Spiderman

Spiderman

PY felt that we had achieved much more in the first two days than we expected and so we took the opportunity of the shorter queues in the Magic Hour to go back on the Spider-Man ride.  It was noticeable from the start of the day that there were many more people here today than had been around yesterday and Wednesday. In fact, when we eventually went back into the main park there were signs posted saying the park was full and no more tickets were available for today.

All around the parks, across the days we have been here, there have been plenty of opportunities to see some of the Disney Characters.  Spider-man was the most visible in the Avengers Campus but Winnie The Poo and Goofy were very present in the main park. The was a long waiting time to meet a Disney princess and there were plenty of little ones dressed as their favourite character in line. We didn’t see the queue to meet Darth Vader but it was always an option. I wonder if it’s the same person in the character costume all day long?

After the Spider-Man ride we went on RC Racer. It’s a ride that looks very much like the swinging pirate ships that many theme parks have.  In this case the ‘car’ goes back and forth on a half circle swinging you forwards and backwards. It’s probably the ride I least wanted to go on but, in the end, I think it was one of the most fun. There was a bit of a false start where it appeared somebody wad not properly strapped in so it’s very clear that the safety checks work. But the views from both the forward and backward inclines across the park were brilliant when I plucked up the nerve to open my eyes.  

Our final ride of the morning was the Toy Story-themed Toy Soldier Parachute Drop which was anther slow moving queue, although once inside the building getting closer being strapped into the seat, the sergeant major ‘training video’ was really well-done.  Almost everywhere we went had brilliant theming.

Lunch was  New York style sandwiches in Disney Village. Unfortunately the 30th anniversary Mickey-shaped bagels were out of stock.  PY had found a website that listed ‘hidden treasures’ in the parks so we spent the hours immediately after lunch looking for the small details, like piano lessons, or the soundtrack (like a man taking a shower in by the boarding house) that could be easily missed if you didn’t know they were there. The cemetery on Boot Hill next to the haunted house was full of amusing graves and a tomb where, if you put your ear to it, you could hear knocking. We never did find the dentist.

To end the trip I bought a glass of champagne from the stall that had been erected on Main Street. It was selling both the Champagne and Guinness in honour of St Patrick’s Day. At times the park was filled with Irish music and there were large groups of people in green everywhere you looked.  We tried to come up with some Irish Disney characters but failed to and definitely didn’t see any.

While we were sitting having our drinks looking at the Castle the familiar theme, Ready For The Ride, started playing on the park’s speakers. The tune signalled the start of the parade which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Paris park.  The tune is one of those uplifting pop songs that, once I had heard it, I couldn’t get out out of my head.  We saw the parade three or four times overt the three days.  It’s a lot of fun watching the Disney Characters parade in on an open-top bus and then start dancing around.  It’s also great fun to watch the other cast members as they quietly emerge from various parts of the park to supervise the parade.  Most of them can’t stop smiling and singing along and many of them are brilliant in their interactions with the crowds,  especially the children who have a tendency not to ‘stand on the pavement’. It must be a fantastic uplifting job.

The only downside to the whole day was the return queue for the Eurostar.  Bag collection was easy but the passport and security line was horrendous. It’s no wonder that Eurostar are withdrawing their direct Disney train in a couple of months. It will be a shame as going direct was so easy but they clearly do not have the capacity to cope with a train full of passengers needing security and passport checks.  There was a sign telling people not to worry, if they were in the line then the train would not leave without them. The fact that they need such as sign shows that it must be a daily occurrence.   In the end, we were some of the last people through the line and onto the train but it did manage to depart on time. 

Back at St. Pancras for 6:30pm, with a stop at the Fortnum and Mason shop to pick-up some chocolates as a Mother’s Day present, we were back home just after 7:30pm.  Tired but very happy after one of those incredible, escapist holidays that take you out of the day-to-day grind.