20 Days to 20 Years- 2000

Welcome to the new Millennium on 20 Days to 20 Years; a year-by-year countdown to the upcoming 20th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris.  My co-hosts, Beth of Pursuing the Magic and The Magical Blogorail, Manda of Manda’s Disney Blog, and I  would like to thank each of the previous guests for their time and dedication!  Today, I will focus on the year 2000, and highlight one special feature introduced to the Park that April.

Image used with the written permission of Euro Souvenirland

On April 1, 2000, “The Tarzan Encounter” premiered at the Chaparral Theater in Disneyland Paris’s Frontierland.

Park ticket from 2000- image used with the written permission of Euro Souvenirland

Disney’s animated film, Tarzan, had opened in 1999 to wide acclaim and enthusiastic audiences, and spurred Broadway’s musical stage adaptation which ran in New York for seven years.  In Walt Disney World, the raucous, roller skating, acrobatic show Tarzan Rocks! (one of my boys’ favorites) played at The Theater in the Wild at Animal Kingdom between July 2009 and January 2006.  We were SO sad to see that production close, because of my sons’ love for the movie.  Fast forward twelve years-  Luckily, “The Tarzan Encounter” has withstood the test of time.  Though the Paris production did take a 2 year hiatus (2009-2011), my family and I were so fortunate to see one of the very first shows upon its re-opening last summer.  On June 13th, we sauntered into the colorful, open-air Chaparral Theater.  Were we unexpectedly delighted!  The story was told, completely without words, through the enchanting score from the movie that had been adapted for an international audience.  Phil Collins (evidently a Disneyland Paris fan and frequent visitor) re-recorded the soundtrack in English, French, German, Spanish (Castillian and Latin American) and Italian.  It was amazing to listen to the score “swing” from one language to the other; never detracting from the story; truly a “global” Tarzan!

The multi-colored apes, swinging from their vines, and then jumping and somersaulting into the air was absolutely reminiscent of the Walt Disney World version.  

The high energy continued with the Interactive “Trashin’ the Camp” interactive scene (added in 2005), when the audience members got the opportunity to bang drums with the apes, and sing along with the cast.  It was positively electric!

Happily, it has been announced that “The Tarzan Encounter” will return to this Park as part of the 20th Anniversary offerings; showing from April until September. It is no wonder that this high-flying show has become a Disneyland Paris favorite- it was one of ours.

Tomorrow, Ben of The Brit Traveler, (formerly @TravelWithBen), will recount his 2001 personal experience with the Disney Magic Music Days Program!