30 Happy Places

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15. Seconds Away, Rock'n'Rollercoaster

There you are, strapped into your seat. The train takes that turn. You know what's going to happen. The music rises, so does your pulse. You promise yourself not to be surprised. Not again. And not to make such a stupid face. It gets louder. 3 ... 2 ... shouldn't I be somewhere else right now? - 1... !

And there you go - shot into a wild rock'n'roll ride.

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16. Sweating at the Disneyland Hotel

Just a couple of metres away from the entrance to the Magic Kingdom and away from all those happy folks boarding the Disneyland Railroad, there's a place cozy, calm - and pretty hot.
And: it's one of the few places at Disney where no one will say a word when you walk around, well, in the nude.

The sauna at the Disneyland Hotel is one of those little treasures that I cherish so much. I love a good sauna in general (not to be mixed up with a steam bath - both are pretty different... the DLH has both, by the way...), and the one at the hotel might not be the best I've ever been to, but it's one of those great places to hang out at DLP... sweating, relaxing - and sometimes making jokes about members of other nationalities who just can't get comfortable when they have to walk around in the clothes that God provided them with.  :wink:

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17. Boot Hill

Strange and terrifying sounds echo through the somewhat chilly air. It makes you shiver. It's a bizare little corner of the Magic Kingdom... you can feel something is there. Is is the ghosts of those, who once populated Frontierland?
Well, if that's the case, then we're in some entertaining company! Because, looking at those tombstone, we see that these people had quite some fun during their lifetime... how about those servants, who kept their master "happier". Or Ol' Ma Mallard. Or the Hole in the Wallet Gang...

It's a cool, somewath scary corner, filled with story - and those grim grinning ghosts...

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18. The balcony at En Coulisse Restaurant

Hooray for Hollywood! The flair, the music, the stars... at Walt Disney Studios, there's one perfect spot to experience all that: En Coulisse Restaurant. No, not the seating area hidden behind these set walls, but the seating area on the upper floor's balcony.
Get a table there and now for the fun part: people watching. There's the great music (from memorable films like "Breakfast at Tiffany's", "Singing in the Rain", "Some Like It Hot" and even "Saludos Amigos"!). There's the projected stars on the ground. There are these cool sets of famous L.A. buildings. And there are those live acts every once in a while: the cast that is filming a movie. Or the cool Jazz band.
What a place... Hooray for Hollywood, indeed...

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19. La Tanière du Dragon

Hidden deep under the fairytale castle, in dark caves, right beneath Merlin's laboratory, there's something lurking... sleeping... waiting for its prey.
It's a creature of fire and darkness. Be careful approaching it. We don't want to wake up the dragon. Do you see his tail moving? What's that? Is that beast actually awake?!? And look at that chain! It's broken!
Let's get out of here! Before that thing starts looking around for breakfast!

Honestly, after having experienced this, would you still like to meet a real dragon???

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20. New York City Bar

Call me old-fashioned. I've got a thing for the art-déco style. And I absolutely worship Jazz music and adore the old swing-standards by such geniuses like the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and the likes.

Now, for such a geek like me, there's one perfect place at Disneyland Paris: the wonderful, cozy, relaxing New York City Bar at Disney's Hotel New York.
There's the great design, the wonderful decor, the tasty drinks (and nuts... don't forget the nuts!) and this wonderful music.
Give me some Ella Fitzgerald and a good Manhattan - that's New York City Bar for me...!

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21. Pocahontas' Indian Village, Frontierland

A playground with all those screaming children running around wild might sound like an odd place to relax.
Well, but hidden in Frontierland, right there at the riverfront of the Rivers of the Far West is this little corner: especially when it's a hot summer day, sit down on one of the park benches, enjoy the shade of the many trees, look at out the waters of the Rivers of the Far West... there's Big Thunder Mountain. Every once in a while a riverboat comes by. And then there are those many birds all around you.
Enjoy the day, maybe take a book with you (by Twain perhaps?) and get comfortable at one of the most overlooked pretty corners at Disneyland...

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22. The Beaver Dam, Sequoia Lodge

Walking around Disney's Sequoia Lodge is like taking a stroll through a forest. And hidden between all those tall fir trees, there's a little creek. And look! There's even a family of beavers! (Out of plastic... but a family, no less  :wink: ) They're working on their dam...

And believe it or not: last time I visited Sequoia Lodge, these beavers moved! Yes!!! I walked by their home one evening to say good night and the next morning, the beavers had moved!

A sweet little detail - one reason why I love Disney so much...

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23. Alice's Curious Labyrinth, Fantasyland

Follow the White Rabbit - into Wonderland! Right around the corner and, well, you're kinda lost. Charming characters everywhere. And you're even more loss. Beautiful gardens - but beware, there's the Queen of Hearts! Better watch your head...

And finally, the reward: climbing up the stairs of the Queen of Heart's castle and enjoying a wonderful view of Fantasyland. Seeing Dumbo rising up into the sky. Watching the merry-go-round. And all those happy people... The Queen of Heart's certainly has a very nice place to live...

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24. Discovery Arcade, Main Street U.S.A.

What might have been? That's quite a question, isn't it? What might have been, if dreams and visions of yesterday were our future? What if blimps would be travelling across the oceans? What if the future was similar to our past?

Well... at Disneyland's Discovery Arcade, you get a glimpse of how things could have been. How some of America's major cities might have looked like. If, well, if... Discovery Arcade invites you to dream. It invites you to take a different look at the future. And it takes you to places, that you might never have seen otherwise...

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25. Blue Lagoon, Adventureland

A nice beach on some Caribbean island. A full moon. You have to admit, the mood is perfect at the Blue Lagoon.

And the intriguing thing is, it actually serves two purposes: one, it's the intro to a journey back in time, when pirates ruled the Caribbean sea. The Blue Lagoon sets the mood for plundering bucaneers and proud pirate ships.

The other purpose is less exciting, but nevertheless very enjoyable. The Blue Lagoon is the place for fine dining. For enjoying the company of friends, family or your loved one, while sitting at one of the tables right at the waterfront. It's one of the most relaxing spots to enjoy a meal.
And where else do you hear a frequent "bon apetit!" coming from a boat full of tourists?  :wink:

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26. Lake Disney, Disney Village

Early in the morning at Lake Disney: the sun is just rising behind Sequoia Lodge. Ducks and swans are gliding by on the waters.
I'm sitting there on this park bench right at the lake, not too far from McDonald's.
The early sunrays are warming my face.
Music is in the air. The Disney Village DJ has put up some good stuff to start the day. Every once in a while, you hear Debbie Reynold's singing "Good Morning, Good Morning!" - and indeed, it is a good morning...

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27. High Noon, Hotel Cheyenne

The sun's beating down, it's quiet, sweat's running down your face, your fingers are itching, who is going to draw first... who's going to taste the bullet? -- Okay, I admit, it's not going that far...

But what better place to imagine standing in for Jimmy Stewart in the classic "High Noon" than Disney's Hotel Cheyenne? That western town street, fully equipped with saloon, bank, drug store... It's full of atmosphere and almost cinematic visiuals. Truely, a stunning place to be...

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28. The terrace at Plaza Gardens

Plaza Gardens Restaurant is one of the finest restaurants at Disneyland Park. It's splendour and it's great all-you-can-eat buffet makes it one of my favourite places to dine...

But let's step out of the restaurant for a minute - and there we are in this nice little garden area (between the restaurant's porch and the beautiful little fountain). There you have this nice terrace, with a couple of tables, surrounded by calming gardens - and a beautiful view of Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant.

A nice place to rest one a warm May day...

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29. Disney Legends

While strolling through Disney's Magic Kingdoms, enjoying its rides or movies, one can easily be caught up with the illusion and forgets, that Disney Magic is actually a lot of work. And there are a lot of talented folks behind doing all that, which enchants us...

To remember a few of these talented people that are actually from this side of the pont, Disney has put up a beautiful little statue for its European "Disney Legends".
Right there, between both Disney parks, Mickey's hand is holding up a high a wand, surrounded by film stripes and a castle... remembering those, who made the Magic possible...