Disneyland Resort Paris turns 15 this year and to celebrate its birthday, they've arranged a new daily Once upon a Dream parade, and are unveiling three new rides to open later in the year

I have to confess that I'd never been to a Disneyland resort before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I stepped on to the Eurostar at Ashford International. I was surrounded by a sea of families, some clearly veterans as they already sported giant hands and Mickey Mouse ears. The train journey itself was completely smooth and delivered us to the gates of the Disneyland Resort in just two hours.

Once you step off the train, you can't fail to notice that you're in a completely different world. Children buzz with excitement, and there's a definite air of expectation around - everyone expects to be entertained.

Queues, glorious queues
The park doesn't disappoint, offering rides of varying scariness. All the roller coasters guarantee thrills and you can hear the screams as you queue. And you will have to queue. Many of the more popular rides, such as Space Mountain: Mission 2's winding queues can take over an hour to get you in. You can buy a fast pass for this ride, but even with that, you have to be prepared to queue for about 20 minutes. It's usually best to head for this ride first thing in the morning or last thing at night, when the queues are considerably shorter.

Other queues were shorter, but when we visited, the park was very busy. We found that most people were patient and waited their turn, but others were rude and pushy (I guess that's the same the world over). I was practically squashed by one very large Spanish man who clearly felt his bulk needed at least four of the designated seats on one ride, and his quest for photos nearly cost me an eye, so I was much relieved when the ride finished without mortal injury.

Putting on a show
You'd expect Disney to put on a good show and the daily Once upon a Dream Parade didn't disappoint. It's billed as a feast for all the senses and features eight floats, which have a different theme front and back. People can get close to the characters as they stop the floats and mingle with the crowds. The absolute delight on the faces of the kids when they saw their favourites made even a hardened cynic like me smile, and I loved the way the kids cringed whenever a 'baddy' went by.

'Our guests will see more of their favourite dreams coming to life, such as Alice in Wonderland and Pinocchio representing Dreams of Laughter and Fun; Peter Pan and Mary Poppins for Dreams of Fantasy, and the characters from Toy Story and Winnie the Pooh for Dreams of Friendship,' explained Francois Leroux, vice president of Disney entertainment.

'We've added fragrances that will fill the air, matching the themes of each float. For instance, the aroma of flowers will float through the air as the princess float passes, polished wood for the float featuring Pinocchio and the smell of fire for the float featuring the Disney villains.'

And the Mad Hatter is on hand to distribute cookies and sweets so you can taste the experience too!

There's another chance to get close to the characters with the Disney Characters' Express. This train is packed with all the favourites who dance and wave as they travel down Main Street, before stopping in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle to greet the children. And in the evening, they are all back again for the Candlelabration ceremony, when the characters put on a show and light the birthday candles on each of the castle's turrets.

New rides opening
To mark the birthday celebrations, Disneyland is opening three new attractions at the Walt Disney Studios Park. The first two, which open in June 2007, are Crush's Coaster and Cars Race Rally. Crush's Coaster takes its inspiration from the Disney Pixar animated film Finding Nemo and promises you a roller coaster ride on the back of Nemo's surfer turtle friend, Crush. Cars Race Rally, inspired by Disney's Pixar movie Cars, lets guests of all ages take a crazy spinning ride on the famous Route 66 along with stars of the film such as Lightning McQueen, Sally and Doc Hudson.

Early in 2008, the fright-filled Twilight Zone Tower of Terror will debut in the Walt Disney Studios Park. Daring guests can board a decrepit hotel service lift that hurtles them through the 'fifth dimension' in a pitch-black lift shaft, plummeting from the 13th floor.

Kids under seven go free
As an added incentive to visit the resort, Disneyland Resort Paris is inviting children under the age of seven to join in the fun for free. For packages booked to arrive before 20 March 2008, kids can have free hotel accommodation and free entrance to both Disney Parks, so they can enjoy all the festivities!

For further information about family holidays to Disneyland Resort Paris during the 15th birthday celebrations, call 08705 03 03 03 or visit www.disneyland15.com

In April, prices start from £233 per adult and £85 per child (aged seven to 11 years) for a three-night, four-day package staying at Disney's Santa Fe. Children under seven years old stay and play for free. The package is based on two adults and two children (7-11 years inclusive) sharing a family room and includes three night's accommodation with continental breakfast and a four-day entry ticket for the Disneyland Park and the Walt Disney Studios Park.

Eurostar operates a daily service from London Waterloo and Ashford International to the gates of Disneyland Resort Paris with return fares from £59. Tickets are available from www.eurostar.com or by calling 08705 186 186.

Facts and figures

• Disneyland Resort Paris covers 1,943 hectares, which is approximately a fifth the size of Paris. In total, the Disney Parks represent a 76-hectare site.
• Disneyland Resort Paris is Europe's leading tourist destination, boasting more than 175 million visits since opening 1992, and is France's second biggest Tour Operator in terms of client figures.
• Disneyland Resort Paris has 54 Disney shops divided among the Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios Parks, the seven theme Hotels, Disney Village and the Val d'Europe.
• Guests at the Resort consume 30 million meals each year throughout the 68 different eateries available.
• 220,000 light bulbs are used to light up the facades on Main Street, USA.
• Aerosmith stars Steven Tyler and Joe Perry re-recorded vocals and guitar riffs especially for the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster ride. The recorded songs, including Love on a Roller Coaster, cannot be heard anywhere else.
• Over 12,200 cast members represent more than 500 trades, 100 nationalities and 19 languages at Disneyland Resort Paris.
• More than 1,000 artists work at Disneyland Resort Paris (700 actors and dancers, 50 musicians, 150 designers, drawers or decorators, 100 technicians, 30 costume-makers).