In the Disney universe, there are no limits to imagination and even less to emotion. Just when it seems that the element of surprise has reached its peak, this dream factory dresses up and embellishes to go one step further. A week ago, with President Macron in attendance, they inaugurated at Disneyland Paris World of Frozen, the new space dedicated to the kingdom of princesses Anna and Elsa, which is set to usher in a new era in what is Europe's top tourist destination —having welcomed over 445 million visitors since its opening in 1992. The novelty was announced twofold because there is also a name change: Walt Disney Studios officially becomes Disney Adventure World.
We travel to Arendelle, the idyllic village of the princesses. We are welcomed by its Scandinavian-inspired houses, the replica of the friendship fountain from the movie is present on the stage; in the background, the North Mountain is depicted with a height of 36 meters, Elsa's Ice Palace, and to the right, the Arendelle castle, where visitors can meet the sisters. The new corner includes new attractions that have sparked tremendous anticipation. For Frozen Ever After, a boat ride featuring all the protagonists of the global hit and the iconic song Let it go playing in the background, visitors waited over 220 minutes in line on the opening Sunday. Disney records.
The gastronomic proposal has been carefully curated. There are two new restaurants: the Nordic Crowns Tavern, offering a menu based on turkey and salmon meatballs with mashed potatoes, and The Regal View Restaurant & Lounge, with lake views and a more elaborate menu including avocado and mango mousse, tuna tataki, and sea bream. Disney princesses stroll around greeting diners.
More novelties on the horizon; let's move on to the entertainment offering, which features two new shows that will leave you speechless. In the first one, Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and the residents of Arendelle take part in the Snowflower Festival aboard three Viking ships. The second show is the highlight of the visit to the Nordic village: Disney Cascade of Lights takes a journey through various Disney, Pixar, and Marvel movies. Held at night, it combines water, fire, pyrotechnics, and choreographies created with around 350 aerial and aquatic drones. The mastermind behind all this is Ben Spalding, who didn't miss the park's opening.
"It's something that has never been seen before," he tells us while sitting on a bench by the lake. "It's a show that involves a lot of technique and is also very artistic. We've invested seven years of work." Everything takes place in the middle of the lake and is truly spectacular. "Preparations start backstage two and a half hours before, involving over 20 people. It's pure magic," he proudly shares.
At this point, all that's left is to choose a souvenir from one of the new shops (Boutique Arendelle and Fjord View Shop): this time we choose Rúna —with Olaf's permission—, a very friendly baby troll turned interactive toy.