Characters from films including Ratatouille and The Princess and the Frog were unveiled at Disneyland Paris this weekend, ready for the official launch of the park’s New Generation Festival on April 2.
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| Girl band The Saturdays attended the preview weekend, and are seen here with new character Princess Tiana |
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| Shane Richie and his family meet characters Sulley and Mike at the new Monsters Inc Scream Academy |
The year-long festival will see the addition of several characters to the park, a new open-air show, changes to two of its most popular parades, and more opportunities to meet characters.
International press and celebrities were given a preview of the attractions this weekend. Disney Destinations International vice-president and managing director Hugh Wood told TTG that the festival would heighten interest in the resort, thanks to a high-profile TV and print marketing campaign.
“We hope that all the marketing will help get customers on the phone to their travel agent, and lots of people are telling us they’ve watched the TV advert,” he said.
On March 12-14, Disneyland Paris held its biggest nationwide retail sales weekend of the year, with 2,000 shops receiving promotional New Generation Festival packs to help decorate their store.
Wood explained: “We wanted agents to muck in and have fun, and we’ve had loads of photos of decorated windows and agents dressed up as characters, including Snow White and Buzz Lightyear.”
He said the New Generation Festival will give consumers an additional reason to visit the park, explaining: “Disney has pretty good brand affinity, and when you ask people if they plan to visit they say ‘yes’, but in a given year only a small percentage of those people will show up at the gates. The logic of they year-long festival is to give people a particular reason to come this year.”
The New Generation Festival includes:
• Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog joins the Princess float in the Once Upon a Dream Parade, and will be available for autographs and photos around the park for the first time.
• Ratatouille characters Remy and Emile appear for the first time, joining the daily Stars ‘n’ Cars parade in a new car designed especially for them. A new dance routine featuring them has also been added into the parade.
• The Disney All Stars Express is a new train that delivers characters into the park, ready to meet guests and sign autographs. Characters onboard include Buzz Lightyear, Woody and The Incredibles.
• The Disney Showtime Spectacular is an open-air musical show in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, and it is the first time a show has featured so many different characters, including all the newcomers.
• The Monsters Inc Scream Academy provides the opportunity to meet stars from the film and scream into Scream Monitors.
Later this summer Disneyland Paris will open Toy Story Playland, which includes three new attractions. Wood said another trade sales weekend is planned to help promote the launch.
