Attractions Expert Q&A: Céline Tamaillon

By Kendall Wolf

Tamaillon is responsible for show operations for “Avengers Campus” in Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris and the land’s nightly “Avengers: Power the Night” show with drones, sound, light, video mapping, and pyrotechnics) as well as the Walt Disney Expansion project (Arendelle).

What theme park souvenir might we be surprised to find on your shelf, and what’s its story?

I was watching the “Disney Once Upon A Dream Parade” at Disneyland Paris many years ago and was captivated by the villains’ float in front of me, with Snow White’s Queen casting some spells above her cauldron and Maleficent at the top of the float. Suddenly a piece of red flame from Maleficent’s dress fell right in front of me. I grabbed it like a treasure, and I have kept it preciously during all these years as a souvenir.

What theme park have you always wanted to visit but have never been to? 

I would love to visit the Tokyo Disney Sea. The area around Prince Eric’s Castle (The Little Mermaid’s Prince), surrounded by the water, looks amazing. I am really interested in Japanese culture, and I am curious to see how Japanese culture and traditions affected their interpretation of the Disney classics.

I would have loved to visit Disney Sea to watch the show “The Legend of Mythica,” which was performed there until 2014. When I saw pictures of the themed barges for the first time, I was very impressed by the mystical animals floating on the water.

As an Entertainment professional, I think water represents a playground offering great opportunities for creativity to make people dream. I can’t wait to discover the opportunities the new lake in the Walt Disney Studios (part of the new land dedicated to Frozen) will offer in terms of creativity for Entertainment.

What was your favorite ride/attraction as a child, and why?

When I was a child, there was a big annual funfair in my town. We used to go there with my family and friends. My favorite attraction was in the shape of a big octopus with wagons attached to its tentacles. It was not too frightening but gave some great thrills. Above all, I felt attracted by the decor. I am still convinced that decor and immersion are the most essential parts of a successful experience in a ride.

The immersion creates the illusion that you are not just 100 meters from the ground on metal rails waiting for the fall, but you are an explorer at the top of a giant waterfall on a tree trunk. Around you is the tropical forest; above you, some parrots flying through a rainbow, and behind you, some alligators ready to bite… beautiful landscape but imminent danger. If you feel like an integral part of the story, then I am convinced the experience comes to life in an entirely different way.

Was there a ride, attraction, or character that frightened you as a child?

When I was a child, I visited a water park near my hometown with my family. I was holding my mother’s hand as we were walking to a diving demonstration show. I asked, “Mom, how high is the diving board?” She did not answer, so I looked up and saw that a clown had taken my Mom’s place, holding my hand. I remember that I felt upset, as I was probably too young to understand the humor of this joke.

What is the oddest or coolest job you’ve had in a theme park?

Every job I’ve had at Disneyland Paris has been so cool that answering this question is very hard, but I will mention three of them:

I started my career at Disneyland Paris as a dancer for a parade. This was a really cool job because I wore wonderful costumes and danced every day in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Watching children smile and seeing our guests’ happiness is the best feedback anyone can get at work! This was a physical but amazing job! Even on days when I was in a bad mood, I always finished the parade with a big smile on my face.

Once, I danced in a pre-parade with some kids who were taking part in a dance competition organized for a TV program named “Disney Dance Talent.” It was an incredible experience, learning and performing brand-new choreography but also supporting, encouraging, and accompanying these children in a magical, physically demanding, but incredibly professional experience. It was a chance to share this unique moment with them, see their joy, their doubts, and the encouragement we gave each other through our eyes and smiles all along the parade route.

One of the coolest jobs I had was also to be a Production Assistant on the creation of the show, “Mickey and The Magician.” Among many incredible things that I did on this production (IAAPA Award for Best Theatrical Production 2016), one particularly memorable experience was helping the Magician hunt for plenty of small mystery objects to decorate his workshop before the Great Opening.

And last but not least, it was a real honor to work as a Producer for all the seasons of Marvel Super Heroes at Walt Disney Studios. We totally modified Cinemagique Theater to create the Studio Theater, and we built a brand new indoor show named “Marvel Super Heroes United,” as well as two outdoor stages for two other shows: “Stark Expo” and the “Guardians of the Galaxy Amazing Dance-Off.” It was the very first time the Marvel Super Heroes came to Disneyland Paris. I am very proud of this project. It was really hard work but a deeply human adventure that I will never forget.

What ride/attraction do you think everyone needs to experience and why?

In 2019, I had the chance to fly to Florida and visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I was not ready for what I’d experience there at “Pandora – the World Of Avatar.” As soon as you enter this area of the park, you are on a different planet.

Above all, the rest was the ride, “Flight Of Passage.” I instantly forgot that I was in an attraction… I was flying for real! During the flight, I wanted to thank and encourage my Banshee that I felt breathing and shaking under me. Sitting in a riding position, rather than in a ride vehicle, like I was really on the back of a real Banshee, totally transformed my experience. I screamed for joy the entire time.

When it ended, I had a feeling of fullness. I was extremely happy and grateful for this opportunity. I couldn’t explain why, but my body was starting to cry by itself as if I had fulfilled an impossible childhood dream. I was not sad, but tears came from my eyes, out of control, like I had flown for real on a dragon. That was amazing. This would be a real dream if I could share this ride with my family one day.

If you were tasked with creating a new theme park food, what would it be?

I would love to be able to eat some of Alice in Wonderland’s cakes. The ones that make her grow.

I would imagine a “Salon de Thé” painted with pastel colors, with a long table at the center. On the tablecloth, there would be hundreds of tea cups of every size, shape, and color, and at the center, a mountain of small cakes, each more appetizing than the last, with the words “eat me” written on each. (Of course, in a perfect world, each cake would give a magical power to the person who ate it or would make one of their dreams come true).

You’re a walk-around character for a day – who do you choose?

Mary Poppins. As a Manager, I always say: “I am kind but extremely firm,” just like Mary Poppins said during her job interview with Mister Banks. I think that I have some similarities with Mary Poppins. She looks serious and perhaps a bit cold at first sight, but when you look closer, she is finally a very funny woman with dreams, ambitions, and respectful values.

What types of attractions would you like to see more of and why?

I would like to see more and more immersive attractions. My ideal attractions would transport you to a different place, a parallel world, where, just for a few minutes, you have an experience that gives you memories that last a lifetime. From my point of view, new technology should be used in the service of storytelling. Enhancing the experience with smells, sounds, music, lights, wind, special effects, and interactive vehicles. For example, in “Flight Of Passage,” we are not flying on a Banshee sitting in a wagon, but in a real flight position, just like in the movie.

Drones, LED screens, and 3D offer a lot of possibilities, but real decor should not be forgotten as it brings some concrete elements to a ride, like in the dark ride Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom. In this attraction, we really feel like we’re in the movie, escaping some Dinosaurs in a jeep, feeling the heat and the sounds of the tropical forest. Future attractions should combine all these elements to create immersion and storytelling. Both attractions in “Pandora – The World Of Avatar” have been created in this spirit. I am very impressed by the amazing work done by the Imagineers, particularly in this land.

Do you have any interesting theme park pandemic stories?

A month before Disneyland Paris re-opened after the pandemic, I returned on-site to prepare for the return of our Cast Members, and many “Magic Keepers” were working to make everything ready for the big day of re-opening. A few days before the return of our Guests, some people were still painting the street lamps. Our “Magic Keepers” worked hard to clean and renovate everything to make the place even brighter and more beautiful for the re-opening. Everything had to be done in an extremely short time. 

During this unusual time, I had the rare opportunity to drive a car inside the park. It felt very awkward to drive just in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in the middle of the day. This was a very unique experience that I could never have imagined in “normal time.”

Can you talk about what you are working on these days?

I work as an Operational Entertainment Manager. That means that I am responsible for a big part of the shows happening every day in the Walt Disney Studios: “Mickey and the Magician” at Animagique Theater, all the shows taking place in the Production Courtyard, including night shows on the Tower Of Terror, the shows happening in the Avengers Campus, and the future shows that will be created for the extension of the Walt Disney Studios.

In July 2022, we opened the Avengers Campus in the Walt Disney Studios with my team of stage managers. Every day, my team takes care of Marvel Super Heroes when they are training on rooftops, securing the campus, or looking for new recruits to train among our guests. The campus is a place like no other. I’m incredibly lucky to work there every day in the company of Super Heroes. In April, we had to get the campus ready to welcome The Hulk, who was visiting his friends at the Avengers Campus. It was a real honor to meet him, and a bit challenging to adapt our infrastructure!

In January 2023, in collaboration with Production teams, Creative teams, and Technical teams, we launched a brand new show named: “Avengers: Power The Night,” using video mapping on the Hollywood Tower Of Terror, lasers, lights, pyrotechnics effects, and 500 drones drawing some key animated elements in the sky, inspired by Marvel Super Heroes. This is a world-first premiere in a Disney Park! The use of drones represents a big responsibility every day for my team. Marne La Vallée can be a windy place, which is challenging to make drones fly. We are very proud of this project!

You are going to your favorite theme park – which industry people (dead or alive) are you taking with you?

Without any hesitation: Walt Disney! He was a real visionary and a model for many Disney Cast Members. It would be crazy to hear his stories and ask what he was thinking about when he was working on all his projects. What were his fears? His ambitions? What was challenging for him?

Every day all the Cast Members do their best to work in accordance with his legacy, so what would be better than learning directly from the master himself? I think it would also be interesting to have his feedback on the work we are doing today to keep his legacy alive and growing. I hope he would be proud of what we have done!

Writer Kendall Wolf is a long-time consultant in the themed entertainment industry. She has worked with designers, producers, and fabricators to help developers create unique and successful projects around the world. In 2017, she introduced Merlin Entertainments to a development group in Sichuan province for the first Legoland park in China. Kendall continues to consult for the developer to open more themed resorts in China.