Guests visiting Disneyland Paris will soon enter the theme parks through a new structure being constructed on the esplanade.
From Disneyland Paris:
In order to deliver a better guest experience as soon as they arrive, work is currently being performed on the Francois Truffaut esplanade at the crossroad between Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park, and the North and South sides of the Marne-La-Vallée Chessy station.
In addition to enhancing our security check capabilities at the park entrance and reducing guests’ wait time, these projects will make it possible to offer improved workstation environments for the Cast Members and employees who work in these areas. They will be rebuilt to visually become a part of a harmonious environment that showcases elaborate architecture.
To this end, Walt Disney Imagineering Paris – Design & Show Quality imagined a brand-new open metal structure of nearly 1,000 square meters – which combines a Belle Époque and industrial style – for the esplanade, the first building of which has recently been opened to the public. “We have been working on this project for two years, in collaboration with the Security division,” said Natalie Piette-Caron, the Art Director in charge of Walt Disney Studios Park and Disney Village.
“We drew our inspiration from covered market buildings, such as the Baltard one, while making sure to bring a Disney touch to every single detail so that guests can be immersed as soon as they arrive.”
The construction will involve a wide variety of raw materials (cast iron, steel, zinc, wood, natural stone) and the use of metal and glass to lighten and refine the structure shapes. This is real craftsman work, which will be completed by about fifteen suppliers and local manufacturing plants. Leveling will also be adjusted, and the flooring will be renovated in a 12,000 square-meter surface area. It is a particularly complex project for the teams since 2 RATP (Paris Public Transport Operator) and SNCF (French National Railway Company) tunnels cross the esplanade underground.
The remaining work will be carried out in phases over two years, to avoid disrupting access to the parks as much as possible while maintaining security check efficiency.
The resort is undergoing a serious refreshing ahead of its 30th anniversary, including the first refurbishment for Sleeping Beauty Castle since 1992, which was recently completed.
You can check out the new structure and the details that went into it in the video below! (English captioning is available.)
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