Disneyland Paris is a fantastic place, and is the third Disney park I've visited. This park brings the number of Disney resorts to four: the others are Disneyland in Japan, Disneyworld in Florida, and Disneyland in California.

I've decided to update this old review to refresh it and incorporate the new things I know about it, as by now I must have been there more than 70 times.

The Paris site is situated just out of Paris, and is about half an hour by train: the best way to travel in Paris, due to the low cost (£17.48 for a week long unlimited ticket to take you all over Paris: from Disney to the Eiffell Tower to Versailles), and due to the fact that the station is basically on the doorstep of the Disney park. There is no need to catch a connecting bus, or to walk long distances. Car rental is not needed, and in any case parking costs several euros a time.

If you do decide to travel by train, you can get to and from the airport in one of two ways: the RER, which trundles from CDG into Paris and back - and for which you need to change trains. Take the B3 (blue) line, taking into account that depending on your airline, the stop will differ - Terminal one is first, then Terminal two. To get directly to Disneyland, you need to change at Chatelet Les Halles onto the red A4 line. Leave plenty of time for this option.

Otherwise, you can take the TGV which is the speedy speed speed train which takes about ten minutes. It is a lot more expensive, around thirty euros, but it takes you directly from CDG to Marne la Valee Chessy, which is where Disneyland is.

As I mentioned in the old review, you can buy pre-bought tickets online or at your local Disney Store. £64 each, and I got a free gift. You swipe them at the turnstile and get straight in. You also need them for fastpassing, akin to the system at Alton Towers: virtual queueing in other words, it allows you to book a time to jump the queue and get straight on with the ride. I must say, that this system seems to work much better than any similar UK system I've tried.

£64? Yes that's right: a lot of money maybe? No, this is actually a bargain when we compare it to.. say, Alton Towers, which, only being open until 5pm at the moment, costs £3 per hour. This three-day Disney "Hopper Ticket" works out at £1.90 per hour since the park is open until 8pm off peak: this extends to 11pm in the peak season, thus dropping the price to £1.60 per hour.

The ticket also allows you to flit between the two neighbouring Disney parks whenever you like. In addition to this, your three days do not have to be consecutive days, and your ticket is valid for a whole year!

The rides there are typical Disney, and are similar if not identical to their American counterparts. The rides in the normal Disney park include....

Big Thunder Mountain:

A brilliant fast-paced roller coaster, rather like a run-away mine train ride, takes you whizzing under the river and through the depths of the park where the gold mines lie! A must-visit: get a fastpass ticket early in the day.

The Haunted Mansion

Often with queue times of next to nothing, this scary house leaves you gripping your friends for support and then takes you on a smooth sit-in tour of the mansion, a house belonging to a spurned bride, bitter about her being left at the altar on her wedding day.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Wonderfully long ride, though short of queue, which takes you on a wonderful sea journey through a pirate town. Take a look at the jollier life of being a pirate, and the more sinister side too. Excellent fun for all ages. In addition to this, there's a lovely restaurant inside the ride, where you can dine amongst the pirate ships by candlelight, and watch as the ride flows past. I hinted and hinted to get taken to this restaurant. Did it work? No. Am I still with boyfriend? No.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril

I think you lose something in the translation here, I think they were going for doom. Either way it doesn't matter a bit as this ride is nothing like it's California namesake. Sitting in a rollercoaster, you zip backwards round loops and twists. Lots of fun, and the backwards novelty makes you gasp in delight and surprise. Fastpass it.
A word of warning though. If you suffer from headaches, give this one a miss. Due to the backwards nature of the ride, your head will be jostled against the cushion more than on other rides. Your head is forced forward and you can strain your neck. They have recently added more padding to this and Space Mountain though, so it has become slightly better.

It's a Small World.

In California, this old ride is showing its age. Over in Paris, however, its much younger cousin is full of fun and life. The bright outside front of the ride is enough to keep queuers happy and entertained -- especially when the clock strikes the hour, though this high capacity ride ensures queues are always low. Being in Paris, the ride plays heavily on, and begins with Europe - the UK itself starts, and what a lovely display it is! I even saw a corner where Welsh girls sat up on a moon, singing in a choir! This lovely ride is nice and long and relaxing, and there's so much to see you'll want to go on it again.

Peter Pan's flight.

For children, but lovely anyway. You sit in a big ship, and fly over London. If you want to go on it, you must fastpass as the queues are always very long due to it being so popular and due to it being low capacity. You may find your time better spent on other rides.

Le Carrousel de Lancelot

A big carousel, and it's very nice too. Around 90 horses, and it's free to get on. Stating the obvious I know, but you never know with carousels.

Les Voyages de Pinocchio

Daubed with fluorescent paint, this ride takes you through the story of Pinocchio. Good for children, though really rather frightening, as is the film. Moves quite slowly but takes corners at a frightening speed. Send the children on with Dad, you mum's may come off feeling ill.

Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant

Titled in French, but I think you can guess what it is from the large pink exterior: Sleeping Beauty's Castle! Inside you find beautiful stained glass windows taking you through the story, and if you speak French you can read about it too. Inside you'll also find a glass worker making beautiful trinkets which are also for sale. Also a shop and a dragon's cave are nearby.

Star Tours

Quite dated in design, though naturally physically quite new. A simple "shakey-seat" ride, complete with video to give the impression you're flying through space. Identical to the American versions, apart from it being all in French, so you're likely to not get the jokes. Oh well... next!

Autopia

New in 2003, a little like karting, but you're on a track. Good for Dads. Noisy though, drove me insane all summer.

Honey, I shrunk the Audience

In English, with headphones available for other languages. Identical to the American version, with a 3D film and jets of air and water, though heavily endorsed by a sickly "we love American kids" Kodak video. Puke. Due to the age of the simililarly titled film, this attraction felt stale and dated. Featuring Eric Idle, who you could tell didn't have his otherwise very capable heart in it.

Space Mountain.

Another roller coaster, based around Jules Verne's novel, From the Earth to the Moon. Scary moon image though. You ride in the dark, and I couldn't feel it go upside down, though I was assured it did. Extra head cushions recently added. You get blasted off up as though you were in a rocket. Very fun. Fastpass available, but it breaks down a lot. But don't blame Disney! Blame yourselves - insider information here - as you wait to board the train, when you're at the front of the queue - you know where I mean? Every time someone messes about and sets foot too close to the edge of the platform, the ride must be emergency stopped - for your safety. If this happens too often the whole system goes down for safety reasons. So please queue carefully and glare at the idiots who mess about. It's their fault the ride breaks down.

In addition to all this there are botiques, parades, shows, hands on exhibitions and Disney Characters to meet and greet.

There are admittedly a LOT of boutiques in Disneyland Paris. This has been one of it's major problems - not as many people as anticipated have wanted to go there as there just aren't enough attractions. Fortunately they are working on it and currently building a new attraction in the second park. But I didn't tell you that. You can find dvds and videos in the Storybook Store on Main Street, but not all of them are ever out at any one time. Neither are you guaranteed to find all of your favourite characters represented at any one time. A lot of the shops a generic, but remember that the larger ones (Constellations, Emporium) are likely to have a larger selection, and specialist items can be found in specialist corners of the park. For example, the best fancy dress shop is found just into Adventure land - opposite the Curious Giraffe shop - it's quite tucked away, but it is there and it's always really quiet. Trinkets and gifts for your mum can be found in Harrington's on Main Street. As can specialist collector's items.

The parades happen twice daily - one at six thirty - which will arrive a little late if you're at the Main Street end, and the other during the evening, at about ten thirty, which starts at the Main Street end. The first one is currently the Disney Princess Parade, and is very cool, as is the song which I (sad I know) now know off by heart, and the second is the Fantillusion Parade, which is in the dark and incorporates the Disney Villains, lit up by beautiful lights. Also, throughout the day you can catch the Winnie the Pooh show, which is just into Discovery land, and the Lion King Spectacular, which is three times a day in English, also in Discovery land, but inside the big building next to the Constellation shop. I believe it's called the Visionarium. Speaking of Disco land, if you're looking for the time travel attraction, it's recently been taken away.

Walt Disney Studios opened in March 2002, and glitters with spotless paths and clean toilets and facilities. (Free toilets in both parks are a happy bonus in a country where turnstiles and pay booths force poorer citizens to pee in the street. My argument is that if the eliminated the need to pay the wages of the woman employed to collect your money at the door, we wouldn't need to pay in the first place.)

Anyway, at this new park, there are many rides and attractions, including a studio tram tour, which takes you around the studios, (They don't actually film here, but the film memorabelia is real.) which was lots of fun.

Also there is a car stunt show which is rather slow going due to the need for constant translation, rather like the Eurovision Song Contest, but it's good fun anyway, and you get to see some cool car chases.

The "Art of Disney Animation" show is funny, with a glimpse into how a Disney character is developed. They use Muchu from Mulan as an example, and Eddie Murphy is very funny in this animated show. "Hey, what happened to China?!"

Animagique is a trip through the vaults of Disney: several Disney characters are brought to life with fluorescent costumes being lit up in the dark. It's a sit down show and is rather good. The song will drive you nuts! (In a good way)

Cinemagique is probably related to animagique somewhere, they're both sit down shows, but this one took us through the story of the cinema. Effectively rendered in French and English.

Armageddon Special Effects is not that good. You stand with your head craned up watching a rubbishy video during which a woman told us what we were about to experience. What we did experience was rubbish. You stand around in a room as bits of ceiling cave in on your space ship, though much of the excitement isn't portrayed as the whole thing is purely in French. Hard to follow really.

Rock and Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith

You start by watching a pointless video of the band, and looking at some cool music memorobelia, but then you get on the rollercoaster and are whisked off into the darkness. I'm told there's one of these in Florida now too, though a slightly different video is shown. The coaster itself is not too short, and is amazingly comfortable and smooth. I couldn't detect a single jolt or bump, and I went on this ride 3 times, getting a fast pass each time. Update - I must have been on this a hundred times. Must Do!

Immediately moving at top speed, the coaster takes you on an amazing ride through near total darkness, pierced only by well placed spotlights, allowing you to see the loops of track just before you thunder round them. A smoke machine fills the room with lovely smelling smoke to add atmosphere, and any one of Aerosmith's hits is played to you via personal speakers in the headrest. We got "dude looks like a lady" which went perfectly, and this really added to the experience. It's a multi sensory ride, and you absolutely cannot miss it!

The provision for eating in Disney is extensive, with delicious French cuisine a must-have. Diners and restaurants in Disney Village transport you to Hollywood, and the menu selection is huge, as are the prices. Hot dog, candy floss and popcorn atands are dotted around the parks. Back in the other park, you can eat at Cinderella's restaurant (Cendrillon, as she's known in French) and this is more expensive, but it does mean you avoid the awful fast food of the rest of the park, which is not fast nor cheap but tastes nasty. Take sandwiches - strictly speaking not allowed, but I never shouted at anyone who was coeurteous enough to take their litter home.

Being built in France, the place naturally comes with a hefty dollop of the Parisian tongue, though everyone speaks English. Or they will find someone in the back room who does. Just remember to be polite and greet and thank in French. Some attractions are hard to understand, for the non-linguist, others are bilingual and you stumble through, finishing up with a really rather clear idea of what went on - namely in Cinemagique, where the discourse is in both languages at once.

Do remember though that English is a world language, so you won't feel confused as much provision is made. Also remember that had "Euro" Disney been built in England, the makers would most likely selfishly conducted everything in English, thus alienating all foreign visitors. For this reason, and also for the weather, I am happy they chose Paris. This is now an extended and brilliant few days out, topped off by the traditional visit to the Parisian sights and attractions. Make your next holiday a minibreak to Paris, and don't forget to visit the beautiful surrounding area. Meaux is lovely.

Hope you find the update informative. :-)

Sugarlily. x