News / Annual Passports

It’s a new year, a fresh start. Time to get your calendar in order — your Disneyland Paris Calendar. Here are five big updates to see us through the first few months of 2018 and beyond. Read More…

The cost of 365 days of Disneyland Paris fun is about to almost double in price. Four new Annual Passport tiers are set to come into effect soon, with a major price increase for the top tier pass. Read More…

UPDATE — See message from the Annual Passport Team below

If you’ve got an Annual Passport Dream, you can now register your place online for the Ratatouille: The Adventure previews, taking place from 26th to 29th June… or at least try.

Online registration opened this morning, allowing holders of the highest tier “Dream” pass exclusive access to secure a place at the previews.

• Ratatouille Passeport Annuel Dream Online Registration

An email with the full registration details and the link above was sent to Dream passholders who provided an email address and opted in to email communications.

Hour-long preview slots are available between the following times on each date:

• Thursday, 26th June 2014 — 15:00 to 19:00
• Friday, 27th June 2014 — 15:00 to 18:30
• Saturday, 28th June 2014 — 15:00 to 18:00
• Sunday, 29th June 2014 — 15:00 to 19:00

However, many early registrants are reporting problems with the form, such as it not accepting their Passeport Annuel number. Have you tried registering? What was your experience? Tell us below in the comments or @DLPToday.

For passholders outside of France, there is also the slight complication that the form only provides “France” as the option for a country in the address form. That will certainly do nothing to compound complaints that Disneyland Paris attempts to hide these great value passes from foreign visitors, with all communication and advertising only ever made in French.

Holders of the other annual passes, Francilien and Fantasy, are supposed to be getting previews too, but both those passes have blockout days on 28th and 29th June, leaving those weekend days apparently exclusive to Dream passholders.

It has not yet been announced how those non-Dream passholders might gain access to their previews, so watch this space (and your email inbox).

As reported previously, Shareholders Club members can register for their own private event on Saturday, 28th June between 10am and 2.30pm. Online registration is required before 23rd June on your online account space here.

• Previously — Ratatouille preview and pre-opening dates confirmed: The Adventure begins here, Thursday 10th July 2014: Disneyland Paris announces Ratatouille ride opening date

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UPDATE – 17/06/2014 16:52

We’ve been asked to pass on the following message from the Annual Passport Team regarding problems encountered with the registration form yesterday. The team are extremely concerned by the issues and are keen to resolve any problems as soon as possible.

Dear Annual Dream Passport Members,

We would like to begin by apologizing for the problems encountered when registrations opened for the Ratatouille preview event. We are fully aware that many of you are enthusiastically awaiting this event, and we are doing everything we can to ensure you have a good time.

Unfortunately, due to technical problems, the registration website failed to work correctly when it initially went live, preventing many of you from registering. We have since been working hard to remediate these issues.

We would like to invite all those who had problems registering yesterday to try again today. If you continue to encounter difficulties, please send an e-mail to the following address: dlp.marketing.passport.annuel@disney.com (providing the following details: surname, first name, Annual Passport number, the date and at least 2 timeslots for which you would like to register). We will do our utmost to reply to each and every one of you as soon as we possibly can.

Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Kind regards,

The Annual Passport Team

If you’re a Shareholder or an Annual Passholder, no doubt you’ve been going “Totalement Toquée” for a few weeks now, waiting to hear exactly when you’ll get your first chance to experience Ratatouille: The Adventure.

Putting an end to what, unsurprisingly, sounds like an onslaught of requests for information, Disneyland Paris has confirmed today the all-important dates.

In a brief notice, Annual Passport previews for 26th – 29th June 2014 are confirmed:

Due to a lot of requests, please note that there will indeed be Ratatouille previews for Annual Passholders (Dream, Fantasy, Francilien) from June 26 to 29.

More information about the registration process will be sent soon by the teams in charge.

Meanwhile, members of the Shareholders Club for Euro Disney S.C.A. were sent their full registration details this morning, with the “Actionnaires” event taking place on 28th June.

If you’re a member of the club, you should have received an email with the full details, though these are also available on the club’s official website under “Your Personal Space”.

Online registration for this event is mandatory, on a first-come-first-served basis, and must be completed no later than Monday, 23rd June 2014.

On the date, Saturday, 28th June, attendees will be able to check in from 9.30am at the entrance of Walt Disney Studios Park, with both the attraction and Bistrot Chez Rémy reserved for shareholders between 10am and 2.30pm (thanks to @Jorienvh_ for these details).

So, let’s recap all the Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy dates in full:

• 17th June 2014 onwards — Cast Member previews
• 21st – 22nd June 2014 — Grand Opening / Press Event weekend
• 26th – 29th June 2014 — Annual Passholder previews
• 28th June 2014 — Shareholders Club preview
• 10th July 2014 — Official Public Opening Date

All of which leaves a mighty space to fill of almost a fortnight between the last preview on 29th June and the official 10th July opening, during which we can surely expect some wider public “soft openings” — when regular park guests are invited to unofficially ride the attraction, allowing a final test and adjust phase before opening.

It can’t be stated so confidently that Bistrot Chez Rémy would be included in this, although you’d think Disneyland Paris would want to continue trialling that too — it’s spectacularly important that they get this restaurant right, first time, and the general public can often behave and react to concepts very differently than invited guests and Disney fans.

Regarding the release of preview dates, hopefully the teams involved at Disneyland Paris have learnt a lesson that guests prefer this information sooner, rather than later — say, a month in advance at the very least — especially when complicated travel plans and accommodation bookings from outside France have to be made.

So there we go, folks — now tell us below, when will your first “Ratmobile” ride be?

Construction of World of Disney at the entrance to Disney Village really powered through its final months, with Disneyland Paris’ merchandising teams having the new flagship store stocked and ready to open its doors right on schedule for the first time last week. First came the Cast Members, always given the privilege of first previews, on Thursday 5th July, followed by two planned previews for both Shareholders Club members and Annual Passport Dream holders on Friday 6th.

Then, from this Saturday 7th, conveniently the start of the busy summer season when the esplanade in front of the store will be at its busiest with guests walking to and from the parks, the store opened its doors to everyone. This remains a “soft opening” period ahead of the official inauguration this Thursday, 12th July 2012, meaning the store could be closed at any time, but so far it is following its soon-to-be-regular 9am to 1am opening hours.

Inspired by the great department stores of Paris and beyond, World of Disney stocks a full range of Disneyland Paris merchandise. Clockwise from the main entrance, you can discover 20th Anniversary, collectibles, pins, candy, media, Paris, “Oh Mickey!”, adult clothing, kids clothing, costumes, plushes, toys and Disney by Britto ranges. The central domed area, where Mickey, Minnie and Pluto wave from a hot air balloon having enjoyed an evening in Paris, is dedicated to homewares and accessories.

Designed to present a “best of” from the resort’s other boutiques, World of Disney nevertheless still has some of its own exclusive products, indicated by special signs on each display. These include the limited edition T-shirts and lithographs, reproducing the beautiful murals which adorn the shop itself.

World of Disney Grand Opening Cast Members

The entire store is both far better organised and easier to browse than its generically-titled Disney Store predecessor, having wide, clear aisles and a central concourse which loops right around the store connecting the three entrances. In the middle of the store, under the hot air balloon, is not another sales display but a comfy four-sided seat. Unlike other areas of the resort’s merchandising, where shop display rails fall, desperately, out into the pathway in a horribly tacky way, this is a store which draws you in and encourages you to linger. Pinging cash registers will surely follow.

And then there’s the design: Art Deco, 1920s/30s/40s inspired, nods to True-Life Adventures and even rare globe-trotting animations such as Saludos Amigos (find Pedro the plane!). The ten “21st Century Art Deco” murals designed exclusively for the space by Mike Kungl are a true asset to the store and the resort. Cast Members wear special period costumes, not generic off-the-hanger shirts, the entire interior and sales displays custom designed just for this space.

Outside, the public realm thankfully shrugs off, even completely ignores, the inhuman concrete warehouse architecture of Disney Village for something decidedly more “real” and town-like. High quality paving, steps, handrails and planters surround the exterior with its fun bas-relief panels featuring Disney characters restyled in Art Deco. Like the pleasing Earl of Sandwich, bookending the other end of Disney Village, this is hopefully the vision for further future development.

Photos: Alex, Disney Central Plaza

True, the striking, slowly turning landmark glass dome with its recycled castle Tinker Bell looks somewhat less delicately ornate than may have been desired after the addition of its colourful globe motif, which in strong sunlight gives the effect of flat stuck-on transfers rather than a real opaque stained-glass effect; but see it at nighttime, when illuminated from within, for best effect.

Even the slightly odd-looking, off-model Mickey and Minnie statues, borrowed from the former World of Disney store in New York City, can be forgiven when you cast your eyes on the simply gorgeous “World of Disney” marquee signage itself, styled with a luxurious blue and red marble-effect. Earlier concepts showed the “o” of “World” styled as a Mickey Mouse shape; thankfully, this was styled back to a much classier plain “o”, avoiding the “Mickey fatigue” which can plague projects like this.

Though significantly more “petite” than its American cousins, this World of Disney makes up for its comparably quaint size with its bespoke design. There’s no other store like it, at Disneyland Paris or beyond; the Imagineers have successfully created a store that’s a destination all of its own and gives the previously colourless resort hub area a much-needed feel of “place”.

World of Disney will be officially inaugurated tomorrow, Thursday 12th July 2012, with a special ceremony at 3pm (for 3.30pm) in the presence of Philippe Gas, CEO

Preview photo round-up and interior videos follow… Read More…

Today, 29th March 2012, is season changeover day for Disneyland Paris’ ticketing department. Along with the usual pricing revision, this has brought some changes to Annual Passports which we’ve now updated on our popular English guide to the tickets. Read More…

Your Disneyland Paris park ticket will be celebrating the Disney Magical Moments Festival very soon. Like the past three celebrations, a number of different coloured ticket designs will be available, each featuring one of the key characters of the year. Whilst last year was all about the New Generation, this year sees some old favourites such as Timon and Pumba, Captain Hook and the Queen of Hearts given their own design. The golden tickets also now clearly state “2 Parcs” and the logo used this year is the main Disneyland Paris logo, rather than the festival logo. Although the tickets still have some way to go to beat the boldness of the 1990s designs, they might become even more collectible. As more and more visitors now print out their own rather drab “E-Tickets” at home, these “proper” tickets must surely be beginning to drop in circulation.

The resort’s four Annual Passports will also be updated, with Rapunzel’s huge box office success in Tangled scoring her the prized “Dream” spot already, from Woody and Buzz last year.

VIA Disney Central Plaza, DLRP Express

Notes from a Shareholders roundtable meeting at Disney’s Hotel New York back in December suggest some changes to the Passeport Annuel programme could be on the way this year. The first has already taken place: the launch of an official fourth ticket, the Passeport Annuel Classic. Primarily given away free via other companies a promotional tool (to “convert a new population to annual passports”, as the roundtable notes put it), the ticket offers 277 days of park access within each year (that’s 88 blockout dates). Where this gets interesting is that the ticket reportedly went on general sale at the parks on 17th December, costing €98. That’s just one Euro less than the freely-available Passeport Annuel Francilien, which offers a full 300 days in the parks. Confused? Though the Classic has yet to be listed on the official AP pages, the price point and the offering would make it a likely successor to the Francilien, whose name causes confusion (it’s not just for those in the Paris region) and whose advantages are arguably just a little too generous for the price, compared to regular tickets. Discontinuing the Francilien in favour of the Classic would even-up the benefits of each pass. We’ll see…

At the other end of the scale, the Passeport Annuel Dream already gives holders some fantastic discounts and year-round access, but has jumped in price a little lately to €199 after several years at €179. This is still a real steal compared to similar APs at other Disney resorts — and even Paris’ own top-level tickets in years gone by — but the roundtable notes (PDF) reveal that an even more “prestigious” and interestingly, “personalised”, pass could be developed, offering even more benefits. What benefits those may be exactly is unclear — the return of that Disney Hotel parking privilege is unlikely.

Finally, and what could be the biggest change of all: subscription payments. At the moment, each Annual Passport is sold as a one-off ticket, and though the holder should receive an offer to renew at the end of their pass, it’s a considerable hassle for the customer (particularly if you don’t speak French or don’t live in France) and must present quite a drop-off of potential on-going customers for Disney. The meeting notes state that a number of improvements are being studied regarding customer relations, which could lead to “development of tailor-made offers, loyalty programmes and payment by monthly instalments”.

This same idea is currently being discussed quite actively for the American parks, and would mean that an Annual Passport effectively becomes an open-ended ticket to the parks, paid directly from your bank account each month with no need to queue at the Passeport Annuel Bureau each year or send off any renewal forms. Presumably passholders would still need to pay for, say, their first 12 months up-front or be locked into something resembling a phone contract, but in the long term this would surely be very popular for most frequent visitors and fans. Your thoughts, passholders?

VIA Disneyland Paris Corporate – PDF, mouetto (DCP)