From: ta@slc1.UUCP (Tony Alicea)
Newsgroups: misc.headlines,soc.culture.europe,soc.culture.french
Subject: EURO DISNEY: Cultural Imperialism?
Date: 12 Apr 92 18:45:31 GMT
Followup-To: misc.headlines
Organization: Aeronautical Radio, Inc., Annapolis

I AM SO HAPPY THAT FRANCE & EUROPE ARE GOING TO ENJOY OUR GREAT
CULTURE BECAUSE, AS ANYONE KNOWS, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY, RIGHT? WE
HAVE THE WHOLE OF 200 YRS.+ AND THEY WHAT!? THOUSANDS?...

               CULTURAL IMPERIALISM


   MARNE-LA-VALLEE, France -- Here are some facts and figures
about Euro Disneyland, the $4 billion theme park and resort that
opened Sunday near Paris.
   ------
   SCOPE: The resort, 18 miles east of Paris, covers more than 4,800
acres, about two-thirds not yet developed. It includes a theme park
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
with 29 attractions; six hotels with 5,200 rooms, camping
facilities, an artificial lake and a golf course. Long-term plans
include a separate cinema-oriented MGM-Disney theme park to open by
                                                            ^^^^^^^
1995, and an array of residential and commercial developments to
^^^^
continue through 2017.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
   ------
   PRICE: Admission for one day costs $41 for an adult, $27 for
children under 11. Parking is $5.45.
   ------
   PERSONNEL: Disney has hired 14,000 employees at Euro Disney to
fill 1,200 types of jobs, ranging from juggler to bellhop to
security guard. They come from more than 60 countries and speak more
than 40 languages among them. A strict dress code bans men from
wearing beards, and restricts women's choices of jewelry, makeup and
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
hosiery. Base pay is about $1,020 a month.
^^^^^^^
   ------
   ATTENDANCE: Disney officials project 11 million visitors during
the first year of operation. The daily capacity of the park is set
at 60,000.


   MARNE-LA-VALLEE, France  -- With greetings from a bilingual Mickey
                                                     ^^^^^^^^^ [WHY NOT QUADRI-
LINGUAL OR MORE?]
Mouse, Euro Disneyland opened Sunday despite a nearby bombing, a rail strike
                                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
and a taste of the chilly weather that could be the new park's biggest
handicap. {AH SHIT!!}
   Trumpeters in medieval costumes blared fanfares, doves were released and
a children's chorus sang "It's A Small World After All" in English and
French. [ONLY]
   "Welcome and bienvenue!" Mickey squeaked from a balcony on Sleeping
Beauty's castle. [HOW ABOUT: "!BIENVENIDOS!" ALSO!]
   The expected overflow crowd did not materialize, probably because French
                               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
authorities urged people to stay away from opening day to avoid traffic
jams. Even with a one-day strike closing the commuter rail line serving the
                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
park, traffic moved smoothly on the main freeway to the park.
^^^^
   Disney officials proclaimed the opening a success but refused to give
                                                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
attendance figures. Waits at most rides were short and the parking lots did
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
not fill.
^^^^^^^^^
   Five years in the making, the $4 billion theme park and resort is by far
the most ambitious development of its type in Europe and will continue to
                                                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
expand over the next 25 years.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
   French political leaders supported the project firmly, anticipating an
economic boon from the park's projected 11 million annual visitors. But many
                                                                        ^^^^
French intellectuals bemoaned the invasion of American pop culture.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
   Anti-Disney sentiment appeared to be behind a bombing Saturday night that
                                               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
toppled a pylon on a power line serving the park, 18 miles east of Paris.
Officials said the explosion did not seriously disrupt the park's
electricity. There was no claim of responsibility.
   Many visitors arrived before dawn. Among them were Maissa and Serge
Gallier, and their son, Gorka, 8, from the Paris suburb of Villepinte, who
received a lifetime pass as the first family to enter.
   Crowds armed with maps surged down Main Street, Disney's idealized replica
of a turn-of-the-century American small town that leads to other attractions.
   "I dreamed of going to the Disney parks in the United States," said
Jean-Charles Loty, 11, of Paris. "It's great we've got the same thing here
now."
   The robotic pirates, like many of the other characters, employees and
signs, are multilingual. English and French predominate, but most major
                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Western European languages appear in announcements at big attractions.
   The park's format is very similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., Disney
World in Orlando, Fla., and Tokyo Disneyland.
   Landscaped with trees from all over Europe and numerous flowers, the park
is designed to transport visitors out of their normal lives and into a
special land. The pastel pink, blue and gilt castle of Sleeping Beauty,
centerpiece of the park, was taken from a 15th century illustrated French
                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
manuscript.  (AT LEAST!)
^^^^^^^^^^^
   The area known in other Disney parks as Tomorrowland is Discoveryland
here, and has a French touch with a special emphasis on Jules Verne. Verne
travels through time in one of the park's few first-of-its-kind attractions,
a 360-degree movie displaying European culture and scenery. (HOW PATRONIZING!)
Xref: sparky misc.headlines:3315 soc.misc:467 talk.politics.mideast:10621 talk.politics.misc:17827