点评:This review is for both the Disneyland Park and the Walt Disney Studios Park. Out of all the events of my summer vacation to Paris, Disneyland is the one I was mostly dreading to write a review about. Because I have so much to say, and you don’t have to stay with me. This is not a critique. This is a love letter.
This was my first trip to any Disney park ever in my life. I remember being a small child in Norway watching Disney-movies on VHS with my mom and my little siblings, and they ran ads for Disneyland Paris. Us being Europeans, it would be our primary chance of visiting a Disney park, and I remember my mom musing and asking me the way she always communicated when we were watching Disney-movies, if it wouldn't be nice to go there sometime. And I said yes, of course it would. I loved amusement parks. We had already been to most of the main Scandinavian ones, and even if my adrenaline addiction hadn't quite kicked in yet, they were still a favorite activity of mine. But time passed and money wasn't immense, and so we didn't go. So then, at the age of 33, I took myself.
Entering the premises of Disneyland Paris was like stepping back in time, and into an adventure. I had an intense feeling that I had been there before. In true Disney commercial fashion, of course I hadn't. It was just my long-term memory from the VHS ads of the 1990s that were running back home to me, but by God, it worked. I am not always type A, but on holiday, and particularly on solo holiday, I absolutely am. I planned so that I would be able to get lost and miss the train from Gare de Lyon twice and still make it for opening. And yes, I was there way before nine, and I could sit in the garden area outside the hotel, after the main entrance, and just wait for everything to open. And I figured I could sit there forever, watching the fountains and taking in the smell of the flowers like Ferdinand the bull, just quietly. But of course, I was ready at hand when the doors opened.
And what a gorgeous park it is. I have only been to this one, but I certainly believe the people who claim it the most beautiful among all the Disney parks. The greenery is gorgeous, the main street adventurous. I browsed through some shops for a while, before figuring I would buy stuff later - and did I ever - and then… Well, I suppose I needed my adrenaline. And as I saw a bunch of teenagers escaping from a large, pyramid-like, science fiction-esque building, hair disheveled and eyes wide as only a proper rollercoaster can make them, I figured… I wanna go there. And so, I had my first meeting with Hyperspace Mountain. Previously only called Space Mountain, and so it will become again, I hear. I am not a massive Star Wars fan, but I love the main theme music, and so the queuing up was decent enough. And thrilling, as you couldn’t see anything of what the ride looked like. I do admit, I was a bit nervous, when upon sitting down with my tiny purse and water bottle by my legs, I was told by the friendly yet firm cast member to just trust the science, I was a little anxious. I know the science. Trust it? If I need a belt, so do my belongings. Turns out… The science works. Who’d have known. Thereafter I went off on my favorite activity of the entire trip: Exploring the castle. Now, I am a true Disney princess girlie, and aside from the obvious classics of the Disney renaissance, during which I was lucky to be born, Sleeping Beauty is one of my ultimate favorite Disney movies. I remember getting it on VHS for my fifth birthday. It is a marvelous piece of artwork and a hidden feminist masterpiece. And the castle at Disneyland pays tribute to it so masterfully and creatively. Tip: There is a dragon under the castle. Trust the science.
I went exploring some more, had some bites, and then, time started flying, as it normally does. I was surprised at how efficient the queuing process and logistics of it all were. I had expected to have to prioritize strictly, but I really didn’t. The longest time spent in queue, was for Big Thunder Mountain, which was about an hour and ten minutes. Long for sure, but I have had worse at Liseberg, Gothenburg in high season on a weekend. This, being a weekday and promising a maximum temperature of 38 degrees, might have contributed to the relatively short queuing period. And boy, am I glad I waited for Big Thunder Mountain. I consider myself a bit of a rollercoaster fanatic. I love a good rollercoaster. Among my favorites are Balder at Liseberg, even after its time of construction 22 years ago considered among the best wooden rollercoasters in the world, and Rutschebanen at Tivoli in Copenhagen, one of the world’s oldest operating rollercoasters, constructed in 1914 and still bringing with it a manual break operator. Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland Paris fits lovely on the shelf with them. It is fun, fast for a rollercoaster of its kind, passing by gorgeous scenery, and going on forever.
When it neared mid-afternoon and the temperature rose above 35 degrees I sought to the shade and actually found a neat little spot for myself at an ordinary fast-food place tucked underneath a massive number of parasols. It was incredibly busy, the cast members as lovely as the place was crowded and I got a huge bunch of fries, chicken nuggets and a pint for 20 euros. A steal where amusement parks are concerned. I normally feel a little something when I have beers on an empty stomach, but the high temperature caused it to go right through me. Then I got on a few more rides, slipped into one of the little theaters to cool down, went by the cooling stations to do the same, and then slowly began my journey to The Disney Adventure Park.
This one was also amazing, and still under some construction, so I can’t wait to see what more they conjure up. The Frozen area was so appealing, even to someone who wasn’t brought up on it. I rode some wonderful rides, among them a Marvel-themed rollercoaster, and – one of my absolute favorites – The Hollywood Tower of Terror. Not knowing what to expect, that was one of the most thrilling rides I had ever been on. The young girl in the line before me tried to warn me. I didn’t listen. Joke’s on me.
After having spent a few hours, it neared evening, and I had to get some shopping done, and so that is what I headed back to Disneyland Park to do. And until then Paris had positively surprised me with how affordable it was. That will shock some people, but I am Norwegian, so you can guess what we’re used to. Until now. The prices didn’t shock me. Disney money isn’t real money. So my little nephews (I don’t have any nieces because my friends evidently lack the ability to produce them) got some really cool gifts from their auntie Ida, who apparently has more money than a footballer. And Ida also got some lovely little treats for herself, among them an Ariel-pin and a Maleficent and Aurora-pin that she has no idea when to use, except for her next trip, a T-shirt with the Aristocats, which was the first Disney movie she ever saw, a fridge magnet, and… well, the rose from Beauty and the Beast. Je ne regrette rien.
About the last one, here comes the story of why Disney today means as much, if not more to me, as it did in the 1990s: Beauty and the Beast is arguably the best Disney movie ever created. There is a reason it is so popular and that it resonates with so many. As is the Disney renaissance, as a whole. And one of the main architects of that period in Disney history, was a man named Howard Ashman. He was the man who was brought onto Disney in the late 1980s, and who introduced the concept of telling stories through music. He was an executive producer on Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, as well as the lyricist of half the songs of Aladdin and one from Oliver and Company. When creating Beauty and the Beast, he was dying of AIDS-related complications, whispering instructions to the voice actors over the phone from his hospital bed. And finishing the lyrics to Prince Ali in the same time and place. He was a true visionary, he was a genius, he was openly gay in a time where it certainly wasn’t socially accepted, his lyrics were and are pure poetry, and he wasn’t just the architect of the Disney renaissance. He made all of our childhoods a little more magical. And that was all I could think of as I stood and watched the gorgeous light show and fireworks at the end of the night, with so many people, parents, friends, couples – gay and straight – and solo travelers my own age, reveling in it. Howard Ashman died on March 14th 1991, months before Beauty and the Beast was finished. It was his little swan song. He was running out of time. Much like the beast is with his curse in the movie. And as such, I bought a gorgeous little glass sculpture of it, and a similar necklace, in his honor. They aren’t cheap artifacts. They are little staples of memory.
I initially decided to go to Disneyland, because it would be a once in a lifetime thing. I hope it’s now an annual thing.
Thanks for the memories. And thanks to the amazing, professional, exceptional cast members for making it what it is. You deserve to be paid the same as the very higher-ups at Disney for the work you do. I have never seen such professionalism and cordiality anywhere in the service industry. As a fellow service worker, I am truly inspired.
See you next year.
翻译:这篇评论既适用于迪士尼乐园,也适用于华特迪士尼 Studios 公园。在我整个巴黎之夏的经历中,迪士尼乐园是我最不想写评论的地方。因为我有太多话想说,而你们其实没必要听我唠叨。这并非一篇批评文章,而是一封情书。
这是我生平第一次前往任何一家迪士尼乐园。我还记得小时候在挪威,和妈妈以及年幼的弟妹们一起观看VHS录像带里的迪士尼电影。他们播放了巴黎迪士尼乐园的广告。作为欧洲人,那对我们来说正是去迪士尼乐园游玩的绝佳机会。我记得当时妈妈若有所思地问我——她在我们一起看迪士尼电影时一贯使用的那种询问方式——说以后有机会去那里玩会不会很不错。我当然回答说是啊,肯定很棒。我超爱游乐园的。我们之前已经去过斯堪的纳维亚地区的大多数主要游乐园了,虽说那时我对刺激体验的渴望还没完全被激发出来。它们依然是我最喜欢的活动。但时光流逝,我们的钱也不多,所以我们始终没去成。直到33岁那年,我决定自己去。
走进巴黎迪士尼乐园的那一刻,仿佛时光倒流,我瞬间置身于一场冒险之中。我有一种强烈的感觉,好像以前来过这里。当然,以迪士尼一贯的广告手法来看,我其实从来没来过。只不过是90年代时在家乡播放的VHS广告在我的长期记忆中留下了印象罢了。不过说真的,这种效果简直太棒了。我并非总是那种做事一丝不苟的人,但在度假时,尤其是独自度假时,我绝对就是那样。我特意做了周密的计划,这样就算我迷路了,或者两次错过从里昂车站发车的火车,也依然能赶上开业时间。没错,我在九点之前就到了,可以坐在酒店正门外的花园里,静静等待一切开始营业。我觉得自己可以永远坐在那里,像公牛费迪南德一样,欣赏着喷泉,嗅着花香。只是静静地站着罢了。不过,当大门打开时,我当然立刻就出现在了现场。
那真是个绝美的公园啊。我只去过这一座迪士尼公园,但我完全相信那些说它是所有迪士尼公园中最美的人所言不虚。那里的绿植繁茂动人,主街道则充满冒险气息。我在几家商店里逛了一会儿,后来想着东西可以以后再买——结果后来我还真买了很多呢。接着……嗯,我想我当时需要来点刺激。就在那时,我看见一群青少年从一座巨大的……那是一座呈金字塔形状、充满科幻风格的建筑;我的头发凌乱不堪,双眼瞪得大大的——只有坐过刺激的过山车才会有这种反应。我心想……我想去那里。于是,我第一次体验了“ hyperspace mountain ”。以前它只被称作“太空山”,据说以后也会恢复原名。我算不上狂热的《星球大战》粉丝,但我很喜欢它的主题音乐,所以排队等候的过程倒也算愉快。由于完全看不到游乐设施的样子,这种体验确实令人心潮澎湃。说实话,我当时还有点紧张。当我坐下后,把小钱包和水瓶放在腿边,那位友善但态度坚定的工作人员告诉我:只要相信科学就行。当时我有点紧张。我当然了解那些科学原理,但真的要全盘信任吗?如果我需要安全带,我的随身物品也同样需要啊。结果证明……科学确实靠谱。谁能想到呢。之后,我便开始进行整个旅程中最喜欢的活动:游览城堡。我可是个地道的迪士尼公主迷,除了那些经典的迪士尼复兴时期作品外……在我有幸出生的那个年代,《睡美人》是我最喜爱的迪士尼电影之一。我还记得五岁生日时收到了它的VHS录像带。这是一部堪称杰作的艺术作品,也是一部隐藏着的女权主义经典之作。迪士尼乐园里的城堡更是对它的致敬之作——既巧妙又富有创意。小贴士:城堡下面有一只龙哦。相信科学吧。
之后我又继续四处逛了逛,吃了些东西,接着时间便像往常一样飞快地流逝了。让我惊讶的是,整个排队流程和物流运作竟如此高效。我原以为自己必须严格按优先级来安排游玩顺序,但实际上并没有必要。排队时间最长的项目是大雷山过山车,也才大约1小时10分钟而已。虽然也算挺长的,但在旅游旺季的周末,我在哥德堡的里瑟本游乐园排过更久的队呢。这天是工作日,预报的最高气温高达38度,这或许也是排队时间相对较短的原因之一吧。天哪。真高兴我耐心等待着大雷山过山车的开放。我自认是个过山车狂热爱好者,特别喜欢优秀的过山车。我最喜欢的过山车有:里瑟本游乐园的“巴尔德”号——即便在22年前建成之初,它就被公认为世界上最出色的木制过山车之一;还有哥本哈根蒂沃利公园的“Rutschebanen”号——这是世界上仍在运行的最古老的过山车之一,建于1914年,至今仍配有人工制动员来控制刹车。巴黎迪士尼乐园的巨雷山与它们搭配起来相当合适。它十分有趣,对于同类过山车来说速度也很快,沿途能欣赏到绝美的风景,而且运行时间也相当长。
午后时分,气温升至35度以上,我便寻找阴凉处。最终在一家被大量遮阳伞遮蔽的普通快餐店找到了一个不错的小角落。那里人头攒动,热闹非凡。演员们都很可爱,场地也人头攒动。我花了20欧元就买到了一大份薯条、鸡块以及一杯啤酒。对于游乐园来说,这简直是超值优惠啊。平时我空腹喝啤酒会有些反应,但当时的高温让酒精直接从体内挥发掉了。之后我又玩了几个游乐项目,溜进一家小剧院里乘凉,又去了降温站降温,随后才慢慢踏上前往迪士尼冒险乐园的旅程。这个景点同样棒极了,目前仍在建设中,所以我迫不及待想看看他们还会打造出什么惊喜。“冰雪奇缘”主题区特别吸引人,即便对于不是从小看着《冰雪奇缘》长大的人来说也是如此。我体验了好多超棒的游乐项目,其中包括一条漫威主题的过山车,还有我最喜欢的——好莱坞恐怖塔。因为事先完全不知道会是什么样,这成了我有生以来最刺激的一次乘坐体验。排在我前面的小女孩试图提醒我,但我没听进去。我真是自作自受啊。
花了几个小时后,天色已近傍晚,我还需要去买些东西,于是便返回迪士尼乐园去购物。在此之前,巴黎的物价之低廉着实让我惊喜不已。这可能会让一些人感到惊讶,但我是挪威人,所以你们能想象我们平时面对的物价水平吧。直到现在,这些价格也并没有让我感到震惊。毕竟,迪士尼里的货币根本算不上真正的钱嘛。我的小侄子们(我没有侄女,显然我的朋友们不具备生女孩的能力)从他们的艾达姑姑那里收到了一些超酷的礼物,显然艾达姑姑的钱多得能赶上足球运动员了。艾达自己也买了一些超可爱的小玩意儿:一枚爱丽儿胸针、一枚麦克拉和奥罗拉胸针——不过她完全不知道什么时候能派上用场,只能留到下次旅行时用;还有一件印着《猫儿历险记》图案的T恤,那是她看过的第一部迪士尼电影;一个冰箱贴,还有……嗯,就是这样。《美女与野兽》中的那朵玫瑰。我毫无遗憾。
至于最后一点,下面要讲的是为什么时至今日,迪士尼对我而言仍然和20世纪90年代时一样重要,甚至更加重要:《美女与野兽》可以说是有史以来最出色的迪士尼电影。它之所以如此受欢迎、能引起如此多人的共鸣,自然是有原因的。整个迪士尼的复兴时期也是如此。而那段迪士尼历史时期的主要缔造者之一,就是一个名叫霍华德·阿什曼的人。他是在20世纪80年代末被招入迪士尼的人,也是引入“用音乐来讲述故事”这一理念的先驱。他担任了《美女与野兽》和《小美人鱼》的执行制片人,还为《阿拉丁》中一半的歌曲以及《奥利弗与公司》中的一首歌填写了歌词。在制作《美女与野兽》期间,他正因艾滋病并发症命在旦夕,却仍然躺在病床上通过电话向配音演员们传达指导意见。也是在同一时间、同一地点,他完成了《Prince Ali》的歌词创作。他是一位真正的先驱,一位天才;在那个同性恋远未被社会接纳的时代,他毫不掩饰自己的性取向。他的歌词过去是、现在依然是纯粹的诗歌。他不仅是迪士尼复兴的奠基人,还让我们所有人的童年都变得更加神奇。夜幕降临,当我和众多家长、朋友们一起站立着观赏那绝美的灯光秀与烟花时,我的脑海里想的只有这些。情侣们——同性恋和异性恋都有——还有和我年龄相仿的独自旅行的年轻人,都沉浸其中,乐不可支。霍华德·阿什曼于1991年3月14日去世,那时《美女与野兽》还未制作完成。那算是他的绝唱吧。他的时间所剩无几,就像电影里被施了诅咒的野兽一样。正因如此,为了纪念他,我买下了一件精美的玻璃雕塑复制品,还有一条类似的项链。这些可都不是便宜的物件,它们是我记忆中的重要载体。
我最初决定去迪士尼乐园。因为这种活动一生只有一次。我希望以后它能每年都举办。
感谢这些美好的回忆。也要感谢那些出色、专业又优秀的演职人员,正是你们的付出才让活动如此成功。你们的辛勤工作值得获得与迪士尼高层同等的报酬。我在服务业中从未见过如此专业且友善的团队。作为一名同样从事服务业的人,我真的深受鼓舞。
明年见。