WDW veteran but first time to Disneyland Paris. Need advice.

We are DVC owners and annual pass holders for WDW and go very often. My husband and I will be in Paris in early October for 8 days. I currently have a few days unplanned and am considering a day trip to DLP. How does the DLP park compare to WDW parks as far as service, cleanliness, theming? I do not want to take a whole day from Paris if DLP is not up to WDW/DL standards. I do not mean to sound insulting at all I just want to know what to expect should we decide to go. If we do go, is it recommended we choose one park or get the 2 parks/one day ticket and try to hit the highlights of each? This would we a Thursday in the first week of October so I'm hoping it won't be too busy. Any advice at all is much appreciated. We would be taking the train in from Paris.

Disneyland Paris has its own unique character. There are rides and attractions in Disneyland Paris which are not in the USA Parks, and some which are different to their USA counterparts. Phantom Manor which is a different version of Haunted Mansion, the Castle which has a dragon underneath and an upper walkthrough area, Indiana Jones which is a rollercoaster, Pirates which is still the original version and has different theming. Then there is the new Ratatouille dark ride with a themed restaurant.

Disneyland Paris is in the middle of a major refurb program in preparation for the 25th Anniversary Celebrations in 2017. I havent checked the refurb list lately, but you will see many closures of areas and rides. Restaurants also close early depending on the park hours.

That being said, Disneyland Paris is Frenchified Disney. To me it is an American style themepark with the cultural and social aspects and behaviours of France / Central Europe. You wont find the same level of happy smiley CM's, you wont find the same level of maintenance and upkeep. You wont see the fanatic Disney guests wearing Disney themed clothes, or wearing lanyards full of pins.

Dont go expecting WDW scooped up, made smaller and transplanted to France. Go to Disneyland Paris with an open mind and enjoy it as a standalone park.

We have been regular visitors to WDW and just made a 3-day trip to DLP this August and really enjoyed it. I think DLP compares very well with the Magic Kingdom (and even more so with Disneyland). Physically, the park is beautiful even with the refurbs affecting the left side of the park.

As BadPinktink says, there are differences - at WDW it seems nearly everyone has on some type of Disney-relayed clothing, while that seemed very rare at DLP. Smilarly, we saw no scooters and even strollers were fairly rare. We didn't noting any more maintenance issues or less-polite CM's than at WDW.

We missed some things from WDW - more entertainment, more streetmosphere, better snacks - but enjoyed less crowds and shorter lines.

I personally really enjoy DLP, it's my home park. I've been going for as long as I can remember. It is different from WDW in many ways, we have found their maintenance of rooms and guest relations (at times) have really lacked. But I have every confidence they're improving services for their birthday next year. Technologically the park isn't as advanced as WDW and I find that charming, old school Disney that I've always remembered.

I am quite the opposite: DLP veteran but first time WDW guest (leaving Monday after a 14-days trip).

In short, service is on-par at DLP. CM in Paris are as friendly (if not more), they all speak English if you don't know French, safety is a way bigger concern in Europe (one example out of many, they check your bars individually on all rides).

As for the parks, of course DLP is smaller with only two parks, but the Parc Disneyland has some unique atmosphere. Main Street USA in Paris is beautiful because the volumes are much bigger, there are even two arcades behind the shops that feature some unique artwork (and are worth visiting). In my opinion, the best land is Frontierland: for maybe the first and only time in all WDW parks history, the backstory connects through all places and attractions: the mine under Big Thunder Mountain is owned by the landlord of the Phantom Manor, one gold miner became rich enough that she created a bar and restaurant (the Lucky Nugget)…

It is true that many attractions are under rehab at this time, however if you have already planned a trip to Paris, I believe taking the time to go to DLP will be worth it, especially since you already know MK, and that drawing comparisons between the two parks is fun and entertaining.

Last but not least, the castle in France is absolutely unique. I spoke with a CM in WDW that said — and I quote — that the Cinderella's castle is picturesque though the Sleeping Beauty's castle comes out of a fairytale.

Feel free to ask if you have more questions!

I am a WDW vet and I just took a solo, 3-day trip to DLP last week. I agree with what's been said above. However, I honestly found the cast members in Paris to be MORE friendly than cast members at WDW (at least, on my more recent visits). Everyone was happy to speak English, and strangely they seemed excited when they realized I was American. ("We love your accents!" they said, more than once. What?!)

Disneyland park is BEAUTIFUL -- particularly the castle and Discoveryland, and particularly at night. That said, it's true that there is a lot under refurb right now, but it honestly didn't bother me. The adjacent Disney Studios park, however, is kind of unattractive. It features some unique attractions though -- Crush's Coaster and Ratatouille, most notably. It also has Rockin Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror (pretty much identical to the one at Disneyland, only in French) and they were both walk-ons.

My favorite things about DLP:
- The dragon under the castle!! So cool!
- The castle itself!
- Disney Dreams - their evening fireworks/projection show
- Crush's Coaster at Disney Studios (line up early! this one loads very slowly)
- Mickey and the Magician show at Disney Studios -- really quite impressive!
- The friendliness of the cast members
- The Ratatouille area in Disney Studios. I honestly wasn't that impressed by the ride itself, but between the ride and the restaurant, the general area is very well-themed and very French! Must-see's if you are fans of the film.
- Space Mountain: Mission 2. I know some people think this is too rough, but if you like coasters, this is AWESOME. And not much rougher than WDW's Space Mountain -- but way cooler.
- Pirates and Small World -- close enough to WDW/DL versions to feel like "home", but different enough for hard-core Disney fans to geek out on.
- Character meets: The characters spend more time with people and are very creative and interactive! I also loved my lunch at Auberge de Cendrillon. I'm not a 'princess person' but I'd heard the food was good (it was ok), but my interactions with the face characters were AWESOME. Very attentive, multi-lingual, talented face characters really enhanced my experience and I had some memorable interactions and photos.

Things I disliked:
- The food. Overpriced and not very good. (And I ate at some of the "nicer" spots -- Walt's, Chez Remy, Inventions. The only one I thought was decent value for the quality of food was Chez Remy, and that was a stretch)
- Indiana Jones ride. I am a coaster person, but THIS was rough enough to send me to the chiropractor, and completely unremarkable too. Highly recommend skipping this.
- Alice Labyrinth walk-thru. Loved the idea of this, but it was jammed full of people it and was the only part of the park that looked run-down to me. (ie paint peeling, etc.)
- The pushiness of some of the guests. I know it might be due to cultural differences, but there was some chronic line-jumping and general disregard for the cast members who were trying desperately to keep things orderly.
- Lack of professional photopass photographers in the park. I was traveling alone and I would have LOVED to take advantage of the photopass program, but there are just not enough opportunities for it to be worth it.
- Character meets: Well, rather, the queues for them. I've been to WDW and DL, and I've never seen guests more character-obsessed than DLP. Literally, people were lined up for HOURS in the hot sun before characters even arrived at their posts. And the lines moved incredibly slowly due to the long interactions the characters would have with each guest (which is both a positive and a negative). The Princess Pavilion line was over 70 minutes every time I checked. It was madness. So -- if you are interested in seeing characters, I would suggest book a character meal or pick ONE and line up early before their first listed meeting time.

Overall, I think it is worth a visit!! It far exceeded my expectations (to be honest, I had kept them low) and I would happily return if the planets aligned.

DLP is also my home park (well sorta, I live in Germany), but I am an AP holder there and go often - but as we are DVC as well and WDW AP holders, I still feel like WDW is more of my home away from home. I don't want to repeat much of what the others have said but:
- yes DLP is a beautiful park (it was very run down in places, but they are currently refurbishing and repainting every nook and cranny - everything should be done by next April for the Anniversary, but you can already see improvements in early October; so concerning cleanliness - it was considerably worse than the US, but is starting to look great again)
- definitely go to experience the unique rides in both parks (they have already been listed - but Discoveryland alone is worth your time)
- CMs friendliness: honestly, I have had more bad encounters there than good. Especially because a lot of them do not speak a word of English, and some of them can be very rude. But I have also had great CMs - especially a gentleman working at Walt's Restaurant.
- the seasonal festivals there are really great - and you will be there for Halloween! So I would say it's worth it for that alone, although Swing into Spring is my favorite.
- food: overpriced and not great. if you have a sit down meal, those restaurants are largely better: splurge and go to the Inventions character brunch on Sunday or for dinner during the week. or Walt's Restaurant on Main Street, that's a cool and unique location and excellent food too. If you are in the Studios (and you should go for Ratatouille), eat at Chez Remy. The steak is to die for and the theming is cool too.
- which brings me to the last point: theming. Theming in DLP is great, it is a beautiful park. WDS - not so much. Except for the Ratatouille area, that one is fantastically themed. While you're there, also watch the new show "Mickey and the Magician", it is pretty cool.
So go and enjoy!!!

Thanks everyone. We haven't made up our minds yet but if we go I will surely come back with a trip report

I'm a WDW vet but I've been to DLP twice. I would say, if you're a Disney fan, you will NOT be disappointed by taking a day trip from the city to spend time at Disneyland Paris. My first trip to DLP, I only had ONE day there. We did a one day, two park ticket and thought that worked very well. The two parks are very close together, so it's easy to walk back and forth to do some park hopping. When we were there, the Studios park closed earlier that Parc Disneyland, so we started our day at the Studios. I would very much recommend doing that, because if anything is a let-down, it's the Studios. They have good attractions and shows...or at least they did 2 years ago when last I was there--but as far as theming and cleanliness and overall atmosphere, it is lacking. (Though, we were there before Ratatouille opened...I understand the atmosphere there is really good.)

Parc Disneyland is a gorgeous park and the I like the Paris version of the "classic" Disney Parks rides much better than the WDW versions. Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain in particular are all much better in Paris. The castle in Paris is awesome, and everyone loves the dragon. The "pièce de résistance" however is the Disney Dreams night time show. By far the best nighttime Disney show I've ever seen. On one of my trips, my buddy (who is not a Disney fanatic) was so blown away by Disney Dreams that he proclaimed it worth the trip from the city and the price of admission just to see that alone. I couldn't agree more.

It's not a leisurely day to do both parks in one day, but if it's not a super-crowded time, it is VERY much possible. And it's very convenient to get from Paris City to the park via RER. I say go for it! You won't regret it!

-JayDubs

Couldn't agree more on Dreams. My wife and I are DLP veterans and maybe our expectations were too high, but we couldn't enjoy Wishes… we canceled the desert party and chose to ride during the show (bonus, we hit Aladin and Astro Orbiter during the fireworks).

Dreams is awesome, and is truly Disney to its bone. If there is one attraction you can't miss, this is it.

Where is the best place to watch from?

For a first timer, the best location will be around Central Plaza.
Just in front of the barriers is excellent, especially when you manage to stay clear of parents who believe it is okay to raise their kids on their shoulder!

Great thread, love reading all the opinions!

eeyoresmom said:

Thanks everyone. We haven't made up our minds yet but if we go I will surely come back with a trip report

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I am definitely glad that we made the trip to DLP. Definitely a highlight. Nothing in Europe/France can really compare to the US, because they have very different mindsets. I think I enjoyed DLP overall more than Disneyland and Disney World. The Resorts and parks don't have all of the luxuries that we are accustomed here but that is the entire point of a vacation, to experience different cultures. Go with an open mind.

OP here. I am fairly sure we are going to go, just waiting to see if they offer a special ticket price for 2 parks/1 day. Right now the ticket offer is only through Sept. 28. Can anyone suggest a good plan or maybe a link to a plan for doing both parks in a day? It sounds like we may want to do just the Ratatouille area at the studios. Also, how busy do you guess it will be the first Thursday in October?

We were there the week before last. It was our first time at DLP, we are WDW people. The biggest negatives? Smokers EVERYWHERE, including in the lines for rides. There ARE designated smoking areas, but this is NOT enforced. My dd is smoke sensitive...not quite allergic, but it REALLY bothers her....she used her EO necklace with Purification in it almost constantly to be able to breathe.
Maintenance; or the lack thereof....sidewalk pavers missing, broken etc, paint peeling, broken cornices etc...things that would NEVER fly at WDW. HOWEVER, there were actively repainting etc the entire time we were there....Cheyenne hotel had painters there the entire visit.
Rudeness of guests....line cutting, body checking (literally), crowding when it wasn't necessary etc. I physically shielded one little girl for her mother while we were in the stretching room at Phantom Manor, b/c she was holding a toddler and the little girl would have been crushed otherwise, and no one seemed to care except my dd and I.

Another caveat is that not everyone speaks English...I know others have said they do, and I'm sure that was their experience, but there were several occasions where we'd have been screwed if I didn't speak French...and we still had a few issues as I speak Quebecois, not Paris French and there are colloquial differences. King Ludwig's was one of these occasions...the young man who took our order spoke no english whatsoever...thankfully another waitress came by and double-checked our order.

Those things being said, it was well worth the visit, and the difficulties. Crush's Coaster was amazing! Ratatouille ride actually made me ill....it's #-D and there's a lot of spinning...made me nauseous. It was still pretty neat though.

We had a two night, Buy two days- get three tickets and really used every second.

Taking our first trip in December! WDW vet, but only have been once to DLP many many many years ago...
FastPass question: it looks like it works the "old way" at WDW...can you use them any time after their stated time, or is it like DL where they hold fast to the return time?

jkstewart1800 said:

Taking our first trip in December! WDW vet, but only have been once to DLP many many many years ago...
FastPass question: it looks like it works the "old way" at WDW...can you use them any time after their stated time, or is it like DL where they hold fast to the return time?

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Return time are strictly enforced and the return window is only 30 minutes. Also they don't have any flexibility for the start time, not sure if they let you in if you are a bit late, but probably 5-10 minutes are ok. However better safe than sorry, try to return within the designated half hour.
Small trivia: did you know the first FP issued in the world was at DLP? It was experimented for the first time when the Indiana Jones roller coaster opened.

I will be going to DLP October 11, and I read in another thread that you shouldn't buy directly from DLP website, can anyone verify that for me and if so where would one suggest I purchase a ticket and shuttle from? I feel like the website is already a crazy deal for the Disneyland Paris Express, so I'm curious as to how much cheaper the tickets could get. Thanks!

P.S. what time will Disney Dreams start? I ask because the shuttle departs from DLP at 8pm!

I dont know about park tickets as I always get a hotel and ticket package and book direct through Disney website or through their call centre. Just an FYI all the prices listed on DLP website are hotel and park ticket packages, many Americans dont realise this as its different to the USA way and they think the prices are very high

I use http://magicalshuttle.co.uk/ for transport between Charles de Gaulle and Disney. I am a solo traveller and I usually book a return ticket online and print out my confirmation email.