Tag: Disneyland&reg Paris –

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5 of the Best Firework Displays around the World

Fireworks, love them or hate them, they’re going to be a big part of this weekend as the country gets together to celebrate Bonfire Night.

But when done properly, firework displays can be pretty spectacular. Lighting up the night’s sky in a kaleidoscope of colours, creating some of the most entertaining shows on earth.
So, as many places across the UK set the sparks going and host their own bonfires, if you’ve decided to keep snug and stay indoors, why not read about some of our favourite firework displays from around the world?

Sydney

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As one of the first countries in the world to welcome in the New Year, you can be sure to count on Australia to see it in with a bang.
And one of the most iconic sights of New Year’s Eve is seeing the Sydney Harbour lit up with a dazzling display of pyrotechnics, right as we wake up on NYE itself.
We might not be there for the fireworks, but if you’re thinking ahead to welcome in 2018 in style, we’re heading off on our inaugural tour of Oz in February on our Discover Australia tour.

Edinburgh

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Now, what’s better than tying in an impressive firework display with the world famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo?
Following the incredible performances, put on by the British Armed Forces, Commonwealth, international bands and display teams, weather permitting, each show concludes with one spectacular firework show. Designed to get the maximum impact from within the stands, if you’re heading to the Tattoo itself, you’ll be in prime position to catch the fireworks in all their glory!
And, that’s what we call going out with a bang.

Paris

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Bastille Day is not only France’s national holiday, it’s also the biggest party of the year! Celebrating the day in which the Bastille prison was stormed, helping to spark the French Revolution.
The 14th of July sees Paris light up from with spectacular display direct from the Eiffel tower! The iconic monument comes alive as multi-coloured fireworks burst from the structure in all directions. You can be sure the Parisians know how to put on a show and this is one that won’t disappoint.
The firework display itself lasts around 35 minutes, and for a free show, that’s pretty impressive.

Rhine in Flames

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The biggest event on the middle Rhine. On five incredible nights throughout the summer, the Rhine Valley comes alive, and it’s a real firecracker.
The sky above the glittering waterways of the River Rhine are illuminated by a medley of colours. And what better way to enjoy it than being in the thick of the action?
Join our 4-day Rhine in Flames Festival tour and watch the procession of boats glide through the valley as the sky lights up in a spectacular show. We’ve got you covered from all angles.

Disneyland Paris

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Of course, when it comes to magnificent firework displays, we can’t forget the magic kingdom. One of the most iconic firework displays in the world that takes place every night as part of the Dreams parade and it’s something both kids and adults can enjoy.
It’s said that Disneyland (although focused American counterpart) spend around $50,000 on fireworks every night! And, we’d expect our closest neighbour to spend in the same region. Now, that’s A LOT of fireworks to enjoy.
And, to go one step beyond, Disneyland even put on an extra special display for Mickey’s Magical Bonfire and Fireworks Spectacular, they say it’s a place where dreams come true, and if you dream of picture-perfect firework displays, this is certainly the place to be.
Do you have a favourite firework display? Let us know in the comments. 

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Halloween traditions from around the World

As the nights draw in, there’s a certain something lingering in the air. Something, eerie… Something, spooktacular! Of course, we’ve hit Halloween.

Love it or hate it, Halloween has crept upon us once again and shops and homes are packed full of spooky costumes, sweets and carved pumpkins that really are cutting edge.
But, as we get ready to celebrate the seasonal scare-fest, have you ever wondered how others around the world celebrate?
Well, this isn’t a trick, so treat yourself to something interesting. As the sky turns dark this Halloween night, here’s how our continental friends, and beyond, will be having a ghoul old time this weekend …

The birthplace of Halloween!

Starting at the beginning, Ireland is said to be the birthplace of Halloween, dating all the way back to its Celtic roots. Marking the end of the Pagan pastoral cycle, the 31st October was considered the last day of the year.
Celts associated winter with death, so, on the last day of the ‘bright’ half of the year, it was thought the boundary separating the living from the dead became blurred.
This not only allowed the souls of the departed to return to their former homes, but also potentially wicked spirits were released from the ‘Otherworld’ and became visible to humans. Spooky!

A Magical Haunting

The Austrians take a much lighter meaning from All Hallows Eve, leaving bread, water and a lightened lamp on a table before heading off to bed.
It was once believed that this act of kindness would welcome the dead souls back to earth and rather than it being a haunting event, it was actually considered quite magical.
By the same token, in China, during the Halloween festival known as Teng Chieh, families place food and water in front photographs of family members that have passed away, whilst bonfires are lit to light the paths of spirits as they join us back on earth for the night.
However, in Germany, residents take a slightly more cautious approach when it comes to the return of the lost, putting away their knives to avoid risk of harm to or from their ‘Otherworld’ visitors. After all, those ghosts have real spirit.

Day of the Dead

You may have heard of the Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, associated with Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries, in fact, it’s even the opening sequence to the new James Bond film, Spectre. However, Spain celebrates a little differently.
There is the Dia de Difuntos (Day of the Dead) and Dia de Todos los Santos (All Saint’s Day) and, whilst they are separate events, the two are usually celebrated together and are actually a religious holiday, with mass held three times throughout the festivities.
Much like Christmas, the holiday is considered a family day, however, visits to the graves of loved ones is high on their priorities, honouring their lost loved ones and leaving them covered in fresh flowers.
And, to top it off, there’s also performances of the most famous and romantic mythical story seducing women and fighting men, Don Juan Tenorio, to keep everyone entertained – not quite the scary story you would expect to hear around Halloween.

We’re Just Here for the Party

Our French neighbours don’t really believe in any spooky superstitions at this time of year, in fact, Halloween is typically regarded as an American holiday.
However, never being a nation to turn down a party, the French have somewhat adopted la fête d’Halloween as an excuse to dress up and celebrate, and who can blame them?
And, of course, one of the most spectacular Halloween Spooktacular’s is at the magical Disneyland Paris Resort, lurking amongst the pumpkins on Main Street U.S.A you’ll find spooky adventures for all the family.
Whilst trick-or-treating is not as popular over the Channel, the few you do find going door-to-door, will be knocking on the fronts of shops rather than gracing their neighbours’ doorsteps.
With a little push from big, multi-national companies, the knowledge of Halloween is now wide spread, with some people even objecting to the idea of an overly-commercialised American holiday, whilst others simply relish in some freaky fancy dress.
 
So, it’s over to you, how will you be celebrating this year? Do you have your own traditions of creating some freakish fun or are you having a fright night within the safety of your own sofa?
 
Ready for some more ghost stories? Find out where the spookiest places in Europe are hidden in our previous blog, here.
 
 

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Disneyland Paris by Coach for Halloween

Ashley Rastrick, Leger’s Senior Web Designer has been designing Leger’s websites for the past 4 years and designed the recent Disneyland Paris website. In October this year, he felt like it was time to see what all the fuss was about at Disneyland Paris, taking his partner Fiona with him.

For a long time I have been wanting to go, especially with the amount of time I have spent staring at the pictures while designing the website. I felt like I knew it so well, but wanted to put it all into perspective and see it in person. The timing was never better really as it was Disney’s 20th anniversary celebrations so I decided to get out there and see what I was missing!

Which tour did you go on?

We went on the Disneyland Paris tour for 3 nights by coach, for the Halloween festival.

How did you get there and how long did it take?

To break up the journey, we travelled down to Ashford by car the day before and stayed at the Holiday Inn. The next morning, we got picked up by a feeder coach and taken to the Europort in Folkstone where we then met up with our tour coach for the rest of the journey. We then headed to the Euro tunnel to board our train, which was a quick 30 minute journey under the waters and out the other side at Frethun, France. We then continued our journey which was roughly 4 hours to the hotel, with numerous stop off points in between to stretch our legs. In total from being picked up from our coach in Ashford, it was about a 10 hour journey.

Where did you stay?

We stayed in the Explorer’s Hotel which is on the Disney site. The hotel featured a Disney Boutique (Gift Shop) and all day dining facilities which you’d expect. There was also a swimming pool with slides which is great for the kids and available till late. The hotel rooms were basic but had all the amenities needed for a good nights sleep. One bonus of staying at the Explorers is we noticed that the free shuttle bus is the first pick up and the first drop off point so you are guaranteed a seat on the way there!
Entrance to the Disneyland Park - 20th anniversary celebrations

Is it better to stay on or off site?

We would say staying on site is much better as you get more of the magical feel that Disneyland gives you. There is also a shuttle bus every 10 minutes to take you to the Disney park and back again all day long which is very convenient.

If you were to go back again, which hotel would you stay in and why?

If we went back again, I think we’d pay that little bit more and stay in the Disneyland hotel. The hotel is situated right inside the park so you’d be first in the park, plus – you get early entry!

What was the weather like? Did it affect your visit?

Going to Disneyland in October, we didn’t expect the weather to be great, but it was a lot colder than we had anticipated. With waiting around in queues, we really noticed just how cold it was. On the first day we spent a day in just a jumper, the second day we decided to wear 3 layers and even bought some gloves! The day we left Disneyland it was just 2 degrees. Our advice would be to wrap up warm.
Giant Mickey Mouse pumpkin by Sleeping Beauty's castle

How long did you get in the parks?

We got there for when it opened so we could beat the queues and left when it closed so we could make the most of our time there!

Was it enough time to see everything?

We managed to see most of the parks. The Disney Studios closed a few hours before the Disneyland Park so we tried to plan our day so we could see everything.

Did you get on all the rides you wanted to?

Most of them! Having two full days in the park, we thought we would manage to see everything, but we were a little disappointed as we missed a few. The Saturday was twice as busy as the Friday and we had left a few of the bigger rides till the second day which was a mistake as the queue times we doubled. One of the most popular rides was space mountain, which we queued over an hour for, which in the cold, was not very fun! The one ride we didn’t get on due to a 65 minute wait, was crushes coaster. When going to Disney, we’d advise planning your days out between the two parks as there is also meet and greets to fit in, and shows which are only at certain times! Fast passes are also great too, but we were disappointed that you could only have one at a time!
Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular

Which was your favourite and why?

I think most people would probably say The Tower of Terror, but from the screams we heard over the Studios park, we decided to give that one a miss! We have a few favourites, one being the Buzz Lightyear Laser blast which was really great fun in Discoveryland, and we also really enjoyed the Stunt Show Spectacular which was amazing and had such a great atmosphere.

Which was your favourite park?

We preferred the Walt Disney Studios! There wasn’t as much to do as the Disneyland Park, but there was some great shows like Cinemagique, Armageddon, Tram Studios and Stunt Show Spectacular as mentioned above.

Do you need kids to fully enjoy the park?

Absolutely not! Everyone turns into a big kid as soon as they walk into the park and see Sleeping Beauty’s huge castle in the distance. Plus, some of the rides have height restrictions so going without them means you get to go on every ride you want to.

What handy hints would you give anyone planning a trip to DLP?

Before you get to the park, make sure you are wearing comfy shoes as its going be a long day and get there as early as you can so you can enjoy both parks and all the rides without feeling rushed or disappointed that you didn’t get on all the rides. When you get into the park, you will be given a map and a parades/meet and greet schedule. We’d advise planning your day(s) around these so you can get to see everything!
If you want to join the 20th anniversary celebrations at Disneyland Paris, you can let Leger Holidays take you there! View packages here