Since the beginning of March, the Disney-themed amusement park has been celebrating its thirty years of existence. A great opportunity to retrace the history of this unique place which today delights young and old alike.
Disneyland Paris celebrates its 30th anniversary this year! To mark the occasion, the leisure park offers to share it with its visitors. New costumes, Disney D-Light light show, fairy gardens… The latter are invited “to enter a sparkling new era, where they will dream bigger and laugh harder“.
If the official opening date of the park is actually April 12, 1992, this does not prevent you from already going to enjoy it. But then, how did Disneyland Paris go from wasteland to Europe’s number one destination? Back in the past.
The beginnings of a magical place
Faced with the success of the American Walt Disney parks in the United States, the establishment of a Disney park in France will see the light of day quite naturally. The firm with the big ears will then start negotiations. After discussing briefly with the president of Walt Disney Productions in 1984, Edith Cresson, Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, will submit the idea to the president François Mitterrand. Very few people know about it. The first negotiations are thus done “in secret”.
But in 1985, the project became public. The press seized on it and popularized it. The vice-president of the group is received by the Prime Minister and discusses his three ideas for setting up in France: in the Var, in the Ardèche and to the east of the Paris region. Following two years of discussions and a battle with Spain over who will have the park in their country, the Agreement for the creation and operation of the Euro Disneyland project in France is finally signed in Paris. A victory for the country, which began work on the Marne-la-Vallée side a year later.
A long-awaited opening
It took almost four full years to conclude this major project. Result ? April 12, 1992, the Disneyland Paris complex is finally opening its doors. Originally, it included an amusement park, a few hotels and a village with shops and restaurants.
Barely two years later, the Marne-la-Valée TGV station located at the foot of the complex is expanding throughout Europe. Today, it serves 54 French and European cities at a rate of 88 high-speed trains per day, allowing tourists to come more easily.
A second park on the meter
The idea of expanding Disneyland Paris had been on the table for some time. In 1999, an announcement was made: Walt Disney Studios was to enter the Parisian leisure complex! Thus, on March 16, 2002 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary, the second park opened its doors. Visitors are invited to discover the magic of the Walt Disney film studios. There are nine new attractions like flying carpets inspired by Aladdin.
Over the years, ToonStudio, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Toy Story Playland or Ratatouille: The Totally Crazy Adventure of Rémy join the squad.
The arrival of Nature Villages
A few kilometers away, yet another project is emerging with the construction of Nature Villages. These new 259-hectare green spaces located a stone’s throw from the park offer visitors the opportunity to come and recharge their batteries: accommodation, outdoor playground, water park, gardens… 5 creative universes have been exclusively designed by the Euro Disney group and Pierre & Holidays to make you live an ecological experience.
Even today, it is one of the most important tourist projects in Europe.
Already 25 years old!
We are in 2017. Disneyland Paris is celebrating its 25th birthday! In preparation for the festivities, the park had launched a huge renovation plan to welcome tourists in the best conditions. Now ready to celebrate, it welcomes the actors of Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge for the European premiere of the film.
This same year will be marked by the new version of the attraction Star Tours (Star Wars universe), which became Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.
Read also: Daredevil: will the series have a 4th season on Disney+?
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5 elements to understand… the history of Disneyland Paris, the largest amusement park in Europe
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