The £376m Walt Disney Studios has opened next to the existing Disneyland Paris, ahead of schedule.

The new park, which has hired 3,000 people and is modelled on Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida, is expected to boost overall attendance to 17m people next year, according to Euro Disney.

Michael D Eisner, chair and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said when the first shovel of dirt was turned back in 1989, the company envisaged a place where families could visit for several days: 'Families can now come from all over the continent to immerse themselves in a rich and deep Disney experience.'

Adrenalin-inducing effects include a bursting dam, a petrol tanker which explodes several times a day and a simulated earthquake - part of Catastrophe Canyon through which visitors travel on a train.

The number of visitors, currently 12 million, of which the French account for 40 per cent, makes Disneyland Resort Paris the biggest tourist attraction in Europe. To ensure a large flow from Britain for the new park, the Euro Disney company has already given previews to more than 1,000 British travel agents.

Hotel and restaurant occupancy are also expected to increase, as visitors decide to stay an extra night to visit both parks.