Busch Announces Dubai Theme Parks- SeaWorld, Aquatica & More

[mikeymouse]

hey check this out what do you think will you visit? very interesting :eek:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7HO-Zk8hFM


sorry in advance S&S i guess you are on to it already:confused:

[loobylou]

hey check this out what do you think will you visit? very interesting :eek:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7HO-Zk8hFM


sorry in advance S&S i guess you are on to it already:confused:

Sorry MM I posted the link to the announcement Thursday just after it had been on the webcast!!!

The other thread is here http://www.attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=5518

[mikeymouse]

Sorry MM I posted the link to the announcement Thursday just after it had been on the webcast!!!

The other thread is here http://www.attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=5518

oops sorry Loobylou not paying much attention lately will go and have a look:o

[Susan Veness]

You still ask a very good question, mm. Will people visit? It's the billion-dollar (pound, drachma, yen, peso, Euro) question, isn't it?

We felt very strongly that Dubai wasn't a family destination 2 years ago when the travel industry was buzzing about it, even though Universal announced they were building parks there. It's too far, too iffy, too adult oriented, too 'luxury'.

But with the announcement of Anheuser-Busch's plans, the picture is a bit fuzzier. No expense has been spared and it looks like it's only going to increase in terms of family appeal and diversity of offerings. There is a real chance it will rival Orlando, at least in some ways. If Disney goes, it's a done deal.

However (and it's a big however), it won't draw the American crowd, for several reasons, not the least of which are a perceived sense of its being unsafe for Americans (situated as it is between Saudi Arabia and Iran!) and the distance involved when Orlando is never more than 5 hours from anywhere in the Continental US.

Value for money is also a bit of a question. My suspicion is, there will be some incredible deals to start with, then...not so much. Will the Brits (who will surely represent a large portion of the international market) be willing to pay as much or more for a week in Dubai as they will for 10-14 days in Orlando? Maybe, maybe not. Dubai is two hours closer, but then, it's only two hours closer. Does time outweigh cost?

I'm also curious about the impact of millions of the 'great unwashed' descending upon Dubai's currently exclusive community. Money is no object, so there will certainly be the infrastructure necessary to accommodate everyone, but it will change the face of Dubai, as it changed the face of Orlando. In different, but I'm guessing no less profound, ways.

And then there's the issue of immunizations. And visas. And language. And religious customs. And social taboos. None of them are a huge impediment, but they're all issues families will face when making the decision.

There are some real questions, at least in my mind. But having said that, I think it's going to be a powerful draw, one I'm not sure Simon and I will choose to resist. I think we'll go, but I don't think any of our neighbors will go.

Still with me? If so, I'd LOVE to hear other people's opinions on how strong the lure will be for them.

[Catlady]

At the moment Dubai holds no interest for me at all. I feel its going to be hugely expensive compared to Orlando and that part of the world still feels kind of unsafe to me especially in today's political situation. But I view what is happening with interest, if companies like Anheuser Busch are willing to put millions of dollars into building these parks then they must feel they can recoup their outlay in the future.

[mikeymouse]

:happy-smiDont know what to make of this at the moment but i am sure bush have done their homework and its sure to take off big time :confused: got lots of friends who have visited Dubai in the last few years and have heard mixed reviews , the cultural difference is huge for a start , but you have to look at the bigger Picture the world is bigger than the UK and USA so the catchment area is huge also the pound in the USA wont always be so good so this might just attract us brits who are always on the lookout for a good deal (maybe perhaps:confused:) also for the Brits Guide point of view will this venture open new doors new book perhaps "The Brits guide To Dubai" ?? lol;)

ps: can someone with the powers to be change these posts into the other thread started by Loobyloo as she deserves the credit for this thread

[spencem]

We will not be going to Dubai, now or in the future, for one very simple reason. Two of the pills my wife has to take everyday would see her imprisoned as soon as she got off the plane, despite having prescriptions in place and having to take at least one of them to stay alive!

If anyone is thinking of going be VERY VERY careful what you take with you, many things you can buy over the counter here and in the US will see a MANDATORY 4 year prison sentence over there. This also applies to tiny quantities, such as the powder left in the bottom of a pouch of your wash bag by keeping pain killers in there in the past. :eek:

Take a look at Fair Trials Abroad (http://www.fairtrials.net/index.php/news/article/charity_issues_urgent_warning_to_all_travellers_to _uae_after_briton_impriso/) for more information, the scariest on there is the guy who had dropped a couple of seeds off of his lunch time roll onto his jacket, yep 4 years inside for drug possession.

[Susan Veness]

spencem, you make an excellent point. We've obviously had an eye on Dubai and there are some serious questions about how this whole thing is going to work. Will some of these stringent laws be 'bent' for tourists? It's a curiosity.

I'm sure the parks have asked all of these questions and been given satisfactory answers, but I'd want to know what those answers are before visiting. Even things as simple as dealing with prayer hours. Will the parks grind to a halt as employees observe their daily prayers? What is expected of visitors during those hours? How will the cultural attitudes affect Western women? Dubai is a bastion of liberalism, but there is still a strong double standard for men and women when it comes to their behaviour.

And more importantly, how will Dubai insure their visitors safety? Yeah, yeah...I know they pay huge amounts to keep the wolves at bay, but so far they haven't had the likes of Universal and Busch pulling in a gajillion visitors to enjoy the fruits of capitalism.

Which brings up another point. Are you comfortable visiting and financially supporting a country that 'pays terrorists to stay away'?

It's curious, this one.

[Simon Veness]

There are many questions to be answered about Dubai's tourism in the medium and long-term, although it is undoubtedly a short-term mega-success (more than 7 million visitors a year compared to barely 3 million in 2000, and forecasts to reach 15 mil by 2012).

I'd be curious to know what the UK newspapers (and their travel sections) are reporting about Dubai's draconian drug laws, which seem to sweep up plenty of innocent victims and leave them scarred for life. Does the Sunday Times, for example, make such a big noise about a tourist being jailed for 4 years for having a few poppy seeds on their clothes as they do about some UK visitors to the US having to stand in line at immigration for an hour or more on occasions?

(This latter really makes my blood boil, as papers like the ST and Guardian have such a blatant anti-American bias they seem prepared to overlook massive problems elsewhere by worrying about the time spent in US immigration queues, which we KNOW from our own evidence averages 45 minutes or less - compared to the hour it took Susan to clear the immigration line at Gatwick 2 weeks ago, on a quiet day!!)

[Simon Veness]

Hot on the heels of our debate here, the question is now being asked, seriously, in Orlando itself. Here is a rteport from today's Sentinel:

Beth Kassab | Business Columnist
March 3, 2008

Tourism pundits who aren't worried that Dubai could one day seize Orlando's title as the theme park capital of the world, take note. It could happen. Here's why:

Orlando is most at risk for continuing to lose market share among Europeans, a group that has traveled to the United States in far fewer numbers since 9-11 as a result of increased hassles at the border.

A national travel lobbying group forecasts 17 percent fewer German, 24 percent fewer French and 4 percent fewer British travelers will come to the United States this year than in 2000.

The flight from London to Dubai is even about an hour shorter than the flight from there to Orlando. Nigel Worrall, who sells vacation homes primarily to travelers from the United Kingdom, tells me he's already feeling the heat from Dubai.

Busch Entertainment Corp.'s announcement last week that it has partnered with a developer in the United Arab Emirates to build four parks there under the SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Aquatica and Busch Gardens flags just upped the ante even further.

"They [Brits] like what they're doing over there," Worrall, president of Florida Leisure Vacation Homes, told me. "We've certainly got some homeowners who think it's becoming a better investment out there."

And Dubai has the shiny, new factor going for it -- with everything from an indoor ski slope to a theme park centered on Ferrari/Formula 1 that could give the Middle Eastern city a stronghold in the leisure market.

Orlando's trump card, of course, remains Walt Disney World. But for how much longer will Disney stay out of the Dubai mix?

That worries John Thomerson, owner of a wholesale fruit and vegetable company in London, who rents out his second home in Kissimmee part of the year to fellow Brits. "That would be another nail in the coffin [for Orlando] if Disney built a park there," he said. He's been to Dubai three times in the past two years. As far as hotels go, he said, "it's the best upmarket experience I've ever encountered."

To be sure, Orlando has a lot going for it. The weather is actually cooler here in the summer than in Dubai, and it will take some time before this town's diversity and quality of attractions can be matched.

But don't be surprised if you start to hear tourism industry folks here talk about Dubai in the same way they bemoan the marketing prowess of Las Vegas.

[dolphingirl]

I have to come to the defense of Dubai a little. Americans, Australians, Canadians, Malaysians and people from Wester European countries do not need a visa for Dubai if they are not staying for longer than 60 days. There is a scheme in place for those people who works very much like the US Visa Waiver Scheme, but without having to fill anything in. They just stamp the passport. Nor are there any vaccinations required for Dubai.
The main problem is that Dubai is expensive. Even in a very basic 3 star hotel you can expect to pay around £110 for two people and one night.
I don't think that prayer time will have any impact on the parks. The natives would not go for jobs in theme parks, which let's face it will be fairly low paid minimum wage kind positions. They will heavily recruit in Europe and South East Asia for those jobs. I for one will watch the job market like a hawk. It has been a longstanding dream of mine to join the Seaworld Education Department, but I would never get a work permit for the USA. In Dubai I should not have a problem to obtain one.
By the way, I have heard rumours from various of my contacts in Dubai that Disney is associated with an area of land in Dubai that is about 4 times as big as Disney World. I kno that this is just a rumour at this stage, but I find it hard to believe that Disney is just going to sit back and do nothing now that two of their major competitors are heading for Dubai.

dolphingirl

[Susan Veness]

A very informative reply, dolphingirl. :)

SeaWorld is going to control employee hiring, and I would imagine they'll look for candidates from places other than Dubai, but isn't there a requirement to hire from the local community as well? That would certainly be the case in the US...you couldn't hire a staff from completely outside the States.

I've been reading a lot about vaccinations required, and it appears shots or booster shots for typical 'childhood illness' are strongly recommended, as well as Hep A and B. Clarification of what's required might be helpful, as the US sites do seem to point in that direction.

We're very curious about what's going on with Disney too, as it simply doesn't make sense that they'd let that market slip by, unless they're spread too thin already. But I would guess that isn't the case, even if it IS the case. On the other hand, I can think of lots of reasons why they wouldn't go to Dubai, at least not any time in the near future. It's a curious one.

[dolphingirl]

As far as I am aware there is no requirement in Dubai to hire from the local community. This is an incredibly rich country and if my employer is anything to go by, you are hard pushed to find many UAE nationals in even fairly high level management positions.
As far as vaccinations are concerned, I just hacked into Timatic (the system all airlines use for health and visa information) and this it what it came back with:

/ 03MAR08 / 1852 UTC



Embarkation UNITED KINGDOM (GREAT BRITAIN) (GB)
Destination UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (AE)


UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (AE)


Vaccinations not required.


No malaria prophylaxis recommended.

dolphingirl

[Susan Veness]

That's very reassuring, dolphingirl. I was a bit surprised that a mass market destination would require vaccinations or boosters, so it's good to hear that isn't the case.

I'm also extremely curious about Disney owning Dubai land. I would think the Sentinel would be absolute bloodhounds about that very thing, but they haven't reported on it, so if it's true, it's a very well-kept secret. Wouldn't really suprise you though, would it?

[Simon Veness]

The bottom line is Dubai is already attracting a great deal of British visitors, and the numbers will only increase in the short term as the attractions and new hotels open.

Orlando and Florida would be crazy not to recognise this as a threat to some of the their core market, so it will be interesting to see how they address this.

And, if Disney DO join in, they will definitely have significant reason to worry.

[dolphingirl]

Disney does not and will probably never own land in Dubai in the same way as Anheuser Busch does not own the land on which the parks will be build. From what I know that would actually we illegal in Dubai. Up to fairly recently foreign nationals could not own any property at all in Dubai. This has now been relaxed and provided you live in Dubai, you can now own a place to live in irrespective of your nationality. This still does not mean that foreign corporations can own land in Dubai. The land and the infrastructure of Worlds of Discovery will be owned by a Dubai based company. They will use the name under license and Anheuser Busch will supply the animals, the expertise and operate and manage the park.
If Disney are moving into Dubai, then it would be under those kind of terms. I think Disneyland Tokyo is not actually owned by Disney either, but is operated under just such an agreement. When I said associated with some land, I did not mean they own it, but rumour has that Disney are in some way linked to this land.

dolphingirl

[Susan Veness]

Ahhhh...that makes more sense. My misunderstanding! :o I did wonder how they could own land and it wouldn't be pretty easy to track that fact down, and why they would buy land but not announce plans to build on it. :D

[mikeymouse]

Hey check this out 20 reasons not to move to Dubai :cry:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/demo/?review=1#url=http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/94/art_20_Reasons_Not_Move_to_Dubai.html

[Simon Veness]

Very interesting reading, mm, very interesting. It seems not everything there is as they would have you think!

[Susan Veness]

Well, that certainly answers a couple of questions I've had and brings up a whole lot more. Good spot, mm. Thanks for posting!

[mikeymouse]

Yes very good reading indeed i think the main thing here is the cultural difference :confused: lots of things you cant do or are unacceptable , this is going to be totally different to Orlando well i guess it will be just as good inside the theme parks but your not going to spend your holiday in them 24/7 are you , will Dennys Ponderrossa Perkins or the I-trolley follow ? i mean will it have the same feel outside the parks i doubt it:confused: ,who wants to sit and drink wine from a teapot yes a teapot to disguise it so it wont offend not me :):)

[Catlady]

Wow, well if that's true there's one place I won't be visiting sometime soon.:thumbsdow

[mikeymouse]

SO do you think Disney will follow suit , personally i think Disney was eyeing this place up a long time ago and Busch have jumped in first, found this article (by google) its dated the 14th may 2005 check it out was it true or was it just a nasty rumour to hike up the area as it was portrayed at the time ??;)

http://wirednewyork.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-6271.html

[Susan Veness]

The first hint on that one is that there is no John Smith, Disney Resort Executive. In fact, 'Disney Resort Executive' is a meaningless title. No proper paper could get away with quoting such an obscure 'source.' Disney executives are always exectuive of Something.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear Disney has their finger in the pie, or at least they're eyeing it from afar, but when you hear rumours like that, consider the sources they're quoting. In this case, 'John Smith' is a pretty good give-away, and giving him a meaningless title is the bigger hint. Nobody gets sued for mis-quoting because there is no source by that name so they can't have been misquoted.

[mikeymouse]

The first hint on that one is that there is no John Smith, Disney Resort Executive. In fact, 'Disney Resort Executive' is a meaningless title. No proper paper could get away with quoting such an obscure 'source.' Disney executives are always exectuive of Something.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear Disney has their finger in the pie, or at least they're eyeing it from afar, but when you hear rumours like that, consider the sources they're quoting. In this case, 'John Smith' is a pretty good give-away, and giving him a meaningless title is the bigger hint. Nobody gets sued for mis-quoting because there is no source by that name so they can't have been misquoted.

Well fair enough sorry but i sort of missed that one Susan John Smith is a alcoholic drink here :happy-smi but did you read it further on about the other projects were they true ?i fully understand how you would attach such rumour to any development the interest would just be huge as i guess it is now that Busch have announced a move to Dubai for the area in question it must be buzzing with investment and excitement at the moment!!:eek::)

[Susan Veness]

Dubai is getting a lot of attention now that Busch has announced plans, but it's been a semi-major buzz in the travel industry for about 3 or 4 years now. Massive amounts of money are being thrown at tourism there, but again, there are some real questions about it. Apparently Busch and Universal are comfortable with the answers, but Disney is a whole different kettle of fish. In an odd way, they almost have 'more to answer to' when it comes to the choices they make, partly of their own doing, partly because they know the family-oriented market expects serious family values from Disney.

It's a bit surprising Busch is going there, when you think about it. They are all about environment and conservation, but the toll it will take on the environment and the sea life to create their parks there is massive. It's a head scratcher. :confused:

That's not to say Disney won't go, or that they don't have plans already. The other thing to bear in mind is, 'Nobody Steals Disney's Thunder.' My guess is, they're very happy to be the LAST to announce they're going. Major thunder!

[mikeymouse]

:happy-thumb:)

[dolphingirl]

Yes very good reading indeed i think the main thing here is the cultural difference :confused: lots of things you cant do or are unacceptable , this is going to be totally different to Orlando well i guess it will be just as good inside the theme parks but your not going to spend your holiday in them 24/7 are you , will Dennys Ponderrossa Perkins or the I-trolley follow ? i mean will it have the same feel outside the parks i doubt it:confused: ,who wants to sit and drink wine from a teapot yes a teapot to disguise it so it wont offend not me :):)

A lot of the American restaurant chains are already there and some of them have been for years. You will find Sizzler, Ponderosa (x2), Chilis (x2), Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, TGI Fridays, Pizzeria Uno Chicago Grill, Applebee’s, Bennigan’s, Fuddruckers and Johnny Rockets all in Dubai. I am sure there is others as well, but those are the ones I know of.
On the more fast food side they have all the usual suspects, but also Hardees and Popeye's that I have never encountered outside the USA before. I figure it is only a question of time until more American chains will follow.

dolphingirl

[mikeymouse]

Surprize surprize i never imagined that in a million years :eek:ponderosa johnny rockets well what can i say if the fast food type of culture is there in abundance any new move by one of the large scale theme parks can only be a a major hit :happy-thumb

[Simon Veness]

It looks like the Sunday Times has finally caught up with this. Check out their story on March 16:

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article3552235.ece

[Catlady]

Hmmmmm, Alan loves poppy seed bread too and sometimes I take Co-Cocamol tablets for back trouble so looks like we may be in trouble.:thumbsdow
Another reason to stick to Florida methinks.