On the 10th Anniversary of the
opening of Disneyland Paris a new theme park will open its doors to
visitors. Disney Studios Paris (DSP) construction is already well
underway, and the countdown has started with eager visitors waiting to
see how the new park shapes up.
Whether it's a poor relation to the
Disney / MGM Studios in Florida or a shining example of Disney design
and imagination, only time will tell. The park is set to have an
official opening on April 12th 2002, you'll be able to follow its
construction by visiting MousePlanet for regular updates.
Disney Studios will have a number
of themes: cinema, animation, television all inspired by France, Europe
and Hollywood. It will consist of a combination of theme park and
production studios for film and TV. Entertainment will include: a car
stunt show, an interactive tribute to cinema, an animation tour, a trip
through a Catastrophe Canyon and the Rock 'n' Roller coaster with the
music of Aerosmith.
Below you will find a photo tour of
the current construction site (with older shots for additional
information). Where possible at this early stage of construction
attractions will be highlighted and described, but patience should be a
virtue here, after all Disneyland wasn't built in a day.
Updated 2/1
The newest area to move into construction is the main entrance to the
new park, unlike Walt Disney World (WDW) where the Magic Kingdom and
Disney / MGM Studios are miles apart, here in Paris they are right next
door to each other. In a way they are being built on a similar model to
Disneyland and California Adventure (DCA), sharing infrastructure and
reducing the need for on site travel. Below you can see the main
entrance to the new park. The black archway under construction is the
actual entry way to the park.
Looking towards Planet Hollywood you can see the huge area lost to
construction. This will become a large courtyard and garden between the
two parks and Disney Village.
The main entrance of the park opens onto the Central Plaza and Front
Lot, behind that is the largest building in the park, the Studios
Boulevard. Inside this huge building will be various street sets, stores
and food outlets.
Below, the Front Lot
Below, the Studios Boulevard
On either side of the Studios Boulevard are two attractions. To the
right you will find Animania described in the Disney Shareholders pack
as - "An extremely colorful show focusing on the interaction
between animation and imagination, inspired by the great Disney Classics
and their most moving and humorous moments". If you look closely
into the building you can just see the stepped seating area that has
been recently installed under the roof structure.
Below, Animania
To the left of the Studios Boulevard is the Cinemagique attraction,
again described by Disney as - "The universe of animated films
recreated in a pavilion in which the secrets and magic of Disney's
animation are revealed. Guests will be able to test their talents in
this great tradition by Walt Disney and his animators". This
building is progressing very well and has started to receive what looks
like a 'fabric' roof.
Below, Cinemagique
