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Adventure Isle
Adventure at every turn!
Use every inch of your bravery and skill to master the caverns and routes of Adventure Isle, from the eerie Skull Rock and foreboding Captain Hook's Pirate Ship to the stunning landscape of Spyglass Hill, in search of the long-lost treasure!
Completely unique to Disneyland Paris, Adventure Isle is a spectacular landscape at the heart of Adventureland, criss-crossed by bridges, pathways and caves.
In fact feeling more like two separate islands, the standout landmark is a huge wooden suspension bridge spanning the peaks of each island and reached by a mind-boggling network of smugglers' runs offering fantastic views over the whole land.
On a warm, sunny day there's no better escape from the crowds elsewhere — not to mention daily life — than to spend a good hour or so exploring every nook of this exotic creation. How often are you presented with a map and a Treasure Island right in front of you? No sat-nav, no destination, just your curiosity.
After nightfall, the hanging lanterns illuminate the island for a whole new atmosphere. Pure escapism, guaranteed to take you right back to your childhood.
- Don't miss this!
Tropical island with spectacular scenery, bridges, caves, look-outs, a shipwreck and a pirate galleon.
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Opening Date
12th April 1992
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Attraction Type
Island exploration
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Duration
Up to 1 hour to explore
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Category
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Wait Time
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Suitablility
- Children 3-7
- Children 8-12
- Young Adults
- Adults
- Seniors
Story
La Mer des Bretteurs — Literally "the sea of swashbucklers", this meandering waterway separates Adventure Isle from the mainland and its African, Indian, Middle Eastern locales. Stretching from the safer, lush green jungle landscape in the south, where supply boats are moored in shady inlets, to the more ravaged white sand beaches in the north, home of pirates and pillagers, the sea can be crossed by any of four bridges.
Le Ventre de la Terre — Ready to get lost so soon? Intertwined with the roots of the huge tree above, home to La Cabane des Robinson, this network of caves is clearly used to great advantage by the family themselves as safe storage for the spices and foodstuffs they have managed to accumulate from the island's natural resources. At several points daylight breaks through into the cavern and you can look upwards for an awe-inspiring view right up the incredible tree trunk.
L'Epave — The Shipwreck, which brought the Swiss Family Robinson to the island, can be accessed off Spyglass Hill by Le Pont Flottant, a unique floating bridge made of barrels and driftwood. Attacked by pirates and washed ashore several years ago, several pieces of the doomed ship now make up the Swiss Family Robinson's ingenius treehouse and its environs, from the captain's wheel to the jolly Harpsichord organ!
Le Pont Suspendu — Suspension bridge, spanning 30 metres between the peak of the southern island and the look-out point on Spyglass Hill opposite. This rickety bridge made of driftwood, rope and iron chains swings up, down and side-to-side as you navigate its unsteady steps. Jumping doesn't help, but is a lot of fun!
L'Ile au Trésor — Treasure Island, the northern island defined by the dramatic dark, rocky outcrops of Skull Rock and Spyglass Hill, where the black Jolly Roger flag flies to mark the spot where Jim Hawkins fought Long John Silver. Be sure to check through Jim's spyglass for oncoming marauders!
Ben Gunn's Cave — The dark depths of Treasure Island are home to a second, more deadly, network of caverns snaking past thundering waterfalls and long-forgotten skeletons. Take your pick from one of six entrances: Ambush Alley under Le Pont Suspendu, Davy Jones' Locker, which leads to a windswept, bottomless pit, Dead Man's Maze, Spyglass Pass, Hook's Hideout, hidden behind a waterfall, or Keelhaul Caverns, populated with the skeletons of treasure-hunters caught by Ben Gunn's revenge.
Skull Rock — Rising twelve metres from the perilous lagoon below, the fierce winds in these parts have carved a menacing face out of the thick black rock. Follow the steps from near Ben Gunn's Cave to stand inside the carved-out skull for yourself — then watch your back as its eyes follow you left and right; and at night, with a beady red glow!
Captain Hook's Pirate Ship — Peter Pan's nemesis has dropped anchor in Cannonball Cove, mooring his majestic galleon next to Skull Rock — the perfect hiding place for a cowardly captain. If you're lucky, Hook and Mr Smee will be gone for just long enough for you to hop on deck and have a look around!
The island is also home to two distinct attractions: La Cabane des Robinson and La Plage des Pirates.
Trivia
- Though Captain Hook's Pirate Ship and the 12 metre-high Skull Rock are exclusive to Disneyland Paris, versions of both could previously be seen at Disneyland in California, where they formed part of the park's Fantasyland from 1995 and 1960 respectively. The ship was known as the "Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant" with, you guessed it, a small walk-in restaurant inside the ship. Both features were removed in 1982 to allow for the New Fantasyland expansion project.
- Hook's ship isn't the only famous boat on La Mer des Bretteurs. At the southern end, a small supply boat with a fabric canopy pays homage to The African Queen (1951), the film which helped inspire the Jungle Cruise ride at other Disneyland parks. This previously tied in with the boutique nearby, now Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost but formerly Trader Sam's Jungle Boutique, in a reference to a character from the same attraction. Meanwhile, if a touch of Never Land doesn't make the transition with Fantasyland seamless enough, the stricken water craft of Gepetto can be found on the northern shores of the lagoon, close to the Pinocchio–themed Au Chalet de la Marionnette.
- At the earlier Adventurelands built in California, Florida and Tokyo, the land is dominated by the huge Jungle Cruise attraction and Imagineers beginning work on Disneyland Paris felt that their new, much larger version of the land should have a central, definable landmark, as with every other land. The Swiss Family Treehouse, La Cabane des Robinson, was therefore positioned right in the middle of this island, significantly enlarged and built 6.5 metres above water level to stand 27 metres above the park. A similar configuration was used at Disney's next magic kingdom park, Hong Kong Disneyland, where the smaller Tarzan's Treehouse sits on an island, accessible only by boat.
- Though Skull Rock and some of the more fantastical rock formations throughout the island were built using intricately-sculpted concrete, similar to Big Thunder Mountain, the Imagineers also went on the hunt for many real rocks and boulders throughout northern France, Italy and Germany, marking each rock which fitted their exacting specifications!
- There were originally only three bridges giving access to Adventure Island. The fourth, and most understated, was added in 1993 at the opening of Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril, sitting between the forgotten temple and Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost.
Adventure Isle covers 7,220 square metres with more than 12 bridges
Tips
- Explore the island in the middle of the day, when the other ride-based attractions are at their busiest, for a pleasant escape and to maximise your time.
- If you're exploring with young children, do stay together when exploring the confusing maze of caves, and watch out for slippery and uneven surfaces.
