Disney Worldbuilders offers a closer look at how and why Abu Dhabi was chosen as the site of Disney’s next theme park.
“We studied different parts of the world that we could expand into,” former Disney chief executive Bob Iger says in the new documentary. “We like being in this region. About one-third of the world’s population can get here within four hours.
“We view this as an oasis of the world. Not just a crossroads, but an oasis. We love what Abu Dhabi stands for – its potential and its dreams, its design ethic. It is a place that is only pointing to the future in so many different ways with great enthusiasm and tremendous optimism.”
Although the documentary reveals little about what visitors can expect from the park itself, it offers more insight into why the UAE capital was chosen and some of the thinking shaping its development.
We see Iger and other Disney executives meeting Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, to discuss plans for the theme park.
“You have to think big, you have to build big and then you have to build great. But ambition is, I think, a very, very powerful characteristic. There’s ample room for expansion,” Iger continues.
“We’re not just building a collection of parts here and there for other parts ultimately to be filled in. But we’re setting out something that I feel people, when they look at it, will feel is a complete experience.”
For Al Mubarak, the project is about paying homage to the past while offering a glimpse into the future and cementing the present.
“Here in Abu Dhabi, we’re investing significantly in the creative industries, because we believe in the creative mind. It’s so powerful. It’s what connects us,” Al Mubarak says in the documentary.
“Whether it's Star Wars or the world of Marvel or Pixar, or just the world of Disney in itself, it’s just unbelievable because you’re bringing these amazing imaginations to life,” he adds. “And I think it’s going to be a catalyst for a brand-new generation of creative thinkers to create new worlds and to create worlds that connect.”
Another meeting brings together Iger, Al Mubarak, Miral chief executive Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi and Tom Fitzgerald, senior creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering. During a presentation, Fitzgerald looks back at how Disney approached the organisation of its parks in the 1950s and the challenge of bringing its many stories together.
“We have so many stories. How should we organise our park? This is one of the challenges that we looked at,” he says.
But for Abu Dhabi, Fitzgerald says that “the inspiration for where we wanted to go came from here”, as he cuts to a slide that shows the different sides of the emirate, from Jubail Mangroves and Al Ain Oasis, to the desert, marine life and city itself.
“We were impressed with the diversity of the biomes in Abu Dhabi and the story they create. If you think of classic storytelling, ‘once upon a time’ is always followed by location. In a kingdom far away. In a galaxy far, far away. Placemaking is key to storytelling and it's key to what we do. In Imagineering, we’re bringing these worlds to life in three dimensions,” adds Fitzgerald.
Disney has said the park will feature themed accommodation, retail, dining and entertainment, while Iger has previously described it as being “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati”.
The documentary ends with the former Disney boss walking around Yas Island and reflecting on the possibilities of the site.
“If you tell a great story, its potential is limitless. You have to have great ambition, you have to dream big and you have to have a wild imagination that can turn a barren piece of land into a magical place.”
Disney Worldbuilders is now streaming on Disney+
