• Getaway The Abruzzo: the unknown (and impressive) region of Italy that you should know before it is too late
  • Destinations Five unique and exquisite landscapes of Spain that you always have to know

Ub Iwerks, Floyd Gottfredson, Bob Jones, Eric Goldberg, Paul Rudish... Under the imposing signature of Walt Disney have always worked the best craftsmen in their field. And 58 years later, the procedure remains the same: to capture the most talented artists and technicians. One of them is Aurélien Berda. With more than 25 years of experience as a singer and actor in dozens of musicals, in 2015 he made the leap to directing. Now, he can't hide his nerves when he attends a performance of one of the two plays he is currently directing at Disneyland Paris: The Lion King: Rhythm of the Pride Lands and Mickey and the Magician. "I always want to make sure everything is perfect," he says in a tone that's as affable as it is stressed.

In the acclaimed show dedicated to the revered Simba, Timon and Pumbaa, Berda directs a 30-person cast of singers, dancers, acrobats, percussionists and a sign language actress. All of them passed a casting to which 900 people applied. "We tell the story of The Lion King from A to Z. But in 30 minutes, not in the hour and a half that the film lasts." And although the shadow of Julie Taymor, multi-awarded for her theatrical version of the mythical film, is long, Berda's journey "to the core of life" manages to present itself as something new. Make the most of the 360-degree audio system of the Frontierland Theater (the largest in the amusement park, at 40 meters wide, and the fourth theater in the world equipped with equipment three times more powerful than the IMAX) and is powered by a soundtrack full of African instruments (djembes, bongos, tamas, kalimbas, congas) enhanced by a scenography composed of giant drums and more than 400 costumes created expressly for the show, which is performed three times a day.

A makeup artist prepares an actress of 'The Lion King: Rhythm of the Pride Lands'.

In the other scenario, the Animagique Theather, the goal is to fascinate the viewer with all the weight of the Disney tradition. "Here you have Mickey doing the magician, which allows you to organize a wonderful lineup of characters that is also very oriented to the European market: we are in Paris, the first tourist destination in Europe, so you have to have Lumière from Beauty and the Beast, the genius of Aladdin or Elsa from Frozen, "clarifies Berda before the spotlights are attached and the company's emblem goes on stage in a show awarded as the best theatrical production at the IAAPA Brass Ring Awards.

Disneyland Paris' commitment to giving each visitor "an emotional connection with the characters" in the words of Dana Iris Harrel, Creative Director of the park aims to tell the stories in a new and different way, offering shows for all audiences that exploit the full potential not only of Disney, but also of Pixar or the latest members to join the company: Marvel and Star Wars characters. At Dream... and Shine Brigther!, a daytime parade created especially for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the opening of the park, take center stage unusual characters such as Miguel, from Coco or Judy and Nick from Zootopia. Every day, the Central Plaza is transformed into an explosion of color with floats of abstract shapes that act as stained glass windows projecting sunlight in a unique way. The Uruguayan Astrid Gómez has been the executive producer, a task she repeats in Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure, the show that in the summer of 2023 will seek to immerse visitors in the universe created by the famous computer animation studio.

Dressmaker David Angerville with two of his creations.

For its part, Avengers: Power the Night is committed to innovation. Arnaud Feredj, its show director, wanted to create "something new, spectacular", that recreates "the feeling you feel when superheroes save the world". Laser video projectors, pyrotechnic effects and 500 drones that pay tribute to superheroes such as Spider-Man, Captain America, the Scarlet Witch and Dr. Strange at nightfall in the Walt Disney Studios Park, to the sound of the most iconic pieces of Marvel Studios, selected by Guillaume Coignard and recreated by a symphony orchestra of more than 70 musicians in the mythical Abbey Road studios in London.

But nothing would shine the way it does without the enormous effort of those who work behind the scenes. In the backstage inaccessible to the general public, a world based on fabric and paint develops. Axelle Vie, Jennifer Senepart and Massimiliano Giannico are in charge of supplying objects to the shows and characters of the park. Surrounded by paintings and stickers, they are part of a team of 30 people divided into three workshops where any object can be taken from the world of entertainment can become real... of appearance, not of weight. "Doctors do not allow, for example, that a piece weighs more than a kilo and a half or three if it is going to be carried with both arms. The objects have to be very light and safe for the actors on stage and for this ergonomics is the key," explains Vie.

Different objects of the Show Decoration Workshop.

When they have time, their work is excellent. And when they don't, too. In the maelstrom they rely on technology such as that offered by 3-D printers. "If something is damaged, you always have to have a spare part ready," says Giannico, with 20 years of experience in the sector. Beside him, Senepart nods as he shows off a chocolate cake worn by Chip and Chop to celebrate the park's 30th anniversary. "Everything should be light but not flimsy," he says in perfect Spanish, the result of his years studying in our country.

A few meters away, David Angerville leads a team of 100 people who spend the day surrounded by fabrics, pins and sewing machines. Dressmakers, hairdressers, graphic designers and pattern makers follow the guidelines of the Senior Manager of Costume Production of the Sewing Workshop. "We work to show the magic through costume. We think of the suits as a whole: who will wear them, how, under what conditions... We have to test the materials and adapt as needed," he explains.

British model Rachel in her snowflake costume.

Each show requires an average of 18 months of work, of which two are pure and hard production. To make a costume, first the sketch is made, then a modeler is making it layer by layer on a canvas or on who is going to wear it. Later she moves on to makeup, hairdressing and accessories: gloves, hats, footwear... "We support the work of artists by making costumes as comfortable as possible, because they should never hinder a performance. We also adapt them to summer or winter," says Angerville. Beside him, Rachel nods. This British model will play a snowflake in the Disney Stars on Parade, the "must-see" parade of the park, for which 2,050 costumes and 650 pairs of shoes have been created.

"A show is prepared for up to five years before it is staged," says Emmanuel Lenormand, experienced Show Director. "The floats weigh up to 20 tons, with everything you need to fit, the sound system, the decoration, the characters. This is a super complex job," he says. Nor is it easy to prepare the shows with which the park says goodbye to the day. Disney D-Light combines video projections, water jets, fog, lasers and lighting effects over Sleeping Beauty's Castle. To this is added a deployment of 200 drones provided by the company Dronisios.

The 'Disney D-Light' show uses 200 drones.

And finally, since April 12, 2023, the acclaimed night show Disney Dreams! has returned. Originally released in 2012, popular acclaim has brought back the shadow of Peter Pan in an adventure that brings together the soundtrack of Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Rataotuille or Tangled. The 2023 edition comes with innovative LED technology and state-of-the-art laser projectors (and low consumption), with supervision by Matthieu Robin, who has also taken charge of Disney D-Light after the departure of Juan Fuentes, its creator. "We deal with tradition and new technology. And our intention is that people, whatever language they speak, get goosebumps. It happened to me the first time. And it still happens to me every night. That's their power," he concludes.

You can follow El Mundo Viajes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

  • Tourism
  • France

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Learn more