Disney know how to celebrate an anniversary of any kind, let alone a 20th birthday – which it will be celebrating in April.
The key feature of the celebration will be a night-time spectaular parade in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, and will also feature a new parade beginning in April.
However look back to the mid-Nineties and this celebration looked like it might never happen. This milestone will no doubt be met with mixed emotions, however any regrets that EuroDisney did not reach the original expectations will be outweighed by the fact it has made it to the 20 year mark.
Construction began in 1988 and the 5,000 acre site was open on April 12, 1992, and had gone massivley over budget. Visitor numbers did not meet expectations and after just two years, many wondered if the themepark was heading for bankruptcy.
But EuroDisney was thrown a lifeline in 1994 as banks agreed to restructure the parks debt. This was followed by a name change tp Disneyland Paris, and by the end of the year the park had started to bring in money.
New rides were added, including the the popular Space Mountain in 1995 and to mark the 10th birthday, Walt Disney Studios Park was opened. As the park headed into its 10th year it was going from strength to strength.
The 20th birthday celebrations will see the Disney Dreams show, which will include fireworks, lasers, foutains and a film projected onto the Sleeping Beauty Castle.
To get to across the Channel, a ferry will take you from Diver to Calais in 90 minutes with P&O, with upto 23 crossings a day, then DisneyLand Paris is only a 3 hour drive from Calais.
Walt Disney (www.disneylandparis.com) offers three nights with return crossings for a car and passengers from £276 per adult, £112 per child aged seven to 11 and under sevens free, including accommodation at Hotel Santa Fe and tickets to both Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios
