DISNEY THEME PARKS CLUB #8: Disneyland Paris, the Park a country did not want
Wednesday June 7th, 2023
Class Rules and Expectations
What is the Disney Theme Parks Club?
April 19 to June 21
Wednesdays (10 classes)
4:15-5:15 PM EST
Hey, Disney Park Buffs!! I'm pretty sure many of you have experienced a Disney Park at least once in our lives, but did you ever know of the history of how each and every one of these parks came to be? The Disney Theme Parks Club will be about not only uncovering the story behind the parks, but also allowing each of us to live out the stories through the people who brought them to life!! So, grab your mouse ears once again and get ready for a theme park experience like no other.
Class Schedule
What We Learned in Our Last Class?
Going to Europe?
Following the success of Disneyland, Walt considered the possibility of building a theme park in Europe, but it wasn’t until after his death in 1966 did the possibility of a European Disneyland came to light.
After the opening of Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, Disney Park Executives Dick Nunis and Jim Cora revisited the idea of a European Disneyland. Among the list of 1,200 possible locations, some of the cities that were considered for a Disney Theme Park in Europe were Frankfurt, Germany; Paris, France; London, England and Milan, Italy.
The Brits and Italians are Out
However, Britain and Italy were dropped from the list due to both lacking a suitable expanse of flat land. By March 1985, the number of possible locations for the park had been reduced to four; two in France and two in Spain. Both nations saw the potential economic advantages of a Disney theme park and offered competing financing deals to Disney.
Both Spanish sites were located near the Mediterranean and offered a subtropical climate similar to Disney's parks in California and Florida. Disney had asked each site to provide average temperatures for every month for the previous 40 years, which proved a complicated endeavour as none of the records were computerised.
Spain Drops Out
The site in Pego, Alicante became the front-runner, but the location was controversial as it would have meant the destruction of Marjal de Pego-Oliva marshlands, a site of natural beauty and one of the last homes of the almost extinct Samaruc or Valencia Toothcarp, so there was some local outcry among environmentalists.
France Wins the Race
Disney had also shown interest in a site near Toulon in southern France, not far from Marseille. The pleasing landscape of that region, as well as its climate, made the location a top competitor for what would be called Euro Disneyland. However, shallow bedrock was encountered beneath the site, which would have rendered construction too difficult.
Finally, a site in the rural town of Marne-la-Vallée was chosen because of its proximity to Paris and its central location in Western Europe. This location was estimated to be no more than a four-hour drive for 68 million people and no more than a two-hour flight for a further 300 million.
Eisner negotiates with the French
In 1985, Disney CEO Michael Eisner signed an agreement with the French government for a nearly 5,000 acres of land while the first financial contracts were signed in 1987 by Disney executives.
Construction began in August 1988, and in December 1990, an information centre named "Espace Euro Disney" was opened to show the public what was being constructed. Furthermore, plans for a theme park next to Euro Disneyland based on the entertainment industry, Disney-MGM Studios Europe, quickly went into development, scheduled to open in 1996 with a construction budget of US$2.3 billion.
Finding the Right Workforce Talent
Unlike Disney's American theme parks, Euro Disney aimed for permanent employees (an estimated requirement of 12,000 for the theme park itself), as opposed to seasonal and temporary part-time employees. Casting centres were set up in Paris, London, and Amsterdam. However, it was understood by the French government and Disney that "a concentrated effort would be made to tap into the local French labour market".
Disney sought workers with sufficient communication skills, who spoke two European languages (French and one other), and were socially outgoing. Following precedent, Euro Disney set up its own Disney University to train workers. 24,000 people had applied by November 1991.
We don’t want Disney in France!!
The prospect of a Disney park in France was a subject of debate and controversy. Critics, who included prominent French intellectuals, denounced what they considered to be the cultural imperialism of Euro Disney and felt it would encourage an unhealthy American type of consumerism in France. Furthermore, in June 1992, a group of French Farmers blockaded Disneyland Paris to protest farm policies supported by the United States.
A journalist from a French newspaper suggested that Disneyland Paris be burned down by rebels and a French stage director branded Disneyland Paris as a cultural Chernobyl.
But Some People Do Want Disney in France
In response to the criticisms, French philosopher Michel Serres noted, "It is not America that is invading us. It is we who adore it, who adopt its fashions and above all, its words." Euro Disney S.C.A.'s then-chairman Robert Fitzpatrick responded, "We didn't come in and say O.K., we're going to put a beret and a baguette on Mickey Mouse. We are who we are."
A Question of Appearance for Staff
Topics of controversy also included Disney's American managers requiring English to be spoken at all meetings and Disney's appearance code for members of staff, which listed regulations and limitations for the use of makeup, facial hair, tattoos, jewellery, and more.
French labour unions mounted protests against the appearance code, which they saw as "an attack on individual liberty". Others criticised Disney as being insensitive to French culture, individualism, and privacy, because restrictions on individual or collective liberties were illegal under French law, unless it could be demonstrated that the restrictions are requisite to the job and do not exceed what is necessary.
Disney countered by saying that a ruling that barred them from imposing such an employment standard could threaten the image and long-term success of the park. "For us, the appearance code has a great effect from a product identification standpoint," said Thor Degelmann, Euro Disney's personnel director. "Without it we couldn't be presenting the Disney product that people would be expecting."
A Controversial Opening Day
On 12 April 1992, Euro Disney Resort and its theme park, Euro Disneyland, officially opened. Visitors were warned of chaos on the roads. A government survey indicated that half a million people carried by 90,000 cars might attempt to enter the complex. French radio warned traffic to avoid the area.
By midday, the car park was approximately half full, suggesting an attendance level below 25,000. Explanations of the lower-than-expected turnout included speculation that people heeded the advice to stay away and that the one-day strike that cut the direct RER railway connection to Euro Disney from the centre of Paris made the park inaccessible.
Early Financial Struggles
Due to the European recession that August, the park faced financial difficulties as there were a lack of things to do and an overabundance of hotels, leading to underperformance. The failure of Euro Disney caused the cancellation of several projects like WestCOT, Disney's America, Tomorrowland 2055 at Disneyland and Beastly Kingdom at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
In 1994, the company was still having financial difficulties. There were rumours that Euro Disney was getting close to having to file for bankruptcy. The banks and the backers had meetings to work out some of the financial problems facing Euro Disney. In March 1994 Team Disney went into negotiations with the banks so that they could get some help for their debt. As a last resort, the Walt Disney Company threatened to close the Disneyland Paris park, leaving the banks with the land.
Getting Staff and Guests in the Door
In May 1992, entertainment magazine The Hollywood Reporter reported that about 25% of Euro Disney's workforce, approximately 3,000 people, had resigned from their jobs because of unacceptable working conditions. It also reported that the park's attendance was far behind expectations. The disappointing attendance can be at least partly explained by the recession and increased unemployment, which was affecting France and most of the rest of the developed world at this time; when construction of the resort began, the economy was still on an upswing.
Also, park attendance was around 25,000 (some reports give a figure of 30,000) instead of the predicted 60,000. The Euro Disney Company stock price spiraled downwards and on 23 July 1992, Euro Disney announced an expected net loss in its first year of operation of approximately 300 million French francs. During Euro Disney's first winter, hotel occupancy was so low that it was decided to close the Newport Bay Club hotel during the season.
1995 Turnaround
On 1 October 1994, Euro Disney changed its name to Disneyland Paris. On 31 May 1995, a new attraction opened at the theme park. Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune had been planned since the inception of Disneyland Paris under the name Discovery Mountain, but was reserved for a revival of public interest. With a redesign of the attraction (which had premiered as Space Mountain at the Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Kingdom in 1975) including a "cannon launch" system, inversions, and an on-ride soundtrack, the US$100 million attraction was dedicated in a ceremony attended by celebrities such as Elton John, Claudia Schiffer, and Buzz Aldrin.
On 25 July 1995, Disneyland Paris reported its first quarterly profit of US$35.3 million. On 15 November 1995, the results for the fiscal year ending 30 September 1995 were released; in one year the theme park's attendance had climbed from 8.8 million to 10.7 million, an increase of 21%. Hotel occupancy had also climbed from 60 to 68.5%. After debt payments, Disneyland Paris ended the year with a net profit of US$22.8 million.
Disneyland Paris Layout
Disneyland Park is divided into five themed "lands", which house 49 attractions. Designed like a wheel with the hub on Central Plaza before Sleeping Beauty Castle, pathways spoke out across the 140 acres (57 ha) of the park and lead to the lands.
The five lands are:
Main Street USA
Frontierland
Discoveryland
Adventureland
Fantasyland
Disneyland Paris (Main Street USA)
Main Street USA serves as the main entrance boulevard into the park and is themed after early-20th-century small-town America, inspired by Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri, complete with a train station and Victorian architecture. The street terminates at the central hub of the park with Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Disneyland Paris (Frontierland)
Frontierland is themed after the 19th century American Old West mining town of Thunder Mesa. Features include desert and wilderness landscaping, large rock formations, a river, and frontier architecture. Among the attractions featured are Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Phantom Manor aka the Haunted Mansion.
Disneyland Paris (Discoveryland)
Discoveryland is themed after the visions of famed European thinkers and explorers such as Leonardo da Vinci, HG Wells, or Jules Verne, rather than looking towards future as in the other parks. Among the attractions include Hyperspace Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blasts and the Mysteries of the Nautilus.
Disneyland Paris (Adventureland)
Adventureland is themed to recreate the feel of the Caribbean, the Middle East Africa and India. Lush landscaping is abundant throughout the land to give visitors the impression of being in a remote jungle. Among the attractions featured are Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones Et Le Temple Du Peril.
Disneyland Paris (Fantasyland)
Sleeping Beauty Castle serves as the main entrance to Fantasyland, which is themed after a storybook village taking many architectural traits from various European villages. Among the attractions include Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and the Storybook Land Canal Boats.
What is Walt Disney Studios Park?
Initial plans for a second theme park, named Disney-MGM Studios Europe or Disney-MGM Studios Paris, were scheduled to open in 1995, though these plans were canceled around mid-1992 due to the resort's financial issues at the time. After the resort began to make a profit, these plans were revived on a much smaller scale. The park was announced on 29 September 1999 and construction would begin in 2000.
LUMIERE! CAMERA! ACTION!
Walt Disney Studios Park opened on March 16th, 2002 and Chief Creative Executive Bruce Vaughn described opening day:
The first time I went to Paris second gate, it was after hours. No kidding, for the first ten minutes, I'm walking through, and I was like 'When are we gonna be in the park?' And he turned to me and he goes, 'You're in the park.' And I'm like 'I'm on stage?' He goes, 'You're on stage.' Like, 'This looks backstage.' It's a bunch of gray warehouses. He goes 'Yeah. It's supposed to be like a studio.' But again, it was this notion of, 'Ah, the people… the guests will buy it. This is what a studio really looks like. The guests, they just want, you know,' and it's like talking yourself in at the highest levels of, the guests… the guests would just buy this stuff.”
Walt Disney Studios Park Layout
Walt Disney Studios Park is divided into five "studio lots", representing various aspects of film production present at a Hollywood film studio, as well as prominent film franchises. These “studio lots” are:
Front Lot
Toon Studio
Worlds of Pixar
Production Courtyard
Marvel Avengers Campus
Walt Disney Studios Park (Front Lot)
Front Lot serves as the park's main entrance and is home to most shops and services of the park, the Earffel Tower is located here. The entrance courtyard, La Place des Frères Lumière, is designed in Spanish Colonial Revival style, a style common in Hollywood in the 1930s. It is loosely based on the design of the original Disney Bros. Studios on Hyperion Avenue. The central feature of the courtyard is a large Fantasia fountain. The name of the courtyard is a tribute to the French inventors of cinema and the main attraction is Disney Studio 1.
Walt Disney Studios Park (Toon Studio)
Toon Studio features attractions and shopping based on Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios franchises, including a live show, Mickey and the Magician.When the park originally opened in 2002, the area was known as Animation Courtyard. In 2007, as part of the park's fifth anniversary, two new rides were added: Crush's Coaster and Cars Quatre Roues Rallye. In 2009, the area was expanded with the creation of the Toy Story Playland. In January 2012, construction began on a new Ratatouille-themed ride and restaurant.
In 2021, most of this area's attractions were separated into the newly-named Worlds of Pixar area of the park. The attractions featured at Toon Studio include Animation Celebration and Flying Carpets Over Agrabah.
Walt Disney Studios Park (Worlds of Pixar)
Formerly a part of the Toon Studio section, the Worlds of Pixar area features rides, attractions, shopping, and restaurants based on Pixar's Finding Nemo, Cars, Toy Story, and Ratatouille franchises. Noted attractions include Crush’s Coaster, Cars Race Rally and Ratatouille the Adventure.
Walt Disney Studios Park (Toy Story Land)
Opened in 2010, Toy Story Land is a section of Worlds of Pixar that is devoted to the Toy Story Universe. Among the attractions featured are RC Racer, Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin and Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop.
Walt Disney Studios Park (Production Courtyard)
Production Courtyard's theme revolves around the production aspect of Hollywood movies and the Hollywood mythos, including movie legends. The land contains two distinct parts: Hollywood Boulevard, which features Hollywood-inspired street sets and the ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - A New Dimension of Chills and Place des Stars themed around the production facilities of movie lots, containing Stitch Live!
Walt Disney Studios Park (Marvel Avengers Campus)
Marvel Avengers Campus, a land themed around the Marvel Cinematic Universe, soft opened on 9 July 2022, and opened to the public 20 July 2022. Anchored as a transformed Paris-based secret location for S.H.I.E.L.D., the area's attractions and dining include Avengers Assemble: Flight Force (an Iron Man re-theme of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Avec Aerosmith) and Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure (a clone of Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure from the Anaheim version of the land).
What does the Future Hold for Disneyland Paris? (Phase 1)
On 27 February 2018, Bob Iger announced that The Walt Disney Company will invest €2 billion into the Disneyland Paris resort. The Walt Disney Studios Park will be expanded with three new areas based on Marvel, Frozen and Star Wars. In addition to the three new areas, the expansion includes a new lake, which will be the focal point for entertainment experiences and will also connect each of the new park areas.
What does the Future Hold for Disneyland Paris? (Phase 2)
The second phase of the expansion will be Kingdom of Arendelle which is scheduled to be open in 2023. Guests will be immersed in the kingdom of Arendelle (set after the events of Frozen and before Frozen II), where Queen Elsa has declared a Summer Snow Day for its citizens. A new and expanded version of Frozen Ever After will debut with the land as well as a restaurant and a shop.
What Does the Future Hold for Disneyland Paris? (Phase 3)
The third and final phase of the expansion was supposed to a land themed to Star Wars. The land was originally scheduled set to be completed between 2024 and 2025. Multiple sources have claimed that this expansion will be a version of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge found in Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios. However, it is currently speculated that the Star Wars-themed land has been canceled, with new themes for this area currently being explored
Has Disneyland Paris Been Accepted Fully by the French People?
If there is one thing that can be said is that Disneyland Paris still hasn’t been and may never be fully embraced by the French People. It goes to show you that despite a slow start and a recovery, Disneyland Paris can only please the true Disney fans that accept it for who it is as a theme park.
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