Paris: Day Two

Day2..
I was wondering whether I have sufficient time to cover the whole of Paris..
Three days then seemed so little.. I had to decide between going to Versailles or Disneyland..

I finally decided on Disneyland after speaking to a few people..
When I landed at the gates of Disney, I was shocked to see the crowds..
Amazing! It was like walking with an army of kids, parents in tow..

The park was so versatile and so large. There were a rather large number of rides and each seemed very nice. Some of them had lengthy queues. I made sure I covered the most thrilling rides. I skipped rides that were similar to ones at Esselworld or elsewhere in India. I had a whole chapter on Disney in my guide on Paris book and I chose to queue for four thrilling ones...Each of these had different themes and was so painstakingly detailed.

One of these rides was a roller coaster through gold mines in a jugged island peaking out of a vast lake.. It was fascinating. The coaches slowed down in the caves and mountainsides. The hillsides were so genuinely reconstructed with false vegetation and mountain goats, miners and falling rocks and ore. Wheels and equipment resembling the US Wild West added to the drama.

I also remember a ‘temple of doom- Indiana Jones’ ride which had a 360 degree loop with vertical loops where you are upturned and a loop sideways wherein u face the world sideways and then the ride loops into twists..

I was paranoid on the ride called ‘earth to moon’ which thrusts you upwards into a pitch black tube resembling outer space along planets and stars and satellites and you scream your way into space. The ride began with a big bang of your rocket launcher and it scares you even before the ride… I think I kept my eyes closed half my ride into space. After each ride, you can see and purchase your photographs in the ride. I looked awful in this one...

The other interesting ride leads you backwards and you cannot even anticipate what is to happen next..

There are also various beautiful children and family rides… They are all designed to be very pretty with synchronized music, fairies, and characters out of fables, folklore set in caves, castles and enchanted forests...

Next, I went to the segment of the park where there were simulation rides and special effect studios. They had 3D movies with coordinated seating. In one of these, the seats simulate forces where you are thrust into space and banging against satellites. You are then attacked by aliens and narrowly escape comets and starbursts..
The seat keeps in sync with the video and audio to give you the real feel..


Another theater ran a movie by Kodak called ‘Honey I shrunk the audience’. The effects lead you to believe that you are reduced to bits in comparison to the stage and it is so funny… You feel the size of your palm.

The day ended with a Bright electric parade on the main street with Cinderella in a beautiful pumpkin carriage, beautifully lit with bulbs. Snow white and the dwarfs, Mickey and Minnie, soon followed her and a host of other Disney characters…If one was not enthralled by now, the fireworks definitely summed it all. A celebration of joy, etched deep in memory.

The visit was definitely terrific. I know I missed out on history by skipping Versailles. But I did not regret it.