Disney recently built a pop-up theme park in Saudi Arabia
Disney built a 98-foot castle in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, along with “Lion King” and “Encanto” attractions — but now it’s all gone.
Disney’s first pop-up theme park
In what may come as a surprise to American theme park fans, Disney built a pop-up theme park of sorts called Disney: The Castle a year ago in Saudi Arabia — and may have plans to install it again as a touring experience. It featured attractions based on “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Frozen,” and “Encanto.”
Forbes brought the project to attention in a report published on Nov. 12, 2024, though Disney: The Castle initially operated from November 2023 – February 2024. Disney was nearly, if not completely, silent in its publicity of the project to U.S. audiences, an abnormal approach given the company’s usual cadence of high-profile marketing for global projects.
The centerpiece of Disney: The Castle was a 98-foot version of Cinderella Castle. For reference, Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom is 189 feet tall while Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland is 77 feet tall.
The project was a collaboration among Disney Concerts, Balich Wonder Studio, TML Enterprises, and Propeller Live.
Disney: The Castle brought pop-up attractions to Saudi Arabia based on four popular movies, all from Walt Disney Animation Studios:
‘Aladdin’
Guests entered the Cave of Wonders, where a lucky guest was selected to rub the magic lamp and summon Genie. He appeared as a virtual character and interacted in real-time with audience members.
‘The Lion King’
Musicians and vocalists performed songs from “The Lion King” during an indoor production. Guests participated by playing instruments from their seats.
‘Frozen’
An indoor space was illuminated with imagery and lights resembling a forest as guests experienced a multi-sensory presentation of Elsa’s powers.
‘Encanto’
The Madrigals’ Casita was constructed outdoors, becoming a canvas for projection mapping and the backdrop for live performances of songs from “Encanto.”
Disney: The Castle to tour beyond Saudi Arabia?
The residency in Saudi Arabia may have been a test run for Disney: The Castle to visit other locations.
“Full-size theme parks can’t easily be moved, so operators have to be sure that they have got the right location before building commences,” Senior Reporter Caroline Reid said in the Forbes story. “Local appetite was previously tested by market research and the booking levels of Disney cruises which sail there, but [Disney: The Castle] changes all that as it can literally pop in new markets to gauge the level of local interest.”
Reid also pointed out a May 2024 Blooloop interview with Gianmaria Serra of Italy-based Balich Wonder Studio, in which Serra said Balich was “looking to bring [Disney: The Castle] back to the country and tour it worldwide.”
If it does indeed tour, Disney: The Castle would be the first mobile Disney project of its nature, though the company has plenty of experience mounting various other types of experiences beyond its permanent theme parks, such as touring productions of Disney on Broadway musicals and (in partnership with Feld Entertainment) Disney On Ice shows. That’s not to mention the portfolio of Disney Concerts, the segment of the conglomerate responsible for bringing Disney: The Castle to Saudi Arabia.
Disney Concerts is a subsidiary of Disney Music Group, itself part of Disney Entertainment. Notably, this is a division separate from Disney Experiences, the company’s theme parks sector. Forbes did not list Disney Experiences as a participant in Disney: The Castle.
Here are some of the other recent projects in Disney Concerts’ portfolio:
Disney: The Castle debuted as part of Riyadh Season, an annual festival of events in the city of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
Other attractions throughout Disney: The Castle included a silent disco, a sweets store, and live entertainment in front of the castle. From the looks of the promotional videos, it seems no live Disney characters were present.
Take a look in this promotional video posted on the TML Enterprises YouTube channel:
More Attractions Magazine stories:
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You neglected to mention Disney Fair that was a 5 acre theme park that briefly toured the US.
We built that one back in 1996.
Or Disney Fest Asia.