All Aboard the Hyperion

Flanking the northern border of Discoveryland is an enormous hangar for dirigibles and other forms of retro-futuristic transportation, and poised there in the largest bay, ready for liftoff, is the spectacular airship Hyperion. Inspired by the 1974 Disney film The Island at the Top of the World, Hyperion gets its name from both the Greek god of light and the street on which Walt Disney had one of his early animation studios.

Not coincidentally, the dramatic sight of the Hyperion emerging from a hangar had also once been included in concept art by Imagineer Tony Baxter for Discovery Bay, a new land proposed for Disneyland in California. Discovery Bay never got off the drawing boards, but when Tony became executive producer of Disneyland Paris, the idea finally found a home.

As amazing as the first view of the Hyperion is, the treasure is really in the details. It's a perfect example of how Imagineering uses long shots, medium shots and close-ups to tell stories. The closer you get to the airship, the more details are revealed. My favorite: the crates of "live" pigeons for delivering messages from the ship by air mail.

The story of this space as a transportation hub for Discoveryland continues as you step inside. Set into the floor of the atrium lobby is a beautiful, marble compass rose. Of course, this is France, so instead of a "W" for west there's an "O" for oest (the French spelling)!

In the world of the theme park, the area just inside the hangar entrance is the Cafe Hyperion, a quick service restaurant. According to our story, though, this is the counter where Guests would book passage to exotic points around the globe. A gorgeously illustrated world map hangs overhead, coupled with elaborate bronze and gold Victorian-style detailing on the walls and fixtures.

Cafe Hyperion is a Steampunk fan's dream! Even objects an potentially mundane as clock faces and vending machines are given an over-the-top, mechanical design to help them fit into the environment.

Beyond Cafe Hyperion, the largest part of the hangar is given over to the Videopolis Theatre. Over the years, the name Videopolis has been applied to an outdoor dance club in Fantasyland at Disneyland and an indoor nightclub on Pleasure Island at Walt Disney World. Here, it's been home to such productions as "Rock Shock" and "The Legend of the Lion King." Today, Guests may dine in the theater while enjoying Disney animated cartoons on several large screens.

Rounding out the theater are Arcade Alpha and Beta, typical video game centers that offer a quick diversion before embarking on your next journey of discovery.