Have you heard the rumor that Disney is planning to build a resort in Las Vegas? The latest speculation is that Disney will purchase the Circus Circus property and transform it into their first Vegas property. Even some local Vegas news stations covered the story as if it was really happening. You may have even seen concept art. Well, we’re here to put that rumor to rest. It’s not happening.
While it is true that the owners of Circus Circus are looking to sell the property, Disney isn’t involved. Disney also isn’t planning their own resort elsewhere on the strip. All of the supposed concept art you’ve seen on social media (especially Facebook) of a Vegas Disney resort is just phony AI slop. That includes the picture at the top of this page.
This isn’t the first time Disney has been connected to a resort in Las Vegas. There have been rumors for years – if not decades – suggesting Disney wants to build a family-friendly, non-gambling resort in Las Vegas. Of course, none of those rumors have been true. And yet we continually see people falling for this fake news.
Why is the Disney to Las Vegas Rumor Fake?
For starters, the idea itself doesn’t hold water. Building a family-friendly, non-gambling resort on the Las Vegas strip doesn’t sound like the best financial decision. It also doesn’t align with the company’s brand. There was a time when Las Vegas was offering more family-friendly activities to attract guests of all ages, but those days are long gone and many of those offerings have been removed. Unless we see a big change in the overall strategy of hotels in Las Vegas, we don’t expect anyone – let alone Disney – to try the concept quite yet.
Meanwhile, Disney is currently preoccupied with additions at its two U.S. theme park destinations – Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida. They’re also rapidly expanding Disney Cruise Line. That’s a lot of capital investment at a time when there’s a lot of questions surrounding Disney. There’s no clear succession plan for CEO Bob Iger, the TV side of the business remains a sinking ship, and the stock price sits well below its all-time highs. Disney isn’t going to be taking on any big financial risks.
Disney is content to try and maximize its revenue through its existing properties. There’s a reason Disney has been so eager to gut old attractions to make new rides – it’s cheaper. There’s also a reason Disney is expanding its current theme parks instead of building a fifth gate at Walt Disney World – it’s WAY cheaper.
People love to imagine a new Disney resort coming to their area. We’ve seen rumors about a Disney resort in Michigan. We’ve seen rumors that Disneyland will be moved to Texas. The list goes on and on. Always look into these rumors and consider the source. We’re not saying Disney will never expand outside of California and Florida in the Unites States, but we do think it’s extremely unlikely to ever happen.
