Australian businessman Warren Randall, who owns wineries in Seppeltsfield and Penny’s Hill, has suggested that the Walt Disney Company open up Disneyland in South Australia.
“I think, in tourism, we’re all a little bit sick and tired of Adelaide being the place you fly over when you go from Sydney to Perth,” Mr Randall told The Advertiser.
“It is time we made a statement, a few statements, in our state.
“McLaren Vale would be my spot – wide, open, flat, next to the beach, next to the ranges – it makes a lot of sense.”
There are six Walt Disney theme parks in the world, located in California, Florida, Shanghai, Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong.
Mr Randall said he was willing to offer part of his 1200ha McLaren Vale land portfolio to see the project come to life, because he thinks the new venture has the potential to bring international and domestic tourism, jobs and revenue to the area.
“I would love to make land available for the location to kickstart it. Definitely. Either you sell the land into a consortium or you lease it or you gift it – you find a way,” he said.
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Third bid to bring Disneyland to Australia
This isn’t the first time murmurings about bringing Disneyland to Aus have been heard though. In the late 1990s, negotiations between the state government, Star Land Company and the Walt Disney company could have resulted in a theme park on the Gold Coast.
After years of speculation and communication between stakeholders, Disney ultimately pulled the pin on the project citing “insufficient” confidence that the state government would fund the hefty development.
There were similar ambitions to create a Disney Wharf concept around Sydney’s waterfront areas around White Bay and Glebe Island. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the large-scale plan would have incorporated themed hotels, a marina and ferry wharf, two new light-rail stations, a retail space, an entertainment quarter and a residential development.
However, when Disney put the proposal to the state government in 2008, ministers feared the infrastructure costs would be exorbitant.
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A spokesperson for SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government had yet to receive any official proposal, but said: “Mr Randall is a bold entrepreneur who has made a significant contribution to the state.”
What do you think about Disneyland coming to Australia? Do you think it’s a good idea or will it not draw enough customers? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Hard to say how it would go. Australia already has three massive theme parks on the Gold Coast to compete with. But maybe if it was located a long way from them near say Adelaide it would attract enough patronage.
They’d have to really beef up Adelaide airport and the number of flights. Sydney might be the better choice. Already has airports and getting another one, and is ventral to both QLD, VIC and ACT as well as easy to get to from Adelaide. Also has a development friendly State government, all focused on injecting life into the NSW economy.
Sydney has the population, the visitors and the space. Ideal thing to put into Sydney Olympic Park, which has the land and the infrastructure. Maybe this was what Place NSW had in mind when it did its SOP 2030 Strategic Plan. Since the NSW Government disbanded SOPA, the park has gone quiet.