Walt Disney Studios Park Paris — Part 5 — Backlot — Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster

Peppered throughout the Walt Disney Studios Park are street signs with the names of famous American and French film makers. In addition, an informational plaque mounted on the pole gives a brief description of the honoree’s accomplishments in both English and French.

The Georges Méliès’ plaque reads as follows: “Méliès, a popular Parisian stage magician, made over 500 films between 1895 and 1914. He is credited with discovering such quintessential special effects as stop motion, slow motion, dissolves, fade-outs, and superimposition.”

On the other side of the park, another plaque for the Disney Brothers reads: “In what is arguably the longest and most successful partnership in the history of show business, Roy, the financial genius, and Walt, the creative visionary, together ran the Disney company for nearly half of a century. They changed the face of entertainment and virtually created the genre of the animated feature film.”

Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster is one of the premier attractions at the Walt Disney Studios Park. As you can see by the picture below, the exterior is quite different from its cousin at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.

Parked nearby the entrance to the “Tour de Force Records“ sound studio is Aerosmith’s touring bus. The group arrived earlier and is working inside.

After winding your way through the queue, you eventually find yourself in Studio C where you can see Aerosmith discussing their latest idea.

This is where you begin to realize that the storyline at the Parisian version of this attraction is quite different from that of Florida.

Aerosmith has decided that it’s not enough to just listen to their music, but that people need to experience it as well. To that end, “SoundTracker” vehicles were developed to make their fans “part” of the concert rather than just passive listeners.

You board the SoundTrackers in a backstage area of a rock performance. A sound man can be seen nearby and it’s obvious he’s in charge of the goings on.

After you’re fastened into your seat, the SoundTracker is jettisoned into the middle of the concert, music blasting from all 120 onboard speakers. As you race around scaffolding, strobes flash, lasers shine, spots turn on and off, and you plunge through a blanket of dry-ice mist. One of five Aerosmith’s songs is selected for each event. Depending on the number chosen, the lighting and effects will be different.

The track layout for the Parisian version of Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster is identical to Florida’s as are the musical numbers. But the experience is quite different. I prefer the Florida version, but that’s probably because I’m more familiar with it. If you ever visit the Walt Disney Studios, I would certainly recommend giving this attraction a try even if you have been on the Disney World version a dozen times or more.

The Backlot Express Restaurant

The Backlot Express Restaurant is the primary dining facility in this area.

Like its cousin at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, this restaurant is fashioned to look like a prop warehouse. Hanging from the walls and stashed in cages is a collection of just about everything.

This is a counter service restaurant and features International and French “fast food.” This includes salads, baguettes, and quiche.

I’ve never been a big fan of the Backlot Express at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The food is fine, but eating in a warehouse just doesn’t work for me. When I dine, I want the ambiance to be a little bit more upscale than an oversized storage room. The Parisian version of this restaurant doesn’t feel quite as dingy as Florida’s, but neither of these restaurants will ever be high on my list of places to eat, simply because of the surroundings.

In my next blog I will discuss Armageddon Special Effects and Moteurs”¦ Action! Stunt Show Spectacular.

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