First timer needs a bit of help!

[Principessa1284]

Hello new friends. I'm an American currently living in Ireland, and a friend and I are taking our first trip to Disneyland Paris in a couple weeks!! She has never been to any Disney park before, and I used to work at WDW so I'm an old pro as far as the Florida and California parks are concerned. But Paris is a new animal!!

We're both students in our 20s, so budget is a concern but we do have some money saved up for this. Are any of the sit down restaurants worth making reservations at? We're just there 4 days and have 2 days worth tickets to the parks. I'm concerned it would eat up too much time and money, even though at WDW I usually prefer table service for one meal a day when at the parks.

We already made one mistake.. Flying in on Ryanair to what is not apparently an airport that is actually in Paris. Oops. I was able to find transfers on here through RS Transport (even though they cost as much as the flight-ha!). We're staying at the Hipark which seems to be walking distance?

Also, my friend is a bit pregnant. Not enough to be showing quite yet, but enough that she'll need to skip the more intense rides and she gets tired easily. A friend told me to ask about a pregnancy pass? I'm having a hard time finding info on that. Also, on DLP's website it doesn't have Ratatouille or Haunted Mansion listed as things she can ride. Am I missing something? They are pretty slow and smooth as far as I knew..

Any tips and help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Erin D]

While I have not personally been to DLP - this blogger posts very extensive trip reports. Not sure if you have seen them yet but might be a good resource for you!

http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disneyland-paris-trip-planning/

 

[A Small World]

Your friend will need to go to City Hall for the pregnancy pass and will need proof of pregnancy. As far as Im aware this is similar to some of the disability passes which give access via the exit to some rides or via the FP queue to others and also lets you into the disabled sections to watch the parade.
A lot of rides say that pregnant ladies shouldn't ride and I think this is to cover themselves as much as anything but some rides although smooth can be jolted suddenly - e.g. pirates if the boat behind bumps it at the end.
Rides like Peter Pan are often not suitable due to the lap bar - but that is usually in later pregnancy. Ratatouille although a smooth ride does spin a bit and can cause motion sickness as its 3d so that will be why its considered not suitable

Im not sure what time the parks close when you go but assuming its quite early you might want to have a sit down meal after they close in one of the hotels or in the village.
Cafe Mickey in the village is very popular so you would need to book but it doesn't come cheap
Inventions in DLH is expensive but a really nice buffet

Annettes diner in the village is nice and reasonably cheap especially if you want a taste of home

 

[dogdangling]

The Hipark Serris is very close from what i am told, we are staying there at the end of April and appears to be totally walkable.

I don't recall there being a pregnancy card but each ride is well signposted.

Use a website called rome2rio.com , this website gives you exact details on how to get anywhere and what transport services are available.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Hi @Principessa1284 I am from Dublin and I was in DLP 23, 24, 25 February. I had a 2 night 3 day onsite hotel package.

OOOPS, that is a big OOPS, with Ryanair. I few Aer Lingus direct to Charles De Gaulle, oh well at least you have sorted transfers.

Yes it is technically walkable, but there is a bus service to the parks, which I would really advise you to use.

As you are not staying onsite, you wont have access to EMH, so you will need to be there for 10am latest.

Disneyland Paris is like a smaller more compact version of Disneyland California, two parks beside each other, very easy to park hop. If you just have 2 full days in the park, I would advise going to Studios first thing in the morning, spend half a day there and then spend the rest of the day and your second day in the main park.

I ate at Restaurant des Stars in Studios on my first day. Its a buffet service restaurant, I went there at 3pm and it was very quiet and you could have a very quick 20 to 30 minute meal there which would fill you up for the day.

For the Studios, do not miss the new unique ride Ratatouille. This gets huge wait times, so make sure to do the single rider line, as its always shorter than both the standby AND fastpass line.

The other signature rides in Studios are Crush Coaster and Tower of Terror. Toy Story area has some fun low wait time rides and I would skip the Tram Tour and Armageddon.

DLP is going through a huge refub program at the moment. You should check out the park calendar on the official website for the closures during your visit. For example when I was there last week Big Thunder Mountain, Disney Railroad, Rivers of America, Adventure Isle/ Pirate ship / Robinson Treehouse and Peter Pan were all closed.

In the main park must do would be Pirates, Phantom Manor (both different to American Parks) Star Tours if it is still open when you are there (its the original 2D version) The Castle (upper walk through and a dragon underneath)

Im not sure but I think Space Mountain, Autopia, Buzz, Snow White, Pinocchio Dumbo, Teacups, Carousel are the same as in American parks.

Two shows not to miss are the evening Fireworks, animation, projection show called Dreams, which starts at park closing time. The other not to miss show is an original new show called Enchanted Forest which is in the Chapperal Theatre in Frontierland.

As you are a former CM, you might notice some things that others wouldn't. I go to Disneyland California every year so I do compare both parks. DLP is a Frenchified Disney, an American style themepark with the customs, and social behaviour of France and central Europe. You wont get as much of the smiley happy Disneyfied CM's , pin trading is not as popular, Disney Bounding or even the wearing of Disney themed clothes, is almost no existent.

 

[dogdangling]

smoking in the park is a big bug bear of mine, its supposed to be banned!

 

[BadPinkTink]

smoking in the park is a big bug bear of mine, its supposed to be banned!

Oh yes the smoking, this annoys me too. Europeans feel that as they outside its fine to smoke. They dont care that Disney Parks are smoke free zones. The CM's dont enforce the non smoking, as they are not encouraged by DLP management to enforce it.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

SM2 is not the same as in the US parks as it has 3 inversions.

Smoking is also not banned in the park and there are smoking areas but no one respects them

You can get a pregnancy pass by bring your Dr's notes or a letter from the midwife and there are very few rides that someone pregnant can do as they have to cover themselves.

You are 15 minutes from the parks staying at the HiPark - I live just up from there near the Adagio and it's an easy paved well lit route. You also have the free shuttle bus but the first one is only around 8.50 am

What kind of tickets are you buying ? If you tell me what you are after I can see if there any offers atm

 

[Principessa1284]

Thanks for all the replies thus far! You've been super helpful

Haha, yes it was quite the error not realizing that BVA is so much further than CDG airport. But we are leaving from Shannon which is much closer to home than in Dublin, and Ryanair was easily half the price of Aerlingus. So even with the transfers, we still saved a bit and now we know for next time

As for the pregnancy pass, I'll have my friend bring her paperwork from the hospital, and if there's a pass that works out, then great. There's definitely plenty she can still do at Disneyland, save the roller coasters, teacups, and Star Wars. Thanks for the info!!

Thanks for offering to look into the tickets for us! But actually I've got comp tickets to use that expire in June from when I was a CM so we're covered for that!

 

[Principessa1284]

And yes, I agree that the smoking is a big pain, but I've gotten used to to. I swear everyone smokes here in Ireland!

 

[Bunless]

While I have not personally been to DLP - this blogger posts very extensive trip reports. Not sure if you have seen them yet but might be a good resource for you!

http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disneyland-paris-trip-planning/

We are going at the end of March, so I found this to be very helpful, thank you. Question for those of you who have stayed at the property hotels. In the blog it talks about needing to make reservations for breakfast, or else it can be a 45 minute wait. Is this the breakfast that is included in staying at the hotel? I assumed that what was included was a continental breakfast, but is it actually a sit down affair?

 

[BadPinkTink]

We are going at the end of March, so I found this to be very helpful, thank you. Question for those of you who have stayed at the property hotels. In the blog it talks about needing to make reservations for breakfast, or else it can be a 45 minute wait. Is this the breakfast that is included in staying at the hotel? I assumed that what was included was a continental breakfast, but is it actually a sit down affair?

I have stayed at Sequoia Lodge, Santa Fe and Disneyland Hotels. All the onsite hotels include breakfast as standard with their their rooms. The breakfasts are buffets. When you check in you are given a breakfast time slot coupon. This is just so that the hotel can space out everyone. You go to the breakfast room at your hotel, and hand over the coupon. Depending on the hotel ie Santa Fe you get your food first and then find your table, Sequoia Lodge a CM will bring you to a free table and then you go to the buffet and get your food.

 

[Bunless]

I have stayed at Sequoia Lodge, Santa Fe and Disneyland Hotels. All the onsite hotels include breakfast as standard with their their rooms. The breakfasts are buffets. When you check in you are given a breakfast time slot coupon. This is just so that the hotel can space out everyone. You go to the breakfast room at your hotel, and hand over the coupon. Depending on the hotel ie Santa Fe you get your food first and then find your table, Sequoia Lodge a CM will bring you to a free table and then you go to the buffet and get your food.

Thank you! that is a big, big help. We are staying at Sequoia Lodge, and I am pro having a table first, plate second.