Everything You Need to Know About the Show “Alice and the Queen of Hearts: Return to Wonderland”

Planning a visit to Disneyland Paris and wondering about the newest show? Curious to learn more about the captivating “Alice in Wonderland” performance at Disneyland Paris for your upcoming trip?

Disneyland Paris enjoys worldwide acclaim for its exceptional shows. This Parisian destination is renowned for offering some of the best performances among all Disney parks globally. Following the success of “Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure,” which I highly recommend seeing, the park now introduces a new show to expand its offerings. In this article, learn all the details about this new production themed around “Alice in Wonderland.”

Presentation of the Show

The Alice in Wonderland show comes to life at the Stars Theatre, located at the former site of the “Lights, Motors, Action!” attraction. This production promises an immersive and breathtaking experience, blending music, acrobatics, and audience interaction. Inspired by musical theater, the show offers two distinct atmospheres: pop and rock, representing the two protagonists of the story, Alice and the Queen of Hearts. The electric melodies are accompanied by dance, singing, and music performances, as well as impressive demonstrations by BMX riders and trampoline acrobats on stage. Moreover, audience interaction is at the heart of the show, where guests are invited to actively participate by helping the Mad Hatter stage the ending of their choice.

Preview Information

Since May 25, 2024, the brand-new show has been open to the public, promising magical moments for all Disneyland Paris visitors. Annual Pass and Disneyland Pass holders had the opportunity to enjoy early access to this captivating production. Four preview performances were scheduled:

• May 18, 2024, at 5:35 PM for Gold and Infinity pass holders
• May 18, 2024, at 7:00 PM for Gold, Infinity, and Magic Plus pass holders
• May 19, 2024, at 5:35 PM for all pass holders May 19, 2024, at 7:00 PM for all pass holders

To make a reservation, guests simply needed to visit the annual pass reservation platform starting from May 6 for the first performance on May 18, and from May 7 for all other performances.

Access to the Stars Theatre was granted at least 30 minutes before the performance (access via the passage located behind The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction). Additionally, to enter the Theatre on the day of the performance, guests had to collect a wristband between 2:30 PM and 5:00 PM at the Walt Disney Studios Park ticket booths upon presentation of a valid Pass and the reservation confirmation email (printed or digital; I recommend everyone to prioritize the digital version, let’s think about the planet).

Technical data

Number of BMX ramps: 9 ramps
Height of BMX ramps: 2.5 to 5 metres
Number of trampolines: 7
Trampoline sizes: 1 central 14-meter trampoline and 2 wall trampolines 3.5 meters high

Costume development time: 1 year
Number of costume pieces: 4000 pieces
Number of pairs of shoes: 400 pairs
Length of fabric used: 10,000 meters, of which 1,000 meters hand-pleated

Message of the show

Unlike other park shows such as Mickey and the Wizard, which advocates belief in one’s dreams, or Together, which emphasizes the power of unity, the message conveyed by the Alice in Wonderland show is distinctly different. Contrary to the traditional dichotomy between kindness and wickedness, the protagonists, Alice and the Queen of Hearts, embody complementary ideas. Alice symbolizes the need to believe in one’s immagination to improve the world, while the Queen of Hearts represents the importance of believing in oneself to achieve one’s ambitions.

Show sequence

Stage 1 :

Alice and the Queen of Hearts: Return to Wonderland opens with a captivating pre-show as dancers and acrobats gradually take over the stage, a gentle, elegant entrance that gently transports us to Wonderland, followed closely by iconic figures such as the White Rabbit, the March Hare and the Caterpillar, who wander around the stage and among the audience.

Stage 2 :

Alice and the Queen of Hearts: Return to Wonderland opens with the Cheshire Cat cheerfully announcing that it’s tea time, at which point the Mad Hatter makes his entrance to officially launch the show. Before long, the stage comes alive with characters and musicians singing and dancing along to the upbeat notes of Welcome to Wonderland, the show’s signature tune.

Stage 3 :

The next stage marks the arrival of Alice, who returns to Wonderland by drinking the magic potion that makes her shrink, thus launching her new adventure in this fantastic universe to the beat of pop music.

Stage 4 :

In the next scene, the Queen of Hearts makes a rock’n’roll entrance on her motorcycle, determined that the party won’t start without her, accompanied by percussionists who make their way through the audience and BMX riders who energize the stage with their spectacular arrival.

Stage 5 :

The following scene serves as an exchange between the characters, laying the foundations for the battle to come: Alice and the Queen of Hearts, having failed to conclude their croquet game during Alice’s previous visit to Wonderland, look for a way to break the tie, opting in the end for an electrifying musical battle.

Stage 6 :

It’s Alice who opens the battle, leading her blue tea-themed camp, kicking off hostilities with her catchy pop music. For the record, her song “Golden Afternoon” pays tribute to the Fleurs song “Un Matin de Mai Fleuri” from the animated film.

Stage 7 :

Ensuite, la Reine de Coeur prend le relais avec son camp thé rouge, enflammant la scène avec sa puissante musique rock “My Ways”.

Stage 8 :

After the battle, the characters find themselves unable to pick a winner, so the Mad Hatter calls on the audience to choose the victor, asking each side to shout as loudly as possible.

Stage 9 :

Finally, after the election of the winner, the finale of Alice et la Reine de Coeur : Retour au Pays des Merveilles ends with a cover of the winner’s song, remixed with her musical style, as well as Welcome to Wonderland, offering two possible versions for the end of this show.

My opinion of the show

At the first preview of Alice and the Queen of Hearts: Return to Wonderland, exclusively accessible to Gold and Infinity Annual Pass holders, I had the privilege of discovering a production that is both grandiose and innovative, with a splendid stage, a rich experience, numerous disciplines, total occupation of the space, well-mastered innovations, a battle mode that works well and a real risk-taking in the staging! Let’s take a closer look at what I thought of it:

In terms of scenography, the stage is truly conquering. Its impressive size and vivid colors create an enchanting universe where every detail counts. It incorporates highly dynamic elements such as a 14-meter-long trampoline, BMX ramps and multiple screens spread over several levels, enriching the visual experience. The use of the old Moteurs, Action! stage in the background adds a nostalgic touch, while also contributing to the overall ambience of the show.

The story revolves around a musical battle between Alice and the Queen of Hearts, scripted by the Mad Hatter and his companions. This concept, though a little simplistic, is brilliantly revisited here. The fights are animated, and the diversity of styles and choreography, punctuated by humorous retorts, makes for an entertaining and aesthetically pleasing show.

On the musical side, the main theme Welcome to Wonderland is catchy and will stay in your head long after the show is over. However, the songs dedicated to Alice didn’t particularly appeal to me, which can be explained by my less pronounced sensitivity to pop, unlike the Queen of Hearts’ rock rhythms, which are bursting with energy and which I encourage you to listen to!

The characters’ costumes reflect the scene: bright and imaginative, they contribute to the authenticity of Alice’s world. Despite the lack of dialogue for some characters, each costume pays homage to the original work. A special nod also goes to the costumes of the cast members in charge of the attraction, reinforcing the magical atmosphere of the show (I love their bob!).

In terms of special effects and innovations, the show impresses with its pyrotechnics and colored smoke effects, which had disappeared from recent Disneyland Paris productions. High-quality screens, though less central than in other shows, allow even the most distant spectators to follow the action closely, thanks to a highly efficient video tracking system.

The performances on stage are the central element of this production: singers, musicians, dancers, acrobats and BMX riders share the space, creating a tableau vivant where the action is omnipresent. This can sometimes make it difficult to know where to look, so intense is the activity.

In conclusion, Alice and the Queen of Hearts: Return to Wonderland is an undeniable success that testifies to the talent and creativity of the Disneyland Paris show teams, who outdo all the show teams at other Disney parks around the world. Although this show didn’t have the same emotional impact on me as Together: a Pixar musical adventure, it was a real risk-taker, a bold innovation that was perfectly executed. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new and captivating experience. For those who do get to see it, I’d be curious to hear your impressions, but hurry, for now the show is scheduled to run until the end of September 2024 only.

For the anecdote

All the illustrations on and around the show stage were created by hand, using a color palette inspired by illustrator Mary Blair, who contributed to the 1951 film.

Show teaser

Photos of the show