Ferrari World Discussion Thread

[robbalvey]

Hopefully the government will take care of the park. This may be a stupid question, but does anyone know if the government has any intention of selling Ferrari World or are they going to operate it themselves?

Based purely on my speculations, I would say they probably will want to operate it and make it a success. They are depending so much on tourism, and already own several other tourism type destinations already. I'm sure they would want it to succeed. The only way I would imagine it would close, is if it turns out to just be a complete failure with attendance.

 

Considering the crazy amount of indoor amusement type of places that are already in that area, I can't imagine this one not surviving... but we'll see!

 

--Robb "And remember, this is the UAE we're talking about...they have oil money!" Alvey

Edited January 18, 2011 by robbalvey

[Ryan King]

All they need to do is sell a few Ferrari's and all will be finnnneeee. BUT WAIT....NOT IF THE ROADS IN PENNSYLVANIA AREN'T PAVED! OH GOD!

[thrillgeek]

As Robb and others have said since the park is sold NOT closed there's still plenty of hope for this park.

I think someone needs to explain the difference between closed and sold.

[Big-M]

^ From Dictionary.com

 

Sold: to transfer (goods) to or render (services) for another in exchange for money; dispose of to a purchaser for a price

 

Closed: to bring to an end

[Wood Dragon 1988]

Without trying to be as ignorant and idiotic as many of the above posts have been, I still think this isn't necessarily great news. I mean, I'm not convinced that the park will be saved just because the government is taking it over.

 

I guess we can at least be optimistic and believe the park is in better hands than it was with a company that couldn't even operate the park for a year without selling it.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I just overall don't know what to make about what is going on in that part of the world these days. I remember when I first got interested in coasters and reading forums about 5 or 6 years ago, all this UAE stuff was announced. Around 2010-2012 they were supposed to build all these parks and it was supposed to be Orlando East or something. Well, its now that time and its certainly not what was announced.

 

Around the same time, I was starting college, and many of my professors when talking about globalization and stuff brought up UAE and showed us all the plans for the cities, businesses, real estate, tourism, etc. A few years later one of my profs just came back from a one year furlough....he was supposed to have taught at a huge university built in Dubai that was never built. He still got paid his furlough year from the state of Maryland, so just decided to travel the world for a year. Just wanted to mention that, because everything going on in UAE, not just theme parks, seems....strange I guess, and confusing. It all seemed too good to be true when it was announced, and it looks at least now that it was.

 

All I can say is hopefully this one park that actually was built can stay open because it looks awesome. And maybe one day the UAE real estate market will turn around and they will finish more of their big plans!

[robbalvey]

Without trying to be as ignorant and idiotic as many of the above posts have been, I still think this isn't necessarily great news. I mean, I'm not convinced that the park will be saved just because the government is taking it over.

I don't think you read DubaiDave's post. It was owned by the government before.

[SharkTums]

^^You have to understand that the government of Abu Dhabi and the UAE is VERY different from our government. This isn't like when our government bailed out the mortgage or car companies. It's basically just shifting around owners to whomever has money this year to look better.

[Noxegon]

Considering the crazy amount of indoor amusement type of places that are already in that area, I can't imagine this one not surviving... but we'll see!

 

The only thought I'd have there is that just about all of the other indoor places are attached to shopping malls where they have regular footfall to keep them going. Ferrari World is standing out on its own. As I noted in my trip report it was deserted the night I was there; hopefully this was an anomaly rather than the general rule.

 

Formula Rossa rocks anyway

[senna]

As an F1 fan I was always shocked at they built it where they did and not Italy, but this is where the money was.

 

They whole project out there cost more than anyone thought it would, inclding the F1 track.

 

The park will not be allowed to fail, Ferrari would simply not allow it. I have no idea what the visitor numbers are to the area, but due to the problems all round the world they are probably not as high as they thought they would be. Maybe things will pick up but they have to make the normal person be able to afford to go and at the moment this is not happening

 

The park is built now anyway so it will just be the running costs that are needed so I think they will be ok.

[coasterking2981]

 

The park will not be allowed to fail, Ferrari would simply not allow it.

 

Ferrari doesn't control the economy, so unless the global economy gets on the up and/or the park continues to have good (and increasing) attendance and make a good deal of profit, I don't think Ferrari will have much of a say in the matter.

 

Now, obviously they could do what Disney is doing with California Adventure and spend millions more than what most parks usually would on new attractions in the hopes that it will increase attendance and make the park turn out profit, but we'll just have to wait a few years and see what happens.

[King]

Damn we're mean! Thanks for the report Noxegon. Formula Rossa sounds awesome. It hasn't been open long, but I sure it'll survive all the loses once the tourist catch on. How popular is this park outside of enthusiast groups?

[senna]

Sorry I should have made myself clearer.

 

Even though Ferrari have not invested in the park it is their brand that is being used, and I am sure if needed they would help out.

 

There is a lot about this park in F1 papers and to Ferrari this park is a big deal when it come to advertising in that part of the world.

[coasterking2981]

^I didn't mean to sound mean, I was just pointing out that should the park fail, there's little that Ferrari could do about it

[RoCo]

I'm fairly certain Ferrari would be much happier to see this park succeed in the long run, but it wouldn't be a brand-destroying problem if it were ever to close (and there's no reason to think it will close any time soon). I'd guess they're far more worried about winning races and super-car-industry kudos than theme park attendance figures.

[BeemerBoy]

I'm fairly certain Ferrari would be much happier to see this park succeed in the long run, but it wouldn't be a brand-destroying problem if it were ever to close (and there's no reason to think it will close any time soon). I'd guess they're far more worried about winning races and super-car-industry kudos than theme park attendance figures.

True, but remember, everything that Ferrari does is in support of its racing program first and foremost. In fact, the only reason there are GT models, or "road cars" available to the public today was that Enzo Ferrari needed a way to fund his racing program. These days it covers the whole spectrum, from GT cars to merchandise, to their licensing deal with ProFun Management Group Inc. to get the theme park built. Everything funnels back to the racing program (whose success also naturally helps sell GT cars).

 

As you said, it obviously wouldn't kill the brand, but I'm sure Ferrari's keeping a VERY close watch on this one. A lot of work went into branding this place, and it wouldn't be as easy to slink out of as say, Tony Hawk from Six Flags, if, of course that day ever comes.

 

To our European friends, I'm curious what, if any kind of advertising you see regarding F1-related trips, etc. to Abu Dhabi in support of Ferrari World?

[RoCo]

^All good points and I agree - as a "dent in the sheetmetal," it would definitely be ugly, should a project of this size go under. But I think anyone who's in the market for a six-figure supercar wouldn't be making a purchasing decision based on the success or failure of a theme park based on the brand - and that's who Ferrari is most focused on. I think.

 

But I would also be most interested in hearing from people who've seen advertising, etc. in that part of the world. How hard IS Ferrari pimping this park?

[Noxegon]

To our European friends, I'm curious what, if any kind of advertising you see regarding F1-related trips, etc. to Abu Dhabi in support of Ferrari World?

 

None whatsoever.

[gisco]

No matter what happens to this park, it will not tarnish the image of Ferrari. Outside of us coaster nerds, almost no one knows the park even exists. It is not like it is in some major tourist center.

[samisthabomb]

^Very true! All my friends still think Kingda Ka is the world's fastest coaster, mainly because Ferrari World and Formula Rossa are not advertised in the USA like Kingda Ka is. Aside from enthusiast sites, I didn't hear ONE THING about the park. Maybe, just maybe if they advertised in more areas their attendance would go up. On the other hand, I don't think many US tourists go to the UAE, so advertising here could be next to worthless...

[Midgetman82]

My dad, whom is a pilot, tells me that flights going to Dubai on United Airlines are now often full. I can see advertisements for the U.A.E. here in the US soon, but I don't think they would focus around Ferrari World. (Soon being next year or further)

[Woogle]

Actually I don't care who owns any park. I just want to know if the park is open for business on the day that I'm planning to visit and if the rides are operational and declared safe. I visit parks to have a good time and that is the bottom line for me. You can still have a great time in the park even if it is 2 days away from closing! Live a little, people!!!

[b&mforever]

They should make Ford GT ride thats even faster, whoops ferrari doesn't like to think about that car.

 

I think theres nothing to worry about for this park at the moment.

[andyuk200523]

If it all falls through and no buyer can be found Bernie Ecclestone should buy it and change the name to the F1 Theme Park, not loads of retheming to do so could be done fairly quickly........well apart from the gigantic Ferrari Logo!

[hyyyper]

True, but remember, everything that Ferrari does is in support of its racing program first and foremost. In fact, the only reason there are GT models, or "road cars" available to the public today was that Enzo Ferrari needed a way to fund his racing program. These days it covers the whole spectrum, from GT cars to merchandise, to their licensing deal with ProFun Management Group Inc. to get the theme park built. Everything funnels back to the racing program (whose success also naturally helps sell GT cars).

 

In the early days: Yes. But since Ferrari got bought by Fiat, it's all about selling cars for the purpose of making money.

[BarryH]

What happened to Ferrari World is kind of like what happened at a science museum I worked at about 15 years ago. The museum opened as a private entity and 7 months later, I was laid off and the museum was sold to the city because the museum had massive financial problems. The science museum is still running to this day. Now you can't really compare a theme park to a science museum, but maybe Ferrari World will still be open under government ownership 15 years from now.