Travel: Celebrating Mickey’s milestone as Disneyland Paris turns 30

Jesse, Woody and Tiana leading the floats of the Dream... And Shine Brighter show at Disneyland Paris.

Spring sunlight refracts off an iridescent waistcoat buttoned snugly around a 6ft-tall bloodhound and pointer mixed breed. He is hunkered close to the ground as a pair of doll-like hands trace every contour of his snout.

A six-year-old blind girl is connecting with Pluto by touch and, with impeccable timing, the playful pooch guides her gently into the folds of his fur for a hug that sends silent, soothing ripples through the hushed throng of parents and on-lookers, some visibly choking back tears.

For the first time in two years, since Disneyland Paris closed in response to the Covid pandemic, physical distancing protocols have been relaxed and character meet-and-greets have resumed at the resort, just in time for the 30th anniversary celebrations. Face masks are no longer required in the parks (but recommended for dense crowds at parades and the night-time spectacular) but are mandatory onboard Eurostar and in train stations.

Beyond these safety protocols, the magic of old has returned to Disneyland Park and adjacent Walt Disney Studios Park, the former boasting a newly renovated Sleeping Beauty Castle. It is the first major refurbishment of the 141ft-tall centrepiece since the resort opened in 1992.

Inside the Disney bubble, the fizzing energy and exuberance of cast and denizens is writ large.

Several times a day, dancers lead rainbow-panelled floats festooned with 30 characters down Main Street to the three stages in Central Plaza in front of the castle for the Dream And Shine Brighter daytime show.

Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and chums proudly model prismatic costumes that accompany the sounds of a catchy anniversary Un Monde Qui S’illumine. Miguel from Coco makes his Disneyland Paris debut flanked by Joy from Inside Out, and Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from Zootropolis.

Sleeping Beauty Castle during the Disney D-Light nighttime experience at Disneyland Paris.

A couple of deafening explosions, triggered on the castle ramparts, punctuate the 16-minute jamboree. The Disney Illuminations night-time show, which melds video projections on the castle façade with fireworks, illuminated water jets, laser, mist and lighting effects, returns with a bang in Disneyland Park.

The crowd-pleasing spectacle is prefaced by a seven-minute Disney D-Light sequence.

Drone technology is incorporated into a daily outdoor show for the first time in any Disney resort to a soaring soundtrack recorded with a 66-piece symphony orchestra.

Pilots manoeuvre 200 airborne devices to form a sparkling No 30 in the sky, which disperses as a twinkling starry firmament then regroups as a spinning three-dimensional globe with the anniversary year as golden scrawl.

Long days of exploration require occasional pit stops to refuel and table-service restaurants and other outlets collectively serve up more than 60 tasty dishes, desserts and exclusive cocktails.

More than 350 items of 30th anniversary merchandise will flood the resort over the course of the celebrations. A soap dispenser that deposits grapefruit-scented foam in the shape of Mickey’s head and a Sorceror’s Apprentice hat in luminous fabric embedded with lights are popular.

The celebrations light a fuse on a £1.7 billion expansion of Walt Disney Studios Park, which begins this summer with the opening of Avengers Campus – an immersive playground torn from the pages of Marvel Comics, including a Spider-Man attraction where visitors sling webs at malfunctioning Spider-Bots with furious flicks of the wrist, and Iron Man-themed thrill ride.

Subsequent years herald a recreation of the kingdom of Arendelle replete with a Frozen Ever After musical boat-ride attraction and an interactive outpost from a galaxy far, far away akin to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The Force is already strong in Marne-la-Vallée.

P.S.

If you don’t like queues, invest in a Disney Premier Access Pass. For just €5 you can get fast access to some of the big attractions like Big Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain and Star Tours: The Adventures continue.

Factfile:

Walt Disney Travel Company International (disneyholidays.co.uk; 0800 169 0737) offers a two-night/three-day stay at Disney’s Sequoia Lodge, including travel on Eurostar from London St Pancras to Disneyland Paris (Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy) via Lille, from £1,376 for two adults and two children, including park tickets. Price based on May 3 departure.