Walt Disney Studios Park

**Walt Disney Studios Park** is a theme park at Disneyland Paris.

The park is represented by the Earffel Tower, a water tower similar to one that was installed at the Walt Disney Studios lot in California. It is dedicated to show business, themed after movies, production and behind-the-scenes.

## History

Initial plans for a second theme park, named Disney-MGM Studios Europe or Disney-MGM Studios Paris, were scheduled to open in 1995, though these plans were canceled around mid-1992 due to the resort's financial crisis at the time. After the resort began to make a profit, these plans were revived on a much smaller scale. Walt Disney Studios Park opened on March 16, 2002.

In June 2007, a new "studio lot" opened in the Animation Courtyard area of the park, named Toon Studio. It is themed as a "toon backlot", representing the film studio workplace of animated characters, where they produce their animated films, including The Little Mermaid, 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book. The concept has been created exclusively for Walt Disney Studios Park and features two rides not seen in any other Disney theme park, along with small merchandising locations and many character meet-and-greets. In this expansion phase are Crush's Coaster, a custom-designed Maurer Söhne SC 2000 indoor spinning roller coaster and Cars Quatre Roues Rallye themed after the 2006 Disney/Pixar film Cars, with the ride taking the form of an enhanced teacups ride. Similar rides are found in Mermaid Lagoon at Tokyo DisneySea and A Bug's Land at Disney California Adventure. On December 22, 2007, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror soft-opened with the new Hollywood Boulevard on Production Courtyard. Stitch Live!, imported from Hong Kong Disneyland, replaced the Disney Channel Studio Tour.

In 2009, new entertainment opened at Walt Disney Studios to run alongside Mickey's Magical Party, which began in April 2009. Playhouse Disney Live On Stage! opened next to Stitch Live! and is presented in French, English and Spanish. Walt Disney Studios opened with a full-size parade called 'Disney's Cinema Parade', which was themed after popular Disney animated and live-action films. In 2008 the parade was replaced with 'Disney's Stars 'n' Cars', a smaller version of Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade, which came from Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World in Florida. In August 2010, Toy Story Playland opened to coincide with the new Disney·Pixar film Toy Story 3, "shrinking" guests to the size of a toy. The three attractions are a Half pipe coaster named RC Racer, a parachute jumpstyle ride named Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop and a Music Express train named Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin, all themed intricately around the first two Toy Story films.

On February 27, 2018, Bob Iger announced a transformative multi-year expansion, opening in phases from 2021 to 2025 to coincide with the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, which will completely transform the park. The cost of this expansion is €2 billion. It will feature new areas based on Marvel, Star Wars and Frozen, all surrounding a new man-made lake.

Since March 14, 2020, Walt Disney Studios Park, alongside Disneyland Park, is temporarily closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both parks have remained closed for four months and will resume operations starting July 15, 2020. Both parks will reopen with strict rules such as limited guest attendance, social distancing and mandatory wearing of face masks.

## Studio Lots

### Front Lot

Front Lot serves as the park's main entrance and is home to most shops and services of the park, the Earffel Tower is located here. The entrance courtyard, La Place des Frères Lumière, is designed in Spanish Colonial Revival style, a style common to 1930's Hollywood. It is loosely based on the design of the original Disney Bros. Studios on Hyperion Avenue. The central feature of the courtyard is a large Fantasia fountain. The name of the courtyard is a tribute to the French inventors of cinema.

Front Lot features Disney Studio 1, a covered walkway with shops and restaurants themed after a soundstage with a recreation of a Hollywood street inside.

#### Shops

* Walt Disney Studios Store
* Les Légends d'Hollywood
* Studio Photo

### Toon Studio

#### Attractions

* Flying Carpets Over Agrabah
* Crush's Coaster
* Cars Quatre Roues Rallye
* Animation Celebration
* Mickey and the Magician
	+ During the Christmas season, this is replaced by Mickey's Christmas Big Band
* Ratatouille: L'Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy
* Toy Story Playland
	+ Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop
	+ Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin
	+ RC Racer

#### Restaurants

* Toon Studio Catering Co.
* Bistrot Chez Rémy

#### Shops

* Disney Animation Gallery
* Chez Marianne (Souvenirs de Paris)
* Toy Story Playland Boutique

### Production Courtyard

#### Attractions

* Stitch Live!
* The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - a New Dimension of Chills

### Backlot

The Backlot is themed after actual movie backlots with an industrial theme and is very plain. This lot showcases the high thrills of movies and is targeted toward older children and adults. The Backlot also features soundtracks from blockbusters such as Mission: Impossible 2, 1968's Planet of the Apes, Batman, or Independence Day. Majority of this area was closed to make way for the upcoming Avengers Campus Paris. The Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular is the last opening-day attraction standing on this lot.

#### Attractions

* Moteurs...Actio! Stunt Show Spectacular

## Attendance

* 2011 - 4,710,000
* 2012 - 4,800,000
* 2013 - 4,470,000
* 2014 - 4,260,000
* 2015 - 4,440,000
* 2016 - 4,970,000
* 2017 - 5,200,000
* 2018 - 5,298,000