On May 7, 2025, The Walt Disney Company and Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) broke the internet with the announcement of the region’s first Disney theme park and resort arriving on the shores of the UAE’s capital.

The park is the result of a collaborative partnership between DCT Abu Dhabi, Miral and The Walt Disney Company and is one of the biggest megaprojects the region will witness.

Disneyland Abu Dhabi is set to become the world’s seventh Disneyland theme park, and will join an already-impressive array of leisure treasures in the capital, including Warner Bros World, Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.

The new documentary Disney Worldbuilders, offers new insights into the megaproject – covering the park’s design inspiration and vision for its impact in the region.

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has witnessed the announcement of the Disney Theme Park Resort on Yas Island waterfront. pic.twitter.com/EnpN4oaOHP

— Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (@dctabudhabi) May 7, 2025

The throughline is that Abu Dhabi’s belief in the power of creative thinking is what connects people and builds the future.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, DCT Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Miral said in the documentary: “Whether its Star Wars or the world of Mrvel or Pixar, or Disney itself, the park is about bringing these amazing imaginations to life. The park will be a catalyst for a brand new generation of creative thinkers. To create new worlds that connect.”

1 Development

Abu Dhabi’s Miral Group will be responsible for the development and construction of the project, while Disney will oversee the creative aspects and provide operational support. Among those creative aspects, Abu Dhabi’s theme park will, of course, have its own Disney castle.

Adding to the hype, in Disney’s We Call It Imagineering YouTube series, Zach Riddley, Senior Vice President of Global Creative Strategy at Walt Disney Imagineering, confirmed that that Disney castle in Abu Dhabi ‘will stand apart from others around the world.’

In September 2025 it was announced that, for the first time ever, a water element would be incorporated directly into the design.

In Disney Worldbuilders, the executive team at Walt Disney revealed how the team arrived at Abu Dhabi for the new park’s destination. As they studied different parts of the world they could expand into, Abu Dhabi came up as the clear winner.

It’s strategic location – one of the few locations that a third of the world’s population can get to within 4 hours – played a decisive factor as well has how deeply Disney resonated with what Abu Dhabi stands for; its potential, dreams and design ethics.

2 Creative direction and park layout

In the 1950s, the documentary revealed that Disney had a very clear cut blueprint of what a perfect theme park is. Winning elements included a main street, Adventureland, Frontierland, FantasyLane, TomorrowLand – bringing imaginary worlds into reality for fans of the entertainment powerhouse.

Placemaking is a key anchor behind Disney’s parks. Tom Fitzgerald, Portfolio Executive Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering says in the documentary that a great story always starts with a ‘once upon a time’ followed by a location ‘in a galaxy far, far away.’

Abu Dhabi’s Disneyland will follow a similar formula, but its distinct quality will be how the capital’s diverse biomes inspire the manifestation of the park.

Previously, Bob Iger said that, “Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati – an oasis of extraordinary Disney entertainment at this crossroads of the world that will bring to life our timeless characters and stories in many new ways and will become a source of joy and inspiration for the people of this vast region to enjoy for generations to come.”

We already knew that this castle was going to be unique, as confirmed during the launch announcement. Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, stated that “This entertainment project marks a qualitative leap in theme park design, introducing a new concept that combines the latest technological innovations with groundbreaking architectural and design visions – including a one-of-a-kind modern castle that goes beyond anything Disney has created before.”

Finally, within this segment, Disneyland Abu Dhabi is a project that will continue to evolve, the documentary revealed, with the project designed to be a “whole” instead of a “collection of parts”.

3 Expected launch

Although a date hasn’t been given, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Josh D’Amaro previously told Reuters that the project would likely take “a year or two to design, and another four to six years to build”.

On those calculations, we can expect Disneyland Abu Dhabi to open its magical gates somewhere between 2030 and 2033.