Disney has announced an investment of two billion euros to expand Disneyland Paris. In total, three new themed areas will see the light of day, revolving around Marvel superheroes, The Snow Queen and The Lion King, with work starting in 2019 and each area opening individually on July 20, 2022. We take stock!
Disneyland Paris is expanding! In 2018, former Disney CEO Bob Iger presented President Emmanuel Macron with an expansion plan for the Paris theme park, involving a €2 billion investment in three new themed areas: " This expansion plan represents one of the most ambitious developments in the history of Disneyland Paris since it opened in 1992 ," he explains.
The CEO of the American entertainment giant continued: " It reflects The Walt Disney Company's long-term commitment to making the destination the showcase for the Disney brand in Europe ". The announcement was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron on Twitter, who thanked Bob Iger for his " long-term investment " and his " very strong commitment to France ".
Three new zones in Walt Disney Studios (future Disney Adventure World) were originally announced, dedicated to three of the firm's flagship sagas: the superheroes of the Marvel stable (of which the renovation of the Rock'n'Roller Coaster attraction is one of the key points), the animated Snow Queen, and the Star Wars saga.... Except that for the latter, it's a completely different story. And for good reason: the Star Wars zone has simply disappeared, officially replaced by a Lion King zone for the 2024 edition of D23.
Work began in 2019 and will be spread over several years, starting with the renovation of theNew York Hotel around Marvel superheroes, which opened in June 2021. On the park side, this extension is to be spread over 31ha and is to accommodate the three zones announced. In an interview with Le Parisien, David Wilson, Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering, spoke of the idea of visitors"living a new experience" rather than "reliving the film" in the new areas.
Details of the Marvel area, Avengers Campus:
- Avengers Assemble: Flight Force - attraction, open since July 20, 2022
The attraction is a reworking of the Rock'n'Roller Coaster, which gets a facelift for its queue and trains, in the colors of Iron Man and Captain Marvel, played by Robert Downey Jr. and Brie Larson on the big screen. The roller coaster's route, however, remains unchanged.
- Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure - attraction, open July 20, 2022
The brand-new Marvel attraction will take the place ofArmageddon: Les Effets Spéciaux. It will feature Spider-Man, inviting children and their parents to join the Worldwide Ingeneering Brigade (WEB), a company set up by Tony Stark to"develop new technologies for Super Heroes, starting with the improvement of Spider-Man's costume".
- Pym Kitchen - restaurant, open July 20, 2022
Ant-Man comes to Disneyland Paris with a brand-new restaurant in Hank Pym's laboratory. Located at the entrance to the Marvel Avengers Campus, it offers a buffet menu featuring oversized and undersized pretzel sandwiches, mini-burgers and desserts.
- Super Diner - restaurant, open since July 20, 2022
Remember the Café des Cascadeurs behind the Tour de la Terreur ? This typical American diner returns to its location and offers Reuben sandwiches, a traditional recipe made with corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut and gravy, all served between two slices of rye bread.
- WEB - Worldwide Eating Brigade - food truck, open since July 20, 2022
A food truck offering a selection of Asian noodles and coconut balls.
- Stark Factory - restaurant, open since July 20, 2022
Right next to Pym Kitchen, in place of Blockbuster Café, the Stark Factory completes the food offering with a quick-service restaurant dedicated to the billionaire in armor. The menu and ambience will feature pizzas made in front of you, salads and a selection of fresh pasta dishes.
- FAN-tastic Food Truck - food truck, open since July 20, 2022
Dear to Tony Stark, this food truck will offer three types of hot dogs, including a vegan version, as well as various types of sauces and toppings. For dessert, a cheesecake served on a stick!
- "Training Center" - Meet & Greet, open since July 20, 2022
Superhero fans will be able to meet Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel and all the others in a brand-new building next to the Rock'n'Roller Coaster, in place of the Motor garage , Action! : Stuntshow Spectacular garage. Note that for the first time ever in a Disney park, a dynamic animated sequence created by Disney PhotoPass, using 27 cameras, will allow you to preserve an epic memory of interactions with Captain Marvel or Iron Man. Reservations required via the Disneyland Paris mobile app.
- Mission Equipment - boutique, open since July 20, 2022
This new boutique, located at the exit of the Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure attraction, offers a whole host of Marvel products, including high-tech accessories such as WEB Power Bands, Spider-Man, Iron Man or Doctor Strange colored web shooters, which you can use in the attraction dedicated to Peter Parker. Also available are the attraction's famous Spiderbots, which you can customize in the colors of your favorite superheroes.
In any case, Avengers Campus is defined as the Avengers' European headquarters, where Cast Members are expected to recruit new agents.
Details of the Snow Queen zone:
- Attraction similar to Frozen Ever After, existing at Honk-Kong Disneyland and Epcot, name as yet unknown - opening date undisclosed
- New restaurant overlooking the lake (250 seats) - opening date to be announced
- New boutiques - opening date to be announced
- Meet & Greet (character meet-and-greet) - opening date undisclosed
According to a December 2019 issue of the "Recueil des actes administratifs", this store could logically be 173m2 in size, and a 62m2 kiosk is also planned.
Of particular note is the construction of a 40m-high mountain to house the area's only attraction, as well as Elsa's Castle, echoing Sleeping Beauty's castle and visible from the Walt Disney Studios park's future "Main Street". The attraction and other buildings are expected to have a floor area of 7,900 m2.
Details of The Lion King:
- Attraction as yet unknown - opening date not communicated
This will be a boat ride centered on the Disney classic."It will offer a unique blend of adventure and thrills that will plunge visitors into the heart of Simba's story, from his childhood to his rise as the new King, just like in the Walt Disney Animation Studios animated film," Disneyland Paris says in a release.
- New restaurant (less than 300 seats) - opening date to be announced
- New boutiques - opening date to be announced
- Meet & Greet - opening date to be announced
The maximum height of the buildings is expected to be around 17 m, for a superimposed décor reaching a height of around 40 m, and a floor area for the attraction of around 10,200 m2.
The extension project also includes the creation of a new 3-hectare artificial lake, " the stage for new shows linking the park's three new zones ". And according to a prefectoral decree authorizing the project, these new shows are"planned in association with the new universes covered by the park extension", including"pyrotechnic shows, light displays and aquatic animations". So expect to see Marvel superheroes, The Lion King and The Snow Queen in magnificent shows on this new stretch of water!
Details of the lake area:
- Tangled Spin - this is a"family outdoor" attraction, a "round ride" of the "tea cups" type, like Mad Hatter's Tea Cups in Disneyland Park, as shown in the plans for the attraction.
- The Regal View - this one will be in "Art Nouveau" style and will seat 250.
To access the lake, a large avenue is to be built from the existing Hollywood Boulevard, crossing it in a straight line and relocating the entrance to the Studio Tram Tour attraction , which in summer 2021 will become Cars Route 66 Road Trip, based on the world of Flash McQueen. Work on the lake has already begun, with the opening scheduled to coincide with the opening of the Snow Queen zone.
The three new zones are scheduled to open to the public in several stages from July 2022, but this may change as work progresses. Either way, we can't wait, folks!
