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[Rocketeer]

Last month, Disney's chief executive Bob Iger announced a $2.4 billion (€2 billion) expansion of the movie-themed Studios park, which will see the addition of lands inspired by Star Wars, Marvel Comics and hit animated film Frozen. It is one of Euro Disney's biggest-ever expansion projects and will be launched in phases from 2021.

It doesn't stop there as Disney has now revealed that it is also giving a sprinkle of pixie dust to its 44,000m² Disney Village, the largest entertainment center in greater Paris.

"We have renewed a number of attractions in the parks so the next step will be to renew the Disney Village," says Francis Borezée, Euro Disney's vice president of resort and real estate development. The huge complex next to the parks was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry and has an industrial style which was popular when it opened in the 1990s. It is packed with shops, restaurants and even a rodeo. It could get even bigger.

"We will start with the renovation but then we have an opportunity to expand where today we have tents which are used for business events," says Borezée. "If we do that we could develop a new convention center."
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Borezée says that the expansion of the Studios park could trigger the development of more hotels to add to the seven which are on-site. "There are locations which are already dedicated for future hotels, but there is no decision to go ahead with them until we have the need." Euro Disney's latest results show that occupancy in the six months to March 31, 2017, hit 81%, so that may not be far off..

https://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2018/03/07/exclusive-disney-to-give-magic-touch-to-french-entertainment-complex/#7ccbbe194bfc

[Nioli]

As long as they don't get rid of Buffalo Bill this can only be a good thing. I'd be devastated if they got rid of the Wild West show though! It's always been one of my favourite things in Paris.

[claire2281]

As long as they don't get rid of Buffalo Bill this can only be a good thing. I'd be devastated if they got rid of the Wild West show though! It's always been one of my favourite things in Paris.

Unfortunately I recall reading from the article that Buffalo Bill is slated to go. Whenever I take group trips there I always take people and really enjoy it although admittedly wouldn't choose to go myself anymore simply because I've seen it enough.

I can understand why on the basis that it's hugely expensive what with the keep of the animals etc and never seems as busy as it used to be any more. I hope if it does go, a new show goes in its place - Disney on Ice perhaps which lends itself to constant update and change to keep it fresh.

[Anthony]

I've put a few thoughts together here of what any major Disney Village overhaul could include, from the mundane (new paving) to the fanciful (actually demolishing things)...!

• Resort VP hints at plan to "renew" Disney Village: what can we expect?

Meanwhile the current rumour is a full Disney Theatrical Production to replace Buffalo Bill: https://twitter.com/DLPToday/status/971821603637121024

[DLPme]

Cirque du Soleil is opening their first permanent European production in Germany early 2019. If that turns out to be a success we could always hope for a production for DLP. Problem with the musicals is that they rule out everyone who doesn't speak the language it's shown in, and DLP needs to cater to at least French and English..

[Jules Verne]

I would be sad to see Buffalo Bill's go but if they had to replace it I think it should be for some thing like Cirque du Soleil like DLPme suggested.

I think people like to have a break from the full on Disney experience and this show would offer that and it can attract people to the village who just want to go and see the show.

You can get Disney shows like the ice ones all over Europe and having that or some thing similar doesn't seem like much of an intensive to encourage people to separate from their cash, especially if they develop the shows in the park

[Rocketeer]

I've never done Buffalo Bill's, so I can't really comment on if it should be saved. And while I can appricaite that some will be sad to see it go, I can certainly see why it's likely to close. Not only the cost, but the space it occupies it prime-real-estate for expanding the village.

Disney on Ice and Cirque are good shouts for potential replacements. Both of which could easily go inisde the existing Bill's theatre. However, as I've already said, that's a decent size chunk of land that could be made into something else.

Theatrical sounds more likely, as they have a purpose built theatre at Shanghai Disneyland's equivalent of the Village.

As for the Village as a whole, no question, it needs a lot of work. The '90s called.. they want their style back.

[mickey1980]

It had a good run. But the village needs nighttime entertainment. So a good dinner show to replace it ( build somewhere else) wouldn't be a bad idea. The footprint of the current show building and the stables behind it is huge.

[DLPme]

I guess it's the stables they want to get rid of. The current showbuilding is big enough to be repurposed into a theatre with all it's backstage-functions.

Only problem with a theatricals production (besides the language) is that they would have to compete with the Theatre Mogador in the city of Paris who already does the big Broadway Disney productions. The market for musicals is in general hard in France, so why spend a lot of money on something when you can get the revenue for the same product without putting the same amount of money into it? In Shanghai the case is a bit different. They focus on the Chinese-speaking guests and there isn't really anyone already doing the big Disney-productions professionally in that area. Most of the english-speaking guests at Shanghai Disney is mostly fans who doesn't need the translations.

With Disney Paris having to constantly be bilingual they would do a safe bet on either Disney on Ice or Cirque. On Ice could easily be done in both languages as it's all recordings and therefore they could do one english and one french performance each night. With Cirque they would reach out to both languages in one performance while also having a venue that could also be used for corporate events. They could also do the same as they're doing in Orlando now and sprinkle some Disney magic into the performance.

Anyways they would open up a lot of space. The showbuilding itself is kinda nestled in between the surrounding buildings and can't really be used for much else, but the stables could easily give room for new restaurants and experiences. As fun as dinner shows can be I think they would both generate revenue to the other restaurants, and save staff by building a big theatre without food-service.

[Rocketeer]

Good point on the language barrier. I guess they could do a Golden Mickey's type show, but each segment in it's specific language.

Generally speaking though, I'm amazed at how much space there is. There's a heckuva lot of land available just in the area of the Village. They could just build along the lakefront - but no doubt that be kept to the old plan and used for another mid-range hotel,

Then there's that wedge between the rails and Ave. Paul Séramy, they could do plenty on that patch.

I wonder just how much they have of the €2.5bn allocated to the project? Even a fraction of it - say €250m, would go quite far.

Things are looking up. #DLP2020

[sunshine1]

As long as they don't get rid of Buffalo Bill this can only be a good thing. I'd be devastated if they got rid of the Wild West show though! It's always been one of my favourite things in Paris.

Buffalo Bill is cruel to animals and is outdated form of entertainment.

Animals should never be used as a form of entertainment.

How does anyone train a performing animal? Simple. Mess with its food supply.

Horses are so sensitive. Can you imagine how loud it is in the venue for those animals.

Just wrong. No better than the circus.

I am a big Disney fan but I wish that they didnt use animals at all for entertainment purposes.

Retire those poor animals.

[claire2281]

As long as they don't get rid of Buffalo Bill this can only be a good thing. I'd be devastated if they got rid of the Wild West show though! It's always been one of my favourite things in Paris.

Buffalo Bill is cruel to animals and is outdated form of entertainment.

Animals should never be used as a form of entertainment.

How does anyone train a performing animal? Simple. Mess with its food supply.

Horses are so sensitive. Can you imagine how loud it is in the venue for those animals.

Just wrong. No better than the circus.

I am a big Disney fan but I wish that they didnt use animals at all for entertainment purposes.

Retire those poor animals.

In all fairness, messing with the food supply really ISN'T how you train horses at all. And any horse that was sensitive would never be considered for the show as it would both be unfair on them and potentially dangerous for the rider. As with all uses of horses - whether it be for riding schools, the police or film/tv industry - only animals of the right temperament are chosen for everyone's sake.

[Rocketeer]

I've got no doubts that the animals used are well looked after. However, I do agree that it's probably an outdated show these days.

Anyway, perhaps best to move on...

Disneyland is getting a new hotel added to it's Downtown Disney. I wouldn't mind if they built something similar in Paris. Very Contemporary in design.

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2017/10/new-hotel-disneyland-resort/

[polar vixen]

I happen to love buffalo bills but ine of the reasons i like it is because you wouldnt get to experience anything like that in england...disney on ice/ disney theatre can be seen a couple of times a year in nearby venues so if they were replacing bbwws id want it to be something of that same calibre- something you wouldnt get anywhere else

[Jules Verne]

I might be on my own in this but i feel like the village doesn't need any expansion.

The village certainly needs a make over but that is just an aesthetic need and not an expansion and a re theme of current  restaurants might be a better use of money.
Based on what is on offer for food in the Cheyenne billy bobs is redundant and could be replaced. I remember reading that a Mediterranean restaurant was planned for the village and I think this would be a good replacement.

As much as I like the idea of new shops and restaurants (and new hotels) DLP's problem has always been that it has had a too much to offer out side the parks based on how many people use them.

I could be wrong though