DLP vs MK

[daffy dill]

HI all,were just back from the magic and are all a bit depressed ( you all know what i mean ) anyway my DD sujested we spend a few days at DLP in the spring to get us in the right frame of mind to start planning another trip to WDW.
What im wondering is,how does DLP compare to MK ?
Is it worth the expence or would we be better off useing the money for the MK trip.
Any comments appreciated

[T16GEM]

Personally I would rather spend my time saving for MK! DLP just doesn't appeal to me - I have never been but I know many people who have and their reports haven't been that good so I will be sticking to the Florida Magic! :)

[jonkatony]

I have been to both about 4 times each and loved them both. Yes Florida is special and there is a lot to do but for a 2 or 3 day break DLP is great.
I still love the feeling of walking down mainstreet looking at the castle wether it be WDW or DLP

[jtlover]

DLP is no where near special like WDW. It is a shame that DLP is where it is because the foreigners do not get in a line for the rides or food and it is very annoying.

Personally I wouldnt waste money going there - but that is because I have been there - plus it is not that cheap!

[ScottishDisMam]

Been to both 5 times each, and DLP is great at Halloween and Christmas.
I love both but value for money wise I do think Florida is definately the best option. DLP is expensive, and the parks can close a bit on the early side depending on when you go. Having said that I am a bit of a quick fix person, and if it's a case of can afford Paris and can't afford Florida I would just book it and really enjoy it, and you can get some good deals in the quieter times of year.

Lisa

[wayneg]

Each time this question is asked the answers seam to be very biased towards WDW.
The costs have always put us off Paris. For a 4 night stay incl flights always works out about £700-£800 for 3 adults. Our Aug trip to WDW for 24 nights is costing around £1,600 for flights and hotel. I know you should not compare as there are so many other factors like car hire etc to add at WDW but I just think £800 almost pays for flights to Florida.
If you have a budget to stick to or can only go for a short break then I suppose Paris is a better than nothing option. Personally I would save up for Florida.

[Kristina]

We returned from a 4 night trip about 2 weeks ago for their 15th Anniversary and Christmas season and we loved it :thumbsup2! Disneyland Paris is really beautiful but we do love WDW much, much more. Sometimes I think it has to do with which Disney park you experience first because all the DLRP people love their park the best, you know? But I have to agree with everyone that Florida does have so much more to offer and much more reliable weather ::yes::. To top it off we spent about half of what we normally spend in WDW in Disneyland Paris and in Florida we are there 15 nights so that's a bit scary :headache: . I think everyone should experience the Paris version for themselves at some point but I'd have rather done it much cheaper than we did so that I could continue to visit both parks every year. Meaning we did really enjoy ourselves in and we really want to go back :goodvibes !

[natalielongstaff]

ive been to both and to me i would rather have WDW than DLP any day :)

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Ok been to WDW DLP and Disneyland California.

And in 08 will be doing at least DLP and DLC again, 4 nights at each.

Of course Paris, the best bits are travel there, Eurostar, everything is compact easy to walk to, no Lagoons to cross etc.

Paris Big thunder mountain is the best of the three parks, has a unique Indiana Jones ride, the lights camera action show is the original and best, and its main park is similar to the MK and Disneyland.

Issues, the weather, to me it doesn't feel as magical as WDW or DLC, and its only got one and a half parks, though expanding, WDW four parks and two water parks and lots to do in Orlando.

DLC is compact, better weather, more crowds than DLP but less than WDW.
To me DLC is the most magical park the original and many original rides still there, MK has had older rides pulled out.

DLC's second park though needs an expansion again only half a park, but again lots to do nearby.

WDW, is the big one so much to do, so many rides, is magical, has mostly good weather but to humid in summer and the crowds are terrible at peak times.

The thing is, is to try to understand all of these are different and you get different pleasures at each.

Its funny, but the magical thing for me is all of the trip, and so going on a plane to USA the weather etc makes it, in 07 I did a great cruises in the Med on the Disney Magic, I say again great, but as I traveled down to Barcelona by a small flight, it didn't feel 'Disney' strange it was up to its usual standards but lost the Magic of going to the States.

[irenep]

We have been to the one in Paris twice .
On the plus side everything is that bit more compact and being able to walk from the hotels to their 'MK' , MGM and marketplace etc is really convenient especially if you only have a day or two (thats all you would need).
However, it is in France - and there just is not the same welcoming feel to it - most of the staff seemed a bit surly and somewhat resentful of having to provide a service.
If you are travelling from Ireland and having to go via CDG airport - then that is another downer.
I wouldn't go again, now that we are in Scotland - I would rather put the money towards Florida but if you have never been to DLRP and it won't affect your ability to go to WDW then a quick trip to see what its all about sounds fine.

[mikki.young]

I have been to both many times. Paris is worth a visit and I do use it for just the purpose you suggest - to get a quick Disney fix. It is expensive so it is worth seeing if you can get a package deal. It is probably the prettiest park but it is full of mainland Europeans and their cultural attitudes to queueing are different to ours and the Americans. So if you can get it for the right price then go for it - and don't miss the Dragon under the castle!

[Dazed]

We had a great trip to DLP Oct. 2006. Combined it with a few days in Paris to make cost of flights worthwhile. :) .... BUT for me WDW wins handsdown. Not sure if it's just the weather or general atmosphere or what! I'd keep saving for Florida if I were you unless that looks like being a long way off!
Wish I hadn't dragged DBf to DLP as now I can't persuade him to try WDW. :sad1: He just didn't get the magic!

[Fiona R]

DLRP is well worth going to in combination with something else. We took a 5 day side break out of a two week holiday in a gite and went to Paris as well a few years ago (stayed at the Ranch on a special offer code that cost less than Paris hotels for five). The first time we tacked on a stay at a campsite to a Eurocamp holiday, so the accommodation was no more than a standard Eurocamp holiday.

I'd go, but only as a side trip!!

[alexandra uk]

I agree with Irene.
We've been to DLP 3 times and were planning to go there again at Easter, we had also booked Lanzarote for 2 weeks in June but have decided to change our plans on both holidays to go to Florida. What these two would cost will cover Orlando in September.
The only drawback is that we like to get away twice a year but now if we're doing WDW we won't be able to stretch to two; I'm sure it will be woth it though.

[Fozzie Bear]

Disneyland Paris is great for a short break,you can just about do everything in 2 days. There are some parts of mk that are the same as wdw, but some things are much better,like space mountain.
The Paris studio's park is very small, and not a patch on MGM Studio's.
The parks,hotels and shops are all close together and you can take the train in to Paris from the station, thats right inside the resort.
The only bad part, could be the weather.

Given the choice, wdw would win every time, but dlp does have the disney magic,but its not Orlando.

[wideeyes]

DLP is better than Magic Kingdom, the themeing is better and it is much more beautiful than MK, it is not fair to compare WDW to DLP as WDW has so much more however if you are just comparing to the MK then DLP wins, its a shame people don't see the beauty and amazing detail just because of where it is.

[wayneg]

but some things are much better,like space mountain.


:welcome: to the boards Fozzie.
I have heard SM DLP is similar to SM DLR, if it is I prefer the one in MK. I love the old rickety ride, the newer version has lost it for me but I know a lot prefer the new ride.

[disneyholic family]

:welcome: to the boards Fozzie.
I have heard SM DLP is similar to SM DLR, if it is I prefer the one in MK. I love the old rickety ride, the newer version has lost it for me but I know a lot prefer the new ride.

i totally agree with you Wayne....i much prefer SM in the MK to the SM in california and france.......in all its rickety glory....

as for DLP in general - we were there about 5 years ago, so take this with a grain of salt - we thought it lacked some of the disney 'magic'....but maybe that's just us...
but as a quick disney fix to fill in when you can't make it to orlando, it'll do the trick...

[serendipity]

This interests me as well. My DH and I are going to be visiting Europe for the first time this January. We will be in Paris for four nights and were thinking of taking a day trip out to Disneyland Paris because we, err I love Disney so much. It's between that and going to Versailles. Any opinions?

Also, can someone tell me if the parades/fireworks take place every day/night?

[disneyholic family]

This interests me as well. My DH and I are going to be visiting Europe for the first time this January. We will be in Paris for four nights and were thinking of taking a day trip out to Disneyland Paris because we, err I love Disney so much. It's between that and going to Versailles. Any opinions?

Also, can someone tell me if the parades/fireworks take place every day/night?

well it's probably heresy to say that i prefer DLP to versailles, but i do...
but then again, i've been to versailles lots of times (the first time i saw it was when i was 7 years old - many many many many many years ago)..

if you've never seen versailles it's kind of a shame to come all the way to france and then not see it...

but then again, if you're a disney nutcase (like me) it's also kind of a shame to come all the way to europe and not get a taste of DLP....

decisions decisions...maybe add on a day to your trip?

[Ware Bears]

This interests me as well. My DH and I are going to be visiting Europe for the first time this January. We will be in Paris for four nights and were thinking of taking a day trip out to Disneyland Paris because we, err I love Disney so much. It's between that and going to Versailles. Any opinions?



I've just replied to your post on the DLP board ~ this answers my question when I asked how big a Disney fan you were!! I now say it has to be a day trip to DLRP! :rotfl:

[Ware Bears]

OP, I love both WDW and DLRP. The latter started off as just a quick Disney fix inbetween WDW trips but once there we fell in love with it.

DLRP's Disneyland Park is more beautiful than WDW's MK and is as close to perfection imagineering-wise as it gets. I like that I can walk everywhere at DLRP and it's so easy to get there.

But it can't be compared with WDW with all its parks and everything else Florida has to offer. In an ideal world I would visit both WDW and DLRP every year.

Perhaps you could price up a cheap two or three day trip to DLRP. If you found it wasn't for you, at least you'd know for the future. :goodvibes

[pixiepower04]

You absolutely cannot compare the two, they are both different in their own rights, some aspects of DLP I hate and others I love. As with WDW you get a different experience each time you go and you must just take it that way.

I hate the fact that only Mickey & Minnie you can queue for an autograph for and the other characters you have to rugby tackle so we don't even try to get them, we usually do the character meals to get the other autographs.

I hate the fact that the other europeans are rude, impolite, aggressive and downright unpleasant when trying to get photo's/autographs.

I agree it can be expensive, however, we have been for the past 2 years in March for 5 nights/6 days, self drive on Eurotunnel (we drive down the day before and stay with relatives near Dover), in the Hotel Cheyenne including breakfast and park admission for the whole duration and it only cost us £560.

The first year we took only £500 spending money and ate counter service meals and our hotel food and the second year we took £1000 and spent it on the posher meals, both times we came back with loads of souvenirs, pins, dressing gowns, snowglobes etc and had a great time.

We've been to WDW once and two days before christmas I contracted Meningitus so it really put me off going back again but 3 years later and we're booked to go back next September and I can't wait BUT WDW is a whole different ballgame to DLP and should be treated as that.

In Florida you also have Universal, Seaworld, shopping malls, discount stores, Gatorland etc etc, oh and the weather of course but both times we went to Paris we had absolutely fantastic weather, t-shirts and short sleeves (in March I might add) but we love it because you can walk around the whole park in one day, go on the same ride 5 times a day, actually stop and look around, take in all the details, spend ages walking round Disney Village and not rush anywhere to get on anything.

You can also combine it with a day trip into Paris.

We are looking to go to WDW every other year and would like to go to DLP in the in-between years.

In a nutshell, if you can feasibly go you should because you should try it at least once but treat it for what it is, Paris and not Florida. :thumbsup2

[amystevekai&bump]

Been to both 5 times each, and DLP is great at Halloween and Christmas.
I love both but value for money wise I do think Florida is definately the best option. DLP is expensive, and the parks can close a bit on the early side depending on when you go. Having said that I am a bit of a quick fix person, and if it's a case of can afford Paris and can't afford Florida I would just book it and really enjoy it, and you can get some good deals in the quieter times of year.

Lisa

I agree with Lisa - we've been to DLP 8 times, mostly around xmas - It isn't florida but then again its not very far and does make a nice break especially if you can't get to WDW. Xmas there is especially nice, and its cold which I think adds to it some how!! :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

[Melcatfish]

Because we have to go during school holidays Florida every year or even every other year is not financial viable for us at the moment so I use DLP as a quick fix in between. We went a few weeks back for the Christmas season and it was lovely but of course I prefer WDW. I think you have to understand that although they are both Disney they are not a comparable holiday, both have advantages and so long as you don't spend too long comparing you will enjoy either!

Mel
x