The last few months of this Rumour Mill article series have been remarkably quiet, so it came as little surprise to Disneyland Paris fans when, at the D23 Expo Resorts & Parks panel, nothing new was announced for the resort. It was a bit of tough blow because so much was announced for the Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida, while the all-new Shanghai resort was teased, Hong Kong had a new Iron Man attraction revealed and Tokyo Disney Resort already had huge expansion plan confirmed. Regardless, it’s not all bad news for Disneyland Paris because a Show Director let slip in an interview that we have a new show coming to Chaparral; what or when, we know nothing about – so let the Rumour Mill commence!
New show for the Chaparral Theatre
This rumour is very exciting, because it’s brand new and also because we know officially that it’s something and that it’s definitely coming. In an interview for endorexpress.net about the new Jedi Training Academy show, Show Director Christophe Leclerq just happened to slip in: “I’m right now preparing a brand new show for the Chaparral Theater which will be a new kind of experience as well.” (You can read the full interview here, and I do recommend it!) Currently the Chaparral Theatre is hosting the Frozen Sing-A-Long, which is only billed to last until the end of the Frozen Summer Fun season in September, however there are strong indications that it will be revived over the Christmas 2015/16 season too. Preparing the Chaparral Theatre for Frozen took around half a year, so if one anticipates a similar change-over time then we’re arriving at the end of 2016 before Leclerq’s new show débuts. Of course Disneyland Paris celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2017, and with no new attractions to speak of for then, it seems sensible to suggest that this show will be part of those celebrations. On the other hand, @DisneylandBerry suggests that the show will run from February to April 2016. If this is true then the show is unlikely to be too exciting because it won’t have too long to be created and there certainly wouldn’t be any time to change the Frozen staging dramatically. I suppose that could suggest that it’ll be another Frozen show though…
As for what the show might be about, well, that’s anybody’s guess. I would suggest that we’re likely to see another homage to a Disney classic, such as the Jungle Book, in a similar way to previous shows at the Chaparral Theatre based on Tarzan and Pocahontas. However, if it’s correct that the show will only run for a few months in the first half of 2016 then it could be considerably smaller and perhaps still with a Frozen theme. Some small rumours have suggested that it could be an interactive “storybook” style show, a style which would suit a short run.
Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster
@Disneyberry suggested that Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster will close from Ferbruary to June 2016 for a refurbishment, adding that part of the refurbishment plan was to introduce a Single Rider queue. Although I’ve not heard rumours of a refurbishment to RnR before, it’s very possible that Disneyland Paris will want to see a Single Rider line added, considering that many new attractions feature them and both Crush’s Coaster and Space Mountain have recently been adapted to facilitate Single Rider queues. A refurbishment to Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster was not included in Disneyland Paris’ confirmed Experience Enhancement Plan, so one can only assume that changes to the attraction will be minor. There are frequent reports of the on-board audio not functioning correctly, so perhaps this, along with a general clean-up, will be on the agenda. Personally I’d like to the show elements from its Floridian cousin imported over, but that’s just me dreaming.
After what feels like months of having almost no rumours to discuss in this article series, take it from me that I’m over the moon that we’ve had two new things to talk about this month! To keep up to date with all Disneyland Paris news, rumours and chat – make sure you follow MagicalDLP on Facebook and on Twitter @MagicalDLP.
