Disneyland Paris’ second park is undergoing the biggest metamorphosis in its history. What was born in 2002 as a tribute to movie studios (and criticized by many for being “too much concrete”), is about to officially change its name to Disney Adventure World.
While we await the grand opening of World of Frozen and the new central lake, it is the ideal time to review the secrets of its past and the wonders of its immediate future.
If you like knowing what’s cooking behind the construction fences, keep reading.
🎞️ 1. The “ugly duckling” that becomes a swan
When it opened in 2002, the park was the smallest of all Disney parks in the world. It had so few attractions (barely 3 major ones) that visitors called it the “half-day park”.
The current transformation is not a simple renovation; it is a refounding. The goal is to double its surface area and change the concept from “seeing how movies are made” to “living inside them”.
🧰 2. Backlot: the area that completely disappeared
In its early years, the park featured a zone called Backlot, home to:
- Moteurs… Action! Stunt Show
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- Armageddon: Les Effets Spéciaux
Today, this zone no longer exists.
The Backlot was completely demolished to make way for something much more ambitious: Avengers Campus, the park’s first major expansion.
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🚗 3. Stunt Show: the loudest attraction
The Stunt Show was so loud, with explosions and roaring engines, that Imagineers had to design special panels to reduce the echo in the surrounding buildings.
Still, for years it could be heard from anywhere in the park, becoming part of the “unofficial” soundtrack of Walt Disney Studios.
❄️🏰 4. World of Frozen: Arendelle arrives in Paris (and brings secrets)
The new themed area, World of Frozen, will be the jewel in the crown. Although its opening is projected for March 29, 2026 (estimated date subject to change), we already know fascinating details of what awaits us:
- The North Mountain: Elsa’s ice mountain will be visible from almost the entire park. It uses a technique called “atmospheric architecture”: the colors of the snow and ice are painted to react to the natural light of the gray Paris sky, making it seem to glow even on cloudy days.
- The Castle and the Palace: We will have two iconic structures: Arendelle Castle (at ground level, where the sisters lived) and the Ice Palace (at the top of the mountain).
- The Attraction: It will be an enhanced version of Frozen Ever After, using next-generation animatronics (electric, not hydraulic) that allow for hyper-realistic facial movements, like those already seen in Hong Kong.
🌊🚤 5. Adventure Bay: the lake that will change the nights
The park always lacked a central point (like the Castle in the other park). That is over.
A monumental lake of 70,000 cubic meters of water called Adventure Bay is being built.
- It’s not just water: The lake is equipped beneath the surface with submersible platforms, dancing fountain nozzles, and water projection systems.
- The goal: To allow for 360-degree night shows with drones and pyrotechnics that can be viewed from the lakeside restaurants.
🍳🕯️ 6. Rapunzel’s secret entrance
On the way to the Frozen area, you will cross a new avenue called Adventure Way. There you will find an attraction that many overlook in the previews: Raiponce Tangled Spin.
It will be a family spinning attraction (teacup style) inspired by the floating lanterns scene from Tangled.
The detail: Look at the roof decoration and lights; they are designed so that as you spin, you feel surrounded by thousands of lanterns rising into the sky.
🎬🏗️ 7. Studio 1 is dead… Long live World Premiere!
The legendary entrance hall (Studio 1), which mimicked a Hollywood set with cardboard facades, has closed forever to give way to World Premiere.
The idea is that you are no longer an extra in a movie, but the guest star at a premiere gala. The interior will mimic luxury theaters and night party gardens, eliminating the industrial aesthetic of the past to offer a much more glamorous welcome.
🍽️👑 8. The restaurant with the best view in Europe
Next to the lake and the Frozen area, the restaurant The Regal View will open.
This place will have a unique feature in Disneyland Paris: it will be a table-service restaurant where you can meet Disney Princesses in a real environment (not medieval fantasy, but “modern” royalty).
Its windows are specifically designed to have the perfect view of the lake’s night show without leaving your table.
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🐀🥄 9. The Ratatouille floor has rodent logic
In La Place de Rémy (which will remain intact), look at the ground. The cobblestones are not straight; they are placed irregularly, and the sewer covers have Remy’s face.
But the secret is in the fence that separates the queue: the bars are shaped like twisted forks and spoons, and the benches are made of popsicle sticks and giant bottle caps. Everything is scaled so that you feel the size of a rat.
If you walk through La Place de Rémy, try to get close to the windows. You will hear:
- Arguments between chefs.
- Pots clashing.
- The sound of a rat running.
This detail was added to simulate that the area “lives” like a real Parisian neighborhood.
🐢🌀 10. Crush’s Coaster: the victim of its own success
This spinning roller coaster from Finding Nemo is famous for always having the longest lines in the park.
The curiosity? It was designed as a “filler” attraction for Toon Studio, and executives never expected it to be so successful. That’s why the loading area is so slow and the outdoor queue had to be expanded several times: it wasn’t prepared to be a star attraction!
🕷️🤖 11. The Avengers Campus continues to evolve
Although Avengers Campus is already open, its story connects with the future of the park.
The F.R.I.D.A.Y. artificial intelligence (the façade of the Iron Man building) is programmed to receive updates. Rumor has it that with the opening of the new zones, F.R.I.D.A.Y. could start interacting with or making references to the new “neighbors” from Arendelle, integrating the entire park into a single narrative of connected universes.
🛤️🚗 12. Cars Road Trip and the hidden canyon
The Cars Road Trip attraction (which replaced the old tram tour) preserves a gem from the past: Catastrophe Canyon.
This set, where a truck catches fire and there is a flood, is one of the few original pieces from 2002 that survived demolition. It was “re-themed” to fit the world of Cars, but the metal structure and water system are living history of the original park.
🎢 13. Walt Disney Studios is leaving behind its original identity
The park was born as a tribute to cinema and special effects. But visitors were looking for something more immersive and emotional, so Disney decided to transform it completely.
Today it is evolving into a park full of themed worlds:
- Marvel
- Frozen
- And soon more areas inspired by beloved franchises.
What we see today is just the first chapter.
🎇 Conclusion: The end of the “Studios” era
We are witnessing the end of Walt Disney Studios as we knew it. The industrial and gray park is giving way to Disney Adventure World, a green place, with lakes, ice mountains, and landscaped walks.
When you walk through the gates next time (perhaps already in spring to see the progress), remember: you are not entering an amusement park, you are entering Disney’s most ambitious map in Europe. Arendelle awaits you.
