"I've got no strings" - A guide to Pinocchio in Disneyland Paris

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Hey guys!

I really wanted to share something a bit different today. This was something that I thought of while I was packing for my trip to DLP and straight away I realised there was plenty to cover. Hopefully this could be the start of a new series, if that's something you guys will enjoy? Let me know in the comments.

Today I'd like to take a look at all things Pinocchio, that you can see and do in Disneyland Paris. Released in 1940 the story of the little wooden boy was Disney's 2nd animated feature length film and continues to be popular with Disney fans and park guests alike. The majority of Pinocchio references are in Fantasyland, and there are plenty of things to look out for, so let's jump right in.


The first, and probably most obvious, is the ride Les Voyages de Pinocchio which was an opening day attraction in April 1992. Based in Fantasyland and adjacent to the carousel this is a dark ride which tells Pinocchio's story. Guests ride in wooden cars that sit 4-6 guests, and they are then taken on a journey through the world of Pinocchio, recreating scenes from the film including the puppet theatre and Pleasure Island. The ride uses a combination of dark rooms and UV lights to bring the scenes to life and for me personally, Pleasure Island is my favourite part, as the colours are incredible and there's so much to look at that I can't just ride it once! It's a fairly short ride lasting between 3 and 5 mins and has no height restriction so is suitable for families and younger guests, however younger guests may be frightened by some scenes.



The next stop is right next door, La Bottega di Geppetto is the small toy shop connected to the Pinocchio ride, and has access straight from the ride exit as well as the main park. It is beautifully themed with Geppetto's wooden carvings all round and predominantly sells plush toys and tsum tsums. It also has a small Duffy section, which is obviously my favourite part of the shop! The shop is quite small, so can feel busy quite easily, but has a nice selection including Pinocchio himself, Peter Pan, and other classic plushies.



If you're feeling hungry, we've got you covered! Round the corner from the shop is the Pinocchio themed quick service restaurant, Au Chalet de la Marionnette. I actually ate here for the first time on my most recent trip and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, as well as the value for money from the meals. The restaurant serves hot dogs, burgers and chicken, as well as some separate items to go along side the set meals and a selection of desserts and sweet treats.



I tried the Bavarian hot dog, but chose to have it without the currywurst sauce. This comes with a choice of fries or a side salad and a drink for €12.99. My Niece had the children's hot dog with fries, ice cream and orange juice for €8.99, these prices are before any annual pass discount. We both really enjoyed the meal though found the portion sizes to be quite generous, which isn't always a bad thing!



The restaurant is incredibly well themed inside with murals depicting scenes from the film all around the walls, and the most beautiful stained glass windows! The thing that made me like this quick service restaurant so much, compared to a lot of the others, is how much it opens up inside. It has ample seating, and it opens up even more around the tills, which is usually where it's most congested. The skylights in this area also help make it feel really bright and open!



Finally, and possibly most importantly depending on your motivation, where can you actually see or meet Pinocchio and his friends at Disneyland Paris? Now Pinocchio and Geppetto do come out for meets fairly often, however I don't think I could say I've seen them have a dedicated scheduled meet anywhere in the last 8 years  that I have been visiting the resort. For a general unscheduled meet you'll want to look in the following places, usually between mid morning and early afternoon so about 11-2ish. Outside Bella Notte in Fantasyland (this seems to be where I see them most), by Casey Jr in Fantasyland, or by the small world gates, which are also in Fantasyland. In the studios they are most likely to pop up in Front Lot, again at the same sorts of times. These meets don't always have a structured queue, so in these instances I find the best way to get your chance is to stand your ground, but also be polite and patient, as the characters and the cast members with them are more likely to notice you and reward you for your good behaviour than the guests who are pushing their way in and won't wait.



Other than unscheduled meets Pinocchio and Geppetto can often be found at character dining meals. This is a great way to meet them and a few other characters without having to wait in a long queue. There is a chance they won't be there, so you'll need to decide how badly you want to meet them. I have seen both Pinocchio and Geppetto at Inventions and have seen Pinocchio in Cafe Mickey in the village (please be aware characters are only at meals after 6pm in Cafe Mickey) but not Geppetto. I also haven't eaten at Cafe Mickey since the characters were re-introduced, so couldn't say if that was a regular appearance.



If however you just want a glance of Pinocchio, rather than a full on meet, he appears daily in the opening section of Stars On Parade. The parade takes the main parade route from Small World to Town Square and Pinocchio is in the first section of dancers who are all on foot. If you're really lucky he may come over and say hi! Sadly, Pinocchio's float, and his good friends Geppetto and the Blue Fairy are no longer in the daily parade, but sometimes when the "guest star Tuesday" pre-parade is running you can see Jiminy Cricket on the parade route. In 2017 at the annual Run Disney Event, Jiminy, Pinocchio and Geppetto also took turns meeting runners on the 10 Km course, though the characters for this are not announced in advance and do change for each race.



So that's everything for Pinocchio in Disneyland Paris! I hope if you're a fan you've found this guide useful, and if not maybe you've still found something to look out for or try on your next trip! I would love to do more of these style posts so if you liked it or have any suggestions for which other characters I can cover, please let me know in the comments!

Hoodsie xx

4 comments:

  1. How great does Duffy look in his Pinocchio outfit? So cute!
    I love Les Voyages De Pinocchio but I find it sooo scary!

    I've never eaten in Au Chelet de la Marionette before as I don't think there's anything I can eat, but I will make the point of going and having a look at the theming on my next trip!

    I'd love to meet Jiminy one day but I can't see myself taking up running any time soon so I'll have to hope for a rare appearance one day!

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  2. I hope you get to meet Jiminy he was lovely and so so cute! Duffy is really hoping to show Pinocchio his new matching outfit soon 🤞🏻✨

    Thanks for reading!
    Hoodsie xx

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  3. […] which made our day. After the parade we had time for a few rides and some food, so we did the Pinocchio ride, Star tours, small world and probably a few others that I can’t remember. We grabbed a fast […]

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  4. […] de la Marionette, the Pinocchio themed restaurant in Fantasyland, which you can read more about here. We had hotdogs and chips which were really nice and quite fairly priced, we always find the […]

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