Travelling with a toddler, and a disabled 4 year old

[KirstyLilian]

Hi all
We're heading to DLP for Christmas, and can't wait! We are two families travelling together, and will be staying in the Marriot village-d'ille-de-france, which is about 10 minutes away by car.
There will be 4 adults, and 4 children ages 9,8, 4 (disabled) and 2.

How can I prepare my 2 year old best? what are your experiences with taking children this age? And how will we find access, and being able to go on the rides with a disabled child?

All tips greatly appreciated!!

Also how far in advance do we need to book character lunches etc... it is chirtmas and new year week, should I be doing this now?!

oh and another also...what is car parking like? how much do we have to pay? etc...

we'll be getting 5 day hopper tickets so no pressure to spend all day every day there which will probably be too much for the two little ones (?)

Kirsty x

 

[DLPdaft]

Hi KirstyLilian,

Welcome to the Disneyland Paris Trip Planning & Community Board .

We are a friendly bunch here so please join in on any other thread or if you have a number of questions then just start a new thread for each

If you have not had a look yet, DLP posting rules are here
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1477038,
DIS posting guidelines can be found here
http://www.wdwinfo.com/guidelines.htm

I have no experience of travelling to DLP with small children, but I know there are lots of folk here who will be along to help you with those questions .

You can book your restaurant tables up to 60 days in advance at DLP, for your group and for that time of year, I'd book up as soon as you can, once you've decided when you want to eat.

Instead of park hoppers for 5 days, you might want to consider annual passes - these give you discounts on food and souvenir shopping, and if you have Dream passes you get access to Extra Magic Hours, which gives you 2 extra hours in the main park to use the rides in Fantasyland and some rides in Discoveryland (very very useful with small children, as thats where most of their favourites will be). Have a look on DLRPMagic for their annual pass information.

 

[KirstyLilian]

Wow thanks for the tip about the annual pass, it works out just £31 more expensive than the 5 day pass (with the get one day free) at the current exchange rate. The other discounts look very tempting though, so I'm just wondering, the discounts, for example at a restaurant...can the annual pass be used to get a discount on the total bill (so for all 8 of us) or would it just be for myself and my husband? (Our daughter doesn't need a pass as she's under 3)

Kirsty x

 

[DLPdaft]

yes, one annual pass can be used for your whole party for restaurant discount, if you're all paying on one bill .

 

[jothp]

I would try to make sure your 2 year old is familiar with as many diney characters as possible. When our daughter was 2 she was very fussy about which characters she would meet but generally the more familiar she was with them the happier she was to see them. We also found it quite difficult to find suitable drinks to buy for her in the parks, most were sold in open topped bottles so we made sure we had drinks for her with us.

Also with the annual passes it may be cheaper to buy them before you go from a site like cemultivantages. There was quite a long thread about that site on here a couple of weeks ago.

 

[abbi02]

Hi hope I can help a little we have a disabled daughter and were a little worried about how we would get on but we have found the CMs to be nothing but helpful. You can get a pass from city hall in Disneyland park or guest services in the studios this will entitle the disabled person and carers to go to the front of the queue or to get a fastpass on some rides. You will just have to show your blue badge or some other proof. This will also entitle you to go in a separate enclosure for the parades normally just one carer per person but dependant on how busy it is they may let more of you in. Hope this helps you a little.

 

[KirstyLilian]

This sounds interesting, though a google search only elicits it's mention on sites like this....please could someone give me the web address? many thanks Kirsty

 

[Carrie_Cat]

http://www.ce-multiavantages.com/

Just for info the 2 oldest children won't be able to have a free pass as they must be under 7 so you will need 6 passports

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Car parking is free with a Fantasy or a Dream pass otherwise it's 15€ per car/per day

It's a very large open air parking and depending on where you park on it it's a long walk to the parks especially when the moving walkway is working

 

[DLPdaft]

Hi abbi02,

Welcome to the Disneyland Paris Trip Planning & Community Board .

We are a friendly bunch here so please join in on any other thread or if you have a number of questions then just start a new thread for each

If you have not had a look yet, DLP posting rules are here
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1477038,
DIS posting guidelines can be found here
http://www.wdwinfo.com/guidelines.htm

 

[cherrymarzipan]

Hi

If you have a blue badge you can park in the disabled car park which is right by the park entrance. Just show the blue badge when you show your AP for the free parking at the main entrance and you will be given a code (which changes every day) to enable you to raise the barrier and enter the disabled car park which is signed from the main entrance.

Another benefit of the Dream AP is free wheelchair rental which may help you.
As others have said, we have always found CMs and characters are all really lovely and helpful and give special attention.

One little tip I only sussed properly last time we went was how to access the disabled lift to visit the top of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle: ask for the code in the shop to the left of the stairs (the one selling glass). The CM will let you into the lift but make sure she gives you the code to return! I was still protesting that I had no way of getting down with my son as the lift went up with us. Luckily another CM who had realised the first one’s mistake (she had insisted I didn’t need the code) came up afterwards and gave it to me.

 

[Jeffs76]

Hi Kirsty (It's Cake from BC), Glad you found the DISboards, everyone is super friendly and helpful. I think it might be worth you familiarising yourself with all the parks/rides with a guidebook so that you can plan your days for all your different levels of expectation (also so you can see which areas are suitable for both your toddlers). We went to WDW earlier this year and found our lack of planning meant a lot of time was wasted and we all got a little frazzled. We are off to DLP in Jan and I already have our 3 days planned. I don't know what DLP is like but WDW princess character meals were booked up a month before we went so book as early as you can to avoid disappointment!

Kate
x

 

[KirstyLilian]

Thanks for the tips everyone! We do have a blue badge, but I wasn't sure if it would work, as we're taking our car, and the blue badge has our friends numberplate on it. I think we will get the annual pass anyway, as pushchair and wheelchair rental would make things easier, but slightly anxious they might not always be available, as we're going between Christmas and new year, so I believe that's one of the busiest times! any experience of this? I don't know what we'll do if they don't have one available!

I've tried booking character meals already, I was told I have to wait until 60 days before I want the reservation, so I'll do it on that day. Do you have to pay a deposit when you book? If not I might book character meals in a couple of different places, then we can cancel one when we decide which will be best.

Thanks for tips about codes for lifts etc... hopefully it won't be needed all the time, as she can walk, but not for very long, so she will need help..but hopefully will be able to do everything.

Kate, introducing me to this has been expensive!! Hubby and I were taking DD for a weeks special holiday, now we've found out about annual passes we've already penned in a couple more trips for next year to make the most of the tickets before DD turns 3, and would then need a ticket of her own!! still I'm having a ball already, and getting very excited! x

We're going to buy some disney magazines and make a poster for her bedroom with all the characters, so each night we can go through and name them, and get her familiar with them. Will probably do the same with 4 y/o as she is at a very similar age to DD(2) developmentally so anything to get them really ready.

What is it like watching the parades in winter? where is a good place to go, If I take a big rug can the children sit down? or is it really not suitable, esp depending on weather......

 

[Jeffs76]

why not get a waterproof backed rug? mine rolls up very neatly and I am defo taking it in Jan. Not sure what DLP is like but @WDW we arrived midday ,mid summer and there were hundreds of wheelchairs and strollers. My DD is 3.5 and hasn't used her buggy since she was 2.5 but it was invaluble!

 

[DLPdaft]

I've tried booking character meals already, I was told I have to wait until 60 days before I want the reservation, so I'll do it on that day. Do you have to pay a deposit when you book? If not I might book character meals in a couple of different places, then we can cancel one when we decide which will be best.

What is it like watching the parades in winter? where is a good place to go, If I take a big rug can the children sit down? or is it really not suitable, esp depending on weather......

you don't have to pay any money when you phone to reserve your restaurant tables, and you can cancel any you don't end up using when you get to DLP, at City Hall in the main park, or at your hotel reception.

you'll only get a good view of the parades if you are ropeside and stay there, so theres not really much room to spread out on a rug on the parade route (especially if you are visiting between Christmas and New Year).