History Timeline

Select a year...
1992 : 1993 : 1994 : 1995
1996 : 1997 : 1998 : 1999
2000 : 2001 : 2002 : 2003
2004 : 2005 : 2006 : 2007

Every year, every dream, every moment of magic.

Officially opened on 12th April 1992, Disneyland Resort Paris has already experienced a memorable history of events, ranging from new shows and parades to brand new attractions - not forgetting a large array of financial woes and uncertainties.

Now, after 15 years of dreams come true (and many many more still to come!), take a look back through the resort's history and celebrate the eventful history of Europe's magic kingdom...

1992

Remembered for: Grand Opening

12th April 1992EuroDisney Resort officially opens with Euro Disneyland, Festival Disney and the seven Disney Hotels. The grand opening night is broadcast live on television across Europe and featured huge celebrities of the era such as Cher, Tina Turner, the Four Tops and Angela Lansbury.

1993

Remembered for: Capacity-Increasing Attractions

Discoveryland Railroad Station, Legends of the Wild West, Les Pirouettes de Vieux Moulin and L'Astroport Services Interstellaires open.

12th April 19931st Anniversary. Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant is transformed into a giant fruity birthday cake, with a large number "1" on the hill.

June 1993L'Astroport Services Interstellaires opens as a post-show of Star Tours.

30th July 1993Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril opens, Disney's first roller coaster with an inversion.

1994

Remembered for: Storybook Land, TGV

Le Pays des Contes de Fées and Casey Jr. - Le Petit Train du Cirque open on the edge of Fantasyland.  Les Mystères du Nautilus opens in Discoveryland. Le Passage Enchanté d'Aladdin opens in Adventureland.

14th March 1994The resort is pulled back from the brink of bankruptcy and closure, as the backing banks agree to restructure the debts. A Saudi Prince, Prince Alwaleed, invests heavily in company shares and, by the end of the year, the company is finally stable.

19th May 1994The high-speed rail link to the resort is completed and Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy TGV station officially opens, allowing direct connections to London, Northern France, Belgium and beyond.

1st October 1994EuroDisney Resort becomes known as Disneyland Paris.

1995

Remembered for: Space Mountain: De La Tèrre à la Lune

En Scène, s'il-vous plait! premieres at Fantasy Festival Stage. The resort makes an annual profit for the first time.

1st June 1995Space Mountain: De La Tèrre À La Lune opens.

1996

Remembered for: Toy Story Parade, Disney Village

Gaumont Cinemas open at Festival Disney, soon renamed Disney Village.

The Chaparral Stage becomes The Chaparral Theater, and is enclosed with a massive new roof and improvements to the stage area. Pocahontas: le Spectacle begins its 4-year run.

The Toy Story Parade is performed throughout the year.

1997

Remembered for: 5th Anniversary

Buzz Lightyear's Pizza Planet Restaurant opens.

The first Festival of Flowers begins. The park is transformed with bright and colourful floral displays based on classic Disney characters.

The first Disney's California Dream Festival takes place in Discoveryland.

12th April 19975th Anniversary. The parks uses The Hunchback of Notre Dame as its anniversary theme, and the castle is transformed into a "Château des Fous" with giant colourful jester hats. A special Hunchback parade runs every day and the park receives countless special decorations.

October 1997The park celebrates its first Halloween festival.

November 1997Mickey's Nutcracker Parade is introduced.

1998

Remembered for: The Wonderful World of Disney Parade

28th March 1998"The Year of Disney Classics" begins, with Disney Classics: The Music and The Magic at Videopolis Theatre.

30th March 1998The Wonderful World Of Disney Parade premieres.

April 1998Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Too premieres at Royal Castle Stage.

1st May 1998Festival of Flowers returns for a second successful, and larger, season.

11th July 1998Tinkerbell's Fantasy In The Sky Fireworks premieres.  Main Street Electrical Parades adopts the "More Lights, More Magic!" tagline as extra floats are added to its line-up.

22nd August 1998Disney's California Dream Festival returns to Discoveryland, with live concerts, American cars, basketball, surfing demonstrations and more.

September 1998Mulan: The Legend premieres at Videopolis Theatre.

November 1998Mickey's Winter Wonderland premieres at The Chaparral Theater.

Late 1998CinéMagique: Captain EO closes.

1999

Remembered for: Honey, I Shrunk The Audience

The "Disney Studios Paris" project is announced, with full construction beginning in September 1999.

20th January 1999McDonald's opens at Disney Village.

Spring 1999Rainforest Café replaces Key West Seafood at Disney Village.

28th March 1999Honey, I Shrunk The Audience opens.

1st June 1999Crescend'O water circus opens at Dôme Disney Village.

26th December 1999A freak storm hits the region, damaging temporary Christmas decorations in the park, the roofs of some Disney Hotels, Dôme Disney Village and many signs, trees and lampposts throughout the resort.

31st December 1999The new millennium is welcomed in with a spectacular fireworks and laser show, with a special elevated stage and lighting display on Central Plaza. Disney's ImagiNations Parade premieres.

2000

Remembered for: Disney's ImagiNations Parade, Indy Backwards, The Tarzan Encounter

Disney's Fastpass is introduced, available at Space Mountain, Peter Pan's Flight and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril: Backwards!.

1st April 2000Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril becomes Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril: Backwards!, The Tarzan Encounter premieres at The Chaparral Theater.

2001

Remembered for: Val d'Europe

The resort welcomes its 100 millionth guest.

Disney's Fastpass introduced at Big Thunder Mountain and Star Tours.

March 2001The Wonderful World Of Disney Parade makes an unscheduled return as guests call for more Disney characters in the park's daytime parade.

1st April 2001Disney's Toon Circus premieres, runs until September.

October 2001The first phase of Val d'Europe is completed.

2002

Remembered for: Walt Disney Studios Park

Early 2002Café Mickey replaces LA Bar & Grill at Disney Village.

16th March 2002Walt Disney Studios Park, the resort's 2nd park, opens with 10 attractions: Disney Studio 1, Art of Disney Animation, Animagique, Flying Carpets Over Agrabah, CinéMagique, TV Production Tour, Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic, Armageddon: Special Effects, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith and Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular. The resort becomes known as Disneyland Resort Paris.

12th April 200210th Anniversary. Celebrated with a ceremony and fireworks. The number "10" was displayed on a giant scroll over the castle's main window for one day only, and Central Plaza received a special birthday cake stage for the ceremony. Minnie's Birthday Surprise was presented all year at Videopolis Theatre and a 10th Anniversary float also ran with The Wonderful World Of Disney Parade until September.

May 2002Construction begins at Walt Disney Studios Park on what is believed to be The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but eventually turns out to only be the adjoining toilets of the future attraction. They earn the name "Toilets of Terror".

1st June 2002Disney Cinema Parade premieres.

2003

Remembered for: Disney's Fantillusion Parade, Val de France Hotels

23rd March 2003The Main Street Electrical Parade ends its farewell season and fades away after 11 years of bringing electro-magnetic symphonic light to the night.

5th July 2003Disney's Fantillusion, a new nighttime parade imported from Tokyo Disneyland, premieres.  King Ludwig's Castle replaces Rock 'n' Roll America at Disney Village.

October 2003Disney Villain Parade is introduced for Halloween, with the new theme song "It's Halloween-Lo-Ween".  The Pumpkinmen are introduced for the first time.

November 2003The Christmas Parade is introduced, with the new theme song "Chante, C'est Noël!".

2004

Remembered for: The Legend Of The Lion King, New Entertainment

February 2004The Lion King Carnival is celebrated in Disneyland Park.

3rd April 2004Peter Pan to the Rescue premieres on Captain Hook's Galley, Good Morning Walt Disney Studios parade premieres.

29th May 2004Lilo & Stitch Catch the Wave Party premieres at Place des Stars Stage

26th June 2004The Legend Of The Lion King premieres at Videopolis Theatre.

5th September 2004Le Visionarium closes.

November 2004Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril returns to its original forwards direction.

2005

Remembered for: New Attractions Announcement, Space Mountain: Mission 2

11th January 2005New attractions are finally announced for both parks, the fruits of a major financial restructuring by Euro Disney SCA CEO of the time André Lacroix. Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast for Disneyland Park, Toon Studio and Tower of Terror for Walt Disney Studios Park.

16th January 2005Space Mountain: De La Tèrre À La Lune closes.

February 2005The Kids Carnival season is introduced.

9th April 2005Space Mountain: Mission 2 opens at Disneyland Park, whilst PanoraMagique and Gaumont IMAX open at Disney Village.

16th July 2005Wishes Nighttime Spectacular premieres, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the original Disneyland in California.

November 2005Disney's Christmas Season brings new seasonal lights to Main Street USA - the Enchanted Fairytale Illuminations are giant chandeliers featuring stained glass portraits of the Disney Princesses.

2006

Remembered for: Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast

8th April 2006Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast opens at Disneyland Park, the Monsters, Inc. Scream Scene character location opens at Walt Disney Studios Park.

July 2006In the build-up to the 15th Anniversary Celebration, numerous events and additions are announced for the first time from July onwards, including Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade, the Character Castle Makeover, Candleabration and Disney Characters' Express.

14th July 2006Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Too moves to Fantasy Festival Stage and is almost entirely re-written for the new location.

7th October 2006Stitch invades Disney's Halloween Festival for the first time with a more character-based season.

2007

Remembered for: 15th Anniversary Celebration, Crush's Coaster, Cars Quatre Roues Rallye

9th January 2007During a special 15th Anniversary cast event, the Hollywood Boulevard placemaking project is a surprise announcement for Walt Disney Studios Park and the interactive Stitch Encounter is confirmed as a replacement for the Television Production Tour at Walt Disney Television Studios.

31st March 200715th Anniversary Celebration launch event. Fans join over 1700 invited press and VIPs to enjoy a landmark day of entertainment and premieres which includes the grand premiere of Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade and a special nighttime performance by singer Daniel Powter before the Candleabration premiere and a spectacular fireworks display, 'Just Like We Dreamed It'.

9th June 2007Crush's Coaster and Cars Quatre Roues Rallye officially open at Walt Disney Studios Park, in the newly-renamed and completed Toon Studio area, the former Animation Courtyard.

16th June 2007High School Musical On Tour bops into Walt Disney Studios Park for the Summer season and fast becomes an all-time guest favourite, extended for two extra months beyond its original end date and scheduled to return again in 2008.

2008

Still to come: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Hollywood Boulevard, Stitch Live