Get Your Moteurs Running

By far the largest, most complex attraction at Walt Disney Studios Park has to be Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular. This Paris original, since exported to Disney's Hollywood Studios in the form of Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show, brings to life the high octane thrill of seeing precision vehicle stunts executed on an enormous outdoor movie set.

Approaching the stadium for the show, the audience is treated to a look inside the real garage where the stunt vehicles are carefully maintained, as well as a view of the not-so-real (although very realistic looking) production equipment being unloaded for the day's shoot.

Those familiar with the Florida version of the show would find this iteration nearly identical, with the exception of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror looming in the background and a heavier dose of French language. The park even introduced Lightning McQueen (here known as Flash McQueen) into the show earlier this year, just as he was at Walt Disney World.

As similar as the experience is, though, what I always appreciate most are the subtle differences. We arrived at the stadium as the show was beginning, but while other Guests hurried to their seats, my eye was drawn to the restrooms. More specifically, I was intrigued by the restroom signs, a Disney Parks detail for which I have an unhealthy obsession. The ones at Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular, designed to look like dashboard gauges, did not disappoint.

Located near the exit of the stunt show is Cafe des Cascadeurs (Stuntman Cafe), the only full table service restaurant in the park (Restaurant des Stars, where Chef Remy appears, is the fanciest establishment, but operates as a buffet). Designed to look like a mid-century American diner, Cafe des Cascadeurs serves traditional fair, from hot dogs to hamburgers.

The restaurant also serves up a cool photo op with this motorcycle and sidecar parked out front. It's a great place for some storytelling props, as well as a word from the location's presenting sponsor, Coca-Cola. As the plaque on the side of the cart says about that frosty, delicious beverage: "It keeps a cool head in the heat of the moment!" Sounds perfect, whether you're performing stunts or just spending a day touring the studio.

They Call It Bella Notte

On the outskirts of Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris is an unassuming cluster of buildings that brings a bit of Italian flair to the stretch between Sleeping Beauty Castle and It's a Small World. This is Pizzeria Bella Notte, a structure which looks as though it has stood several centuries (instead of just two decades), all thanks to the Imagineering art of character painting.

Pizzeria Bella Notte is dominated by an open courtyard for dining, complete with marble sculpture and a beautiful tile mosaic floor. Legend has it some of the pieces of tile here came from one of Mary Blair's murals done for Tomorrowland at Disneyland in 1967.

The exterior is classic Italian, even to the point that one of the facades seems to be listing a bit on an ancient foundation.

Step inside, though, and the decor transitions a bit from realistic to more exaggerated and "cartoonish."

Here is where you'll also come across references to the Disney film from which the restaurant gets its name, Lady and the Tramp. Famous Italian restaurateurs Tony and Joe are immortalized in stone columns, as well as frescoes recounting that "lovely bella notte" when Butch fell in love with the "cockerel-Spanish girl."

Between Pizzeria Bella Notte and the Castle Stage is another fun little corner. An ancient-looking stone facade creates a transition, bridging the looks of Italy and a medieval fairytale castle. The structure itself isn't much, but it does house restrooms. Regular readers of this blog know that one of my favorite Disney details is custom restroom signs, and this spot doesn't disappoint. The identifiers for men and women are painted on the stone walls, using the likenesses of Aurora's parents, the king and queen from Sleeping Beauty.

Pinocchio Village

In Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris, the Italian-inspired tale of Pinocchio extends well beyond the dark-ride attraction, creating an entire village of charming cottages. Located near the exit of the attraction is La Bottega di Geppetto ("bottega" is Italian for "shop," of course). Inside Geppetto's workshop, you'll find dozens of hand-carved toys and cuckoo clocks, including several examples straight from the film.

Pulled up along the side of a road near the outskirts of the village is this colorful wagon. The vendor may be offering soft pretzels by day, but a look at the door on the side of the wagon reveals who calls this his (mobile) home - Stromboli!

Around the bend, we come into the main part of the village, a collection of buildings comprising Au Chalet de la Marionnette restaurant.

Similar to the Pinocchio Village Haus at the Magic Kingdom Park, this restaurant is divided into sections representing different shops, taverns and other places in the town. The counter service area of the restaurant is more open and meant to depict the town square, with colorful tapestries strung from building to building obscuring the view of the sky.

Throughout the restaurant, artwork in the form of carvings, sculpture and murals continue to tell the story of the little wooden boy and his adventures.

Some fun bits in the artwork include the little gingerbread donkey boys in the Pleasure Island mural (above) and Figaro by the "Exit" sign (below). Fans familiar with the Village Haus Restaurant at Disneyland may know the story of how a similar "Exit" sign there was installed off center. Rather than redo it, the Imagineers on the project painted an image of Figaro the cat, pulling the sign with a rope. Here in Paris, the sign was installed correctly, and Figaro couldn't be more pleased!

The storytelling in this section of Fantasyland is really thorough, carrying details from Pinocchio into every corner. The restrooms are marked by images of tiny marionettes, and even the transition to the next land is handled with skill. Just like Peter Pan, the Pinocchio village borders Adventureland. In this case, the room of the restaurant nearest that end recalls the moments Pinocchio and his father spent in the belly of Monstro the whale. The exterior on the Adventureland side then forgoes the village look and instead resembles the outside of a wrecked ship.

A Frontier of Infinite Detail

Frontierland at Disneyland Paris (just like every other area of that park) is full of incredible details that work together to weave a rich storytelling tapestry. We've seen many of those in the past few weeks here on the blog, but as we wrap up our exploration of Frontierland, I have a few more favorites to share with you.

Pictured above is the Frontierland dedication plaque, the sort of thing you don't typically see much of in Disney Parks. It's mounted just inside the land, after you pass through Fort Comstock. Be sure to click on the photo to read the inscription... in English or French; your choice.

Walking through Frontierland, there are so many little moments like the well pictured below. The land would have been pretty spectacular with just the main attractions and other facilities, but it's small details like this and the horse and wagon tracks in the ground, that fill in the gaps and make Thunder Mesa feel like a real place.

Popcorn wagons get the story treatment, too. Check out the props and the reference to the Thunder Mesa Mercantile. There's even a little gauchito turning the crank inside to "make the popcorn."

The Mexican culture we saw at Fuente del Oro carries over to the nearby guest restrooms, with the same sort of adobe construction. As always, I really appreciate a level of storytelling detail that even reaches the point of the identifying signs for the men's and women's restrooms.

Just like Main Street before it, Frontierland at Disneyland Paris displays a variety of period-appropriate ads, including this one for the Thunder Mesa Barber Shop where you can get a shave and a haircut for two bits (that's 25 cents to you and me).

There's even a touch of Hidden Disney in a corner of Frontierland. Beneath the sign for Huntington Mill is a reference to a Jack O'Ferges. Well, it turns out Jack Ferges is one of the legends of Imagineering, who happened to work in the model shop at WDI around the time Tony Baxter and several other members of the Disneyland Paris design team got started with the company. This is their tribute to one of their early mentors.

Mosey on Back to Town

Heading back down into the town of Thunder Mesa, you'll find there are many more little corners to discover in this part of Frontierland. The stretch of buildings pictured above includes an Assay Office, Eureka Mining Supplies and a boot maker's shop, not to mention great details like the wagon wheels on the merchandise carts, the long skirts and aprons on the cast members and the authentic wooden sidewalk. Look closely at the end of the sidewalk. You'll see that, instead of just building in a ramp for wheelchair access, the Imagineers accomplished the same thing by building up the "dirt" along the sidewalk.

The first business on this block, the Assay Office, is merely a facade, but it's an important part of the Thunder Mesa story. In the western territories, assayers would receive deposits from prospectors and determine the quality and quantity of the precious metals contained in them. Since many folks at this time couldn't read, the office facade includes an example of visual literacy, communicating it's service with an image of a scale loaded with gold nuggets and counterweights.

The first real shop on the block is the Eureka Mining Co. The word "eureka" comes from ancient Greek and loosely translates as "I've found it!" Eureka became associated with the California Gold Rush of 1849 and went on to become the official state motto.

The interior of the space is stocked floor to ceiling with mining equipment of all sorts (along with a variety of Disneyland Resort Paris souvenirs). There's even an old lift elevator, which legend says connects directly to the Big Thunder mine.

Further along the trail is Tobias Norton & Sons, Frontier Traders. Major Tobias Norton was a character played by William Bakewell in the Davy Crockett episodes of the "Disneyland" anthology series.

Here, Norton is a trapper and trader, a story fleshed out in the details inside. There are tools of the trade, various animal hides and furs, items traded from Native American tribes in the area and a collection of photographs of some of the more famous folks with whom Norton has done business - among them Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley.

The Thunder Mesa Mercantile building at the center of town houses Bonanza Outfitters.

Bonanza Outfitters is a general store, carrying a wide range of items from duster coats to barbed wire... and, apparently, Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise (I suppose there's a connection of a sort to nearby Phantom Manor). Purists needn't worry, though. There's also plenty of uniquely Frontierland items here, including genuine cowboy boots, hats, children's costumes, toy guns and candy "gun" powder.

For an even more authentic experience, head on over to the Last Chance Cafe. Be warned, though. The bullet holes in the sign out front are your first indication that the clientele who belly-up to this bar isn't quite as refined as who you might encounter at a more reputable establishment like the Lucky Nugget.

Inside, the walls of the Last Chance Cafe are papered with Wanted posters and offers for reward, and fellas who've stopped to wet their whistle before hitting the trail have deposited saddles, satchels, holsters and rope wherever they could find a spot, before hitting the hammered-copper counter for a whiskey (or Coca-Cola) from the barkeep.

Well, that'll about do it for this stretch of Frontierland. Thunder Mesa is just one corner of this vast section of the park, however, so be sure to check back next week for much more. In the meantime, I'll leave you with one last thing: this restroom sign from inside the Silver Spur Steakhouse. I love the images of the frontier lady and gentleman, the antique telephone, the metal framing around the sign and perhaps best of all, the wonderful texture of the wallpaper. Once again, it's the kind of attention to detail that constantly astounds me when visiting Disney Parks around the world.