DLP Newbie here

[Anal Annie]

Hello all. I have been around on some of the other boards for quite awhile but am venturing into new territory here today. We recently booked a DCL Med cruise for Aug. 2011 and now I have lots of planning to do! My big idea that came to me in a dream was that we should also use our DVC points to stay at either the Sequoia Lodge or Newport Bay for a few nights (3-4) pre-cruise before going on to Barcelona. This idea does not receive good reactions on the DVC UK boards...but it's pretty common knowledge that the best use of DVC points is AT WDW and nowhere else. Anyway, I am here today primarily on a hunting & gathering mission!!

Is 3-4 nights enough time to plan for DLP & Paris? Our cruise departs Barcelona on a Wed. so I was thinking we could perhaps leave the US on the Fri. night before, arriving in Paris early on Sat. Then we could have most of Sat., Sun., Mon. & possibly Tues. before going on to Barcelona on Wed. (We want a day for Barcelona too so I don't know if we might just tack that onto the end, after the cruise.) My initial thoughts were that we could buy 2 day park hoppers for DLP and then have a day or two to try to do some sightseeing in Paris. Just want to be sure to see the highlights while we're there (the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysee etc.) I know there will not be time for everthing (the Louvre, the Sacre Coure & Momartre etc.). Choices will have to be made, just like what we will have to do on our port days on the cruise. Thoughts??

I also don't know how far it is from DLP to go into the city & the best way to do it (cab? train? other?). How much time would it take? Any suggestions? We are going to look into the idea of hiring a private guide for at least one of our stops in Italy (I have NO idea on the cost of that tho). Is this something that people do from DLP too?

Any UK folks out there doing DLP before a Med cruise? Thought there might be some out there going in 2010?!

Thanks for getting me started on my DLP planning mission!! We know WDW like the backs of our hands but THIS is a new adventure!!

[A Small World]

hello and welcome to this board

Weekends at DLP are very busy as a lot of locals visit as well as other guests.

The easiest way to get into central Paris is by train - the RER. It takes about 30-40 mins and you can get a mobilis ticket which costs approx 13E each. this gives a return trip and unlimited use of the metro (underground train) while in Paris. It is very easy to get round Paris so I certainly wouldnt bother with a private guide however you could get a tour bus trip - get on in central paris and get on and off as much as you want through the day

[Ware Bears]

Welcome to the DLP board, Annie.

Originally Posted by A Small World

It is very easy to get round Paris so I certainly wouldnt bother with a private guide however you could get a tour bus trip - get on in central paris and get on and off as much as you want through the day

I agree, don't bother with a private guide. We went on a hop-on hop-off bus tour on our first visit to Paris. We used this firm. Their office is across the road and to the right from Auber station which is served by the direct RER in from DLP.

[wickesy]

Originally Posted by Anal Annie

My initial thoughts were that we could buy 2 day park hoppers for DLP and then have a day or two to try to do some sightseeing in Paris.

One thing you need to know is that if you book using DVC points you MUST buy length of stay passes. On Saturday I booked a 4 night stay using DVC points and had to buy 5 day park hopper passes for two of us, total $501.44. It didn't bother me as we only want to do the parks but if you want to take 2 days to do some sightseeing you are going to be paying for 2 days of park entrance that you aren't going to use.

[Anal Annie]

Originally Posted by wickesy

One thing you need to know is that if you book using DVC points you MUST buy length of stay passes. On Saturday I booked a 4 night stay using DVC points and had to buy 5 day park hopper passes for two of us, total $501.44. It didn't bother me as we only want to do the parks but if you want to take 2 days to do some sightseeing you are going to be paying for 2 days of park entrance that you aren't going to use.

OH!! I see. I did not realize that one. I wondered 'cuz I read a post on another board that mentioned something about the length of stay but it wasn't explained! That's especially silly if you're not really there long enough to USE the last day of the tix - like if you leave early. That puts a real crinkle in the plan!! Hummm. Perhaps then we could use points for 2 nights & buy park tix for 2 days and then pay cash for 1 night & just sightsee for 1 day. Or would they make me buy more than 2 days of tix? Then we could move on to Barcelona on Tues. Darn it Disney! Nobody has really said anything yet about if 2 days is enough time to get thru the 2 parks. I was assuming they were similar in size to the DL in CA.

[Ware Bears]

You won't be able to see everything in 2 days but you'll be able to cover a lot. The best thing would be to concentrate on things that are unique to DLP or different versions to the US parks.

There is a thread listing these somewhere ~ I'll see if I can find it.

Found it! Here! especially posts #13 and 14.

[Anal Annie]

I sort of figured we'd not be able to get to EVERYTHING in 2 days - DS will be 14 when we go so we can easily skip the kiddie rides & stuff. Want to see the differences in some of the rides we know & love so well in FL. Plus I guess there are other things we don't have.

Anyway, I called DVC today to ask a few more questions. The CM there said that it would not matter if we were using DVC points or paying cash - any ressie at one of the DLP properties requires a length of stay ticket. That's just nuts. Especially 'cuz in our case they would make us buy a ticket for a day that we would be leaving on bright & early to go to Barcelona. That's just wrong. Does anybody know anything about the "partner" hotels? Do they have the same requirements (i.e. could we book 4 nights at one of those & then just buy 2 days of park hoppers)??

[Anal Annie]

Originally Posted by Ware Bears

You won't be able to see everything in 2 days but you'll be able to cover a lot. The best thing would be to concentrate on things that are unique to DLP or different versions to the US parks.

There is a thread listing these somewhere ~ I'll see if I can find it.

Found it! Here! especially posts #13 and 14.

THANK YOU!! Interesting stuff to think about!! My DS is a roller coaster NUT. Space Mtn. in FL was his first "real" coaster and Aerosmith was his first "loop de loop". He LOVES Splash and Tower of Terror too. ALL on his top favs list although Expedition Everest is on THE top. It is always interesting to compare.

[thelittlemermaid83]

You can book room only via expeida for DLP for onsite and off site hotels if thats any help?

[Zeebs]

That is a bit nuts about length of stay tickets,

We recently visited Hong Kong Disneyland and because we struggled to find affordable accommodation to accommodate the 4 of us in Hong Kong we just stayed at a Disney Hotel.

There was no mention of park tickets for the whole time. It was brillant having a very child friendly hotel but the option to spend our days sight seeing in Hong Kong. We did visit the park but only for 2 days of the 5 we were there.

Can't help with how much you can see in 2 days as I haven't been yet.

Shame you couldn't go to Prague, I have always wanted to go there.

Kirsten

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

I can't help with Disney Paris planning as I'm new to that park myself, but just wondered what Med cruise you will be on - we are doing August 20th!!

[Anal Annie]

Originally Posted by Pooh's-Honey-Pot

I can't help with Disney Paris planning as I'm new to that park myself, but just wondered what Med cruise you will be on - we are doing August 20th!!

We are doing the August 10, 2011 10 nighter! DS does summer swim team thru the end of July and his school starts back the last week of August so our only 2 logical choices were the July 30 or the Aug 10. I would've LOVED LOVED LOVED to have that extra sea day but one more night on the ship was cost prohibitive for us. They wanted something like $373 USD more pp in our measley Cat 10 (we snagged one of the SPH rooms)!! So anyway we said PASS!! There are plenty of other things to spend $1,120 on!!!

Now I was just informed too by someone that the DLP hotels include breakfast. Now that I know there's free food involved maybe I won't tell Disney to piss of just yet over the park tix!

I also want to look into the idea of taking the train from Paris to Barcelona rather than flying. We have never traveled anywhere by train so that would be new adventure for us too if the price is comparable to flying. I thought it would be especially handy if it would run over night. Anybody know how I can find out more about the train schedule / prices? How far out do you purchase train tickets? Is that like flying with the early release of schedules & purchasing tickets?