Proposals to open a Disneyland amusement park in Australia have existed since the late 1990s.[1][2] However, the Walt Disney Company has never opened a Disneyland park in the Southern Hemisphere.
The majority of recent proposals[when?] have been in Melbourne and Adelaide.
History
editEarly proposals
editThe first reports of a proposal to build a Disneyland park in Australia were in the 1990s, when a park was proposed on the Gold Coast. The Walt Disney Company reportedly liked the idea, but a last minute intervention saw the plan abandoned in favour of a park in China. Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005.[3][2]
In 2007, the Walt Disney Company itself proposed building a Disneyland Resort in Sydney, with the proposed name "Disney Wharf at Sydney Harbour".[2][4][5][6] However, the company abandoned the plan due to hefty costs.[2]
Recent proposals
editIn recent years, proposals for a Disneyland park in Australia have resurfaced, with the majority of proposals being in either Melbourne or Adelaide.
In June 2024, David Limbrick, a Libertarian MP for the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region of the Victorian Legislative Council, proposed three potential locations for a Disneyland park in Melbourne. He suggested the southeastern suburbs of Cranbourne, Dandenong and Frankston as potential locations.[7] Frankston Mayor Nathan Conroy supported the proposal.[8]
Proposed locations
edit| Suburb | City | State | Original proponent(s) | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon | Geelong |  Victoria
|
Lindsay Fox | [8] |
| Cranbourne | Melbourne | Victoria
|
David Limbrick | [7][8] |
| Dandenong | Melbourne | Victoria
|
David Limbrick | [7][8] |
| Elizabeth | Adelaide |  South Australia
|
Amanda Blair | [9] |
| Fishermans Bend, Port Melbourne | Melbourne | Victoria
|
Sally Capp | [8] |
| Frankston | Melbourne | Victoria
|
David Limbrick | [7][8] |
| McLaren Vale | Adelaide | South Australia
|
Warren Randall | [10][11] |
| Yatala | Gold Coast |  Queensland
|
Tom Tate | [12] |
References
edit- ^ "Could Disneyland Australia Finally Be Coming Down Under?". www.ellaslist.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Is Disneyland Headed To Australia?". HuffPost. 19 November 2015. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "New billion-dollar theme park to rival Dreamworld to be built by Chinese developers". goldcoastbulletin.com.au. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ Snow, Deborah (11 January 2014). "Walt Disney Company proposed a Disney Resort in Sydney". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "The History of Sydney's Secret Cancelled Disney Resort". ReviewTyme. 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ Dowd, Katie. "Disney's failed attempt to put a mini-park in the suburbs". SFGATE. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d Dobson, Tileah (5 June 2024). "'Open for business': Victorian MP David Limbrick's call to tourism minister as plans for Aussie Disneyland revealed". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Taking the Mickey: is a Melbourne Disneyland anything more than a fantasy? | Melbourne | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "A Disneyland To Open Up In Adelaide?". Triple M. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ Lu, Garry (23 September 2022). "Disneyland Australia Proposal Reignited For The Third Time". Boss Hunting. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "The 'happiest place on Earth' could be coming to a surprising Australian location". 7NEWS. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Disneyland Australia: Gold Coast mayor joins push for Disneyland theme park in Australia". amp.9news.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.