At first it may seem like a strange idea to visit Disneyland Paris when you’re on an overseas vacation and experiencing things you could never find back home! However, what better way to placate the kids in between stops at the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe? Besides, there are some features that can only be found in Europe – like the enormous Val d’Europe shopping center, the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea walk-through or the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril rollercoaster!

As one of the changes to Disneyland Paris, the “Tomorrowland” of Disney World Orlando has been transformed into “Discoveryland,” which is a Jules Vernes version of the future. Here guests can find another version of Space Mountain (Space Mountain 2), which uses 1.5G’s to propel riders 43 mph through corkscrew inversions and loops. Yes, this is the only one of the Disney parks to include such dynamic features on a coaster. Star Tours, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear’s Laser Blast, Honey I Shrunk the Audience and a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride are included in Discoveryland as well.

In 2002, Disneyland Paris opened a secondary Disney park with a movie theme called Walt Disney Studios. The newest land is the “Toon Studio,” where guests can go behind-the-scenes of Disney animators, participate in a drawing course taught by Mickey and Donald and check out the film set of Finding Nemo via Crush’s coaster.

One of the most popular rides is the “CineMagique,” which is similar to the The Great Movie Ride at Disneyworld. Guests travel through scenes from some of their favorite movies, including: The Magnificent Seven, Mary Poppins, The Hunt For Red October, Pinnochio, The Titanic, The Exorcist, Monsters Inc., Silence of the Lambs, A Fish Called Wanda and Robin Hood. Aerosmith’s thrilling Rock N’ Rollercoaster and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are here for the extremely brave and adventurous too!

Also, don’t miss Catastrophe Canyon, which gives you a back lot tour, putting you right in the middle of explosions, flash floods, fires, earthquakes and everything movie production teams have to offer!

While spending a few days at Disneyland Paris may not have been on your original itinerary, you’ll find the kids renewed full of life and energy after a fun-filled Disney vacation, whether it’s for one day or several. Even if you’ve been to Walt Disney World Orlando, Disneyland California or Tokyo Disneyland, there are unique features in Paris that add a bit of European charm to an award-winning design. After all, many Disney stories were inspired by European fairy tales, so why not have a look for yourself and take a day to ponder this part of European history?