In the wake of the Disney giant, built in 1992 in the heart of the agricultural region of Seine-et-Marne, destinies intertwine, landscapes change, and opinions are divided. “My Neighbor Mickey” explores the consequences of the presence of this amusement park on the lives of local residents, through the testimonies of families, elected officials, and enthusiasts.
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Sitting in a RER train, Ilyas watches the houses, fields and trees pass before his eyes. A landscape he knows by heart: he grew up in Serris, in the shadow of the giant Disneyland that shaped his childhood and that of an entire region. The young thirty-something with a trendy look, aspired to only one thing: to escape to Paris. As he grew up, the amusement park, which once embodied a magical world for him, lost its appeal.
In her hands scroll family photos taken at the park. Yet, for her mother, Disneyland Paris was the promise “of a new life“. Seduced by the idea of raising her children near the “wonderful world” of Mickey and becoming a homeowner at a lower cost, she saw in this neighborhood a unique opportunity. The mother even subscribed to several subscriptions so that her relatives could enjoy it when they visited them.
Marianne, for her part, lives a completely different reality. Having settled in Argentières seven years ago, the young retiree discovered an unexpected passion for country dancing while attending the Billy Bob’san iconic American club in the park, to the point of becoming a teacher: “If it wasn’t for Disney, I think there are a lot of people who wouldn’t be country dancing right now.“, she explains enthusiastically. Her passion for American culture also allowed her to meet her partner.
But a few kilometers away, enthusiasm for Disney-style America is not unanimous. Patrick Maillard, mayor of Jossigny, located 4 kilometers from the park, nicknames his town “the village of indomitable Gauls“.
Since 2021, he has been fighting to protect his village from the growing appetite of the famous mouse. What worries him is the gradual disappearance of agricultural land: “The development of infrastructure represents another 23 hectares less of agricultural land”he emphasizes. It’s not just Disney.
He also mentions the noise pollution that affects residents: “Behind the fields, there are the inhabitants. If you have an east wind, you hear the highway as if you were 2 meters away“. For him, the urbanization around the park is a direct threat to the rural identity of the region. Bernard Durand-Rival, architect at Real Estate by Eurodisney, responds by assuring that the environment of the park has been carefully thought out.
How can Patrick Maillard save the soul of his village in the face of the growing influence of the park? Discover his whole story in “My Neighbor Mickey” tonight at 11:05 p.m. on Fance 3 Paris Île-de-France or in replay on france.tv/idf
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