park would come in to play before a brand new location in the U.S would ever happen - which is to say not in my lifetime.
If they did, I think somewhere west of Houston would be ideal. Heck, they could have free bus service from the airport called the Magical TEXpress. Ha!
But it won't happen.
Viva la Hong Kong and Paris!
I hope they don't; I love how the Disney Magic is exclusive(in the states) to California and Florida. Besides, Texas theme parks don't really seem to work out, I remember being so disappointed with SeaWorld San Antonio after seeing SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld Orlando
It would be great to have another resort in America yet I don't think it would happen. They haven't built a completely new theme park for almost 10 years Hong Kong-Shanghai so by the time they open another park somewhere else you would probably want to wait another 10 years. The thing is why does disney need to open another resort in america? Both california and florida get loads of guests each year and make a lot of money from it so if you were to open another resort more inland then it would surely result in less people visiting the allready existing ones in America. Obviously disney open more parks in Europe and Asia as they would then be able to benefit from people living in those continents without having the barrier of having to fly miles.
I think disney would probably focus more on opening a new park in their allready existing resorts, Hong Kong could do with a second park and florida could easily get another park. Also don't forget the amount of money that they are spending out on these new Star Wars lands and the redo of Hollywood studios. Before building an entire new resort they need to focus on improving existing ones such as walt disney studios, hollywood studios, expanding Hong Kong disneyland and possibly improving epcot. Also they are most likely going to get new additions of rides in shanghai a couple of years after it has opened. This being said they could possibly get a new resort in America but it will be a long way off in like 2030.
I'd put my money on universal opening a new resort in the US before disney does.
Thinking about it, crowd wise there's a demand for a new third Disney resort now, but not by the minds of Disney from a revenue standpoint. I'm sure people don't go to Disney because the lines are simply too long and it's too much travel time and cost, including myself. A third resort wouldn't mean it's any easier to get to Disney for much of the U.S. assuming they would be in the central part of the southern U.S. But it would put less pressure on the other two resort, and a shorter trip for many. Any line more than an hour is ridiculous for a 3 minute ride, no matter how great it is. And Disney's attendance has gone up despite the economy still not being great, and Universal and other parks offering alternatives. I think Walt would want another resort because he beleived Disneyland was a place for everyone, not just those that can afford to travel thousands of miles away, and pay a price that maximizes profit. Walt wasn't perfect, but he loved his fans and even though he wanted the park to make a profit, he wanted it to be affordable and accessable to as many people as possible. Attendance at the existing parks would go down for a time, but overall attendance would go up, and that would stabilize as each resort caters to its demographic and as the population continues to grow. Overall, Disney should stop trying to open more parks at its resorts and improve the ones they have. I don't expect disneyland to bulldoze their parks and rebuild them like Universal, but they need more love. Each resort should have similar attractions, with each resort set up a little differently. Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Sea should have the most unique and exclusive attractions because they the most unique parks. Hopefully Disney does open a third resort but I don't count on it. They want their parks to be full and as profitable as possible. Which is too bad. A third resort could still mean three busy and profitable resorts, thry just wouldn't be as busy or profitable as the current two are. But who knows, Disney has never been the same since Walt died, and as leadership continues to change will the company.
Is there really a need for a third park though? With all the cheap airlines Getting to a Disney park is easier than ever for a westerner, particularly a U.S. Based one.... Here in the UK I am just as likely to see a DisneyWorld advertisement as a Disneyland Paris advertisement.
If the parks are close to capacity what they need is better crowd management, not yet-another-magic-Kingdom.
Disney Sea in Connecticut.
Connecticut doesn't have enough tourist revenue for Disney to even think about putting a park near there.
If Disney is going to build a park in the Northeast, it's going to be on a fat piece of land in New Jersey, close to Manhattan.
Besides, the harsh winters over there will keep the park closed a third of a year anyway.
Um ... Yeah ... In fact there is plans for a Disney resort. It will be in North Texas ... Um ... If you want to make some large coin just send me a chack and I will get you in on the ground floor!
http://www.inquisitr.com/2386855/texas-man-sentenced-after-swindling-20-million-from-investors-for-fake-disney-park-called-frontier-disney/
I say buy the Adventuredome in Las Vegas.
Texas - who the heck wants to visit Texas..
TH Creative - What is a Chack? Is that like a Bitcoin? hahahaha
Disney Texas where you have to bring your Bible and 2 guns to get on the rides.
Yeeeeaaaaaa Haaaaaaawwwwwwww....
Never gonna happen. Ever.
The only way this would possibly happen is if someone else is willing to spend the money to build and run the operations in the park, then Disney would assist in developing it.
Jaiden Cohen writes: "Never gonna happen. Ever."
I Respond: Welllllllll ... They did try. There was 'Mineral King' and 'Disney's America.' So ...
@TH Creative
I always forget about those projects but I shoudn't because I listen to the Disney Dish podcast and Jim Hill brings it up every episode.
If there will be a 3rd Disney Resort in the United States, it will be in New Jersey, close to NYC, Texas close to Houston, or....
Screw it, Disney is NOT going to be adding another U.S. resort. WDW and DLR are enough.
>>>>I Respond: Welllllllll ... They did try. There was 'Mineral King' and 'Disney's America.' So ...
Was a different world back then though during the Disney's America period. Air tranport wasn't nearly as cheap
I wouldn't discount the idea of a 3rd Disney resort in the US too quickly.
This is a company that closes rides and attractions at the non-Magic Kingdom parks in Disney World while at the same time adding rides and attractions at the Magic Kingdom because.... it makes financial sense.
This is a company that is putting a Frozen overlay on the Norway ride in Epcot because.... it makes financial sense.
This is a company that dilutes their brand worldwide by building MK/Disneyland style parks for every deep-pocketed corporation or despotic regime that can cough up the franchise fee because.... it makes financial sense.
So if somebody at the Disney Corp. did a comprehensive study and figured out that Disney could increase their revenues far greater by adding a 3rd US gate instead of adding to the existing resorts, then odds are they'd do it because... it makes financial sense.
About the only hard and fast rule at Disney these days is that whatever they do, it has to improve the bottom line without damaging the brand.
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There's been rumours about texas for about as long as there's been the Florida project. There are still plenty of real estate speculators that insist the crappy land they're peddling will be worth a fortune when the secret disney project starts real soon.
Is it viable... Well, Hong Kong and shanghai suggest the money is in the Far east, not the west...