After falling head over heels in love with Disneyland Paris in late 2017 - a whisker too late to attend the 25th celebrations - I promised myself I'd be there in person for the next major milestone. Thankfully after a few years of uncertainty, the stars aligned and I was indeed able to attend and celebrate the 30th anniversary of my absolute favourite place. So was it as magical as I hoped? Oh boy, was it.
I'll be honest, after it became apparent that Avengers Campus wouldn't be ready, Disney Illuminations was sticking around (urgh) and Disney's Stars on Parade wasn't going anywhere either, I started to have doubts about the 30th Anniversary. It had begun to sound a lot like the celebrations were yet another casualty of covid-19. As many people I knew began to scrub their planned trips off the calendar, I started to wonder if maybe that was the most sensible option. It would be taking place in the Easter holidays after all. There definitely needed to be just cause to battle those crowds.
But with my Eurostar booked, instead of cancelling I decided to diversify my trip and add visits to other attractions around the Paris area, lessening the pressure on the anniversary to make things worthwhile. Whilst I don't regret taking this route - those additional trips were all magnificent - I needn't have worried. What the 30th anniversary lacked in substance, it made up for in heart, with the result being one of the most wonderful days I've ever spent in a park.
After three long days of parks and travel, I decided to have a lie-in on the morning of the 30th (April 12th). Given that it was a Disney day, a lie-in meant an 08:15am alarm of course, but it was still an improvement. With all guests - not just those entitled to Extra Magic Time - being granted admission from 08:30, I decided I'd much rather wait for the morning rush to die down. It was going to be a long day after all. Then, sat at breakfast at 08:45, I checked twitter. Something very special was happening on Main Street. There were flags, there was dancing and what I could see for sure was that there was something happening that I would very much like to be a part of. So I made like Chip and Dale and stuffed my cheeks with the remnants of my breakfast tray, scooped up my still-scalding paper cup of coffee and ran as quickly as my desperately-trying-not-to-spill-this-boiling-hot-coffee self could handle to the RER. Thankfully being at the Ibis Budget that was approximately a 1 minute walk and within 10 minutes I was at security, buzzing with excitement and downed-too-quickly coffee. Once through security, I was delighted to see my plan had at least paid off and the passholder entrance was queue-free, leaving me free to speed walk in to the park and into a metric tonne of emotion. There was no way Twitter could have prepared me for the scene on Main Street that morning.
Un Monde Qui S'Illumine, the 30th anthem, was blaring loudly as from Main Street Station to the castle, every inch of Main Street was lined with cast members dancing, singing along and waving their anniversary flags proudly. These weren't just Main Street cast members but cast from across the resort, as well as behind-the-scenes. I spotted Toon Studio jackets and a bell hop costume as well as the entire Disneyland Paris Fire Department who were happily greeting guests for one of the most chaotic photo opportunities I've ever had.
Up in Central Plaza the party continued with cast members leading each other in dance routines, cheers and mexican waves whilst guests happily greeted each other and took photos for one another. The atmosphere was welcoming, jubilant and electric. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't shed a tear or two by the time I reached the castle.
The incredible atmosphere made it almost impossible to leave Main Street and venture in to the park, but I did quickly nip in to La Tanière du Dragon in order to wish the birthday girl a very happy 30th! The maintenance team have done some incredible work and honestly, she doesn't look as though she's aged a day. In fact, I think she's gotten even more beautiful!
The welcome party only begun to die down way after 10am. As Un Monde Qui S'Illumine was switched off and the Main Street loop was heard for the first time that day, I checked my watch. 10:12. Assuming an 08:30 start, those cast members were out there giving it their all and providing the best damn welcome anyone could have hoped for that day for nearly two whole hours. I hope they all know how appreciated their time and energy was that morning because damn, that was the real magic right there.
With the next hour offering not much beyond a standard day, it felt like time to get a ride in. What better place to start on this most special of days than the Disneyland Railroad? This was actually the first time I'd had the opportunity to visit Frontierland Station too and what a delight that was. The theming inside was so intricate that I almost wished I had a lengthy wait just so I could take it all in.
There's nothing more quintessentially Disney Parks than the railroad (come on WDW, get it sorted), with their firm link to Walt, the heart-warmingly nostalgic soundtrack and their slick integration through the park's lands I never feel more 'at Disney' than I do aboard the tracks. This ride was one of those times where everything feels just right, as I rested my head on my hands and felt the warm spring breeze whilst we steamed around the kingdom. A very lovely 20 minutes.
Next up, it was just about time to hop on over to Flower Street and find a spot for a very special concert scheduled for to begin at 11:30. The legendary Main Street Quartet would be returning to Main Street, 30 years to the day after their first performance as an opening day entertainment offering. The original troupe were returning to the park especially for the occasion and I could not wait to hear them perform. Arriving around 11 I was able to stand relatively close to the performance area, but the crowd soon grew, eventually filling the entirety of Flower Street. When the Quartet emerged from Dapper Dans, the roar that greeted them was immense and their emotion was so apparent that it almost made me cry. This was a group of people who loved this park and it's history just as much as those in the crowd, and the whole performance felt so full of love and joy that it was impossible not to feel warmed. After a beautiful set, the group also invited everyone up for a chat and a photo and it felt like an honour to meet these four genuinely lovely people.
After the concert, I decided to head straight back up to Central Plaza ready for the new show for the 30th celebration 'Dream... and Shine Brighter!' From the photos I'd seen online, it's safe to say I wasn't overly excited about this show. In my opinion, the floats for this are some of the worst I've seen for a parade. Silver bars with coloured plastic in between feels so basic for a Disney parade. We know they can do better. Whilst my opinion on this didn't change after seeing them in person, you know what? I really loved this show. Sure, the floats are cheap. Sure, it has no story. Sure, it's just a megamix of Disney songs. But it works! Being fair, I think any show that incorporates Proud Corazon would have to work mighty hard for me not to love it, but still. Something that a tweet, a youtube video and certainly this blog could never accurately portray is the energy in Central Plaza during a show stop. With performers surrounding the plaza and the stages filled with dancers and characters, you can bet the whole place feels like a party. Throw that together with a synchronised fountain display in front of the castle, some pyro, bubble machines and some of the greatest music the house of mouse has ever produced and you have a damn good time. It's no Jungle Book Jive, but it is a lot of fun.
Then? Well, then it was time to head somewhere a little (okay, a big) bit special. The Hotel New York: The Art of Marvel conference centre to be precise. A week before heading to France, I was lucky enough to win a competition. The prize of this competition was a seat at the 'Celebrating 30 Years of Disneyland Paris with the Imagineers' panel. For me, that was an absolutely incredible thing. I did have a little less success trying to explain to my colleagues why I was in floods of tears having received the winning email, 'wait, you're crying because you won a ticket to a talk?!' For someone who keeps the Imagineering Overview downloaded on her phone at all times for an emergency watch, just being in the same room as Tony Baxter, Tom Morris and Tim Delaney was the greatest gift I could ask for. I'm happy to say that attending the conference lived up to my dreams and then some. Listening to Tony, Tom and Tim talk in person about things I'd heard them mention in old videos as well as new tidbits and fun anecdotes felt like a reunion with old friends. I'd studied their work, read their blogs and tweets, watched the interviews and finally here I was. In the room. As well as the three key players in the construction of Disneyland Paris, the panel included Beth Clapperton, Tracy Eck, Björn Heerwagen, Sylvie Massara, David Wilson and Tom Fitzgerald all of whom continue to have an impact on the design of the resort to this day. I was particularly honored to be in the presence of Tracy Eck, currently Art Director for Disneyland Paris and previously a Senior Lighting Designer. Anyone who has been in Disneyland Park at night can vouch for just how talented Tracy is, with the park being home to some of the greatest themed lighting in the world.
The two hours of the conference flew by and I could quite happy have stayed two more, listening to this incredible group of people speak. Which was lucky, because I wasn't going anywhere fast.
Under some of the seats in the conference centre, tickets were to be found stuck to the underside. No one was aware of this until the end of the session, when the Disneyland Paris ambassadors took to the stage to announce that all people with a ticket below their seat must stay behind for a bonus prize, whilst those without must leave immediately. To say this created an awkward situation would be an understatement. My guest at the event, Steph, had a ticket under her seat whilst there was none under mine. The same was true of many of the pairs. People were being made to leave their companion behind and walk out of the room, with no other information provided. With a sense of uncertainty, many lurked around, waiting to hear what would happen next. A solid half hour passed with zero communication or indication of what would be happening. Eventually, the ambassadors returned to the stage to announce that it would be an exclusive Imagineer meet and greet and would be strictly one person per ticket. Steph very kindly offered me her ticket and went to leave, but in a stroke of luck was offered a ticket of her own from someone with a train to catch! So that was that awkwardness overcome at least.
Eventually, we were informed that the imagineer meet would start in five minutes and would be taking place across the hall, where we must head immediately. Terrible news for the bladder of someone who's been shut in the conference centre since 2pm! But I persevered. I persevered because my ticket granted me the opportunity to meet Tony Baxter. The Tony Baxter. The Disneyland Paris guy. Not only Tony, I also had the opportunity to meet Sylvie Massara, artistic director of Disneyland Paris hotels. As soon as I entered that queue-line I began shaking. What do you say to your heroes? Thankfully, or perhaps not, by the time I reached the front people had been taking so long that I was instructed just to say a quick hello and take a photo to ensure everyone got their turn. So, I quickly scuttled up and said hello, thanked them both for their astonishing work, had Tony Baxter compliment my outfit(!) and posed for a photo. It may have been brief, but it's an opportunity I'll never stop being thankful for.
Whilst this effectively marked the end of my anniversary celebrations for me - after the conference I did a few favourite rides, struggled to find any vegetarian food without an enormous line and eventually headed back to the hotel for some rest - I cannot end a blog post about the 30th without talking about D-light. Whilst I didn't catch D-light on the anniversary itself, I was able to watch two other performances during my trip and can confirm that it's just as jaw-droppingly magical as everyone makes out.
On my first night (Saturday 9th) at the park, crowds were surprisingly low (20 minutes for BTM on a Saturday!?) so I took the opportunity to get a really great viewing position for the drone show. I rocked up to a still relatively accessible Central Plaza 45 minutes before the show, 30th anniversary cake pop in hand (very tasty, highly recommended), and settled down to wait. Being just 4 degrees out, that wait was a bit of a struggle but thankfully it was worth every frozen minute. As the castle lit up and the fountains began to surge, the emotions began to hit. Hard. How lucky am I to have to opportunity to be right there, in front of the castle watching this incredible show? It was truly beautiful. But I did start to worry. I'd not watched any videos of the show beforehand, wanting it to be as fresh as possible, so the absence of any drones concerned me. Was there an issue? Was I at a drone-free performance?
Of course, that was just me being over-worried as per usual. The pre-show wrapped up and then, as scheduled, the drones took the the skies - and what a sight they were.
There is no photo or video that can do justice to the feeling of seeing those lights appear right in front of you, nor being in a crowd that is collectively overjoyed to see them. The atmosphere was euphoric and the show itself incredibly beautiful. I really hope you get the opportunity to see this for yourself as it is pure Disney magic.
For my second viewing, I watched the show from the end of Main Street near the park entrance. The drones are just as magical from way back there, but I would recommend trying to get one close-up viewing if you can. Having the fountains in view just adds an extra bit of sparkle and I promise it's worth the faff.
I went in to the 30th anniversary with minimal expectations, knowing only that I'd be happy to be there to celebrate. What resulted was one of the greatest experiences I've had at a Disney park - or any park for that matter. A trip, and especially a day, that I'll never forget.
A very happy 30th year Disneyland Paris. I can't wait to celebrate the next milestone with you!
Speak again soon,
Claire
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