People in Paris, France were very protective of their distinctive culture, so when Michael Eisner came to Paris France in 1989 to sell stock for a new Disneyland theme park, he was surprised to see protestors throwing eggs and waving “Disney Go Home” signs. The launch of Euro Disney did not initially look promising. Then there was the cold, the rain and the occasional bouts of bad weather that made France an unlikely contender. However, 13 years later, the second Disney park — the 0 million Disney Studios — was just opening up and chairman Robert Fitzpatrick told TIME Magazine, “My biggest fear is that we will be too successful.”
Despite its current success of $37.7 million in profit, 86% occupancy and 12 million visitors each year, Euro Disney in Paris got off to a rough start. Initially, the Disney crew believed that Europeans were ready to immerse themselves into a “totally American experience.” After all, the Disney movies sold better in Europe than they did in the U.S., and Hong Kong Disney was outperforming Disneyland in Anaheim. However, they had to make some changes to accommodate a multicultural audience. Now they sell espresso at refreshment stands, wine and beer with lunch and hand out park maps in six different languages. Currently the Disney strategy is to expand beyond the French market to attract other European visitors (40% of all tourists come from France) and to encourage people to stay at the parks and resorts longer, since the average stay is only about 2 days, compared to 4 to 5 in other parks.
Disneyland in Paris has so much to see and do, and it can be hard to cram the whole experience into just one day. The castle is sort of overshadowed by the real castles throughout France, but locals still love to enter the “Dragon Cave” where they will see one of the park’s neatest animatronics — the dragon! Another thing to look for are Disney characters walking around, including Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, the princesses and other characters can often be spotted for photo ops and autographs. Some of the most worthwhile shows to look out for include the Honey I Shrunk The Audience 3-D Movie in Discoveryland, the Animagique at the Disney Studios park, the Armageddon Special Effects show at Disney Studios, the Moteurs! Action stunt car show at the Walt Disney Studio park and Lion King musical in Discoveryland.
There are numerous ways to get to Disney hotels in Paris. From Charles de Gaulle International Airport, one can hop aboard a high-speed train from Terminal 2 and arrive in Disney within just 10 minutes. From the Orly Airport, guests will need to take three trains: the Orlyval train to Antony, the RER B train to Chatelet-Les-Halles and the RER A4 train to Marne-la-Vallee Chessy. There are also direct bus routes from either airport for €13 to 17 per person. Some people opt to drive to Disney on the highways from Germany or the UK. While it’s easy enough to find, it could cost €30 in highway tolls, though. The train is surely the best way to reach Disneyland Resort Paris, since it has its own railway station; the “Marne-la-Vallee Chessy.” Taking this train from Paris hotels takes about 35 minutes on the RER A4. From London, the Eurostar runs daily from St. Pancras or Ashford station directly to Marne-la-Vallee Chessy, which takes about two hours.
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