A break straight out of a fairy tale...
CHRISTINA SAVVAS and four-year-old daughter Kiki join the 25th anniversary birthday bash at Disneyland Paris
FIREWORKS, sky-high fountains, lasers and special effects... I watched in absolute delight as I held up my four-year-old to give her the best vantage point amongst the huge crowds at Disneyland Paris.
It was just like the adverts. You could see the excitement in Kiki’s eyes as the lights shone on her face.
I was standing with thousands in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle at the Paris resort for the Disney Illuminations spectacular.
I had been told what to expect by friends, fellow journalists and, of course, the internet – but it just doesn’t compare to experiencing the magic first-hand.
The resort is celebrating its 25th anniversary so, like any huge birthday bash, organisers went all out to impress.
The night-time show is one of the highlights, packed full of classic Disney moments featuring the very best of everything from The Lion King and The Little Mermaid to recent smash hit Frozen.
It’s all conducted by Mickey Mouse and projected onto the castle, enabling people across the park to see the magic unfold.
It’s without a doubt the best fireworks extravaganza I’ve seen in real life.
Disneyland Paris opened its doors on April 1, 1992 and, to mark the momentous occasion, organisers brought A-list Hollywood glamour in the form of Grammy award winning artist John Legend. His surprise appearance was a hit with Disney-lovers young and old, the perfect soundtrack to the wonderful backdrop of the glittering castle.
Another evening highlight is Star Wars: A Galactic Celebration in the Walt Disney Studios Park.
Whether you’re a Star Wars fan or not, this is a show not to be missed and it’s just one of the amazing sci-fi franchise attractions which have opened this special anniversary year.
Guests join the Rebellion aboard a Starspeeder 1000 on a state-ofthe-art simulator. It starts as the guide declares one of the most famous lines in Star Wars history: “May the Force be with you.”
The epic intergalactic voyage is all in 3D, and packed with action as film fans zoom through outer space.
Each ride is picked at random from 70 possible missions, meaning you’re likely to get a different experience every time.
A stone’s throw from Star Tours you can come face to face with Darth Vader himself. And later this spring, Space Mountain will re-open as Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain with an all-new voyage.
Star Tours is located in Discoveryland where you’ll also find Buzz Lightyear’s Laser Blast, a shooting game where families compete to get the highest score.
And if Toy Story is a favourite in your house, you must head to Toy Story Play Land where you can have a ride on Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin, brave Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop (the views from above are phenomenal) and climb all over Rex – to name but a few. Also in Walt Disney Studios Park is one of my favourite rides of all – Ratatouille: The Adventure.
Simulator technology enables you to shrink down to see what life would be like as Remy the rat. One minute, you’re on the rooftops of Paris, the next you’re racing to safety on the floor of Gusteau’s restaurant.
It’s just incredible. The queues, like for many of the popular rides, are long but one way round this is the Fastpass, which means you can get a ticket with a set ride time later on in the day.
But take note, not all the rides operate Fastpass so make sure you map out the day and go to the busier rides in off-peak times or make the most of the earlier park opening for guests staying in the Disney Resort.
We stayed at the fantastic
Newport Bay Club, which exudes the sprawling grandeur of a 1920s Cape Cod mansion. It has been completely renovated with nautical but nice flourishes, including knotted profiles of Mickey Mouse in carpets and animated characters peeking through portholes above the beds.
The foyer is stunning, the staff so friendly and welcoming and the buffet breakfast fantastic, from a full fry-up to croissants and pancakes.
The hotel is just a 10-minute walk to the park, via the rear entrance, and the perfect place for a Disneyland break.
For the 25th anniversary, Disney have also changed some of the daytime shows. My daughter’s absolute favourite was the Disney Stars On Parade. As you can expect, the route is pretty busy so grab yourself an ice cream and pick out a perfect spot to get the best view.
Characters from much-loved Disney and Pixar films including Peter Pan, Toy Story and The Jungle Book all wave to the crowds from giant floats.
Cutting-edge technology gives the new parade extra sparkle including a jaw-dropping sevenmetre high dragon from Sleeping Beauty. I’ve never seen anything so visually brilliant and colourful.
After watching the parade, we stayed in our spot at the glistening Royal Castle Stage – made up of 250,000 hand-glued Swarovski crystals – and waited in anticipation for the new Starlit Princess Waltz.
All our favourite princesses – Belle, Ariel, Cinderella and Jasmine – are part of a beautifully choreographed routine. Both Kiki and I enjoyed every minute.
Elsa and Anna don’t appear in this new show but, fear not, there’s a special singalong Frozen show in the Chaparral Theatre at which you can sing to your heart’s content.
Top tip: if your little princess is dressed up, ushers will show you to a special sitting area, perfect for royalty.
This trip had everything and extra fairy dust sprinkled on top.
My only regret was not getting a chance to see more shows. You could literally spend all day watching something new.
But as we had left the boys in our family behind on this occasion, we’ll have to return to show them around.