Monday, September 14, 2009

The EuroDisney Experience.

Sunday was one of the most fun days I've ever had. Well, maybe not ever, but definitely one of the most fun days on this two-month-monster-of-a-trip.

My alarm went off at 7:45; I took a shower in record time, dried my hair, ran downstairs for breakfast, and by 9 am Eia and I were heading to the Metro. Us leaving the hostel by 9 was a huge deal, as we usually intend to start our days early and never seem to get out of bed. Like today, for instance; it's quarter past nine and we haven't budged.

Anyway, yesterday was amazing. It took us about an hour to get out to where the Disneyland Paris park is located by the RER train. We got there, had our bags searched, and stepped out into the park in all its Disneyland glory.

I am going to start by saying that yes, it is mostly similar to the park in California. A bit smaller, missing a few attractions, but for the most part, the parks are really alike. But the experience of walking around, having Goofy rap in French during "Mickey's Magical Party Time", hearing Buzz Lightyear first as Tim Allen and then with this deep scary French accent, and riding Star Tours with the recorded stuff being the normal American lines but the robots all speaking in French was just hilarious. Eia and I were having a blast making comparisons all day, and have even concluded that some of the rides were better than the ones in the original park.

The first ride we went on (aside from the general climb-around-on-things Wild West attraction in Frontier Land) was the Haunted Mansion. I think it was called the Phantom House or something here. The pictures in the elevator were all different, though the ride started the same. But then they added all these new rooms and made the entire experience so much better! And scarier!
So it was a good start to our EuroDisney experience. The first ride we went on was already superior to that of the ride we know and love back home (I say "home" - haha. Eia's the one who lived in LA, not me. But I have been to Disney enough times to call the California park home I suppose).

We literally rode just about every ride, so I am having trouble remembering which ones we went on in what order, but I will say that the one ride that disappointed us was the Indiana Jones ride. This is a favorite in LA, but here in Paris it was a completely different ride altogether. Instead of having a cool line area where you walk through caves and dare your friends to try out the "booby-traps", it was just a normal roped-off line to a basic outdoor roller coaster, the kind with overhead restraints that hurt the sides of your head as it knocks you around. Fail, Paris. Needless to say, we only rode that one once.

The BEST ride was Thunder Mountain Railroad. In LA, the appeal of this one is just that it's a rickety old wooden roller coaster. Here it was AMAZING. It took you hurtling through pitch blackness, then brought you outside, looped you around and around, and then sent you flying through the dark again. Eia and I were stunned at how good it was. We made sure to ride this one twice.

We spent a lot of the day wandering around, hitting up the little kid rides we always skip over in LA (like Snow White, Pinnochio, and Peter Pan - all of which were actually kind of scary! Aside from Peter Pan; that ride is just sweet) and browsing through gift shops and the rides that aren't actually rides but more just attractions you walk through (like Alice in Wonderland's Labyrinth and the Aladdin one). We also spent a portion of the day getting pictures with Disney characters; my favorite being the Genie, but also with Lilo and Mary Poppins and a bunch of others I can't remember because they're on Eia's camera. We wanted a picture with Woody, but the line was too long, and we also got completely snubbed by Chip and Dale. Stupid chipmunks.

I think my favorite part of the day (well, one of them) was when we rode "It's a Small World". Usually I don't really give a crap about this ride, because the song gets stuck in your head something fierce and there are things like Splash Mountain you could be riding on instead, but Eia and I really, really enjoyed it this time around. I actually felt a little emotional as our boat passed by all the places we've been in the last few months. Eia took pictures of England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, and France to signify all the places we've stayed, and then we snapped a bunch of America pictures because despite how much fun this last week has been, I think we're both a little homesick.

I realized how little I knew about other cultures before this trip, and was really impressed with myself at being able to point out different countries based on iconic landmarks and clothing and everything that I had no idea about before all of this traveling, but I also realized how many more places I have yet to go to truly appreciate the whole of the ride. So there you go! Deep, touching moments at Disneyland for the WIN!

Space Mountain. Was. Amazing.
We didn't think it would measure up, because the Space Mountain in LA, after being remodeled for years, is the best ride in the park, but the Space Mountain (Misson: 2!) here was somehow even better. We rode it three times. Two of those times were back to back in a 30 minute period. I cannot even explain to you what a sci-fi nerd I feel like sometimes and being given the opportunity to zoom around in space doing loops through the stars and super novas pretty much sums up everything that is right in the world. God I love that ride.

The Buzz Lightyear ride is awesome too, even though the lasers are hard to aim. I got a high score though! I always do crappily on that ride, but I must have unknowingly hit some awesome target or something.

The day was fun, and tiring, and even though Eia and I probably SHOULD have spent the day perusing the Louvre, I remember saying to her at one point, "I'd choose Mickey Mouse over the Mona Lisa any day."


I really do appreciate history and art and knowledge, and have experienced my fair share of all of that in the last week here, but I also appreciate letting my inner child out and reliving all of my favorite stories with my best friend in a foreign country. We do not regret our day at Disneyland Paris. It was worth every penny.

The train ride home that night was long and tiring, and when we finally lugged ourselves up to the 6th floor of our hostel, ready to collapse... there were boys sleeping in our beds. Um.

The four of us went downstairs and apparently the OTHER girls in our room were supposed to have checked out the day before, but since Eia and I are tidy people, the cleaning staff thought we must have left (even though our bags were still in our room and stuff). Anyway, the poor tired boys had to lug themselves and their stuff to a different room on the 3rd floor, and Eia and I finally, finally got to call it quits in our own beds. We were going to have some chips and salsa before bed, but neither of us could get the cap off the salsa, and we were both SO tired that the whole experience was hilarious. I threw the food on a chair and said "FORGET IT!" We went to bed.

This morning I woke up and finished Part 1 of the Hunger Games (heart-wrenching cliffhanger!) and decided to write a Disney blog before I continued on reading.

I fly back to London today! I'm not ready to leave... I really love Paris.
French airport all by myself, wish me luck. :/

Days until I leave: 9

27 comments:

SigneHansen said...

I've become addicted to reading this blog.. Which is a bit weird.. ;D But everytime you post a new "chapter" (post) I just want to read more..

I wish I was the one who was in Paris.. I'm just in school.. And I've never ever been to disney-land (or world).. :(

eibbore said...

I'm so glad you had such a great day. That picture of you and Eia is adorable. I LOVE Eia's dress.

I've never been the California or French Disney's. And I skipped on Space Mountain in Florida. OPPS! I'll have to make up for that sometime soon.

Your blog is awesome. Good luck with the Antarctica contest! <3

Anonymous said...

I remember when I went to EuroDisney in...2003 and that Indiana Jones ride was scary as hell for me. I doesn't sound the same, but it might be, but when I went there you went backwards in this cart thing REALLY slowly and went upside down REALLY slowly it was like torture. I really don't like being upside down.
But I do have good memories of that Thunder Mountain one! That was insane! Did you get one of those pictures they take when you're in the ride? I've got mine and we are ALL completely petrified except for this 50 odd year old man who's looking quite calm and bored. But everyone else is like 'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" hahahha It always makes me laugh.
And I remember all the Disney characters giving autographs and my sister and I (mainly my sister) got snubbed by a few of them. I think Goofy was one, Gaston another and a few other ones. I think I got more because I was only 12 at the time and my sister was 15. You're never too old for Goofy's autograph! Or the Chipmunks!
You're blog has brought back so many great memories of my trip to Europe all those years ago, so thank you!
Keep having a wonderful time!

flitwicks_choirgirl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
flitwicks_choirgirl said...

good luck!

Oh wow! that sounds amazing. I can't believe it's better than California. Definitely adding it the places I need to go. One of my friends got snubbed by Alice in California. and we promised Peter Pan we'd go on his but never did. Just a reason to go back! Though, California and now, Paris makes me think Oz needs to step up its game big time in the theme park world.

Emily said...

I'm kind of curious as to what staying in a hostel is like. It seems very interesting.

Euro Disney sounds incredible, I'm so glad that you are having fun! =]

Stefan said...

I skiped the Louvre too. can't say I missed it. though we did go to the Orsay which is all modern art and we liked it a lot. But as an art major I've always liked modern art better.

Rachael said...

I went to Paris in July and the Louvre wasn't that amazing in my opinion; I don't think you missed out!

VicMorrowsGhost said...

GOOD LUCK!
Are you sure the boys in your beds weren't complimentary, you know like mints or something?

Sarah said...

Ah, Mission Impossible! I LOVE that one. <3 Me and my brother wasn't really sure what waited us when we got onto that ride so we were very surprised when we found ourselves hanging up-side down and everything xD I acually wasn't sure what happenes because of the darkness, hahah. Good times!
Uh, now I really miss Disneyland.

And the Louvre... Hmm, I've been there. I'd choose Mickey over Mona-Lisa too xD

Glo said...

Good luck coming back to London! I just arrived here yesterday... I'm studying abroad as well. Please post the name of the hostel when you leave! I'm considering stopping over in Paris on one of my long weekends and hitting up Disney.

Ana said...

You just described my EuroDisney experience, literally. Only it was six months ago. *God* I'd love to be there now just to meet you and give you a hug.

Anyway, I couldn't answer you on Twitter because I can't message you :/ How can I mail you the Harry Potter book in Portuguese? :) <3

Allison said...

It sounds like you had sooo much fun! I really hope you win the Antarctica contest.

@VicMorrowsGhost- that was freaking hilarious :D

Nicole said...

I'm glad you're having fun! I really want to go back to Disneyland. The last time I went was when I was 5, so the experience would be completely different this time round. I went to the LA one when I was 6 and the Florida one at 9 so I really need to go back. Also, I completely agree about the It's A Small World theme tune being really catchy. It's the song my doorbell plays! It's stuck in my head permanently.

Unknown said...

Is it true that the French castle is centered around Bell and not Cinderella?

Danni said...

I love your blogs Kristina their so down to earth, make me smile :)

Did you go on aerosmith rollacoaster?
That was the best one when I went there...

Glad you had a good day :)
xxx

seurat2 said...

Uppity chipmunks need to be taken down a peg or two! And I used to like Chip and Dale too. Sad what celebrity does to some cartton characters.
I'm glad you had such a great time at the park and I enjoyed your comparisons. Yes, if it was me I would have gone to the Louvre but the good news about that place is that it isn't going anywhere. Hopefully you'll get to visit there sometime.

Ravenclaw2313 said...

Living in the midwest means that I have only been to Disneyland once so I don't remember much (except the Indiana Jones ride). Still reading this blog makes me want to go terribly, if not to Paris than at least to LA. Glad that you had so much fun and I hope the rest of your trip is wonderful too.

RhianonLives said...

Wooow awesome =D What are you going to be doing in London? Will you stay with Molly? Bah, guess I'll find out soon enough!!
Your life is soo interesting xD even when you're just at home and not traveling the world, I love reading your blog.

Breana said...

Did the boys at least speak English? Were they American?

Indigo said...

I just want to say that the rhino shown in your monday video was actually really scary, I know sympathize.

Oh, and has anyone told you recently how pretty you are? Because you're gorgeous.

Michael W said...

"We got completely snubbed by Chip and Dale" is one of those phrases, that when you hear it, you know that you've never heard it before, nor will you ever hear it again.

Phyllis said...

KRISTINA!

I was just reading over the rules for the antartica contest and it said that your entry blog can't be over 300 words or you will be disqualified, and i word checked it and it is 301 words. i dont know if that one word matters or not. but it worries me. i dont know what you can do about it. just letting you know!

Laila said...

Are you and Eia wearing the same kind of ribbon as a belt/headband? Cause that is just adorable!

I actually sort of scoffed when I read your last post about going to Disney while you were in Paris, but I'm so glad you had a great day and wrote a long post about it. I think you're a great writer and your longer posts make me very happy!

Alex Dahlberry said...

It is now one of my goals in life to re-experience my childhood with my best friend in a foreign country. As a matter of fact, I think I'll write that down, thanks.
I've never been to any Disney___ but now I really must go. The Paris one sounds super-duper. Mostly because it's in Paris, but yeah. :)

-alex

Ash (GeekyPanda) said...

We went on a college trip in January to Paris and Disney. sadly at that time of year its more like the artic XD which although its still a pretty place with all the monuments make you want to get inside as fast as you can.
I remember our whole class sat shivering in the underground passage to the arc de triamph for an hour.
So lucky you got to go on the Haunted Mansion it was still closed when we went.
Space Mountain is the best ride in the park but the two best rides are in the studio park. Aerosmith and Tower of terror :D

Anonymous said...

I think it is pone of the most perfect experiences one can get I remember when I went to those places with my father now I like to go there and taking a Generic Cialis because the emotion is so much perfect there.