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Theme Park Paris

By: Audrey Akeman

Planning a trip to France with the kids but don't know where to
go? Looking for theme park excitement in Europe to rival that of
America? Then why not visit Paris - not only is it one of the
most beautiful cities in the world, but it also has two great
theme parks nearby, which kids will love. Enter the cartoon
world of Gaul at Parc Asterix or mingle with Mickey, Minnie and
company at Disneyland Paris.

Parc Asterix

Introduction

This quintessentially French theme park brings to life one of
France's most popular comic book cartoons of all time - Asterix
de Gaul, a small and quirky warrior living in Armorica in 50 BC,
in the only part of Gaul not to be conquered by the Romans. The
amusing stories in the comic books focus on Asterix, his
kind-hearted and somewhat rotund best friend Obelix, and the
local druid Getafix (Panoramix in French) who prepares magic
potions for them.

Location

The park is located approximately 30 kilometres (20 miles)
north of Paris, north of Charles de Gaulle airport on the A1
Paris to Lille motorway.

Attractions

There are some exhilarating and hair-raising rides, all loosely
based on a classical themes - there's the Thunder of Zeus - the
largest wooden rollercoaster in Europe, the swinging Roman
galley ship, the Trojan horse and the death-defying Goudurix
loop-the-loop ride, as well as flying chairs, log flumes and
other popular theme park favourites.

Shows

There's always plenty of entertainment going on when you want a
break from the rides. Meet your favourite characters at the
costume parade - they're held several times a day, or go back
in time to a Gaulish Village Festival, where there are lots of
great activities and funny goings-on daily. The dolphin and sea
lion show is captivating, and the Panoramix Magic Show will
leave you spellbound. And that's not all - there are several
different stage performances throughout the day, in which
Asterix and his friends get involved in great high jinks and
adventures.

Restaurants

Being a French theme park, the food here is of course excellent
and there's a huge variety of eating places to choose from,
whether you're looking for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a
snack. There's a great pizzeria, a tasty creperie and a
delicious burger bar to name just a few. All the restaurants
are themed too - there's a medieval banqueting hall, a circus
buffet in a colourful big top tent, a Gaulish tavern and a
Roman villa.

Shops

You can get Asterix souvenirs in all shapes and sizes, from
t-shirts and mugs to helmets and swords. There are stalls and
boutiques all over the park, so you can get whatever you want,
whenever you want. If you're looking for other gifts and
souvenirs, there are some wonderful shops selling Egyptian,
Roman and Greek themed ornaments, crafts and clothes.

Accommodation

Hotel des Trois Hiboux is the only accommodation within the
park itself, but it's a wondeful place to stay and offers great
value for money. The facilities in this three-star hotel are
excellent - there's a cosy lounge with a roaring fireplace, a
games room for children and a bar with a terrace. Nearby hotels
include Novotel, Kyriad, Campanile and Mercure, so you'll never
be stuck for somewhere to stay.

Disneyland Paris

Introduction

Disney's only theme park in Europe is very similar in style to
the parks in America. The Magic Kingdom comprises four
different lands, all of which converge on Main Street USA - an
early 20th century themed street with horses, trams and vintage
cars. Fantasyland is a world of fairytales and is aimed at young
children. There's Sleeping Beauty's castle, Snow White's house
and Alice in Wonderland's maze. Peter Pan, Dumbo and Pinocchio
also put in an appearance. Frontierland is a gold rush themed
area with Pocahontas Indian Village, a shooting gallery, Big
Thunder Mountain and Wild West legends all around.
Adventureland sweeps you through marvellous exotic lands from
Aladdin's Enchanted Passage to the Pirates of the Caribbean
lagoon. Discoveryland is a wonderful area of science and space.

Attractions

All the most popular attractions from the American parks are
recreated in Disneyland Paris. There's the terrifying Space
Mountain, the Mad Hatters' Teacups, It's a Small World, the
Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain and Indiana
Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Shows

No trip to a Disney theme park would be complete without a
parade where you can meet your favourite Disney characters.
There are parades in various parts of the park all day, so
you'll never miss out. Some of the excellent stage show
performances include The Lion King, The Tarzan Encounter and
Winnie the Pooh and Friends Too.

Restaurants

Every zone has its own range of eating places to cater for all
tastes and appetites at any time of day. Some of the best ones
are Victoria's Homestyle Restaurant in Main Street USA, which
serves wholesome, traditional American dishes such as meat pie
and chocolate brownies. The Cowboy Cookout in Frontierland is a
mouth-watering barbeque restaurant with country music and
dancing, while Buzz Lightyear's Pizza Planet serves pizzas in
an intergalactic atmosphere.

Shops

You won't have any bother finding a souvenir of your favourite
Disney character - there's a huge selection of soft toys in
many of the shops dotted around the park, from old classics
like Winnie the Pooh to the space-age Buzz Lightyear. The shops
in Discoveryland have some weird and wonderful scientific
gadgets and gizmos, while Adventureland has exotic gifts and
souvenirs from far-flung lands. Budding cowboys can kit
themselves out at the Bonanza store in Frontierland, from
Stetson hat to boot spurs.

Accommodation

It's rather expensive to stay in the resort itself, although
for a real treat it is very good fun. Disneyland Hotel on Main
Street USA is the most expensive, while Davey Crockett's Ranch
is the cheapest option. The cosy log cabins are about quarter
of an hour's drive from the park. Other hotels outside the park
include the Radisson SAS, Kyriad, Holiday Inn and Pierre et
Vacances Hotel.

Planning a trip to France with the kids but don't know where to
go? Looking for theme park excitement in Europe to rival that of
America? Then why not visit Paris - not only is it one of the
most beautiful cities in the world, but it also has two great
theme parks nearby, which kids will love. Enter the cartoon
world of Gaul at Parc Asterix or mingle with Mickey, Minnie and
company at Disneyland Paris.

Parc Asterix

Introduction

This quintessentially French theme park brings to life one of
France's most popular comic book cartoons of all time - Asterix
de Gaul, a small and quirky warrior living in Armorica in 50 BC,
in the only part of Gaul not to be conquered by the Romans. The
amusing stories in the comic books focus on Asterix, his
kind-hearted and somewhat rotund best friend Obelix, and the
local druid Getafix (Panoramix in French) who prepares magic
potions for them.

Location

The park is located approximately 30 kilometres (20 miles)
north of Paris, north of Charles de Gaulle airport on the A1
Paris to Lille motorway.

Attractions

There are some exhilarating and hair-raising rides, all loosely
based on a classical themes - there's the Thunder of Zeus - the
largest wooden rollercoaster in Europe, the swinging Roman
galley ship, the Trojan horse and the death-defying Goudurix
loop-the-loop ride, as well as flying chairs, log flumes and
other popular theme park favourites.

Shows

There's always plenty of entertainment going on when you want a
break from the rides. Meet your favourite characters at the
costume parade - they're held several times a day, or go back
in time to a Gaulish Village Festival, where there are lots of
great activities and funny goings-on daily. The dolphin and sea
lion show is captivating, and the Panoramix Magic Show will
leave you spellbound. And that's not all - there are several
different stage performances throughout the day, in which
Asterix and his friends get involved in great high jinks and
adventures.

Restaurants

Being a French theme park, the food here is of course excellent
and there's a huge variety of eating places to choose from,
whether you're looking for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a
snack. There's a great pizzeria, a tasty creperie and a
delicious burger bar to name just a few. All the restaurants
are themed too - there's a medieval banqueting hall, a circus
buffet in a colourful big top tent, a Gaulish tavern and a
Roman villa.

Shops

You can get Asterix souvenirs in all shapes and sizes, from
t-shirts and mugs to helmets and swords. There are stalls and
boutiques all over the park, so you can get whatever you want,
whenever you want. If you're looking for other gifts and
souvenirs, there are some wonderful shops selling Egyptian,
Roman and Greek themed ornaments, crafts and clothes.

Accommodation

Hotel des Trois Hiboux is the only accommodation within the
park itself, but it's a wondeful place to stay and offers great
value for money. The facilities in this three-star hotel are
excellent - there's a cosy lounge with a roaring fireplace, a
games room for children and a bar with a terrace. Nearby hotels
include Novotel, Kyriad, Campanile and Mercure, so you'll never
be stuck for somewhere to stay.

Disneyland Paris

Introduction

Disney's only theme park in Europe is very similar in style to
the parks in America. The Magic Kingdom comprises four
different lands, all of which converge on Main Street USA - an
early 20th century themed street with horses, trams and vintage
cars. Fantasyland is a world of fairytales and is aimed at young
children. There's Sleeping Beauty's castle, Snow White's house
and Alice in Wonderland's maze. Peter Pan, Dumbo and Pinocchio
also put in an appearance. Frontierland is a gold rush themed
area with Pocahontas Indian Village, a shooting gallery, Big
Thunder Mountain and Wild West legends all around.
Adventureland sweeps you through marvellous exotic lands from
Aladdin's Enchanted Passage to the Pirates of the Caribbean
lagoon. Discoveryland is a wonderful area of science and space.

Attractions

All the most popular attractions from the American parks are
recreated in Disneyland Paris. There's the terrifying Space
Mountain, the Mad Hatters' Teacups, It's a Small World, the
Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain and Indiana
Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Shows

No trip to a Disney theme park would be complete without a
parade where you can meet your favourite Disney characters.
There are parades in various parts of the park all day, so
you'll never miss out. Some of the excellent stage show
performances include The Lion King, The Tarzan Encounter and
Winnie the Pooh and Friends Too.

Restaurants

Every zone has its own range of eating places to cater for all
tastes and appetites at any time of day. Some of the best ones
are Victoria's Homestyle Restaurant in Main Street USA, which
serves wholesome, traditional American dishes such as meat pie
and chocolate brownies. The Cowboy Cookout in Frontierland is a
mouth-watering barbeque restaurant with country music and
dancing, while Buzz Lightyear's Pizza Planet serves pizzas in
an intergalactic atmosphere.

Shops

You won't have any bother finding a souvenir of your favourite
Disney character - there's a huge selection of soft toys in
many of the shops dotted around the park, from old classics
like Winnie the Pooh to the space-age Buzz Lightyear. The shops
in Discoveryland have some weird and wonderful scientific
gadgets and gizmos, while Adventureland has exotic gifts and
souvenirs from far-flung lands. Budding cowboys can kit
themselves out at the Bonanza store in Frontierland, from
Stetson hat to boot spurs.

Accommodation

It's rather expensive to stay in the resort itself, although
for a real treat it is very good fun. Disneyland Hotel on Main
Street USA is the most expensive, while Davey Crockett's Ranch
is the cheapest option. The cosy log cabins are about quarter
of an hour's drive from the park. Other hotels outside the park
include the Radisson SAS, Kyriad, Holiday Inn and Pierre et
Vacances Hotel.

Article Source: http://www.travelarticlesexpress.com

Audrey Akeman has resided in Paris for over 20 years. She works as a freelance writer. Website: www.pariscityinformation.info

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