An update has been provided after a bomb weighing nearly 500 kg disrupted or canceled thousands of Disney vacations.
Intense planning is part of every Disney trip — especially since the onset of features like Lightning Lanes and Disney Premier Access — but the reality is that some things lie out of even the most avid vacation planner’s hands.
Bomb Discovery Cancels Disney Vacations
Yesterday, hundreds, if not thousands, of Disney parkgoers were forced to cancel or delay their vacations following the discovery of an unexploded WW2 bomb.
Workers inadvertently unearthed the device near the train tracks in Saint-Denis, a Parisian suburb roughly a mile from the city’s primary station, Gare du Nord. While unexploded bombs from the war are not uncommon in France or the UK, bombs of this size — nearly 500 kg — are a rare find.
French Transport Minister, Philippe Tabarot, told Reuters (via BBC): “Finding bombs around the railway network is something that happens. But in proportion, like the one today with a bomb of this size, it’s really quite exceptional.”
Impact on Travel to Disneyland Paris
The discovery prompted mass train cancellations, including Eurostar services. While local train services in Paris resumed yesterday afternoon after efforts to defuse the bomb, Eurostar services through, to, or from Paris were suspended for the rest of the day.
Direct Eurostar routes from London to Disneyland Paris were discontinued in 2023 due to Brexit-related impacts. However, many guests still rely on the service to travel from London to Paris before transferring to Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy train station — the closest stop to Disneyland Paris.
With tens of thousands of passengers stranded on both sides of the Eurostar tunnel, reports surfaced of families calling off Make-A-Wish trips. Social media also saw a wave of complaints from guests left waiting to travel to or from the resort.
Train Services Resume
Today, Eurostar confirmed that services have resumed. Guests can once again travel from St Pancras International in London to Gare du Nord, then catch a TGV to Disneyland Paris. To ease the backlog, Eurostar added two extra trains: one from London to Paris this morning and another from Paris to London this afternoon.
This is not the first time Disneyland Paris has faced bomb-related disruption. In 2017, Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy station was evacuated due to a bomb scare triggered by a suspicious package, with bomb disposal teams deployed until the station reopened later that day.
Upcoming Celebrations at Disneyland Paris
Despite the Eurostar disruption, Disneyland Paris debuted its newest restaurant — La Forêt Secrète par Jean Imbert — at Disneyland Hotel yesterday. Led by Michelin-starred chef Jean Imbert, the restaurant offers a three-course discovery menu for €140 ($152) or a five-course tasting menu for €200 ($217), excluding drinks.
The resort is also preparing to kick off the Disney Music Festival in April, featuring “Disney and Pixar Characters star in live concerts, dance shows and street gigs that celebrate the latest and greatest Disney hits” at Disneyland Park. Meanwhile, Walt Disney Studios Park is developing its own version of World of Frozen — already open at Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea — along with Disney’s first theme park land inspired by The Lion King (1994).
Have you ever faced unexpected disruption on a Disney vacation?
