Episode 694

When Space Mountain Saved EuroDisney

Rerun. Disneyland Paris, now Europe’s most popular theme park, initially haemorrhaged money - at a rate of around $1 million per day. But, after three hard years, it returned its first annual profit on 16th November, 1995.&nbsp; This change in the park’s fortunes can be attributed to the popularity of two trains: the opening of the Eurostar direct line from London, and the building of the world’s most expensive roller coaster, Space Mountain, which first launched from Discoveryland on 1st June. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly unpick how the Disney Corporation consistently underestimated the French traditions of wine with lunch, surly customer service and a unionised workforce; reveal how Spain and Britain had competed for the opportunity to be considered as alternative sites for the park’s development; and recall the French antipathy for Americana that led to one critic to label the attraction ‘a cultural Chernobyl’...&nbsp; Further Reading:• ‘INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS; Euro Disney Reports Profit for '95, but the Future Remains Cloudy’ (The New York Times, 1995): <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/16/business/international-business-euro-disney-reports-profit-for-95-but-future-remains.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/16/business/international-business-euro-disney-reports-profit-for-95-but-future-remains.html</a>• ‘Why Was Euro Disney Considered a Failure?’ (The First Drop, 2021): <a href="https://thefirstdrop.net/disneyland-paris-resort/why-was-euro-disney-considered-a-failure/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://thefirstdrop.net/disneyland-paris-resort/why-was-euro-disney-considered-a-failure/</a>• ‘Your destination: outer space. Your speed: astronomical.’ (Space Mountain advert, 1995): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlKKTSVETt0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlKKTSVETt0</a> ‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’&nbsp;Every Thursday is 'Throwback Thursday' on&nbsp;Today in History with the Retrospectors:&nbsp;running one repeat per week means we can keep up the quality of our independent podcast. Daily shows like this require a lot of work! But as ever we'll have something new for you tomorrow, so follow us wherever you get your podcasts:<a href="https://create.acast.com/episodes/ca1f94a1-0921-446a-ae00-4d4bfd2ba3ef/podfollow.com/Retrospectors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a><a href="http://podfollow.com/Retrospectors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">podfollow.com/Retrospectors</a> Love the show? Join&nbsp;&nbsp;🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode every SUNDAY!Plus, get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast.Join now via&nbsp;<a href="https://apple.co/3xCWWQX" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://patreon.com/Retrospectors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Patreon</a>.&nbsp;Thanks! The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Today In History with The Retrospectors

November 16, 202311m 58s

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Show Notes

Rerun. Disneyland Paris, now Europe’s most popular theme park, initially haemorrhaged money - at a rate of around $1 million per day. But, after three hard years, it returned its first annual profit on 16th November, 1995.

This change in the park’s fortunes can be attributed to the popularity of two trains: the opening of the Eurostar direct line from London, and the building of the world’s most expensive roller coaster, Space Mountain, which first launched from Discoveryland on 1st June.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly unpick how the Disney Corporation consistently underestimated the French traditions of wine with lunch, surly customer service and a unionised workforce; reveal how Spain and Britain had competed for the opportunity to be considered as alternative sites for the park’s development; and recall the French antipathy for Americana that led to one critic to label the attraction ‘a cultural Chernobyl’...