Disney Adventure World is the second gate of the Disneyland Paris resort in Marne-la-Vallée, France, operated by Disney Experiences. It opened on March 16, 2002 as Walt Disney Studios Park, built around a working-studio theme complete with a soundstage backlot and a water tower styled after Mickey Mouse’s ears, the Earffel Tower. On February 27, 2018, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a roughly €2 billion transformation of the park, with construction rolling out in phases starting in 2021; the project culminated in the park’s rebrand to Disney Adventure World on March 29, 2026, alongside the opening of World of Frozen.
Where the original park leaned on behind-the-scenes movie-making gimmicks, the modern incarnation is built around fully realized franchise lands, including Marvel Avengers Campus and the newly opened World of Frozen. In 2024, the park drew about 5.59 million visitors, making it the fourth most-visited theme park in Europe and the 20th most-visited in the world, according to the TEA/AECOM Global Attractions Attendance Report.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Marne-la-Vallée, France
- Operator: Disney Experiences (The Walt Disney Company)
- Opened: March 16, 2002 (as Walt Disney Studios Park); renamed Disney Adventure World on March 29, 2026
- Size: About 27 hectares (roughly 67 acres), with the multi-year expansion announced in 2018 aiming to roughly double the original footprint
- Annual visitors: About 5.59 million (2024)
- Signature attraction: Marvel Avengers Campus and World of Frozen
From Studio Backlot to Adventure World
Walt Disney Studios Park opened in 2002 as Disneyland Paris’s answer to Disney-MGM Studios in Florida, themed around animation, film production, and special effects. Over the following two decades it added attractions like Crush’s Coaster in Toon Studio and Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy, gradually shifting away from its working-studio concept.
In February 2018, Bob Iger announced a roughly €2 billion, multi-year overhaul of the park, with new lands opening in phases starting in 2021. Marvel Avengers Campus opened in July 2022, and the transformation culminated on March 29, 2026, when the park was renamed Disney Adventure World alongside the debut of World of Frozen, with a Lion King-themed area still in development.
Rides and Themed Lands
Crush’s Coaster, a Maurer Rides spinning dark-coaster themed to Finding Nemo, opened in 2007 and remains a signature family attraction, reaching about 60.7 km/h (37.7 mph) inside an enclosed show building. Marvel Avengers Campus features Avengers Assemble: Flight Force, a launched coaster built on the former Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster track, plus the Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure dark ride.
World of Frozen, the park’s newest land, centers on Frozen Ever After, a boat-and-track hybrid dark ride recreating Arendelle and Elsa’s ice palace. Together with Worlds of Pixar and its Toy Story Playland sub-area, these lands anchor the park’s shift toward fully themed, story-driven environments.
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Disney Adventure World FAQs
Is Walt Disney Studios Park still open?
Yes, but it now operates under a new name. On March 29, 2026, Disney rebranded Walt Disney Studios Park as Disney Adventure World, completing a transformation first announced in February 2018.
When did the Disney Adventure World transformation begin?
Bob Iger announced the roughly €2 billion overhaul on February 27, 2018. Construction and new lands rolled out in phases starting in 2021, culminating in the park’s 2026 rebrand.
What are the must-do rides at Disney Adventure World?
Top attractions include Crush’s Coaster, Avengers Assemble: Flight Force and Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure in Marvel Avengers Campus, and Frozen Ever After in World of Frozen.
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Photo: Florent Pécassou / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.