Ysgol Abersychan School
Disneyland Paris Trip (07th March 2019)
On the 07th March 2019, the Welsh and Modern Foreign Languages Department's ran an educational visit to the France for 64 of our pupils from years 8-10. As well as visiting the beautiful city of Paris we celebrated being Welsh at the annual Saint David's Welsh Weekend at Disneyland.
When we arrived in Paris we headed straight for the Tour Montparnasse a 210-metre (689 ft.) office skyscraper located in the Montparnasse area of Paris. We took the lift to the 56th floor to enjoy the spectacular panoramic view. This unique view point, which overlooks Paris, offers a 360° view of the capital. Thankfully it was a clear, sunny day so we had a stunning 25 miles of visibility.
Our next stop was at the Eiffel tour. We had lunch on the banks of the river Seine before taking a cruise along the Seine on a Bateau Mouche. Hopping onto a boat tour down the Seine, for an hour-long trip is one of the best ways to see the most iconic monument in Paris. We had a great view of The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Conciergerie, and the Musee D'orsay to name a few.
Later in the afternoon we travelled to the Montmartre area in the 18th arrondissement, north of downtown Paris. We visited the The Sacre-Coeur Basilica: one of Paris's major tourist attractions. This majestic white church is located on top of the Montmartre hill in an area renowned for its many street artists.
The pupils enjoyed a meal at the Au Cadet de Gascogne restaurant located on Montmartre's famous old town square, Place de Tertre, before heading to our hotel.
On Saturday we visited Disneyland to join in the St David's Welsh Festival celebrations. Pupils enjoyed spending time in the Disney Studios and Disneyland Park. Tower of Terror, Rockin' Rollercoaster and Space Mountain proved to be a popular. Despite the high speed, the twists and the drops, some felt that none of the rides could complete with the stomach-churning ferry journey home to Dover!
As well as enjoying the rides we were able to watch the parade and visit the Videopolis Stage to be entertained by Only Men Aloud and several other Welsh choirs. The Performances ended with the arrival on stage of Mickey and Minnie wearing traditional Welsh Costume.
Our magical day in Disneyland ended with a spectacular fireworks display at the Sleeping Beauty Castle. The Welsh themed firework display was fantastic and the castle was lit up with our famous red Welsh Dragon and beautiful yellow daffodils.
Mrs Wilkshire, Mr Mclean, Miss Monks, Miss Morris, Mrs Evans and Mr Steadman would like to thank all of the pupils who came for their fabulous behaviour. Pupils and staff had a very enjoyable and memorable weekend.
Here are some thoughts from the pupils:
- I really enjoyed the sightseeing as well as seeing the Disney Characters in Welsh outfits! I was able to use three languages over the weekend
- I loved the trip because we went to all the places I have always wanted to go
- I loved the trip because I always wanted to go to Disneyland and I got to go with my friends
- Overall, I had a fantastic experience I will remember forever. The tour of the monuments in Paris was brilliant! It was a fantastic opportunity to develop my language skills. A huge thank you, merci beaucoup and diolch yn fawr!
- The experience boosted my confidence when speaking French. I would love to go again
- I attempted to speak French and actually managed to have a conversation! The trip was so lovely!
Please see the below link for some of the pictures that were taken during the trip.