disney blogger – #ThisGirlEats

The Lion King & Jungle Festival 2019 at Disneyland Paris | #ThisGirlEats

The Lion King & Jungle Festival landed in Disneyland Paris on 30th June 2019 and I’ve pretty much been banging on about how excited I am for the park’s latest season ever since!

I’ve been really looking forward to this one; The Lion King is my favourite animated Disney movie ever, so I’ve been practically counting down the days until I could check it out for myself.

I must start by saying how impressed I am by the effort Disneyland Paris have gone to with this festival. We all know, when compared to Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, Disneyland Paris sometimes lets us down. They’ve been known to skip over those extra magical details in the past and leave us desperately wanting more, especially when it comes to themed events.

But, this time, I think Disneyland Paris rose to the occasion.

Let’s start with the two main shows of the season – The Jungle Book Jive and The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands. Both shows are new to the park and proved a great way to divert crowds and provide entertainment for the whole family. The Jungle Book Jive takes place just in front of the castle and is one part musical, one part character parade, one part dance show. It’s bright, loud, colourful and very different to any other entertainment Disneyland Paris has to offer.

*The Jungle Book Jive during The Lion King & Jungle Festival*

But my favourite show of the festival is, hands down, The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Land. It’s a musical performance taking place in the newly renovated Frontierland Theatre based on – you guessed it – The Lion King. This show is plucked straight from Broadway, with top quality choreography, costumes and vocals without being kitschy or campy. It’s a must-see – but ARRIVE EARLY! The queue gets crazy long, we got there an hour before the show started and weren’t sure we’d even fit into the theatre!

The Lion King & Jungle Festival also offers a whole load of special themed snacks for the occasion, and they’re awesome! From chocolate paw prints to giant animal macaroons, new drinks like the tropical mango whip and character milkshakes at Victoria’s (if the machines are working!) and a signature character meal hosted at the Restaurant Hakuna Matata. We didn’t get round to eating every single snack in the park (we gave it our best shot, believe me!) but the ones we grabbed were pretty tasty and fun to try.

You can also pick up some cool merchandise themed to this season, like a limited edition Lion King & Jungle Book Festival t-shirt, souvenir cups and popcorn buckets, and some adorable Lion King ears. Your little ones are bound to beg you for something – c’mon, you’re at Disneyland!

There’s still time to visit during this incredible summer season at Disneyland Paris and I can’t recommend it highly enough – catch it while you can!

How to Enjoy Disneyland Paris If You Aren’t Really That Into Disney| #ThisGirlEats

So, you don’t like Disney, huh?

Well, that’s okay. There’s no judgement here. Even though we love Disney here at ThisGirlEats (obviously!), we also know that it’s not necessarily your cup of tea and not everyone gets that magical Disney feeling.

If you aren’t really a Disney fan and yet somehow find yourself being roped into a trip to Disneyland Paris – perhaps it’s a special holiday for the kids or a loved one is begging you to go – it doesn’t have to be a total wipe-out for you.

You don’t have stand next to characters posing with a cheesy grin or wear Mickey Mouse ears around the park all day if you don’t want to. There are plenty of other ways to enjoy Disneyland Paris without feeling like you’re trapped inside the Disney bubble!

Rides and attractions

If you strip away all the characters and movie references, at heart Disneyland Paris is just like any other theme park when it comes to rides and attractions. If you’re usually a bit of a thrill-seeker then the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith are really fun, exhilarating rides involving big drops and inversions.

If you aren’t quite ready for white-knuckle rides, there are plenty of other great attractions in the parks. Many of these are Disney themed, like Peter Pan’s Flight or Ratatouille: The Adventure, but Big Thunder Mountain and Crush’s Coaster are awesome mid-level coasters that don’t rely too much on those Disney references. I’d also recommend Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, Phantom Manor, Pirates of the Caribbean, Orbitron and Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop as fun, tamer rides that aren’t too cutesy, if that’s not really your thing.

*Toy Story Playland at Disneyland Paris featuring the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop ride*

You can also find some walkthrough attractions like Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, La Cabane des Robinson (Swiss Family Treehouse) and Les Mysteres du Nautilis (Captain Nemo’s Nautilis) that are interesting, entertaining and can be enjoyed for what they are, with or without the Disney themes.

Check out our ‘Top 10 Rides at Disneyland Paris’ video!

Park themes

Maybe you think that you won’t enjoy Disneyland Paris because of the theming. It’s true that most of the parks are, obviously, full of references to Disney movies and most visitors really love that – but not everyone. However, when you get to the park you might find that some of the theming throughout Disneyland Paris is actually really cool.

So, you don’t love the classics like Beauty and the Beast or even more modern favourites like Frozen – that’s fine! But maybe you’re a fan of Star Wars, Marvel movies, the Indiana Jones franchise, old TV shows (love you Twilight Zone!), western movies or Hollywood blockbusters – the themes here go WAY beyond Disney!

And if you’ve got a keen eye you’re sure to appreciate the amount of detail that goes into every inch of the parks, from the traditional American stylings of Main Street to the pirate caves mapped out through Adventureland and the incredible nighttime show projected onto the castle. You might not be into Disney yourself, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the world they’ve created inside those gates.

*Incredible Hulk statue during Marvel Summer of Super Heroes season at the Walt Disney Studios Park*

Shopping

If you don’t fancy the rides and aren’t really all that excited by the decor, then retail therapy is absolutely an option at Disneyland Paris.

Of course the shops in the park sell an awful lot of Disney merchandise (and Star Wars and Marvel too!) but you’ll also find some unique shopping experiences throughout the park that could interest you. You can purchase jewellery, crystal and glass ornaments, sweets, kitchenware and even Christmas decorations – yep, that’s open all year round!

*Shopping options in the World of Disney shop in Disney Village*

If these stores still have too much Disney going on for you, venture out into Disney Village where you’ll find a Lego Store, an art gallery and even some of the restaurants – Rainforest Cafe and Planet Hollywood – have their own merchandise shops too.

Don’t forget that you’re in Paris (well, just outside, but you know what I mean) so much of the merchandise will be souvenirs of the city, not just Disneyland.

Shows and events

Alright, so the parade and the nighttime shows are awesome and definitely worth watching, but they are pretty Disney heavy so might not appeal to you. But that’s okay, because Disneyland Paris puts on plenty of other events in the year for everyone to enjoy.

We’ve had Season of the Force which saw an incredible Star Wars projection show, Jedi training classes and stormtroopers patrol the parks, and this year’s Marvel Season of Super Heroes put on multiple indoor and outdoor stunt shows every day. Also coming up this summer is the Lion King & Jungle Festival, which promises a musical show inspired by Broadway and outdoor African drumming sessions.

Don’t forget the holidays! Disneyland Paris really goes to town for Christmas and Halloween, so if these are your favourite times of the year then you won’t be disappointed with how the parks pull them off.

*Meeting Santa Jack Skellington during the Christmas season*

If you’re not visiting during any special “season”, Walt Disney Studios Park also hosts the Moteurs … Action! Stunt Show Spectacular each day, which is a great stunt show incorporating various vehicles and a few death-defying moments which would wow just about anyone!

VIDEO: My Top 10 Rides at Disneyland Paris | #ThisGirlEats

As you might already know, earlier this year I decided that writing about one of my great loves in life (food, of course) just wasn’t enough and threw another into the mix – the wonderful world of Disney!

I wanted to give myself the opportunity to chat about the parks, engage with other Disney fans and maybe even come up with some helpful advice about Disneyland Paris, my closest Disney park.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disneyland Paris — *Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disneyland Paris*

I’m a total nerd when it comes to planning my Disney holidays – I want to know what rides to go on, how long the lines will be, where to eat and drink, which shows to catch and the absolute best way to make the most out of my trip!

I think there are some amazing videos out there chock-full of info on the American parks – Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland in California – but the same helpful resources aren’t quite so readily available for Disneyland Paris. I know it’s not the most spectacular of the Disney parks but it’s still a hugely popular destination, especially for those of us who are much closer to Paris than the States!

So… I decided to start making my own! We’re going to be filming during our trips to Disneyland Paris and creating some (hopefully!) useful, informative, interesting videos all about this park.

My first video is now LIVE (eek!) and I wanted to start off with an easy one. This first vid is a guide to my ten favourite rides at Disneyland Paris to give people a taste of what attractions to expect on their visit and because, well, it’s fun! Please be kind – I have literally ZERO experience in filming, voice overs, editing, YouTube, all that jazz. But I’m really excited to get the ball rolling on this new project and hope to improve with each video.

Check out ‘My Top 10 Rides at Disneyland Paris’ below. If you enjoy it then please, please, pretty please like, subscribe, follow, comment, anything and everything!

6 Top Tips I Learned from My Trip to Disneyland Paris | #ThisGirlEats

I’ve just spent a weekend in one of my favourite places on earth (other than Pizza Express and my bed) – that’s right, Disneyland Paris!

It wasn’t my first trip and I’m lucky enough that it won’t be my last, but I’m always learning new things about the parks and the best way to navigate my way around them. From this most recent weekend visit, these are my six top Disneyland Paris tips (some of which I realised the hard way!) that I think are essential if you want a successful visit to the parks.

1) Wear comfy clothes

You want to look killer for insta, we get it. But honestly, wearing comfy clothes for a day in the Disneyland Paris parks is so, so important – TRUST ME, I speak from experience! Grab shoes you can rely on and clothes that are easy when climbing in and out of ride vehicles (believe me, on some of those roller coasters the struggle is real!).

Avoid anything that could cause physical discomfort like chafing or blisters because, although it might not bother you at first, after a few hours of walking around it becomes unbearable and you’re pretty much screwed for the rest of the day!

2) Take breaks – little and often

It’s tempting when you first get into the park, full of excitement and adrenaline, to smash out one thing after another. I’ve done it before; I’ll probably forget myself and do it again! But I’ve definitely learnt that a much better way to tackle Disneyland Paris it to take regular, short breaks right from the start of the day to prevent doing yourself damage later on.

I know you want to do it all, but these parks are small and those rides aren’t going anywhere. You’ve got time. Taking little breaks all day stops you burning out and are essential if you want to stick it out from rope drop to fireworks. So go ahead and sit your butt down!

3) Arrive early, stay late

If you want to make the most of your visit to Disneyland Paris, a real tip is to get there from when the parks open and stay until they close. It’s tough, especially in summer months when the parks are open later, but it is doable (if you refer to the previous two tips!).

The first hour of the day is when the queues are often shortest so if you’re ready at rope drop you can beat everyone else to the most popular attractions. If you manage to stick it out for the day you’ll also notice a lot of people, especially young families, will start to drop off in the last couple of hours and the crowds will die down.

4) Use and abuse the Fastpass queues

When it’s busy, your feet ache and the rides are so short you find yourself asking if it was really worth waiting in line for 90 minutes with screaming kids and pouring rain, this tip will come in handy – USE FASTPASSES!

So many visitors don’t use the Fastpass system at Disneyland Paris – or even know it exists! Fastpasses are free and available to everyone with a park ticket and can seriously cut down wait times. For example, we used a Fastpass on Peter Pan’s Flight, one of the most popular rides with a standby wait time of 60 minutes; it took us exactly five minutes, from handing our pass to the cast member to our boat taking off. We were on and off the ride in less than 10 minutes. They are really, truly worth taking advantage of.

I’ve got a full guide coming up on how to use Fastpasses and which rides you should prioritise so if you’re still not sure of the best way to benefit from Fastpasses keep an eye out for that!

5) BYOS (bring your own snacks)

If you’re planning to spend an entire day in the parks, you’ll definitely need to keep up your energy levels. One way to do this is take breaks (I’m just gonna keep saying it!), but another is snacking throughout the day.

Staying hydrated is important and super easy with free water fountains all over Disneyland Paris; however, if you buy any food or drink in the parks you’ll soon realise how it can add up. It’s not cheap, especially if you’re feeding a family, and the food isn’t even that great. But you’re allowed to bring food and drink into the park, so load up a backpack and save yourself plenty of money – we brought loads of food and drink from home with us and barely spent a penny once inside.

6) Find a space and stand your ground

If there are any shows that are really important to you on your Disneyland Paris trip – parades, fireworks, or indoor shows like ‘Mickey and the Magician’ – it’s definitely worth getting there early. Indoor shows only have a limited number of seats and fill up FAST so get in line in plenty of time if you want a good seat (or a seat at all – ‘Marvel: Super Heroes United’ filled up a good half hour before each showtime).

For the fireworks and parades people will start getting in position early so, for the best views, you need to find your spot in really good time and hold onto it. Another great tip for the fireworks show is to stand quite far back near the top of Main Street, just to the left or right – that way you still get a great view and, when the fireworks finish, you can shoot straight down the empty indoor arcades that run down the sides of Main Street and beat the crowds to the exit.

What I’m Excited About Coming to Disneyland Paris in 2019 – And Beyond! | #ThisGirlEats

There’s a lot to be excited about with the Disney parks this year, whether that’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge or Minnie & Mickey’s Runaway Railway. But these are all in the American parks – so, what’s happening for Disneyland Paris in 2019? And what about in the years to come?!

Well, quite a bit, as it goes.

I can’t wait to visit Disneyland Paris this year to see what it has in store – and what it’s planning for the future, too!

Lion King & Jungle Festival

From 30th June to 22nd September 2019, Disneyland will be celebrate two of my favourite ever Disney movies – The Lion King and The Jungle Book – with this seasonal event.

We can look forward to two new stage shows, ‘The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands‘ and ‘The Jungle Book Jive‘. If The Lion King show is anything like the West End production, we are in for a TREAT. I’ve seen it twice and it’s honestly breathtaking, so seeing it brought to life in the Disneyland park could be truly magical.

They’ve also got character meet and greets which, as we all know, I’m not the biggest fan of, but I might make an exception for these two films! You can also catch street music from Djembe Joy Village and dance along with Timon and Pumbaa at the ‘MataDance‘.

I’ve been waiting for them to bring more attractions from The Lion King to Disneyland Paris; I’ve never understood why one of Disney’s most popular films is so hugely overlooked! I can’t wait to check this out.

Marvel Land

I can’t even explain how buzzing I am for this!

The work is already underway, with Hotel New York currently closed for a comic book makeover. The resort is expected to reopen in 2020 as the Art of Marvel hotel and will be “an homage to Marvel Super Heroes in the style of a New York art gallery”.

We’re also going to see more changes this year as we say a fond farewell to one of the most iconic – if a little outdated – rides in Walt Disney Studios Park. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith is a great dark coaster with an awesome soundtrack (imho) but, frankly, it doesn’t really meet the high standards we expect from Disney attractions. The queue theme is decent but not really relevant anymore for younger audiences, and the ride experience could definitely be improved.

Although I’m sad to say goodbye, I can’t wait to see its transformation into an Iron Man-themed coaster. We’re led to believe that much of the track will stay the same, but everything else about the ride will see a complete Marvel overhaul.

We’re also expecting the Armageddon ride to go (about time!) and become a Spider-Man experience ride – perhaps something similar to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride in Islands of Adventure?! I first went to Disneyland Paris in 2004 and, when we revisited in 2017, the Armageddon ride hadn’t changed whatsoever and was hideously outdated, so any revamp will be an improvement!

Marvel Land probably won’t be in full swing for a couple of years but the changes are happening right now.

Entry gates to Walt Disney Studios — *Walt Disney Studios*

Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge

It’s been confirmed that the highly-anticipated, mega-immersive, incredibly-themed Star Wars land, Galaxy’s Edge, will be coming to Disneyland Paris.

THANK GOD!

I’ve seen the buzz around the land opening this year in the Florida and California parks and, not gonna lie, I’ve been feeling rather jealous. While I don’t think we’ll be seeing any major Galaxy’s Edge developments happening this year in Paris, they have announced that it will definitely be opening in Walt Disney Studios Park in the near future.

I’m not even a big Star Wars fan, but I absolutely love the current Star Wars rides in Disneyland Paris’ Magic Kingdom – Hyperspace Mountain and Star Tours – and I’ve been keeping a very close eye on the stateside Galaxy’s Edge updates.

The land is set to be a fully immersive experience like no other and, although the idea of “audience participation” freaks me out a little, I’m hyped to see the Star Wars land take conceptual to a whole new level and breathe fresh life into the parks.

I think Disneyland Paris is in desperate need of a facelift, something huge and game-changing – and you don’t get much bigger than a whole galaxy!

New Disney Village

We don’t know when this will happen. We don’t even really know what will happen. All we do know is that Disneyland Paris has confirmed that the next step after renovating the park will be to reinvent Disney Village.

This update can’t come soon enough!

When I first went to Disneyland as a child, we arrived really late at night and all the parks were shut but we were so excited to be there that we headed straight out anyway, suitcases in tow, and went to Disney Village. I remember it being so bright, vibrant and lively. When I went back – 13 years later – I was waiting for that same feeling to come rushing back and it just.. never happened.

It was disappointing. Disney Village felt a little worn and dull – and really, really small! – especially compared to the videos of Florida’s Disney Springs. Sure, the IMAX, Lego Store, World of Disney shop and Rainforest Cafe are cool, but this could be a serious shopping haven and, in my eyes, it’s a space that isn’t being utilised.

Also, the lack of dining options and general quality of food at Disneyland Paris is quite poor, so hopefully a brand new Disney Village fills this void, because good food is something I’m desperately crying out for every time I visit!