The Disney Parks form a crucial part of the tourist economy wherever in the world they are. Spread across the world from domestic Disney Parks like Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort in Central Florida and Southern California to international ones in France (Disneyland Paris), Hong Kong (Hong Kong Disneyland), Japan (Tokyo Disney Resort), and more, any Disney Theme Park is a notable tourist draw. Frankly, it’s a no-brainer why. With incredible attractions and rides like Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and more, each Disney Park offers enough entertainment that any Disney Fanatic can find their niche.
Eurostar & Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is one of the most beloved international Parks there is. Home to the Walt Disney Studios Park and Disneyland Park (home to the famous Main Street, U.S.A. as well) with a ton of exciting developments in the pipeline like the Frozen-themed land, there’s a lot to enjoy. Seasonal events occur throughout the year, including special parades, fireworks, and shows, such as Disney’s Halloween Festival and Disney’s Enchanted Christmas. The Disney Resort is also home to Disney Village, the DLP version of Disney Springs and Downtown Disney.
Disneyland Paris was known for being easily accessible from Paris; Europe’s Eurostar was a big part of that. Eurostar services began in 1994. It is a direct rail service that links France with the United Kingdom and passes through a tunnel under the English Channel.
Eurostar ends its Disneyland Paris service
However, it was announced that Eurostar would end its Disneyland Paris service when its rail division canceled the key route. And as Forbes reported, “The French government has been left with egg on its face.”
Last year, Eurostar announced the cancellation of its Disneyland Paris service from London St. Pancras to Disneyland Paris. The service enabled tourists to come to Disneyland Paris directly from London in two hours and 24 minutes. Per data that Disneyland Paris released in 2016, the Eurostar contributed in no small amount to tourists coming to France from the United Kingdom; more Guests come from the UK to France, and 32% of those Guests arrived by train or plane.
Per Forbes, the reason for this is the “heavy bottlenecks” caused by politicians since the UK left the European Union in 2020. Now, passengers’ passports must be manually stamped when crossing borders into France from the UK. This in turn has reportedly led to longer queues in Eurostar stations, and the service had to reduce its capacity and carry fewer passengers.
There is currently no word on whether the service will return. Eurostar chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave shared when asked about the service’s return, “We’ll see, it depends on the way we can handle the big stations’ issues.”
