Christmas at Disneyland Paris

Take the “A” train
Duke Ellington and his orchestra

This past Sunday, I spent the afternoon and evening at Disneyland Paris catching a few rides, getting dinner at Captain Jack’s restaurant, and enjoying the Christmas decorations. I really enjoy having an annual pass to Disneyland given it’s only about an hour away by the “A” train from Paris city center. They do most of their shows and rides in both English and French making it easy to understand most everything. My favorite time of year at any of the Disney parks is at Christmastime. They go all out to show the red and green (and blue) through lights, displays, and music. Walking around listening to Christmas music filled me with wonder and awe of the joy of Christmas.

Disneyland entrance in front of the railroad

Mickey Mouse and gang Christmas sing-along: There was also a show where Mickey Mouse and the gang was on stage to sing a number of Christmas songs asking the audience to join in. It was in a combination auditorium and dinner theater. So much fun!

Ratatouille: One of the newer sections of Disneyland is the Ratatouille ride area. They had a number of winter French stands set-up selling hot drinks and Christmas pastries. There is also a restaurant in the theme of Chez Remy’s which I will visit one of these days. The Ratatouille ride is a free-moving ride where you experience being chased around the restaurant from the view of the rats. So cool – or rather, “hot,” since one of the stops is under the oven in the kitchen.

Captain Jack’s Restaurant: This time I ate at a restaurant at the Pirates of the Caribbean ride called “Captain Jack’s.” It’s very similar to the Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland in Anaheim. I enjoyed Caribbean-themed food with lots of seafood (mahi mahi and shrimp) and pineapple juice drinks. The restaurant had unique Christmas decorations that took advantage of the treasure theme while guests overlook the waterway where the Pirates of the Caribbean boats float by.

Pirates of the Caribbean boat gliding by the restaurant

Even though I am almost 50 years ago, I still smile when I see characters in the park. Fond memories of my childhood come back at these sightings. This time I saw Geppetto, Pluto, and Tigger, in addition to the gang at the Christmas sing-along.