2013: A year of pure Disney magic.

It's over, 2013 has left us and we are now in a brand new year. But wow, what a year it was. It was the year that Disneyland Paris told us that they were building a ride, they even named it. It was a year where exceptional events just happened, and as one event ended, an even more magical one began. There wasn't even time to ponder what would happen next.
So, let's take a look back at those past 12 months.

The year began in a reasonably quiet way, February saw the introduction of the Aristocats to the Disneyland Paris character line up with a spectacular unveiling on February 14th in a special cavalcade that ran twice in the day (Rain cancelled one of the scheduled three showings). This was followed by a weekend of character couples in Disneyland Park - but that was not all. That weekend also saw the inaugural LNB (Ligue national du basket) Leaders Cup take place in the Disney Events Arena in Disney Village, the contest which involved a number of the top French basketball teams competing in a series of knock out matches involved a few Disney touches, each match was covered live on French Sport channel Sport+ which was also shown in the Sports Bar, and saw a special celebration seeing Disney Village open until 2am in the morning. This event was hugely popular and 2014 sees a new round of matches taking place.

The end of March 2013 saw the launch of the 20th Anniversary extended celebrations, this involved a fashion show, Light'Ear launch and two new scenes added to Disney Dreams! (The Lion King and Brave replacing The Jungle Book and Mary Poppins). The ears looked beautiful when every member of the audience was wearing them, but the public would need to wait until June in order to try them out for themselves.

Then came along April which was another quiet month. May saw the Disney Dreamers Everywhere event, a series of private meet and greets were held for a special group of guests in all the Disney parks across the world - a special event indeed.  Despite the main attractions being invite only, regular day guests could meet the rare characters during the day at their special photo location. Characters in Disneyland Paris included Clara Cluck, Darkwing Duck and more.

Not too much happened in June other than the Toad Hall restaurant re-opening after a period of refurbishment, the restaurant was immensely improved. The end of the month saw the closure of Hollywood pictures in order to make way for the LEGO store. 

July saw Parcorama publish a blog about the deteriorating state of Disneyland Paris and launched a petition to Bob Iger to improve the state of things at our beloved Parisian resort. The petition reached the required number of signatures and was sent to the Walt Disney Company in Burbank amongst a high level of media attention across Europe. We also began to learn more about the Halloween festival and Christmas.

In August we learnt that the special Disney Dreams of Christmas would be a show in its own right, and would take elements from the new Disney Animation Studios film Frozen. We learnt that we'd be getting a new Christmas tree, and a new lighting ceremony that wouldn't involve characters.

September was perhaps the biggest month of the year for Disneyland Paris in 2013. The 20th Anniversary reached its conclusion, and Disneyland Paris held a What's New, What's Next event in which hotel refurbishments and new merchandising was introduced to a assembled mix of the Disneyland Paris fan websites and blogs. Ratatouille: L'Avenure Totalement Toquée de Rémy was unveiled as the Ratatouille attraction name, as well as a piece of artwork unveiled.

In October, the Halloween season was launched in Disneyland Paris which involved a new cavalcade, some new decorations and new character opportunities, this was widely regarded as a huge success for the resort. The new Disneyland Paris website was launched, which offered a cleaner design, new features and a mobile version of the site.

November was the launch of the most extensive Christmas celebrations to date, decorations from the previous year were extended and new decorations added. A beautiful new Christmas tree was unveiled with a fantastic lighting ceremony which could be viewed as a 360 degree spectacle. The big finish was a new version of Disney Dreams! named Disney Dreams of Christmas featuring Olaf, Frozen, Toy Story and many classic tales.

And that's it for Disneyland Paris 2013, it was a wonderful year, more news than action but this coming year will see many new features heading to our resort - and I for one can't wait.

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Coup de Cœur: Disney's Halloween Festival

The word 'Festival' in the official Halloween celebration title 'Disney's Halloween Festival' is not coincidental. For 2013 is the year where 'spooktacular' Halloween is replaced by a more humble harvest theme. It all begins as we enter Disneyland Park and we meet the friendly Main Street USA residents who have been replaced by ghosts for one month only.

We quickly learn that these ghosts aren't here to terrorise us, but instead to socialise with us and welcome us to their favourite season. Everything about the decorations on Main Street Station reassures guests that a Disney Halloween is different. As we move through the station, we see more friendly ghosts on Main Street

USA who've decorated their street in the Halloween colours. The lampposts have been turned green and a witches hat placed upon them. As we walk through Town Square we hear more of a playful cackle than the usual jolly loop we are familiar with, the sounds of Halloween fill the air, pumpkins are placed on the lush green grass and the colours of Autumn surround us. This isn't the usual 'ghost and ghoul' style Halloween, this is something different. In one corner of Town Square, we see Goofy taking Halloween incredibly seriously; he is making all the candy for his friends who come and see him for a trick or treat. In another corner, Duffy is also enjoying Halloween by putting on his best Halloween outfit as he prepares to go trick or treating.

It's not just in Town Square where friendly ghosts come out to meet their guests. As we wander further down Main Street USA we meet ghosts from all sorts of different walks of life, ever wondered who really fixed the vehicles of Main Street USA? Who really cooks your food in Walts? The residents of the town, for one month only, have arrived to meet their favourite clients, you!

Three times a day on the parade route through Disneyland Park, the ghostly atmosphere is interrupted by Mickey and Friends who have come along to celebrate a more traditional harvest festival (To read more, check out this article by our friend at Dedicated to DLP). The parade soundtrack alludes to the more playful side of this harvest festival by referencing things such as 'climbing trees'. The floats themselves bring the image of harvest through the country crop themeing along with the characters you know and love in their farmyard outfits. Character hunters will be pleased to see Clarabelle making her Disneyland Paris debut along with all the Ducks. What is particularly well done with this parade is the sheer number of performers involved, for a short two float parade this achieves the same satisfaction as a twenty minute parade. The gaps before, after and in between floats are littered with dancers in beautiful costumes and with beautiful props. From the moment the parade reaches you, to the moment it has finished passing by, there are plenty of things to see and enjoy, which is it's charm. This is a parade worthy of the Disney name, and will only grow in the future. We're excited to see it's evolution.

As we continue walking down Main Street we hit Casey's Corner, and Minnie's Costume Couture where we see her outdoor fashion house. We all know that Minnie is a fashionable mouse, but we've never before been allowed so close to her workspace. And, if you are lucky you might even get a photo with the designer herself, who is happy to pose for photos with her friends!

We move closer and closer to the Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant, and as we arrive in Central Plaza, we begin to notice some familiar faces in a rather unfamiliar form. We all know that Halloween has become synonymous with pumpkins. What perhaps we did not expect was that we would see Mickey and friends in pumpkin form; providing guests with a perfect photo opportunity.

Frontierland is the home of Halloween spooks, with pumpkin men welcoming you to their home in Thunder Mesa, as well as the ever spooky Phantom Manor attraction which takes on a particular thrill at this time of year. But, just outside Phantom Manor why not take time to visit Jack Skellington at his spooky cemetery.

As we stroll throughout the enchanting Disneyland Park, our ears are filled with the music of bands playing Disney Halloween favourites. We reach our final destination of our walk through Disneyland Park this Halloween, and we receive a less than warm reception from the Disney Villains who have gathered close to the Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant, ready to spook us.

Halloween 2013 is one of the best seasonal line ups we have seen in recent years, and just thinking that Christmas is usually taken even more seriously and that every year Halloween will get bigger sends a shiver down our spine. We look forward to finding out just what Christmas is like next month.

Coup de Cœur is a monthly feature on DLP Town Square celebrating what we love about Disneyland Paris and the details that make the resort so unique.
Disney's Halloween Festival runs from the 5th - 31st October 2013

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20th Highlights: Disney Magic on Parade!

After a run of five years, it was time to stop dreaming of the magic, and to start celebrating it, which is just what the new parade Disneyland Paris presented for the 20th Anniversary was all about. The emphasis certainly was on celebration, from the dancing, the floats and even the music. Disneyland Paris has turned 20 years old, it's time to celebrate that the only way Disney know how, with your favourite Disney friends!

On the face of it, large parts of this parade are imported directly from Disney's Once Upon A Dream parade which ran from 2007 until 2012, two floats of the new on Parade are 'new' (Opening and Final 'core' Disney character float), the other floats have had minor touches added to them relating to the 20th Anniversary such as Hamm using Disneyland Paris 20th Anniversary playing cards, small features but fantastic to see. The stars of this parade however are the fairies, watching them glide down the parade route is an absolute joy and creates an air of believability to the idea that they are flying.

Image: Disney

The new floats offer a perfect bookend of this parade, for a celebration of the twenty years of the resort, there is no better way to open than a part mockup of the turret of the castle. The castle is the icon of the entire resort and seems logical to focus the celebrations onto it. The parade reaches it's finale with the redesigned 'Dreams of Romance' float, say hello to the ultimate party float, with Mickey and friends in their wizard costumes and Mickey Mouse the centre point of the parade up on a pedestal. The parade nicely rounds off the magic theme with a special surprise on the back of this final float. Tinkerbell waves her magic wand as she waves goodbye to all the guests who had come out to enjoy the parade.

Image: Disney

The theme song for the 20th Anniversary, and the parade song for Disney Magic on Parade! is called 'Magic Everywhere'. It is both a song, a statement and synopsis of the park, not just the parade. Disney have proudly bragged about 'Disney Magic' for many years, thus the theme of the parade and the year. The catchy song, much like 'Do you Believe?' sneaks in yet another  Disney reference, namely 'Neverland's forever'. The song itself is incredibly catchy and full of joy, it's rare to not see families smiling and dancing during it.

Disney Magic on Parade! is a perfect celebration of Disneyland Paris and Disney magic in general, the already impressive floats have been given a new lease of life and a top tapping tune bringing us many years of joy and laughter. Parades are a huge part of a day in a Disney park often providing popular, guest pleasing entertainment. Disneyland Paris's show department usually pull out all the stops to give us world leading parades such as Disney Magic on Parade! and on this occasion, they have succeeded in bringing us a fantastic daily highlight which continues to grow with the already announced redesign of the princess float.

Our 20th Anniversary highlights week runs from 23rd September until the 30th September 2013 and celebrates the best moments of the anniversary year, from special events to new attractions. Check back everyday for a new article. 
1: Meet Mickey Mouse
2: Disney's 20th Anniversary Celebration Train 
4: Magical Seasons
5: Disney Dreams! 
6: 12th April 2012 
7: Light'Ears 
8: Memories  

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Halloween Festival starts to become unveiled.

Over at Disney Central Plaza forum, they've been discussing Halloween festival for a while now, today a press release has been posted that originates from ameworld.net. Here is the exciting news we've been waiting for, some details on Halloween 2013 at Disneyland Paris!

Hewie, Dewey and Louie will be arriving at Disneyland Paris from October 5th to celebrate Halloween, and their Uncle Scrooge will be joining them! The amazing Halloween decorations from last year will return as Main Street is transformed into a place where you can meet those friendly ghosts.

A new three float Halloween cavalcade will be presented by Mickey and Friends called 'Mickey's Halloween Celebration' featuring Disneyland Paris's newest arrivals (Hewie, Dewie, Louie and Uncle Scrooge as well as Clarabelle!).

Goofy will return with his sweet machine on Main Street USA, and we can, for the first time, visit Minnie's studio where she will be creating some Halloween fashion creations.
Other returning features are the villains in the Castle Courtyard and Jack and Sally will return to their photo location outside Phantom Manor.
Characters will be present in Halloween dress (probably making up for the confirmed cancellation of Mickey's Trick or Treat in the Street show)

Disney Dreams returns for the season where we can get 'haunted' by our favourite Disney Villains, Doctor Facilier, Ursula and Captain Hook.

Don't forget Disneyland Park's Halloween Soirée from 20:30 - 01:00 on the 31st October, and tickets are on sale now!

Below is the first visual from the Season, credit goes to Ameworld

Big thanks to Ameworld for posting this exciting press release. We think the 2013 Halloween season will be exciting, and we really cannot wait to see that Halloween cavalcade.

Will any of our readers be visiting the Halloween season? We'd love to know what you think of these proposed plans, comment below or tweet us @dlptownsquare

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