Take a Virtual Tour of the Gardens of Disneyland Paris — Including the Park’s 130-Year-Old Trees

As May begins, there are more chances to enjoy the many gorgeous springtime offerings in full bloom these days. Though it might be some time before you can safely get on a plane and head to Paris, the latest virtual tour of Disneyland Paris allows you to stop and smell the roses without even leaving your living room — serving up plenty of reasons to put the French park on your itinerary for future trips.

The three-minute clip takes viewers through the idyllic gardens and topiaries of Disneyland Paris, and although they might not be as grand as the gardens at Versailles or other French landmarks, their whimsy and charm will surely satisfy any Disney lover out there. As theme park aficionados know, each Disney castle park is designed to include separate themed lands, creating an immersive experience that truly takes you outside the “real world” and into the magic.

Sebastien, one of the park’s gardeners, first takes viewers to Frontierland, which features a “semi-arid environment and scattered flora.” The gravel throughout the grounds creates the look of a drought, but even the gravel is expertly themed. Visitors will find red gravel (to replicate the look of a Utah desert) around Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and gray gravel near Phantom Manor (the French version of Haunted Mansion), which represents the color of ashes to add to the attraction’s foreboding atmosphere. Also at Phantom Manor, gardeners have planted trees that deliberately look like they’re going to collapse to give that dilapidated, neglected vibe. 

Frontierland is also home to five Hawthorn trees that were already a century old when they arrived at the park, making them now 129 years young, since the park is celebrating its 29th anniversary.

Moving on to Adventureland, visitors will find lush trees and plants, including palm trees imported from China. Since Paris sometimes has harsh winter temperatures that make palm plants inhospitable to survive, Disney pros have a major secret that helps keep the entire park around 35 degrees warmer than outside the gates: a planted berm that helps keep high winds out, which also helps preserve the health of the palm trees in Adventureland. Who knew?

And of course, there’s Fantasyland, which is home to nearly 30 of the park’s 50 intricate topiaries, including a Dumbo the Flying Elephant topiary that has been near the attraction of the same name since 1992. Each of the topiaries pays tribute to an iconic Disney character, and fans will find them scattered throughout the park and near the entrance, providing something beautiful to enjoy at each and every step.