Disney has confirmed a new theme park project in the Middle East, but that may not be the only addition to the company’s global lineup.
The company recently revealed plans for a new resort in Abu Dhabi, its first theme park destination in the region. The project will be built on Yas Island in partnership with Miral, with Disney Imagineers leading the creative design.
Miral will finance and operate the resort under license.
The announcement signaled that entirely new Disney parks — once considered unlikely — may still be part of the company’s long-term strategy.
Now, a separate report suggests another project may also be under discussion.
Disney’s Theme Park Journey
Disney’s theme park division began in 1955 with the opening of Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. The concept expanded in 1971 with Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, which helped establish Florida as one of the world’s biggest tourist destinations.
International resorts followed in the decades that followed.
Tokyo Disneyland opened as Disney’s first overseas park. Disneyland Paris arrived in 1992, followed by Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005 and Shanghai Disneyland in 2016 as Disney expanded into major tourism markets.
Despite that growth, new parks have become increasingly rare.
Instead, Disney has largely focused on expanding existing destinations with major franchise-driven lands such as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the growing number of World of Frozen expansions around the world.
Those projects allow Disney to add capacity without building entirely new parks.
Still, rumors about additional gates have continued to surface.
Report Claims DisneySky Plans Have Resurfaced
According to The Wrap, plans for a new theme park known as Tokyo DisneySky are once again being discussed.
The publication spoke with former Disney Imagineer Jim Shull while reporting on speculation surrounding a Avatar attraction originally confirmed for Disney California Adventure.
Shull suggested the ride could ultimately appear somewhere else.
Among the locations he mentioned was DisneySky, which he said is apparently “back on the drawing board.”
If the park were built, it would become the third gate at Tokyo Disney Resort.
The resort currently operates two parks: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.
Tokyo Disneyland follows the traditional castle-park format seen at other Disney destinations, with lands including Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. Tokyo DisneySea, by contrast, features themed ports inspired by exploration and maritime mythology, with its latest addition, Fantasy Springs, opening in June 2024.
A park centered on the sky would complement those themes.
In Disney’s eyes, arguably the most important thing is that the theme could support attractions inspired by IP such as Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Incredibles, and Avatar.
Rumors of a third park at Tokyo Disney Resort have circulated before.
In 2018, reports claimed the resort’s owner, The Oriental Land Company (OLC), was exploring plans for a new gate.
The company responded with a statement denying the reports.
“Some media outlets published reports dated February 4, 2018, concerning the expansion of Tokyo Disney Resort. However, these reports were not announced by our company.”
Other Potential Disney Park Expansions
Tokyo may not be the only location where Disney could eventually add another park.
Industry reports have long suggested that Shanghai Disneyland could receive a second gate.
The project has reportedly been referred to internally as Project Atlas.
Early descriptions of the park suggested an EPCOT-style concept centered on science, technology, and global culture.
More recent speculation indicates the concept may have changed.
Instead of an educational theme, the park is now rumored to focus more heavily on adventure-driven franchises and large-scale intellectual property.
Disney has not officially announced any such projects.
