Cold and snowy days, early night fall… the early days of the year are still deep winter – even so the days are getting longer again.
Visiting Disneyland Paris at this time of the year, right after the end of the Christmas season and prior to the onset of spring, has disadvantages (especially the cold temperatures but also the limited off-season entertainment schedule and the start of the seasonal rehabs resulting in the closure of selected attractions) but also quite a few advantages – not the least of which is the special pricing at the Disney hotels and especially the low crowds in the theme parks making many rides a walk-on and resulting in characters at Meet’n'Greets (especially in the Disney Hotels) having more time to spend one-on-one with guests.
But there is another advantage: being able to enjoy the Walt Disney Studios Park after night fall! As the park in its 9th year still continues to close comparatively early – even during the summer season – the winter half year is the best – if not practically the only real – opportunity for guests to walk through the Walt Disney Studios Park and take a look at the park’s light design. Such a rare treat that it is sometimes hard to remember, whether a certain effect has been there since day one or whether it has been added in the process of plussing the park. Example? Take a look at the giant sorcerer’s hat that is part of the building housing the Disney Art of Animation attraction at the boundary of the Toon Studios. While already adorned with some bright silver stars mounted on the hat structure itself, night fall reveals an array of small stars projected on the hat’s side facing into the Toon Studios. New effect or there for a long time already? In any case one of many elements of the lighting design worth checking out…
