Sharjah24 – Reuters: The Disneyland Paris resort kicked off the celebrations of its 30th anniversary on Saturday (March 5) in Chessy, about 40 kilometres (24 miles) east of Paris.

Performers in costumes depicting Disney's iconic characters danced in front of the park's Sleeping Beauty Castle, as families and fans looked on.

Originally dubbed the "Euro Disney Resort", the complex first opened on April 12, 1992, when then-Walt Disney Company CEO, Michael Eisner, cut the red ribbon, along with Walt Disney's nephew, Edward Roy Disney.

The ongoing celebrations are meant to last until the anniversary date is reached.

Work on the resort began in 1988, as more than 5,300 workers set out to transform what used to be cereal and beetroot fields in a sprawling resort spanning more than 2,000 hectares.

Cooperation between the French state and Disney took place on a major scale, with the government selling the land to the Walt Disney Company and financing the extension of train and highspeed train lines, as well as of the nearby highway, to connect the site to the capital.

The celebrations that launched on Saturday saw the unveiling of various new shows, featuring recent Disney characters, and including a nightly light show in which 150 drones formed the 30th anniversary logo in the sky above the castle.

Disneyland Paris is Europe's biggest amusement park and attracted 15 million visitors every year before the pandemic.