Most interesting rumor I've yet heard in 3 years as a resident

[Mith242]

True.

But think of all the effects a theme park would also have.

There might be some negative aspects alright. But there would be postive ones as well. I think that an amusement park like that could help put this area on the map even more. Although I still say we need more diversity up here to become a 'real' metro.

[masons_dad1]

The rumour of Disney planning to build a theme park in southwest Missouri is more than likely true based on these facts:

Disney reportedly purchased 1,200 acres of land in southwest Missouri. This is fitting for a major theme park as Six Flags New Jersey covers 1,100 acres, Six Flags St. Louis covers 250 acres, Six Flags New Orleans covers 150 acres, and Silver Dollar City only covers 118 acres. Granted Disney World covers 35,000 acres.

Someone made the comment that Disney is most likely planning a factory or distribution center on the land. 1,200 acres equals roughly 52,000,000 square feet. The average Wal-Mart distribution center covers around 1,000,000 square feet and a factory wouldn't be much bigger. Doubtful.

Disney's Missouri land is practically on top of where the planned Interstate 49 will wind through and frankly Silver Dollar City is not on any major highway.

As for a possible corporate HQ or something... I've never heard of any corporate HQ's that cover more than a few acres let alone 1,200.

As for all the comments about how a Disney theme park in southwest Missouri would have a negative impact on NWA... I disagree. Most of the southern states would need to drive right through NWA or fly into XNA to get to the new Disney middle America theme park which would be a big plus to NWA.

One possibility is Disney is planning a middle America retirement village in southwest Missouri which would fit nicely on 1,200 acres. After all Walt Disney was a native Missourian. And if old millionaires are going to retire why not live close to your biggest Disney moneymaker, Wal-Mart. And since Bella Vista will be incorporated into Bentonville before long the millionaire retirees there would flock to Missouri which wouldn't be so bad. It might help balance the millionaire ratio in NWA and give us blue collar workers a chance to make median income.

[johnnydr87]

The rumour of Disney planning to build a theme park in southwest Missouri is more than likely true based on these facts:

Disney reportedly purchased 1,200 acres of land in southwest Missouri. This is fitting for a major theme park as Six Flags New Jersey covers 1,100 acres, Six Flags St. Louis covers 250 acres, Six Flags New Orleans covers 150 acres, and Silver Dollar City only covers 118 acres. Granted Disney World covers 35,000 acres.

Someone made the comment that Disney is most likely planning a factory or distribution center on the land. 1,200 acres equals roughly 52,000,000 square feet. The average Wal-Mart distribution center covers around 1,000,000 square feet and a factory wouldn't be much bigger. Doubtful.

Disney's Missouri land is practically on top of where the planned Interstate 49 will wind through and frankly Silver Dollar City is not on any major highway.

As for a possible corporate HQ or something... I've never heard of any corporate HQ's that cover more than a few acres let alone 1,200.

As for all the comments about how a Disney theme park in southwest Missouri would have a negative impact on NWA... I disagree. Most of the southern states would need to drive right through NWA or fly into XNA to get to the new Disney middle America theme park which would be a big plus to NWA.

One possibility is Disney is planning a middle America retirement village in southwest Missouri which would fit nicely on 1,200 acres. After all Walt Disney was a native Missourian. And if old millionaires are going to retire why not live close to your biggest Disney moneymaker, Wal-Mart. And since Bella Vista will be incorporated into Bentonville before long the millionaire retirees there would flock to Missouri which wouldn't be so bad. It might help balance the millionaire ratio in NWA and give us blue collar workers a chance to make median income.

I don't think it would have a negative impact on Wal-Mart at all. My complaint is that Missouri will get the goods while Arkansas stays in its negative stereotyped image. All this just 5-15 miles from our border!

I just checked the theme park message boards again today. I didn't notice this thread:

Disney in Ak

So far Disney has bought A thousand Acers 12 miles from

our property in Rogers Ak. That's all I know at this time.

As soon as I learn more IMF, I will post it,

wow maybe they will pay Big Bucks for our Property

then I can buy A Bigger Truck and leave Ca.

She got the initials wrong (AR). But it's very interesting. It sounds like she might be talking about Avoca, AR....which another Missourian mentioned earlier.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=avoca,+AR&ll...,0.412262&hl=en

http://www.themeparksonline.org/tpoforum3.asp

Why are people claiming all these land parcels are being bought in NW Arkansas and SW MO? A retirement community or two sounds more right.

I was also thinking........ Disney world is always "in Orlando".....where would they say this theme park would be? "Located in southwest missouri"? "Located in NW Arkansas"?

Yeah, a retirement community sounds just right.

Oh yeah, and welcome to the forum masons_dad

[mcheiss]

The rumour of Disney planning to build a theme park in southwest Missouri is more than likely true based on these facts:

Disney reportedly purchased 1,200 acres of land in southwest Missouri. This is fitting for a major theme park as Six Flags New Jersey covers 1,100 acres, Six Flags St. Louis covers 250 acres, Six Flags New Orleans covers 150 acres, and Silver Dollar City only covers 118 acres. Granted Disney World covers 35,000 acres.

Someone made the comment that Disney is most likely planning a factory or distribution center on the land. 1,200 acres equals roughly 52,000,000 square feet. The average Wal-Mart distribution center covers around 1,000,000 square feet and a factory wouldn't be much bigger. Doubtful.

Disney's Missouri land is practically on top of where the planned Interstate 49 will wind through and frankly Silver Dollar City is not on any major highway.

As for a possible corporate HQ or something... I've never heard of any corporate HQ's that cover more than a few acres let alone 1,200.

As for all the comments about how a Disney theme park in southwest Missouri would have a negative impact on NWA... I disagree. Most of the southern states would need to drive right through NWA or fly into XNA to get to the new Disney middle America theme park which would be a big plus to NWA.

One possibility is Disney is planning a middle America retirement village in southwest Missouri which would fit nicely on 1,200 acres. After all Walt Disney was a native Missourian. And if old millionaires are going to retire why not live close to your biggest Disney moneymaker, Wal-Mart. And since Bella Vista will be incorporated into Bentonville before long the millionaire retirees there would flock to Missouri which wouldn't be so bad. It might help balance the millionaire ratio in NWA and give us blue collar workers a chance to make median income.

I can almost gurantee that the land disney bought is not for a disney park. My friend who works for disney told me that they are considering Branson more as a possibility where they want to build a Disney Mid-America Theme Park.

She wouldn't tell me what they were going to do with the land, except that it could be for distribution and not a theme park.

[Mith242]

A lot of interesting speculation. I find the Avoca location very funny. That's very close to the Grandview Heights near Beaver Lake. The one with all the homeowners complaining. wait till they find out Disney is buying land there, that should really get them worked up.

[mcheiss]

A lot of interesting speculation. I find the Avoca location very funny. That's very close to the Grandview Heights near Beaver Lake. The one with all the homeowners complaining. wait till they find out Disney is buying land there, that should really get them worked up.

Oh great another long battle!

[masons_dad1]

I don't think it would have a negative impact on Wal-Mart at all. My complaint is that Missouri will get the goods while Arkansas stays in its negative stereotyped image. All this just 5-15 miles from our border!

I just checked the theme park message boards again today. I didn't notice this thread:

Disney in Ak

So far Disney has bought A thousand Acers 12 miles from

our property in Rogers Ak. That's all I know at this time.

As soon as I learn more IMF, I will post it,

wow maybe they will pay Big Bucks for our Property

then I can buy A Bigger Truck and leave Ca.

She got the initials wrong (AR). But it's very interesting. It sounds like she might be talking about Avoca, AR....which another Missourian mentioned earlier.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=avoca,+AR&ll...,0.412262&hl=en

http://www.themeparksonline.org/tpoforum3.asp

Why are people claiming all these land parcels are being bought in NW Arkansas and SW MO? A retirement community or two sounds more right.

I was also thinking........ Disney world is always "in Orlando".....where would they say this theme park would be? "Located in southwest missouri"? "Located in NW Arkansas"?

Yeah, a retirement community sounds just right.

Oh yeah, and welcome to the forum masons_dad

Thanks for the welcome Johnny!

I did see another post somewhere about an unconfirmed "Lost World Dinosaur Theme Park" being built by Disney just across the state line north of Avoca or in that area.

I believe great things are in store for this area whether it be in Missouri or Northwest Arkansas. Even though the average person may still say "Arkansas... what's in Arkansas!?!", there are important eyes focused on this area. Wall Street analysts and popular magazines mentioning Northwest Arkansas and the world's obsession with Wal-Mart are major factors that indicate this area will soon become a household name in the likes of Beverly Hills and Hollywood. I just hope Wal-Mart cleans up it's image so this area will be more famous than infamous.

[mcheiss]

Forgive my Manners masons_dad.

Welcome to the NW Arkansas Forums!!!!

[masons_dad1]

Forgive my Manners masons_dad.

Welcome to the NW Arkansas Forums!!!!

Thanks for the welcome mcheiss!

[mcheiss]

Call me Matt.

Glad to have another poster from NWA here on UP.

[tim2462]

I read something on the theme park rumor website that was really funny. This lady that lives in SWMO said she had heard they were building a lake to cover a large portion of the area she lives in, building condos in Avoca (which they are) a disney park in mo, and one in ar. She said, well, they're gong to pour a lake in on top of us, build high-rise condos, and we're going to have disney parks all around us...what fun. LOL I thought that was so funny.

[Mith242]

I read something on the theme park rumor website that was really funny. This lady that lives in SWMO said she had heard they were building a lake to cover a large portion of the area she lives in, building condos in Avoca (which they are) a disney park in mo, and one in ar. She said, well, they're gong to pour a lake in on top of us, build high-rise condos, and we're going to have disney parks all around us...what fun. LOL I thought that was so funny.

Yeah there are a lot of rumors going around. I still don't know if I've heard any concrete info that Disney bought land in NWA. Although it does sound like there's a very good chance that they have bought some land over in Missouri. I think that got everyone excited because everyone just jumped the gun and thought they'd put in some sort of amusement park. It's still possible but I don't think anyone gave much thought to the fact that maybe they just planned on building a distribution center or something along those lines. As far as I'm concerned until I hear some more real info there are a number of things they could do with the land.

[tim2462]

Disney is in the business of real estate as well. The most likely thing they are doing is buying up land in hot real estate markets to resell once the land prices go up. They have done this in many areas.

[Mith242]

Disney is in the business of real estate as well. The most likely thing they are doing is buying up land in hot real estate markets to resell once the land prices go up. They have done this in many areas.

I've considered that option too. Disney does do more than just make movies and run amusement parks. But I don't think people tend to hear that much about the other aspects of Disney.

[tim2462]

Also, Disney is not one of those theme park companies that run around building new parks. If Six Flags wasn't in it's current state of not having any money...I'd me more apt to believe them building there than Disney.

[Mith242]

Also, Disney is not one of those theme park companies that run around building new parks. If Six Flags wasn't in it's current state of not having any money...I'd me more apt to believe them building there than Disney.

True, but I'm not saying there isn't any chances of them developing an amusement park in this area. They could possibly be holding on to the land to see how this area keeps developing in the upcoming years. If it does maybe they will put in a park. If it doesn't grow they way they want maybe they'll do something else with the land or just sell it. It will be a good investment, real estate hasn't taken off yet in SW Missouri like it has in NWA. But I think that area could soon be very much like NWA.

[tim2462]

I keep hearing that...but there aren't really any cities of any size to develop there. It just seems to me that there is too much land in NWA still available for people to be looking into Missouri. I guess I can see it happening it the land prices remain lower there than NWA.

[Mith242]

I keep hearing that...but there aren't really any cities of any size to develop there. It just seems to me that there is too much land in NWA still available for people to be looking into Missouri. I guess I can see it happening it the land prices remain lower there than NWA.

That's true, what I think will happen as the housing market in NWA keeps heating up SWM will be the release valve allowing the market to cool off some. But when the SWM housing market gets going and prices go up I think the market in NWA will heat back up again. The only real thing going for that area of SWM is cheap real estate, compared to NWA at least and I think there's also lower taxes over there too. But being so close to NWA I think it's also only a matter of time before more developments start happening up there. But it is harder to get much going because like you said there's not really any towns there until you get up to Neosho and Joplin.

[tim2462]

I've heard of subdivisions and developments supposedly planned for Pineville...but that's a tiny little town...but they did get a supercenter..lol but they put those anywhere these days.

[Mith242]

I've heard of subdivisions and developments supposedly planned for Pineville...but that's a tiny little town...but they did get a supercenter..lol but they put those anywhere these days.

I haven't been to it but I've gotten the impression it's not your everyday Supercenter. I got the impression it's pretty impressive for that area. They draw in a lot of people from Arkansas in particular Benton County. They sell a lot of alcohol and there are a lot lower taxes on food over in Misourri so that also brings in people too. A lot of people wonder about Wal-mart putting in such a large supercenter in that area. But from what I hear the parking lot is full of vehicles with Arkansas plates.

[tim2462]

I've been there once. I did not go in, just drove through the lot and a little further up, before turning around and coming back to AR. The lot was full of AR plates...but it is right on the state line...it's not like it's a few miles from it...it's right on it.

[Mith242]

I've been there once. I did not go in, just drove through the lot and a little further up, before turning around and coming back to AR. The lot was full of AR plates...but it is right on the state line...it's not like it's a few miles from it...it's right on it.

I haven't been up to Missouri in a while. Guess I hadn't realized it was that clsoe to the border. I had thought it was at least a little further north.

[tim2462]

You're barely out of Bella Vista when you come to it...I guess it caters to Bella Vistans

[johnnydr87]

Haha....referring to Tim's earlier post about that lady........that's really funny.

[mcheiss]

I'm completly sure that Disney isn't building a theme park in SW Missouri. It's either a real estate investment or a distribution center.