Questions, questions and more questions

[lojo]

I should just email the hotel direct, but they wouldn't throw in all the little extra bits of info that you lot do, so here goes:

Our flight is scheduled to arrive around 9.30am on 4th December and we will be staying at the Dream Castle, we will be buying APs (for which we are kindly being sponsored) and know that we will have to go to the AP office to get the 'real' passport. Like most people we want to avoid queues and get into the parks asap, so if the hotel sells day passes, one of us could be getting those while someone else sorts out getting our luggage stowed. So does anyone know whether Dream Castle sells park tickets?

We have booked with RSTransports - any estimates on what time we could expect to get to the hotel, and from there to the park (allowing for traffic at that time of day, and typical times for offloading luggage onto hotels)?

Entrance queues - if DLP is anything like Tokyo, half the population turns up at the entrance gates first thing in the morning (well it seemed like that anyway), is there ever a time when you could just more or less walk in? In other words, would we be better to hang around the hotel a while in the hope of an early check-in and no (or small) queues at DLP, or should we just head straight over?

Is there anything to be gained or lost in checking in around 3pm (official start time) or should we just stay in the parks and check-in when we return for the evening? I have considered one of us returning to check-in, I'm assuming that would be okay?

And finally, I've been checking the disneylandparis site for show and parade schedules trying to estimate how far in advance they post. They still don't have times for November. Please don't tell me they only update once a month, I can't wait till the end of November/beginning of December for schedules for 4th December - tell me they wouldn't be that cruel?

Thanks in advance.
Lucy

 

[sarahc]

I can answer some of your questions!
- The Dreamcastle does not sell park tickets: you can buy AP vouchers at the entrance I think which you'll then have to exchange for actual passes at the Passport Office inside the park.
- It takes around 40 mins to get to Disney from CDG
- I would head to the parks as soon as you get there, that way you can have your passes all sorted for an early start the next day!
-Not sure if there's actually anything to be gained from checking in at 3: can't see that there would be but maybe someone else will know something I don't!
-Can't help with show schedules but keep checking to see when November's comes out and that'll give you a idea about when December's will appear.

 

[suzybear6]

And finally, I've been checking the disneylandparis site for show and parade schedules trying to estimate how far in advance they post. They still don't have times for November. Please don't tell me they only update once a month, I can't wait till the end of November/beginning of December for schedules for 4th December - tell me they wouldn't be that cruel?

Thanks in advance.
Lucy

I can't really help with the other questions because we are off for our first trip next Monday, but I can tell you not to hold your breath waiting for Disney to update their show/parade schedules as they still haven't got all the details up for next week, let alone Nov/Dec!!
They seem to have updated their French and Spanish sites though so if you can fine your way to them (I'll try and find a link for you later) then that might be the way to go (it was the only way I could find out what time the shows/parades were on ).
Luv Suzy

 

[suzybear6]

Here's the link to the Spanish site's info for October :-

http://www.disneylandparis.com/es/disneyland_park/parades_and_shows/parade_schedule.htm#10_2007

But I can't seem to find a way to any info for Nov or Dec - maybe someone who actually speaks Spanish can help? Or maybe they just haven't got around to putting it up yet.
hth
Luv Suzy

 

[dlpSteve]

As for checking in - we checked in at about 2pm last week and there was no queue. When we retured to the hotel after the parks had closed the lobby was packed like sardines in a tin, full of people trying to check in.

 

[tripodjw]

If you need to buy park tickets at the gate - go to the studios - the queue is always much smaller. You don't have to go in the studios first just buy your tickets there.

If you're trying to avoid queues getting into the park, you could try going in the studios anyway - queues are always shorter for getting in than in DLP.

I've never tried it but i guess you could always (assuming you have hopper tickets) enter the studios as there's a small queue and leave immediately getting a handstamp on your way out. Then walk over to DLP and enter through the re-entry with handstamp turnstile (down the right of the DL hotel by guest relations). The queues for this will guaranteed be virtually non-existent. I would guess this would still be quicker than queuing at DLP if the queues are big.

my experience last weekend was that at about 11am - DLP queues were huge, studios much smaller.

 

[marcus.ka]

I can answer some of your questions!
- The Dreamcastle does not sell park tickets.

They don't sell park tickets at the Dream Castle Hotel? Can anyone confirm this? Because I know for sure that you can by park tickets at the Kyriad, the Holiday Inn and at the Explorers. Should the Dream Castle be the only one out of these four were you can't buy tickets?

 

[Cyrano]

Like most people we want to avoid queues and get into the parks asap, so if the hotel sells day passes, one of us could be getting those while someone else sorts out getting our luggage stowed. So does anyone know whether Dream Castle sells park tickets?

You could go to Guest Relations which is at the right hand side; heading towards Disneyland Hotel entrance. You'll be able to get your temporary AP here and the queues are much less than the main ticket offices.
Then when your party who dropped off the cases joins you are are ready to go through the barriers here to the park

 

[sarahc]

They don't sell park tickets at the Dream Castle Hotel? Can anyone confirm this? Because I know for sure that you can by park tickets at the Kyriad, the Holiday Inn and at the Explorers. Should the Dream Castle be the only one out of these four were you can't buy tickets?

Maybe I'm wrong then

 

[lojo]

Just thought I'd let you know that the Dream Castle have confirmed that they do sell tickets:

"You can buy the tickets for the Disney® Parks at the Reception of the Dream Castle without any reservation. Rates are the following : <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
1 day ticket/1 park Adult : 47 € Child (from 3 to 11 years old) : 39 €<o></o>
1 day ticket /2 parks Adult : 57 € Child (from 3 to 11 years old) : 49 €<o></o>
2 days ticket /2 parks Adult : 105 € Child (from 3 to 11 years old) : 89 €<o></o>
3 days ticket /2 parks Adult : 131 € Child (from 3 to 11 years old) : 111 €<o></o>
4 days ticket /2 parks Adult : 152 € Child (from 3 to 11 years old) : 129 €<o></o>
5 days ticket /2 parks Adult : 183 € Child (from 3 to 11 years old) : 138 €"

These seem to be close to the official prices, but obviously are nowhere near the discounted prices available elsewhere. But it will do very nicely for my plan to buy a day ticket at the hotel while dumping the luggage, and then gunning it down to the 'people with tickets' queues!

Lucy