Disney ‘Down Under’? Industry Tycoon Wants to Build 7th Resort in Australia’s Wine Country

Just weeks after Disney Fanatic’s initial report was confirmed, and Disney officially announced Disney Cruise Line was expanding to the continent, it appears one “Aussie” winemaker is not satisfied and has the dream of bringing a new Disneyland to Southern Australia.

According to The Advertiser, Warren Randall, owner of the Seppeltsfield and Penny’s Hill Winery and the name behind Randall Wine Group, is attempting to assemble a team of business leaders and government officials to consider manifesting the dream of building the world’s seventh “Disneyland” Castle Park in the State. He has his sights set on the town of Adelaide and is willing to contribute land holdings from his Randall Wine Group to make the dream a reality.

“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, pointing to a spot called McLaren Vale due to its proximity to beaches and “ranges.”

“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. “Firstly, you find the right location, on the right area. 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.”

Related: Why Hasn’t Walt Disney World Built a Fifth Theme Park?

“Anaheim, the Disneyland in California, has fantastic resources, great infrastructure in terms of traffic, getting there, buses, parking et cetera,” he added. “But we already have the model. We have the land. We’ve just got to have the will, the desire, and the energy to put it together.”

Randall also understands that he needs support from the whole region, including government officials. A spokesperson for the Australian State’s head, Premier Peter Malinauskas, said that the state government had not yet received such a proposal but added, “Mr. Randall is a bold entrepreneur who has made a significant contribution to the state.” This suggests that any such proposal will be treated with a certain level of seriousness and respect.

But all the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t put a Disney Castle together without the permission and cooperation of The Walt Disney Company. And at the time of this article’s publication, no word concerning this plan has yet come from The Mouse House. There are currently six “Disneyland” Castle Parks around the world: Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California; Magic Kingdom Park in Kissimmee, Florida; Disneyland Paris; Tokyo Disneyland; Hong Kong Disneyland; and Shanghai Disneyland.

The people of Australia and New Zealand will get their first taste of Disney Magic as Disney Cruise Line takes up residence in Sydney in October 2023. 

We at Disney Fanatic will continue to update our readers on Disney Parks news and stories as more developments come to light.