An Aussie politician has gone public with his desire to bring Disneyland down under, naming three Melbourne locations where “the happiest place on earth” could possibly be constructed.
Libertarian MP for Melbourne’s south-east metropolitan area, David Limbrick, said the popular theme park would bring entertainment and bolster job growth in the state.
In September, Disney announced a $60 billion investment in its theme parks over the next decade — double what it spent on them in the last decade.
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And Limbrick said Australia would be a top contender for international expansion.
Limbrick, who is also the chair of the Select Committee on the 2026 Commonwealth Games Bid, said three sites south-east of Melbourne offered enough undeveloped land to be considered.
“Disney would need 50 hectares or more and that is easily obtainable in suburbs where we still have sizable farms such as areas around Cranbourne, Langwarrin and Lyndhurst,” he told 7NEWS.com.au.
“Southeast Melbourne has the land, the transport infrastructure, and a pool of talented artists and performers.
“Australia must surely be on the list of possible places to expand, and I am going to put south-east Melbourne firmly at the top of the list.”
Disney said last year that it had “over 1000 acres of land for possible future development to expand theme park space across its existing sites” both in the US and internationally.
The company said there were a number of popular animated franchises, such as Frozen and Coco, which were yet to be reimagined in a theme park context.
“Wakanda has yet to be brought to life. The world of Coco is just waiting to be explored. There’s a lot of storytelling opportunity,” Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Josh D’Amaro said at the time.
Melbourne Acting Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece has also backed the idea of the Victorian capital’s ability to host an Aussie Disneyland.
“We welcome any investment that adds to our bumper calendar of events and we are unrivalled when it comes to world-class hotels, fine dining, entertainment and culture,” Reece told 7NEWS.com.au.
A Victorian government spokesperson also told 7NEWS.com.au: “As Australia’s major events and tourism capital, we welcome new opportunities and events that would be enjoyed by Victorians and bring more interstate and international visitors to our state.”
Any proposal would only be considered by the government based on its merits.
And any relevant permits would need to consider environmental impacts, transport connections and the surrounding area.
And as P&O Cruising is absorbed by its sister company, Disney said it also aimed to “double the worldwide capacity of its cruise line”.
The major investments at Disney come as the company faces revenue challenges in its streaming services, and movie and television assets — almost everywhere but its international theme parks.
Disney already has 12 parks across six sites globally: two in California and four in Florida; two in Chiba, Japan; two in Marne-la-Vallée, France; one in Hong Kong; and one in Shanghai.
But, according to Disney’s internal research, the company said: “There is an addressable market of more than 700 million people with high Disney affinity (that Disney) has yet to reach with its Parks.”
Limbrick hopes a new park location on Australia’s east coast would help the company tap into that market.
“The local people have the right attitude,” he said.
“The response I’ve had to this idea has been overwhelmingly positive, so I know we can make all of Disney’s dreams come true.”
– With CNN