How Disney Is Rebranding Its Worst-Rated Theme Park

Take a look as we dive deep into what is often considered to be Disney’s worst theme park and how it’s changing for the better.

An overview of Frontierland, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, at Disneyland Paris, a Disney Park in France. — Credit: Disney

There’s no denying that The Walt Disney Company is mostly associated with classic animated films and live-action blockbusters. Disney has produced, developed, and released some of the world’s biggest and most popular films over the last several decades, dipping its toes into some truly unbelievable worlds.

However, Disney is also the “king” of theme park entertainment for many. Whether guests are visiting Magic Kingdom in Florida, Disneyland in California, or Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, there’s practically no end to the rides, attractions, shows, restaurants, and other experiences Disney offers guests inside its theme parks.

While it may seem like Disney can do no wrong, the company has faced numerous struggles when it comes to theme parks, specifically international theme parks. However, one of the company’s most problematic theme parks is now turning a new leaf in an attempt to quite literally rebrand itself as one of the world’s leading vacation destinations.

Disneyland Paris

A bustling street scene at a Disney theme park glows with autumn decor. Crowds walk along festive garlands and lights, while buildings with classic architecture frame a central ornate structure in the background. — Credit: Bastien Nvs, Unsplash

In 1992, the Disneyland Paris Resort officially opened in Marne-la-Vallée, France, marking a new chapter for The Walt Disney Company and its collection of theme parks. Originally known as Euro Disney, Disneyland Paris was Disney’s first and still only attempt to branch out into European markets with its theme parks, making it quite a distinct venture for the company.

Disney faced immense backlash from citizens during the construction and subsequent opening of the resort, with many feeling unhappy about the presumed “boom” in tourism the new park would bring in.

In June of 1992, a group of French farmers even blocked Euro Disney in protest of policies supported by the United States. Locals assumed that a French Disney theme park would only bring in American tourists and encourage a homogenization of U.S. culture, forgetting about the country the park was to call its home.

Opening day came and went, with attendance coming in well below expectations. Things proved to be so bad that just two years later, in 1994, there were rumors that Euro Disney was going to close entirely. Disney and the theme park faced financial difficulties, leading to a meeting with backers where Disney weighed closing Euro Disney completely, leaving the banks with the land.

Things would turn around eventually, though, following the name change of the resort. Originally called Euro Disney, the resort’s new name would be a better, more fitting title: Disneyland Paris.

In 1995, Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune opened, becoming the resort’s shining attraction. Disneyland Paris was now on a path to recovery, with things looking good for Disney’s European theme park. However, this ignores what is often considered to be the worst Disney theme park in the world: Walt Disney Studios.

Walt Disney Studios Park

In 2002, a second theme park, Walt Disney Studios, opened at Disneyland Paris. This park took notes from Disney’s original MGM Studios theme park in Florida, which had opened in 1989. Walt Disney Studios was intended to look like a movie’s backlot in some parts, and a throwback to the golden age of Hollywood in others, but it was simply kind of ugly in others.

What’s worse is that Walt Disney Studios had barely anything to do, leaving the park feeling small and uninteresting compared to its sister park. This, unfortunately, would not change through the park’s lifetime, as Walt Disney Studios consistently struggled to add on anything truly exciting over the next two decades.

The park’s two flagship attractions would eventually become The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, the latter of which has since been turned into an Iron Man-themed roller coaster.

Walt Disney Studios would become somewhat of a laughing stock to hardcore fans, as the park simply did not stack up well next to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and the original Disneyland Park. Walt Disney Studios was the lowest-rated park of all of them, with some fans recommending skipping it entirely.

However, Disneyland Paris is currently on a path to fixing this problem, now in the middle of a multi-phase plan to reinvigorate the theme park.

Work has been ongoing in Disneyland Paris for years, though most of the construction involves Walt Disney Studios specifically. New shows and locations are in store for European travelers, with the biggest development coming in 2024 when the resort announced the park would be getting a brand-new name.

Once construction on a new Frozen land is complete, Walt Disney Studios Park will be known as Disney Adventure World.

This name presumably gives the resort more wiggle room to open rides and attractions without being tied to an outdated studio backlot theme. Disney Adventure World is a bold and exciting new direction for Disneyland Paris to take, with the park set to feature several more attractions.

Alongside the previously mentioned Frozen expansion, Disney Adventure World will also feature an attraction based on The Lion King. This first-of-its-kind attraction blends the world of Disney’s beloved animated classic with the ride systems seen in Splash Mountain, another legendary Disney attraction.

Splash Mountain closed permanently in 2023 at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, reopening as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in 2024.

Things are looking promising financially as well, with a 2024 report revealing Disneyland Paris reached a record high revenue stream in 2023. According to The Guardian, Disneyland Paris generated a whopping $343.4 million in profit. Disneyland Paris’ revenue increased by 23.5%, reaching an all-time high of $3.1 billion.

While Disneyland Paris’ history is quite shaky, only the future matters, with the resort set to look and feel completely different over the next decade.

Have you ever been to Disneyland Paris?