Liberty Arcade (Disneyland Paris)
Encyclopedia
Liberty Arcade is a covered walkthrough area in Main Street, U.S.A.
at Disneyland Paris
. This is an exhibition about the Statue of Liberty
, and a walkway parallel to the main entrance. It opened with the park in 1992. The area keeps visitors dry and warm during rain.
, the decision was made to build two covered walkways parallel to Main Street instead.
In the very early days of Disneyland in Anaheim, Walt Disney
had imagined two streets adjacent to Main Street, respectively named Liberty Street (themed to American values and history) and Edison Square (themed to this inventor's achievements). Although they were never made reality, these ideas became inspiration for both Arcades in Paris. As such, Imagineers came up with Liberty Arcade, themed to the lasting friendship between France and the United States and embodied by Lady Liberty
, and Discovery Arcade
, themed to inventions of the 19th Century.
Main Street, U.S.A.
Main Street, U.S.A. is the first "themed land" inside the main entrance of the many 'Magic Kingdom'-style parks run by The Walt Disney Company around the world....
at Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Disneyland Park is a theme park at Disneyland Paris, a resort complex just outside of Paris, in the new town of Marne-la-Vallée, France. The first of two parks built at the resort, it opened as Euro Disneyland on 12 April, 1992...
. This is an exhibition about the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
, and a walkway parallel to the main entrance. It opened with the park in 1992. The area keeps visitors dry and warm during rain.
Original Concept and Design
When Imagineers were working on the creation of the European Disney resort, they had to envision a Main Street that would cope with the changing climate of the region of Paris. Although a huge Victorian-style glass roof covering the street could be built as in Tokyo DisneylandTokyo Disneyland
is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...
, the decision was made to build two covered walkways parallel to Main Street instead.
In the very early days of Disneyland in Anaheim, Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
had imagined two streets adjacent to Main Street, respectively named Liberty Street (themed to American values and history) and Edison Square (themed to this inventor's achievements). Although they were never made reality, these ideas became inspiration for both Arcades in Paris. As such, Imagineers came up with Liberty Arcade, themed to the lasting friendship between France and the United States and embodied by Lady Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
, and Discovery Arcade
Discovery Arcade (Disneyland Paris)
Discovery Arcade is a sheltered walkthrough area in Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Paris. This is an exhibition about inventors of the 19th Century, which opened with the park in 1992...
, themed to inventions of the 19th Century.
Liberty Arcade
The Arcade is a long walkway, from Town Square to Central Plaza, taking people behind Main Street shops and restaurants. It is divided into three parts :- The first is an exhibition presenting the making of the Statue by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and Gustave EiffelGustave EiffelAlexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French structural engineer from the École Centrale Paris, an architect, an entrepreneur and a specialist of metallic structures...
. Showcase windows, paintings and rare items are displayed. - The second part, known as Liberty Court, is the central part of the Arcade. This rotunda, ornamented with American and French flags and Victorian paintings promoting the Statue's dedication ceremony, is accompanied by a dark room. In this dark room, guests can behold, through a glass window, a recreation of the inauguration of Lady Liberty, complete with wax figures commenting on the event and the recording of President Grover Cleveland's speech.
- The third part resembles the first one, but deals with the Statue becoming a World symbol. Showcase windows present Ellis IslandEllis IslandEllis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
, or the rededication of the Statue in 1986.