Following the Leader

In a comment on my last post, the fine folks at disneygraphy.com (a gorgeous site dedicated to Disneyland Resort Paris) pointed out how nicely the transition works between Fantasyland and Adventureland. Pass from one to the next, and you'll find yourself leaving London and stepping right into Never Land. It's really a brilliant idea, associating the pirates from Peter Pan with Adventureland and forming a thematic bridge to jungle trails and the Pirates of the Caribbean.

During this year's Magical Moments Festival, that link is made even stronger as characters from Peter Pan who appear in Fantasyland (above) lead Guests into Adventureland for the start of the new "Following the Leader with Peter Pan" interactive show.

Pirate Treasures of Every Kind

Leaving the scoundrels of Pirates of the Caribbean behind, we come across this cottage in the back corner of Adventureland at Disneyland Paris. One look at that weathervane, though, and its image of a peg-legged bloke with a spyglass tells us we're still surrounded by a bit of piracy. In this case, it's Le Coffre du Capitaine (The Captain's Chest).

Le Coffre is an establishment run by a former pirate captain. He may have given up pillaging and ransacking, but he's still got the sea in his veins. His establishment is littered with oars, nets, miniature ships... and a whole collection of items gathered from decades at sea.

In a corner of the shop, you may notice the stairs which lead to the loft above. It's not accessible to visitors, but has plenty more to look at... including the captain's pet parrot, people watching from his elevated perch.

Nearby is the Blue Lagoon Restaurant. Similar in many ways to the successful Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square at Disneyland, the Blue Lagoon offers shoreside seating with a view of the early scenes on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. Here, though, the setting is that of a series of thatched-roof cabanas on a tropical beach, befitting the island surroundings of this particular Adventureland.

Inside, the Blue Lagoon has all the trappings of a local tavern frequented by buccaneers. There are kegs and casks of rum and ale, and a shelf full of the regular patrons' individual mugs, waiting to be used the next time they stumble in.

For Disney fans, perhaps the most interesting part of the decor is the images framed on the walls. They're reproductions of original art created by Disney Legend Marc Davis for the development of the first Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland... pieces of art once seen and reviewed by Walt Disney himself.

Les Pirates des Caraïbes

The fifth and final geographic region represented in Adventureland is the islands of the Caribbean, home of course to a rowdy crew of pirates. While Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Paris is substantially similar to its sister attractions in other Disney Parks, the French version does come with its own unique accents.

The first you notice is the costumes worn by the Cast Members. Like many of the designs seen throughout Disneyland Paris, they are highly detailed and simply spectacular.

Moving beyond the marquee, you approach an old Spanish fortress with an ominous Jolly Roger flying from its highest turret.

Once you find your way in through a "secret" entrance, an exploration of the catacombs of the fortress reveals clues as to what might have happened here. A battle has taken place. The fortress was attacked, and the explosives in the arsenal destroyed parts of the interior and blew a hole in the side of the structure.

Assuming you make it this far, you'll eventually come to the "outside" edge of the fortress, overlooking a quiet lagoon. Here, the battlements still stand at the ready, although helpless to defend against history.

Down at the docks, a crew of buccaneers helps you aboard a longboat for your journey across the lagoon and back in time... to personally witness the attack of the Pirates of the Caribbean.

La Cabane des Robinson

Rising majestically above the southern end of Adventure Isle at Disneyland Paris is a tremendous specimen, Disneyodendron semperflorens grandis. At 70 feet tall, this tree's 300,000 plastic leaves provide shelter for the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.

When we stopped by earlier this summer, the Robinsons were apparently off visiting relatives in New Guinea, as the entire treehouse was closed for refurbishment. That doesn't mean there wasn't anything to see, though.

A walk around the island's pathways provides a good look at the family's ingenious arboreal abode, similar in many ways to the Swiss Family Treehouse attractions found in the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland (Anaheim and Hong Kong include treehouse attractions based on Tarzan).

What makes the attraction unique in Paris is how the story of the Swiss Family Robinson actually extends beyond the tree. For example, resting in a cove along the western edge of Adventure Isle is a shipwreck, what remains of the Swallow, the vessel which landed the Robinsons on this uncharted island.

A floating barrel bridge has been set up, allowing the family access to the wreckage, from which they've been able to salvage pieces used in the construction of their treetop home. Such resourcefulness can be seen elsewhere on the island, as well. Take a look at this contraption, designed to funnel clean drinking water from a spring straight to these drinking fountains.

Walking around the island, you may also come across this cave, labeled "Le Ventre de la Terre" (literally translated, "the belly of the earth"). At first, it appears to be just another fun cavern to explore... until you discover the Robinson's cellar, stocked with all sorts of food and supplies!

Explore a bit further, and you're soon surrounded by a dense, twisted web of roots, pushing through the earth from above. Ahead, sunlight beams down on you, and you look up to find you're directly beneath the tree itself!

Ye Be Seekin' Adventure & Salty Ol' Pirates, Ay?

At the heart of Adventureland lies Adventure Isle, an oasis of South Seas jungles and caves offering hours of interactive fun for Guests young and old alike. Adventure Isle was created as a unique attraction for Disneyland Paris, fulfilling the role Tom Sawyer Island plays for visitors to the American parks.

We approach the island at Cannonball Cove, where Captain Hook's ship, The Jolly Roger, is moored in the shadow of Skull Rock. It's a fitting sight in this corner of the park, providing a visual link between nearby Pirates of the Caribbean and Peter Pan's Flight in adjacent Fantasyland. The ship would typically be open for boarding, but during my visit it was being prepared for a massive refurbishment (which also explains why the waterways are dry; water would normally cascade through the open jaws of Skull Rock).

On the shore, la Plage des Pirates (Pirates' Beach) offers young buccaneers plenty to keep themselves in shape for the next sailing, with rope-climbs, crawl-throughs and even a wacky photo op or two.

Adventure Isle is roughly divided in two, with a narrow waterway (dry and sandy in the photo below) running between the north and south islands. The northern island is dominated by Spyglass Hill and the Pirate Lookout, beneath which a series of catacombs call to the brave to be explored.

Here in the Pirates Grotto, those able to uncover a path through the Stalagmite Maze may just find Ben Gunn's treasure (from Treasure Island)... or a bottomless pit.

If you survive to pass this way again, you may choose to escape across this suspension bridge, to the friendlier shores of the southern island - home to none other than a family of Swiss named Robinson. Let's pay a visit to them tomorrow, shall we?

Passage to India

So far in Adventureland at Disneyland Paris, we've visited the Middle East and Africa. Further around the bend, a deeply forested path leads into the heart of India, the next geographic region embodied entirely by the attraction Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril).

Opened in 1993 as the largest element of the park's early added capacity program, Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril became the first roller coaster attraction in a Disney Park to feature a complete inversion. On the ride, Guests board ore cars for a rollicking tour of the archaeological site surrounding a Dravidian-style stone temple, similar to those found near Mahabalipuram in Southern India.

Approaching the site, the queue winds past the base camp, where artifacts from the excavation are being collected, cleaned, catalogued and prepared for shipment to museums in the west.

Look closely into one of the tents in the camp, and apart from the bunk with mosquito netting and the collection of postcards and photographs from around the world, you may also notice a familiar whip and fedora. They're sitting on a crate addressed to none other than Dr. Henry Jones, Jr.

Turn the corner, and the stone steps of the temple rise before you, flanked on either side by enormous carved cobras. That's right... snakes. Why did there have to be snakes?!

The steps carry you up toward the site, where you then descend into a tented area where the ore cars are offloaded. This is our embarkation point for the journey up and around the monument. Hang on, though. It promises to be a wild ride!

A casual start turns frantic, as the temple gods are disturbed, sending our ore cars careening wildly around the temple spires and into a 360° loop. As part of an effort to relaunch interest in the coaster in spring 2000, Disney's Imagineers turned things around... literally. The attraction became Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril - Backwards!, with the cars covering the entire route in reverse. Everything was put back on the right track, though, in 2004, and the ride continues to thrill Disneyland Paris Guests year after year.

Colonel Hathi's

The red and white of a British colonial plantation house stands in stark contrast against the green, untamed jungles of Adventureland in Disneyland Paris. This is the home of Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost, or as it was known in the early years of the park... The Explorers Club.

Originally conceived as a table service location, the Explorers Club restaurant was converted to counter service within the park's first year of operation. The name and menu were changed (toward the odd juxtaposition of The Jungle Book and Italian cuisine) in 1995, in further deference to public demand.

Step inside, though, and you'll see that even after all these years, the restaurant still bears some of the unique stamps of the Explorers Club, a gathering place for adventurers from around the globe to display their findings and share tall tales of their exploits. Look around, and you may even spot the occasional "EC" logo:

What you'll definitely find is a collection of old photographs, letters, books, equipment and other items left by the members of the club. Created in the spirit of the former Adventurers Club on Pleasure Island at Walt Disney World, the Explorers Club even featured a cast of characters portraying famous individuals such as H.M. Stanley and David Livingstone.

The main dining room of the Explorers Club/Pizza Outpost is dominated by a giant tree, growing straight up through the floor. The members have embraced its presence, hanging lanterns and chandeliers from the tree's branches.

All around the room are murals, honoring well-known expeditions to the "four corners of the globe and beyond!"

And even though the members of the Explorer's Club have long since gone their separate ways, that's not to say the restaurant is completely unpopulated. These Audio-Animatronic toucans still peer down at diners from their lofty perch. They're what remains of several animated birds and animals which once interacted with the characters and guests of the Disneyland Paris Explorers Club restaurant.