Disneyland Australia site near Melbourne’s Avalon Airport outside Geelong
Disneyland Australia site near Melbourne’s Avalon Airport outside Geelong
- A Disney theme park could open in Australia
- The mayor of Melbourne has expressed her support for the idea
- This would be the seventh Disneyland in the world
Australia could soon have its own Disneyland theme park in Melbourne, with the city’s top official voicing support for the idea – and an ideal location for said development.
Mayor Sally Capp said the city was regaining its reputation as the country’s tourism capital after a difficult few years of Covid lockdowns and that the entertainment giant would be just the right fit.
A Down Under Disney has been launched in the past, but now a prime piece of land, already earmarked for an entertainment area near Avalon Airport, which is southwest of Melbourne and near Geelong.
The owner of Seppeltsfield and Penny’s Hill wineries called on South Australia’s McLaren Vale to host the world’s seventh Disneyland.
However, Ms. Capp firmly believes that the Melbourne area is the ideal place for Disneyland.
Disney has grown into one of the world’s largest media companies in recent years after acquiring brands such as Star Wars and 21st Century Fox and has already set foot in Melbourne with a deal to name it Marvel Stadium in Docklands.
Disneyland could go some way to Melbourne with a prime piece of land north of Geelong earmarked for an entertainment district
Other cities such as Sydney, Adelaide and the Gold Coast have previously tried to lure Mickey and his friends, but were unsuccessful.
Ms Capp said a deal with Disney could revitalize Melbourne and help it regain its status as a world-class tourist destination.
Mayor Sally Capp is a big fan of the idea that the push could do some strengthening
“I know a Disney theme park in our community would be a huge hit with residents — myself included — visitors, students and merchants,” Ms. Capp said. The Herald Sun
Ms. Capp said the city already had world-class hotels and shops and restaurants that catered to interstate and foreign visitors.
And while she painted a picture of roller coasters towering over the Yarra at Fisherman’s Bend as part of Disneyland’s Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom, a much more likely location is already on offer.
A huge chunk of land at Avalon Airport north of Geelong and about half an hour south of Melbourne’s CBD has already been set aside for an entertainment area.
David Fox, chairman of Avalon Airport and son of billionaire truck magnate Lindsey Fox, has reportedly had previous meetings with Disney.
“There is an entertainment area that we have defined. I wouldn’t say (for a) Disneyland right now, but anything is possible,” Fox said of the plan in March this year.
“With regard to other parts of the district, we need to sort out the rail connections,” he said.
As of 2020, a petition has been circulating online demanding Disneyland come to Australia and has received tens of thousands of signatures.
Disney theme parks have already expanded from the United States with locations in France, Japan and China.
Ms. Capp’s term as mayor expires later this year, but she is expected to run again.
There are thousands of acres of free land around Avalon Airport that could welcome the site
Attractions like Splash Mountain could be close by for Melburnians when the iconic brand opens shop Down Under