A few questions from a DLP newbie

[curseofcurves]

We will be at DLP March 13-March 16 and I have a few questions.

1. Do we really need to make dining reservations ahead of time or will crowds be low enough to eat without a reservation? We're looking at Agrabah Cafe, King Ludwigs, and possibly Chez Remy.

2. Can someone explain how breakfast works in the hotels? I'm not finding very clear info. It seems like you have to pick a time slot to eat...is that correct?

3. How is the pin trading scene at DLP? Do most cast members wear pins and are there special books/stuffed animals/boards like at WDW?

Thank you!

 

[sunshine1]

You can book dinner reservations if you are staying at a disney hotel, if you are worried about not getting a reservation. Or ring to book in advance.

Have you checked to make sure those restaurants are open when you visit?

When you check in they will give you daily breakfast cards. 7am-8am, 8am-9am, etc. People recommend you ask for earliest time possible.

Some cast members wear pins that you can trade with them. Some nice pins for sale at DLP.

 

[DLPdaft]

you will be given breakfast slots when you check in at your onsite hotel - but you don't have to adhere to them, you can go earlier or later than the timeslot you are given.

 

[BadPinkTink]

We will be at DLP March 13-March 16 and I have a few questions.

1. Do we really need to make dining reservations ahead of time or will crowds be low enough to eat without a reservation? We're looking at Agrabah Cafe, King Ludwigs, and possibly Chez Remy.

Dining Reservations are not as necessary as in the American parks BUT I always advise people to make reservations if you want to eat at a particular restaurant on a particular day. The phone number to ring is +33 160 30 40 50, its a French phone number but they speak English. Dining reservations are only available by phone, not online. You can also make a dining reservation when you check in or at Town Hall in the the Park
Agrabah Cafe Open 13 March, Closed 14, 15 March, Open 16 March

2. Can someone explain how breakfast works in the hotels? I'm not finding very clear info. It seems like you have to pick a time slot to eat...is that correct?

Breakfast is included in the park and hotel package for the onsite hotels. When you check in you will be given a timeslot for breakfast for each day of your visit and given a coupon for each morning. The hotels do this to even out the crowds in the dining areas. You just go to the breakfast area at your timeslot and hand in the coupon for that day. Depending on which hotel you are staying at, you will be either brought to your table by a CM or you will have to find your own table.

Breakfasts are buffets. The food and drink in the buffets are
Tea / coffee / fruit juice
Cereal (cornflakes etc)
Selection of bread for toasting and croissants
Selection of cold sliced meat and cheese
Selection of fruit and yoghurt

Depending on which hotel you are staying at and whether your are standard or VIP / Concierge level, your breakfast buffet may include hot items such as sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs

Breakfast times which are the busiest / most popular are between 7.30am and 8.30am, as the park opens at 8am for EMH for hotel guests

3. How is the pin trading scene at DLP? Do most cast members wear pins and are there special books/stuffed animals/boards like at WDW?
Thank you!

Yes there are but they are harder to find. Pin trading is not as popular as in the American parks though

 

[A Small World]

Just to add - You can't book at Ludwigs and Chez Remy is very popular as its the newest restaurant so worth booking if you want to eat there

 

[cdsmiler81]

Pins - almost all cast members are wearing the pins (my DD pin trades with them!) and pins are for sale in loads of places, as are the lanyards, but they've cut down their range of pin bags, and there's not many 'other' pin related things around.

HTH!

C x

 

[curseofcurves]

Dining Reservations are not as necessary as in the American parks BUT I always advise people to make reservations if you want to eat at a particular restaurant on a particular day. The phone number to ring is +33 160 30 40 50, its a French phone number but they speak English. Dining reservations are only available by phone, not online. You can also make a dining reservation when you check in or at Town Hall in the the Park
Agrabah Cafe Open 13 March, Closed 14, 15 March, Open 16 March

Where did you find the information about Agrabah Cafe being closed those days? The info I found only went through Dec 2015.

 

[curseofcurves]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

 

[BadPinkTink]

Where did you find the information about Agrabah Cafe being closed those days? The info I found only went through Dec 2015.

I found them here http://disneykindofday.blogspot.nl/2015/12/adventureland-restaurant-opening-hours_46.html

This website has the restaurant hours listed for January, February, March 2016

 

[Vala]

Regarding pin trading, it is important to know that sometimes CM trading doesn't work like in the US parks.

CMs may make up rule on the spot - like "same size only", "Minnie for Minnie" and stuff like that. Some will demand to choose the pin from your lanyard. I've even had some claiming that the pins on the lanyard were their own - I don't have the foggiest clue if that is correct, I only know it would be a big no no in the US parks to bring own pins for trade.

Nothing of that is in the normal pin trading rules, but don't bother complaining if this happens to you. City Hall or supervisors will always side with the CMs. Being there, done that, got the t-shirt. Anyway, if the trade is worth the hassle to you just sigh in your mind and do it. If not tell them "no thank you" and walk away.

I highly recommend not wearing any pins on your lanyard that you are not willing to trade due to this "I get to choose" bit.

A board used to come out at Harrington's for one hour in the evening, but I don't have the current time table for that. When Pueblo is open on weekends they usually have a board. That's pretty much it - no books or Perry the Platypus plush or other stuff like you'd see in WDW.

Paris have their own version of the hidden Mickeys. They're called "Cast Lanyard Refreshers." You can usually spot them fairly easy cause they are a little larger than the average pins. For the last releases there's a King of Hearts, a Brave bear (one of the triplets), one of the Siamese Kitties from Lady and the Tramp - we haven't figured out if it's Si or Am yet , Horace Horsecollar... some characters that you wouldn't see pins of in the US easily.

 

[aviva5675]

Beyond excited to be going May 23 for one day to DLP... If I call for ressies when I get to France (5/20) or Italy when we land (5/10), will I be able to get ressies for Remys or ?? and I take it if I call the French phone number from my US cell phone itll still be international charge? so figure out where to call from on a Franch phone?

 

[BadPinkTink]

Beyond excited to be going May 23 for one day to DLP... If I call for ressies when I get to France (5/20) or Italy when we land (5/10), will I be able to get ressies for Remys or ?? and I take it if I call the French phone number from my US cell phone itll still be international charge? so figure out where to call from on a Franch phone?

If you call the French number when you get to France or Italy from your USA cell phone it will still be an international charge. Its called roaming. What happens is your are using your USA network and they are then re-routing you to the local French network and they charge you for this service.

Just call from a USA landline. Call the local USA phone number for Disneyland Paris and ask to be transferred to the Dining reservations call centre. That way you by pass the international charges.

I did this last week. I live in Ireland and called the Irish, local number. The transferred me to the French call centre , no issues or problems.

 

[aviva5675]

this looks like a good idea. I see the US number. how long in advance can you book? Not staying at a hotel there, just a one day visit.

 

[petals]

We didn't make any reservations in advance but hotel advised we should when we were there so we did it at the hotel and had no problem getting what we wanted. The CM even advised better times for going to the likes of Cafe Mickey to us!

Breakfast in the hotels as others have said you choose your time and they ask you respect that time due to how busy it gets... they're not lying. The breakfast room seemed like organised chaos in the Cheyenne and loads of kids wandering around where their family was at a table and they'd go back for something else. A few times my tray nearly landed on a child's head.

Pin trading in Paris has improved alot. In 2012 I was there and it was awkward. They would almost examine the pins like as if there was something wrong with it and if I asked could I trade they would say only if you have nice pins or they wanted to choose the pin. t's not like America at all. I complained about it then and guest relations said they would get onto the relevant party. This time it was alot better. Most CM's had lanyards and I only came across three that expected to chose themselves. One was asking if I had flags so I presumed she collects herself. There is also a pin board in Harringtons on Main Street at about 5pm each day and that does have certain rules like limited for limited, hidden mickey for hidden mickey etc.

 

[BadPinkTink]

this looks like a good idea. I see the US number. how long in advance can you book? Not staying at a hotel there, just a one day visit.

You can book from the 60 mark