Despite numerous travel delays (I was bumped by my airline to another carrier) and technical difficulties that have left me stranded at Chicago's O'Hare airport for the night, I am on my way to Disneyland Paris for a week-long research trip. Five days of photography, sketches, notes, observations and conversations. Just trying to immerse myself as much as possible. Because of the perceived 'higher standards' of a European audience, Disneyland Paris was designed completely from scratch. The familiar hub-and-spoke 'Magic Kingdom' model remains, as do most of the signature attractions in one form or another. Yet unlike Tokyo Disneyland (a near perfect combination of the original Disneyland and Orlando's Magic Kingdom) or Hong Kong Disneyland (which replicates Anaheim's original Main Street and castle with exacting detail), the French demanded a high degree of originality in their version. Accordingly, nearly every design element is cut from whole cloth, despite being influenced by past iterations. Familiar icons such as the central castle, Main Street, and entire lands (Tomorrowland is a bold, steampunk-esque Victorian 'Discoveryland') are markedly different and in some cases unrecognizable.
I look forward to soaking all this in over the next several days. Hopefully (and public wi-fi willing) I will have nightly comments and photos up. If i ever leave Chicago, that is.