It's already been almost thirty years since Mickey's kingdom has sprouted in place of the beet fields in Marne-la-Vallée... Also, on the occasion of this anniversary, the Disneyland park has already unveiled some elements of the 30 years celebration. Let's see what's on the agenda...
Indeed, it is not Disney's habit to plan small. Already for the opening of the park, on April 12, 1992, the latter expected 500 000 visitors! However, the French are still wary of theme parks, so there were only 25,000 visitors, or only 5% of what he had planned.
However, 30 years later, it is still there. And the park is now doing very well. In fact, having become Europe's leading tourist destination, it has nothing to envy its closest competitors, in the literal sense of the term... For, a little less than 50 kilometers away, another giant of entertainment reigns, this time French... It is the Parc Asterix. But Disney has nothing to fear, as a pioneer of leisure and family entertainment, it does not play on the same field as Asterix, which is more focused on big scares between friends...
So let's go back in time to observe the ups and downs of the opening of this amusement park... In the early 80's, the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Michael Eisner, decided to establish a Disney park on the Old Continent. At that time, a large number of projects were competing, including the one in Marne-la-Vallée. After much deliberation, only two projects were still in play: a site near Barcelona and Marne-la-Vallée near Paris. In the end, Paris won out despite Barcelona's advantage: the sun.
Thereafter, long consultations began between the French government, presided over at the time by François Mitterrand, and the Walt Disney Company. The first terms of the contract were very tough. Indeed, to serve the park, Disney planned to extend the TGV line and the RER A train line. The highway also had to be extended. Only, these costs were to be paid by France. But no matter, the State was very attached to this project. This park was a dream, especially because of the jobs it would create.
So, on March 24, 1987, France and the Walt Disney Company reached an agreement and signed the contract for the creation and operation of Euro Disneyland (formerly known as Disneyland) in France. Nevertheless, the arrival of Mickey and his friends caused great controversy among the population. Paranoia invaded the minds and the magic of Disney gave way to hatred and reluctance. And yet, the project will go ahead. And on April 12, 1992, the park opened its doors.
In 2022, the park is now preparing to open the festivities of its thirtieth anniversary. An anniversary that will be, according to the park, a great event. In any case, if it is as, if not more, breathtaking than the 25 years of the site, it goes without saying that it is definitely not to be missed.
And, to give you our opinion, find our articles and publications between November and December 2022, we promise you some surprises...
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