Is There a Disneyland Coming to the UK? The Honest Answer

There is no Disney theme park in the UK, and Disney has made no announcement about building one. The nearest Disney park to UK visitors is Disneyland Paris in France, reachable by rail or short flight. If you're searching for a Disneyland in the UK, the honest answer is it doesn't exist - but there are options closer than you might think.

The Short Answer

No. There is no Disney theme park in the UK. There has never been one. Disney has not announced any plans to build one. The question comes up constantly - and understandably, because the media has a long history of attaching the word "Disney" to any large theme park proposal in Britain, regardless of whether Disney is actually involved. It isn't, hasn't been, and there's currently no indication that will change.

If you want a Disney park and you're based in the UK, your options are Disneyland Paris (a train or short flight away), Walt Disney World in Florida, or Disneyland in California. See the latest Disneyland Paris offers for UK visitors or check the Walt Disney World deals available to UK guests.

Why Disney Chose Paris Over the UK

When Disney was planning its European park in the late 1980s, the UK was considered alongside Paris - and Paris won. Michael Eisner, Disney's CEO at the time, wanted a park connected to the European rail network and saw Paris as the crossroads of the continent. Disneyland Paris sits directly on the RER and TGV lines, with the Channel Tunnel providing a link to London.

The UK presented practical problems too. There wasn't enough flat, usable land within easy reach of a major city. France, by contrast, offered Disney significant financial incentives - subsidised land, favourable tax arrangements, and infrastructure investment from the French government. When you're building a multi-billion pound resort, that kind of backing tends to move things along.

The result is that Europe's Disney park has been in France since 1992. With Disneyland Paris now well established and in the middle of a major expansion period, there's even less reason for Disney to consider the UK as a second European location any time soon.

If you haven't been to Disneyland Paris recently, it's worth knowing the resort has changed significantly. New areas, updated hotels, and a much-improved overall product compared to its difficult early years. Book a Disneyland Paris package including Eurostar or flights, hotel and tickets here, or use the price calendar to find the cheapest dates for your trip.

The "UK Disneyland" in Kent - It's Over

For years, any mention of a new theme park in the UK would be accompanied by headlines calling it "Britain's Disneyland" or "the UK's Disney World." The park in question was the London Resort - a proposed development on the Swanscombe Peninsula near Dartford in Kent, which had absolutely nothing to do with Disney.

That project is now dead. London Resort Company Holdings withdrew its planning application in March 2022 after the Swanscombe Peninsula was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Natural England. The company went into administration in March 2023 and was ultimately forced into liquidation in early 2025. A spokesman confirmed at that point that "the dream of the London Resort has been ended by the courts."

It had been announced back in 2012 with an original target opening of 2019. The projected date then slipped to 2024, then 2025. Partners including Paramount pulled out. Wildlife groups successfully argued against building on the protected peninsula. The company racked up debts of around £100 million. It was, by any measure, one of the more drawn-out planning disasters in British infrastructure history.

The reason it kept getting called "the UK Disneyland" was purely a media attention trick - it generated clicks in a way that "proposed Kent theme park" does not. For the record: it was never Disney, it's now gone, and the site remains undeveloped.

Universal United Kingdom Resort: The Real Newcomer

Here's where things get more interesting. While Disney has no UK plans, Universal does - and it has moved from proposal to planning permission to active preparation in fairly short order.

Planning permission for Universal United Kingdom Resort was approved in December 2025, with the resort to be built at Kempston Hardwick near Bedford. It will include a theme park, a 500-room hotel, and retail and dining. The target opening year is 2031, and the site is accessible to over half of the UK's population within two hours.

This is not Disney. Universal and Disney are separate companies and direct competitors. But it's worth mentioning because some people will see "major US theme park brand coming to the UK" in headlines and assume Disney is involved. It isn't. Whether Universal's arrival eventually puts pressure on Disney to reconsider the UK market is speculation - what I can say is that a major resort near Bedford from 2031 will change the UK attractions landscape, and will probably restart the "will Disney follow?" conversation.

The Closest Disney Park to the UK

For UK visitors, Disneyland Paris is the obvious starting point - it's the closest Disney park in the world by some distance. The easiest way to get there from London is by Eurostar from St Pancras International to Lille Europe, then changing onto a TGV high-speed train to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy, which is the station right outside the resort gates. There is no longer a direct Eurostar service to Disneyland Paris, so a change at Lille is required, but the overall journey is still manageable and sometimes cheaper than flying.

Flights are also an option from various UK airports - Paris CDG or Orly both work, though you'll need to factor in a transfer (like The Magical Shuttle) to the resort on top of the flight. For most people travelling from the south of England, the train is the more convenient option. From the Midlands or north, flying often makes more sense.

The resort has two theme parks - Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World (previously Walt Disney Studios Park) - plus Disney Village for shopping and dining, and a range of on-site hotels from budget to deluxe. It's a proper Disney resort and it's easier to reach from most of the UK than Florida for obvious reasons.

Check the latest Disneyland Paris deals and offers for UK guests here, or browse the price calendar to find the cheapest available dates.

Walt Disney World in Florida is the next step up - a vastly larger resort with four main parks, two water parks, and enough to fill a fortnight. Most UK visitors fly from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, or Birmingham with various airlines. See the current Walt Disney World deals available to UK guests or check packages direct with Disney.

The Mickey From The UK Name Confusion

Worth clearing up: Mickey From The UK is not a site about Disney parks located in the UK. There are no Disney parks in the UK, so that would be a fairly short website. The name refers to a British Disney fan covering parks around the world - mainly Walt Disney World in Florida, Disneyland Paris, and Disney Cruise Line - from a UK perspective. If the name was meant to suggest the parks were here, it would be Mickey In The UK. It isn't.

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Disneyland UK: Your Questions Answered

Is there a Disneyland in the UK?
No. There is no Disneyland or Disney theme park anywhere in the UK. There has never been one, and Disney has not announced any plans to build one.

Are there any Disney parks in the UK?
No. Disney does not operate any theme parks in the UK. The nearest Disney park to UK visitors is Disneyland Paris in France.

Are they making a Disneyland in the UK?
No. Disney has made no announcement about building a Disneyland in the UK. There are no confirmed plans as of 2026.

Is Disneyland opening in Kent?
No. The London Resort - a proposed theme park on the Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent - was often called "the UK Disneyland" by media, but it had no connection to Disney whatsoever. The company behind it went into liquidation in 2025 and the project is dead.

Where is the new UK Disneyland being built?
There is no UK Disneyland being built. The phrase comes from years of media coverage of the London Resort in Kent, which was never a Disney project and has since collapsed. The only major US theme park brand confirmed for the UK is Universal United Kingdom Resort, near Bedford, targeting a 2031 opening.

Is Disney World opening in the UK?
No. Walt Disney World is a resort in Orlando, Florida, and Disney has no announced plans to open a Disney World in the UK.

Which countries have Disneyland?
Disney operates theme park resorts in six countries: the United States (Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California), France (Disneyland Paris), Japan (Tokyo Disney Resort), China (Shanghai Disney Resort), and Hong Kong (Hong Kong Disneyland). The UK is not among them.

Where are the 12 Disney parks located?
Disney currently operates 12 theme parks across six resorts worldwide. Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom are all at Walt Disney World in Florida. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are in Anaheim, California. Disneyland Paris has Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World. Tokyo Disney Resort has Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Shanghai Disney Resort has one park, and Hong Kong Disneyland has one park. None are in the UK.

Where is the closest Disney park to the UK?
Disneyland Paris, accessible from London St Pancras via Eurostar with a change at Lille Europe onto a TGV to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy station, directly outside the resort gates. Book a Disneyland Paris package including travel here.

How do I get to Disneyland Paris from the UK?
The most popular route is Eurostar from London St Pancras to Lille Europe, then a connecting TGV high-speed train to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy. There is no longer a direct Eurostar service to Disneyland Paris. You can also fly from multiple UK airports to Paris CDG or Orly and transfer from there. Book a Disneyland Paris package including travel here.