A trip to Disneyland is not just a visit to an amusement park. Because Disneyland is not just a theme park, but a whole country. In this magical country there are places for children of all ages, from babies to grandparents.
Kids are delighted to meet a live Mickey Mouse, teenagers are captivated by adventures in the Wild West and space travel. Adults immerse themselves in the joyful feeling of a continuous holiday, naive delight and a kind of childish, carefree happiness. Adults feel even more acutely than children the kindness and purity of the somewhat crazy and terribly charming world of Old Disney.
There are currently five Disneylands in the world. The closest to us is in France, 30 km from Paris. Paris Disneyland is the largest theme park in Europe. It was opened in 1992 and covers an area of almost 2,000 hectares - a fifth of the territory of Paris. It also ranks first in popularity among all French attractions, including the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.
Paris Disneyland is a little huge country, a European America, an adult childhood. It has two theme parks, 10 hotels, a golf course, 50 restaurants, 50 shops, music bars, a disco and a cinema. Life goes on there 365 days a year around the clock: when the rides close, evening and night shows continue in Disney Village. Next to the park is a very charming Disney Village with hotels, restaurants, its own lake and a beautiful park, bars, discos and the Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and a state-of-the-art cinema. A free shuttle bus runs from the farthest hotels to the park, and fairy-tale railway carriages run around the park. The hotels in the Village are so good that many choose them as their primary residence when going to Paris.
The very first Disneyland was built by the brothers Roy and Walt in 1955. It is located in California, in the city of Anaheim, not far from Los Angeles. The park covers an area of almost 300 hectares and is open all year round. California Disneyland is a Magic Kingdom park with six themed zones and 60 attractions, plus a resort of 10 hotels.
The brothers built the second park in Florida, near Orlando. It is the largest of all Disneylands, covering an area of 12,173 square kilometers and called Walt Disney World. It has more than 100 attractions.
The park's newest attraction has been recognized as the most expensive in history: the creation of the rocket-launch simulator 'Mission: Space' cost $100 million. It is based on the simulators of the space center in Houston, which serve to train NASA astronauts. Visitors experience all the acute space sensations, from the G-forces that press them into their seats, to the moment of weightlessness. The scariest attraction is also here, in Disney-MGM Studios: the 'Twilight Zone Tower of Terror'. This castle with the innocent sign 'Hollywood Hotel' makes your blood run cold: everything there is covered in cobwebs, everything promises serious trouble. And it happens. For example, the elevator you are riding in suddenly falls from the 13th floor! Compared to this, all the other attractions seem like cute jokes.
Two more Disneylands have been built in Asia. Japanese Disneyland opened in 1983, it is located near Tokyo. There everything is like in the Paris park: the Sleeping Beauty Castle, and Main Street with western-style houses, and parades of Disney characters. No sushi or sashimi, just American restaurants and bushes trimmed in the shape of Mickey Mouse. In general, a little America.
The latest Disneyland opened last autumn in Hong Kong, on Lantau Island. This park was designed in accordance with all the precepts of the ancient Chinese science of feng shui. The park is located on an area of 126 hectares, its main part is the Magic Kingdom. In addition to attractions, the island has two hotels, many shops and restaurants. Hong Kong Disneyland has already been called 'the most modern amusement park in Southeast Asia'. It is expected to receive up to 10 million visitors annually, mainly from China.
PROS: In a fairy-tale country, wonders do not end at the park exit. They continue in the hotels that are located next to Disneylands. In Disney World there are more than 30 of them, in Paris - 10. Some are themed, others are just very good hotels where everything is arranged extremely conveniently for family holidays. Cartoon characters live there together with guests, playing with children, sitting down with them in the restaurant and persuading them to swallow a morning spoonful of porridge.
CONS: adults sometimes fall into childhood so much that it is impossible to get them out of the park.
If you decide to go to Euro Disneyland, you can also visit its French counterpart - the park 'Asterix and Obelix'. It is also located 30 km from Paris, not far from Charles de Gaulle airport, and is open from April to October. This park is run by the heroes of French comics, Asterix and Obelix. But their adventures, as well as their guests' sensations, are far from primitive comics. For example, in the Roman Town everyone finds themselves in the times of Julius Caesar, and in the Greek Village they ride on the 'Zeus Roller Coaster' and deal with the 'Trojan Horse'. 'Asterix and Obelix' is one of the funniest and wittiest parks in Europe. In addition, France has a wonderful park of the future, 'Futoroscope', which will be interesting for children of all ages and for parents. 'Futoroscope' is located near the city of Poitiers, 300 km from Paris, and is a collection of virtual attractions: three-dimensional cinemas where you can go down to the bottom of the sea or go up into space, computer supergames and other amazing entertainments of the future. There are hotels near 'Futoroscope' where you can stay for a couple of days.