15 things to know about DLP

[Olivier]

The 15th Anniversary blog posted this interesting article that compile 15 fun facts about Disneyland Paris.

15 years… That’s 15 candles, 15 poignant memories, and also – just for fun – 15 facts (I’m really working my brain off for you guys!). Anyway, I made up a little game, although I may be the only person that finds it amusing. The goal is to tell you 15 things that you didn’t know about the history of the Disneyland Resort Paris.
I’ll go to sleep a smarter person tonight and I invite you do the same (but in your own home, of course…). ;-)

1- The first shop to open its doors in Disneyland was “Thunder Mesa”… on 15 December 1991. You might point out that the Park wasn’t open yet – and you’d be right! This shop was an outlet store for Disney employees and workers… Lucky, lucky!

2- Crockett’s Tavern was the first restaurant to open on 2 February 1992 in Davy Crockett Ranch. There were hungry mouths to feed!

3- The very first employees of Disneyland were housed in Davy Crockett Ranch. Obviously, the Ranch was operational before the other hotels (what fine deduction skills I have – aren’t you impressed?). This was in September 1991. And this explains the choice of the above-mentioned restaurant as the first one to open its doors. (Admit it, I’m a regular Sherlock Holmes!)

4- Summit dinner (although one of these two may not have deserved it…): French President François Mitterrand and American President Georges Bush Sr. met at the Auberge de Cendrillon on 29 July 1994… But we’ll never know if Mickey was invited to their table.

5- In 1994, the last phase of the Tour de France left from Main Street U.S.A, as I’ve already told you. Now, we move on to No. 6 (this is kind of like Monopoly, but you don’t have to roll any dice ;-)

6- More than 1,200 sites in France and Spain were visited before the site at Marne-La-Vallée was chosen as the new home of Disneyland… Ha, ha, Spain, we won!

7- The hotel themes were selected according to the favourite destinations of Europeans in the U.S. In other words, Europeans can’t complain, because they’re the ones who chose these destinations!

8- At first, the Disneyland Hotel was meant to be a mere façade, a 2-D optical illusion. Except… Except that the development costs were so high that they built a real hotel. And I think they made the right choice!

9- The canon sections of Space Mountain was built by the same company that constructs the fuselage for Airbus airplanes… Bet you didn’t know that! At least I didn’t…

10- The Space Mountain Catapult propels almost 300,000 shuttles a year… In my book, this represents too many opportunities to throw up – but then again, I do have a weak stomach.

11- Space Mountain was the first attraction in the world to feature a sound system that actually moves along with the ride! An idea by some very inspired imagineers!

12- Space Mountain was supposed to be called Discovery Mountain… But, like children, the name often changes at the moment of birth! If you look closely at the fuselage of the first shuttle to be used on the site, you can still see the initials “DM” on its sides.

13- The initials of the first names and surnames and birthdates of all the imagineers who worked and toiled on Space Mountain are inscribed on the constellation map displayed at the end of the queue.

14- There are 580,000 bricks in Main Street, U.S.A. You might not find this information very exciting, but you should know that these bricks are made of the same material as those used at the turn of the century in New York.

15- Alice’s Curious Labyrinth is 2,522 metres long… This is the first time that a labyrinth has been built in the Disney Park. The hedges come straight from the north of France, where they were planted 3 years before the Park opened. It takes time for plants to grow!

Source : http://en.blog.disneyland15.com/2007...his-and-y.html

[DLRPbigfan]

WOW!!!! I love reading things like this, anyone else got anymore, bet there are hundreds of these and i want to know them all.

16. "Davy Crockett Ranch" was originally called "Camp Davy Crockett"

( A bit lame i know but its the first one i thought of, more to come)

[pussnboots]

Originally Posted by Olivier

8- At first, the Disneyland Hotel was meant to be a mere façade, a 2-D optical illusion. Except… Except that the development costs were so high that they built a real hotel. And I think they made the right choice!

I thought I'd read everything there is to know about Euro Disney's history, but this is new to me. Really...? A flat facade? Like those in all the studio parks and lands? You were seriously going to walk underneath a giant picture of a Victorian hotel? That so does not sound like Disney circa 1990.

[Olivier]

More DLRP fun facts :

http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Paris/English/Secrets.html

[nathan detroit]

Originally Posted by DLRPbigfan

16. "Davy Crockett Ranch" was originally called "Camp Davy Crockett"

You can see why they changed the name! 'Camp' Davy Crockett brings so many bad mental images to mind.

Good facts but the writing style is a little irritating (aren't I clever for noticing that?!).

And as for this one: -
7- The hotel themes were selected according to the favourite destinations of Europeans in the U.S. In other words, Europeans can’t complain, because they’re the ones who chose these destinations!
Colour me doubtful. I don't know how many Europeans make a bee-line for the American Old West, Newport or the Great American Forests. Sounds fishy (as does the DL Hotel 'fact')

[DLRPbigfan]

The Disneyland Hotel fact is true, have seen it in several books, will look for the relevant books and let you know.

[mikeland]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing this information.

[fizzog]

Very interesting, thank you. Hate that illusion idea

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Originally Posted by nathan detroit

You can see why they changed the name! 'Camp' Davy Crockett brings so many bad mental images to mind.

Good facts but the writing style is a little irritating (aren't I clever for noticing that?!).

And as for this one: -
7- The hotel themes were selected according to the favourite destinations of Europeans in the U.S. In other words, Europeans can’t complain, because they’re the ones who chose these destinations!
Colour me doubtful. I don't know how many Europeans make a bee-line for the American Old West, Newport or the Great American Forests. Sounds fishy (as does the DL Hotel 'fact')

How the heck would you know? I can tell you that when I was up in Sequoia National Park last month, I heard German, French, Spanish, Italian, and other languages.

Tons of Europeans make a Los Angeles-Grand Canyon-Las Vegas-San Francisco loop and tour the national parks or other state parks and places with natural beauty.

[nathan detroit]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaAdventurer

How the heck would you know? I can tell you that when I was up in Sequoia National Park last month, I heard German, French, Spanish, Italian, and other languages.

Tons of Europeans make a Los Angeles-Grand Canyon-Las Vegas-San Francisco loop and tour the national parks or other state parks and places with natural beauty.

Take in the Wild West while they are there? You know, the place where cowboys lasso stray mavericks and sashay around all day? Where they brand their buckhorns until they are plum hornswaggled. Where the injuns pow-wow in their wigwams until the firewater is all gone?

Tosh, mate!

Most Europeans travel within Europe. The hotels should have been themed around an overpriced Spanish beach where you can't get moved and strip joints stand side-by-side with kid's arcades, a Greek rat-trap where the toilets are holes in the ground and a British seaside covered in used condoms, chip wrappers and dog 'leavings' and smelling of vomit and stale smoke.

As a European, I think I can speak with a little authority on the subject and the fact that this post is rife with sterotypical cliches is neither here nor there.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

The United States, at this time, does not offer the ability to time travel to the days of the Wild West. However, many Europeans enjoy buying Native American crafts throughout the Southwestern states.

Originally Posted by nathan detroit

Take in the Wild West while they are there? You know, the place where cowboys lasso stray mavericks and sashay around all day? Where they brand their buckhorns until they are plum hornswaggled. Where the injuns pow-wow in their wigwams until the firewater is all gone?

...

As a European, I think I can speak with a little authority on the subject and the fact that this post is rife with sterotypical cliches is neither here nor there.

[fizzog]

Don't you insult the tacky tourist resort where you end up going to the only British cafe on the beach and every other shop is a sex/marijuana shop!

[nathan detroit]

In Spain, I went in search of a shop that sold blank camcorder tapes. In most of the shops that I visited the conversation went as follows: -

Me - "Hello. Do you sell camcorder tapes?"
Greasy Shopkeeper - "You Eeeeeengeeeesh?"
Me - "Yes"
Greasy Shopkeeper - "You want DVD? Veeeeery Niiice! Beautiful girls!"
(This was then followed by the counter being covered in luridly packaged DVDs many of the covers featuring animals and incredibley ugly people)
Me - "erm... mumble.... erm... must go.... erm... mumble... left iron on..."
(I hastily exit the shop empty handed)

Now Disney Village comes in for some criticism but I never had an experience like that at DLP.

[fizzog]

Now that's a holiday!