Emmanuel Macron announced three parks near Paris at a scale he compared to Disneyland Paris. Toei Animation says nobody asked permission, and the concept art came from Saudi Arabia.
The French government announced a 6 billion euro theme park development last month and compared it to Disneyland Paris.
Then the company that owns Dragon Ball said it had no idea what anyone was talking about.
Toei Animation published a statement on Aug. 31 titled “Our Position Regarding Reports of a Dragon Ball Theme Park in France.” It was short and it was not friendly.
What Toei Animation actually said
The company left no room for interpretation.
“Some media reports have recently stated that it has been decided that a Dragon Ball theme park will be built in France,” the statement read. “However, neither Toei Animation nor the other companies that hold rights related to the property have granted any license for such a project, and we are not aware of any facts regarding the matter.”
Toei went further on the images circulating alongside the reports.
“All of the theme park concept images and footage used in these reports were originally used in the joint announcement made by Qiddiya Investment Company and Toei Animation on March 22, 2024,” the company said. “They relate to the theme park planned for construction in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia. These images and videos have no connection whatsoever to the reports in question.”
What Macron announced near Paris
The underlying project is real. The Dragon Ball part is the piece that came apart.
President Emmanuel Macron hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in late August. The two announced a Qiddiya Investment Company development at Cergy-Pontoise, in the Val-d’Oise, northwest of Paris.
Macron laid out the numbers on X: “Three theme parks will be created in Cergy Pontoise. An investment of 6 billion euros. Creation of 22,000 jobs. A scale not seen since Disneyland Paris.”
Reuters reported the idea came out of a 2025 meeting between the two leaders, both of whom are admirers of Akira Toriyama’s work.
Nobody official ever said Dragon Ball
The detail that unravels the whole story is what the announcement left out.
The joint statement issued by France and Saudi Arabia describes a multi-park destination with up to three major attractions. It does not name a single franchise.
Macron did not name Dragon Ball either, though he did nod at the general territory. “You know my interest in manga,” he wrote.
Media outlets filled the blank. Once the Qiddiya name attached to the project, reporters reached for the Saudi company’s most famous announced attraction, and the Dragon Ball concept art from 2024 was sitting right there.
How this compares to Disneyland Paris
Macron’s benchmark is doing a lot of work, and the geography is worth understanding.
Disneyland Paris sits at Marne-la-Vallée, east of the city in Seine-et-Marne. Cergy-Pontoise is northwest, on the opposite side of Paris, about an hour’s drive apart depending on traffic.
Both fall inside Île-de-France. A guest could theoretically do both on one trip, which is exactly the tourism math a French government would like.
Disneyland Paris opened in 1992 and remains Europe’s most-visited theme park.
What Disneyland Paris is building right now
The timing lands during an unusually busy stretch for the Disney resort.
At D23 last month, Disney announced that Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain closes in 2027 and reopens as Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune, restoring the ride’s original Jules Verne theme and 1995 score.
The resort is also building a Lion King land at Disney Adventure World, with a water ride featuring three drops including a 16-meter descent from Pride Rock and the debut of a Scar animatronic. Wilderness Explorers Sky Swings, inspired by “Up,” opens next year.
None of it has an announced opening date beyond the Sky Swings.
Is a Dragon Ball park happening anywhere
Yes, and it is not in France.
The Qiddiya City project in Saudi Arabia was announced in March 2024 under a license from Toei Animation and the other rights holders. That one is real, formally announced and moving forward.
Qiddiya has described it as the world’s first Dragon Ball theme park.
For the French project, no franchise has been publicly confirmed for any of the three parks. Qiddiya has a licensing relationship with Toei for Saudi Arabia, and Toei has now said in writing that nothing similar exists for France.
Which leaves 6 billion euros, 22,000 promised jobs, three unnamed parks, and a very expensive lesson in reading past a headline.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Toei Animation official statement (Aug. 31, 2026), via ORICON News and Anime Corner, the full text and the Qiddiya clarification
Automaton West, the Élysée Palace announcement and the Reuters reporting on the 2025 Macron and bin Salman meeting
Essential Japan, the confirmation that the joint France and Saudi statement never named Dragon Ball
Emmanuel Macron on X, the investment figures, jobs number and Disneyland Paris comparison
Disney Parks Blog and Blooloop (August 2026), the Disneyland Paris projects announced at D23