Advice on Planning- Please and Thank you!

[cmv32]

Hello all!

I've been bouncing between the disboards, the DLP sites (US and UK, mainly), and the DLP community forum and every time I think I have a plan, I learn something new that muddies the waters.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

My husband and I are planning on visiting Paris this summer (mid August) and are hoping to make it up to Disney. What we're thinking might be the best way to go is as follows, but we're unsure how to make it work!

1- Check into a hotel, Disney or Partner mid-day or evening
2- Look around the properties and Disney Village
3- Get a full nights' sleep!
4- Hit the parks with a park hopper
5- Spend the night in a Disney parks
6- Probably check out and take the train down to Paris unless we can afford a 2nd day in the parks

My biggest struggle is figuring out how to get 2 nights but ONE day of park tickets. Anyone have suggestions on this? The full day we spend in the parks I'd like to take advantage of EMH, so that second night would of course have to be a Disney hotel. Has anyone done this before? Suggestions?

(After figuring out where to stay, my next task is to try tackling where and what to eat. Hoping to get reservations at Remy...)

 

[loladelorean]

I've never done this, so maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong - but I believe you'll get the Hotel Easypass that lets you in for EMH regardless of whether you've booked a Disney Hotel and Park package.
So you should be able to book a Disney hotel room only (I recommend checking Expedia) then buy one day hopper tickets, and still use EMH.

Please someone confirm if this is correct!

 

[A Small World]

Why not spend the first night in a disney hotel so you get passes for the day you arrive and then next day.
This means that you can have a few hours the first day to get a few rides in or have a good look around. If you are going in summer the disneyland park is likely to be open til 11.00 ish. Disney Village is very small and there isn't an awful lot there and the hotels are not like the resorts at WDW if thats what you are used to. They are worth having a look at but depending where you stay you are walking past them (and through the village) on the way to the park.
It also means you can get an early start the next day to get in for EMH without having to check out of a hotel and into your disney hotel to get the tickets and easy pass which let you in for EMH

 

[cmv32]

I've never done this, so maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong - but I believe you'll get the Hotel Easypass that lets you in for EMH regardless of whether you've booked a Disney Hotel and Park package.
So you should be able to book a Disney hotel room only (I recommend checking Expedia) then buy one day hopper tickets, and still use EMH.

Please someone confirm if this is correct!

This sounds right to me too. Good to hear it from someone else. Thank you! (And for the thought on Expedia)

 

[cmv32]

Why not spend the first night in a disney hotel so you get passes for the day you arrive and then next day.
This means that you can have a few hours the first day to get a few rides in or have a good look around. If you are going in summer the disneyland park is likely to be open til 11.00 ish. Disney Village is very small and there isn't an awful lot there and the hotels are not like the resorts at WDW if thats what you are used to. They are worth having a look at but depending where you stay you are walking past them (and through the village) on the way to the park.
It also means you can get an early start the next day to get in for EMH without having to check out of a hotel and into your disney hotel to get the tickets and easy pass which let you in for EMH

If we can get there early enough in the day, we might try to do this. Otherwise it might be too harsh on our budget to try for a full price ticket without being able to get a full day in.
Thanks!

 

[micksn]

You can use the hotel easypass for EMH's when booking room only on expedia. However, it would be much cheaper to book a partner hotel, then you might be able to afford 2 days tickets - you wouldn't qualify for EMH's however.

 

[loladelorean]

This sounds right to me too. Good to hear it from someone else. Thank you! (And for the thought on Expedia)

I'm staying in Newport Bay, booked on Expedia, next week - with passes bought from a third party site. So I'll soon be able to confirm if this is true!!

 

[A Small World]

Yes you definitely get access to EMH when staying in a disney hotel regardless of how it was booked (package or separate tickets or AP etc)

 

[elena_n2o]

Sometimes in the past we've gotten a (cheap) hotel for the first night, then get up early, head to our Disney hotel first thing in the morning (before 8am), check in, drop the bags, get our tickets and get into the park for the EMH. If you get a hotel package through DLP you'll then get park hopper tickets for 2 days.

Otherwise yes, you can book the hotel separately, in a room-only basis, and get the park tickets separately. The hotel ID card will give you access to the EMH

 

[cmv32]

I'm staying in Newport Bay, booked on Expedia, next week - with passes bought from a third party site. So I'll soon be able to confirm if this is true!!

Where did you get your passes?

 

[cmv32]

Yes you definitely get access to EMH when staying in a disney hotel regardless of how it was booked (package or separate tickets or AP etc)

Awesome- thanks!

 

[cmv32]

Sometimes in the past we've gotten a (cheap) hotel for the first night, then get up early, head to our Disney hotel first thing in the morning (before 8am), check in, drop the bags, get our tickets and get into the park for the EMH. If you get a hotel package through DLP you'll then get park hopper tickets for 2 days.

Otherwise yes, you can book the hotel separately, in a room-only basis, and get the park tickets separately. The hotel ID card will give you access to the EMH

I was thinking of maybe going this route- getting a cheaper hotel the first night and then switching to a Disney hotel the next day. Have you done this? I'm curious how easy or not it is to get from the first hotel (probably a partner hotel) over to the Disney hotel that early in the morning, and then getting on to the parks. I would think we'd need to take the partner hotel shuttle to the park, then a disney shuttle from park to disney hotel, yeah?

 

[loladelorean]

Where did you get your passes?

This time from attraction tickets direct, I printed the tickets at home. There are a few options though.

I was thinking of maybe going this route- getting a cheaper hotel the first night and then switching to a Disney hotel the next day. Have you done this? I'm curious how easy or not it is to get from the first hotel (probably a partner hotel) over to the Disney hotel that early in the morning, and then getting on to the parks. I would think we'd need to take the partner hotel shuttle to the park, then a disney shuttle from park to disney hotel, yeah?

I've done this a couple of times - it's very easy as the partner hotels are very close by. I have done it by staying in the Explorers and the Kyriad then transferring before going to the parks. It's very very easy to take the shuttle in the morning to Disney Village (where they all go). I usually walk to any of the official Disney hotels rather than take the shuttle. The Kyriad is basic but fine and usually a very good value option.

 

[elena_n2o]

I was thinking of maybe going this route- getting a cheaper hotel the first night and then switching to a Disney hotel the next day. Have you done this? I'm curious how easy or not it is to get from the first hotel (probably a partner hotel) over to the Disney hotel that early in the morning, and then getting on to the parks. I would think we'd need to take the partner hotel shuttle to the park, then a disney shuttle from park to disney hotel, yeah?

Ah, we drive so it's a bit different for us. Yes, you can take the shuttle bus from your partner hotel and then either walk or take the bus to your Disney hotel. I think personally I'd be lazy and take a taxi (you can ask the reception at the hotel to call one for you if there are none outside the hotel). There are plenty of cheaper hotels around! We loved doing that, great way of making the most of our time in Disney

The earliest we've made it for check-in into our Disney hotel was 7am, and had no issues....

 

[cmv32]

This time from attraction tickets direct, I printed the tickets at home. There are a few options though.



I've done this a couple of times - it's very easy as the partner hotels are very close by. I have done it by staying in the Explorers and the Kyriad then transferring before going to the parks. It's very very easy to take the shuttle in the morning to Disney Village (where they all go). I usually walk to any of the official Disney hotels rather than take the shuttle. The Kyriad is basic but fine and usually a very good value option.

Thanks for the info!! Glad to hear it's easy