An Introduction to Disneyland Paris®
In April 1988, construction work started on the site in the middle of the countryside, 32km east of Paris, and everything went swimmingly until the park opened on April 12th 1992. That's when Disney's luck ran out. The French resented Euro Disney and protested in a big way (even power cables were vandalised on opening day, blacking out the roadsigns to Disneyland on the motorway). The French feared that their culture would be irreparably damaged by the Park, whipped up an untrue reputation and stayed away in droves. On the first day, not the expected 500,000 turned up, but just 50,000. As if this wasn't enough, the French cast members revolted, many of them (3,000) quitting their jobs. They felt it wrong the their managers insisted on English language in meetings, and enforced the strict dress/uniform code (French law actually legislates against this).
Disney almost suffered a final nail in the Euro Disney coffin when prices were seen to be prohibitively high for food and drink and park admission. In truth, they were broadly in line with French prices - the cost of living had always been high in France (often even higher than London). As a result of all this the park made massive losses and was surrounded by rumours of closing and even liquidation. It's true that during one winter, the Newport Bay Hotel was closed because of a lack of guests. All through these troubles, the press banged on and on with their bad publicity. Few people stopped to mention the truth. The Euro Disney was (and still is) the best theme park that Europe has ever seen.
Slowly, word began to get around. Those of us who had been to the park returned with our friends, and then they returned with their friends. Disney made some concessions and reduced admission and food prices among other things. Attendance began to rise, the name Euro Disney changed to Euro Disneyland, then to Euro Disneyland Paris, and finally to Disneyland Paris. Today, thanks to high attendance and financial restructuring (and, some say, the opening of Space Mountain), the park is the profit-making success that it deserves to be.
Please don't believe the negative rubbish that you hear about Disneyland Paris. Go see for yourself how wrong public opinion can be.
Enjoy the Park.
You will!
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Original Material Copyright © 1998 - 2007 Chris Gibson. Last updated 06-April-2007.