Disneyland
Paris 2026

A Little Disney Magic…
and Memories to
Last a Lifetime

ARTS Theatre School • Disneyland Paris • Wednesday 12th August 2026

 

There are some ARTS events that we know will stay with us forever. Our 2026 trip to Disneyland Paris was one of them.
 

57 children. Three teams. One stage. One incredible performance.
 

But somehow, even those words don't quite capture what happened.
 

We have been fortunate enough to take ARTS children to perform at Disneyland Paris many times over the years. Every trip has been special and every group has created its own memories, but this one felt different.

From the moment we arrived until the moment we finally headed home, there was a wonderful feeling surrounding the whole experience.
 

For some families, Disney with ARTS has become a familiar adventure. For many others, this was their very first trip with us. Before long, however, it really didn't seem to matter who had been before and who hadn't.
 

We were simply one big ARTS family having the most wonderful time together.
 

The Memories Before the Performance

Of course, we went to Disneyland Paris to perform — but that's only part of the story.

The memories from a trip like this are made everywhere.
 

They're made screaming together on the rides, wandering around the parks and somehow always bumping into somebody from ARTS. They're made over meals, in hotel corridors, waiting in queues, taking photographs and laughing about the inevitable mishaps — including those who somehow managed to lock themselves out of their rooms!
 

They're made when children who normally only see each other in lessons suddenly spend several days together and friendships become stronger.
 

They're made when families get to know other families.
 

And they're made during those wonderfully ordinary little moments that probably won't mean much to anybody else, but will make us smile whenever we remember them.

There were thrills, laughter, tired feet, excitement, silliness and countless cries of "Look — there's someone from ARTS!"wherever we seemed to go.
 

For a few days, Disneyland Paris really did feel as though ARTS was everywhere.
 

And Then… It Was Time to Perform

On Tuesday 11th August, all that excitement culminated in the reason we had travelled to Paris.
 

Our 57 performers, divided into three teams, came together for one complete production on the Videotropolis stage.
 

And what followed was, quite simply, spectacular.
 

In front of a packed audience of proud parents, families and members of the public who stopped to watch, our children produced what we believe may have been the finest Disney performance ARTS has ever achieved.
 

From the opening moments to the final note, it worked.
 

The choreography created by Lisa, Meredith and Aileen absolutely shone. The music choices and editing gave the production pace, excitement and emotion, while the colourful costumes brought the whole stage alive.
 

Rather than feeling like a collection of individual dances, everything came together as one complete performance — flowing naturally from beginning to end and building into something genuinely special.
 

At the heart of it all was Immy, taking the lead role, beautifully connecting the different elements of the production and helping carry the story through the performance.

But the greatest credit belongs to all 57 children.
 

They stepped onto that stage and delivered.
 

They performed with confidence, energy, commitment and professionalism. They didn't simply remember their choreography — they performed it. They filled that enormous stage with personality and made an audience stop, watch and take notice.
 

As teachers, parents and families, there are occasions when you can almost feel that something special is happening in front of you.
 

This was one of those occasions.
 

More Than a Performance

Behind every child who stepped onto that stage were months of rehearsals, encouragement, costume preparation, organisation and support.
 

Our enormous thanks must go to Lisa, Meredith and Aileen for creating and preparing such a fabulous production; to our teachers who helped the children reach that stage; and to every parent and family member who supported them, travelled with us and embraced the whole experience.
 

And from Andrew & Vickie, a very personal thank you to everyone who came along and helped make this particular ARTS adventure what it became.
 

After forty years, you might imagine that we become accustomed to watching our children perform.
 

We don't.
 

Standing there watching 57 ARTS children performing together at Disneyland Paris, seeing their confidence and joy, looking around at proud parents and families — some of whom were visibly moved to tears — was incredibly emotional.
 

There were certainly a few tears from us too. Not tears because everything was perfect.
 

Tears because, just for a few minutes, you realise what all those lessons, rehearsals, lifts to classes, costumes, friendships, encouragement and years of growing up at ARTS can eventually become.
 

The Best One Yet?

We've been asked whether this was our best Disney trip.
 

It's always difficult to compare memories, because every group and every trip has its own special place in ARTS history.
 

But this one will take some beating.
 

The performance was possibly the best we have ever presented at Disney. The children were outstanding. The atmosphere amongst our families was wonderful. And the laughs, friendships and memories away from the stage are simply too numerous to mention.

Perhaps that's ultimately what these trips are really about.
 

One day the costumes will no longer fit. The choreography will be forgotten. The children will grow up and the photographs will become reminders of how young they once were.

But somewhere amongst those photographs will be memories of a few extraordinary days in Paris — of performing on a Disney stage, laughing with friends, screaming on rides, getting lost, getting locked out, spotting familiar ARTS faces across the park and sharing something remarkable with the people they love.
 

For our children, we hope those memories stay with them for the rest of their lives.
 

Because ultimately, ARTS has never just been about teaching children to Sing, Dance and Act. It's about giving them somewhere to Belong.
 

And every so often, if we're very lucky, we get to share an experience that reminds us exactly why that matters.
 

Disneyland Paris 2026 — 57 children, three teams, one unforgettable performance… and a lifetime of memories.
 

We couldn't be prouder.