The opening of a long-awaited second theme park at Disneyland Paris yesterday was in stark contrast to the launch of the first 10 years ago. At that time, the French press savaged Disney, accusing it of a US cultural invasion. Wandering around the park at that launch, I remember thinking that if it wasn't for the grey drizzle, you could have been in Florida. Everything was done the American way, from the ban on alcohol inside the gates to the use of American English on the voiceovers and menus.
As the financial results got worse and worse, Disney realised their market research was not all it had cracked up to be. They started replacing some of the expensive sit-down restaurants with more family-affordable stand-up burger bars. They introduced beer on the menu and even changed the image-tarnished name EuroDisney to Disneyland Paris in a bid to get the turnstiles moving. After a long slog, it now makes an operating profit and the new park is expected to make visitors stick around for longer than the current average of two days.
Visiting the new Walt Disney Studios Park last week, it was almost painful to see how hard Disney bosses had gone the other way to be accepted in France. CEO Michael Eisner said: 'When we first came in there were questions that we were too American. People recognise we are not actually American, we are Disney European.' He pointed out that Disney is behind Amélie , the biggest-grossing French film ever to hit America. Others emphasised the great connection between Disney and Europe saying that Cinderella , Pinocchio and the Hunchback of Notre Dame have their roots here. Every opportunity to highlight the European connection is milked. The stunt-show scenery is based on the French Riviera and the Studio Tram Tour shows London being scorched by dragons.
Many shows are in French verse, then if you're lucky, English. Songs are mainly in French, and your children will need to have a pretty high reading age to understand the English subtitles in the studios where they explain how animated films and special effects are created. Disney tunes are crooned in French, and at attractions such as the Disney Animation Gallery the songs switch in and out of French, English, Italian and German. All very Eurovision Song Contest.
The food outlets have names such as 'Rendezvous de Stars' serving dishes such as ' Salade de Stars ' (that's mixed salad with ham and cheese to you and me) or Studio Catering Co - where you can gnaw on a petite hot dog ' manger comme une star '.
You get the feeling that people with a real sense of humour and fun put the studio together rather than the slick corporate machine Disney is famous for. You can't help but enjoy yourself from the Rock' n'Roller Coaster to Armageddon Special Effects, where you find yourself inside a spaceship under attack.
I've always been more of a Universal Studios fan than a Disney one, having more interest in cinema than the Magic Kingdom and that mouse creature. But Walt Disney Studios has caused a mini-conversion. It's fun and you won't go brain dead visiting it. In fact, you might come back having improved yours and the kids' French.
