Review on the Run: Disneyland Paris (3.5 of 5)

Day 24 was one that Chloe has been looking forward to for a long time.  From the beginning when we asked Chloe what she thought about going to Europe, she wasn't a fan.  I told her that in Paris they have a Disneyland there and that if we go, then we'd take her.  Consider it mission completed in keeping our promise.  Truth be told though, I was pretty excited too.  Disney strikes a chord with many people - both positive and negative.  Call me brainwashed, but I love Disney.  With Paris out of the way, it makes it now 3 of 5 Disney parks I've been to.  Only Tokyo and Hong Kong stand in my way!

Disneyland Paris (3.5 of 5)
A couple of caveats with this rating - it's really a comparison to both the Magic Kingdom in Orlando (which would get a 4.5 of 5) and the original Disneyland in Anaheim (which gets a 5 of 5).  These 3 parks are more or less the same - so much so that you could probably take one map and successfully navigate yourself easily in each park.  So why the discrepancy?  Well, you know how you have that 2nd cousin that is sort of the black sheep of the family and tries to emulate you in every way but falls short in every area?  Well this sums up Disneyland Paris when compared to Disneyland in Anaheim.  Not that the one in Paris is bad - its just that the one in Anaheim is really just outstanding that it's a tough act to follow.  Magic Kingdom almost did it but hasn't quite reached there, while Paris lags behind.  At Disneyland Paris, there is 2 themeparks (Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios) and a shopping complex (Disney Village).  This strategy is mirrored across their other theme parks as well.  Paris though lagged behind in the following areas:

• It is a physically smaller theme park without many attractions (Mickey Toontown for example) than their US counterparts.
• The vibe created in the States is truly impressive with excitement all-around.  Here it is extremely laid back which brings me to...
• The workers here just don't seem to be nearly as attentive to visitors and part of the "well oiled machine" that is characteristic of the the States.
• The show at the end, yes the big finale that we stayed to watch, was a huge disappointment.  No fire works, just a couple of people singing and dancing for 10 minutes and Au Revoir.
• The Walt Disney Studios (modeled after the park of the same name in Orlando) is probably 1/2 the size.
• Disney Village is just that... a Village compared to Downtown Disney in the States.

Ok, now that I've bashed the place a couple of great things about this park.

• The place is in top notch condition since the park is relatively new.  In Anaheim you can definitely tell that some things are showing their age.
• I got to experience some rides I didn't have a chance to go on in the States and they were great.  The look on Chloe's face after Peter Pan's Flight was priceless and exploring Adventure Isle was a lot of fun.
• Perhaps we picked the right day to go, but the crowds and lines weren't bad at all.
• It was super easy to get to via RER A straight from Paris that takes you 100m away from the front entrance.

It was great to be a kid again.  I won't have to wait too long though since we are heading to Parc Asterix next week - which should be a more French experience.