Only in Disneyland Paris can you seat by the March Hare house and watch the everspinning Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, rythmed by the very few apparitions of the Tea Pot dipping Dormouse.
This Alice themed area has been built with the park and openned in 1992 along with Alice Curious Labyrinth and Mad Hatter Tea Cups. It seats right in between the t-2 Alice attractions of this Kingdom making it the center of quiet a miniland inside Paris’ Fantasyland.
March Hare Refreshment serves sweets and beverages all year long and propose an outdoor seating area right by the cups. It is a unique recreation of the March Hare House exterior and shall not be missed by any guests stopping by the parisian Kingdom.
Concept Art by Dave Minichiello
March Hare Refreshment will be featured in an upcoming article that will try and showcase the different ways each Kingdom conveys the colorful universe of Alice in Wonderland.
Come back for the launch of this whole new section “Where in the Kingoms ? – Alice”
This wonderful parade has never been featured at any other Disney location ! It is the Magic Kingdom’s evening signature and deserve all the attention it can get as a Kingdom’s Parade !
Openned in 1991 for a first run that ended in may 1999, Spectromagic came back 2 years later for a second run that still last to this day.
The technology developped for Spectromagic has been later used at Tokyo Disneyland’s Fantillusion which has today found a permanent residence in Paris.
Spectromagic is nonetheless a unique nightime parade, only to be witnessed at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. It is also, as explained in this past article, the only night Parade to scroll by any Rivers of America.
Since 1999, everytime you hear this booming jingle echoing from this unique route, every kids and parents run toward this amazing river of lights. Even some of those who’d rather exloit the short lines than watch Spectromagic, can get a feel of it from the Splash Moutain drop or Big Thunder railroads. And believe me when you see a glimpse of those glimmering floats gliding by the Rivers as you rush in and out of the Mountain, you know for sure, you are in a Kingdom !
When designing the blueprints of Euro Disneyland, Imagineers thought wise to add covered passage on each side of Main Street. It echoed the famous parisian passages and offered a warm shelter along side Main Street for the rainy/cold winter times of Saint Denis plane. In any weather you could still confortably walk up Main Street or have a quick bite in the many restaurants whose seating space reached inside the arcades.
Above : Liberty Arcade
Two arcades were thought up as hommages. One for the Satue of Liberty inside which you can scroll pass different mock up and early stage plans of the famous statue. The other one is a tribute to the future envisioned by XIXth century contemporate. Its walls are covered with great renderings of what cities like New Orleans, Boston or New York could have looked like if everything had spanned out accrding to their futuristic mind. This is the same “retrofuture” themed thouroughly explored in Disneyland Paris’ Discoveryland.
Above : Discovery Arcade
Both arcades layout are similar exept for Liberty Arcade center piece called Liberty Court, here you’ll find a magnificent red curtain behind which every guest have once poked their head. What lays there is for no one to spoil.
Above : Liberty Court
The arcade are not only convenient during rainy day but also during parades where Main Street is particulary clogged up here in Paris.
By reading this title and not knowing your Kingdoms very well you could swear this wonderful watercraft is in Walt Disney World docked by the Land from the same era : Liberty Square. Well no ! Walt Disney World’s Kingdom doesn’t have a sail ship, actually no Kingdom does but Disneyland.
There, not only can you sail the Mark Twain riverboat, but also, embarking from the same port : The Columbia.
The ship has been inspired by the Columbia Redivia and designed by none other than Joe Fowler, Disneyland’s construction general supervisor.
This experience is unique because inside and outside, a lot of Disney details are bared. In 1964 opened the Below-Decks Museum, un walk through exhibit that shows you the inside of this beauty. You can therefor enjoy the scenery on deck or you can adventure below and watch everything Imagineers have design for you inside the boat.
Though I think no one shall spoil the inner Columbia, I won’t anyway.
Liberty Square holds some boutique gems as well as the Bell… But another Liberty beauty which takes most of its north end is Columbia Harbour House a large counter service restaurant only to be found in the only to have a Pilgrim themed land Kingdom : the officialy named floridian Magic Kingdom.
Columbia Harbour House sits on both Fantasyland and Liberty Square as its archway (filled with tables) stands as the gateway from Liberty Square to Fantasyland.
Quick service restaurants mainly serving fish is rather rare in the Kingdoms. Only Toad’s Restaurant in Disneyland Paris does so. As in Toad’s venue, Harbour House serves Fish & Chips along with chicken nuggets and salads.
The only thing missing beside this immersive building and cuisine is the Columbia ship itself which oddly float on California waters where no Colonial oriented land exist.
