Fan Says A New American Disney Park Would Lower Prices

in Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World

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Despite increasing costs, Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort are constantly crowded, with hour-long waits and booked-up Park Reservations. One fan offers a solution: a new Disney Resort in the United States.

Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom
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u/Steakhouse42 posted to Reddit, asking, “With Disney prices ASTRONOMICAL now, should they open more Disneyland style parks in the USA?”

Related: Third Anaheim Disney Park Reportedly in “Pre-Design” Phase

Though Disney Parks fans supported the idea of more Disney, most said it’s unrealistic to expect a new Park to make Walt Disney World and Disneyland any cheaper. u/ds11 wrote:

Still would be astronomical at a 3rd resort because, surprise surprise, it costs money to build a theme park.

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u/Steakhouse42 disagreed. They argued that a Theme Park in the middle of America could be cheaper than Parks in Florida and California:

The prices will be cheaper because the parks….

  1. Created with the intention of being a budget park.

  2. More focused on an american audience. Remember both World and Land are located on the coast. Which means that all the world floods those parks. Which means your literally competing with millions of rich people for a spot.

  3. This is why a solid mid sized park in a state like ohio would do good.

mickey mouse in front of cinderella castle
Credit: Disney

This reply received 32 “downvotes,” meaning at least 32 other Disney Parks fans disagreed with the comment.

Related: Disneyland Paris Huge ‘Star Wars’ Expansion Likely Canceled, Plans Uncertain

“There are literally hundreds of these all over America they’re called six flags, universal studios, knotts, Dollywood, sea world, Busch gardens….” u/leandra433 responded.

Pixar Pier
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u/Sweetbeans2001 pointed out that The Walt Disney Company and CEO Bob Chapek prefer the Disney Parks to be crowded, as that means they’re maximizing profit:

Disney will not open another park in America. It would take over a decade to build and cost billions. It would take guests away from DL and WDW. While we all would like less crowded parks, that’s not what Disney wants.

But the idea of a third American Disney Park isn’t new. First, there was Disney’s America, a theme Park destined for purchased land in Haymarket, Virginia, that would celebrate American history. Disney wanted to capitalize on the existing tourist market near Washington, D.C., and compete with the Smithsonian museums and other Civil and Revolutionary War historical sites.

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At the time, historians and locals protested this move, concerned it would bring too much congestion to the area and potentially damage the significance of historical sites, as Haymarket is only five miles from the site of two significant Civil War battles. Disney’s America Park was ultimately canceled in 1994.

Related: “Plans For New Disney Park” Once Cost Texas Community Millions

In the late 90s came DisneyQuest, first at Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs) at Walt Disney World in 1998 and then in Chicago in 1999. The tech-focused arcade was meant to be a digital theme Park, where Guests could design roller coasters and play exclusive Disney-themed video games. Locations were also publicly announced for Philadelphia and Toronto but never opened. Chicago’s DisneyQuest closed just three years later in 2001 due to low profits, competing with entertainment nearby, and the attraction’s $34 price tag.

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Credit: Disney

DisneyQuest lasted much longer at Disney Springs, closing in 2017 to make way for the NBA Experience, which was also short-lived and never reopened following its 2020 closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DisneyQuest was frequently empty in its final years; video games and “attractions” regularly broke down and hadn’t been updated for years. More cutting-edge technology was available on smartphones Guests already had at their fingertips.

It doesn’t seem like there are any plans for a new American Disney Park anytime soon, so we’ll have to stick with Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

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Where would you put a third Disney Park in the United States? 

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