Advice for a wdw vet who wants to do DLP?

[Jennygt]

I have a good friend who has done wdw and DL. He is married with 2 little boys. They will be in paris this april and are thinking of trying DLP. Can they do it in 1 day or do they need 2? What hotels are the best? They weredid not enjoy DL compared to WDW, will they find the same thing at DLP? I know this is very subjective but I thought some vets here could help me out! Thanks!

 

[RCDisneyFan]

I've been to WDW multiple times, DL once and DLP once. For serious Disney fans - who want to be able to ride nearly everything and compare and contrast all the differences - you'll definitely need two days, especially if those are weekend days. Add one more if you want to cover Walt Disney Studios too.

If you have the $ the Disneyland Hotel is really convenient (taking all of a minute to walk to the gate from the hotel) and it's beautiful and we found the service to be very attentive. If you stay onsite, knowing French isn't necessary, although using bonjour & merci frequently I think is probably helpful.

If I had to pick between Disneyland Paris, The Magic Kingdom and Disneyland in CA - it's a tough call. Whether or not they will enjoy it I guess depends on what they didn't like about Disneyland in CA. I found DLP to be a good size, entirely manageable, a gorgeous park - absolutely loved it. I think it combines the best Disneyland and The Magic Kingdom have to offer - but it does feel pretty European (which I LOVED) and that may be off-putting to some.

I don't know if any of that is helpful... but that's my two cents.

 

[ukstitch]

I personally think (I can't guarantee it though as each person is individual) that if they didn't enjoy Disneyland in California, then there's a good chance that they won't enjoy Disneyland Paris either.

I visit DLP on a semi- regular basis (once or twice a year) and visited DL for the first time last year. I found the parks felt pretty similar to the point where I felt immediately at home navigating my way around DL without a map because I know my way around DLP, although there definitely are differences.

DLP is kind of a DL wishlist in my opinion - it's what DL very well could have been had the technology, money and land been available when Disneyland was built.

I still think it's worth a visit though - each Disney theme park has it's charms. DLP contains some very good and slightly more thrilling than normal versions of many of the popular rides (pirates, big thunder, space mountain), as well as many litlte unique touches and attractions found only at DLP such as the maze, the dragon under the castle and many others.