Disneyland Abu Dhabi

[Jerroddragon]

I mean I do find it funny I've seen so many saying we should shame people for bad behavior like when a parent lets a kid be a brat at the parks people are like shame them but people supporting businesses that literally want half the population to be second class citizens who have to get approve from a man to do anything and also have a dress code, willing hate and want to kill people for loving someone they don't approve and literally use slave labor and work people to death.

After this political ban goes into place I wont have much more to say but if allowed will post anything about human rights violates that go into making this park, if people want to go cool but I think you should know the cost of this park and especially if someone dies for this.

Also Someone brought up the other parks already made, I think those parks look amazing but yeah they suck for building them, I have not gone to those either and love Dragonball and doubt I get to go to that park either. Unlike the pyramids which were made with slaves we literally can't stop those horrible things from happening but here we can and my only hope is if Disney gets enough pressure it will stop because this is not needed for its cost in my opinion Theme parks are for me about fun not blood, sweat and tears.

 

[Brian G.]

The deadline was put in place with the best intentions, but obviously, those intentions weren't seen that way. Our goal was not to silence anyone; rather, it was to prevent the thread from spiraling out of control due to one user or post with a specific agenda, which tends to happen. I'll remove the "deadline" because I understand there is anger and concern.

All I ask is that we maintain a cordial atmosphere with one another. If any issues arise, we will address them as necessary ASAP.

 

[Alicia]

To be clear, I hate this. I have no interest in visiting. Or even reporting on it.

But there’s no way to design and build a theme park in this day without the work of talented queer people. We are a big part of the industry. And parks in Abu Dhabi have already been designed by us. With us working and living there for months at a time.

Those people lived. And returned back home when the job is done.

Of course the tide doesn’t turn in a day when it comes to equal rights and protections, but tolerance for openly gay people building a park, and then visiting a park—even if only to the end of creating a sustainable tourism industry for the region’s future—IS a step. Albeit a small one.

If queer people growing up there now see this news. Learn who will be designing rides there. Know they’ve been allowed to work there without negative consequence. It could instill upon them the courage they need to live more authentically, and stand up for themselves. Call out any hypocrisy of allowing gay people to build and visit a park, but *not* live authentically in the same place? Maybe that helps. Maybe anything that helps is good, for those gay people in the region who need any glimmer of hope they can grasp onto.

I’m not going to sit here and say that Florida is by any means directly comparable to the Middle East BUT I will say that me and my gay and trans friends *feel* a ton more safe within the WDW and UOR theme parks than we do just in downtown Orlando. We know security is here to keep us safe. We know that people go through metal detectors. I can go to gay nights at Red Coconut Club to dance with my friends openly with a peace of mind I no longer have in the real world since Pulse.

I want that for others.

I want to believe that theme parks can be the same sort of safe outlet for more people who also felt they had to hide who they are.

The stakes may be higher, and there’s far more work to do. But every time a person from a country who has the privileges we have tells a person in a country who doesn’t that they shouldn’t have the things we do, it feels extremely icky to me. Regardless of how righteous you may feel in your heart. You may be denying someone else their future happy place.

Or, we could just look at it as a heartless cash grab by a company fighting to grow and earn more profits at any cost, despite human rights, and despite public perception.

But for me, multiple things can be true at once.

 

[UNIrd]

To be clear, I hate this. I have no interest in visiting. Or even reporting on it.

I also don't want it taking up any precious D23 parks panel announcement time... no coverage on the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade special.. you name it. But considering how they had no problem utilizing so many of their news outlets and socials for the news today, I doubt that will be the case.

 

[BatCom]

I'm a little surprised at the intensity of the negative reaction to this online thus far.

I think making a joint venture with the Chinese Communist Party is a significantly more morally questionable decision than building a theme park in the UAE. While it's true homosexuality is outlawed there, it seems to be basically symbolic. No one has actually been arrested there for that kind of activity in a decade, and I especially doubt the government will care about the sexualities of tourists visiting Disneyland.

Although I get the charges of hypocrisy given the company's very public stance in the U.S. a few years ago (which they didn't actually want to take but were pressured into, at least under Chapek). But then again, they're not building this resort for Americans! And they know that.

 

[MrBlonde]

I'm not touching the politics here, but my silence on the topic does not equate to being thrilled on the entire situation.

However, this is a pure profit as @Mad Dog has been saying. Business-wise, this is a slam dunk for TWDC's bottom-line & keeping people in WDI working. This could be the jolt in the arm the company may want or need as they deal with their 5 years of plans and the uncertainly of project costs due to tariffs and economic forces.

The biggest silver lining I see is that this is making American theme park design jobs and the budget has to be such a large scale with that region, it's going to be a blank canvas for Imagineering to design the best possible rides at budget sizes unheard of. Those innovations and maybe even entire rides should be Disney's R&D for bring those rides to more friendly parks both domestic and abroad. That's how we got Tron in WDW.

Maybe they'll actually make a good original Marvel ride. (GotG doesn't count since it was a retheme.)