People in Paris, France were very protective of their distinctive culture, so when Michael Eisner came to Paris France in 1989 to sell stock for a new Disneyland theme park, he was surprised to see protestors throwing eggs and waving “Disney Go Home” signs. The launch of Euro Disney did not initially look promising. Then there was the cold, the rain and the occasional bouts of bad weather that made France an unlikely contender. However, 13 years later, the second Disney park — the $610 million Disney Studios — was just opening up and chairman Robert Fitzpatrick told TIME Magazine, “My biggest fear is that we will be too successful.”

Despite its current success of $37.7 million in profit, 86% occupancy and 12 million visitors each year, Euro Disney in Paris got off to a rough start. Initially, the Disney crew believed that Europeans were ready to immerse themselves into a “totally American experience.” After all, the Disney movies sold better in Europe than they did in the U.S., and Hong Kong Disney was outperforming Disneyland in Anaheim. However, they had to make some changes to accommodate a multicultural audience. Now they sell espresso at refreshment stands, wine and beer with lunch and hand out park maps in six different languages. Currently the Disney strategy is to expand beyond the French market to attract other European visitors (40% of all tourists come from France) and to encourage people to stay at the parks and resorts longer, since the average stay is only about 2 days, compared to 4 to 5 in other parks.

Disneyland in Paris has so much to see and do, and it can be hard to cram the whole experience into just one day. The castle is sort of overshadowed by the real castles throughout France, but locals still love to enter the “Dragon Cave” where they will see one of the park’s neatest animatronics — the dragon! Another thing to look for are Disney characters walking around, including Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, the princesses and other characters can often be spotted for photo ops and autographs. Some of the most worthwhile shows to look out for include the Honey I Shrunk The Audience 3-D Movie in Discoveryland, the Animagique at the Disney Studios park, the Armageddon Special Effects show at Disney Studios, the Moteurs! Action stunt car show at the Walt Disney Studio park and Lion King musical in Discoveryland.

Disneyland has now overtaken the Eiffel Tower Paris hotel region as the most popular attraction in the country. The 12 million annual tourists pouring into the parks can sometimes make the lines, the dinner reservations and the crowded walkways almost unbearable. The best times to visit are on weekdays outside of public holidays and traditional school vacations. The least-crowded months are from September to October and May to June. Since the French weather can be iffy, June will probably offer the most pleasant climate. There are also special offers during this time, like 3 days for the price of 2 days, including hotel stays. To avoid waiting in lines, hotel guests may enter the Paris parks an hour early and stay an hour late on select days. Also, any visitor can use their admission ticket to pick up “fast passes” for the most popular rides, which allows them to return during a set hour to bypass the long wait times.

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