Ooh La La Disney [Mainstreet U.S.A. & Frontierland]

I started off 2018 on a very magical note: running the Dopey Challenge in Walt Disney World and then three days later visiting Disneyland Paris for the very first time. Outside of the wonderful Disney magic that was sure to be at the park, I did not know what to expect from the French version of Disneyland, so there was a lot of Pinterest searching done before the trip. The blogs and information I gathered from Pinterest informed me of the stellar Sleeping Beauty castle, protected by it's own dragon, the updated version of some of Disney World's famous rides, and the characters' freedom to roam the park that isn't really seen in either Disneyland or Disney World. Eager to see just how grand this new park was (new to me anyway, as Disneyland Paris is just finishing up celebrating it's 25th anniversary) I went in with an open mind and a child-like view.

To say the least, I was not disappointed. In order to get to Disneyland I took the RER A (one of Paris' train lines) straight to the Disneyland station. If you're staying in Paris and want to visit Disney I highly suggest using this method of transportation. The second you get off the train and walk out of the station doors you are greeted with the Disneyland welcome gates. No need to find parking or trying to remember where you parked your car. As you walk through the gates guests are greeted with the Disneyland Hotel. A large, pink building with a style that reminds me a bit of The Grand Floridian. The top of this hotel is crowned with a large Mickey Mouse clock and a weather vane graced with Tinkerbell's presence.

To enter the park you walk into a tunnel found at the base of the building, and off to your left and right are ticket booths. Though I was there in the off season, I would highly recommend buying your tickets online to save yourself time. I arrived at the park around 9:15am, though it was scheduled to open at 10:00am, but surprisingly the line was not as long as I was expecting it to be. Not surprisingly, I was just as impatient as some of the little children standing around me waiting to get into the park. At 10:30am some cast members came to the entrance and started shouting out something (due to it being in French I had no idea what they were saying), and suddenly the line was moving! How lucky (and magical) that the day I was visiting the park was opening thirty minutes early!

Once you get past the ticket entrance, not surprisingly, you are greeted with the familiar site of the Main Street Train Station, but in this park it is adorned with lit up faces of Minnie, Mickey, Donald and Pluto. In the center sits a beautiful silver version of Tinkerbell and the round screen in the middle lights up to show the castle, followed by a large "25" in celebration of the anniversary.

Entering Main Street is as awe-inspiring as it is when entering any other Disney park. The old style American buildings surround you and bring you straight to the castle. Old time cars and horse drawn carriages ride around offering transportation to guests, and due to the cloudy weather some of the stores still have their signs lit up, drawing the eye and offering a welcoming entrance. The store windows have your favorite Disney characters lit up and celebrating the park's anniversary. Of course, the first shop on your left is the Emporium, which is just as overwhelming and exciting to walk through as any Disney Emporium is. What is unique about the shops on Main Street though, is that the backs of them lead into a fashionable cobbled street. With the roof above the streets and the lighted street lamps it gives off a comfy, side street feel. These back streets hold arcade games, which I discovered are used as places for guests to keep dry and entertained when it rains.

Walking through Main Street, I am surprised to see so many signs in English, but then I remember that this is Main Street U.S.A., so of course everything will be in English. It is also a bit strange to realize that this type of colonial-esque setting is perhaps something entirely new to the French visitors, who may not be aware of the architectual history in America.

Finally, getting to the end of Main Street guests are greeted with blue and silver statues of beloved characters: Tinkerbell, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and even Daisy. I thought these statues were eye-catching and beautiful, seeming to shimmer even in the cloudy morning, but I'm not sure as to whether those figures are always there or were simply placed to celebrate the anniversary.

Past these statues though is the magical site everyone looks forward to when entering a Disney park: the castle. In this case, Sleeping Beauty's castle. The bright pink and dark blues, purposely chosen by designers to help it stand out against the common gray skies, certainly pop out and give it a fun, yet regal look. The stone archway guests can walk through is large and inviting, and I can't help but notice the lights that sparkle around the castle every so often.

Though I'm eager to explore this castle I start my journey by heading to the left, into Frontierland. The large wooden posts and western wagons greet guests as they enter the land, and I'm once again reminded that the old western theme is not part of French history. Perhaps this is why I felt when walking through the park that the story of the wild west was more pronounced than it is at Disney World. There was a small blacksmith shop set up, along with a train's conductor car on display. The shops are designed as log cabins, and the one restaurant is an adobe clay house with a wonderful Coco display adorning it.

The only ride found within Frontierland is Big Thunder Mountain, and eager to compare it to its Florida partner I ran into line and impatiently waited about fifteen minutes before it was my time to board the train. Now, upon entering Frontierland, or even looking at the park map, it is very obvious to see that the Big Thunder Mountain coaster ride is built in the middle the water. How does the ride get you to the middle of the water? By going under it, of course. The train takes off and you are instantly surrounded by pitch blackness and the screeching of bats as you go through a tunnel, leading you to the mountains beyond. As the train speeds through the track you take breath-taking turns, plenty of drops and even pass a few goats along the way. What makes this ride superior to it's Florida counterpart, in my opinion, is the story it tells as you go through the ride. You get the feeling that you're digging for gold and seeing how those in the West lived, and the finishes with an accidental fire sparked by a broken lantern that ultimately leads to an explosion. The ride ends just the way it started, surrounding me in darkness, and I was brought back to the park with my hair a mess and my body buzzing with energy.