Disneyland Paris is so magical and beautiful. Here are 23 Disneyland Paris facts that you probably do not know.
1. Euro Disney
Disneyland Paris originally opened as “Euro Disney” on April 12, 1992.
2. Renamed
“Euro Disney” did not catch on with Europeans as well as Disney expected. Once the name changed to “Disneyland Paris,” attendance went up, thankfully.
3. Remnants
You may even find some evidence of “Euro Disney” on markers around the park. For example, under the main entrance plaza, on the floor, is an ED nameplate.
4. Wild Animals
Since Paris is full of wild animals, some can sneak into the park. To help keep both guests and animals safe, Disneyland Paris has an official Wildlife Department that handles these incidents in the best way possible.
5. Lots of Plants
There are 450 different species of plants with around 35,000 trees planted at the resort.
6. Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell is everywhere! Even though Mickey Mouse is always the official mascot of Disney Parks, Tinker Bell is definitely a close second place for Disneyland Paris.
7. Harrington's Dome
Go inside Harrington’s on Main Street. The ceiling is shaped like a giant glass dome. Have one person stand on one end of the dome and one person directly across from them on the other side. If you whisper, you can still hear the other person perfectly even on a busy day. It is a rare phenomenon that occurs with that type of dome architecture.
8. Dapper Dans
Guests can actually get their hair trimmed or cut at Dapper Dan’s Barbours on Main Street.
9. Myth
Many people believe that the castle in Disneyland Paris belongs to Belle and the Beast since they are French. However, like Disneyland in California and Hong Kong, it is Aurora’s castle. “Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant” translates to “The Castle of the Sleeping Beauty.”
10. Gold Spires
The tops of the castle spires are plated with 24-carat gold leaf. Some of the It’s A Small World building is plated with the same gold leaf.
11. Dragon
Venture into the dungeon of the castle, La Tanière du Dragon. You’ll be greeted by a fire-breathing dragon chained inside. It is usually sleeping but occasionally wakes to strike fear in the hearts of guests. The dragon is the largest audio-animatronic in the park at 75 feet long. It weighs over 5,500 pounds.
12. Maleficent's Dragon
Even though this is the castle of Sleeping Beauty, the dragon is not based on Maleficent. Imagineers chose to design the dragon based off of folklore instead of famous Disney dragons.
13. The Dragon's Dinner
There are skeletal remains near the dragon from its last meal.
14. Fast
Space Mountain in Disneyland Paris is the fastest version of the attraction around the world.
15. Synchronized Music
Space Mountain in Paris was also the first roller coaster accompanied by synchronized music.
16. Captain Nemo’s Submarine
The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction, Les Mystères du Nautilus, is a unique walk through Captain Nemo’s submarine. Inside the submarine is Captain Nemo’s organ. It is a replica from the film–the original movie prop is at the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland California. Look closely at the organ, you may see the ghost of Captain Nemo appear!
17. Hidden Giant
Check out the huge beanstalk outside Sir Mickey’s shop. It is designed after the beanstalk in Disney Learning Adventures: Mickey and the Beanstalk. Then, go inside the store and look for the giant from the film peaking through the window!
18. Upside Down
Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril, translated to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, was the first-ever Disney attraction to go upside-down.
19. Ride it Backwards
At one point, the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril had an overlay that changed only one thing: the direction the vehicles faced. The entire ride was the exact same as before, but the train went backwards!
20. The Unsinkable Molly Brown
The Molly Brown Riverboat is named after “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” She famously survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Not only that, she is also known for convincing one of only two of the lifeboats who returned for survivors after the sinking to do so. This is where she got her name of “unsinkable.”
21. April 12th
Interestingly, Disneyland Paris opened on April 12, which was only two days prior to the anniversary of the sinking. Maybe this is the reason behind naming the riverboat after Margaret “Molly” Brown.
22. Suite Names
All of the fancy Disneyland Hotel suites are named and designed after classic Disney characters and movies. There is a Dumbo suite, a Pinocchio suite, a Bambi suite etc.
23. Castle Club
Guests who are willing to spend some extra cash can stay at the Castle Club at the Disneyland Hotel. Castle Club guests receive a special key that lets them onto a secret elevator. This elevator takes them to their exclusive hotel room floor and/or straight to the park entrance.
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