The Disneyland Park, in Anaheim California. Photo / Disneyland Resort, Supplied
The Disneyland Park, in Anaheim California. Photo / Disneyland Resort, Supplied
prominent Australian winemaker and businessman has shared his vision that could see a Disneyland open down under.
Warren Randall – who runs the Seppeltsfield and Penny's Hill wineries – has called on business owners and government departments to join his bid to bring the famed 'happiest place on earth' to his home state.
Speaking to The Advertiser, he said he was willing to offer part of his 1200ha McLaren Vale land portfolio to see the project come to life.
"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.
"I think because we are so close to the beach, the hills and the city, particularly with the two-way Southern Expressway, that makes all the difference."
If successful, this would see the Australian destination become the seventh Disneyland resort which also operates in Anaheim and Orlando in the US, as well as Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Mr Randall said the "statement" Disneyland venture had the potential to bring international and domestic tourism, jobs and revenue to the area.
South Australian native Warren Randall launched the bid for the ambitious plans. Photo / Adelaide Crows, Supplied
"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. It is time we made a statement, a few statements, in our state," he said.
Despite this, The Advertiser confirmed no formal proposal has been submitted to the state government as of yet.
Third bid to bring Disneyland to Aus
A renewed push for a seventh Disneyland isn't the first time the idea has been raised.
In the late '90s, negotiations between the state government, Star Land Company and the Walt Disney company could have seen the theme park open 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.
The Disneyland park in Anaheim, turns 100 next year. Photo / Disneyland, Supplied
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 around 2007 to 2008, ministers feared the infrastructure costs would have been exorbitant.
Mr Randall's plan also comes after The Advertiser revealed that South Australian economic advisers had toyed with the idea of opening up the large scale amusement park as part of discussions with South Australia's Economic Development Board (EDB).
However the "thought bubble" was abandoned with the closure of the state's Economic Development Board (EDB), after Liberal Premier Steven Marshall won the state election in 2018.
