Disneyland Paris (Euro Disney) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Andre Willey
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 8 July 1995
Version: 2.6
Disneyland Paris
(aka EuroDisney)
Frequently Asked Questions and General Information List
Version 2.6 - 8th July 1995
Copyright (c) 1995 Andre Willey
(original version created by Tom Drynda)
Welcome to Version 2.6 of the Disneyland Paris Frequently Asked Questions
and General Information List.
This FAQ is intended for public use, and may be redistributed freely via
computer networks in its original form ONLY. If you post a copy to a
bulletin board/etc, please let me know so I can send you regular updates.
Other than for the above use, this document is Copyright (c) 1995 by Andre
Willey. No commercial use whatsoever is permitted without written permission
from the author. Where other authors' material has been included, they have
been credited accordingly.
Note: This document is intended as an informal and independent guide for
visitors to the Disneyland Paris theme park, and as such it is not sponsored
or endorsed by the Walt Disney Company, or Euro Disney S.C.A, in any way.
However, no infringement of any of their copyrights is intended, and it is
acknowledged that the Disney characters and theme park attractions mentioned
within this document are registered trademarks of the Walt Disney Company -
including, but not necessarily limited to: Walt Disney, Disneyland Paris,
Euro Disney, Magic Kingdom, Main Street USA, Frontierland, Adventureland,
Fantasyland, Discoveryland, Festival Disney, Audio-Animatronics, Adventure
Isle, Space Mountain, Mickey Mouse and Captain EO.
Please enjoy your visit to Disneyland Paris, and do let me know how you got
on. Any comments, corrections and suggestions about this FAQ are very
welcome.
Also, any topical information which you can provide me with after your visit
would help enormously in keeping this FAQ up to date. I'd be especially
grateful for copies of the free Guest Guidebook and weekly Entertainment
Programme (available at City Hall) and/or the newspaper-style Hotel Guide
(available from your hotel's Reception Desk). E-mail me for my full postal
address.
===========================================================================
For the latest version of this FAQ, please check out the following Internet
resources:
* Usenet Newsgroups (posted monthly)
rec.arts.disney
rec.parks.theme
rec.answers
news.answers
* Anonymous FTP
Main Archive Site: rtfm.mit.edu
Directory: /pub/usenet/news.answers/disney-faq/
Filename: disneyland-paris
Alternative Site: yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au
Directory: /pub/disney/rad/faq/parks/dlp/
Filename: disneyland-paris.gz
(mirrored from rtfm.mit.edu)
* World Wide Web
URL: http://www.informatik.tu-muenchen.de/~schaffnr/etc/disney/
Note: the WWW site includes 70 full-colour photos of the various
attractions, hotels, etc. at Disneyland Paris, plus maps/etc.
* Electronic mail
You can email me at "an...@cix.compulink.co.uk" for a copy of this
FAQ. Please let me know if you wish to be added to the monthly
update mailing list. The FAQ will now be sent out in two parts,
due to limitations in some mailers.
* PostScript version
I have now created a PostScript version of this FAQ, which should
be available from the WWW site above, and also by FTP shortly -
any offers of a site? It benefits from much better layout and
neater formatting than the plain ASCII text version. It does not
include photos, due to the potential size of the file, but it will
probably include a park map at some stage. Please email me
(an...@cix.compulink.co.uk) if you'd like a copy of the PostScript
version in the meantime.
============================================================================
Contents
1 Topical Information
1.1 Current Opening Hours
1.2 Current Gate Prices, etc.
1.3 Current Hotel Rates
1.4 Seasonal Structure
1.5 Current Special Offers, News and Gossip
1.6 Temporarily Closed Rides / Attractions
1.7 New Attractions and Attractions Under Construction
1.8 Current Financial Information
2 A Brief History of Euro Disney / Disneyland Paris
2.1 General History
2.2 Financial History
3 Overview of Disneyland Paris
3.1 Attractions and Entertainments
3.2 List of Shops
3.3 List of Restaurants and food outlets
3.4 Festival Disney
3.5 Hotels
4 Common Questions and Answers
4.1 What are the opening hours and prices?
4.2 Contact Numbers and Addresses?
4.3 Guide Books?
4.4 How To Get There?
4.5 Attractions that no other park has?
4.6 Comparisons between rides?
4.7 What language do they use?
4.8 Getting around Paris?
4.9 How do I get discounts? (Magic Kingdom Club)
4.10 Can I contact anyone at (or near) the park by e-mail?
4.11 What DL-P souvenirs are available? Do they do Mail Order?
4.12 What's the weather like? When should I visit?
4.13 Any other tips for avoiding the worst of the queues?
4.14 Are there any net sites with photos of Disneyland Paris?
5 More details of specific attractions
5.1 Liberty Arcade, Discovery Arcade, Statue of Liberty Tableau
5.2 Walt's Restaurant
5.3 Phantom Manor
5.4 Big Thunder Mountain
5.5 Pirates of the Caribbean
5.6 Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril
5.7 Adventure Isle
5.8 La Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant
5.9 Alice's Curious Labyrinth
5.10 Storybookland rides
5.11 Le Visionarium
5.12 Les Mysteres du Nautilus
5.13 Space Mountain (de la Terre a la Lune)
5.14 Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
6 Acknowledgements
============================================================================
1 Topical Information
1.1 Opening Hours, Summer 1995
Dates Hours
July 9am-11pm
August 9am-11pm
September 1-2 9am-11pm
There are several regular parades and shows. Times vary, so please
check the free handout Entertainment Programme as soon as you
arrive. Make sure you get to shows and parades early if you want a
decent view.
Main Street Parades (weather permitting)
Good Morning Main St. 9.40am, 10.10am, 10.40am
La Grande Parade 3.30pm (includes Lion King floats)
Estivales
Electrical Parade 10.30pm
Children's events
Minnie's Tea Time Not currently showing
Stage Shows
Le Livre Magique de Mickey
Wonderful fairytale show on the Castle
Stage. 6.10pm, 6.55pm, 7.40pm, 8.25pm,
9.10pm
Rock Shock Space-themed musical stage show inside
Videopolis. 4pm, 5pm, 6pm, 8pm, 9pm
Lilly's Follies Live show at the Lucky Nugget Saloon.
12.45pm, 2pm, 3.15pm, 5.45pm, 7pm
Hill Billy Hoedown Country jamboree show in Frontierland.
12.10pm, 1pm, 2.55pm, 4.15pm, 5.05pm
En Scene, s'il vous plait! (Places, please!)
Live musical show on the Fantasy
Festival Stage. 11am, 12.15pm, 1.30pm,
4.15pm, 5.30pm
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
Located in Festival Disney (see section
5.14). 6.30pm and 9.30pm
Fireworks
The firework show now takes place inside the park. However,
the show is no longer directly over the castle, instead being
launched from the Frontierland/Adventureland area. Showing at
11pm daily.
Call Guest Relations on (+33 1) 64 74 30 00 to confirm details.
1.2 Current Gate Prices, etc.
The ticket booths and entrance turnstiles are located on the
ground floor level, directly underneath the pink and white
Disneyland Hotel.
You can also purchase one, two and three day passes at your local
(European) Disney Store before leaving home, which might avoid
some queuing.
New Lower Prices from 1st April 1995
High Season Adult Child Adult Child
(Summer + Xmas) FF FF UKP UKP
One Day 195 150 23 18
One Day, after 5 pm 150 100 - -
Two Days 370 285 45 34
Three Days 505 390 61 47
Low Season Adult Child Adult Child
(Winter, excluding Xmas) FF FF UKP UKP
One Day 150 120 18 15
Two Days 285 230 34 28
Three Days 390 310 47 37
Annual Passports (FF) Adult Child
Standard Annual 695 495
Annual Plus 995 695
10% Magic Kingdom Club (US or Euro) discount applies on all of the
above prices. Children are classed as aged 3-11, under 3 are free.
Annual Passports may be purchased from the small Guest Relations
office which is set back a little to the far right of the entrance
turnstiles. Note: you'll need to have your photograph taken when
buying an Annual Passport, so during busy periods it's a good idea
to book an appointment in advance.
The standard Annual Passport is not valid during some busy weekend
and local holiday dates. The current exclusion dates, until the
end of January 1996, are as follows:
March 1995: 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26
April 1995: 15-16, 22-23, 30
May 1995: 7, 26-27
June 1995: 4
July 1995: 14
August 1995: 13-14
The full 'Annual-Plus' passport is valid every day for a full 12
months starting from the first day of use. It also gives other
additional benefits such as free parking, free stroller rental,
10% off all resort food and merchandise purchases, a quarterly
newsletter (supposedly!), etc.
Some Other Useful Prices
Video camera rental: FF 300 per day (FF 5000 deposit)
Still (Kodak) camera rental: FF 50 per day (FF 800 deposit)
Stroller/Wheelchair rental: FF 30 per day
1.3 Current Hotel Rates, valid until 31 October 1995
Disneyland Hotel Room Room Suite
FF UKP FF
Value 1650 199 2500 - 12500
Shoulder 1650 199 2500 - 12500
Peak 1990 240 3250 - 12500
Castle Club (Disneyland) Room Room Suite
FF UKP FF
Value 2400 289 2500 - 12500
Shoulder 2400 289 2500 - 12500
Peak 2740 330 3250 - 12500
(MKC members get Castle Club rooms at the standard room rate)
Hotel New York Room Room Suite
FF UKP FF
Value 1025 123 1900 - 8500
Shoulder 1025 123 1900 - 8500
Peak 1025 123 2100 - 9000
Newport Bay Club Room Room Suite
FF UKP FF
Value 625 75 1250 - 1850
Shoulder 775 93 1250 - 1850
Peak 875 105 1400 - 2000
Sequoia Lodge Room Room Suite
FF UKP FF
Value 525 63 1300 - 1500
Shoulder 675 81 1300 - 1500
Peak 775 93 1500 - 1700
Hotel Cheyenne Room Room
FF UKP
Value 400 48
Shoulder 525 63
Peak 675 81
Hotel Santa Fe Room Room
FF UKP
Value 300 36
Shoulder 450 54
Peak 550 66
Davy Crockett Ranch 4 or 6 person cabins
FF UKP
Value 440 53
Shoulder 630 76
Peak 770 93
8% Magic Kingdom Club (US or Euro) discount is available on all
room rates. The above prices include VAT, but do not include local
taxes (FF 7 per person per night Hotel Tax, charged by the French
government). Pound prices are for guidance of UK readers and may
be subject to change due to currency rate fluctuations.
The above prices are for accommodation only. For an additional
charge you can opt to stay bed & breakfast, half-board or full-
board. Meals may be taken at your own hotel, or at selected
restaurants within the resort. For example, one package allows you
to eat at the Yacht Club, Parkside Diner, Los Angeles Bar & Grill,
Key West Seafood, Walt's or Plaza Gardens. Another (cheaper)
package gives you access to the Chuck Wagon Cafe, Beaver Creek
Tavern, La Cantina, Crockett's Tavern or Annette's Diner.
'Classic Break' package prices are available, which include
continental breakfast and unlimited park entrance during your stay
(including arrival and departure days). 'Forfait Celebration
Breaks' at the Disneyland or Newport Bay Club also give entry to
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, one dinner at your hotel, a fruit
basket & bottle of wine or champagne on arrival, and a day-trip to
Paris if staying for more than two nights. With a 'Prestige Break'
you stay in a suite at the Newport Bay Club or Hotel New York, and
the price includes full-board meals.
All packages can be purchased as 1 night/2 days, 2 nights/3 days
and 3 nights/4 days, with extra nights available if desired. The
pricing system is complex, with five price bands based on the date
of the start of your stay. The bands largely follow the main hotel
seasonal structure, with packages starting on a Saturday night
being slightly more expensive.
However, DO NOT assume that a package deal will offer better value
for money than booking your room and passport separately. This is
especially true if visiting off-peak (park hours 10am-6pm) when
you are unlikely to gain much by having package access to the park
on both your arrival and departure dates.
See below (section 4.2) for phone-numbers for making reservations
or enquiries.
1.4 Seasonal Structure (1 April - 31 October 1995)
Park Seasons
High Season Mar 1-Oct 1, Dec 23-Jan 7
Low Season Oct 2-Dec 22, Jan 8-Feb 28
Hotel Seasons
Peak Jul 1-Aug 31, plus all Fris and Sats
Shoulder Oct 22-Oct 31
(Fris & Sats at Peak rate)
Value Sep 3-Oct 19
(Fris & Sats at Peak rate)
1.5 Current Special Offers, News and Gossip
REUTERS, Paris. April 29 1995:
Euro Disney SCA plans to develop a site near Paris as the
Walt Disney Company's European centre for film, television
and leisure activities, the French business daily Les Echos
reported on Friday.
"Disney in Europe is Disneyland Paris; it is cinema and
television, areas in which we are getting involved in a major
way," Euro Disney Chairman Philippe Bourguignon said.
Production studios for short and feature-length cartoon films
will be moved from Montreuil in south Paris to the Disneyland
Paris location at Marne-La-Vallee, east of Paris. It will be
Disney's third production centre in the world, he said.
"We are the centre for various activities," he said. "It is
up to us to take initiatives to optimize the Walt Disney
Company's activities in Europe." A recent agreement for a
giant-screen complex signed with cinema distributor Gaumont
will be followed up by other projects to reorganize the
Festival Disney leisure centre next to the main theme park,
he said.
Also on Friday, Walt Disney Company and a European media
group, CLT Multi Media, launched a family-entertainment TV
channel, known as Super RTL, in Germany. Bourguignon said
Disney also plans to launch a 24-hour Disney channel in
Britain this fall on Sky Television.
Elton John's current European tour is being sponsored by
Disneyland Paris, with the official tour title being: "Space
Mountain at Disneyland Paris Presents Elton John". Elton John
commented, "I am clearly delighted to continue my great
relationship with Disney by my association with Disneyland Paris".
During 1995, American Express card holders will receive a free
meal for each child dining with an adult at the California Grill
restaurant.
A new Guest Guidebook has been issued (blue/grey cover featuring
Mickey, as opposed to the old red ones). This contains more up-to-
date maps and better general information. Unusually, the lands are
now listed counter-clockwise, starting with Discoveryland. Perhaps
this will make a difference to the standard activity patterns?
Special Seasonal package deal (while promotional stocks last)
Space Mountain opening: June 1 to July 13, 'Classic' packages
at the Newport Bay Club or Hotel New York include a Space
Mountain commemorative watch (limited, one per package), a
Space Mountain baseball cap (one per child) and a Space
Mountain certificate for your first flight to the moon. A
three day/two night package (including breakfasts and park
entrance) for four adults sharing a room would cost from FF
910 per person. For two adults and two children sharing, the
rates would be from FF 1225 per adult and FF 435 per child.
Throughout Autumn 1995, various Space Festival special attractions
will tie in with the Space Mountain theme. Videopolis displays
will include "Touch the Moon" (enabling guests to touch actual
lunar rocks), space garb from various missions, a 13x13 metre
replica of an R.E.S. satellite and a Lunar Module that, via
virtual reality, will allow guests to experience what it feels
like to walk on the moon. Space-suited Disney characters, along
with R2D2 and C3PO, will be around to welcome riders to Space
Mountain, and David Halliday's otherworldly music will feature in
the Rock Shock musical show.
1.6 Temporarily Closed Rides / Attractions
The Indian Canoes are no longer operating.
Main Street Motors no longer exists as such. It is now just
another store selling Disney merchandise. You can sometimes
purchase promotional photographs in souvenir holders here (a
photograph of you and The Phantom taken in front of Phantom
Manor).
Some of the table-service restaurants have now changed to counter-
service due to changes in demand. The old Explorers Club
Restaurant has now been changed into Colonel Hathi's Pizza
Outpost. The old Cafe des Visionnaires was used as a press office
during the opening of Space Mountain, but is now open again for
food.
Please check with Guest Relations for further info - although even
their information is sometimes out of date. Detailed schedules of
attraction downtime seem almost impossible to obtain in advance.
1.7 New Attractions and Attractions Under Construction
The following attractions have opened recently:
Le Pays des Contes de Fees [Fantasyland]
(Cruise gently through the canals of Storybookland)
Casey Junior, Le Petit Train du Cirque [Fantasyland]
(Casey Junior fast train ride around Storybookland)
Les Mysteres du Nautilus [Discoveryland]
(Walk through Captain Nemo's submarine. With squid attack)
Space Mountain (de la Terre a la Lune) [Discoveryland]
(Fast indoor roller coaster ride, with three inversions)
"En Scene, s'il vous plait!" (Places, please!). A new stage
show at the Fantasy Festival Stage. A musical story about
putting on a show, with Roger Rabbit as guest star. Features
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Chip & Dale, plus characters
such as Darkwing Duck, Turbo McQuack, Bonkers and Louie
representing the Disney Club TV shows.
"Rock Shock". A Jules Verne/Space Mountain themed stage show,
replacing the old "Beauty and the Beast" show in Videopolis.
Loud music (by David Halliday), bright lights, laser effects,
dancing and singing.
Future plans at the park:
Most of the current expansion plans seem to be outside of the
park itself. These include a 90,000 square-metre regional
shopping complex, 2,500 apartments, 5,000 square-metres of
additional conference space (including new facilities at the
Newport Bay Club) and a new RER station at Serris.
There will also be a new multi-screen Gaumont cinema complex
in Festival Disney (facing Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show).
Initial plans are for eight screens seating more than 2,000
people in total - including one large 700-seater screen. Work
is due to start during Summer 1995, with the complex opening
late in 1996.
1.8 Current Financial Information
The Euro Disney share price on the London market as of July 7th
1995 was UKP 2.07 (approx. FF 16.03), slightly down from the UKP
2.13 high at the end of May which accompanied the high-profile
opening of Space Mountain.
Note: For UK readers, Euro Disney London share prices can be found
on teletext: BBC 1/2, page 221; Channel 4, page 532 (subpage 27).
============================================================================
2 A Brief History of Euro Disney / Disneyland Paris
2.1 General History
August 1988: Construction starts on the 2000 hectare site located
32km to the east of Paris, in a still-rural location near Marne-
la-Vallee.
December 1990: Espace Euro Disney (an information centre) opens
to the public.
September 1st 1991: Casting Centre opens.
Late March 1992: Euro Disney opens for testing. During those
test-weeks, employees (and their families) of the major sponsors
such as Philips and Renault were invited to visit.
April 11th 1992: Press preview day. Attendee Michael Sandstrom
(OK...@aol.com) writes: It was a unbelievably beautiful day! It
was sunny and warm, and everyone was so excited. The park was
really ready too; to my 30 year old Disney drenched eyes, it
looked liked it should have, not like it was barely done.
Everything to eat and do was free on that day - including
l'Auberge de Cendrillon, where I had lunch, and the hotels where
they asked us to go for two hours while they set up buffets in all
the streets to feed thousands more guests who arrived in the
evening, all wearing one of four sweatshirts which were the
opening party tickets. That night was magic and warm. They passed
out truffles on silver trays to us commoners as well as the dozens
famous people standing shoulder to shoulder with me watching THE
most amazing fireworks I have ever seen (which is a lot!) coming
from every direction over Main Street. I cried, but then I had
dreamed of and written about this moment for four years. The point
is, Disney really delivered. [For Michael's further comments on
opening day, and the park in general, please email him].
April 12th 1992: Euro Disney opens. Inaugural ceremonies
broadcast to entire continent by five national networks. However,
the expected 500,000 visitors did not turn up for the first day of
business: in fact, barely 50,000 people were admitted. This may
have been partly due protests from French people who feared their
culture would be damaged by Euro Disney. During the live opening
television broadcast, a major electricity circuit was cut and
signposts showing the way to Marne-La-Vallee were damaged.
The first phase of development (the theme park, hotel complex and
golf course) cost 22 billion French Francs to complete.
May 1992: Up to 3,000 employees have reportedly quit over pay and
working conditions. Attendances are low; sources say that on sunny
weekend days the park is attracting about 20,000-25,000 visitors,
much lower than the predicted 60,000. Only 3 out of 10 visitors
are French. Company stock falls to FF 123 ($22.70), down from
$30.50 before the opening.
August 1992: The park is now expected to draw around 9.6 million
visitors this year, as opposed to the 11 million that had
originally been projected.
Late 1992: European recession causes property slump and Euro
Disney falls into serious financial difficulty. High interest
payments on its massive start-up loans further exacerbate the
problems, and the cheap dollar rate meant that many tourists found
it cheaper to fly to Florida for their holidays. Further blame is
placed on overstaffing and over-capacity at the Euro Disney hotels
(since visitors can do the park in one day). Newport Bay Club
hotel is therefore closed during the quiet winter months. Souvenir
and food prices are also seen as being prohibitively high, meaning
that visitors aren't spending enough money while inside the park -
hopes were that each visitor would spend around $33 per day, but
analysts reckon spending is around 12% lower.
April 12th 1993: The park's first birthday. Sleeping Beauty's
Castle is decorated as a giant birthday cake to celebrate the
occasion.
Summer 1993: The new Indiana Jones roller-coaster ride opens. A
few weeks after the opening, the emergency brakes locked on during
a ride. Some people were hurt and the attraction was temporarily
shut down for investigations.
Early 1994: Euro Disney in crisis. Rumours are rife in the press
that the park will have to close due to massive losses. Crisis
talks are held with the banks and backers.
June 1994: A financial rescue package is announced which involves
a number of actions: massive injection of new cash ($500 million)
by a Saudi prince; the Disney Company agrees to waive its royalty
fees for five years while the park finds its feet; agreement by
the banks to support better loan repayment schedules; a new issue
of shares.
August 1994: All of the park's hotels are fully booked during the
peak holiday season. At least there appears to be no shortage of
visitors, and their reactions to the park itself are generally
favourable - although food and merchandise are still seen as being
too expensive.
August 31st 1994: Trading in Euro Disney stock was temporarily
suspended for 15 minutes on the Paris stock exchange after share
prices fell to less then $2 (i.e. a drop of more than 10%). Shares
hit $1.40 in the first 10 minutes of trading. The problems were
due to 'technical reasons', and an analyst's recommendation to
sell stock. The company blames the European recession, a fall in
real estate prices and poor spending by visitors.
October 1994: The park's name is officially changed to
"Disneyland Paris". This is due to public mistrust of all things
'Euro', a wish to more closely link the park with the romantic
city of Paris, and a desire to disassociate with the poor
reputation that has become linked with the phrase "Euro Disney".
The 'Euro' part of the logo had been reducing in size for some
time, and the name gradually transformed from "EURO Disney" to
"Euro Disneyland" to "Euro Disneyland Paris" to "Disneyland
Paris". The entire resort complex is technically still known as
Euro Disney Resort, though.
November 1994: Slightly more encouraging year-end figures are
released. The previous year's UKP 650 million loss has been
slashed to around 200 million. This is despite a 10% fall in
attendance to some 8.8 million visitors (caused largely by the 1st
and 2nd quarter panics that the park would be closed by Summer).
Winter 1994: Unlike previous years, all of the site hotels remain
open for business, except for some down-time for renovation work
(e.g. Newport Bay Club, Sequoia Lodge and Santa Fe).
Spring 1995: Disneyland Paris repeats its successful 'Kids go
Free' promotional offer, which helps give a much-needed boost to
trade during the slack months of January-March.
January 1995: A report headed by Jong Jarvis, an assistant
professor of communications at Robert Morris College, indicated
French cast members were dissatisfied with many of the American
working practices. These included exempting the park from
established French labour-laws, American managers requiring
English to be spoken at all meetings (even if the vast majority of
participants were French) and insistence on American standards of
dress code and personal grooming. Some of the most offensive
requirements have since been relaxed, and workers seem to have
accepted Disney values more readily now they are no longer imposed
upon them. During 1993, there was a 26% turnover within the park's
8,000 full-time staff, and a further 25% left in 1994. "That's
devastating to a business. They're retraining a quarter of their
work force just to fill those slots every year," said Jarvis.
January 26 1995: BURBANK, Calif. (Associated Press,) - Walt
Disney Co. on Thursday said earnings grew 31 percent in its fiscal
first quarter. [...] The company's investment in Euro Disney
resulted in income of $27.9 million, reflecting a gain of $55
million from the sale of approximately 75 million shares to Prince
Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
February 1995: The Shareholder's Annual Report for the fiscal
year ending 30 September 1994 is released. Overall attendance for
1994 was confirmed as being 8.8 million, as opposed to 9.8 million
in 1993. However, average hotel occupancy was up from 55% to 60% -
mainly due to an increase in winter bookings. Total attendance to
date has been 28 million (10 million of whom were French, and an
estimated 20% being repeat visitors). A brief account of some of
the financial information supplied in the Report is given in
section 2.2.
March 31st 1995: An early recovery in Euro Disney's fortunes has
been forecast by a top Walt Disney executive. Joe Roth, who heads
the company's films division, said there was "a very good chance
that by the end of this year it will be break-even".
April 1st 1995: New lower entrance prices come into force, with
an average of around 20% reduction on the previous adult prices,
slightly less for children's passes.
April 21st 1995: The half-yearly financial statement from Euro
Disney S.C.A. indicates that the company's net deficit was slashed
by 77% from FF 1.06bn to FF 241m in the six months to March 1995.
This is attributed mainly to the temporary removal of management
fees & royalties and a reduction in loan repayments, all of which
formed part of the refinancing package agreed in June 1994.
However, park attendance and park/hotel revenues were up about 7%
on the same period last year, with overall turnover rising to FF
1.68bn. This was before the new price structure came into effect,
so expectations are high for the peak summer months and it is
hoped that the park could become profitable by next year. However,
to stay profitable into 1997 (when interest payments and royalty
demands will come back into full force) it is estimated that the
annual attendance figures will need to be in the region of 12.5m,
as opposed to last year's 8.8m.
April/May (?) 1995: A travel trade exhibition in Germany votes
for the best worldwide theme park. Unsurprisingly, Walt Disney
World in Florida wins the poll, but Disneyland Paris achieves an
excellent second place - even beating off competition from the
original Disneyland in California which came third.
June 1st 1995: Space Mountain opens. Previewed for Annual
Passholders on 20/21 May, everyone seems to agree that this is by
far the best roller coaster ride that the Disney Imagineers have
yet created. See section 5.13 for more details.
2.2 Financial History
Share Prices, Paris (Graphical version available from WWW site)
Period Price in FF
(High) (Low)
1991
October 60.37 57.82
November 59.46 54.33
December 64.68 54.33
1992
January 67.70 60.37
February 69.85 63.04
March 71.23 62.52
April 65.50 55.15
May 58.99 50.88
June 51.74 45.28
July 46.57 35.79
August 40.19 28.55
September 37.95 30.66
October 34.93 26.39
November 35.14 26.09
December 28.76 24.19
1993
January 29.54 25.87
February 34.93 28.09
March 42.69 34.28
April 41.65 29.84
May 33.07 27.90
June 31.05 27.94
July 30.05 23.33
August 28.35 23.50
September 28.31 23.85
October 25.79 20.70
November 21.56 10.22
December 16.30 12.12
1994
January 16.49 13.11
February 16.30 13.80
March 17.16 13.07
April 14.62 13.37
May 14.88 12.16
June 18.70 11.70
July 12.15 9.80
August 11.70 7.55
September 9.85 7.70
October 7.95 6.15
November 9.75 6.70
December 11.90 8.70
1995
January 12.50 9.80
February 28th 12.19 (converted from UKP 1.50)
March 31st 13.00 (converted from UKP 1.66)
April 30th 14.48 (converted from UKP 1.83)
May 31st 16.79 (converted from UKP 2.13)
July 7th 16.03 (converted from UKP 2.07)
Note: Following the financial restructuring and rights issue
in June 1994, the Societe des Bourses Francaises applied a
correcting coefficient of 0.431 to previous share prices.
Operating Revenue and Expenditure (millions of French Francs)
1994 1993
Revenue:
Theme Park 2,212 2,594
Hotels 1,613 1,721
Other 322 559
Construction Sales 114 851
=======================================
TOTAL REVENUE 4,261 5,725
Direct Costs/Expenses:
Park & Hotels (2,961) (3,382)
Construction Sales (114) (846)
=======================================
OPERATING INCOME 1,186 1,497
Depreciation (291) (227)
Lease rental expense (889) (1,712)
Royalties - (262)
General & Admin. (854) (1,113)
Financial Income 538 719
Financial Expenses (972) (615)
=======================================
LOSS (1,282) (1,713)
Exceptional loss, net (515) (3,624)
=======================================
NET LOSS (1,797) (5,337)
=======================================
Employees (Cast Members)
Number Annual Cost (FF, millions)
At 30 Sept 1993 11,865 2,108
At 30 Sept 1994 10,172 1,892
============================================================================
3 Overview of Disneyland Paris (a brief guide)
Obviously there is enough material to write a book on the contents of
Disneyland Paris. Several people have, in fact (see section 4.3). What
follows here is a very brief overview of the park's attractions, shops
and restaurants. More detailed notes on some of the more interesting
and/or unique elements are provided in section 5.
[*] indicates a must-see attraction (or shop) for first-time visitors.
[#] indicates that you should expect long queues for these attractions
during busy periods, so maybe do them during a parade, or early in
the day. Beware the signs which suggest the current queue length,
as sometimes queues can take longer than the advised time (unlike
the US parks). However, some rides are faster loaders than others,
so the queues can move quickly. Pirates of the Caribbean and
Phantom Manor, for example, may have long queues but they load
very fast.
[S] indicates a seasonal attraction. During the off-peak months, some
attractions, outdoor shows and food outlets may not be operating,
except for popular weekends and holidays.
3.1 Attractions and Entertainments
Main Street USA
Disneyland Paris Railroad, Main Street station [#]
(The park started with three real steam trains: the W.E.
Cody, the C.K. Holliday and the G. Washington, all specially
built in Wales. A fourth locomotive was added in 1994. The
journey includes Grand Canyon diorama, and travels through
the back of Pirates of the Caribbean)
Daily Parades (see section 1.1 for current times) [*]
(Note from Ron Vutpakdi (vutp...@houston.wireline.slb.com):
If you are going to watch the parade, watch it from where it
enters the park [near It's a Small World, in Fantasyland].
When they open the doors, you can see some of the parade
people clowning around; I saw Jafar and his guards doing a
little Rockettes-style kicking number)
Main Street vehicles
(Horse-drawn streetcars, firetrucks, etc)
Liberty Arcade, Liberty Court & Discovery Arcade
(Behind shops on either side of street. There are BNP
Automatic Teller cashpoint machines within both arcades.
Liberty Arcade forms part of the covered route to
Frontierland in poor weather)
City Hall
(Guest Relations information point)
Disneyland Paris Band
Frontierland
Legends of the Wild West
(walk-through Fort Comstock at entrance to Frontierland.
Includes small Cheyenne Indian village)
Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing
(steam paddle-wheeler Molly Brown & stern-wheeler Mark Twain)
River Rogue Keelboats [S]
(closes at dusk)
Phantom Manor [*] [#]
(ghostly haunted house; excellent)
Rustler Roundup Shootin' Gallery
(extra charge)
Big Thunder Mountain [*] [#]
(queues now subsiding, as people visit Indy & Space Mountain)
Critter Coral (Cottonwood Creek Ranch) [S]
(petting zoo, closes at dusk)
Disneyland Paris Railroad, Frontierland Depot
(good place to board, with little queuing)
Lucky Nugget Saloon Revue
(Lilly's Follies stage show. See also Restaurants section)
Chaparral Stage [S]
(live country-and-western style entertainment. Outdoors)
Wild-west shootout display
Adventureland
Pirates of the Caribbean [*] [#]
(Yo, ho, yo, ho - a pirate's life for me!)
La Cabane des Robinson
(Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse)
Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril [*] [#]
(roller coaster with a 360 degree loop. Tends to have long
queues; try early, or during a parade)
Adventure Isle / Captain Hook's ship
(walk around caves, bridges, etc. Great for the kids)
Le passage Enchante d'Aladdin
(walk-through of miniature scenes from Aladdin)
African dancers
Fantasyland
Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant [*]
(Sleeping Beauty's Castle, with nice stained glass windows
upstairs, and the dragon's lair in dungeon)
Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains [#]
(Snow White dark ride)
Les Voyages de Pinocchio [#]
(Pinocchio dark ride)
Le Carrousel de Lancelot
(Ride horses on the carrousel; basically a fairground ride)
Peter Pan's Flight [*] [#]
(Magical trip over Neverland in flying pirate ships; lovely,
but the queues can be rather long)
Dumbo the Flying Elephant [#]
(Fly your own dumbo; basically a fairground ride)
Matter Hatter's Tea Cups [#]
(Spinning tea-cups; basically a fairground ride)
Alice's Curious Labyrinth [S]
(maze with a castle in the middle. Nice view from castle)
It's a Small World
(boat ride around the world with little singing dolls. Become
brainwashed by THAT tune! At the exit is a nice display from
the ride's sponsor, France Telecom, featuring small buildings
with clever video scenes playing inside)
Disneyland Paris Railroad, Fantasyland Station
(mid-point of railroad ride. Good place to get off)
Le Theatre du Chateau [S] [*]
(outdoor stage show: Mickey's Magic Book. The tales of Snow
White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, as recounted by
Mickey. Great fun, see if you can)
Les Pirouettes du Vieux Moulin [S]
(Small ferris wheel, attached to The Old Mill restaurant)
Casey Junior, Le Petit Train du Cirque [S] [#]
(mini roller-coaster train around Storybookland)
Fantasy Festival Stage [S]
(covered stage show: "En Scene, s'il vous plait!")
Le Pays des Contes de Fees [S] [#]
(Storybookland cruise in little boats. No narration)
Discoveryland
Le Visionarium (Circle-Vision 360) [*]
(wonderful time-travel trip. Don't miss. See section 5.11)
Orbitron - Machines Volantes [#]
(imagine the Star Jets were made by Jules Verne)
Autopia [#]
(ditto, Grand Prix Raceway made by Jules Verne)
Star Tours [*] [#]
(Wonderful "Star Wars" themed flight simulator ride, as
created by George Lucas. The main dialogue is in French, but
who cares? Do it anyway! At the exit is a computer games area
organised by the ride's sponsor, IBM. The picture morphing is
fun, as is the 12-player interactive space game, controlled
by platforms upon which you stand and rock)
CineMagique
(standard English version of the "Captain EO" 3D science-
fiction musical movie, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and
produced by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. While watching
the Kodak pre-show entertainment, try to line yourself up
near to the middle of the doors on your left, ready for when
they open)
Videopolis stage show
(currently playing: Rock Shock)
Disneyland Paris Railroad, Discoveryland Station
(board the steam train at a futuristic station)
Les Mysteres du Nautilus [#]
(walk-through the Nautilus; see a squid outside the window.
Don't bother if the queue is more than about three people!)
Space mountain - De la Terre a la Lune [*] [#] [#]
(excellent indoor roller-coaster with loops. Very long
queues; try early, or during a parade)
3.2 List of Shops
Main Street USA
Plaza East Boutique and Plaza West Boutique
(Park souvenirs. At park entrance, so they close late)
The Storybook Store
(Books/CDs/tapes/etc. Sells nice Disneyland Paris wall-maps)
Ribbons & Bows Hat Shop
(Hats and personalised mouse-ears)
Emporium
(Biggest store in park, sells loads of general Disney stuff)
Contains:
The Toy Chest (toys)
Bixby Brothers (clothes)
Silhouette Artist
(yep, get cut-out paper pictures of you here)
Town Square Photography
(Films, cameras, etc. Expensive same-day processing service)
Boardwalk Candy Palace
(fine chocolates, candies, etc)
Disney Clothiers, Ltd.
(clothes)
Main Street Motors
(used to sell old cars, now generally sports-oriented
clothes)
Dapper Dan's Hair Cuts
(Yes, real haircuts and shaves & souvenirs. Quartet singers)
Disney & Co.
(general Disney character merchandise)
Harrington's Fine China and Porcelains [*]
(Crystal, glassware, china, etc)
Contains:
Glass Fantasies (lovely Disney glassware, created for you
on-site; personalisation available)
Disneyanna Collectibles (cels, lithos, figurines, etc)
Frontierland
Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building
General wild-west themed goods. Nothing much special.
Contains:
Tobias Norton & Sons, Frontier Traders (leather items)
Bonanza Outfitters (jeans, cowboy/indian hats, etc)
Eureka Mining Supplies and Assay Office (toys and candy)
Pueblo Trading Post
Mostly Winnie the Pooh merchandise
Woodcarver's Workshop
Real woodcarvings, personalisation available.
Adventureland
Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost
(Adventureland-style clothing, jewellery, etc)
Adventureland Bazar [*]
(Big covered market complex, with craftsmen making various
themed goods. Nice to wander around, lots of great detail -
ironically mostly pre-Aladdin)
Contains:
Le Chant des Tam-Tams (wicker stuff & Jungle Book)
Les Tresors de Scheherazade - Articles des Mille et Une
Nuits (North African style gifts/clothes)
La Reine des Serpents - Cadeaux Exotiques (worldwide gifts)
L'Echoppe d'Aladdin (Aladdin merchandise)
La Giraffe Curieuse - Tout pour le Safari (safari gear)
Le Coffre du Capitaine
(Pirate gear and souvenirs. Don't miss)
Fantasyland
Merlin l'Enchanteur [*]
(Medieval figures, dragons, etc. Inside castle. Also contains
one entrance to the Dragon's cave)
La Boutique du Chateau [*]
(Holiday and Christmas merchandise. Inside castle)
La Chaumiere des Sept Nains
(mainly kids Snow White merchandise, plus some jewellery)
La Confiserie des Trois Fees
(sweets)
Sir Mickey's
(Disney character merchandise. Giant beanstalk outside)
Contains:
La Menagerie du Royaume (Soft toys, ceramics, glassware)
Le Brave Petit Tailleur (Disney clothes and hats)
La Bottega di Gepetto
(clocks, puppets, music boxes and hand carved toys)
La Petite Maison des Jouets
(Disney & Paris souvenirs, toys, etc)
Discoveryland
Constellations
(General Disney fare. Wonderful Mickey centrepiece)
Star Traders
(Sci-fi souvenirs. Has a big satellite/radar dish on roof)
3.3 List of Restaurants and food outlets
You are not permitted to take your own food into the park. There
is, however, a picnic site just outside the park, between the main
car park and the railway station.
The on-site 'fast' food restaurants often aren't, so avoid eating
during peak meal times if possible, and be prepared for longer
queues than you might expect at the more efficient US parks.
Wine and beer are available at all the table-service restaurants,
marked [T].
There are also mobile food carts serving popcorn, baked potatoes,
ice creams, pretzels, pizzas, sandwiches, drinks, etc.
Seasonal changes: During the winter months, some park food
facilities, marked [S], are generally closed expect for some
weekends and school holidays. Also, restaurants marked [1] may be
closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, while those marked [2] may be
closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. You may also find that some of
the hotel restaurants (especially those in hotels which boast more
than one restaurant) are closed some days during winter. It would
be a good idea to confirm in advance if you wish to visit a
particular restaurant.
Main Street USA
The Coffee Grinder [S]
(coffee kiosk half-way down Main Street)
The Ice Cream Company [S]
(nice ice-cream kiosk half-way down Main Street)
Market House Deli
(jumbo sandwiches)
Walt's - an American Restaurant [T] [2]
(Great eating place for real Disney fans. See section 5.2)
Cookie Kitchen
(expensive cookie shop)
Cable Car Bake Shop
(croissants and cakes)
Casey's Corner
(sells one-foot hot dogs. Avoid the chicken ones!)
The Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlour [S]
(ice cream sundaes, etc)
Victoria's Home-Style Restaurant
(hot quiches and snacks)
Plaza Gardens Restaurant [T]
(Victorian-style. Nice place for a character breakfast)
Frontierland
Silver Spur Steakhouse [T] [2]
(rather formal, plain old-fashioned steakhouse)
The Last Chance Cafe [S]
(overlooks Thunder Mountain. Smoked beef/turkey sandwiches)
The Lucky Nugget Saloon [T] [2]
(Great old-west entertainment. Bilingual show, with audience
participation. Food is substantial)
Fuente del Oro Restaurante [S]
(Mexican food)
Cowboy Cookout Barbecue [1]
(Fast-food, burgers, etc in old-west barn location. Indoor
and outdoor seating. Cowhand Band play several times a day)
Adventureland
Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost [2]
(Pizzas and Italian specialities)
Hakuna Matata (Aux Epices Enchantees) [S]
(varied menu: lamb curry, couscous, beef/chicken brochettes)
Cafe de la Brousse [S]
(light refreshments; nice waterside location)
Captain Hook's Galley [S]
(sandwich snacks from the pirate ship)
Blue Lagoon Restaurant [T] [1]
(Great place to eat in a quiet romantic setting. Pirates of
the Caribbean boats float by as you enjoy your meal under a
deep blue 'sky' in tropical surroundings. Good service, and
the food - mostly seafood - is highly recommended)
Fantasyland
Auberge de Cendrillon [T] [1]
(Cinderella's coach sits in the courtyard. Character Teas are
sometimes available here as part of special offers with
travel companies - e.g. Paris Travel Service charge UKP 6.
You can see the wishing well and the rear of Le Theatre du
Chateau from here: watch Mickey waiting to go on stage - give
him a shout and he may wave at you)
Pizzeria Bella Notte [1]
(order a Mickey Mouse Pizza just for the hell of it)
Fantasia Gelati [S]
(nice, but expensive, ice creams)
Au Chalet de la Marionnette [2]
(Pinocchio's restaurant. Fast-food, chicken and salad)
Toad Hall Restaurant [S]
(fish & chips, steak sandwiches - yummy, says this Brit!)
March Hare Refreshments [S]
(drinks and un-birthday cakes - which are slightly larger
than cup-cakes, and look as sweet and sickly as heck!)
The Old Mill
(French bread sandwiches - "Sub's" to the Americans, I
believe. Can be busy)
Discoveryland
Cafe Hyperion [2]
(fast-food restaurant inside the Videopolis)
Cafe des Visionnaires [S]
(good views of the parades in Fantasyland)
3.4 Festival Disney
This area is marked by enormous silver and red vertical columns,
apparently supporting nothing but a bunch of wires. These wires
actually support small lights, but during the day they're
obviously not switched on. At night, they look quite good, but the
pattern they form is only obvious from close-up. The enormous
columns contain mainly small kiosks and/or loudspeakers which emit
music constantly while Festival Disney is open (from 8.30am to
2.00am). Festival Disney consists of a number of nightclubs,
restaurants, shops, kiosks, and Buffalo Bills Wild West Show (see
section 5.14). Just in front of the Buffalo Bill building is a
small coral area where horse-riding demonstrations are sometimes
held.
Festival Disney includes several restaurants, many of which are
rather expensive, especially for drinks. I recommend eating inside
the park, if at all possible. The Festival Disney night-life is
probably best sampled when the park shuts early. The shops are
mostly average Disney stores, slightly themed but with nothing too
spectacular that you couldn't get cheaper back home.
You can rent various water vehicles for use on Lake Disney from
the Marina Del Ray:
Toobie FF 50 (for 30 mins)
Pedalo FF 30 (for 30 mins)
Hydromer FF 80 (for 30 mins)
Jet Ski (one person) FF 80 (for 15 mins)
Jet Ski (two people) FF 120 (for 15 mins)
Regan B. Pederson (xz...@xmission.com) comments: The only thing
I'll say about Festival Disney is that it typifies the cheap
sleazy carnival atmosphere that Walt so hoped to avoid (and now it
carries his name on it). I was, however, fairly impressed with the
Buffalo Bill show. The price for it is outrageous, though.
Festival Disney Shops:
The Disney Store
(massive Disney Store selling character merchandise, etc.
Lovely centrepiece)
Buffalo Bill's Trading Company General Store
(cowboy hats, boots, shirts, Indian trinkets, etc)
Mickey's Team sportswear
(sports merchandise and clothing)
Hollywood
(movie memorabilia, posters, etc)
Surfwear shop
(swimwear and surfing-oriented stuff. Anyone seen the
beach?)
Post Office
(genuine French post office, open until 10pm)
Seine and Marne Tourist Information
(also contains a display of models of the surrounding
chateaux and other sights. Borrow free infra-red headphones
to hear the commentary in your own language)
Marina del Rey
(not a shop as such; dock area next to the Steakhouse where
you can rent motorised 'toobies' to ride around Lake
Disney. Open Wed-Sun, 2pm-9pm)
Festival Disney Restaurants:
Note: At the table service restaurants below, one child's
meal is currently free per each paying adult (7pm-9pm).
Annette's Diner
(traditional burger-bar with rollerskating waitresses!
50's/60's cars parked outside. Open midday-midnight)
Key West Seafood
(nice seafood restaurant, well themed. Open 6pm-1am)
Los Angeles Bar and Grill
(upmarket Californian style restaurant; pizzas. Open
midday-3pm and 5.30pm-11pm)
The Steakhouse
(Chicago theme. Nice steaks, but expensive. Open 6pm-
midnight)
Sandwiches New York Style
(Manhattan Deli; nice for a late breakfast. Open 8am-1am)
Buffalo Bills Wild West Show
(Meal and Wild-West entertainment. Shows at 6.30pm &
9.30pm. See section 5.14 for more info)
Festival Disney Bars and Nightclubs:
Champion Sports Bar
(busy, crowded, fun atmosphere with sports theme; 15 TV
screens; outdoor seating area. Open 11am-1am)
Rock'n'Roll America Cafe
(live '50s rock'n'roll music, dancing & karaoke. Open 6pm-
1am)
Billy Bob's Country and Western Saloon
(elaborate three-level bar with a Texas country-and-western
theme & pool tables. Open 6pm-1am, Sundays 5pm-midnight)
Hurricanes Nightclub
(late-opening nightclub. There is an entrance charge, but
it's free for resort hotel residents. Open 11pm-5am)
3.5 Hotels
The Euro Disney resort complex has six main hotels plus a
campsite/log-cabin area which is a little way away from the park.
A free minibus service links the six main hotels to Festival
Disney and the park itself. Staying off-site may be considerably
cheaper if you look for budget accommodation in or around Paris
(or maybe try the Novotel in Marne-la-Vallee) but do try to find
time for a stroll around Lake Disney and pop into some of the
hotels and shops while you're there.
The resort hotels generally feature rooms with twin double beds or
one King-size bed (confirm details when booking), en-suite
shower/bathroom, TV, etc. A variety of TV channels are available
in several languages, plus a Disney movie channel and two in-house
information channels telling you about the park in four languages.
Hotel check-in is from 3pm, check-out before 11am. There are
storage facilities for your luggage if you wish to arrive or
depart outside of those times.
Each hotel has at least one themed restaurant, but beware long
queues during peak periods, especially at the larger hotels.
See section 1.3 for current hotel prices.
Hotel Disneyland (Four star)
Actually the smallest hotel on site, but by far the most
luxurious. Even if you don't stay here, pay a visit and soak
up the atmosphere in the massive entrance lobby, or
experience the relaxing lounge bars and restaurants upstairs,
overlooking Main Street. Character breakfasts are available
at this hotel.
Situated over the entrance to the park, the very best rooms
(known as Castle Club rooms) have a wonderful view right down
Main Street to the castle. If you can afford it, stay here,
right in the heart of the magic. Kids will love it! Very
highly Recommended.
* 500 "fairytale" rooms (inc 21 suites and 11 rooms for the
handicapped)
* Rooms have mini-bar and air conditioning
* Indoor heated pool with whirlpool and saunas (free)
* Health club
* Mad Hatter games room
* Laundry and dry cleaning service
* Baby-sitting service in room
* Main Street Cocktail Lounge (overlooks the park)
* Three restaurants:
Cafe Fantasia (great for breakfast)
Inventions (wonderful buffet-style eating. Recommended)
California Grill
* "Character meals" and "Birthday Cake character meals"
* Shop: Galerie Mickey
Hotel New York (Four star)
Situated on Lake Disney, just past the Festival Disney
complex, this is the second-closest hotel to the park (5-10
minutes walk). Themed on the 1930's New York skyline, this
hotel has a very 'art deco' feel to it. It has a lot in
common with the Walt Disney World Swan/Dolphin resorts (not
surprising; same designer). Very plush, but rather cold and
lacking in Disney charm. Remember to request a lakeside view.
Adjoins a large conference centre.
Note: each room contains a 'Minitel' terminal. This is the
France Telecom personal comms system, originally designed to
provide all their customers with up-to-date directory
information without the need to print new phone books every
year. These days the system is much expanded to provide
access to information services, shopping and booking systems,
etc. There is also a link which allows users to send internet
e-mail, for which the access code is "3614 CALVACOM". The
Minitel hardware is a very slow and antiquated by modern
comms standards, and there is an hourly charge for using it.
* 574 rooms (inc 36 suites and 13 rooms for the handicapped)
* Rooms have Minitel terminals, mini-bar and air conditioning
* Indoor & outdoor heated pools
* Health club
* Two tennis courts
* "Rockefeller" open-air skating rink (winter only); often
features weekend skating sessions with Disney characters
* Beauty salon/barbers shop
* Times Square games room
* Laundry and dry cleaning service
* Baby-sitting service in room
* Convention Centre
* Bar/Lounges: Manhattan Jazz Club, 57th Street Bar, Pool Bar
* Restaurant: Parkside Diner
* Shop: Stock Exchange
Newport Bay Club (Three star)
Themed after a turn-of-the-century New England resort, the
Newport Bay Club is also on the shores of Lake Disney, about
10-15 minutes walk from the park. Some rooms sleep six.
Remember to request a lakeside view. One of the quieter, more
romantic hotels, with great atmosphere. Recommended.
* 1098 rooms (inc 15 suites and 23 rooms for the handicapped)
* Rooms have mini-bar and air conditioning
* Indoor & outdoor heated pools
* Health club
* Croquet Field
* Children's Playground
* Sea Horse Club games room
* Laundry and dry cleaning service
* Baby-sitting service in room
* Bar/Lounge: Fisherman's Wharf
* Two restaurants: Yacht Club and Cape Cod
* Shop: Bay Boutique
Sequoia Lodge (Three star)
Themed on a Rocky Mountain hunters' lodge, this hotel is
located beside Lake Disney. Five separate accommodation
blocks spread out from the main building, so you might prefer
to request rooms in the main lodge, perhaps with a lakeside
view. The roaring log fire in the lounge area would be great
in winter. About 10-15 minutes walk from the park.
Recommended, especially if you've got kids.
* 1011 rooms (inc 14 suites and 21 rooms for the handicapped)
* Rooms have mini-bar and air conditioning
* Indoor & outdoor heated pools with slides, etc.
* Health club
* Children's Playground
* Kit Carson's Arcade Game Room
* Laundry and dry cleaning service
* Redwood Bar and Lounge
* Two restaurants: Hunter's Grill and Beaver Creek Tavern
* Shop: Northwest Passage
Hotel Cheyenne (Two star)
Inventively themed as a wild west town, the hotel rooms are
located in dozens of out-buildings so you might find yourself
sleeping above the 'bank' or 'saloon'. Great for the kids;
the only site hotel which features rooms with bunk beds. No
pool. 15-20 minutes walk from park.
* 1000 rooms (inc 21 rooms for the handicapped)
* All rooms have one double and two bunk beds
* Rooms have mini-bar
* Fort Apache and The Coral children's playgrounds
* Nevada games room
* Baby-sitting service in room
* Laundry and dry cleaning service
* Bar/Lounge: Red Garter Saloon
* Restaurant: Chuck Wagon Cafe (9 themed 'food stores' laid
out along the town's main street).
* Shop: General Store
Hotel Santa Fe (Two star)
The cheapest and most basic hotel, supposedly with a New
Mexico theme. This doesn't quite work, and it looks more like
an unfinished building site - and the entrance driveway is
incredibly tacky, albeit intentionally in places. Guest
accommodation is spread out from the main reception building
in 42 'pueblos'. No pool. 15-20 minutes walk from park.
Avoid, unless you're on a real shoestring budget (or you're
desperate to see the erupting volcano, or the drive-in movie
screen)
Report from Roy Turner (rtu...@netcom.com): It is a bit
plain, not fancy at all, but the rooms are fine. Easy walk to
the park, or there is a shuttle. There is only one on-site
food facility, which is themed as (guess what) southwest
'Mexican' food. We ate there several times, and got real
tired of it. There are only a few items on the menu. But all
in all, it was good value for the money (compared to the rest
of the hotels).
* 1000 rooms (inc 21 rooms for the handicapped)
* Rooms have mini-bar
* Totem Circle Children's Playground ("Anasaki Ruins")
* Pow Wow games room
* Baby-sitting service in room
* Laundry and dry cleaning service
* Bar/Lounge: Rio Grade Bar
* Restaurant: La Cantina
* Shop: Trading Post
Davy Crockett Ranch
About 15 minutes drive from the park, the campsite is themed
as a wilderness hideaway. The 4 or 6 person log cabins (do
make sure you specify which you need) have all the luxuries
of home, though. Great activities for the kids, but too far
away from the park to consider if you don't have a car.
Report from Olav Geisser (Fidonet 2:246/1401.52): Davy
Crockett Ranch is located in a very nice forest and each
bungalow is equipped with everything you need: Outside there
is a grill and a wooden table, with connectors for
electricity and water for a caravan. Inside the bungalow it's
better equipped than usual apartments in Europe! We had a
coffee maker, microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator with
prepared ice inside the freezer, and every kind of kitchen
utensil. At the check-in we received a 'welcome basket' which
contained coffee, tee, milk, sugar and a packet of cookies.
Report from Ian Parkinson (I.W.Pa...@bms.salford.ac.uk):
The on-site shop (Alamo Trading Post) was extremely expensive
for day-to-day groceries - prices were up to three times what
we would normally pay in England! Far better to go to the
supermarket about ten minutes drive away. Called INTERMARCHE,
it is in the town of Montevain. From the camp, take the first
exit at the roundabout, following the signs for Lagny. After
about three miles, turn right at the crossroads, signposted
Montevain. The supermarket is on the other side of the town,
which is quite a small place. The supermarket is very similar
to English ones in terms of size, layout, food range, and
most importantly, price. Typical comparison; Cornflakes FF 8
here, FF 18 on-site. Their service station also sells the
cheapest petrol in the area.
Matt Robinson (Ma...@machine.demon.co.uk) comments: The thing
I liked the most was when we arrived we were given a "welcome
basket" which was very considerate. It contained 2 french
sticks (baguettes), leaflets, noodles, and other stuff - a
full meal for at least 5 people, and we were only 3.
Bicycle/etc rentals are available:
Adult: FF 35 per day (FF 150 deposit)
Child: FF 25 per day (FF 150 deposit)
Quad (4 seater): FF 85 per day (FF ??? deposit)
Electric Golf Cart: FF 150 day (FF 1000 deposit)
* 181 camp sites and 414 cabins for 4 to 6 people
* All cabins feature bath, TV, telephone, heating and daily
housekeeping service
* 4-person cabins have one double bed and a fold-away bed in
the living area. 6-person cabins additionally contain twin
bunk beds
* Kitchenette area: cooker, oven, fridge/freezer, microwave,
dishwasher, plus an outdoor BBQ grill
* Comfort stations with shower, laundry, etc.
* Excellent large indoor heated pool with slides, river,
whirlpool, etc - by the far the best pool at the resort.
* Outdoor tennis courts and sports fields
* Davy's farm, with pony rides
* Computer Games room
* Bicycle and minicar rentals
* Restaurant: Crockett's Tavern
* Shop: Alamo Trading Post
============================================================================
4 Common Questions and Answers
4.1 What are the opening hours and prices?
See sections 1.1 - 1.4 above.
4.2 Contact Numbers and Addresses?
Note: The park appears to be in the process of rationalising its
various telephone numbers at the moment, so some of the following
may now be out of date. If in doubt, please ring the main Guest
Relations number, (+33 1) 64 74 30 00.
Note: "+" represents your own international dialling code. From
the UK, for example, replace "+" with "00".
"Disneyland Paris Direct" local booking offices:
UK/Eire: 01733 335565 / 335567
Netherlands: 06-0789
(or 06-022 32 31, toll-free to Paris)
Germany: 06196-5980
Sweden: 020 795 555
Denmark/Finland/ (+33 1) 60 30 60 70
Norway
Belgium: 0800 19 191
France: (1) 60 30 60 30
USA: (407) 934 7639
Disney Travel Centre: 0171 287 1819 (Disney Store, London)
Fax: 0171 434 0663
Central Reservations:
Euro Disney S.C.A.
Reservation Centrale
Boite Postale 105
F-77777 Marne-la-Vallee, Cedex 4
France
Operators are available (daily, 8am-8pm) in the following
languages:
New direct numbers: (+33 1) 60 30 50 10 (to be confirmed)
(+33 1) 60 30 60 53 (English speaking)
(+33 1) 64 74 40 00
Austrian (+33 1) 49 41 49 95
Belgian (+33 1) 49 41 49 35
(French & Flemmish)
Danish (+33 1) 49 41 49 20
Dutch (+33 1) 60 30 60 26
English (+33 1) 49 41 49 10
Finnish (+33 1) 49 41 49 75
French (+33 1) 49 41 49 41
German (+33 1) 49 41 49 90
Irish (+33 1) 49 41 49 15
Italian (+33 1) 49 41 49 30
Norwegian (+33 1) 49 41 49 50
Portuguese (+33 1) 49 41 49 65
Spanish (+33 1) 49 41 49 60
Swedish (+33 1) 49 41 49 70
Swiss (+33 1) 49 41 49 25
(French & Swiss-German)
By FAX (+33 1) 60 30 60 65
By Telex 232 642
232 647
Ticket Sales:
Euro Disney S.C.A.
Service Tickets
Boite Postale 103
F-77777 Marne-la-Vallee, Cedex 4
France
Tel: (+33 1) 64 74 43 03
Conference Bookings, etc:
Euro Disney S.C.A.
Ventes, Groupes et Congres
Boite Postale 100
F-77777 Marne-la-Vallee, Cedex 4
France
Tel: (+33 1) 49 32 46 73
Fax: (+33 1) 49 32 46 62
Park Information:
Guest Relations (+33 1) 64 74 30 00
(direct line to City Hall, just inside the park)
Annual Passport Info (+33 1) 64 74 27 62
(smaller Guest Relations office - outside the park, to the
far right of the entrance turnstile area)
First Aid Centre (+33 1) 64 74 23 00
(adjacent to Plaza Gardens Restaurant, Central Plaza)
Lost Children (+33 1) 64 74 24 00
(adjacent to Plaza Gardens Restaurant, Central Plaza)
Lost Property (+33 1) 64 74 25 00
(City Hall, Town Square, just inside the park)
Baby Care Centre (+33 1) 64 74 26 00
(adjacent to Plaza Gardens Restaurant, Central Plaza)
Animal Care Centre (+33 1) 64 74 28 73
(near to guest parking area)
Buffalo Bill's Show (+33 1) 60 45 71 00
(Festival Disney; ticket office open 9am-10pm)
Golf Reservations (+33 1) 60 45 69 19
Tourist Information and Excursion bookings:
Maison du Tourisme d'Ile de France - Seine et Marne
Festival Disney
F-77705 Marne-la-Vallee, Cedex 4
France
Tel: (+33 1) 60 43 33 33
Fax: (+33 1) 60 43 74 95
Magic Kingdom Club:
UK: 0171 605 2842 / 0171 605 2843
(Heather Sheeran)
France: (+33 1) 64 74 51 00
France (fax): (+33 1) 49 32 47 80 (maybe out of date)
Germany: (+49) 6196 595 09
Germany (fax): (+49) 6196 595 980
(+49) 6196 595 990
Magic Kingdom Club Travel Centre:
Contact your local 'Disneyland Paris Direct' number, or in
France you can phone (1) 49 41 49 21
If you're interested in working at Disneyland Paris, apply to:
Disneyland Paris Casting
Euro Disney S.C.A.
G'erant: Euro Disney S.A.
Boite Postale 110
F-77777 Marne-la-Vallee, Cedex 4
France
For Press Information, contact:
Paris: (+33 1) 64 74 54 02
London: 0171 605 2845
For Financial Information, contact:
Investor Relations Department
Euro Disney S.C.A.
Boite Postale 100
F-77777 Marne-la-Vallee, Cedex 4
France
Euro Disney S.C.A. Management Personnel:
Philippe Bourguignon President/Director General
Stephen B. Burke Director General
Bertrand Gaillochet Director General of Marketing and Sales
Dominique Cocquet Secretary General
Jean-Luc Choplin Artistic Director
Xavier de Mezerac Financial Director
Michel Perchet Director of Cast Members (Employment)
Christian Perdrier Director of Hotels, Disneyland Paris
Malcolm Ross Park Director, Disneyland Paris
4.3 Guide Books?
There is one Official guide published by (or on behalf of) Disney.
There are also a number of unofficial guides, of which the most
authoritative and informative is probably Sehlinger's, closely
followed by the Mainstream guide. I've added some short personal
comments, but obviously I haven't had a chance to try out every
one. If you've got anything to add to this section, please feel
free to send a brief review.
Title: Euro Disney Resort, Paris: The Guide
Author: Collective (BOOKMAKER)
Publisher: Harmsworth Magazines
ISBN: 0-85144-671-X
Format: Large paperback (stiff cover) 157 pages
Price: UKP 5.99
Comments: This official Disney guide is available
in four languages (English, French,
Italian and German). The guide was
printed to be ready for the park's
opening, and is thus now quite out of
date. Many photos inside are either
heavily altered to mask out signs of
construction work, or not of the Paris
park at all.
Title: The Unofficial Guide to Euro Disneyland
Author: Bob Sehlinger
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 0-340-57475-5
Format: Large paperback, 276 pages, no photos
Price: UKP 8.99
Comments: Very informative, although it does get
rather bogged down in techniques for
avoiding queues on the rides, and thus
you could miss out on the fun of the
place. Some adequate maps, no photos.
Highly recommended, but don't always
follow it too religiously.
Title: Euro Disney: The Mainstream Unofficial
Guide
Author: Tania Alexander
Publisher: Mainstream Publishing
ISBN: 1-85158-513-3
Format: Normal paperback, 271 pages, no photos
Price: UKP 5.99
Comments: Excellent compromise between the
sycophancy of the Official Guide and
the 'war-plan' of Sehlinger. It does
contain touring plans, but the emphasis
is more on what attractions are fun,
and what can be missed. No photos, and
it needs more maps, but otherwise
highly recommended.
Title: Essential Euro Disney Resort
Author: Lindsay Hunt
Publisher: AA Publishing
ISBN: 0-7495-0520-6
Format: Tall-thin paperback, 128 pages
Price: UKP 3.99
Comments: More of a tourist guide (in the Berlitz
sense) giving ratings of what's
available at the park, but little help
in seeing it all. Good maps and some
nice photos.
Title: Berlitz Pocket Guide: Euro Disney
Resort
Author: Berlitz staff writers
Publisher: Berlitz Publishing Co.
ISBN: 2-8315-2210-2
Format: Pocket sized, 128 pages, fold-out maps
Price: UKP 4.95 (first edition was UKP 3.95)
Comments: Fairly superficial, but easy to carry
around. Contains mostly old (i.e. pre-
opening) photos. Make sure you get the
second edition (with the fold-out maps
on the inside covers).
Title: Michelin Plan-Guide: Euro Disney Resort
Author: n/a
Publisher: Pneu Michelin
ISBN: 2-06-701-271-1
Format: Fold-open one-sheet map/guide
Price: UKP 2.25 (free from some travel
companies)
Comments: Excellent maps of the whole resort and
surrounding areas. Locates all of the
restaurants, shops, hotels, etc. Highly
recommended as a souvenir map/guide in
addition to Sehlinger or the Mainstream
guide. Some nice photos, but only in
more recent editions; older versions
used artwork. Covers much the same
ground as the free booklet given out at
the park entrance.
Title: Michelin Guide: Euro Disney Resort,
Sightseeing in the Area
Author: n/a
Publisher: Pneu Michelin
ISBN: 2-06-701481-1
Format: Tall paperback, 157 pages
Price: UKP 6.95
Comments: Around 60% of the book covers the park
and hotels, with the rest devoted to
Paris and the surrounding areas. Some
good maps, but once again all of the
photos and illustrations are old (pre-
opening) views.
Title: Fodor's Euro Disney
Editor: Paula Consolo
Publisher: Fodor
ISBN: 0-679-02290-2
Format: Tall paperback, 203 pages, no photos
Price: UKP 8.99
Comments: Forget. There are only about 40 pages
applicable to the park, much of which
is out of date. The rest is about Paris
and the surrounding area (most of which
is culled from their existing Paris
guidebook). If, however, you plan to
spend a lot of your time in Paris, this
guide book could be useful.
Title: Marco Polo Euro Disney
Author: Odile Perrard
Publisher: Hachette Guides de Voyage
ISBN: 2-01-01887-99 (French version)
Format: Pocket-sized paperback, 96 pages
Price: $4.95 (US) (free from some travel
companies)
Comments: French guide. Contains nice detailed
descriptions of Disneyland USA with
only minor modifications to reflect the
French operation, plus background
information on Disney and relevant
American history. Includes colour
photographs - the second edition even
includes some photos taken at
Disneyland Paris!
Also available in German (from Mairs
Geographischer Verlag), and in Dutch
(from M&P Uitgeverij bv).
4.4 How To Get There?
By Air:
Paris has two airports: Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly. Most
international visitors will fly into CDG. Both airports operate
shuttle buses directly to the Euro Disney resort complex. Each
airport has several terminal buildings, and the bus pick-up points
are all clearly labelled.
CDG Terminal 1: Go to Departure Level (downstairs) Gate 30
CDG Terminals 2A and 2C: Use Gate A-11 or C-1
CDG Terminals 2B and D: Use Gate D-11
Orly South (International): Use Gate C, Level 0
Orly West (Domestic): Use Gate K, Platform 7
The shuttle buses run at 45 minute intervals starting at 8.30am
and continuing until around 8pm. The Monday, Friday and Sunday
service from CDG runs every 30 minutes until 10.30pm. The ride
takes 30-45 minutes from either airport, and tickets cost FF 75
per person (one way). Tickets can be purchased from the airport
Information desk, from your Travel Agent, or on the buses
themselves. Taxis are also available, but they will cost you
around FF 300.
The buses serve all of the resort hotels, and the main gate and
railway station, but not the Davy Crockett Ranch. The drop-off
points are at approximately five minute intervals at: Newport Bay
Club, Sequoia Lodge, Santa Fe, Cheyenne, New York, Disneyland, and
finally the Railway Station/Main Gate. Pick-ups operate in the
reverse order.
By Road:
Note: Major roads in France have both a local Autoroute (A) number
and a newer Euroroute (E) designation.
For ferry travellers (or Channel Tunnel passengers from England)
driving from Calais: Take the A26 through St. Omer toward Arras.
From Arras, take the A1 (aka E15, or "autoroute du nord") heading
south toward Paris. Turn off at exit 6, after Charles de Gaulle
airport, onto the A104 ("la Francilienne"). This takes you to the
A4 (aka E50, or "autoroute de l'est"), which you should follow in
the Reims direction (see below). Tolls will cost you around FF 95
each way, and the total journey is about 328 km - a comfortable
3.5 hours drive.
UK visitors may want to call the AA Roadwatch premium-rate
information line for Disneyland Paris on 0836 401400.
From the south/west, take the A6 (aka E05, or "autoroute du sud")
or A10 (aka E15, or "L'Aquitaine") toward Paris. Before you reach
Paris, turn off onto the N104 ("la Francilienne") heading
north/east. This will connect you to the A4 (aka E50, or
"autoroute de l'est"), which you should follow in the Reims
direction.
From the east, follow the A4 (aka E50, or "autoroute de l'est")
toward Paris, turning off the A4 at exit 14 for the park.
Travellers heading out from the Paris area should take the A4
Autoroute east toward Reims/Metz/Nancy (also known as the
"autoroute de l'est"). The park is about 32 km out of Paris (exit
14 from the A4) and is well signposted as "Parc Euro Disneyland"
or "Espace EuroDisney".
Note: The Davy Crockett Ranch is a short way away from the main
resort complex, on the other side of the A4, so watch out for the
separate signs (exit 13) if you're staying there. For all the
other hotels, follow the signs for the park itself.
Parking costs around 50 Francs per day. Parking is free for all
hotel guests, except for those staying at the Disneyland Hotel for
which there is a daily charge. All resort parking is free for
Annual Plus passport holders. Don't forget to make a note of where
you parked, the car park sections being named after Disney
characters: Alice, Bambi, Donald, Fleur, Jiminy, Minnie,
Pinocchio, Winnie and Tigger (the latter is used for coaches).
There is a moving walkway which takes you from the main (11,400
space) car park to the centre of the resort complex, next to the
railway station. There is also a picnic area nearby, and an Animal
Care Centre for boarding pets during your stay.
By Rail:
The TGV (high speed train) railway station at Disneyland Paris has
now been opened. This rail link connects Paris, Lyon and Lille,
and will eventually greatly improve access. Passengers from the UK
using the Channel Tunnel should change at Lille (not Paris) to
join the TGV for Charles de Gaulle airport and Disneyland Paris.
The current timetable provides about five trains per day.
There is also a local rail service from Paris, which takes about
40 minutes. If you're planning a one-day visit, you may want to
get a "Formule-1" Metro ticket, which is a day pass suitable for
all RER and Metro lines (see section 4.8).
Pick up the RER 'A' line from any station on the A4 route (make
sure you get on an A4 line train, not A2). Suitable stations
within the central Paris Metro area are:
La Defense (business district)
Charles de Gaulle-Etoile (Arc de Triomphe)
Auber (Opera)
Chatelet-Les Halles (central Paris)
Gare de Lyon (major TGV train station)
Nation (major plaza)
Ensure that you are headed in the direction for Marne-la-
Vallee/Chessy, and that the illuminated signs indicate that the
train actually stops at Marne-la-Vallee/Chessy (some trains
terminate before then, or fork off on a different route; avoid
trains with the destination 'Boissy'). Note: the last train back
to Paris is probably just after midnight.
The Marne-la-Vallee/Chessy station is located between Festival
Disney and the park entrance, a couple of minutes walk from the
main gate. Turn right after exiting the station building.
4.5 Attractions that no other park has?
The following are currently unique to Disneyland Paris:
Liberty & Discovery Arcades, with Statue of Liberty Tableau
(see section 5.1)
Adventure Isle (see section 5.7)
La Taniere du Dragon (see section 5.8)
Le Theatre du Chateau (see section 5.8)
Alice's Curious Labyrinth (see section 5.9)
Le Visionarium (similar shows are now open at TDL and WDW)
(see section 5.11)
Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril (see section 5.6)
Les Mysteres du Nautilus (see section 5.12)
Space Mountain [Jules Verne style] (see section 5.13)
Buffalo Bills Wild West Show (see section 5.14)
Disneyland Paris does not have the following attractions/rides
found in other Disney 'Magic Kingdom' parks:
Jungle Cruise
Enchanted Tiki Birds
Country Bear Jamboree
Splash Mountain
Hall of Presidents
Mr Toad's Wild Ride
Mickey's Starland
Carousel of Progress
Alien Encounter
Skyway
20,000 Leagues Voyage/Yellow Submarine Voyage
People Mover
Fantasmic
4.6 Comparisons between rides?
This is difficult to assess without more experience of all the
parks. Please e-mail any differences you have noted. See section 5
for more information on specific rides.
Pirates of the Caribbean is in a slightly different format to the
other parks. The audio-animatronics are noticeably better.
Features two splash-drops.
The Swiss Family Tree House (Cabane des Robinson) is more
elaborate at Disneyland Paris.
Phantom Manor is similar, but on a wild-west theme and the
storyline is better. The narration is all in French.
Space Mountain is a 'whole new ride'; the similarities begin and
end with the name and the fact that it is an indoor roller coaster
ride. The Paris version is far better than any of its namesakes in
the other parks.
Most of the other standard rides (e.g. Peter Pan) are pretty much
identical between the different parks. Orbitron is at ground level
(all the others are raised up). Small World has a different
layout; instead of being a series of rooms it's one big room with
the scenery partitioning it (giving a more open atmosphere).
Captain EO is still in English, except for the two-line
introduction, but the CineMagique theatre is perhaps an
improvement on its predecessors.
4.7 What language do they use?
The park's official languages are French and English, and signs
are multilingual, as are the guidebooks. Hotel reception desks and
park information points should be able to attend you in French,
English, German, Spanish, Italian and now Dutch.
However, the simplest answer appears to be to use whatever
language you want! Cast members have flags on their name-tags
which should give you an indication of which languages they are
fluent in. When we [Tom] first arrived, we tried to use our meagre
French (poorly remembered from school). Unfortunately, the cast-
members would assume we were French and would rattle on to us in
French leaving us totally bewildered! We soon found it easier just
to speak in English. Note that this is exactly the opposite in
Paris where we found we were made far more welcome if we just
tried to make ourselves understood in French initially.
James Bohn (jb...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu, a former cast member at WDW)
noted: In my subjective opinion, the Cast Members are more
consistently friendly to more people than the other two parks.
Perhaps it's because there are fewer people to be nice to, or
perhaps they're fighting to keep the park afloat, who knows? One
problem with the Euro-Disneyland Cast Members in general is
language. Euro-Disney functions in French, English, German, and
Italian (Spanish seems to be ignored, perhaps because of its
similarity to Italian?). Euro-Disney Cast Members often know a
handful of key statements in all of these languages, but often
they haven't learned the 'polite' forms. Thus when getting off a
ride, a Cast Member may simply say "off", rather than "please step
out to your right".
4.8 Getting around Paris?
Generally, the Paris Metro transport system is safer, cleaner and
more reliable than most. A good Parisian guide book will give you
better details than I can here, but briefly:
A "Formule-1" Metro ticket costs FF 85 and allows you to travel
the Metro, local buses and RER all day. This can be bought at the
Disneyland Paris railway station and used to go anywhere in the
Paris area. If you plan to travel more, get a "Paris-Visite"
tourist ticket, which come in 3 or 5 day versions. You may need
your passport in order to buy this ticket.
Watch out for the direction that the trains run. Lines are
indicated by colour and a ringed number (or a letter plus a number
in the case of the RER lines). Train directions are given not as
North/South, but by listing the station at which the line
terminates. This can confuse some visitors.
Excursions to various places of local interest are available,
mostly departing from in front of the Hotel New York at 10am. Ask
at your hotel reception or at the French tourist office ("Maison
du Tourisme d'Ile de France - Seine et Marne") in Festival Disney
for more information or to book tickets. Prices vary, but most day
trips cost FF 315 for adults, or FF 150 for children.
4.9 How do I get discounts? (Magic Kingdom Club)
The Magic Kingdom Club is an ideal way for you and your family to
enjoy any of the Disney theme parks and Disney Stores worldwide at
reduced rates. You can also get discounts with Disney's preferred
travel companies, etc. MKC membership can save you a LOT of money,
so don't leave home without one!
Note: US Magic Kingdom Club cards are also valid for use at
Disneyland Paris, and vice-versa.
There are two ways to join the European Magic Kingdom Club:
Many large companies (300+ employees) provide corporate
memberships free of charge. Check with your personnel
department; if they aren't already involved, get them to get
in touch with one of the numbers below - it's free.
Individuals can take out their own memberships. For an annual
subscription, you'll get a Magic Kingdom Club Gold Card
(which gives you your discounts) plus a Membership Kit
consisting of a MKC tote bag, luggage tag, pin badge and key
ring. Application forms are available from any Disney Store,
or from the contact addresses below. The personal Gold Card
scheme is now co-ordinated from Disneyland-Paris itself; the
UK and German offices deal mainly with corporate memberships,
although they are still able to provide information to
individuals. Annual subscription currently costs UKP 22 from
the UK, DM 59 from Germany, and FF 200 in France. Payment is
accepted by Franc or Sterling cheques, as well as Visa,
Mastercard and Amex.
Whichever way you decide to join, or if you're already a member,
the following family benefits apply to holders of any Magic
Kingdom Club card:
10% discount on all theme park Passports (including Annual)
10% discount on purchases in all Disneyland Paris, Festival
Disney and Resort Hotel boutiques (officially there is a
lower limit of FF 100, but this is often waived)
10% discount on purchases in Disney Stores (except Germany)
8% discount on room and package rates at all resort hotels
Automatic upgrade to "Castle Club" floor when booking rooms
at the Disneyland Hotel (subject to availability; book early)
10% discount on admission to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
20% discount on the Green Fee at Golf Disneyland Paris
10% discount on P&O European Ferries
30% discount on car rentals from Europcar Interrent
In France, contact:
Euro Disney Magic Kingdom Club
Boite Postale 122
F-77777 Marne-la-Vallee, Cedex 4
France
Tel: (+33 1) 64 74 51 00
Fax: (+33 1) 49 32 47 80 (maybe out of date)
In England, contact:
Euro Disney Magic Kingdom Club
Beaumont House
Kensington Village
Avonmore Road
London
W14 8TS
England
Tel: 0171 605 2842 / 0171 605 2843
(Heather Sheeran)
In Germany, contact:
Euro Disney Magic Kingdom Club
Kolner Strasse 10
D-65760 Eschborn
Deutschland
Tel: (+49) 6196 595 09
Fax: (+49) 6196 595 980
(+49) 6196 595 990
4.10 Can I contact anyone at (or near) the park by e-mail?
At present, I don't know of anyone who works at Disneyland Paris
who is contactable by e-mail. Anyone out there reading this?
However, Disney & theme-park fan Jean-Marc Toussaint can be
contacted via his Compuserve account, 10043...@compuserve.com.
Jean-Marc lives 30 minutes away from the park and is a frequent
visitor. He is quite happy for people to get in touch with him for
up-to-the-minute information, but please do check that the info
you are requesting is not already in the FAQ first.
4.11 What DL-P souvenirs are available? Do they do Mail Order?
Obviously, as with any other Disney theme park, there are
thousands of opportunities to buy that 'special' souvenir to take
back home. It's impossible to list them all (especially the ever-
changing range of clothing) but here are a few collectible items
that are specific to Disneyland Paris.
You should be able to find most of these in The Storybook Store or
The Emporium in Town Square at the end of Main Street. You can
also order by mail from the park, but overseas shipping and
handling charges are exorbitant. For example, at the end of 1994
the handling and airmail charges to the US were 150 Francs for
orders valued at less than 300 Francs, and 300 Francs for orders
over 300 Francs.
"Euro Disneyland": Thin-ish paperback book giving a basic
tour of the park, with plenty of good (recent) photos.
Available in four languages.
"Euro Disney": Large format hardback book (purple cover). A
more detailed (and more collectible) tour of the park and
hotels, but very out-of-date photographically. Some pictures
are not even of Disneyland Paris, and others are artists
impressions. When this book is updated with new photos it
will be a 'must-have', at which point the current one will
surely become a collector's item. Available in four
languages.
Euro Disney wall map: This is great; a full colour artwork
wall map of the park, with all the attractions, shops and
restaurants listed. Includes recent rides such an Indiana
Jones and Space Mountain, but these are shown as forthcoming
attractions.
CDs/tapes: "Euro Disney: C'est Magique", "Euro Disney: Feel
the Magic": These contain the soundtrack of the "C'est
Magique" stage show which used to play at the Fantasy
Festival Stage (similar to the "Disney World is Your World"
and "Disneyland is Your Land" shows in the US parks). They
include pop versions of many of the pieces of music used in
attractions around the park. Available in English or French,
but note that the English version does not contain the
overture.
Disneyland Paris 1995 Calendar: Pleasant wall-hanging
calendar. Each page features a photo from La Parade Disney,
plus some nice background line-art from a Disney film. The
text is trilingual (English, French and German).
"Souvenirs: Memories of an unforgettable adventure": 28
minute souvenir video tape, available in four languages.
PAL/SECAM (possibly NTSC too, for North American visitors?).
To be honest, it would have been better named "an
unforgivable adventure", as this tape is very forgettable
indeed. An appalling, dreadfully dubbed, generic family
remember their trip to Disneyland Paris. Some nice shots, but
much of the tape is marred by having this sickly bunch
obstructing your view all the time. It's not even in stereo.
For the princely sum of 149 Francs, I'd have expected a lot
better - an awful lot better.
4.12 What's the weather like? When should I visit?
Disneyland-Paris is promoted as an all-year-round attraction, but
even the most ardent Europhiles would be hard-pressed to find a
visit in the middle of Winter as pleasant as one in peak summer.
Some of the food outlets and attractions will be closed, and the
weather will very likely be wet, windy and rather cold (the
temperature can easily be sub-zero). On the plus side, of course,
winter attendance is lower (expect during the Christmas/New year
weeks, which are packed) so queues are very much shorter.
It's hard to say exactly the best time to visit, since European
weather patterns are not very predictable. Probably the best
periods to choose would be May/June or September/October if you
want reasonable weather while still avoiding the busiest school
holiday periods, or July/August if you want the best guarantee of
good weather but don't mind queuing!
The park's designers have made every effort to enable you to enjoy
your visit even if the weather is poor, even down to choosing
colour schemes that will show up as well against dull grey clouds
as they will against blue skies (for example, the pinks and
blue/greens of the castle). You can get from the main gate to
Frontierland, and then on to Adventureland and Fantasyland,
completely under cover. Most of the attractions are indoors, with
fairly well-sheltered queuing areas. Some, of course, are
unavoidably in the open - such as Big Thunder Mountain, the
Indiana Jones ride, Alice's Curious Labyrinth, Orbitron, etc.
Graham Allan (gra...@netcom.com) comments: Seeing the park for
Christmas was very nice, but it was freezing cold (snow on the
ground, too). I would hesitate to recommend going at this time of
year, especially on weekends when there might be a crowd -
standing in lines in sub-zero temperatures was not pleasant!
However, there were loads of walk-arounds out in the park on the
Monday morning (when the park was dead). Many more than one would
normally see at DL or WDW at one time.
It may be worth noting that the local French school holidays are
normally as follows:
Autumn (Fall): Last week in October
Christmas: A week before Christmas until just
after New Year.
Winter: Mid-February to start of March
Easter: Two/three weeks starting at Easter
Summer: Early July to mid-September
4.13 Any other tips for avoiding the worst of the queues?
First, check section 4.12 on when to visit the park. Seasonal
changes will make a big difference as to how much you can do
during your time there. Whenever you decide to go, if you want to
get as much done in one day as possible, make sure you arrive a
little while before opening time and buy your entrance passes so
that you can go straight in when the gates open. You can also
purchase one, two and three-day entrance passes in advance at any
Disney Store in Europe.
Move immediately to the most popular rides. These include Big
Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones, Star Tours, Phantom Manor, Peter
Pan and the new Space Mountain. Try to go against the main flow of
people, which usually means working in the opposite direction to
the order given in the free Guidebook.
Some rides, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World
and Le Visionarium, may look like they have longer queues but they
actually load pretty quickly so you won't find yourself waiting
too long.
Watch the parades (if you wish to see them) from their starting
points. As soon as the last float as gone by, head for a normally-
busy ride (perhaps Star Tours?) while the rest of the crowd is
still watching the parade. If you are spending several days in the
park, watch the parades on your first day, and if you find you
don't want to see them again, use that time to do the rides. This
is especially true of the Electrical Parade, during which time
most of the rides are pretty much deserted. For example, in peak
August 1994 I did Star Tours, Pirates of the Caribbean, Snow White
and Pinocchio as walk-ons between 10pm and 10.45pm during the
parade. Don't forget that you won't easily be able to cross the
Parade route once it has started.
If visiting during the shorter off-peak days (10am-6pm), check
whether Main Street is going to be open late (mainly Saturdays or
Sundays), which would allow you to do rides during the day and
then spend a couple of hours shopping in Main Street before you
leave.
If you are planning on splurging on one good meal during an off-
peak visit, check whether the Inventions Restaurant at the
Disneyland Hotel is open on the evening you're there, and eat
there after the park itself has closed. Otherwise you'll take a
big chunk out of your day by eating at Walt's, or one of the
others inside the gates.
4.14 Are there any net sites containing photos of Disneyland-Paris?
Yes, the World Wide Web site which stores this FAQ also contains a
series of full-colour JPEG photos of various aspects of the park.
All of the unique attractions are featured, plus many other
details such as shows, parades, hotels, a colour map, and several
other images.
The URL for the official DL-P FAQ & Photos www site is:
http://www.informatik.tu-muenchen.de/~schaffnr/etc/disney/
If anyone would like to volunteer some disk space to make these
pictures available by FTP too, please let me know.
You could also try another WWW site, maintained by
ste...@rhythm.com, which contains images from the park, plus other
stuff such as the script of Phantom Manor. The URL is:
http://www.rhythm.com/~stevez/euroDisney.hmtl
============================================================================
5 More details of specific attractions
(Personal reports from park visitors are welcome)
5.1 Liberty Arcade, Discovery Arcade, Statue of Liberty Tableau
[report by Tom Drynda]
These arcades form the back entrances to shops and restaurants in
Main Street. Liberty Arcade is also a useful covered route to
Frontierland during poor weather. Very pleasant turn of the
century style interiors with gas lamps and lots of interesting
displays of inventions and curios of both American and French (but
mainly American) origin. The Statue of Liberty Tableau is a small
display on how France gave the Statue of Liberty to America. Dull.
5.2 Walt's Restaurant [report by Tom Drynda]
This restaurant is a must for serious Disneyphiles. It is packed
full of interesting memorabilia, and various restaurant rooms are
themed to the lands in the park. You also get quite a good view of
Main Street from upstairs at Walt's.
The restaurant is L shaped, with the entrance being on the corner
of Main Street and Flower Street. Incidentally, for Disneyphiles
only, the address of the restaurant is the same as the address of
the Imagineering workshops in Glendale, California (1401 Flower
Street). According to the official guide book, the logo with the
initials W.D. appearing on the gas lamps, some furniture, and
windows was designed for the balcony of Walt's apartment in
Disneyland. Also, there is a tin plate in the pavement across the
street from Walt's which says "Elias Disney, 1901 contractor". So,
the story should be that the turn-of-the-century Main street was
built in the year Walt was born, with his father as the
contractor.
There are two floors in the restaurant (ground and upstairs). The
ground-floor rooms are just elegant rooms surrounded by Disney
memorabilia. The upstairs rooms have separate themes linked to the
different lands. Some rooms have separate tables catering for
couples or families. Other rooms have just a single banqueting
table clearly catering for larger parties (conference guests,
VIP's, etc.).
When you enter the restaurant the whole feel of the place seems to
be that of a luxury apartment or hotel (or maybe even restaurant!)
in Paris at the turn of the century.
The entrance lobby is quite interesting, containing hand carved
wooden furniture and nice stained glass. To the left is what I'd
imagine is the Maitre d's desk which is interesting in itself. It
has one of those spring-loaded message-passing systems. For the
technical persons among you, this is the system where you plonk
the message in a box, yank a handle, and the box containing the
message whangs up through the ceiling to the upstairs desk and
vice-versa. The message-whanging system is very ornate in heavy
scrolled brass.
Ahead of you are the lift and the stairs. The lift is what really
gives the impression of a turn-of-the-century Paris interior. It
is constructed (or appears to be constructed) in ornate black cast
iron scroll work with multi-coloured stained-glass windows. The
lift is fully functional.
The upstairs rooms are themed, as mentioned before, to coincide
with the various lands in the park. The rooms have to be seen to
be believed. I will not describe them fully here as I wouldn't be
able to do them justice. However, they are as follows:
A Gothic style room represents Fantasyland.
An Edwardian style library represents Frontierland and is
supposed to be a library in a western mansion. A number of
indian/cowboy-on-a-horse sculptures can be seen to enforce
this.
One corner of a large room is draped as though in a fine
Arabian tent and is clearly supposed to represent
Adventureland.
Probably the most detailed room was Captain Nemo's room. See
this. I cannot describe it. This represents Discoveryland.
5.3 Phantom Manor [extended report by Regan B. Pederson]
Phantom Manor is absolutely, positively, definitely, my favourite
theme park attraction. They did everything right here. The Haunted
Mansion (at DL or WDW) is number 3, behind Star Tours.
The name change is perfect. At DL and WDW, all the guests call the
Haunted Mansion the Haunted House. Now, at DL-P, when they are
wrong they are at least completely wrong! Phantom Manor is an
original name that belongs to an original house. The greatest
improvement from the Haunted Mansions is the music. Even as much
as I love the original Grim Grinning Ghosts, Disney worked some of
it's greatest magic here. Grim Grinning Ghosts was re-
orchestrated, slowed down, romanced, dignified, changed in the
most wonderful ways, and re-recorded in several different versions
for different sections of the ride's interior and exterior (yes,
you can finally hear the music outside in the waiting area).
You'll forget that it really is the tune of Grim Grinning Ghosts,
until you get to the singing busts.
Phantom Manor is in Frontierland, and they made it so it really
does fit in. The house exterior is again totally different. They
did well in making it intriguing but not blatantly haunted. It
looks like an old western house that is seriously dilapidated.
The Manor 'yard' is something to see in itself. Like the house it
looks like it was very beautiful at one time, but nobody's taken
care of it. There's a gazebo, plant holders, lots of nice stairs &
structure, all meant to look like it was really nice and lavish at
one point in time. The queue winds through part of it, and there
is a very large sheltered waiting area with a fountain in the
middle. The entire 'yard' is (of course) built on a hill and the
house sits on top.
You finally get up to the deck surrounding the house and walk
around to the front doors (this is a concept that was lost at the
Haunted Mansion at WDW). When you get inside the foyer, Phantom
Manor finally begins to resemble the Haunted Mansions. There's the
chandelier with cobwebs and the two doors into the stretch rooms.
Otherwise, the decor is still very different. It's very antique
western. There is a small mirror in-between the two doors. When
the Phantom starts speaking, you can see a picture of the bride in
the mirror.
By the way, Paul Frees died before he could play the voice of the
Phantom. I don't know who does it now, but you only hear the
Phantom speak (entirely in French) in the entrance foyer, in the
stretch room, and a little bit in the portrait hall. There is no
spoken dialogue during the ride itself. Due to language barriers,
and the fact that the scenes are so great and the music so well-
done, I think it's good that they don't have much spoken sound.
Incidentally, Vincent Price did the original Phantom narration in
English, but it was quickly replaced after the French complained.
Thankfully, the voice of Paul Frees has been retained in Phantom
Manor: the Imagineers edited together some of his original `Ghost
Host' script and he now speaks through the mouth of the mayor of
Phantom Canyon, who has a habit of losing his head.
It's interesting to note that the floor design of the ride is
almost identical to Disneyland. The elevator has rightfully
returned to the stretch room (yes, you do really go down at
Disneyland Paris). There is also the tunnel where the changing
pictures have been returned (these were left out in Florida). The
'basement' is actually dug into the hill, with the tunnel going
beneath some trees behind which the show building is hidden. The
tunnel does NOT go beneath the railroad tracks; the entire
attraction is housed within the same building as the Grand Canyon
Diorama.
So what is Phantom Manor all about, anyway? I spent hours trying
to figure that out - I went on it about 20 times in 2 days. This
has become somewhat of an obsession for me, and I am still
endeavouring to find out how it really goes. This information was
put together from my own personal observations, and also by asking
the Manor staff and City Hall. I do not guarantee its accuracy at
all, since one CM even told me that the story is based on
Hitchcock's Psycho movie! (only the shape of the house bears any
resemblance at all)
The year is 1860. The Phantom (he probably has a real name but I
couldn't find out what it is) owns the Manor and most of
Frontierland as well. This is, of course, why the house sits on a
hill overlooking Frontierland. When two of the town's residents
decided to get married the Phantom insisted they have the wedding
& party at his place. All of the preparations were made. The bride
got all ready and waited for her groom to show up. She never saw
him, for the Phantom had hung him soon after he walked through the
door. She waited and waited: her bouquet began to wilt; the
wedding presents stacked in the ballroom went unopened; the cake
began to sag and topple. The bride sobbed as she watched the
Phantom's guests come out of their tombs. She looked behind her,
and out the window she saw the Phantom laughing at her and she
suddenly realized what his real intentions were. He had dug a
grave for her, right next to the freshly-filled one for her former
fiancee. She decided to put an end to her agony, so still in her
wedding dress, and still holding her bouquet, she poisoned
herself. The Phantom just laughs, and stands ready to claim his
next victim, right after they see their predecessors in Phantom
Canyon. If anybody knows the real story, or just knows that I'm
plain wrong, please tell me, I would be greatly indebted to you.
Stretch-room notes from Don Reagin (REA...@gacsrv.gactr.uga.edu):
The portraits in the stretch rooms are specially tailored to
Phantom Manor's theme, and are far more macabre than those found
in the other three parks. All four of the portraits feature turn-
of-the-century characters, with rosy cheeks and winsome faces. One
is a beautiful young woman picking roses. When the room stretches,
we see beneath her, just on the other side of a hedge, a gruesome
corpse coming up out of his grave to attack her. The second
portrait is a happy couple picnicking in a field. When the room
stretches, we see a menagerie of rattlesnakes, scorpions, and fire
ants approaching them. The third is a young woman smiling as she
sits with a frilly umbrella under sunny skies. The room stretches
to reveal that she is in a canoe about to topple over a very high
waterfall. And the final portrait is a young woman in bloomers
wading in a small stream. When the portrait stretches, we see a
horrible water monster about to grab her leg. All four of these
portraits are unique, and give you one of the first indications
that this Manor is definitely not your average Haunted Mansion.
Just to confuse matters still further, Scott Kessler
(s...@asdi.saic.com) has the following thoughts on the Phantom
Manor storyline: I heard (interpreted) the story slightly
differently. It would seem the Phantom was enamoured of the girl.
He certainly hangs the husband to be (as we see in the elevator)
but then I thought she entered the house and he more or less
captured her and won't let her leave unless she marries him. She
refuses, and is thus doomed to spend her life in the house. As the
story progresses, we see both the Phantom decay and the bride
getting older and older as she waits and hopes that her long-lost
fiancee will return. Finally she dies, ultimately joining the
Phantom in death.
5.4 Big Thunder Mountain [report by Regan B. Pederson]
The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is significantly wilder than the
versions in the states. The trains (especially their paint jobs)
are also a lot more realistic. Overall, Disneyland-Paris's Big
Thunder is a fantastic version of an old classic. As with the
stateside rides, there are still three climbs and they're mostly
similar to the ones in the states.
The first climb comes right after you go through the tunnel under
the river so it's much more of a true cave feeling, although you
go by stalactites, stalagmites, and rainbow pools that look just
like the ones in the US. You go under the waterfall here as well.
The second climb is again outdoors, although here there is no town
of Tumbleweed to look at like at WDW. At DL-P a cranky old mill
has to suffice. The third climb involves a mining explosion
instead of an earthquake. This was a smart decision, and although
the scene is similar to its predecessors, the explosion effects
are enhanced with some great fibre optics.
The long tunnels though which you go under the Rivers of the Far
West are pitch black and very exciting. Other than the missing
town of Tumbleweed, the visuals and animatronics around the
mountain are better here in France, and the sights that are found
on and around the Rivers add measurably to the fun.
5.5 Pirates of the Caribbean [report by Regan B. Pederson and Graham
Allan]
Pirates of the Caribbean is superb, it really works here. The
theming at the load area is one of a Caribbean island (rather than
Florida's fort or the southern bayou of California/Tokyo). I
especially liked the queuing area (although it's very long). The
last scene you walk past (on your left) before entering the
'village' is also the last scene you sail past (also on the left)
before reaching the unload station.
Every scene makes sense and contributes to the story. You sail
through a Caribbean jungle lagoon and go up a "waterfall" ramp
into the fort where the pirates have started to make their raid.
The sophistication of the animatronic figures is truly outstanding
here, as well as the creativity and placement of the figures (and
the silhouette is first class). Almost everything in this scene is
original to DL-P, except for the jail scene; it's near the
beginning here, instead of the end, since at this point in the
story the pirates haven't yet raided the town.
You then sail through a cave and receive your proper warning and
then you slide down a flume and right into the battle between the
pirate ship and the fort (which has been going on at Disneyland
and WDW for so many years). The next few scenes are nearly
identical to the ones in the US. Everything is more detailed and
realistic, though. There is a silhouette in the town fire scene
that is way, way, way first class.
Right after you get out of the fire scene, the ride changes from
its predecessors. You now slide down a second flume into the
powder room, and the burned out town goes down in a huge
explosion. You escape into secret caves (Davey Jones' Locker). You
see the skeleton at the wheel in the storm and the pirate's secret
treasure. As you leave the caves you can see the dock looming
ahead of you. I highly applaud the changes and adjustments Disney
have made; it all worked very, very well.
5.6 Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril [report by Julie Dawe]
The ride is a short roller coaster ride that has a 360 degree
(upside down) loop in it. The ride seemed amazingly short - about
2 minutes or so (hard to judge time when you're on a roller
coaster). The cars are small - 4 seats, or 8 people per car, with
big fat secure shoulder harnesses to keep you in (uncomfortable,
if you accidentally pull them too tight towards you). I guess I
was a little disappointed, I had envisioned riding something more
like mining carts, but it was really just a short roller coaster,
wilder than Big Thunder. But not very wild, no stomach-lurching
drops, just fast.
The ride is themed very nicely, with 1940s style camp settings,
jeeps, tents, etc, that looked like they could have come out of
the Indiana Jones movie. There is creepy music playing to get you
in the mood.
[Additional report by Regan B. Pederson]
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril was a mistake. Like you've
probably heard, it's just an off the shelf roller coaster that
they built around something that's supposed to look like an
excavated ruin. The queue area is only mildly interesting. The
temple itself is somewhat impressive (especially as you ascend the
snake staircase). It has nothing to do with Peril, though. You
never go in it, and nothing ever happens. There is no story, no
plot, no cause of action. You just decide to ride a 'mine' car
around this temple thing, even though there is no mine. In
addition, mine cars do not normally go through loops. However, to
Disney's possible credit, the mine cars are extremely jerky and
bumpy, just as you'd expect one to be. However, the restraint
system is awkward and the jerkiness can make it painful.
John Stafford (staf...@claude.ma30.bull.com) mentioned: My
youngest daughter said the ride could be very jerky and not much
fun unless you keep your head firmly against the head rest. They
have been on similar rides, and found the head rests on this ride
to be better than most.
5.7 Adventure Isle [report by Tom Drynda and Andre Willey]
You really can get lost in the maze of twisty little passages and
caves, all alike! Skull Rock and Captain Hook's ship are here,
plus a rope bridge, barrel bridge and a shipwreck to look at. Not
much else there, but it's good fun anyway. Set the kids loose here
and go and relax.
5.8 La Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant [report by Tom Drynda and
Andre Willey]
Don't miss out on the two shops inside the castle, which are
charming. Upstairs, the story of Sleeping Beauty is told in ornate
tapestries and stunning stained glass, well worth a look. You exit
via the upper balconies of the castle, which afford great views of
Fantasyland.
Downstairs you'll find "La Taniere du Dragon" - the dragon's lair.
The dragon sleeps peacefully next to his pool with the occasional
snort of smoke. Then his tail twitches, more smoke and he begins
to awake... then you realise his chain is broken! Loved it.
Just in front of the castle is "Le Theatre du Chateau", an open-
air stage show. Currently playing is Mickey's Magic Book.
Basically the Snow White/Sleeping Beauty stories, with music and
dance. The magic book itself is enormous, and as each stage of the
story unfolds, so do the pages of the book with pop-up scenery.
Well worth a look.
5.9 Alice's Curious Labyrinth [report by Andre Willey]
A hedge maze, with surprises as you walk around (characters
popping up from behind hedges, etc). The hedges are filled with
tiny blue lights. The hedges had become fairly badly damaged over
time, but has now been repaired fairly effectively. The castle in
the middle of the maze makes a good place to get that nice
panoramic photo of the park from a more unusual angle. You can
also find the jumping water fountains here - good to watch and
relax, or stand under and get wet.
An attraction for the younger ones mainly.
5.10 Storybookland rides [report by Jean-Marc Toussaint]
Storybookland is located at the far North of the park, between
Alice's Curious Labyrinth and the Old Mill ferris wheel, behind
It's a Small World. Access to the area via a path under the
Disneyland Paris Railroad (a bit like "Mickey's Toontown" in DL).
The Storybook boat ride, constructed by Mack GmbH of Germany, is a
'no-host' ride, unlike other similar rides at other Disney parks.
It's a continuous cable-towed boat ride, departing from a step-on,
step-off turntable in front of a giant open book. The brightly
coloured boats each carry up to 20 guests. There are open
storybooks along the route identifying the story for each set.
It's simply beautiful, especially at night since every set is
carefully illuminated.
The boats pass under a stone bridge (Casey Junior's track), then
you pass in front of beautifully landscaped, richly detailed
miniatures. On your left you will see the Seven Dwarfs' house (the
mine is in the background, with diamond effects and sounds of the
dwarfs working), Hansel & Gretel cake house, Rumplestiltskin. On
your right, on the top of a small island, is Mount Olympus from
Fantasia.
The boats then pass under a second bridge. You enter the snow-
covered area of Peter and the Wolf (on your left). On your right
is the best model: the village, ruins, cemetery & mountain from
Night on Bald Mountain (from Fantasia). The boats turn around the
mountain set and enter Aladdin's Cave of Wonder, through the
tiger's mouth. Inside the cave is a miniature of the treasure, and
a little further on is a miniature of the lamp resting at the top
of the stairs, bathing in a magical beam of light. Leaving the
cave, you see on your left a Sword in the Stone model, then a
large replica of Belle's village from Beauty and the Beast. The
Beast's castle is in the background, with Casey's track curling
around its walls. The final miniature is the Emerald City of Oz,
after which the boats return to the station.
Casey Junior is more of a family-oriented (non-gravity) roller
coaster than a train ride. Built by Vekoma of Holland, two trains
run on the same track thanks to a clever block-system
installation. It surrounds the whole Storybook land area. The ride
is rather fast, with lots of banked turns and 'rabbit hops'. At
night, the only light is the locomotive's headlight, so ride in
the very last car for a backward, fast and completely dark trip!
5.11 Le Visionarium [report by Andre Willey]
One of the best themed attractions in the park. Based on Circle-
Vision 360 technology, The Timekeeper and his robot assistant, 9-
Eye, are your hosts on a Circle-Vision trip through time, picking
up Jules Verne en route. Very impressive period detail; must have
been quite a feat to film! Features Michel Piccoli as Jules Verne,
and guest stars Gerard Depardieu as an airport baggage handler,
Franco Nero as Leonardo da Vinci, Jean Rochefort as Louis XV and
Jeremy Irons as H.G. Wells. "From Time to Time" was directed by
Jeff Blyth (who also did Cheetah for Disney) and produced by John
Badham.
The show is in French, but headsets are provided with English,
German and Italian soundtracks. The animatronic guides are
excellent, and the pre-show waiting room is fascinating, with lots
to see: a video wall (French narration, translated in English,
German and Italian by LED signs), plus models of real, futuristic,
and Wells/Verne modes of transport hanging from the ceiling.
A MUST-SEE ATTRACTION.
(This is now also showing at Tokyo Disneyland, and in a slightly
modified form at WDW, Florida. Apart from the layout of the pre-
show waiting areas, the main differences are in the voices and the
Red Square/Concorde section has been replaced with shots of New
York).
5.12 Les Mysteres du Nautilus [report by Andre Willey]
To be honest, the biggest mystery of all was why is queue so long?
I guess it must be because this attraction looks so good from the
outside. A very authentic-looking Nautilus waits docked in a
lagoon near to the new Space Mountain, inviting you to come
aboard. You enter a nearby lighthouse and descend down a spiral
staircase, and then walk along a long underground corridor.
Entering the sub, you walk through several rooms (treasure room,
Captain's quarters, airlock/diving-suit room, etc) until you reach
Captain Nemo's room - complete with iris-shuttered portholes on
either side, and his grand pipe organ at one end. A short, rather
uninspiring, show takes place in which a giant animatronic squid
attacks and is repelled by electric shocks (you get to see this
through the large porthole screen) and then you leave via the
engine room.
Basically, there's nothing much to it. The engine doesn't move at
all, the squid attack is lack-lustre, and it's painfully obvious
that the walk-through is nowhere near the submarine you saw in the
pen outside (in fact, you come out facing it!). If only they had
at least attempted to give you the feeling of entering inside a
submarine from the long corridor (perhaps by walking beside a hull
mockup, or even by going through some sort of connecting tunnel or
bridge) but they didn't.
Unless the queue is short, don't waste your time. A shame, really,
as this could have been rather good if properly imagineered in
true Disney style.
From Scott Van Horn (svan...@anetbbs.com): The new Nautilus ride
was a disappointment, it seemed like a "we need something, how
about this?" I felt a bit embarrassed being in it.
5.13 Space Mountain (de la Terre a la Lune) [Report by Jean-Marc
Toussaint]
Attention FAQ readers, the following section contains SPOILERS for
Disneyland Paris's fortieth and newest wonder, Space Mountain. The
ride is located next to the Nautilus lagoon in Discoveryland, and
is themed on Jules Verne's book "From the Earth to the Moon". For
those of you who still wanna read more, welcome to the fastest
ride ever built at a Disney Park!
Going to the station is a very good teaser, since you have to walk
a long and very dark corridor through the entire building, and you
may see some portions of the ride and sets through large openings
in the walls. There is also a 'chicken' route which allows you to
view the pre-show without actually going on the ride.
Once inside the station you board one of the trains (6 cars, 4
seats per car) themed like sci-fi vehicles designed in the 1900s,
featuring over-the-shoulders restraints. After a long turnaround
inside a tube, you reach a sudden drop that leads you to the
bottom of the cannon. A hook attaches itself under the train and
you are pulled into the enormous Columbiad Cannon.
A very loud detonation is heard, smoke fills the cannon and the
train is catapulted into the circuit. A short drop is followed by
a long downward helix in complete darkness. You dodge some little
asteroids and then you plunge into the looping. Leaving the first
inversion, the train rushes through a huge "space mining" machine
and a series of trim-brakes which lead you into the core of a
melting asteroid. Then comes another sudden drop into the
corkscrew. After a 360 degree inversion, the train "hangs" briefly
at a 90 degree angle before a fast section of track to the second
lift. The train climbs the hill very quickly - a 'road sign' says
"to the Moon: 50,000 km" - and you reach the Moon, which looks
like the one in George Melies' 1902 film.
The train drops suddenly as you leave the satellite orbit and
rushes through some other meteorites. The train negotiates a
"horseshoe" (a flat standing upward turn) and gains speed as it
reaches another downward helix with dark light effects simulating
re-entry into the atmosphere. The train hits the brakes through a
shower of sparks inside the "Electro de Velocitor" machine, and
then goes back gently back to the station.
Needless to say, this ride is excellent - the best at the park and
the best steel roller coaster in France. Special effects and sets
are superb. The soundtrack (a bit John Williams-ish) is
magnificent, and the onboard audio system is CD quality.
I've been on the ride dozens of times now (the cast members think
I'm a bit deranged, and pretend that I hold the world record!) and
it is still pure amazement.
Bienvenue a Paris, space travellers!
Special thanks to: Cast members Aurelie, Jamie, Isabelle, Kirsten
and Monte for smooth dispatch, excellent ride operation and long
and passionate chats about Disney and roller coasters. All the
cast at the Star Traders shop for ultra kindness.
General Ride Statistics
Construction started March 1993 (Vekoma)
Ride opened 1st June 1995
Length of track 1 kilometre
Thrill elements 360 degree "sidewinder" loop
"corkscrew" loop
180 degree "tongue" loop
Speed Up to 70 kilometres per hour at peak
speed, 30% faster than any other Disney
thrill ride
Ride controls Redundant programmable logic controller
based system, employing six main
computers and 1,300 impact/output
points
Rocket ship vehicles
Launch system Electric-motor-propelled catapult
(similar to system used for aircraft
carrier launches)
Seating capacity 24 (6 rocket ships, 4 passengers each)
Audio 6 built-in speakers per seat. Digital
audio with automatic playback speed
adjustment to synchronize the musical
score with key elements of the show.
Music written by movie composer Steve
Bramson
Columbiad Cannon
Acceleration Up to 1.3g during the catapult launch
(approx. 1.8 seconds to the top of the
mountain)
Launch capacity One rocket ship every 36 seconds
Length 22 metres
Inclination 32 degrees
Weight 15.5 tons
Width of barrel 5 metres
Special Effects Steam smoke system, synchronized
lighting and audio "boom"
Decorative cladding 24 kt. gold leaf on the archer, sun-
face and moon-face
Building statistics
Diameter 62 metres
Height 43 metres
Depth 5 metres below ground
Space Mountain Merchandise
T-Shirt A Dark blue or gray. SM logo transfer on
front (95 FF)
T-Shirt B Dark blue. "Space diagram" transfer on
front; "I survived... did you ?" and SM
logo transfer on back (150 FF)
Long sleeved shirt Dark blue. SM logo embroidered patch on
chest (225 FF)
Rain jacket Dark blue. SM logo transfer on chest,
"Space diagram" transfer on back (250
FF)
Wool jacket Dark blue. Disneyland Paris logo
embroidered on chest, large SM logo
embroidered on back (850 FF)
Baseball cap Dark blue & suede, with SM logo
embroidered patch (120 FF)
Sticker Round, SM logo (5 FF)
Postcard Four exterior views of building and
cannon on one card (3 FF)
Key Chain Transparent plastic. Round, with SM
logo (15 FF)
Pen Silver & dark blue with SM logo (30 FF)
Mug White & dark blue with shooting stars
and SM logo (35 FF)
Also seen, but not for sale
Cast member watch Dark blue. Plastic, with SM logo and
"June 1995". (Note: it is believed that
if another watch isn't designed, this
one could make it to the stores)
Cast member button SM logo with "Entrez dans la legende -
Juin 1995" ("Be part of the legend -
June 1995)
Bumper sticker "I survived", with colour drawing of
train rushing through the meteors (as
seen on the control booth window)
5.14 Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show [report by Tom Drynda]
This show is a wild and exciting show obviously themed around the
American Wild-West Cowboy days. Get your tickets early (there is a
discount for MKC card-holders). There may be two shows per day
(check at Guest Relations or at your hotel). Plan to start queuing
at least an hour before the show is due to start. You must
purchase your tickets beforehand. How early you purchase your
tickets depends on the day you go, and which show you intend to
see. You can purchase your tickets well in advance by phoning the
reservations number shown in section 4.2 (it's the same number
used to reserve hotel rooms).
You don't get allocated seats until you enter the building just
before the show. I'd advise anyone going to see this to start
queuing fairly early as the earlier you get your seats, the closer
to the action you are.
The tables aren't really tables as in a normal restaurant, but
just a bench that can hold about ten people with a long table in
front of you over which you see into the arena. The tables all
overlook the arena and so everyone has a good view.
The 'table numbers' are coded by colour letter and number. The
lower the number, the closer you are to the action. The letter
defines the sector in your team area in which you will sit, and
the colour defines the team you will support during the show. The
team colours are representative of American ranches:
Golden Star Ranch, Texas
Blue Moon Ranch, Wyoming
Green Mountain Ranch, Montana
Red River Ranch, Colorado
After being issued with our hats, we passed through to the
extremely large bar having our photo taken officially on the way.
The bar is truly enormous, but fills up quickly. Order a beer as
soon as you get there. You could order a beer in their souvenir
beer glass which is in the shape of a cowboy boot. You can also
order cocktails here.
If you want to order wine with your meal, you have to go to a
smaller bar that you pass on the way in before you get to the main
bar.
Pre-show entertainment and cowboy training takes place before the
arena is loaded. The entertainment we had was the band appearing
at Billy Bob's Country and Western Nightclub in Festival Disney
(currently The Dooby Brothers). They played a number of country
and western songs and took us through "How a cowboy cheers"
(lifting your 'chapeau' off your head, waving it in the air and
shouting YAAAAHOOOOOOOOOO at the top of your voice) and a host of
other fun-type things. This really sets you up for the show.
The loading of the stadium takes place a colour at a time. The
colours are green, red, yellow, and blue.
I don't really want to spoil the fun of Buffalo Bill's Wild West
Show by giving away too much detail here. Just let me say the food
was very good, the beer (or cola) was as much as you could drink
(whenever the staff came 'round to your table with their pitchers)
and the entertainment was funny, exciting, and in short it was one
of the best evening's out I've had in a very long time. Do not
miss this. DO NOT MISS THIS ON ANY ACCOUNT!
============================================================================
6 Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the following people for their invaluable assistance:
Tom Drynda for starting this FAQ in the first place. Thanks Tom, and I
hope that I'm doing your concept justice.
'Hick Hurtenflurst' (scha...@informatik.tu-muenchen.de) for providing
WWW access for the FAQ, and Tim "Quetzal" Pickett
(que...@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au) for FTP availability and putting it on
the "List of Lists".
Regan B. Pederson (xz...@xmission.com), a cast member at WDW, who has
provided a LOT of great insights into the differences between rides at
the parks. Also Gordon E. Peterson II (ge...@computek.net) for his
excellent and detailed notes based on his 66 (!) visits to the park,
including a good number of details which I'd previously forgotten to
mention. Gordon has a document covering some of the rides in more
detail than I can here, so e-mail him for a copy if you're interested.
Graham Allan (gra...@netcom.com), Peter Schouten (j...@dataweb.nl),
Mark Keiser (Mark....@Eng.Sun.COM), Wim Dewijngaert
(10033...@compuserve.com), Julie Dawe
(julie...@hpgrmac.gr.hp.com), Luz Echeverria
(eche...@mimosa.unice.fr), Yvonne Loo (yvo...@lightning.nsc.com) and
Jean-Marc Toussaint (10043...@compuserve.com) for general update
information.
Scott Kessler (s...@asdi.saic.com) for the great photos of the Dragon
and Phantom Manor at night, now available at the WWW site.
The following park visitors for their comments and for mailing me
current timetable information, etc. Thanks all!
Edward Summer (dino...@interport.net)
Frederic Bouquet (Frederic...@ascus.com)
Ian Parkinson (I.W.Pa...@bms.salford.ac.uk)
Susan Fuhs (fu...@rand.org)
Barry Bedford (IRE...@AppleLink.Apple.COM)
Paul Fischer (pfis...@knoware.nl)
Louise (rhu...@cix.compulink.co.uk)
Werner Kuehnert (k...@zerberus.hai.siemens.co.at)
Shawn Clover (cl...@ix.netcom.com)
John Stafford (staf...@claude.ma30.bull.com)
Some news items recounted from the "Magical Moments & Memories" UK
Disneyana Enthusiasts magazine. For details contact: MM&M, 31 Rowan
Way, Exwick, Exeter, Devon, EX4 2DT, England. Subscriptions: UKP 15 per
year.
and...
Everyone else in rec.arts.disney for their support and information
+------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Andre Willey | Cygnus Software Development |
| Email: an...@cix.compulink.co.uk | Sutton Coldfield -- England |
| or: ...{mcsun}!uknet!cix!andre | Tel: (UK/+44) 0121 308 5251 |
+------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Maintainer of the Disneyland-Paris FAQ List. E-mail me for details |
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