Taking my son solo

[EcbLovesMickey]

I am going back to my University in London this summer and I am thinking of taking my, at that time, 7 year old son and extending the trip to include some time at DLP. I have been there before in the mid 90's, but went with someone then who planned it all.

Here's my questions:
1. Do you think 2 days is enough if we only want to go to 1 park? My DS will not ride coasters, so we would only be doing the calmer rides

2. Where is the best (and best priced) place to stay? I was looking at the Thomas Cook Explorers hotel and it looks very cute and fun. Any suggestions besides that?

3. We'll be arriving by EuroStar and it seems that there are busses/shuttles that take us to the hotels and the parks. Is this easy or is it a hassle?

4. How much should I budget for meals if we do all quick service? And if we do a table service how far in advance should I reserve it and how much do you think I should budget for that?


Thanks in advance!

[Happy Tappy]

I am going back to my University in London this summer and I am thinking of taking my, at that time, 7 year old son and extending the trip to include some time at DLP. I have been there before in the mid 90's, but went with someone then who planned it all. Ideally you'd want at least 3 full days there to be honest.

Here's my questions:
1. Do you think 2 days is enough if we only want to go to 1 park? My DS will not ride coasters, so we would only be doing the calmer rides

2. Where is the best (and best priced) place to stay? I was looking at the Thomas Cook Explorers hotel and it looks very cute and fun. Any suggestions besides that?

3. We'll be arriving by EuroStar and it seems that there are busses/shuttles that take us to the hotels and the parks. Is this easy or is it a hassle?

4. How much should I budget for meals if we do all quick service? And if we do a table service how far in advance should I reserve it and how much do you think I should budget for that?


Thanks in advance!

1. 2 days is enough to have a good time. Obviously you wont get everything done but if you make good use of Fastpass you should do most of the rides done in the main park. It does get busy in the summer so be prepare to queue!

2. I've only stayed in the Disney hotels and the Ibis in Val D Europe. The Disney hotels are ridiculously over priced in the summer. The Ibis was good and you can get it for around £55 a night. The only problem is that there is only one (double) bed in the room. It's a 2 minute train ride to Disney and the train station is next to the hotel.

3. There are buses that will take you to the explorers. They can get very busy in the summer so expect to be squashed! They run every 10 minutes (I think).

4. I've never booked for a meal so can't really answer that. An average counter service meal costs around E10 for an adult. A table service meal (2 courses) will cost anything between E25-40 depending on what/where you eat. You can get food prices here: http://www.dlpfoodguide.com/ Just click on the area, then the restaurant and then click where it says Menu.

If you're trying to stay on a budget, there is a McDonalds in the Disney village which is pretty cheap. Me and my girlfriend often share a counter service meal. If you get the Pizza meal it's plenty for 2 (if you don't have big appetites!)