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Ask most kids (and even adults) in Europe, North America and Oceania what their ultimate holiday location is and you can bet on Disneyland being the most frequent choice for the number 1 fun destination. The Disneyland Park in Paris was created in 1992 in Marne-la-Vallee, a town in Paris’ suburbia.  Disneyland Paris was the second Disneyland Park outside the United States after the park in Tokyo.

True to the defining theme of all Disneyland Parks, Disneyland Paris is a magical kingdom that breathes life into the best known and most loved characters of the most famous European folklores. And as stated at the start, Disneyland Paris does not only appeal to the young – the park is the place where adults can discover or rekindle the child in them.

Disneyland Paris is divided into three sections. There is the core theme park which is home to all the elements you would expect to find in a world class amusement park – of course the distinction being the Walt Disney theme around everything. The second section is the Walt Disney Studios park which is a special theme park that mimics elements of an actual Walt Disney studio.

The third section of Disneyland Paris is the Disney Village which is the park’s dining, shopping and entertainment district. Usually, if you want to experience all three sections of Disneyland Paris, it will take you about two days to fully explore the park.

When visiting Disneyland Paris there are a number of travelling arrangements that you want to consider, the first being accommodation. There are a number of hotels located within the Park (Disneyland Village) as well as some outside the park but at a walking distance. Depending on your budget and preference, the hotels range from budget to premium. You could of course also go for hotels that are a little further away of you do not mind the commute via public transport or a taxi.

The time of the year you go to Disneyland Paris does matter – make every effort to align your travel to coincide with the more favorable seasons. Disneyland Paris is especially great to explore on a warm and sunny day. That makes the summer season around June is most ideal.

One thing that you must be prepared for when you go to Disneyland is the crowds. In 2010, Disneyland Paris saw about fifteen million visits making it the single most visited tourist location in not just France but the whole of Europe. In the peak season,waiting for a thrill ride can take as long as one full hour. To avoid the crowds,it is best that you plan your visit during a weekday as long as it is not during a public holiday or the school holidays.

Port Aventura is the biggest theme park in southern Spain. Located in Salou resort in Catalonia, it is about an hour away from Spain’s second largest city of Barcelona. It is a place that the whole family can enjoy. There are lots of restaurants, shops, shows and attractions. Three companies came together to build the park – Universal Studios, Anheuser-Busch and Tussauds Group.

Since the park opened in 1995, it has experienced a steady growth in the number of visitors drawn from the greater Spain and around the world. The park has seen changes in ownership and name since 1995 but reverted to its original name Port Aventura when Caixa banking group acquired a controlling interest.

Port Aventura is divided into five different zones. The zones are referred to as ‘worlds’. As one enters the park, the first Port Aventura zone they will come across is the Mediterranean. In fact, at some point, the entire Port Aventura Park was known as Universal Mediterranea.

Compared to the other five zones, the Mediterranea does not have as many attractions – the most significant event in this zone is a ride on the Furius Barco roller coaster. Opened in mid 2007, the Furius Barco goes from 0 to 135 kph in just 3 seconds.

The second zone is the Far West. The Far West is the largest zone in the entire park. A visit to the Far West is considered incomplete without an experience on the wooden Stampida roller coaster. The Stampida is the second biggest roller coaster in the park.

The park’s third zone is Mexico, home of the 100 meter drop tower called the Hurakan Condor. The Hurakon Condor pushes even the bravest people to let out a scream.

Next is the Polynesia zone. It is usually thought of as the ‘softest’ zone. It is a place to get one’s adrenalin back to normal levels after the hair-raising experiences on the other 4 zones. Most notable here is the Tutuki Splash. But the relative serenity of Polynesia will quickly be shattered once you enter the last zone – China.

Here, visitors to the park come face to face with the largest roller coaster in the park – the Dragon Khan. In fact, for several years, Dragon Khan held the title of the biggest in Europe. It has 8 inverted loops that the coaster navigates at 110 kph.

Children are restricted from boarding these extreme rides. There are however several rides spread across the 5 different zones that are specifically developed for children. These include the Carrousel and Tomahawk in the Far West zone as well as Armadillos and Serpiente Emplumada in the Mexico zone.

Other than the rides, Park Aventura also has puppet shows, traditional dance and music. Each zone on Port Aventura has shops and restaurants each of which is designed in line with the theme of the zone it is in.

Entry tickets can be bought at the park’s main gate or at hotel receptions and travel agent offices. The park opens at 10AM and runs up to 8PM. During the summer and special occasions, Port Aventura is open up to midnight.