Disney in France had experienced Until 1992, the Walt Disney park business. Its in nothing but success in the theme California, park, opened in Anaheim, After All," 1955. Its theme song, "It's a Small World promoted "an idealized vision of America spiced with reassuring glimpses of exotic cultures all calculated to promote heartwarming feelings about living together as one happy family. There were dark tunnels and bumpy rides to scare the children a little but none of the terrors The Disney of the real world from characters that everyone knew were the cartoons and comic books on hand to shepherd the guests and to direct them to the Mickey Mouse and Little Mermaid watches records The Anaheim park was an instant success. In the 1970s, the triumph was repeated in Florida, and in 1983, Dis- ney proved the Japanese also have an affinity for Mickey Mouse with the successful opening of Tokyo Disneyland Having wooed the Japanese, Disney executives in 1986 turned their attention to France and, more specifically, to Paris, the self-proclaimed capital of European high culture and style. "Why did they pick France many asked. When word first got out that Disney wanted to build another international theme park, officials from more than 200 cations all over the world descended on Disney with pleas and cash inducements to work the Disney magic in their hometowns. But Paris was chosen because of demo- graphics and subsidies. About 17 million Europeans liwe less than a two-hour drive from Paris. Another 310 mil lion can fly there in the same time or less. Also, the