Does Disney Have Plans for Vegas?

How would Mickey Mouse play in Vegas? A Disney executive has looked at large tracts of land on the outskirts of Las Vegas for possible development of a western-themed park.

Ben Collins, district manager of the federal Bureau of Land Management, said he accompanied a Disney executive on a daylong flight over southern Nevada to look at a variety of sites. More than 85% of Nevada’s land is owned by the federal government, with much of it supervised by the bureau.

Collins stressed that the Disney search appeared to be at the earliest stages, with sites in Colorado and California also under consideration. Also, Collins noted that regulatory hurdles would be significant if Disney or any other entity bid for public land.

In Burbank, however, Disney spokesman Tom Deegan insisted that “Disney has no plans for Las Vegas or Clark County.”

A Disney foray in Nevada might force Kirk Kerkorian’s MGM Grand to rethink plans to build a Las Vegas theme park and hotel.

Disney has sued over those plans, with Disney Chairman Michael Eisner complaining recently in court that “in the area of theme parks, MGM is synonymous with Disney” because of the Disney/MGM Studio Tour in Florida. Eisner said Disney could be adversely affected by any association with gambling, or if the “guest experience is not up to our levels.”