Fantasyland, the place where childhood fantasies come to life. Behind the Sleeping Beauty castle lies a land of enchantment and fairy tales. It is here that one can soar over London; take a cruise around the world; take flight aboard a flying elephant and get lost in Wonderland. But is it the best land in Disneyland Paris?
Fantasyland: The most beautiful land?
Fantasyland takes its inspiration from different European looks. Immediately upon exiting the Château de la belle au bois dormant, we find ourselves in a German-looking area. Moving around, we find a beautiful small river meandering through the land with willow trees around Peter Pan’s Flight. This adds to the make-believe atmosphere of the land, the Disney imagineers and gardening teams have created a dreamscape for us all to play in and allow us to relax in a fun and beautiful environment. As we move around the land, we see character topiaries surrounding the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups attraction. The “it’s a small world” façade, adds a colourful and playful charm to an area that takes its influence from a more Italian perspective. The area loops used in Fantasyland also make for an enjoyable listen. In the area directly behind the castle, the carousel loop provides a whimsical charm to the area and towards the rear of the land, the Italian loop provides a fun and head-bopping soundtrack.
Shops
Fantasyland is home to a few stores, but each of these has been designed to a level of outstanding beauty. Inside the Castle is situated the imaginatively-named La boutique du Château [The Castle Store] offering Disneyland Paris Christmas merchandise. The shop is simple, but festive, in themeing and the inclusion of Christmas in a fanciful environment is a stroke of genius. The other shop inside the Castle is Merlin l’Enchanteur, this store specializes in high-end collectible merchandise such as crystalised glassware. Within this store, Cast Members can be viewed at work creating these works of art. Other noteworthy stores located within Fantasyland include La Chaumière des Sept Nains, this store includes a beautiful recreation of the Dwarfs cottage and sells a variety of Princess merchandise. Finally, Sir Mickey’s Boutique offers one of the widest ranges plush toys in the entire resort in a menagerie environment. Shopping in Fantasyland is nothing but a pleasure and is one of the strongest elements of the land.
Restaurants
One of the biggest considerations of any Disneyland Paris trip is where to eat. Luckily, Fantasyland provides an option to suit all budgets and tastes. Au Chalet de la Marionette serves a range of German-inspired food options in a Pinocchio Bavarian atmosphere. The Bavarian Hot Dog is a fan favourite with its delicious taste and Currywurst sauce. Toad Hall is a thoroughly British affair serving Fish and Chips in a regal setting. The Pizzeria Bella Notte is inspired by the film The Lady and the Tramp, Italian food is on the menu here with an Italian, romantic atmosphere. For those looking for more refined dining, the Auberge de Cendrillon is the perfect setting to eat high-quality French food whilst meeting your favourite Disney prince and princesses.
Fantasyland certainly does offer guests the best of all kinds of dining options which will suit a range of Disneyland Paris guest.
Characters
Naturally, when one thinks of a fairytale kingdom, we expect to see our favourite Disney characters. This is also true in Fantasyland. Here guests can meet the Disney princesses daily in their own special location: The Princess Pavilion. Mickey Mouse himself will also meet guests daily backstage at his own theatre. Other themed character meet locations include the exit to Alice’s Curious Labyrinth where the characters from the classic film Alice in Wonderland regularly meet. Characters from the Winnie the Pooh series are also frequently found in this land. Fantasyland sees random meets with great Disney characters, meaning you never know who you may see around each corner!
Rides
The rides in Fantasyland are very family orientated. This means that the land is a fun playground for Children of all ages. Here, guests find Disney classics such as Peter Pan’s Flight; Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups and Dumbo: The Flying Elephant. These rides, or variations of, exist in all of the Disney resorts around the world. Disneyland Paris’s Fantasyland also offers some unique elements such as the Alice’s Curious Labyrinth and its version of Storybook Canals which features the Cave of Wonders and Beast’s Castle. Many of the rides here are such Disney classics that a trip would not be complete without taking in many of them.
Overview
Fantasyland allows guests to lose themselves in a fantasy for the length of time that they find themselves in the land. It is a land that offers a lot to each type of guest and has a good range and variety of things to do.
The Positives
- Excellent Character Meets.
- Good range of food options.
- Rides that are considered Disney Classics.
- Enchanting Boutiques.
The negatives
- No thrill rides, however this would not fit the environment.
- It would be nice to have a mid-budget food option.
- Whilst the boutiques are a delight, there is perhaps not as big of a range as there could be within the stores.
Do let me know what you love about Fantasyland either in the comments below, or on social media!