Disney Is Building a New Kingdom, In the Middle of the Desert

In the quiet shimmer of the Persian Gulf, past the mirrored skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi and the scent of jasmine on desert air, something fantastical is beginning to stir.

It’s not a mirage, it’s Disney.

The Walt Disney Company, architect of dreams, master of nostalgia, is building a kingdom on Yas Island. A real one, with Imagineers at the helm, billion-dollar backers on board, and a very specific kind of magic stitched into the plans.

This won’t just be another theme park, it will be the seventh Disney resort in the world. The first ever in the Middle East, and it’s coming to life in a place where fantasy already blooms from sand: a man-made island that welcomed over 34 million visitors in 2023 alone.

I, personally, love Disney and went just this year with my husband and parents, but this is another frontier completely.

Why Yas?

If you’ve never heard of Yas Island, don’t feel bad, I hadn’t either before I started looking into this. It’s a place that wasn’t even supposed to exist, so you can feel less bad now.

Twenty years ago, it was just coastline and blueprints. Today, it’s a tourism empire: home to Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, and Yas Waterworld. It hosts F1 races, global concerts, and luxury resorts with infinity pools that spill into the Arabian sky. Very luxury, very entertainment-friendly, very pricy.

And now, here comes Disney.

It’s easy to assume this is just expansion, another pin in the map, another notch on Disney’s global belt, but it’s not.

This is strategic, symbolic, and honestly, a little more wild than you probably think at first glance.

Because Yas Island isn’t just a tourist hub, it’s a declaration: Abu Dhabi is all in on becoming the cultural crossroads of the 21st century.

And Disney (ever the storyteller), saw a blank page and picked up its pen, as Disney does.

What We Know So Far

So, the Walt Disney Company is officially partnering with Miral, the local entertainment giant behind much of Yas Island’s development. Miral will fund and operate the resort, while Disney provides the creative leadership, aka, the Imagineers will be designing every curve, castle, Mickey-ear-shaped everything, and churro.

According to Disney CEO Bob Iger, the plan is still in its early stages, the design and development phase will take about 18 months, with construction expected to last another five years.

Which means…this thing is happening.

It’s real, it’s going to be big as all hell, and it’s likely to become the single most visited Disney location in the region, possibly rivaling its older siblings in Paris and Tokyo.

And while we don’t have blueprints just yet, we can expect a theme park filled with new, regionally-inspired lands, Disney hotels and themed accommodations, dining, shopping, and entertainment hubs, and experiences that blend Middle Eastern art and design with classic Disney characters.

Imagine Aladdin’s Agrabah reimagined as a market you can walk through. Or Moana sailing a pearl-colored sea beneath a dome that filters desert light. My nephew would love a Star Wars oasis with climate-controlled adventures that stretch from Tatooine to the edge of the galaxy.

This won’t be Disneyland as we just saw it in Florida the other month, it’ll be something entirely new.

Why Now? You Might Wonder

Because timing matters. Abu Dhabi isn’t playing around when it comes to tourism. The emirate recently committed $10 billion to tourism infrastructure. That includes everything from new museums and art districts to luxury resorts and, yes, major partnerships like this one. These kinds of partnerships will inevitably spark others in the future as well, as other luxury brands chase after those on holiday with their kidos.

And let’s not forget the number: 34 million visits to Yas Island in 2023. That’s a 38% increase from the year before.

People are coming…from everywhere. The UAE is placing its bets on experience, not just oil. And Disney, forever the experience maker, fits right in.

Is Disney Changing...Or Are We?

It’s easy to joke that Disney will slap a pair of Mickey ears on anything, but this is something else.

This is a company, founded on the promise of American dreams, building a fantasy in the heart of the Gulf. It speaks to a new kind of globalization, one that trades in symbols and stories, it’s nostalgia that crosses oceans.

It also raises questions.

Will the park feature classic characters? Or will it create new ones? Will it honor the local culture or gently Disney-fy it? Will alcohol be served? Will the dress codes reflect Western parks or local customs?

These aren’t small things to wonder about, they’re the architecture of the guest experience, and they will define how this new kingdom is received on a global scale.

What This Means for Fans

If you’re a Disney fan, this is exciting…but maybe a little confusing.

You might be wondering: why not build another park in the U.S.? Why Yas and not, say, Brazil or Canada?

Here’s why in my personal opinion: because Disney is playing the long game. The future isn’t just coming, it’s here, and it’s not ours anymore. It belongs to the places that are building boldly and at huge scale. Places like Abu Dhabi.

Disney isn’t chasing trends, they’re building tomorrow’s nostalgia today. Otherwise, they run the risk of being left behind while the others catch up to their 100-year head-start.

And someday, some child will remember standing on Yas Island, holding their parent’s hand, watching fireworks above a castle that wasn’t supposed to exist, that’s their goal.

But Is It…Right?

Let’s be honest for a moment, not everyone is thrilled.

Some worry about the ethics of large Western companies expanding into nations with different human rights records. Others wonder if Disney magic can really thrive in a place with strict cultural norms.

These are real, valid questions, and they should be asked. Loudly enough for others to hear, but here’s the nuance to keep in mind, this park isn’t being forced on anyone. It’s a collaboration, a handshake, an exchange of vision between two storytelling powerhouses: one steeped in animation, the other in ambition.

Will it be perfect? No, definitely not. Nothing is at the beginning though, which is why I always give a new restaurant at least three months before I visit it to work out their kinks. But it will be watched, measured, and every aspect of it will be recorded and remembered for future endeavors like this.

And it might change the future of global theme parks forever.

If You Plan to Go…

You’ve got plenty of time. This won’t open for at least 5–7 years, I’m just writing about it now to get you excited and put it in the back of your mind.

But when it does finally open, pack light, hydrate like a camel, and bring your sense of wonder with you (children optional).

If you want to beat the heat in the meantime, I recommend this compact, rechargeable neck fan, perfect for desert adventures, long lines, or just pretending you’re in a dune-side cantina with an iced latte.

And yes, I will absolutely be the person crying under a palm tree at the soft opening if I’m lucky enough to get there when they’re opening the park gates for the first time(s).

Yas Island was once nothing, just sea and sky and maybe a prayer, similar to the origins of Singapore.

But now, it’s where the world comes to play. And Disney, that eternal magician, just cast its next spell there. Not in the name of nostalgia, but in the name of possibility, profit, and adventure.