Gran Alacant was so close to being Euro Disney

[Maricia]

Hi,
I had always heard that GA was very nearly the site for Euro Disney and I came across an article indicating that Alicante was down to the last two with Paris.  Paris was finally chosen due to its cooler climate and the financial incentives offered by the French Government:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZhLBcfUXaNwC&pg=PT190&lpg=PT190&dq=was+alicante+identified+for+euro+disney&source=bl&ots=5htTABLimy&sig=YGUIAaoJT3ecZMbCib4aZfprPoo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjwtMz8nafKAhVGog4KHVYPAC4Q6AEIPTAH#v=onepage&q=was%20alicante%20identified%20for%20euro%20disney&f=false

BW
Maricia

[granalacant]

hmmm there was a bit more of a story to it. Google the names of the ministers and who had links to Santa Pola at the time (the 80s and 90s).
He was first in the UCD government, then in the socialist governments.

The basic reason for the decision was that Disney thought that people would spend more in France than they would in Alicante. I suppose they visited Benidorm as well  .-)  and got a bit ... nervous is the word???

[Maricia]

When we came out on our inspection trip in 2004 the sales person said the GA site was initially 'ear-marked' for Euro Disney but we thought that this was part of the sales patter (we were told a whole load of tosh).  Disney's loss is our gain !!!

BW

Maricia

[Tony Gillam]

Since EuroDisney opened in 1994, they were a bit behind the times. IIRC there was talk of another big theme park, the name of which escapes me, but it was going to be up around Valencia.