Fascinating fun facts, cultural references, unique details – Disneyland Paris attractions are filled with secrets! Today, we reveal some of them just for you!
The Beauty of the Great Outdoors
Did you know that there are four different versions of Big Thunder Mountain across Disney Parks? The attraction at Disneyland Paris is unique in many ways – it is the only one located on an island, accessible by way of underwater tunnels. It is also the largest attraction at Disneyland Park, spanning across two hectares on both shores of Rivers of America!
Grim Grinning Ghosts Know No Borders
What makes Haunted Mansion so special across Disney Parks is that each one is located in a different land. If Phantom Manor is emblematic of Frontierland at Disneyland Paris, the attraction is set in New Orleans Square at Disneyland Resort, Liberty Square at Walt Disney World Resort, and in Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland, where ghosts belong to the fairytale world. At Hong Kong Disneyland, a whole land called Mystic Point was imagined around the attraction Mystic Manor.
At World’s End…
Pirates of the Caribbean is an iconic attraction across Disney Parks, but did you know that there is a clear connection between the different versions? The jail scene featuring the dog was inspired by the original version at Disneyland Resort. The same scene can be found at Shanghai Disneyland, except that pirates have turned into skeletons waiting for the dog to give them the key to their escape!
From Fantasyland to the Highlands
Peter Pan’s Flight pays vibrant homage to Walt Disney’s classic animated film but it also includes many references to Sir James Matthew Barrie, the author of the original novel. In the queue, the name of the writer’s hometown in Scotland – Kirriemuir – is written on a small gate.
Tailor-Made
“It’s a small world” features 281 different costumes created by Disneyland Paris Costuming. Each piece is the result of in-depth research which required teams to read hundreds of books and magazines on ethnic and folk costumes, as well as visit museums and festivals dedicated to world culture.
Jump to Light Speed!
Opened in 2017, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue is filled with subtle references to the 1992 original version of the attraction. As such, RX-24, a droid best known as Rex who used to pilot the StarSpeeder 3000, can be spotted in the queue along with ROX-N, a former Starport hostess.
Get Ready for Take-Off!
At Disneyland Paris, Hyperspace Mountain launches guests to space from a cannon. This sequence was inspired by Jules Verne’s novel From the Earth to the Moon. Originally, trains were launched out of the cannon to the top of the mountain. In 2005, the attraction was recalibrated so that trains could be launched from the bottom of the cannon to send travelers even deeper into space.
Full Immersion
Crush’s Coaster invites guests on a whirlpool of adventure while remaining completely dry. To create this effect, Imagineers invented a new type of black light paint and other technologies to successfully replicate underwater bubbles and reflections of all kinds.
“Surprise Me!”
Ratatouille: The Adventure is Disney’s very first motion-based trackless dark ride. Each “ratmobile” operates independently and offers a different route. The rat-shaped vehicles are controlled by a main computer enabling them to move forward, backward, sideways, tilt and spin. This allows guests to feel the thrill of a dazzling chase across Gusteau’s restaurant.
A Series of Innuendos
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – A New Dimension of Chills is based on the popular television series which first aired in 1959. Imagineers had fun hiding certain props reminiscent of the show. In the library, a broken pair of glasses recalls the episode “Time Enough at Last,” in which an avid reader suddenly finds himself deprived of his passion after accidentally stepping on his glasses. A camera like the one used in the episode “A Most Unusual Camera,” which produces self-developing photos of the future, can be found in the “Modern Wonders” window underneath the ride’s photolocation.