Walt Disney Imagineering has confirmed that the iconic central castle for the upcoming theme park in Abu Dhabi will feature a design unlike any other, incorporating water features – a first for any Disney castle,
Speaking on the Disney YouTube series “We Call It Imagineering”, the Senior Vice President of Global Creative Strategy at Imagineering, Zach Riddley elaborated on the foundational decision for the new venture.
“One of the first decisions we made as a company was to think we’re going to create a castle park here, a park that’s based on our Magic Kingdom style of storytelling,” he said.
The location proved to be the key inspiration for differentiating the design.
Riddley revealed that the unique setting of the UAE capital will directly influence the architectural execution of the castle centerpiece: “Abu Dhabi is a city on the water and so we’re really excited about being able to incorporate water for the first time in the design of one of our castles.”
The specific theme or story behind the structure has not yet been unveiled.
The Walt Disney Company has not yet released an official opening date for the highly anticipated Abu Dhabi resort, executives have offered insight into the expected timeline based on the project’s massive scope.
The Chairman of Disney Experiences, Josh D’Amaro, spoke to Reuters regarding the typical duration required for a theme park of this magnitude.
D’Amaro indicated that a project of this scale involves an extensive multi-phase development period: “A project of this scale usually takes one to two years of design work, followed by four to six years of construction.”
