When Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the Walt Disney Company would spend $60 billion over the next decade on its theme parks, Disney fans were giddy with anticipation. Sixty billion was a lot of money, and surely, that meant at least one new Disney Park somewhere.
Iger fueled that excitement when he said Disney could build seven new theme parks on its existing land worldwide, but Disney quickly walked that back by emphasizing “could.”
But this week, rumors again spread that The Walt Disney Company was planning on expanding its parks into a region that has yet to have a Disney theme park: Australia.
Rumors about a Disneyland Australia Park have been around for decades, even going as far as to say that Disney had chosen several plots of land for possible parks in the early 2000s. There have been constant rumors that Australia will attend the World Showcase in EPCOT at the Walt Disney World Resort.
However, the rumors that started this week have a specific destination for Disneyland Australia. The city of Werribee, 30 minutes west of Melbourne in South Australia, was said to be the spot for a new Disney Park.
Werribee has an open tract of land that was once home to African Safari World, and Disney was rumored to have purchased it.
However, despite internet speculation, a spokesperson for the Wyndham City Council quickly dispelled those rumors.
Wyndham City has not been approached by any organisation regarding plans for a Disney-style park in our municipality.
Victoria Tourism Industry Council Chief Felicia Mariani also dispelled the rumors, saying those stories have been around for years. However, Mariani did say that Victoria “desperately” needs more tourist attractions, and the state would be open to bringing The Walt Disney Company in for a discussion.
Whether it is Disney or some other type of major attraction, the reality is those sort of new attractions are really critical to driving visitation into Victoria, and in particular having something that sits in the greater Melbourne region, as opposed to Melbourne CBD.
However, all is not lost. When Disney was buying up land for Walt Disney World, the company did so in secret so as not to drive up the price. That is still a possibility, albeit remote.
However, for Disney fans hoping for Disneyland Australia, Tokyo Disneyland and the new attractions at Fantasy Springs are always available. Or you could just make the trip within the United States to Disney World or Disneyland.
Where would you like to see Disney build its next international theme park?
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