From the parks to the hotels, Disneyland Paris is alive with tributes to Pixar Animation Studios. With Pixar, the studio with the iconic lamp, turning 40, we take a look at the resort through the lens of its most iconic productions.
FROM DREAM TO PIXAR
Once upon a time, there was a group of artists and computer scientists working for a prestigious special effects company who dreamt of creating animations using entirely computer-generated images.
On 3 February 1986, a visionary by the name of Steve Jobs gave them the means to realise this dream by turning the small IT department into a full-scale studio called Pixar.
Since then, there have been countless masterpieces from the boundless imagination of these genius creators, from Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story, the first feature film to be entirely computer-animated, to Hoppers and Toy Story 5, soon to be released in cinemas.
These are just some of the film treasures that have inspired Imagineers and show creators at Disneyland Paris.
TRACING THE PIXAR STORY STEP BY STEP
Pixar’s history is marked by a succession of endearvors made possible by technology designed by Pixarians at the studio. Bring a desk lamp to life? No problem! Introducing Luxo Jr. (1986), Pixar’s first short film, featuring a small desk lamp with a life of its own – a character that appears on some of the lamp posts throughout Worlds of Pixar at Disneyland Paris.
Now imagine a world where our toys have a life of their own. That’s the main idea behind the Toy Story franchise, which began in 1995 with the first film. Disneyland Paris celebrated the Toy Story franchise with Totally Toy Story (1995), Disneyland Park’s first interactive parade. Fast forward to now, where Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast in Discoveryland immerses visitors into the heart of an intergalactic video game, while the Disney Hotel Cheyenne proudly showcases the colours of ‘Woody’s Roundup’, the imaginative TV series inspired by Toy Story 2. Then there’s Toy Story Playland, the first immersive world to be built at Walt Disney Studios Park, paving the way for many more to follow.
Disneyland Park contains a number of references to other Disney and Pixar films, including WALL·E (2008), featured alongside EVE in Discoveryland, Up (2009), notably featured in Le Pays des Contes de Fées in Fantasyland, Coco (2017) in Casa de Coco – Restaurante de Familia and Luca (2021) in the charming extension dedicated to him at Pizzeria Bella Notte.
And to complete this celebration of Pixar fun, guests can experience the fabulous immersive show TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure at Studio Theater in World Premiere Plaza, where the worlds of Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Up, and Coco come together in a spectacular musical journey. That’s quite a finale!
ADVENTURES TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
But that’s not all! At Disneyland Paris, there’s a unique place, a world of its own, where you can immerse yourself in all these worlds and meet your favourite characters: Worlds of Pixar. Here, anything is possible: practice-controlled skidding under the benevolent gaze of Lightning McQueen and Mater; surf the East Australian Current on the back of a turtle; discover the wonders of Route 66; or shrink to the size of a toy or a rodent to play in Andy’s backyard or on the rooftops of Paris.
Since the opening of Crush’s Coaster and Cars Quatre Roues Rallye in 2007, this decidedly ‘lively’ area has offered a world of adventure for guests of all ages and an ever-wider range of experiences. Rich in characters encounters, sensations and unrivalled flavours – notably at Bistrot Chez Rémy, where the menu is a veritable declaration of love to traditional French cuisine.
And there is more to come: when Disney Adventure World opens, the upcoming Toy Story Garden will offer a lush transition between Adventure Way and Toy Story Playland, while new tributes to Up will appear in the forthcoming Disney Cascade of Lights show and, in the attraction, currently under construction nearby.
Proof, if ever it were needed, that adventures with Pixar are truly unforgettable!
