Rating the Rides

The little people...
The height restrictions of 1.2m and 1.4 can be very frustrating for a little one who is just short of that given height and who desperately wants to ride. Although with Big Thunder it's more critical (the safety bar doesn't really restrain very small people who might be sharing with a parent or older sibling) on Indiana and Space Mountain there is a safety margin of 2 - 3 cm (an inch or two) built in. We have to admit that we've resorted to the 'domino ploy' in the past to squeeze our youngest onto Indiana. This consists of placing a domino in the heel of his wellingtons (gum boots) immediately prior to entry to the ride. Giving just that little extra lift he was able to get past the ride 'greeter'. However, be warned: on Indiana, especially, they check again, just prior to boarding, so he has to do the entire queue with the dominos in his boots!

The shows and parades in Disneyland Paris are little short of stunning. Legend of the Lion King in Cafe Hyperion, is unmissable by any standards and normally shows four times a day when it's on. The Chapperal Theatre in Frontierland also stages some great productions, albeit with a slightly more schmaltzy flavour. The best, however, have to be the three parades, of which the Main Street Electrical parade is world renowned, although its replacement, the astonishing Fantillusion, is even better.

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	Rating the Rides
	The Magic Kingdom rides compared *(For the Studio rides' rating, click here!)* We've rated the rides compared with the best rides in British theme parks. Figures by the side show comparative scores out of 10 based on British theme park rides... We've also started to activate some links so you'll be able to click on the name of the ride to discover more. Big Thunder Mountain 12* Star Tours 12 Space Mountain 11* Indiana Jones 10** Buzz Lightyear 10 Honey I Shrunk the Audience 10 Pirates of the Caribbean 10 Haunted Mansion 10 Peter Pan 9 Storybook 9 Casey Junior 9 It's a Small World 8** Height restriction of 1.2m and age 7 yrs Height restriction of 1.4m Height restriction of 1.32m Moderate Rides Maze (at night) 8 The Nautilus 6 Snow White 5 Railroad 5 Pinocchio 4 Mad hatter's Teacups 4 Les Pirouettes du Vieux Moulin (The bucket ride) 4 Tree House 4 (in daytime) 3 Carousel 3 Poor Rides (By Disney standards only; anywhere else they'd be classed as quite good) Rockets ship (Orbitron)4 Paddle Steamer 3 Dumbo 3 Autopia 1 We've reviewed this here, but it doesn't actually fit into the ride category: Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show And finally...** Remember, you can leave the park at anytime just as long as you remember to get your hand stamped. They stamp hands on the right as you leave the park and readmit you at the opposite side (sometimes in the middle if the weather's bad). You will need your original tickets for readmission as well as your hand stamp (which they usually can't read, because the sun is far too bright, anyway!) And don't forget to see the Dragon!