Disney has decided to build its next theme park in a country that imprisons gay people.
Conservatives are calling out the company’s blatant hypocrisy.
And Disney fought Florida’s parental rights law but just built a park in a country that imprisons gay people.
Disney announces major new park in country that criminalizes homosexuality
The Walt Disney Company revealed plans to build its seventh worldwide theme park destination in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – a country that criminalizes homosexual behavior with prison sentences.
“The Walt Disney Company and Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, announced an agreement to create a landmark Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,” the company announced in a statement Wednesday.
This shocking move comes less than three years after Disney waged an all-out political war against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers over the Parental Rights in Education law, which the company and its media allies falsely labeled the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
During that 2022 battle, Disney made their position crystal clear.
“We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country,” Disney said.
The company even vowed to help overturn Florida’s law.
“Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that,” Disney wrote.
That political battle ultimately cost Disney its self-governing privileges in Florida when DeSantis and the legislature established the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board.
Conservatives blast Disney’s jaw-dropping hypocrisy
Conservative commentators quickly pointed out Disney’s stunning double standard.
Christina Pushaw, a member of DeSantis’ team, didn’t mince words.
“I heard Abu Dhabi has some pretty strict ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws,” she said.
I heard Abu Dhabi has some pretty strict “Don’t Say Gay” laws https://t.co/wwQChvH7IG
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) May 7, 2025
Clay Travis, founder of OutKick, highlighted the stark contrast.
“Disney, which sued FL’s DeSantis over a ‘don’t say gay bill’ which merely banned sex instruction for kindergarten to third graders, announced today it will build a new theme park in Abu Dhabi, where gay people can be imprisoned,” he said.
When Florida stopped K-3 kids from sex ed, @espn employees staged an on air protest saying it was anti-gay. This morning when @Disney announced a theme park in the UAE, a country where gay people can be beheaded, the same ESPN employees didn’t say a word. pic.twitter.com/JTVVeBalPS
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 7, 2025
Disney CEO praises partnership while ignoring UAE’s anti-gay laws
Disney CEO Bob Iger praised the new venture with no mention of the UAE’s severe anti-LGBTQ laws.
“This is a thrilling moment for our company as we announce plans to build an exciting Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, whose culture is rich with an appreciation of the arts and creativity,” Iger said. “As our seventh theme park destination, it will rise from this land in spectacular fashion, blending contemporary architecture with cutting-edge technology to offer guests deeply immersive entertainment experiences in unique and modern ways.”
Iger emphasized the park would be “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati” and would become “a source of joy and inspiration for the people of this vast region to enjoy for generations to come.”
The CEO’s statement makes no acknowledgment of the UAE’s policies against LGBTQ people – the very same community Disney claimed to champion during its Florida battle.
Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, called the Abu Dhabi project “a new frontier in theme park development” that will feature “the most advanced and interactive destination in our portfolio.”
The UAE is strategically important for Disney’s global expansion, situated within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population and home to the largest global airline hub in the world, with 120 million passengers traveling through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year.
