Euro Disney

Euro Disneyland, now called Disneyland Paris, was the second Disney resort to be opened outside of the United States. Located 20 miles (30 km) outside of Paris, the success of the park was considered to be a sure thing after the tremendous popularity of the Tokyo resort. However, Euro Disneyland opened in a storm of controversy and mixed opinion, and in the 21st century still has a shaky reputation among Disney fans and Europeans alike.

  Construction began in 1988 and quickly grew to include plans for a second park, which did not open until 2002.

The theme park’s138 acres are divided into five theme Lands: Main Street USA, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland.

MAIN STREET USA

 Main street is Walt Disney’s idealised idea of a small-town, Victorian America. The Main Street traffic includes horse-drawn rail cars, old double-decker buses, an antique fire engine, a Keystone-cop style paddy wagon and a vintage car which together tell the story of the evolution of transport. These form part of a working transport system which moves visitors between the Town Square and the central hub of the park near Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, beneath which a Dragon lurks. Here is the Central Plaza, the point from which paths radiate to the other four lands. The Castle itself acts as a landmark throughout the park, enabling guests to find where they are when Aunty Edna has just walked off with the only copy of the map. The Park's pathways are an adventure in themselves and offer both dry and open routes between Frontierland, Adventureland and Fantasyland. Some of these are rarely discovered by the guests, so intent are they on getting to the castle bvut they can save a great deal of time. Watch out for the path that runs from the main entrance to Fort Comstock, past the toilets and towards Adventureland. This route offers cover and a fabulous example of the imagineers' best work, where they imperceptibly change from Frontier America construction to Arabian and Cental African thatching. 

As you enter Main St, you pass beneath Main St Station from where you can ride a nineteenth century ‘steam’ engine around the park. En route, you pass through a Grand Canyon Diorama, a visual depiction of the Canyon from dawn to dusk. The train also stops in each of the other lands from where you can explore. Trains run every ten minutes but boarding in the lands is sometimes prohibited before midday. Beneath the station are lockers where, for 10 ff, you can store valuables and bags. 

FRONTIERLAND

From the Central Plaza, this is the first land you encounter, a musical, visual and live action recreation of America’s Wild West. Entry is through Fort Comstock’s imposing wooden gate and fort grounds, in which children can pretend they’re winning the West all over again, mainly by dropping their sticky lollipops on the heads of unsuspecting passers by. 

Rides:

Big Thunder Mountain(http://homepages.which.net/~ian/btm.html)

Phantom manor (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/manor.html)

Shows:

Chaparall theatre (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/Chaparral.html)

ADVENTURELAND

Inspired by tales of swashbuckling Pirates and Daring Adventurers in Exotic Places, in Adventureland you can experience wild rides and amazing audioanimatronic productions and then explore the mysteries of Adventure island, an experience all of its own. Watch out for the wobbly barrel, the fantastic rope suspension bridge and the maze of dimly lit caves!

Rides:

Pirates of the Caribbean (watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNTuW-jkz1Q

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDtaHH7r6l4)

Indiana Jones (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/ij.html)



Adventure isle (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/adventureisle.html)

FANTASYLAND

Watch more vidoe at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD3Zu0m0-ak

It’s an unusual person who doesn’t immediately feel a sense of warmth and security in this, the most magical of the lands. With their usual impeccable sense of design, the Imagineers have modelled the buildings (including the castle) on the animated features in the Disney stable. If you have very young offspring, let them try their hand at removing the Sword in the Stone, betrween the castle and the Gallopers.

Rides:

It's a small World (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/smallworld.html)

Les Pirouettes du Vieux Moulin (The bucket ride) (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/buckets.html)

Peter Pan's Flight (watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjYFwxceo8k) 

Casey Junior (watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiPvYveBX9g)

Story book ride (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/storybook.html)

Alice's Curious Labryinth

Mad Hatter's tea cups (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/teacups.html)

Snow White and the seven Dwarfs



The adentures of Pinnochio

The Lancelot Carrousel



Dumbo



Shows:

Castle Theatre (seasonal)


The Train station theatre (seasonal)

DISCOVERYLAND

Dedicated to man’s technological achievements and dreams, the entrance to Discoveryland appears to thrust its way upwards from the earth. Here the theme is travel through Space and Time and, in the process, the dreams, ideas and works of Jules Verne are celebrated, as are those of Leonardo DeVinci and HG Wells. Videopolis, the Park's largest cafe, also hsts the best shows.

Rides:

Buzz Lightyear



Star Tours



Space Mountain (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/spacemntn.html)



Autopia (watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4oEJ91lThU)

Orbitron (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/rockets.html)



Nautilus (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/nautilus.html)

Le Visionarium

Honey, I shrunk the Audience! (http://homepages.which.net/~ian/honey.html)

Shows:

Videopolis

http://homepages.which.net/~ian/magickingdom.html