One mum revisits the park to see the free show based on the popular West End musical. Plus, a review of Walt Disney Studio Park

Inspired by our initial one-day whistle-stop tour of Disneyland Paris, my five-year-old, Charlie, and I undertook a rather more leisurely weekend trip to this popular theme park. We boarded the Eurostar once more, this time armed with toothbrushes and pyjamas.

We stayed in to Disney's Hotel New York, which is right in the thick of Disney Village. Modelled on a 1930s New York hotel, the rooms are comfy and there is a fabulous indoor/outdoor swimming pool - just the thing after a foot-pounding day at the park.

We came to see the brand-new show The Lion King, which turned out to be one of the highlights of our visit - a truly awesome performance. The show is spectacular, with special effects that include a wall of water, a curtain of smoke and thrilling bursts of fire (my five-year-old was enthralled). It transplanted highlights of the West End musical, including wonderful costumes and a soundtrack containing everyone's favourite singalong songs. And because it's just a half-hour in length and is performed three or four times a day, it's an absolute must-do for any visitor to the park. Plus, the fact that it's free meant my purse got a breather from the innumerable opportunities to divest myself of money.

Studio magic
After revisiting all the Disneyland Park favourites - Thunder Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean, we were able to spend a day in Walt Disney Studios Park. Remarkably crowd-free, this area makes for a considerably more chilled-out experience. We loved the Stunt Show Spectacular, which involved a high-octane car chase through a village set. Loud and exciting, it's any boy's fantasy, whatever their age. The Studio Tram Tour, with its disaster theme, was also suitably thrilling. We followed that with a gentle ride on the Flying Carpets over Agrabah.

After trying this theme park both as a mad dash and a relatively leisurely weekend, I would highly recommend the latter. You can take your time, check out all the attractions and head back to a comfortable hotel for a relaxing swim or sauna before hitting the highspots of Disney Village for drinks or dinner. Adults who are still looking to kick up their heels can also hit the Hurricanes Discotheque.

Tracey Williams and her son were guests of Disneyland Paris and The Lion King.

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Details are correct at time of publication.