Disneyland Paris (part Two)

Fhiuhh....finally I got that crush to finalize this task. Just to avoid that it won't be stuck some where in my brain any longer.

06 Nov 2006

The day two after having breakfast (which was excluded from the room charge), we five were heading to Disney bus stop just in front of the hotel gate. The duration was every 20 minutes, fair enough to wait for. The cozy and comfortable buses are compliment from Disney Land and Disney Hotels owners for those tourists occupying the hotels and intended to visit the 'cartoon heaven'.

It took five minutes from our hotel to reach Disney gates. From far you could already see the famous Mickey head. The kids were even more excited by seeing it. We -I mean I as the group leader :-) decided to take complete day tour for both Disney Studios and Disney Park, and started to go to the Studios first, since the park had a later closing time. Later on I found out that it was surely not enough to visit both places in only one day.

The studios consisted of several halls so called studios, and presented several Disney movies and also behind scenes shootings. Studio One was presenting the clips of recent Disney animation movies including Lightning Mc Queen aka CARS - narrated by Owen Wilson (animation movie directed by John Lasseter and happened to be one of animation box office in Hollywood history beside The Lion King) and happened to be the favorite figure of Aan. He was watching those clips very cautiously. On one session, the moderator could even chat and shout to the playing cartoon figures. It was amazing how they make use of technology. We were also drawing some cartoon pictures and put the papers carefully on a wheel and then swing it. The static drawn bird suddenly moved the wings and flew...... The basic principle of animation....

We were having lunch in the only available food hall, which only serve pizza, burgers and all those kind of fast foods. Fine enough to throw away the coldness of 5 degrees and our hunger.

Being full with the food, we then joined tram tour around the studios, viewed some backgrounds of Disney movies including Roman empires. Interesting was when we experienced like being in an earthquake situation, where the tram stopped near a blowing trucks and water flood came onto it. The fire was hot (of course) and Dinda’s jacket was barely wet from the water spray. The train was also juddered / shaken as if it was affected by the turmoil. It was quite a fun though, even for an old Spanish man who sat behind us and screamed ear-splittingly at that time. Funny thing to see was that Disney movies’ cartoon figures playing hide and seek from corner to corner with the visitors for being tired of taking photographs and giving autographs.

Around 3 pm we were down to the park and welcomed by the parade of fairy tales figures, from Aladdin with the magic lamp and flying carpet, Beauty and the Beast, Jasmine, Toy Soldiers, Snow White and the seven dwarfs, etc. Riding Jumbo Elephant, Flying Carpet, and also Teacup were enough for me, but not for the kids. We did not manage to play the Space Mountain Rollercoaster (where people were sitting in a capsule and shot by catapult and drove through a rapid distance in an absolute darkness) since the kids were way underage. But we (and Mr. Buzz LightYear) did have a nice score in a space X-Ray war against the Evil Emperor Zurg and his soldiers to protect the Galaxy. Heading back to Hotel at 10.00 pm was the end of that day journey.

07 Nov 2006

The clock showed 10.30 when we reached Marney La Valley train station. Eiffel was our destination, and visiting an old friend of mine Rangga, native Toraja girl married to Mr. LeMoing eight years back and lived in Paris since then on.
Hit Paris at 11.30 we were invited for a nice lunch by the host and the hostess. Chicken curry, fried tahu, and tumis kangkung were the hot serving. Yummy…thanks Ga.

From far the tower seemed like betting people to climb its 15.000 metal construction. Built in 1889 and designed by Gustave Eiffel – also co builder of Liberty statue – Eiffel tour needed at least two hours should anybody wanted to reach the tower, especially in a still peak season. Statistic noted that it was visited by ca. 30.000 people in a day. Ckckckckc…….

Considering the cold wind, we were not so interested to do so, moreover by seeing the queuing people from both sides (stairs and lift). Besides, it was way too late to get over the top of this ca. 300 mtr tower. We were only riding carrousel, eating chocolate crepe while walking through the cozy side of Seine River and scenery of green Champ de Mars and Trocadero Park. I just sighed and remembered:

Voir Paris et mourir (see Paris then die…).