July 9, 2006
Disneyland Paris - a Success Story
Next year, Disneyland Paris celebrates its 15th anniversary – a gamble by Disney that many said at the time would not work. However, since its opening in 1992, Disneyland Paris has become the most popular tourist attraction not only in Paris, but the whole of France. The lines at the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower may still be long – but far more people visit Disneyland Paris than these two institutions. The park attracts around 50 million visitors a year and in 2002 Disney introduced a ‘fast pass’ system with timed reservations for popular rides, to help deal with the crowds.
Disneyland Paris occupies a site covering about one fifth of the size of Paris itself, about 20 miles from the center of Paris. The Metro does not run to the park, but local high-speed trains run frequently from all parts of Paris to the park; the journey time is about 45 minutes from central Paris. The hotels in the park have regular shuttle bus service to and from both Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. Northern France does not have the climate of California or Florida – consequently the park closes during the winter; it is open from March to October.
The park is based firmly on the two Disney theme parks in the United States, one of the few differences being the colors of many of the buildings – they are decorated mainly in pastel colors rather than bright colors; this supposedly being more ‘European’. Otherwise the general layout is fairly similar to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando – although quite a bit smaller - with Cinderella’s castle being the natural focal point.
As with the two parks in the United States, there are five ‘imaginary lands’ in the park which are: Main Street USA, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland. Each one offers a themed selection of rides, shows and shopping – each one designed with Disney’s high standards and attention to detail.
There are several other sections of the park – an area called ‘Walt Disney Studios’ which offers movie-themed rides and shows as well as a behind the scenes look at many aspects of the movies. There is also a popular area called Disney Village, which is a collection of restaurants with various themes. Admission to Disney Village is free and the highlight here is undoubtedly ‘Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Dinner Show’ complete with cowboys, Indians and spectacular horsemanship. Rounding off the areas is the resort’s very own golf course, complete with club house.
One attraction unique to the park, and firmly in line with the European aspect, is the Manchester United Soccer School. The school opened in 2004, and gives children a chance to learn and play soccer based on the training at Manchester United – one of Britain’s most famous and respected soccer clubs.
The park is open year round and does NOT close in the winter. Parc Asterix does, a French Theme park also situated outside of Paris.
Posted by: bine at July 11, 2006 6:13 PM