Check out the official website because there are a LOT of closures at the moment, due to The Walt Disney Company gradually taking over Disneyland Paris and upgrading a lot of rides and shows. However, most things you are looking at doing should be open by August. The only thing that won't be is Cinemagique in the Studios, which was a really fun tour of the movies through the years, but is being updated and won't be open until next year.
Big Thunder is indeed amazing, particularly at night. Be aware that FastPasses run out quickly for this ride, and only have 30 minute return slots, rather than the hour you will be used to in WDW.
The parks are currently celebrating the 25th Anniversary of DLP, and the merchandise is really lovely, as are the decorations - everything is dark blue and silver, with Tinker Bell being the anniversary mascot.
There are very few character meet & greets around, and the ones that are there always have HUGE queues. Sometimes the characters appear in the resort hotel reception areas, which is worth looking out for.
Also something to note is that August is peak time for school holiday periods in Europe, most notably the UK, and the parks will be very, very crowded.
The parks are quite small, and right next door to each other, with the Disney Village also being very close. There is a train station next to the Village that has a couple of small convenience stores in, which sells drinks, snacks etc. at a much more reasonable price than you pay in the parks.
Rock & Roller Coaster is exactly the same as in WDW; however, Crush's Coaster in the Studios is unique and is a very fast, switchback coaster. The Ratatouille ride in the Studios is really fabulous, a trackless ride that shrinks you down to the size of a rat; however, it does get very busy indeed and also tends to go 101 a lot - make getting a FastPass for this the first thing you do if you can!
Food and drink is expensive, but good quality. You will need to make reservations for any table service dining, I would recommend Chez Remy's in the Studios and Walt's in the Disneyland Park. There is a lovely bakery on Main Street that sells Croque Monsieur, and assorted delicious pastries. The coffee from anywhere in the parks is really good!
We were at DLP just a couple of weeks ago, so if you have any other questions, feel free to ask! I hope you enjoy your visit there.
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