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.
Adventureland, in Paris is unique. Its inspiration doesn’t just come from the jungle environement commonly used in Kingdoms. This one takes a lot from a real continent : Africa. This store and its design is a real Disney jewel, but what many people don’t notice passing by this sandy outpost is the star itself : The Curious Giraffe.
She’s quietly ruminating right avove your head, while peeking inside this human store. The chewing effect still works perfectly !
It is located just left after you entered Adventureland. If you keep walking on the left you’ll get into the african side of the french Adventureland. The building has therefor also been put here to serve as a beacon of where you’re heading.
The stores sells plushes and clothes all themed around the desert and the jungle. The sign shown above reads “Everything for safaris”.
Oh, and now you know how the french spell giraffe.
One major thing to remember when visiting Tokyo Disneyland is that those popcorn stands clearly defining any Magic Kingdom offer a different kind of corn depending on their location.
In Tokyo Disneyland only can you find :
Black-Pepper popcorn
Curry popcorn
Honey popcorn (right by Pooh’s Hunny Hunt entrance)
Soda popcorn
Caramel popcorn
I heard about Coconut Popcorn by the Tiki Room but was not able to confirm that.
Note that Tokyo Disney Sea also proposes this treat, with even more flavors… But this is for you to find, I’ll just say there is capuccino and coconut for sure
Or Les Pirouettes du Vieux Moulin ! When designing Fantasyland Tony Baxter’s team soon realised that hey hadn’t included any link to Holland, Belgique and Luxembourg. They thought about adding a mill… Actually an Old Mill attraction was already planned for Disneyland, as seen on this Bruce Bushman’s concept from Walt Disney Imagineering : A Behind The Dream Look at Making The Magic Real. It was themed after Walt Disney Classic’s The Old Mill. The technological wonder of its day wan the Best Short Cartoon oscar for intergrating so many animation breakthrough and was very dear to Walt Disney. Saddly this concept had to be droped before Disneyland opening in 1955. So Disneyland Paris Imagineers gladly dusted off this sketch from the 50’s and put it in the park as a simple snack house, keeping the possibility to upgrade it later as the attraction Bruce Bushman envisioned.
On opening day the Mill simply hosted a snack called The Old Mill but after Casey Jr and Le Pays des Comtes de Fée (Storybook Land) openned, they added a big Ferris wheel to the back of the mill to form a new attraction called “Les Pirouettes du Vieux Moulin” (The Loops of the Old Mill) The attraction closed only a couple of years later because of its poor sucess. Today only the snack booth is in operation but this ferris wheel is still as beautiful as ever. It’s one of the cutest piece of Disneyland Paris and remain the pride of many imagineers.
Every Magic Kingdom, or most of them holds a young children play area. Few of them bares the quality and style of Pooh’s Playful Spot in Walt Disney World !
Located north of the Kingdom, where the entrance of the Submarine Voyage used to be, Kids can slide into lifesize tree trunk, giant hunny pot and run around the house of Winnie ! One big tree act as the centerpiece of this nano-land. The ground is rubber surfaced with a twist, each rubber bits looks like a chip of wood, making this soft surface one big bed of wood and leaves.
Tip : When the Kingdom is Dark and kids are already sleeping in their resort’s bus, grab a Chocolate Ice Cream Shake at Mrs Pott Cupboard and sip in this wonderful, now very quiet 0,05 Acre Wood.
Nothing dies forever in Disney parks, sometime you just have to check out another Kingdom.
This beauty has been added to the Le Parc Disneyland in november 2006 and little did I know it was an exclusive. Until I stumbled on Daveland blog’s recent post. After Dave kindly told me Carnation wagon was Yesterland for long, I felt I had to share this jewel.
Sometime sponsoring does some good !
For all who miss Disneyland’s Carnation wagon, enjoy the pics. Oh and by the way, even though it appears like a still refreshment stand, I swear it runs and change location.
