Twenty-nine years after its inauguration, the park, closed because of the pandemic, still harbors secrets. Here are some of the anecdotes and infinite details hidden away in Disneyland Paris. You’ll think you were there.
Sleeping Beauty’s castle
It’s the first thing you’ll see when you walk through the gates of Disneyland Paris. It’s the symbol of Disney itself. Inspired by several European castles with its dreamlike decors and Sixteen turrets, Sleeping Beauty’s household is an ingenious piece of architecture. Among the six castles that exist across the parks around the world, only the one in Paris is pink. The reason? To bring a sparkle on the usually grey Paris sky and make up for the lack of light. The Disney Imagineers also placed the castle facing the sun, so that visitors can take selfies and photos without having them ruined by backlighting, no matter what time of day. Also, as a homage to Walt Disney’s French ancestors, the regional Normandy flag, with lions and all, flies proudly on the bridge. Up in the main tower, the stained glass windows picture a perfect rose that transforms into a couple of doves. On the blue roof, a collection of golden snails is a direct nod to French cuisine. And finally, deep in the basements, you’ll find an impressive guest: Merlin’s dragon. Measuring at 79 feet, it’s the longest robot animatronic in the world.
Details on Main Street
This is the street you’ll tale when you enter Disneyland. Inspired by Walt Disney’s home-town of Marceline, the street is rather typical of a turn of the century town. Except for the ghosts, of course. Those only turn up for Halloween. Follow down to Town Square where you’ll spot a school of dentistry. Professors, there, go by the names of Jeff Burke, Tim Delaney, Tom Morris, Eddie Sotto, and Chris Tietz. The pseudo-dentists are in fact the Imagineers team responsible for creating the different lands in the park. “Our business is to make you smile” claims their very dentist-like motto. A bit further down Main Street, next to the Emporium store, is a Dapper Dan’s Hair cuts. The store is a replica of a 1900s barbershop with tools and proper vintage furniture. It’s not unlike the one where Walt Disney’s father used to work. It’s a great place to relax between two rides on Star Tours.
Hidden secrets of the attractions
Yes, Mickey Mouse is everywhere. You can spot his face or outline all over the parks around the world. But though the celebrity mouse is fun to seek out, there are also a great many other things to discover in the Paris park. Hyperspace Mountain, one of the park’s most successful attractions, is not what it once was. For a start, the DM initials on the gates refer to its original name, Discovery Mountain. French visitors were unable to pronounce it properly so the name was changed. Initially inspired by the realms of Jules Verne, installed halfway between the Hyperion café and the Nautilus attraction (you’ll find details of the French author’s universe all over Discoveryland), Hyperspace Mountain is now set in a galaxy far, far away and has become a Star Wars franchise. Another well-kept secret is the voice one here’s calling out from the bottom of the well near the castle. Snow White! The wicked witch is never very far: she regularly draws the curtains to look upon visitors and catch your eye. If the thrill of adventure is what you’re after, head to Phantom Manor’s cemetery. Approach your ear to the largest tombstone, you may just hear a heartbeat. The owner of the house, perhaps?
As authentic as ever
A pink castle, princesses, pirates, and cowboys in a parade… The magic of Disneyland Paris is to make dreams a reality. Yet, the Imagineers wanted the park to be true to life. Not everything is fake and fairy dust. In Frontierland, metals wheels and cowboy tools were bought in antique stores in the US to recreate the 19th Century Far West. While eating a burger at Cowboy Cook-out, you may notice that every chair is different. At the time, cowboys used to bring their own chairs into the saloon to keep their spot. In Colonel Hathi’s Adventureland restaurant, every picture, object, and decoration is an original, historic piece. A way of letting visitors experience what it was like to be a true adventurer. On Main Street, the lamps are gas-lite. Once at Edison Plaza, just before getting to Central Plaza, they change to lightbulbs. A clever reference to Thomas Edison’s work as an inventor.
Disneyland Paris in numbers
1976: The year Disneyland Paris first became a project and European executives started talking about a park. The area on the East of Paris wasn’t yet the official choice for the Walt Disney Company. Scouting, legal battles, disagreements between France and Spain as to which country should host the park, local protests…. After several years, the park finally opened on April 12th, 1992. Ten years later, the Walt Disney Studios were inaugurated.
3: The number of times the park has had to shut. On December 26th, 1999 because of storm Lothar and its 120 mph gusts. Then from the 14th to the 18th November 2015, following the Paris attacks, and finally from March 15th to July 15th, 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
10 million: The number of visitors at Disneyland Paris every year. The figure seems colossal and yet the French park is the least visited around the world.
15,000: The number of Cast Members - those who work in and around the park. Numbers rise during peak Seasons (Summer, Halloween, and the end of year holidays).
24: The height in meters of the Town Square Christmas Tree (that’s almost 79 feet). It’s decorated with hundreds of lights, garlands, and bows.
8500: the number of rooms available in the 7 Disney hotels and 9 partner hotels.
9: the number of stained glass windows in the castle that tell the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Created by Paul Chapman, these artworks were made according to the purest traditions. At the time, the artist came out of retirement for the Disney Imagineers. His other works include Notre-Dame-de-Paris and some windows for Queen Elizabeth II.
2.5km: the length of the paths in Alice in Wonderland’s fantastic labyrinth. The bushes, topiaries and flowers are watered using recycled water, just like the other 35 000 trees and plants in the park.
Translated by Justine Vos
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