Disneyland Paris: Walt Disney Studios Park

The Walt Disney Studios Park opened in 2002 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Disneyland Paris. Divided into four areas - Front Lot, Toon Studio, Production Courtyard and Back Lot - the Studios focus on the production side of Disney's cartoons, shows and films.

     

Whilst a lot has remained the same since my first (and only) visit to the park in 2005, there are quite a few big rides in the park now. These include the Toy Story Playland area, Ratatouille, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Crush's Coaster.

Sadly, my favourite ride - Rock 'n' Rollercoaster avec Aerosmith - was closed for refurbishment, and we didn't get the chance to go on Crush's Coaster because it always had around a ninety minute queue time. (There's no FASTPASS option either. Booooooo!)

     

But, it was actually the Ratatouille ride that had the longest queue time in the Studios - up to two hours, most of the time. However, you can book a FASTPASS slot which solves the mammoth queue time issue. The ride is a lot of fun as you shrink down to Remy's size to have quite the adventure! (Head straight to the ride as soon as the Studios opens to get your FASTPASS ticket as there are only a limited amount available.)

Another fun ride was Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic, though I do seem to remember the Armageddon ride to be better than it was. I'll confess, I didn't go on the Tower of Terror - drops are not my thing, especially when you're hurled back up to be dropped down again - but my eldest nephew loved it.

Show-wise, we watched the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and Stitch Live, but there are a lot more shows than this in this park. Our timing was a bit off - we'd get out a of ride and a show would have just started, so we'd go on another ride and then miss the next show. And so on.

If you're hungry and near the car stunt show, look for Café des Cascadeurs - it's a genuine American diner that was built in the 1950s, converted from an airstream caravan. We ate lunch there, and also at Restaurant en Coulisse. Café des Cascadeurs is a little pricier, but the food is nicer - both have the typical burgers and fries on their menus.

The Walt Disney Studios park seemed busier than the main park, but that might be because it's smaller and there are less rides. There's still the opportunity to meet-and-greet characters though, so keep those autograph books and cameras out - I'll be giving you the low-down on the character meet-and-greets next week. x