Planning trip to DLP

[LegoJediMom]

We're planning a trip to Europe in December and are thinking DLP for Dec. 19-21. I know next to nothing about DLP, so look forward to getting more knowledgeable about it so I can make plans!

 

[Cyrano]

Just popping this on to a new thread as lots of folks will want to help you with you planning.

Once your dates are confirmed and holiday booked then let us knw on the When are you going thread.

Have fun planning

 

[LegoJediMom]

Great! I can use all the help I can get! Thanks for the welcome!

I've been trying to figure out which Disney hotel and get pricing, but when I go to the DLP website, everything past November 7 is blocked. Guess I'll have to contact a travel agent to find out pricing. From what I've seen so far, I like Newport Bay since it has an indoor pool and Hotel New York looks beautiful. Wish we could do the Disneyland Hotel, but I think it's out of our budget for this trip.

We're coming over to Europe for 2+ weeks for our son's 12th birthday. He turns 12 on 12-12-12 We'll be flying into Paris from Boston, spending a few days there, then going to DLP and then going on to Germany to see friends. So excited!

 

[zavandor]

You'll find that a trip to DLP needs much less planning ahead that WDW.
You can find reservations even a few weeks before your stay, restaurants can be booked one week in advance and in low season almost always be lucky walking on. For December, since it's near Christmas I would say that making reservations in September should be enought.

Just monitor more than one country website, they have different offers for different countries. France, UK and Ireland website often have very good offers.

The Hotel Cheyenne is a really wonderful hotel talking about theming (a far west city) and it's a value hotel (probably the best Value Disney Hotel in the world). You won't miss any amenities of a better hotel during winter (you'll not miss a pool or air conditioning in the rooms). During winter I always stay there.

3 full days are enought to visit both parks, but I've never stayed the week before christmas and I don't know the crowd level.

 

[jothp]

The winter brochure hasn't been released yet with prices past 7th November. There are some early booker discounts available for later dates but you would probably be better off waiting for the new brochure before booking.

 

[LegoJediMom]

Thanks for the tips about booking. I was hoping to at least get an idea of what to expect so I know what we can afford. I think we're going to go ahead and buy some shares and join the shareholders club. That sounds like a good way to save some money and I like the idea of supporting and owning a tiny, little piece of it

Are there any restaurants that are "must-do's"? How do EMH work? The same as at WDW?

 

[MinnieVanMom]

I hope you enjoy your holiday to Europe and your stop over to DLP. I would say to remember that DLP is not WDW or even DL. It is not owned by the Disney corporation. It is a nice park and hands down the best castle of all parks. The attention to detail is amazing from the signs to the plants. Slow down and take the time to look for the small things that make DLP a great place to visit.

Remember that nearly all the CM's are from France. It is not the smiles and casual chit chat that we have here in the States. It is not the contagious happiness that is the standard at WDW. They are efficient and matter of fact.

It will only take a two days to do both parks. We stayed at DLH because I thought it would be one time visit and chose to splurge. Now that we will be living in Europe I plan to utilize the new DVC policy and stay at low point DLP hotels.

They do have EMH for high end annual pass holders and resort guests.

 

[Michael623]

Let me know how you how you make out buying shares because I've looked into it a couple of times and always ended up bailing because it was either going to be too much work or cost more than I would save at the parks.

As far as hotels I've stayed at Newport Bay which I hated and Sequoia Lodge which I rather enjoyed. I've walked through all of the others except the DL Hotel, in fact where were just discussing this weekend that we've been all the way to DLP twice and have never gone into the DLH. NY was nice bit the price was way higher than SL. I thought Santa Fe and Cheyenne were sort of the WDW All Stars meets Super 8 (assuming your a WDW Vet). Plus they are a much longer walk to the parks. To me the best combination of price and location is Sequoia Lodge hands down. It's not a nice a Wilderness lodge but it's decent for the price.

EMH do work the same way as WDW/DL but there are far fewer rides open and they don't open the FP machines until the regular park open.

There wasn't a single restaurant that really blew me away although I thought Ludwig's was very good.

Just keep in mind that lot's of people that will respond only know Disney as DLP. I'm not saying their opinions aren't valid but they tend to have the rose colored-glassed where I'm much more analytical and as you can see by my signature I've been to the US parks my share of times.

 

[HappyPanda]

From what I've seen so far, I like Newport Bay since it has an indoor pool and Hotel New York looks beautiful. Wish we could do the Disneyland Hotel, but I think it's out of our budget for this trip.

My person opinion on the on-site hotels:

Santa Fe - Looks awful from the outside, but inside the rooms are of a good size and the new cars themeing is pretty cool.

Cheyenne - Probably the best themeing of all the hotels. But no pool and the distance from the parks puts a bit of a downer on it.

Sequioia Lodge - By far my favourite hotel. It has a warm, cozy feeling about and with a big log fire in the bar area it's perfect for winter breaks!

Newport Bay - Very large, so you could end up with a room located a good walk from the main building. But the rooms are really spacious and the pool is really nice.

New York - Great location, close to Disney Village. However, when staying here last they had a big conference in the hotel so that place was overrun with business men in suits. This ruined the magic a bit for me and now whenever I see the New York I just think of that 'business' feel.

Disneyland Hotel - The only hotel I haven't stayed in, but I have done a tour of the hotel and it is very impressive (as you'd expect it to be). Rooms are massive and being right on the parks is a great bonus. For me, I just don't think I could ever justify the price.

 

[LegoJediMom]

Let me know how you how you make out buying shares because I've looked into it a couple of times and always ended up bailing because it was either going to be too much work or cost more than I would save at the parks.

My calculations show an opportunity to save a fair amount. Today, the stock closed at 5.47 euros per share ($7.19 USD). You need to buy 5 shares to join the shareholder's club, so roughly $35 USD plus 30 euros ($39.30 USD) for the membership fee. Given the list of discounts, $80 USD + E*Trade fees doesn't seem so bad to me. Plus I just kind of like the idea of owning a little stock in the company.

As far as hotels I've stayed at Newport Bay which I hated and Sequoia Lodge which I rather enjoyed. I've walked through all of the others except the DL Hotel, in fact where were just discussing this weekend that we've been all the way to DLP twice and have never gone into the DLH. NY was nice bit the price was way higher than SL. I thought Santa Fe and Cheyenne were sort of the WDW All Stars meets Super 8 (assuming your a WDW Vet). Plus they are a much longer walk to the parks. To me the best combination of price and location is Sequoia Lodge hands down. It's not a nice a Wilderness lodge but it's decent for the price.

What turned you off about Newport Bay? That is one of the ones I was thinking about. I've seen some pictures of Sequoia Lodge and it looks pretty nice. NY looks good as well. I'd love to do DLH, but I don't think the money is in the budget at the moment.

Just keep in mind that lot's of people that will respond only know Disney as DLP. I'm not saying their opinions aren't valid but they tend to have the rose colored-glassed where I'm much more analytical and as you can see by my signature I've been to the US parks my share of times.

We are WDW veterans ourselves and part of what I am interested in learning is how they are different and what I can expect to be similar. I have heard it's more like Disneyland than WDW. I've been there twice, but the last time was in 1998. So it's been awhile - CA wasn't even built yet!

My person opinion on the on-site hotels:

Santa Fe - Looks awful from the outside, but inside the rooms are of a good size and the new cars themeing is pretty cool.

Cheyenne - Probably the best themeing of all the hotels. But no pool and the distance from the parks puts a bit of a downer on it.

Sequioia Lodge - By far my favourite hotel. It has a warm, cozy feeling about and with a big log fire in the bar area it's perfect for winter breaks!

Newport Bay - Very large, so you could end up with a room located a good walk from the main building. But the rooms are really spacious and the pool is really nice.

New York - Great location, close to Disney Village. However, when staying here last they had a big conference in the hotel so that place was overrun with business men in suits. This ruined the magic a bit for me and now whenever I see the New York I just think of that 'business' feel.

Disneyland Hotel - The only hotel I haven't stayed in, but I have done a tour of the hotel and it is very impressive (as you'd expect it to be). Rooms are massive and being right on the parks is a great bonus. For me, I just don't think I could ever justify the price.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the hotels! That helps a lot I need to do some more searching around for pictures so I have a good idea of the look and feel of each of the hotels. Once I get a better feel for the cost, I'll know which hotels we can do and which are out of the question. I'll have to play around on the UK DLP website. I was able to get some pricing for December going that route.

So, do you think 3 days/ 2 nights is enough time to see and do everything? Has anyone been there the week before Christmas? Will it be crazy cold and crazy busy? I'm from New Hampshire in the US, so we're used to cold winter weather, but am just wondering how cold it gets there.

 

[zavandor]

About the shares: it's a very little investment and if you already have a portfolio really a minor hassle to join the club (only send a fax). The discounts are a huge money saver. If you plan table service restaurants you'll repay the shares only with the discount on meals. Not talking of the light breakfast every morning in Salon Mickey.

I think it's way better to buy 20 shares (join fee is free), the 30 euro for the fee are wasted money, instead the shares will keep their value. I bought 20 shares for 70 euros, when they were at 3,5 euro and now they are worth 50% more!


About the Hotel, I think that the Cheyenne is the best hands down, if you don't care for the missing pool or air conditioning. If you stay 3 days you'll not have time for a pool anyway.
The walking distance from the Park it's not much more than the SL. For every hotel except te Disneyland Hotel, you still have to cross the Disney village and reach the lake, it's 10 minutes walk. From there the NYH it's 1 minute, SL 3 minutes, Cheyenne 5 minutes, SF 8 minutes. If you take the shuttle form the hotel to the park entrance time is similar for every hotel.
Not that much difference and the theming of the Cheyenne is outstanding and it will save you money.
Win Win

 

[Michael623]

Here is a bit of background: first off I'm a life long New Englander. We are DVC members and we typically visit WDW anywhere from 2-5 times a year and usually DL about every 18 months or so. We typically stay at either OKW or AKL when at WDW but I've stayed at WL, BW, SSR and all of the moderates and enjoyed them all. We visited DLP in April 2004 (NBH) and June 2010 (SL). I certainly do not consider myself a DLP expert but I've been twice and for an American, that is a lot. In my 2 visits I encountered exactly two Americans and one was working at the Starbucks in the Disney Village. I've only personally known one other American who has been to DLP and he went from school with a French Club in 1992.

Can you buy European shares through Etrade? I remember going on Etrade a while back and I couldn't even get a quote for European stock. Please keep me up to date on how this goes because I'm very curious. I'd love for someone in the US to have success doing this. Several people said they were going to look into it (including myself) but it seems like none of us ever had the follow through.

If you look at the pics of NB you think it's going to be like YC/BC at WDW but it isn't, at all. Instead of the relaxed serene atmosphere the lobby is totally chaotic and constantly jammed with people. The upkeep was terrible when i was there. I followed a huge stain on the carpet that must have gone on for 40 ft going to our room one day along with peeling wallpaper and I'm not one who usually notices this kind of stuff. Finally this resort is huge, at one point it was the biggest hotel in Europe but I think that's no longer the case. Our room was the very last room out and it honestly seemed to take as long to get from the lobby to the room as it did from the lobby to the parks. I'd actually like to try HNY but for the higher price I'm planning to stick with SL. The DL Hotel isn't even on my radar, way too expensive. I was pricing a 4 night package for a potential visit in September and SL was $1100 and DL was $2600, yikes! I just can't justify that. People rave about the old west theming at Cheyenne but as an American I found it cheesy and forced and not at all realistic. I got a very strong Motel-ish vibe from SF and Cheyenne. Where all of the rest felt like a real resort. Keep in mind I've stayed at Pop Century a couple of times (to save DVC points) and I really don't like it at all.

Now to the parks themselves. The parks are right next to each other so you can walk from one to another. The DL park is awesome. The detail, the theming, the rides and attractions (some exclusive to DLP) are truly top notch. Even the rides that are also in the US (Pirates, SM, BTMRR, HM, IASM have their own variations that really add to the charm. The park is the biggest of all of the "Magic Kingdom" parks world wide so be prepared for some sore feet. I honestly think this park could be slightly ahead of MK at WDW but not as good as the Original DL. I recommend 2 days here at least.

The studios on the other hand, is lacking in the same way that the studios are lacking at WDW. It has it's share of decent rides and attractions (do not miss Cinemagique) but the whole park feels like it was thrown together on the cheap without the theming and detail of DL next door. You will not need more than a day here, if that.

So everything here is great right? Not quite. I spend my vacation money to go to DL/WDW because they are places that take you away from reality for a few fleeting days. A good chunk of this is the CMs who go out of their way to ensure you have a great time. It's their joy and enthusiasm that help make the Disney magic. Do not expect any of this at DLP. Think of it as DL with all of the CMs who just transferred from Canobie Lake Park. Don't get me wrong, I like Canobie (are there two Ns because the spell check isn't helping) but it's an amusement park and you go there with certain expectations like you would going to 6 flags or a Paramount park or any other "amusement" park. Disney is different and when visiting a Disney park you set the bar higher but unfortunately DLP does not get there at all and it is the CMs that keep DLP from being as good as the US parks. I've expressed this on these boards several times and people have ripped me to sherds each time so maybe I'm wrong but I've been to DLP twice and each visit was identical. I enjoyed my time there but I never felt the magic. You still get that shiver up your spine when you enter the park and see Main St and the castle (the Castle it absolutely breathtaking with a a dragon in the dungeon, although my 2 year old was terrified of it) but the atmosphere is just not the same as DL/WDW. The nicest CMs I ever met at DLP were a very nice Young lady from Toronto and a nice French gentleman who lived in Chicago for 6 years, coincidence? The other problem is guest behavior which I can't specifically blame on DLP but the CMs certainly don't make any effort to curb bad behavior. Europeans push and shove and cut in line like nothing I've ever seen. Everyone needs to be first in line all of the time, you really need to prepare yourself for this and you will never get an excuse me (or the equivalent in their native language) so don't look for one. The also smoke everywhere but this never really bothered me that much and I'm a non-smoker.

Your final couple of questions: If you want to really soak it all in and go at a very leisurely pace than 3 days is really pushing it especially if you will be going over a weekend when it is noticeably busier. If three days is all you have then make sure you get to the parks at rope drop. I'm honestly not sure how busy this week is but I have to assume not was busy as Christmas week but still pretty darn busy. The weather in December is typically between 35 and 45, cold but nothing a New Englander can't handle. It probably won't drop below freezing unless there is a real cold snap.

 

[Zomeguy]

You still get that shiver up your spine when you enter the park and see Main St and the castle (the Castle it absolutely breathtaking with a a dragon in the dungeon, although my 2 year old was terrified of it) but the atmosphere is just not the same as DL/WDW.

Unfortunately I have not been to DL/WDW, but I go roughly 2 times a year to DLP (2-3 nights each). I noticed in the 10 years that I have been going there, that the magic is not always operating the same way. Sometimes the atmosphere is just not there, other times we are very sentimental when we have to leave. Strangely I cannot exactly pin down the reason for this...

But many times the weather plays a big role as it is simply not so enjoyable in the park with small children if it is very crowded and temperatures are around freezing.

While being absolutely overpriced, staying at DLH is an entirely different experience than sleeping at other locations. The hotel is literally within the park and depending on the room you have, you can see right into the park to the castle. You walk out of the hotel and you are right at the park entrance!

There are many characters in the hotel at different times of the day and they are a lot more interactive than in the others f.ex. Hook chasing down children. Also the theming is great and the CMs treat you more like VIPs compared to the other hotels.

Concerning the dragon, my smallest daughter is still afraid of it and she is 6 years old . It has been refurbished recently and is even better now.

 

[LegoJediMom]

Here is a bit of background: first off I'm a life long New Englander. We are DVC members and we typically visit WDW anywhere from 2-5 times a year and usually DL about every 18 months or so. We typically stay at either OKW or AKL when at WDW but I've stayed at WL, BW, SSR and all of the moderates and enjoyed them all. We visited DLP in April 2004 (NBH) and June 2010 (SL). I certainly do not consider myself a DLP expert but I've been twice and for an American, that is a lot. In my 2 visits I encountered exactly two Americans and one was working at the Starbucks in the Disney Village. I've only personally known one other American who has been to DLP and he went from school with a French Club in 1992.

If you look at the pics of NB you think it's going to be like YC/BC at WDW but it isn't, at all. Instead of the relaxed serene atmosphere the lobby is totally chaotic and constantly jammed with people. The upkeep was terrible when i was there. I followed a huge stain on the carpet that must have gone on for 40 ft going to our room one day along with peeling wallpaper and I'm not one who usually notices this kind of stuff. Finally this resort is huge, at one point it was the biggest hotel in Europe but I think that's no longer the case. Our room was the very last room out and it honestly seemed to take as long to get from the lobby to the room as it did from the lobby to the parks. I'd actually like to try HNY but for the higher price I'm planning to stick with SL. The DL Hotel isn't even on my radar, way too expensive. I was pricing a 4 night package for a potential visit in September and SL was $1100 and DL was $2600, yikes! I just can't justify that. People rave about the old west theming at Cheyenne but as an American I found it cheesy and forced and not at all realistic. I got a very strong Motel-ish vibe from SF and Cheyenne. Where all of the rest felt like a real resort. Keep in mind I've stayed at Pop Century a couple of times (to save DVC points) and I really don't like it at all.

Now to the parks themselves. The parks are right next to each other so you can walk from one to another. The DL park is awesome. The detail, the theming, the rides and attractions (some exclusive to DLP) are truly top notch. Even the rides that are also in the US (Pirates, SM, BTMRR, HM, IASM have their own variations that really add to the charm. The park is the biggest of all of the "Magic Kingdom" parks world wide so be prepared for some sore feet. I honestly think this park could be slightly ahead of MK at WDW but not as good as the Original DL. I recommend 2 days here at least.

The studios on the other hand, is lacking in the same way that the studios are lacking at WDW. It has it's share of decent rides and attractions (do not miss Cinemagique) but the whole park feels like it was thrown together on the cheap without the theming and detail of DL next door. You will not need more than a day here, if that.

So everything here is great right? Not quite. I spend my vacation money to go to DL/WDW because they are places that take you away from reality for a few fleeting days. A good chunk of this is the CMs who go out of their way to ensure you have a great time. It's their joy and enthusiasm that help make the Disney magic. Do not expect any of this at DLP. Think of it as DL with all of the CMs who just transferred from Canobie Lake Park. Don't get me wrong, I like Canobie (are there two Ns because the spell check isn't helping) but it's an amusement park and you go there with certain expectations like you would going to 6 flags or a Paramount park or any other "amusement" park. Disney is different and when visiting a Disney park you set the bar higher but unfortunately DLP does not get there at all and it is the CMs that keep DLP from being as good as the US parks. I've expressed this on these boards several times and people have ripped me to sherds each time so maybe I'm wrong but I've been to DLP twice and each visit was identical. I enjoyed my time there but I never felt the magic. You still get that shiver up your spine when you enter the park and see Main St and the castle (the Castle it absolutely breathtaking with a a dragon in the dungeon, although my 2 year old was terrified of it) but the atmosphere is just not the same as DL/WDW. The nicest CMs I ever met at DLP were a very nice Young lady from Toronto and a nice French gentleman who lived in Chicago for 6 years, coincidence? The other problem is guest behavior which I can't specifically blame on DLP but the CMs certainly don't make any effort to curb bad behavior. Europeans push and shove and cut in line like nothing I've ever seen. Everyone needs to be first in line all of the time, you really need to prepare yourself for this and you will never get an excuse me (or the equivalent in their native language) so don't look for one. The also smoke everywhere but this never really bothered me that much and I'm a non-smoker.

Your final couple of questions: If you want to really soak it all in and go at a very leisurely pace than 3 days is really pushing it especially if you will be going over a weekend when it is noticeably busier. If three days is all you have then make sure you get to the parks at rope drop. I'm honestly not sure how busy this week is but I have to assume not was busy as Christmas week but still pretty darn busy. The weather in December is typically between 35 and 45, cold but nothing a New Englander can't handle. It probably won't drop below freezing unless there is a real cold snap.

You sound very similar to us. We are also DVC members that go to Disney as often as possible. And our experiences and expectations as far as the Disney experience are similar as well. So, it sounds like as long as we keep our expectations for it to be more like going to Canobie (one "n" ), Hershey or Six Flags, we won't be disappointed, correct?

Good to know that Newport is crowded and run down from the sounds of it. I admit, we are Disney Deluxe "Snobs" and have actually never stayed at one of the Values, so am guessing Cheyenne and SF wouldn't be for us. I'm kind of tempted to look into using DVC points, but we have friends from Germany joining us and I'm not sure what their budget is, so can't make any real plans until I coordinate with them.

Thank you for your detailed information about the parks. I'll have to consider adding another day to our Disney time if it feels like it's going to be rushed. The plan is to arrive on a Wednesday and leave on Friday, but maybe we should stay and check out on Saturday instead.

Any restaurants you recommend or suggest we avoid?

Can you buy European shares through Etrade? I remember going on Etrade a while back and I couldn't even get a quote for European stock. Please keep me up to date on how this goes because I'm very curious. I'd love for someone in the US to have success doing this. Several people said they were going to look into it (including myself) but it seems like none of us ever had the follow through.

Yes, you can buy it through Etrade. We have accounts set up with them already, but need to do some additional set up to buy international stocks. From what I can tell, that is paying some additional fees I'm watching the price right now and will jump when the time seems right. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Michael623]

Right, the parks (DL anyway) are great. I found the upkeep to be top notch and the landscaping is at least as good as the US parks if not better. The atmosphere i.e. Disney Magic is just lacking. Since Disney Magic isn't anything physical or tangible it really is tough to explain but whatever it is, you just don't feel it there. Once again, people have told me I'm way off base here but it is primarily people who have only visited DLP. I'll be really curious to hear what you have to say when you return.

I never really considered using DVC points at DLP because the point value is very high plus you need to buy length of stay tickets for each person in your party which is quite expensive plus the $95 transaction fee. I do only have 190 points though, if you have points to burn then go for it. If you can get a decent discount, the package prices actually aren't too bad. If you plan to book on-line make sure you go through the UK site and when you have to put in your address just put it in as normal leaving the country as UK. You get a confirmation via email and nothing is sent to your actual address. This saved me about $600 on my last trip and I've been pricing a potential trip for September and the UK site is about $500 less than the US site for the same exact package. So few Americans visit DLP that they don't market the parks to the US and rarely ever offer Americans any decent discounts.

Saturdays are much busier and since you're getting close to Christmas I would stick to the 3 day plan and make Friday your last day myself but like I said, make sure you get there early and use the EMHs and FP.

As far as dining I'm sort of the wrong person to ask because I'm not a real foodie. Honestly, I could probably eat burgers and fries every meal on vacation. In 2004 I remember eating at Walt's (Main st), Blue Bayou (inside Pirates like at DL) and Ludwig's (in the Disney village which is DLPs version of DTD) and no single meal really stood out. In 2010 we had a sick 2 year old so we mostly stuck with the counter service places and once again, not one memorable meal. I do remember eating at the take out window at Annette's on each trip because it was (sort of) cheap take out but now that Earl of Sandwich is open in the village that will probably be my pick for cheap eats. I love the one at WDW. There is a MacDonalds but I don't think we ever went in there. Incidentally Annette's is supposed to be a like an American 50s diner type of place (waitresses on roller skates etc) which the Europeans totally eat up but like the Western theme at the Cheyenne, I find it totally bogus. One more thing that drove me crazy is that the park restaurants didn't serve dinner so when the parks closed and thousands of hungry guests all fled the parks at the same time the lines at all of the restaurants were insane like 15 minutes later. All of the restaurants at the village and all of the resort restaurants had gigantic lines. Now the hours may be longer when you're going and this may be less of an issue but just keep it in the back of your mind. This was another reason we ended up at the Annette's take out window because it was the only place without a line that was out of control.

The one tip that my wife (alyssa810) would probably give after learning the hard way is never get on the train at Main St. The lines there are huge while the other stations are often deserted. I remember waiting for 4 trains before we were able to board (while getting cut and pushed every time a train came) and the very next station had one person waiting. The other real disappointment is there is no Splash Mountain (not such a big deal in December) or Jungle Cruise.