Disneyland Paris Turns 20 with Exclusive High-Tech Show, Parade
posted on January 23rd, 2012 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
Disneyland Paris is turning 20 in a few months and you better believe they’ve got a special celebration in the works, including a new show with never-before-seen special effects. The team behind the new Disney Dreams Show told us that they’ve gathered the greatest technology from around the world to “wow” you and tell a story in a new way.
Take a look at the plans. Water streams and the Disneyland Paris castle will become a canvas for the story during the new after-dark Disney Dreams Show. It’s being created by Imagineer Steven Davison and it’ll include lasers and other special effects and technical tools that have never been combined before at Disney Parks.
Mickey and Minnie and some of your favorite Disney characters will also have redesigned costumes when they appear in the new Disney Magic on Parade! The parade will begin with a tribute to Disney Magic and include new music, floats and choreography. Here’s a look at what to expect when the celebrations begin on April 1, 2012.
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Disneyland Paris Celebrates the Holiday Season
posted on December 14th, 2011 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager
The holidays are in full swing at Disneyland Paris, which will celebrate an Enchanted Christmas through January 8, 2012.
Special holiday offerings include amazing seasonal décor, meet and greets with Santa Claus and Duffy the Disney Bear, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Town Square, and much more. The park also features special entertainment, including Princess Aurora’s Christmas Wish, in which Aurora’s three fairy godmothers argue over the color of the castle. The end result? A glittering castle, covered in thousands of lights.
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Artist Creates Disneyland Paris’ Sleeping Beauty Castle with 50,000 Folds of Paper
posted on December 8th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
After three weeks of work and more than 50,000 folds of paper, the best origami sculpture of Disneyland Paris’ Sleeping Beauty Castle you’ll probably ever see is now on display in London. Paper artist Paul Jackson used 20 different paper-folding techniques to create the 10-foot “pop-up” castle at the St. Pancras International station for the launch of the Disneyland Paris 20th Anniversary brochure.
Look closely, and you’ll see more than 5,000 origami bricks on the walls and more than 300 origami cubes, each individually folded. Here’s a quick look at what it took to create the castle.
Origami Sleeping Beauty Castle Facts:
- Four weeks planning and over three weeks to build
- Over 50,000 folds of paper
- 20 different origami folding techniques used
- 5,000 origami bricks on the walls, 300 origami cubes, each individually folded
- The highest point stands at almost 10 feet
The Disneyland Paris castle is available to view at St. Pancras until December 10 and then at the FirstChoice Superstore in Crayford, Kent, where it will be on display until late next year.
400 Tons of Ice Sculpted into Disney ‘Ice Wonderland’
posted on December 7th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
If you were wowed by the Disney sand sculptures we shared earlier this year, then take a look at what the winter wind blew in today. More than 30 artists from around the world have come together to create an amazing interpretation of Disneyland Paris Enchanted Christmas for the 10th International Snow & Ice Sculpture Festival in Bruges, Belgium.
“Ice Wonderland” is a winter kingdom featuring nearly 100 sculptures from Main Street, U.S.A., to Toy Story Playland, through the maze of “Alice in Wonderland.” The Partners Statue is featured, along with characters and princesses like Peter Pan, Rapunzel and Cinderella.
The exhibition is located at the exit of the train station of Bruges, the famous medieval city and one of the main tourist attractions in Belgium. It’s open through January 12, 2012, and should be a “must-see” if you’re in the area. But if you can’t make it out there, you can take a virtual tour of the experience (use the full screen option) and we’ve included several more photos below.
Let us know which one is your favorite.
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Duffy The Disney Bear Arrives at Disneyland Resort Paris
posted on December 3rd, 2011 by Steven Miller, Merchandise Communications Manager
My friend Duffy the Disney Bear recently arrived at Disneyland Resort Paris for the Disney Enchanted Christmas celebration. Duffy will be meeting friends on Main Street, U.S.A., participating in Disney’s “Once Upon a Dream” Parade and serving as the guest of honor for the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
To celebrate the start of the Christmas season, the Disneyland Resort Paris team held a small press event that featured Duffy. They worked with several notable designers to create unique costumes for Duffy bears, which were displayed in an exhibition hall at Disney’s Hotel New York for the media. The team then took photos of the bears throughout the park. Pictured above are designs by Alexandre Vauthier (top left) and Nathalie Garçon (top right).
The nice part about these costumed bears is that they will be donated to local hospitals in France and Belgium. Throughout December, Mickey Mouse and his friend Duffy will be visiting local hospitals. During the visits, a creative workshop will be held where a group of children can personalize their own Duffy bears. More than 200 bears will be distributed during the holidays.
I thought the pictures of Duffy throughout the park turned out great (probably because I’ve always wanted to visit France!). Pictured above are costumes by Manish Arora (top left), Paul Ka (top right), Paul & Joe (bottom left) and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (bottom right).
While these designer bears won’t be available for sale, the team in France has also introduced a unique magical moment for guests who purchase a Duffy bear. Rather than say “purchase,” a cast member completes an adoption certificate (pictured above) when a guest gets a new Duffy the Disney Bear.
If you have visited Duffy in France, please share your experience in the comments below. You can also connect with other fans on either the official Facebook fan page for Disneyland Resort Paris or share your photos on the official Facebook fan page for Duffy. And if you plan on visiting Disneyland Resort Paris anytime soon, please take me with you!
Take 5: Halloween Time Fun at Disney Parks
posted on October 29th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
Halloween Time at Disney is a Guest favorite and over the last month we’ve shared stories on the Disney Parks Blog on ways the parks have been celebrating worldwide. We held a spooktacular fireworks show, transformed the Haunted Mansion at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, and even introduced some yummy seasonal treats.
Take 5: Halloween Time Fun at Disney Parks
- Disney’s Halloween Festival in Paris – Here are some fun photos of how we celebrated Halloween at Disneyland Paris.
- Headless Horseman Leads the Way this Halloween at Hong Kong Disneyland – In Hong Kong Disneyland the Headless Horseman led the way in spooky fun for Disney’s Haunted Halloween celebration.
- Dapper Dans Sing Special Spooky Songs for Halloween Time at Disneyland Park – The not-so-scary but very Dapper Dans sang a special set during Halloween Time at Disneyland park including a creepy classic created by Disney Legends X Atencio and Buddy Baker.
- A Spooktacular in the Sky at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts – Check out some images taken from this year’s Happy HalloWishes fireworks spectacular.
- Our Favorite Disney Sweet for National Cookie Month – We shared a recipe for baking and decorating Jack Skellington cookies from the blockbuster animated film, “Nightmare Before Christmas.”
Behind the Scenes: Mickey Pumpkin Magic at Disneyland Paris
posted on October 28th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
If you’ve hopped on a boat at Epcot’s Living with the Land attraction you may have seen a cool Mickey Mouse-shaped pumpkin or two. This Halloween season, you can’t miss them at Disneyland Paris – it’s the first ever crop created especially for the park. And today we’re sharing a look at how it was done.
Europe’s largest pumpkin grower David Bowman grew the special crop for Disneyland Paris using a seed variety called Cinderella (yes, that’s the real name). This year, he’s been working to grow Mickey pumpkins so good people think they’re fake.
The Mickey Mouse silhouette was created using a specially-designed mold, which was fitted to the pumpkins in the early stages of growth. The pumpkins grew until they filled the moulds and were then left to ripen, turning from dark green to the ripe, vibrant orange.
David grows more than three million pumpkins each year on almost 500 acres of land but says this is a pumpkin first for him. He calls this a really good crop of Mickey pumpkins for the world to enjoy at the park’s Halloween Festival this weekend.
Disney’s Halloween Festival in Paris
posted on October 27th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
Earlier this week, we shared a peek at Hong Kong Disneyland decorated for their unique Halloween celebration – today it’s Disneyland Paris. This year’s Halloween Festival has a few new surprises, including Disney’s Maleficious Halloween Party and Mickey’s Halloween Treat in the Street. Our friends in Paris have shared some images from the festivities.
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As you can see, characters like Cruella De Vil, Captain Hook, Jafar and the wicked witch from Snow White are part of the celebration. And in this “Halloweenmosphere,” you’ll also see some really cool Mickey-shaped pumpkins in Town Square. Check the Disney Parks Blog tomorrow for more on those pumpkins.
Paris Hilton Visits Disneyland Paris
posted on October 20th, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
Look at who made a surprise visit to Disneyland Paris this week. Paris Hilton and some of her friends celebrated Halloween early at the park with Cruella De Vil, Maleficent and the Evil Queen after Disney’s Maleficious Halloween Party. During Paris’ visit, she also enjoyed a few attractions, including the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Here is another shot from our friends at Disneyland Paris.
This Week in Disney History: Disneyland Paris Marks Castle Milestone
posted on August 3rd, 2011 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager
Western Europe is full of castles that astound and inspire, evoking thoughts of fairy tales and a time gone by – and Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty Castle) at Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris is no exception.
The castle, which was topped off in August 1991 (20 years ago this week), is a bit different than the first Sleeping Beauty Castle, built 5,659 miles away at Disneyland park in California. The French version features pink-tinted turrets, stained-glass windows and a basement cavern that is home to a dragon (La Tanière du Dragon), who awakens if you wait long enough.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes video of the topping off from Disneyland Paris.
