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Disney Adventure World

Chessy, France

“The rebirth of Disney’s least interesting theme park”

It’s not uncommon for a Disney theme park to undergo a name change. Disney-MGM Studios became Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Euro Disneyland is now known as Disneyland Paris, and Disney’s California Adventure was transformed into Disney California Adventure (yes, there is a difference). These were all subtle changes that had a relatively limited impact on the identity of their respective parks. However, a more radical transformation has recently taken place at the French Disney resort. Since March 2026, the Walt Disney Studios Park has been known as Disney Adventure World. In this case, we’re not talking about a minor change. It is a statement, a radical break with the past. After all, the current park does everything in its power to not be associated with the Walt Disney Studios that opened here in 2002 and had to endure criticism and complaints year after year.

It’s no secret that Disney didn’t produce particularly successful films around the turn of the millennium. Yet there were lots of things happening within the company at that time. Disney Cruise Line had just put its first two ships into service, and the four existing Disney resorts all received new parks. However, there were big differences when comparing the quality of these parks. In Florida and Japan, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Tokyo DisneySea were praised for their beauty and uniqueness. The contrast with the expansions in California and France couldn’t have been greater. Disney California Adventure was filled with cheap facades and simple attractions. However, it was still better than the situation in Paris, where the world’s ugliest and most boring Disney park had nestled itself right next to one of the most dazzling destinations. Fortunately, Disney also seemed to realise that Walt Disney Studios was a joke. The park regularly received new attractions and theming enhancements, and in 2018 Disney announced a masterplan to finally bring the park up to the company’s high standards.

The park’s entrance hasn’t changed dramatically. There is, of course, a new name on the gate and on the Earfell Tower, but apart from that, this area still looks largely the same as it did ten years ago. I don’t consider that as a problem, as the entrance has always exuded a certain grandeur. It’s not a place where I usually spend a lot of time, but those palm trees and those film soundtracks create an excellent first impression. The first novelty can be found a few steps further. World Premiere is the stylish successor to Studio 1, a covered Main Street. The facades have been given a fresh look and colourful neon lighting has been added, whilst the accompanying fast food restaurant has also undergone a successful upgrade. It’s not as stunning as Main Street USA at the adjacent Disneyland Park, but it looks decent to say the least.

ROLLER COASTERS

Despite its limited size, Walt Disney Studios is home to 3 credits. The most popular one is undoubtedly Crush’s Coaster. I’ve rarely seen a queue of less than 40 minutes for this coaster. Crush’s Coaster is definitely the resort’s most notorious attraction when it comes to lengthy waits. This doesn’t come as a surprise, though. If Disney presents a family roller coaster with a hyper-popular Finding Nemo theme without considering capacity, then this is the logical outcome. Are those endless lines a valid excuse to ignore Crush’s Coaster? Unfortunately not: the ride is too much fun to skip. It’s surprisingly intense, blissfully smooth and the dark ride part makes me forget that I’m actually riding a roller coaster that was designed to travel on funfairs.

European fans often complain about downtime and the lack of new attractions at Disneyland Park. Fortunately, Disney Adventure World is better off in terms of expansions. A lot of novelties have opened since 2002, while the park was gradually getting rid of the original studio and Hollywood-related theme. One of the bigger expansions came in 2010, when Toy Story Playland was presented. Toy Story Playland consists of three classic flat rides, all of which were presented in a rather simple form. One of those flat rides should definitely be ridden by coaster enthusiasts, though. RC Racer officially counts as a credit. Don’t expect too much: this isn’t much more than a swinging ship and the ride duration is way too short.

And then there’s Avengers Assemble – Flight Force at Avengers Campus. The ride opened in 2022, but it wasn’t entirely new. Avengers Campus was built on the location of the former Back Lot and Flight Force reused the hardware of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, which closed in 2019. The layout of this coaster remained identical, but the theming was changed dramatically. The ride now features a modern-looking facade and a cool pre-show, including a state-of-the-art animatronic. However, the current ride experience feels underwhelming. The French version of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was known for its incredible lighting effect, but these have all been removed. Flight Force’s screens and projections look rather cheap and simple, making the attraction feel like a watered-down version of Hyperspace Mountain.

DARK RIDES

Avengers Campus was the resort’s main novelty for the 30th anniversary celebrations. The area is home to multiple superheroes, but the most popular of them all is Spider-Man. He even lends his name to Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure, an interactive dark ride that’s surprisingly similar to Toy Story Mania. This attraction also features spinning vehicles and screen-based scenes. Interestingly, the ride doesn’t make use of laser guns, but it tracks hand gestures. This isn’t entirely unique, as the system was already introduced by Legoland’s Ninjago attractions. French park guests seem to adore W.E.B. Adventure, but I’m actually not a huge fan. The ride could use some extra physical sets and the game play feels rather chaotic.

The former Walt Disney Studios Park was the ugliest Disney park on the planet. But in 2014, the park finally presented an area that exuded real Disney magic. E-Ticket attraction Ratatouille – L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy opened together with a dazzling interpretation of a Parisian square. The facades are cute, the music is fun and we also got a cool new table service restaurant (with pricey, but tasty steaks). In short: this is Disney as Disney should be. Unfortunately, my opinion about the main attraction is a little less enthusiastic. Don’t get me wrong… Ratatouille is the dark ride that Walt Disney Studios desperately needed. I’m therefore an avid user of the attraction’s single rider line, but I wouldn’t wait longer than 10 minutes for Ratatouille. Honestly, this 4D dark ride simply couldn’t meet my expectations. The effects are so-so and due to its huge video screens, Ratatouille actually feels like it belongs at Universal Studios. Besides, I really miss a climax in the ride experience (something like the rolling boulder in Indiana Jones Adventure). Once again… I’m not saying that Ratatouille is a bad ride, but it’s not a spectacular one either.

Walt Disney Studios was officially renamed to Disney Adventure World on 29 March 2026. The occasion was marked by ceremonies, festivities and the introduction of a few new attractions. The main novelty is situated in the south-western corner of the park, where World of Frozen was created. This is an almost exact replica of the stunning Frozen zone at Hong Kong Disneyland, and the main attraction is identical too. Frozen Ever After is a boat ride centred around the songs and characters from Frozen. The audio-animatronics are fantastic, and there are hardly any screens or projections in this attraction, which automatically places Frozen Ever After above the park’s two older dark rides. It’s far from perfect, though. Some scenes look quite two-dimensional, and the attraction tells a rather bland, childish story. I’ll give it credit for the exterior and the beautifully designed queue, but in terms of the ride itself, Frozen Ever After certainly doesn’t leave a lasting impression.

OTHER EXPERIENCES

To be honest… I would have liked to see an extra ride in Arendelle. Although I find this French World of Frozen more attractive than the Hong Kong version because of its larger water feature, the area feels a bit empty. A copy of Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs would have fitted perfectly into Disney Adventure World’s ride lineup, but even a small-sized flat ride would’ve been perfect to enhance the area’s kinetics. Interestingly, a new flat ride was indeed built at Disney Adventure World, but it ended up on the other side of the lake. Thanks to the addition of Raiponce Tangled Spin, Disneyland Paris now owns Europe’s two most beautiful teacup rides. Raiponce Tangled Spin may be a very simple attraction with a ride sequence that’s hardly worth mentioning, but thanks to the lanterns and the dreamy music, it’s well worth a look.

Despite not having a Cars Land like Disney California Adventure, Adventure World is home to two different Cars attractions. The oldest one is Cars Quatre Roues Rallye, a relatively simple flat ride that’s similar to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. The younger Cars Road Trip is a reincarnation of the old Studio Tram Tour. It was no secret that Studio Tram Tour had passed its expiry date. Yet it seemed impossible to remove the attraction from a park that desperately needed the ride capacity. Disney therefore decided to retain the attraction and spruce it up with a modest Cars theme. Unfortunately, the result is wildly disappointing. Whilst there are a few cute decorative elements along the route, it’s all very static and kitsch. This counts as one of the worst Disney attractions ever.

Disney Adventure World’s most thrilling ride is The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. And honestly, it’s my favourite attraction at the European Disney resort. Everything about Tower of Terror is great. I’m talking about the grand exterior, the beautiful hotel lobby, the mysterious boiler room and the ride which transports you directly to the Twilight Zone. There’s not a single part of this attraction that I don’t like, but you may want to ask for the original English narration instead of the French version. Tower of Terror deserves nothing but praise. Although the pre-show isn’t as stunning as the one in Japan and the Orlando ride feels more unique, this is one of Europe’s very best thrills. Tons of airtime are included, by the way.

ENTERTAINMENT

At the base of Tower of Terror is World Premiere Plaza, an area that somewhat reminds me of the Walt Disney Studios Park as it was 2002. It’s a concrete square with some bare-looking studios surrounding it, so this isn’t the cosiest or best-themed place in the park. Fortunately, there are some fun things to discover behind the facades of those studios. The youngest visitors, for example, can head to the colourful Minnie’s Dream Factory. The adjacent Stitch Live is also aimed at children, but this interactive show can also be hilarious for grown-ups. Stitch Live allows visitors to chat with Disney’s most popular alien, and it often turns out to be a lot of fun. Everything depends on audience participation, but it’s usually quite humouristic.

World Premiere Plaza is undeniably the heart of entertainment at Disney Adventure World. The Animagique Theatre’s stage is used for Mickey and the Magician, a show that feels like the European version of Mickey and the Wondrous Book at Hong Kong Disneyland. Just like its Asian counterpart, this show features stunning sets, powerful live singing and a storyline that involves all the Disney magic you’d expect. Still, I am perhaps even more impressed by the show we attended at the Studio Theatre. This is the home of Together – a Pixar Musical Adventure, a show that feels innovative in several ways. There is a live orchestra, the stage is dominated by giant, crystal-clear screens and they’re even using drones. During this musical Pixar journey, we meet characters from Toy Story, Up, Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc, but it seems that most of the budget was spent on the fantastic Coco scene. The catchy theme song makes the show even more compelling, so please don’t miss Together – a Pixar Musical Adventure during your trip to Adventure World!

There’s also plenty of entertainment in the new section of the park. On Adventure Way, we spot a cheerful brass band led by Minnie Mouse, and we make our way to World of Frozen for A Celebration in Arendelle. Olaf takes centre stage as a (surprisingly humorous) host, but the other main characters from Frozen can also be seen on beautiful boats. I really enjoyed A Celebration in Arendelle, but be warned: the viewing area is quite cramped. The best spots are taken as early as 30 minutes before the show starts, so I’d advise you to arrive early. Fortunately, this isn’t a problem at Disney’s Cascade of Lights. Adventure Bay is surrounded by wide pathways on different levels, making it a breeze to secure an excellent spot for this nighttime spectacular. And there’s even more reason to be excited about Cascade of Lights, as this fireworks, fountain, projection and drone show turns out to be brilliant. The drone formations in particular are incredibly cool to see. At Walt Disney Studios, the day always ended on a bit of a low note, but Disney Adventure World finally gives us a good reason to stay until closing time.

WORTH A VISIT?

Disney Adventure World is a park of contrasts, a place of highs and lows. One moment you’re watching a brilliant theatre show. The next, you’re on the most boring Cars ride in the world. Next, you might experience the brilliant Tower of Terror, after which you ride a disappointing Avengers roller coaster. For 24 years, Walt Disney Studios was considered the weakest Disney park, and that’s not something you can change overnight. Despite a name change and a massive expansion, it’s difficult to shake off that questionable past. However, the park has some strong points. Disney Adventure World has a few shows and attractions that count as Disney’s finest work, but the atmosphere in some older parts of the park remains substandard. Disney is taking the liberty of expanding this park with a wide variety of IPs. In the short term that’s a good thing. The Avengers are popular, Pixar is doing well and World of Frozen is proving to be a massive hit. But do all these themes together form a well-rounded, coherent theme park? I’m not entirely sure about that.

Will Disney Adventure World ever become my favourite theme park? I’d be very surprised if it did. Still, Adventure Way, Adventure Bay and the Frozen area are a clear step in the right direction, and I can’t wait to discover the upcoming Lion King water ride. So in ten years’ time, this will probably be a park that exudes more maturity and magic. But until then, I’d advise you to enter with modest expectations.

This article reflects my personal experience at Disney Adventure World during a visit in May 2026.