Walt Disney Studios

March 16th 2002 saw the gates open on this - the first for any Disney park outside the US.
You will be able to see what the Studios have to offer in a day, but this will mean a little planning. When you arrive, be sure to stop at Studio Services - on the right as you enter the Studios and before you enter Studio 1 - and pick up a timetable. This is essential as many of the Studio attractions are shows and occur at certain times. The following shows are timetabled:
The Parade – 1.30 and 6.00 (in peak times)
Cinemagique – every 45 minutes
Moteurs Action! – 5 or 6 times a day
Sister Act – about twice a day
The following shows are continuous loaders:
The Art Of Disney Animation
Television Production Tour
And Armageddon, The Rock 'n Roller Coaster, Studio Tram Tour and Flying Carpets are essentially rides.

The Current visitor patterns for the Walt Disney Studios suggest about a 1:4 guest ratio in favour of the Disneyland Park (Magic Kingdom). Although that might imply a relatively quiet day in the Studios, there are fewer attractions and therefore less to do and so the actual attractions may well be as busy. Other factors, which have a major impact on the queue lengths, include the timing of the Stunt show (when it ends, 4000 people pour out, just looking for something to ride!) and the various other shows' endings, such as Cinemagique and Animagique .

However, in late July 2003, the numbers in the Studio were such that queues were few throughout the day and entering the attractions generally stress-free. The proximity of the two parks also allows for mass migrations at certain times, notably about half an hour before the Main Street Electrical Parade in the Disneyland Park (Magic Kingdom) and shortly after the Studios close for the evening - in peak times at about 8.30pm. The signs are that the Studios has not yet found its rhythm in terms of visitor movements but expect this to start happening in the next few months as repeat visitors arrive, armed with the knowledge of what they want to do, and when. For now, our advice is to visit the Disneyland Park (Magic Kingdom) first and the Studios in the mid to late afternoon.

One-day itinerary - the Studios
The first thing to be aware of is that Disney have departed from their normal planning concepts somewhat in the Walt Disney Studios. Most of the attractions are in the form of shows as opposed to rides and the actual layout of the park is quite different. Instead of a Central Hub, Lights, Camera, Hollywood, a covered version of Sunset Boulevard, acts as the channelling entrance for the park. As this is also an interactive attraction, it will slow large numbers of people, particularly those with children, who will spend some time there before moving into the open areas of the park. When you do get past this, you find the big attractions - the crowd pullers - are all in the far left of the park, whilst those demanding a more pensive and studied visit are to the right. The present exception to this is the Flying Carpets ride, which is likely to attract hordes of under-13s. The introduction of FastPass has changed the way you approach the WDS and it's now necessary to check the times of the shows prior to entry. Our advice (below) is to see three shows first, and then savour what the rest of the park has to offer using FastPass. It's smaller than the Magic Kingdom so you won't need to spend as long, here, but there will still be a great deal to do and see.

To get the most from a single day in the Walt Disney Studios when they open at 10.00am, follow this plan.
1. Head for Studio Services (to your right immediately after entering) and pick up a copy of the show and parade schedule.
2. Do not stop in Lights, Camera, Hollywood but press on through.
3. Turn right as you leave and walk towards the next building on the right, which houses Animagique. The first showing is at 1030, but they'll be letting you in to sit down immediately.
4. On leaving (the show lasts about 30 minutes) turn left, cross in front of the Studio 1 and bear left towards Cinemagique. You'll arrive just as they're letting in the next audience.
5. Exit following the show (naturally!) and walk forwards, bearing left towards Rock and Roller Coaster and The Car driving stunt show where you will join the masses pouring into the 4000 seater stadium for the next show. Watch the show - it's very good, if somewhat noisy. When you exit, it will be time for lunch. Before lunch, get a Fast Pass for the Rock and Roller Coaster Eat at one of the many restaurants, En Coulisse, Rendez-Vous des Stars, Backlot Express or any of the numerous food carts.
6. After lunch, line up for Armageddon Ride. This ride is brand new and nothing like it exists in any other Disney Park in the world, so it will attract a lot of people in its first years of operation.
7. Turn Right out of Armageddon and head straight for the Rock 'n Roller Coaster Ride, using your previously obtained FastPass tickets.
8. Turn left out of the Coaster ride and head for the Studio Tram Tour, cutting through the little path that keeps Armageddon to your right and ride the tram. The tour should only have a wait of about ten minutes, as they should bring more ride vehicles into play to match the visitor numbers. It's also worth riding this while a stunt show is in progress. Effectively, 4000 people will have been taken out of the park for the duration of the show.
9. Turn left from the tram exit and head towards Animation Courtyard, collect FastPass tickets for the Flying Carpets and head for the Art of Disney Animation and enjoy the workshops.
10. It's now about 3 - 4pm, and you've already experienced most of the major attractions.
11. Visit Lights, Camera, Hollywood at the front entrance, which will be pleasantly quiet now and then, for the remainder of the day, revisit the rides, which you've enjoyed the most. Expect substantial queues at Armageddon, Rock 'n Roller Coaster and the Studio Tram Tour by this time.

To get the most from a single day in the Walt Disney Studios when they open at 9.00am, follow this plan for the first hour, and then revert to step 4 in the original plan, above.
1. Head for Studio Services (to your right immediately after entering) and pick up a copy of the show and parade schedule.
2. Do not stop in Lights, Camera, Hollywood, but press on through.
3. Turn left as you leave and head towards the far left end of the park, keeping Cinemagique and the Disney Channel buildings to your left.
4. Line up for Armageddon ride. This ride is brand new and nothing like it exists in any other Disney Park in the world, so it will attract a lot of people in its first years of operation.
5. Turn Right out of Armageddon and head straight for the Rock 'n Roller Coaster ride.
6. Turn left out of the Coaster ride, head for the Studio Tram Tour cutting through the little path that keeps Armageddon to your right and ride the tram.