Disneyland Park (Paris)

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Disneyland Park
Disneylandparklogo.png
Location Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallée, Paris, France
Coordinates 48°52′21″N 2°46′36″E / 48.872608°N 2.776747°E / 48.872608; 2.776747
Theme Fairy tales and Disney characters
Owner Euro Disney S.C.A.
Operated by Euro Disney S.C.A.
Opened 12 April 1992
Previous names Euro Disneyland
Website Official website

Disneyland Park, originally Euro Disneyland (French: Parc Disneyland), is the first of two theme parks built at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France, opened on 12 April 1992. Designed and built by Walt Disney Imagineering, its layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida. Spanning 56.656 ha (140 acres) (the largest Disney park based on the original,) it is dedicated to fairy tales and Disney characters. In 2011, the park hosted approximately 10,990,000 visitors, making it the most-visited theme park in Europe, and the fifth-most visited theme park in the world.[1]

The park is represented by Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, a replica of the fairy tale castle seen in Sleeping Beauty.

Contents

Dedication [edit]

To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Once upon a time... A master storyteller, Walt Disney, inspired by Europe’s best loved tales, used his own special gifts to share them with the world. He envisioned a Magic Kingdom where these stories would come to life, and called it Disneyland. Now his dream returns to the lands that inspired it. Euro Disneyland is dedicated to the young, and the young at heart... with a hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration for all the world.
Michael D. Eisner, 12 April 1992

History [edit]

Original layout of Disneyland Park.
Sleeping Beauty Castle

In order for the fourth park to be based on the original, modifications were made to the park's concepts and designs. Among the changes was the change of Tomorrowland to Discoveryland, giving the area a retrofuturistic theme rather than futuristic. Other altered elements include the Haunted Mansion, which was redesigned as Phantom Manor, and Space Mountain. The park's location brought forth its own challenges. Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant is said by its designers to have been necessarily reevaluated for a continent on which authentic castles stand.[2] Modifications to the park were made to protect against changes in weather in the Parisian climate. Covered walkways were added, though these are described as "Arcades" and not covered walkways, and Michael Eisner ordered the installation of 35 fireplaces in hotels and restaurants.

The park, as well as its surrounding complex, initially failed to meet financial expectations resulting in an image change in which the word "Euro" was phased out of several names, including Euro Disneyland. The park was known as Euro Disneyland until May 1994, Euro Disneyland Paris until September 1994, Disneyland Paris until February 2002, and Disneyland Park (English) and Parc Disneyland (French) since March 2002.

As Michael Eisner noted, "As Americans, the word ‘Euro’ is believed to mean glamorous or exciting. For Europeans it turned out to be a term they associated with business, currency, and commerce. Renaming the park ‘Disneyland Paris’ was a way of identifying it with one of the most romantic and exciting cities in the world."[3]

Lands [edit]

Disneyland Park is divided into five themed "lands", which house 49 attractions. Designed like a wheel with the hub on Central Plaza before Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, pathways spoke out across the 140 acres (57 ha) of the park and lead to the lands.[4] The Disneyland Railroad runs along the perimeter of the park and stops in Main Street, U.S.A., Frontierland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland.

Main Street, U.S.A. [edit]

Main Street, U.S.A.

Frontierland [edit]

Frontierland.

Adventureland [edit]

Entrance to Adventureland

Fantasyland [edit]

Fantasyland Storybook Architecture

Discoveryland

Attendance [edit]

2008 2009 2010 2011 Worldwide rank
12,688,000♦♦[5] 12,740,000[6] 10,500,000♦♦[7] 10,990,000[8] 5

Seasonal and special events [edit]

Different seasons offer different park opening hours and different entertainment offerings.[9]

  • From April 1, 2012 : Disneyland Paris celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Entertainment and parades [edit]

Disneyland Park hosts a range of daytime and nighttime entertainment throughout the year, although the nighttime entertainment is seasonal.[10]

Current Shows & Parades [edit]

Seasonal & Retired Shows & Parades [edit]

  • Tarzan: The Encounter (Summer season)
  • Mickey's Winter Wonderland (Winter season) - Not scheduled for this Winter Season 2012.
  • Disney's Fantillusion (Summer, Halloween night and Winter seasons)Not scheduled for this upcoming Winter Season 2012.
  • Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade 2007-2012

Gallery [edit]

Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing

References [edit]

  1. ^ "2011 attendance report". Retrieved May 31, 2012. 
  2. ^ Imagineers (1998). Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look At Making the Magic Real. Disney Editions. ISBN 978-0-7868-8372-1.
  3. ^ daniels. "Individual Term Paper International Marketing, Dan Snyder 30 April 2002". google.com. Retrieved 2009-09-23. 
  4. ^ "Disneyland Park Map". DLRP Magic. 
  5. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2008 Global Attractions Report". Themed Entertainment Association. 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2012. 
  6. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2009 Global Attractions Report". Themed Entertainment Association. 2009. Archived from the original on June 2, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2012. 
  7. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2010 Global Attractions Report". Themed Entertainment Association. 2010. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2012. 
  8. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2011 Global Attractions Report". Themed Entertainment Association. 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2012. 
  9. ^ "Season Dates". DLRP Magic. 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2012-09-10. 
  10. ^ "Disneyland Park Entertainment Schedule" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-09-10. 

External links [edit]

Coordinates: 48°52′21″N 2°46′36″E / 48.8726083°N 2.7767472°E / 48.8726083; 2.7767472