Disneyland Paris, the second Disney resort outside the US, opened in 1992 near Paris. Despite initial controversy, the park has since undergone redesigns and now includes a second park, Walt Disney Studios, and seven Disney hotels. While attendance has increased, the park still has a shaky reputation among Europeans and Disney fans.
Euro Disneyland, now called Disneyland Paris, was the second Disney resort to open outside the United States. Located 20 miles (30 km) from Paris, the park’s success was considered a certainty after the huge popularity of the Tokyo resort. However, Euro Disneyland opened in a storm of controversy and conflicting opinion, and in the 21st century it still has a shaky reputation among Disney fans and Europeans alike.
In 1983, Tokyo Disneyland opened to immediate success and stimulated interest in building a European park. In 1985, an original list of thousands of possible building sites was narrowed down to the rural French town of Marne-la-Vallée, less than a four-hour drive away for more than 68 million potential guests. Construction began in 1988 and quickly grew to include plans for a second park, which did not open until 2002.
Since the park’s inception, some French citizens have raised serious concerns and protests about what many believed was an American intrusion into French culture. These arguments were fueled as the park approached opening day, with company policy announcements that included holding all meetings in English. Disney, for the most part, insisted that its standards were not uniquely American but a part of the company, and maintained its insistence on a similar policy to American parks.
On April 12, 1992, Euro Disneyland opened to only half the size expected crowds. Attendance continued to be low throughout the year, leading to the closure of one of the park’s hotels. In 1995, park officials completed a redesign of many of Euro Disneyland’s attractions, renamed the park Disneyland Paris, and opened the European version of Space Mountain, an incredibly popular roller coaster. The resort posted its first quarter of profit that year.
Today, Euro Disneyland’s main park closely resembles California Disneyland, with many of the same rides. The Haunted Mansion ride, called Phantom Manor, follows a specific story and is considered by some to be an improvement over the Anaheim ride. In 2005, Space Mountain underwent a serious transformation and reopened as Space Mountain: Mission 2, with a totally redesigned theme and experience based on Jules Verne’s stories.
The resort’s second park, Walt Disney Studios, is themed after the film industry. The park includes many movie-themed rides and is home to one of Disney’s most popular attractions, the Tower of Terror. The Walt Disney Studios Backlot area is the park’s biggest attraction, featuring numerous acrobatic shows and the Rock’n’Roller Coaster.
Euro Disneyland has seven Disney hotels surrounding the park, six of which feature different American lifestyles. The opulent Disneyland Hotel is the most luxurious of the seven, featuring a Victorian-era design and a Mickey Mouse clock tower. Disney’s Hotel New York features 1930s Art Deco style and has a miniature version of Rockefeller Plaza, complete with a winter ice skating rink. Outside the resort perimeter is Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch, showcasing woodland charm and rustic cabins. By 2017, Disney is expected to complete construction on more than 18,000 hotel rooms, located at varying distances from the resort.
If you are visiting Europe and are a Disney fan, Euro Disneyland offers a unique experience. Although attendance levels have increased in the 21st century, the park is still usually uncrowded, a rare occurrence in the Disney franchise. Many fans love the exquisite details and variations that make Euro Disneyland different from its international sibling parks, but to some extent the resort is still an unwelcome guest in France.
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