The
excitement was easily read on our faces. In spite of staying up quite late the previous
night, we forgot about the exhaustion. Even before reaching the actual place,
the magic of Disneyland had already taken charge of our minds. So much so, that
we forgot to enjoy the surroundings, and got busy making plans of the rides we
would go for and the shows we would try not to miss. Located about 30 kilometers
from Paris city, Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort. It has a golf course,
two parks, two convention centres, hotels, restaurants, shops, departmental stores
and dining centres spread over more than 5000 acres of land. The resort is
operated by a division of The Walt Disney Company. Disneyland Paris is Europe’s
most-visited tourist destination and the largest single-site employer in France
with nearly 17,000 employees. Disneyland Park opened with the resort in
1992 and is based on a scale larger than the original Disneyland in California and the Magic Kingdom in Florida.
Right from the entry gate, every
setting was such as to attract the attention of the children unmistakably. Each
signpost, each hoarding was colourful and striking, bearing charming pictures
of popular Disney characters. As soon as we entered the resort, a beautiful
garden welcomed us, which was full of a variety of lovely flowers. The tulips were
familiar, but other flowers were new to us. The fountains were refreshing. As
the tiny tots began to gather, the music of their chit-chat filled the atmosphere
with glee. It was a great delight to see so many children in colourful attires
and fancy headgear, who were all engrossed in the existing moment. Our first
ride was ‘It’s a Small World’. We were specifically urged not to miss the ride.
It is an old mill boat ride and is a part of the ‘Fantasyland’ area in the park.
The ride features over 300 dolls, which operate through a robotic animation
technique. The dolls in traditional costumes from cultures around the world perform in a spirit of international unity. I was completely immersed in the delightful show. The mesmerising ride made
no mistake in taking me back to my childhood days. At one point in time, I also
thought of making a loud cheer as the surrounding children did. The tiny tots
watching the fascinating show were so fortunate to enjoy things at the right
age. The entire show seemed like the outcome of a brilliant mind, an in-depth
study of children’s psychology, and revealed an amazing sense of art. A complex
theme of international solidarity was explained to tender minds in a beautiful and entertaining manner. The title track which played in the background was ‘It's
a Small World’, a popular song by the Sherman Brothers, and had a theme of global
peace. ‘It's a Small World’ is perhaps the most publicly performed song of all
time.
Being a holiday, the park had a lot of
visitors. School children could be seen in their sports uniforms who had come
to the park on a vacation. We had to wait for an exceptionally long time to get
entry to any ride. We missed ‘The Lion King’ show as we were still in the queue
when the show began. We switched rides, but could not avoid long queues. We
finally managed to watch the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ ride. It was again a
kind of mill boat ride. All the sets in the series were beautifully created.
The characters looked so factual. I wished I could shake hands with them. The
scenes were exactly recreated along with the background score. It was almost
like watching a 4-D movie. The scary scenes seemed impressively real, so much
so that children could be heard screaming. On a couple of occasions, the speed
of the boat increased unexpectedly and gave the feel of an adventure ride. It
was sheer joy to watch Johnny Depp, mischievously waving at us, enjoying his
wine, sitting atop the looted treasure which was seen spread all around him. Believe it or not, but, Johnny Depp looked so actual. Kudos to the artists and the
technique!
Due to the long queues, we decided to
watch the road shows, a kind of parade which operates continuously on the
streets inside the park. The shows take guests on a journey through time to
discover the stories of Disney Animation and Pixar - from timeless classics to
the most recent hits. We saw two such delightful shows featuring Mickey, Minnie,
Goofy, Donald, Timon, Joy, Mirabel, Miguel and a host of Disney and Pixar
characters. Over 50 characters, wearing lovely costumes, singing, dancing and bursting
with popular songs and stories, perform on the streets and entertain the
audience. The characters mingled with the children around and played with them. The children were undoubtedly happy as anticipated. However, the happiness and the
contentment of the parents were also conspicuous. Children were eager to have a
glimpse of the popular characters who were waiting at various locations. They were
actually artists, dressed like the characters. There were long queues of girls
to click a photograph posing with the popular fairy-tale characters. The cute
little girls waiting for their turn were also dressed in fairy-tale costumes or
beautiful frocks and robes. The boys were busy clicking photographs, posing with
Aladdin characters. Many of us tried adventure rides and were thrilled. Indiana
Jones was one such ride, scaring the hell out of everyone. The screams said it
all.
The clock was ticking slowly to the moment
everyone was waiting for - Disney Stars on Parade. We reached Main Street a bit
early to secure a suitable place to sit and view the parade. But people had
already begun to gather at the location. Soon both sides of the road were
packed with the audience. Children were given the front rows to have an
unobstructed view. Unaware of the parade, some tiny tots were playing on the
street. The volunteers were busy insisting the parents take care of the
children and clearing the way. We could feebly hear the music and the beats.
The parade had begun. The cheering got louder as the music got clearer. The
magic filled the air as the parade reached our location and the floats made
their enchanting appearance. Various Disney characters wearing dazzling
costumes were seen on their colourful floats against a backdrop of enthralling
music. It was all about the thrill, fun, joy and amusement. The excitement in
the atmosphere was palpable. The delight on everyone’s faces clearly exhibited
the bliss and the exhilaration. The show reminded me of my school days when I
watched the Mickey and Donald shows on the television on Sundays. I have not
seen all the Disney movies. I was not familiar with many characters either.
However, the show enthralled me with its charm and enthused the child hidden
within me. The ecstasy on the faces of children was unique and could not be
described. One has to actually be there to experience the magic.
I had only read and heard about the thrill
of Disneyland till I visited there. After reading about it, I figured out
Disneyland to be merely a children’s amusement park. However, I was overwhelmed
when I visited the place myself. There were no such parks or rides during my
childhood. I have visited some such amusement parks in India and watched many
animations made for children too, but none could engage me so much. Every
little setting was planned from the children’s point of view. The design of the
park was entirely dedicated to entertaining children. Even the pizza we had for
lunch was Mickey-shaped. It was a pleasure to see a massive setup exclusively created for
children. The efforts made solely for the children were praiseworthy. It
clearly showed the commitment towards bringing up the new generation in a
healthy way.
Every one of us was thrilled and
contented. Almost all of us relived our childhood for a day. The highlights of
the day began to gather in my mind. A moment once gone never returns. The arms of the timepiece cannot turn rearward. Nonetheless, I can urge the clock to keep
reminding me of the reminiscences of my childhood. I sincerely wish the fond memories
to stay with me and keep the child within me dynamic.
Sing a cradle song, tranquil,
(Roissy-en-France- 01 May, 2024)
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