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| March 25 - Disneyland Paris – We took the metro to the RER station
and boarded one of the high-speed trains under Paris that go out into the
countryside. In our case, we waited for Marne la Valee and Chessy. We rode
to the end of the line – about 20 mins. As we rode the escalators up from
the platform, you could feel the excitement in the air, as well as the
chill.
We exited the station and were greeted by a large entrance gate with a crowd streaming through. We walked through the gate and the Disneyland Hotel came into view on our right. It was a little strange to find the main entrance under the hotel, but there it was. I quit counting the ticket windows at 36, imagining the summer crowds streaming through these gates. It was almost surreal – that we had come over 1300 miles and we were here! We bought our tickets and walked through to the train station forecourt. The sounds were familiar and so were the smells – but there was a difference. We walked under the train station, and as if someone was opening a curtain the Town Square appeared before us. For an instant, I would have believed that I was in Disney World in Florida – the resemblance was that striking. Then I fixed my eyes on a large gazebo in the middle of the square. Someone had affixed giant eyes and a large nose. I could only wonder what someone was thinking. Then the wind picked up and reminded us that it was only 40 degrees that day. We had not dressed for these temps., so a sweatshirt was in immediate order. After finding Seghers a sweatshirt, gloves and a hat, we headed up Main Street toward the central plaza. The same types of antique autos found in the other parks were carrying people up Main Street – a fire engine, a paddy wagon. When we reached the central plaza, we turned left and headed into Frontierland. As we walked through the stockade gates, the peak of Big Thunder Mountain came into view. The screams and whoops echoed through the area. We decided that we would start at one end of the park, so we headed over towards Phantom Manor. Phantom Manor was different. Once through the queue, the entrance was familiar – the “elevators”, the stretching paintings, the ‘doom buggies’ – and there the similarities ended. SEGHERS – this house wasn’t as ominous as the ones in the other parks, it wasn’t as eerie looking...it was just a large square saltbox frontier mansion. It wasn’t as lush with vegetation, it wasn’t overgrown. And the queue for the ride was different – there wasn’t the ominous feeling that you get in Florida, it was like walking up a path to grandma’s house. And the fact that they put the gravestones at the end of the ride, where people just blew through them, was REALLY different. The pre-ride didn’t put you in the mood to be scared – maybe that’s just the French. This haunted mansion was about the house, not so much the ghosts. There seemed to be a story about a lady who was one of the settlers who built the house, was left at the altar, died of a broken heart and is now haunting the mansion. Some old-west scenes were thrown in just to confuse things. SEGHERS – they still had the dancing ballroom, they still had the hitchhikers, they still had the graveyard, but it wasn’t as scary. They also had the banging doors and the ride actually felt longer. And the cast members that were there really weren’t in character – they didn’t laugh the evil laugh when they shut the doors behind you. You just didn’t get the feeling that you were going to be scared. After the manor, we walked over to Big Thunder Mountain and met a 45 min. wait, so we decided to use the fastpass and keep walking. Next stop – the Swiss family Robinson tree house in Adventureland. This was a fun break as we walked up the tree house and back down. From the heights of the tree we could see the entire park. Unless you’re really interested in the view – if you’ve seen the tree house once, you’re not missing anything. From there we crossed the bridge to Adventure Isle. SEGHERS – On the island we explored Skull Rock. There we found caverns with names like Davy Jones’ Locker. They were very damp, with lots of moisture in the air – just the thing that you need on a 40-degree day. They were also dark and slippery. The restaurant on the isle was closed – which was something that we found through the park. A lot of the restaurants were closed. From there we went to the Pirates of the Caribbean. SEGHERS – Yes! SCORE with the Pirates of the Caribbean. It was a win-win for all! Again, the entrance caverns weren’t as spooky. Ahem, the entrance to the Pirates is made to look like an old fortress that had been attacked. The queue took you through the fortress where you saw that the bars had been blown open by cannon fire. I remember it being a long queue, but it moved quickly. You walked through a gate, across a bridge, and then made a hard left and you were in the loading area, with bamboo and trees rising on your right. Here the queue changed from the fortress to almost a rainforest, similar to the one in the Rio del Tiempo ride at Epcot. The queue split into 3 parts – one for each boat that was loading. The week before we were there, a woman was injured on this ride when someone moved the boat without seeing that she was still attempting to exit it. Once in the boat you glided past a sit-down restaurant located in the ride called the ‘blue lagoon restaurant’. After that, it was just like any other pirates ride with identical scenes, just in French. There were also a couple of new scenes – a giant pile of gold with the requisite skeletons about, and some more drops. I think that there were three instead of two. SEGHERS – once you were in the boat where you could turn around and look, it looked like the fortress was built into an island. From here, we headed back to Big Thunder Mountain and got in line. It was really interesting how many Brits. were there. I guess the French know when it’s too cold to go to the theme park. Big Thunder was similar to the Big Thunder in Florida, but it was also different. The queue and the loading ramps were similar, and the announcement was even in English. The ride was different – there was a tunnel that I don’t remember being in Florida and the train went down near the water. There were even jets to shoot water to make it look like the wheels of the car actually were splashing through. SEGHERS – The howling coyote and the spinning possum were there. We must have hit the rush, because when we got off, there was hardly a line. If we had the time, we would have ridden it again. After leaving Adventureland, we walked over to Fantasyland and ate lunch at “Au Chalet de la Marionnette” – based on Pinocchio. It was a darker restaurant, with a few skylights scattered throughout. SEGHERS – sponsored by McDonalds There were also several murals painted on the walls depicting scenes from the movie. It was interesting to see the French take on Hamburgers. Not quite what you and I think of. The condiments were different also – spicy mustard and wimpy ketchup. I guess when you’re trying to plan for all of Europe, you have to make some compromises. Prices were about what you expect at Disney. After lunch we decided to slow down and took a ride on Peter Pan. SEGHERS – Peter Pan was just as I remembered it. It was like a six-seater flying boat, with billowing colorful sails whisking you over London and off to never-never land. The lights of the city were glorious. You really feel like you are flying. (laughing) The ride was the right length, but I would have liked to have gone around another time or two, but the queue was REALLY long – when we got off, there was a 45 min. wait. After our ride, we did a little wandering in Fantasyland. We found a shop where the theme was “Mickey and the Beanstalk”, complete with a giant beanstalk growing up outside next to the shop. We passed on Dumbo and the teacup ride. Next we stopped at “It’s a Small World”. What visit to any Disney park would be complete without a visit? The entrance featured a giant granite ball floating in water. There was no line at all, so we sped through the queue and onto a boat. This was interesting – you load outside and the boat takes you into the ride. As our boat headed for the entrance, one of the steam trains came by, almost right over our heads. The ride was… SEGHERS – puppets from 50 countries dressed in their native costumes singing that song. I thought the funniest part was one scene where one of the puppets was being knocked off a mountain by a ram. There was also a really cute polar bear that I liked. When you came out, there were some really neat animated topiaries. I think there was a hippo and a water buffalo. Side note – what I thought was neat about this park is that from every land you could see the castle. I don’t remember you being able to do that in Florida. We walked past Alice’s Curious Labyrinth. Took some pictures but didn’t go in. Wasn’t in the mood to run around in 40-degree weather between hedges trying to get to the castle. One place that walked past was the Pizzaria Bella Note. Trey just had to take picture of it. Oh yeah, it was closed, too. Next Discoveryland, Disneyland Paris’ version of Tomorrowland. Wow. That was all I could think – wow. The area wasn’t laid out Tomorrowland in Florida – it was really open and almost sparse. The first stop was Captain Nemo’s sub, so that Seghers could build up courage or wait for her Valium to kick-in, one or the other. It was a walk-through of what the interior of the sub looked like. There was supposed to be the “attack” by the octopus, but apparently it wasn’t working that day. It was a time killer, but wasn’t that interesting. If there had been some more interactive stuff, this would have been really cool. Then we got in line for Space Mountain. Unfortunately for Seghers it was a short line. Unlike the space mountains in the US, this one is based on Jules Verne’s “From the Earth to the Moon”, in which you are ‘shot’ to the moon by a gigantic cannon, the “Columbiad”. The queue was really dark, and twisty. Just before you entered the loading area, you entered a ‘parlor’ where the standard Disney warning video was running, in English with subtitles, warning you about the ride. Here they had some really cool chandeliers and quotes from Jules Verne about the gun. Then you go down some stairs to the loading area. SEGHERS – These cars are very different. They have the shoulder restraints, which is a warning that you will be turning upside-down. Thankfully, as the car left the station, the Valium kicked in. It’s different, too. The one in Florida is just ‘space’ with the stars and meteors where this one had the man-in-the-moon. This one was almost ‘cartoon’ like. You go around a corner and have your first quick drop and then you start up an incline. As you slowly proceed up, the doors on the side of the cannon are opened, and your train is ‘loaded’ into the cannon. Then the doors close and the car is hurled forward. Outside, you hear a ‘boom’ and see a cloud of smoke from the mouth of the cannon as the car is launched. Then the car takes a dive into the mountain and your trip through space begins. The ride was a little rough as you make your way from the earth to see the man in the moon. The ride takes place in the dark, and you have NO idea what is coming next. It was a fast ride that included what felt like a loop and a couple of corkscrews. The ride felt like it was longer than Florida, but even with Valium it was a long ride. But, having said that, we got off and went right back around and rode it again. Unfortunately the little kiosk that sells the photos of you scared on the ride was closed. To slow things down, our next stop was the ‘Visionarium’, a stand-up ride where you are taken on a 360-degree trip through time with Jules Verne. SEGHERS – it was interesting because it was about this robot that created a mini-robot that went back through time to talk to Jules Verne. As the little robot left, Jules Verne was sucked into time and taken on a whirlwind trip, showing him that planes, rockets, and automobiles were real. Jules is returned to Paris just before he gives a speech with H.G. Wells about time travel. Then it’s over. We decided to skip “Honey I shrunk the Audience” and “Star Tours”, as they were supposed to be identical to what we have here in the states. We did spend some time (and money) in “Constellations”, the gift-shop in Discoveryland. Onward to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. On the main level are a restaurant and a couple of gift shops. We didn’t go on the tour of the Dragon’s Lair under the castle, but we did do the upstairs, a circular balcony overlooking the first floor. Here the story of Sleeping Beauty, “La Belle Au Bois Dormant”, is told in huge stained-glass windows and magical tapestries depicting scenes from the movie. The tapestries were around 8x10 and appeared to be hand-woven. It was just incredible what they created here. Side note here - After about 5, the crowds really started thinning out. There was hardly a wait for anything. After a little more shopping (read that the bags were getting heavy here, even in a backpack) we headed over to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril – Backwards. The longest part of this ride was the walk through the queue. It was made-up to look like a jungle encampment near a ruined temple, with tents, crates of supplies, and even an old jeep. Somewhere in here I reminded Seghers about the loop – a fact that she had apparently forgotten by the look on her face. With no time for another Valium, she toughed it out. We walked up and immediately got in the train. We sat in the back, not realizing that was the front. It was a rough ride. I tried taking pictures, but gave up quickly. After that ride, we were both about done for the day. So we headed over to the Frontierland Depot and hopped onto the Disneyland Railroad. This was fun. We rode it from Fronterland behind Adventureland, behind Fantasyland, behind Discoveryland to Main Street. It gave you an interesting perspective of all the lands that you passed, including an area especially for smaller children off of Fantasyland that was, of course, closed. Once on Main Street, Seghers wanted to hit the shops one last time for souvenirs before the park closed. Trey caught the afternoon parade, which was also abbreviated because of the time of the year. We also toured the “liberty arcade”, a large covered walkway that had displays of the creation and gifting of the Statue of Liberty to the US. We also found a candy store on Main Street that featured large columns of glass candy. The entire column was filled with what looked like candy, but was really glass. It was really a work of art. When we left the park, we found two items of special interest - a window advertising Pyewacket cruise lines, “For a day you will treasure, book a cruise that’s a ‘pleasure’” by Capt. Roy E. Disney. We also found a small, unobtrusive marker on the side of Main Street that read simply, Elias Disney, Contractor, 1901. Once we left the park, we headed over to the Disney Village, which bears a slight resemblance to Pleasure Island. There we found shops, eateries and disco. The disco didn’t open until 11PM and closed at 4 AM. Some of the eateries included a Planet Hollywood, Annette’s Diner, McDonalds, Rainforest Café, New York Style sandwiches and a steakhouse. We opted for the steakhouse. The food was typical Disney – overpriced and not very appetizing. Service was very slow, too. We left and caught the last train back – and I mean last train until 4AM last train. It was a great day, and we certainly could have spent another day there, exploring what we missed. Maybe when it gets warmer, and things are opened later, we’ll think about returning. |