Disneyland Resort Paris Summer Season
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Disneyland Resort Paris Summer Season
It seems that Disneyland Resort Paris (“DLRP�?) is finally enjoying a period of sustained growth thanks in no small part it seems to the effect of attempted terrorism onboard transcontinental passenger aircraft and an up-tick in the economic fortunes of France and Germany. In short DLRP has had a busy summer.
At Disneyland Park the summer season brings the return of a full roster of live entertainment. Tarzan: The Encounter is believed to be playing its final season at the Chaparral Theater in Frontierland (no word on a replacement for 2007 at present) before packing houses enjoying the superior production of the two Tarzan shows that have played at Disney parks. However the Castle Stage is unusually idle for this time of year. Park management opted to move Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Too! to the Fantasy Festival Stage and (more crucially) indoors from the inclement weather of a Western European summer. The show has been totally re-jigged. Gone is the traditional story of Pooh and his little blue balloon to be replaced by a script that sees Pooh and the gang seeking the end of the rainbow (and the goal of all of their dreams coming true). Also gone are the Sherman Brothers songs to be replaced by a new set which I can only presume comes from the Book of Pooh television series. Nevertheless it is an entertaining show (although perhaps a little Wizard of Oz-esque with the characters all taking an adventure to attain something missing like Piglet’s bravery) that seems to be hugely popular with guests. The show is currently scheduled to run through August 27 (although the new indoor setting is allowing the show to be re-started for the peak Christmas season). Hopefully the Castle Stage show will return next year with a fifteenth anniversary show (DLRP celebrates its 15th birthday on April 12 2007).
Disney’s Fantillusion (click for pictures) returns for another summer season nightly at 10:30pm. Sadly another float has been dropped from Act I (one of the Enchanted Fairy Garden “reveal�? floats where Disney characters are hidden until the show stop) which means there is a long gap between Act I and Act II (The Evil Villains). Having never been a fan of this incoherent mess that relies heavily on being a Fantasmic! rip-off I had hoped that another missing stage would have shortened the presentation. Unfortunately that is not the case. Thankfully what follows immediately is a far better example of Disney entertainment.
As the rest of the park is closing at 11pm guests pack the hub and Main Street for the sophomore season of Disney’s Wishes (click for pictures) an alternate version of the nighttime fireworks show that has played at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom for several years. Due to local noise abatement and air pollution ordinates the park cannot use the high-level exploding shells that are the heart of Orlando’s firework show. Therefore much like Hong Kong Disneyland the Paris park relies heavily on inventive projections onto the castle to match the storyline. So when the score (lifted almost intact from Florida) calls for the Blue Fairy and Jiminy Cricket instead of blue fireworks in the sky the characters appear projected on the castle turrets. The projection equipment is cleverly stored in the center of the hub where a huge tilted disc emblazoned with the Wishes logo covers the entire planter area. The projections are complemented by lasers. Although some of the projections are a little cheesy (think it’s a small world plaza rather than the classier affair of Hong Kong Disneyland) and generic at times it certainly compensates for the lack of unique fireworks (thankfully the fan rockets are still there) like the planets and the mirror. It is undoubtedly the finest fireworks show that Disneyland park has ever shown.
Over the at the Walt Disney Studios park as construction continues on the Tower of Terror and the Toon Studios complex (click for pictures) in the front lot of the park two popular shows have returned for the summer. Lilo & Stitch: Catch a Wave Party has taken up residency on the Production Courtyard Stage. The show follows a similar storyline as previous years where Minnie is directing her feature debut with the assistance of her friends. However Stitch causes a disturbance as he wants Elvis to be the music for the video (although it seems this element is more subdued this year to allow the show to concentrate on the interactive element for kids). The show is hugely entertaining for a small production and seems to bring a level of energy that is often lacking at the Walt Disney Studios park.
Almost as soon as each Lilo & Stitch: Catch a Wave Party (click for pictures) finishes the moveable sets for Starring Cruella De Vil (click for pictures) are positioned on the performance corridor directly between the Production Courtyard Stage and the Tower of Terror. This show is rather more kooky in its execution. The show unfolds with two stooges performing an energetic dance routine to Cruella’s signature song. The villain herself is finally revealed from the changing booth in her dressing room. Her henchmen then conscript a series of guests to help in the shooting of the scene (sound, cameraman, actors etc.) which culminates in Cruella being replaced by another guest dressed as Cruella! It is actually entertaining stuff and the tempo is kept brisk throughout.
Disney’s Cinema Parade continues to wind its way down the performance corridor on a daily basis and there is no word on when the parade itself will be replaced by the Stars and Motor Cars Parade from Disney-MGM Studios (although the Pixar Pals-inspired parade for that park has been delayed at present and Block Party Bash is definitely not leaving Disney’s California Adventure park any time soon).
So what is upcoming at DLRP?
On October 7 Disneyland park will unveil its new Halloween Festival with Stitch joining the Pumpkinmen and Pink Witches. The Villains Parade will layover the existing Princess Parade for the last time. The seasonal event climaxes on November 5 to make way for the Christmas season complete with the Christmas Parade and Enchanted Fairytale Ceremony.
It is likely that the Kids’ Carnival will return in February 2007 ahead of the kick-off of the fifteenth anniversary celebration with the new parade debuting on March 31. By that time the castle will have been dressed for the season.
Over at the Walt Disney Studios park guests can look forward to the unveiling of the new Toon Studios complex (where the Toons go to work as opposed to Mickey’s Toontown where they live!) in June 2007. Both the Cars: Race Rally and Turtle Twister should be ready for the summer season. Tower of Terror is currently on track to open prior to Christmas 2007.
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-- Posted August 28, 2006
-- Article by Lee MacDonald