Disneyland Paris at Christmas/New Year

[catabby]

Hi all, I have just booked a week in France for the 26th December 2009 - 2nd January 2010 and am planning a trip to Disneyland Paris for 3 days.

There are no park times on the website at the moment and was wondering if anyone had been there in previous years at this time and know what park times are, especially for the 31st December as I would love to be there for new year.

Does it cost any extra for new year celebrations? I've just started planning and have lots to prepare any help would be appreciated, the last time I went was in 1992 when I was 12. Now i'm taking my 4 year old daughter who loves princesses.

Thank you all,
Catherine.

[DLPdaft]

Hi catabby,
Elaine, Jackie, Elaine and Reid welcome you to the DLP DIS board :flower3:

We are a friendly bunch here so please join in on any other thread or if you have a number of questions then just start a new thread for each

If you have not had a look yet, DLP posting rules are here
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1477038,
DIS posting guidelines can be found here
http://www.wdwinfo.com/guidelines.htm

I haven't been to DLRP when you are planning to go, but if you go onto the official Disney site and go to the calendar there (its in the planning your visit section I think) you can click back on the months, back to December 2008, and you'll get the opening/closing times there :).

[marcus.ka]

The Disneyland Park is usually open at New Years Eve until 1am. Last year they also had the Studios open until 1am and they had 2 fireworks at the same time so you could choose if you wanted to start the New Year at the Disneyland Park in front of the Castle or at the Studios in front of TOT.

You don't have to pay extra for New Years Eve (like you have for Halloween) but the time from 24DEC to 6JAN is the most expensive and also the most crowded of the year.

I have read here on the board that some parents have said they would not go again on New Years Eve with their children because it was more than crowded and at some point they feared the security of their children.

[catabby]

Thanks for the advice.

It worked going backwards to look at last years on the website! It's a choice between new year in Paris or new year in Disney?

Weighing it up, I think Disney might win as we can make the most of the long hours in the park.

More advice welcome!!

[Ljay]

I went for new years 2002/03.

It was a very good night! we stood next to the castle to see the new year in!
It was very very busy!!:scared1: all you could just see was a sea of people.

I would suggest to wrap up really well! we were really cold, we stood around for a while so we could be up near the castle.:love:

[Lisa_C]

I am one of those that went with kids (a 4 year old in a pushchair and a 12 year old). I would never go again with children at New Years Eve!

The park was heaving, and I mean squashed from shoulder to shoulder for the parades and fireworks and I definitely feared for my youngest ones safety. We had to keep her in the pushchair as people were pushing past and shoving her out of the way, and at one point someone actually STOOD on her to get past. I screamed at them and they said "so what", and another three people climbed over her. The park was full of drunks (Disney drunks are very happy but don't care for anyone but themselves) and my poor Dad was nearly reduced to tears as he had to push someone off me that was trying to prop himself up on me.

The rides were impossible to get on, it was cold, we were wet through with rain and snow and to be honest, I absolutely hated it come 6 when the parade had finished.

The restaurants were so full we had to wait two hours for Planet Hollywood - only to have my daughter's blanket stolen in there - and we missed Fantillusions. We got pushed in a crowd surge towards Adventure Land with people piling in for the fireworks which caused my step mum to nearly have a panic attack. An absolutely awful trip to take with two children!

We went in July and had the total opposite! Dad loved every minute (thank heavens as the previous trip was his first and he paid for all the family to go, which hurt me as it was ruined by idiots). Given the choice I'd pick the summer hols over NY season anytime, I can cope better in the heat!

Go any day apart from New Years Eve. We saw hardly anything due to the terrible fog and snow, and when I think back to it, it still makes me very upset :-(

[Ljay]

what an awful experience for you and your family:sad2: its so true that they are only out for themselves. They dont realise they are ruining other peoples Holidays.
I did'nt have any children with me when i went for NY 2003, but i still didnt enjoy it very much. it was really really cold i remember that much! I couldnt believe how busy it was!

I wouldn't want to go again at NY's either. Once was def enough for ny thats for sure.