Disney originally wanted to locate close to the Mediterranean Sea to try to match the warm climate of the parks in Florida and California. Paris eventually won out because it's estimated to be less than a four-hour drive for 70 million people, and a two-hour flight away from 300 million more!

Disney chose the Marne-la-Vallée site near Paris over potential locations in London for several strategic and logistical reasons during the "Euro Disney" planning phase. First, geography and central access were paramount; Paris is located in the heart of Western Europe, making it a "day's drive" for over 300 million people from neighboring countries like Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. London’s "island" status made it less accessible for continental Europeans. Second, the French government offered massive incentives, including low-interest loans and the construction of a dedicated TGV (high-speed train) and RER station directly at the park’s front gates. While London's weather was a concern, Paris wasn't much better; however, the availability of a vast, flat, and undeveloped tract of land (formerly beet fields) so close to a major world capital was a rare opportunity that London’s "Green Belt" regulations could not match. Disney also believed that Paris’s status as the world’s most-visited city would provide a built-in stream of international tourists.