In what has become a recurring theme in many Disney films, Jiminy Cricket sang “When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true” in the 1940 film of Pinocchio.
Pinocchio wishes to be a real boy, Peter Pan wishes to never grow up, Ariel, the Little Mermaid, wishes to become human. And – in what can also be described as a fairytale desire – Melbourne, Australia, wishes to host the next Disney theme park.
According to recent reports, Walt Disney Company executives have been eyeing off the city after announcing plans in September “to accelerate and expand investment” in parks and experiences, to nearly double capital expenditure over a decade to US$60bn ($90bn).
Despite the company stating at the time that this investment would be made in Disney’s existing attractions across Asia, Europe and North America – and using about 400 hectares (1,000 acres) of land it already owns – Werribee, in Melbourne’s west, was singled out as a possible location for a theme park.
Wyndham city council, however, poured cold water on the proposal before it was even fully formed.
Its spokesperson said in a statement last Wednesday it had not been approached by “any organisation” in relation to “plans for a ‘Disney-style’ park in our municipality”.
A day later, upper house MP David Limbrick offered another solution. He said that after doing “exhaustive research” into the “best locations in the southern hemisphere” for a new Disney theme park, he had narrowed it down to three potential locations.
“To prove it is a small world after all, it turns out the best locations are in my electorate,” Limbrick said.
“Unlike in other parts of Melbourne, Disney would be welcomed with open arms in south-east Melbourne.”
He called on Victoria’s tourism minister, Steve Dimopoulos, to inform the Walt Disney Company that “every assistance would be given to them if they were to establish a theme park” in the south-east.
“This is the only logical place for the happiest place on Earth,” Limbrick said.
The Frankston city council mayor, Nathan Conroy, told Guardian Australia that Disney “would be smart enough to see the opportunities” in Melbourne’s south-eastern fringe.
“Absolutely why not? Disney would be silly not to consider us as a viable candidate,” he said, citing the area’s access to public transport, supporting infrastructure and amenities.
It is not the first time Melbourne has been suggested as a possible location for a Disney theme park. It appears the idea was first floated in 2005 by trucking magnate Lindsay Fox, who suggested Avalon – where his company’s airport is based – as a possible site.
It was reported at the time that Disney executives toured the site, though this was never confirmed by the airport, Fox, or the state government at the time.
Last year, the City of Melbourne lord mayor, Sally Capp, offered up Fishermans Bend – a former industrial area near the Port of Melbourne.
The acting mayor, Nicholas Reece, said on Tuesday that “if Disneyland was going to go anywhere, it makes sense for it to be somewhere in greater Melbourne”.
But Jessica Pallant, a marketing lecturer at RMIT University, said it was “unlikely” metropolitan Melbourne would play host to a Disney theme park “any time soon”.
“As much as I would absolutely love it, and would probably be an annual pass holder, there are too many challenges to overcome,” Pallant said.
She said most Disney theme parks outside the US were located in “tourist hubs” such as Paris and Hong Kong, which were among the world’s most visited cities.
“Compared to those locations, we are just geographically too far, and I don’t know at this point in time if we have the population to sustain it without the kind of tourism to justify it,” Pallant said.
“Not to mention, I don’t think there is a big enough parcel of land within metropolitan Melbourne that could accommodate the size and scale of a Disney theme park.”
A tourism industry insider also said it was “highly unlikely” the state government was in a position to offer the financial sweeteners Disney has come to expect from its hosts.
Despite this, Pallant said the “rumours” about a possible Disneyland for Melbourne would never die, given the company is unlikely to stop them. Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment when approached by the Guardian.
“It’s aspirational for us to think that they could bring that bit of magic here too,” Pallant said.
Or, as Frankston’s tourism arm, Imagine Frankston wrote on Facebook: “If you wish upon a star, can dreams really come true?”
