All Malaysians, especially Malaccans like me are so thrilled to know that the most enchanted place on the planet is coming to Melaka, Malaysia! So is Disneyland Melaka real or fake? Will it be built in 2027 right in my backyard? Is it another "make-up" plan by the authorities in Melaka? So far, no real official statement could be found on the Internet!
Disneyland Melaka Is It Real Or Fake News?
So the burning question we all want to know is whether the construction of Disneyland Melaka is real or fake? This just came in. Unofficially, Disneyland Melaka is FAKE NEWS! This is really a slap on the face for the Melaka officers. Did they just spew lies to get political mileage or a promotion? Did the tourism department in Melaka fabricate this fake news just to garner more false hope and expectation?
Disneyland Melaka is FAKE! 😢
Today (17th of November), Disney officials clarified that there are no plans to construct a Disneyland in Melaka. Heather Chen, a reporter for CNN Southeast Asia, confirmed the news with a Disney representative, who denied the rumours. Chen described the Disney representative she spoke with in a tweet as responding, "Not true." It is completely fabricated and hypothetical.' But there is no direct, official statement from Disney yet! Or was there ongoing confusion? Maybe Disney really wants to build a theme park in Melaka?
So is it real or fake?Apparently, a member of the Melaka state executive council (EXCO) revealed during a press conference on the 15th of November that the state will construct Southeast Asia's first Disney theme park by 2027. It actually means construction will commence in 2027 and not that it will be completed by then. But now, we know this will not be happening anymore!
Disneyland Melaka Will Be Built in 2027?
This would be the very first Disneyland theme park in Southeast Asia and Melaka will proudly be the state to build it. The EXCO member had falsely stated in a TV3 news report that the Disneyland theme park will 'probably' be constructed in Jasin, Melaka, but he could not disclose the particular location at this time. That means the plan was just their own plan without any extensive and detailed design in progress?
Still waiting for Disney's own official statement!
Disneyland Melaka would reportedly be 80.9 hectares in size which would be really, really huge in comparison to the other theme parks we have in Malaysia. Genting Highlands Skyworlds is around 10.5 hectares in contrast; while Legoland Malaysia Resort in Johor is approximately 31 hectares.
I Want To See Mickey Mouse and Friends
Datuk Muhammad Jailani, a member of the State Executive Council, asserted that this would be Disneyland's first park on ASEAN territory, following parks in China, Europe, Japan, and Korea. The project is anticipated to cost a staggering RM 2 billion. I wonder who will be the investors. I wonder if he would come out to clarify the allegation by Disney that Disneyland Melaka is merely fake news as claimed that the CNN reporter?
We won't be seeing these in Melaka!
They even boldly claimed that this new Disneyland Melaka project was still in its infancy, so its total size and location were subject to change. In other words, nothing has been confirmed and this Disneyland Melaka could eventually end up in the air as we continue to daydream. Wait! It is now history as Disney has refuted the claim, right?
Maglev Train In Melaka?
In addition, Disneyland Melaka was supposed to be connected to a projected 'Maglev' public transportation system. This advanced Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) transport system would reportedly connect Melaka's tourist attractions. This proposed system would span 22 kilometres and cost roughly $200 million (approximately RM900 million). Don't forget that our Melaka monorail is a complete failure and it never really works. So now we are going to build a Maglev? Hahaha 😁
Disneyland Melaka Is Legit or Fake?
However, while the news generated excitement among Malaysians for a Disneyland in our own backyard, the entire announcement seemed a bit out of the ordinary. Both "Disneyland" and "Disney City" are used to refer to the project. Do bear in mind that "Disneyland" does refer to the theme park but "Disney City" is not part of the House of Mouse lexicon.
At the press conference where these projects were announced, no Disney representative was present. (And anyone who has worked with Disney before is aware of how stringent they are regarding announcements.) So you want to build Disneyland Melaka but no one related to Disney is present? This was a strong indication that the project would never take off, no?
I Want Disneyland To Be Built in Melaka!
So will Disneyland Melaka will really be built in 2027? The answer is NO, thanks to the indirect, unofficial statement made by Disney. It is a shame that the government officers from Melaka would make such embarrassing statements only to be shot down publicly as fake news. Or maybe there is confusion going on? There is still hope? However, I do want Disneyland Melaka to be real one day.
Images credit: Shutterstock
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