American Disney pro but..

[theffaddict]

I've never been or researched Disneyland Paris. the website they have is awful, IMO. Nothing close to DL or WDW websites. Anyways, I need advice. Here are my questions. Answer any that you can

Do all resorts have A/C? ...Wi-Fi?...A Pool?

Is there a place similar to Downtown Disney in Paris?

What's the best dining plan to go with?

How are the resort package and the dining plan associated? Do you get some kind of free meals with your resort room?

What's temperature like in the summer in Paris?

How far is DL Paris from the city?

What is transportation like? Are there busses everywhere just like WDW?

What's the best kind of dining plan (this one is an opinion)? Seems like full-board is the best, but aren't there different levels?
Another opinion..what's the best resort?
What are the best restaurants, table-service only?

How do you other Americans get into the Disneyland Paris planning mood? I need some major help! Any kinds of books or whatnot?

I'm going to DLP for my high school graduation in the summer of 2014 and I kind of want to start planning..umm..now! I'm really excited for the trip and need all the help I can get. Thanks so much!

 

[ladypage]

I really can't help, but I have all of the same questions! I'm moving to England, maybe Germany, this fall and want to visit DLP while I'm there. But there website is totally horrid!

Hey Disney! I'm a web designer! Just give me free tickets, I don't need cash to fix your site! :rotfl2

 

[Vala]

Do all resorts have A/C? ...Wi-Fi?...A Pool?

Not all have A/C, Wi-Fi I am not sure about, but it's not free in the rooms, not all resorts have a pool.

Is there a place similar to Downtown Disney in Paris?

Disney Village, but it's only very vaguely similar to DTD. It has some stores and restaurants, but completely lacks the feel of DTD.

What's the best dining plan to go with?

I'll leave that to someone else, but personally I think there's not much benefit in the dining plan.

How are the resort package and the dining plan associated? Do you get some kind of free meals with your resort room?

Breakfast comes with the room if you book the package.

What's temperature like in the summer in Paris?

It can vary a lot. We've had summers easily in the 90s, but last month I actually got a cold because it was so cold and rainy.

How far is DL Paris from the city?

About 45 minutes, depending on where you want to go.

What is transportation like? Are there busses everywhere just like WDW?

It's only two parks and the distance is easily walkable, only a little longer than from DCA to Disneyland in California.

You just get a bus to the park in the morning and that's it.

Another opinion..what's the best resort?
What are the best restaurants, table-service only?

Resorts... what's your definition of "best"? Closest, best value? I like Cheyenne for the athmosphere, Disneyland Hotel would be closes.

Also best restaurants... character meals, non-character meals? I'm partial to Inventions personally. Other favorites on the boards seem to include Walt's and Blue Bayou.

 

[theffaddict]

Wow Vala thanks so much! I think I'll stay away from the dining plan.. How many days do you think it would take to get all around the parks? Two days? three days? I want to spend a week in France, 2-3 days in DLP, 1 day in Versailles, and 2-3 to tour Paris. Looks like RER will get me everywhere!

I knew the parks were close, I was just checking if there were buses that ran from resorts to the parks? From your answer, it looks like there are.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Wow Vala thanks so much! I think I'll stay away from the dining plan.. How many days do you think it would take to get all around the parks? Two days? three days? I want to spend a week in France, 2-3 days in DLP, 1 day in Versailles, and 2-3 to tour Paris. Looks like RER will get me everywhere!

I knew the parks were close, I was just checking if there were buses that ran from resorts to the parks? From your answer, it looks like there are.

It's only a 15 minute walk from the furthest hotel past the lake and through Disney Village so you don't have to wait for a bus if you don't want to.

You lose the first and last day of your holidays through travelling and jet lag so if you want 3-1-3 you should be looking more at 10 days holiday

Depending on when you are coming 3 days at DLP will be (more than) enough, Versailles needs a day if you are doing it all but travelling from DLP takes around an hour and a half (are you staying in Paris at all ?) and 3 days in Paris will only let you scratch the surface

 

[Vala]

Wow Vala thanks so much! I think I'll stay away from the dining plan.. How many days do you think it would take to get all around the parks? Two days? three days? I want to spend a week in France, 2-3 days in DLP, 1 day in Versailles, and 2-3 to tour Paris. Looks like RER will get me everywhere!

I knew the parks were close, I was just checking if there were buses that ran from resorts to the parks? From your answer, it looks like there are.

My DBF has corrected me and says there are A/Cs in all hotels, we just never noticed them because they were not working right. LOL

Yes, like Carrie already said there are busses. But it's really nothing like the US distances, the hotels are an easy walk. We sometimes got the bus from Cheyenne or Santa Fe if we were lazy, but everything else is easy to walk.

Depending on your time of travel I'd probably go with three days - you'll probably be around in summertime if I am reading your post right? If you can time it not to hit the weekend you'll have a quieter time at DLP.

The RER will indeed get you anywhere, with an occasional switch to the Metro maybe.

 

[tennisfan]

My DBF has corrected me and says there are A/Cs in all hotels, we just never noticed them because they were not working right. LOL

Yes, like Carrie already said there are busses. But it's really nothing like the US distances, the hotels are an easy walk. We sometimes got the bus from Cheyenne or Santa Fe if we were lazy, but everything else is easy to walk.

Depending on your time of travel I'd probably go with three days - you'll probably be around in summertime if I am reading your post right? If you can time it not to hit the weekend you'll have a quieter time at DLP.

The RER will indeed get you anywhere, with an occasional switch to the Metro maybe.

The Cheyenne has ceiling fans it doesn't have air con. I think the Santa Fe is the same. If they have radiators in the room then they don't have air con as all the other hotels with air con have the heating controlled by this.

 

[Vala]

I was really right?

DBF swore up and down to me that our last room at the Cheyenne had a/c. I told him no because I remember a window we couldn't close anymore, but sometimes men insist they know better.

We both thought Santa Fe had them added with the refurb, but maybe we misread.

 

[zavandor]

Do all resorts have A/C? ...Wi-Fi?...A Pool?

"Two keys" hotels (= equivalent to WDW value hotels) do not have air conditioning or pool, ie: Santa Fe and Cheyenne. All others do have it.
It may look as a deal breaker, but from my experience summer in Paris do not often have very high temperatures. However if you know that you would have problems to sleep in your room without AC, book another hotel (I would suggest the Sequoia Lodge, very nice and reasonable price).

Is there a place similar to Downtown Disney in Paris?

The Disney Village is like DTD, but much much smaller. You'll find MacDonald, Earl of Sadwitch, Rain Forest Cafe, a Movie theater and some Disney shop and restaurant.
The walking path from the parks to your hotel passes through it. At night there are also some live entertainments, so unless you are very tired from your day in the parks, it's a nice walk instead of the bus trip (and often even faster).

What's the best dining plan to go with?
How are the resort package and the dining plan associated? Do you get some kind of free meals with your resort room?

There is a lot of discussion about the WDW dining plan, if it's a good value or not. There is no such discussion for DLP, everyone thinks that half or full board is a terrible value in DLP. You can buy it, but only if you prefere to pay all in advance: they give you vouchers that you can use to pay your dinners.
I've never seen a "free dining" offer for DLP. Sometimes just for the kids. It's more usual to get an offer like "buy 2 nights, get 1 free".
The best dining plan is simply pay out of pocket.

What's temperature like in the summer in Paris?

It can be moderately hot, but rain is frequent too.

How far is DL Paris from the city?

From all airports you can take a bus or private shuttle. From Charles de Gaulle airport there is also a fast train.
DLP is connected to Paris with the RER: a train system that will bring you in the city center in 40 minutes (if I remember correctly). Really convenient: the metro system in Paris allows you to go everywhere.

What is transportation like? Are there busses everywhere just like WDW?

Everything is walkable. If you have ever gone to DLR, it's really similar to that. There are also free shuttles from the hotels to the parks if you prefere to save some energy, but they are not really necessary.

Another opinion..what's the best resort?

If you want to save money, my favorite is the Cheyenne (very nice theming).
Otherwise Sequoia Lodge is very nice and costs a little more: it has AC, a pool and a nice decor, like GCH and WL, but it's not a deluxe, it's a moderate.
If you don't have problem with budget, the Disneyland Hotel is wonderful and it is located right at the entrance (10 seconds walk from the hotel exit to the gates). I think the price is really too high, but it's very magical (the decor reminds me the Gran Floridian), even the smell (really!).

What are the best restaurants, table-service only?

My favorite is the Blue Lagoon, it's inside the Pirates ride, like the Blue Bayou in DLR.
Walt's is on the main street and received many good reviews, but I've never ate there.
Auberge au "something" is a character dinner inside the park, with the pricnesses.
Cafè Mickey in the Disney Village is a character dinner with a more reasonable price.

Counter service is terrible. I would suggest Toad's all, it has fish and chips, it's in Fantasyland and it's very nice.

I'm going to DLP for my high school graduation in the summer of 2014 and I kind of want to start planning..umm..now! I'm really excited for the trip and need all the help I can get. Thanks so much!

You won't need to book far in advance. The resort is huge, too big for the demand. A few months before your stay the park will start a new discount: free nights and kids stay free is the most common. If you book too early you'll pay (very high) rack rates.
All rates include breakfast and park tickets for the length of your stay.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

I've never been or researched Disneyland Paris. the website they have is awful, IMO. Nothing close to DL or WDW websites. Anyways, I need advice. Here are my questions. Answer any that you can

Do all resorts have A/C? ...Wi-Fi?...A Pool?

Is there a place similar to Downtown Disney in Paris?

What's the best dining plan to go with?

How are the resort package and the dining plan associated? Do you get some kind of free meals with your resort room?

What's temperature like in the summer in Paris?

How far is DL Paris from the city?

What is transportation like? Are there busses everywhere just like WDW?

What's the best kind of dining plan (this one is an opinion)? Seems like full-board is the best, but aren't there different levels?
Another opinion..what's the best resort?
What are the best restaurants, table-service only?

How do you other Americans get into the Disneyland Paris planning mood? I need some major help! Any kinds of books or whatnot?

I'm going to DLP for my high school graduation in the summer of 2014 and I kind of want to start planning..umm..now! I'm really excited for the trip and need all the help I can get. Thanks so much!

Well from someone was has some experience with WDW as well as DLP - here are a few of my thoughts - I had an AP for DLP and went four times - the AP is really good value so depending on how long you are staying it may be worth it to check out the prices.

The Disney resorts (and probably many of the off site resorts) all include breakfast in the price of your room. This is great as it allows you to plan your meals a bit differently than you might at WDW. For example I would eat a good breakfast at the hotel and then a mid afternoon buffet - snacking for dinner and it was plenty of good food. I didn't find counter service meals very satisfying at DLP - I would recommend table service meals - and I personally really enjoyed the buffets - maybe because I was on my own. As far as I am concerned the table service meals are worth the money. The breakfast is different depending on which level of resort you stay at - if you want an "American" hot breakfast you would want to book the HNY or Disneyland hotel - the other hotels will have a more continental type breakfast - rolls, and jam, cold cuts, cheese.

The bus service is good - not quite as necessary though as WDW - Disneyland Parc and the Studios are very close together and the Disney Village (kind of like DTD) and all the resort hotels are within walking distance. The hotels do have buses that operate frequently. I have stayed at the Santa Fe which is the most basic probably of all the hotels - and at least when I was there no air conditioning - I wouldn't expect it at the Santa Fe or at the Cheyenne. However be aware that air conditioning may work differently than the "Florida" variety which is a vast amount of really cold air - may not work like that in any of the hotels - but others may chime in on that. There will probably be differences in what you may expect in a Disney hotel - just be aware of that and be prepared for differences. Not every resort will have a pool - Santa Fe and Cheyenne do not have a pool and most then will be indoors - thankfully!

I too would nix the dining plan.

I would start planning by reading a lot of the trip reports on this board - will give you an idea of what to expect. I have four in my sig. Also there are good videos on you tube! Parisbytrain.com is a good website to help navigate the trains in Paris. Disneyland Resort is outside of Paris - 30 minutes is a guess.

I LOVE Disneyland Paris and even though I am very near WDW now there are lots of things I miss about DLP - so go an enjoy!

(Just a warning - be aware that the two DLP and WDW are very different from each other in scope and size as well as culture so it is maybe best not to compare but to take in all DLP has to offer and enjoy the uniqueness - there are a lot of things the Imagineers really got right with DLP but if one goes expecting WDW they may be very disillusioned - DLP hasn't been around as long, but I think it is a very good breed of Disney!)

Also I am planning on buying into DVC and one of the reasons is so that I can use my DVC points to visit DLP once in awhile and stay at the Disneyland Hotel which is fairly pricey using cash. I want to catch up on all I've missed at DLP!

 

[theffaddict]

ExpatDL- thanks so much for the Wdw-DLP insight. That helps a ton. If you were going to spend most of your time in your days at the two parks, and only had 8 days in the PAris area, how would you spend it? I'm thinking three days at Disneyland at this point. What do you think?

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

ExpatDL- thanks so much for the Wdw-DLP insight. That helps a ton. If you were going to spend most of your time in your days at the two parks, and only had 8 days in the PAris area, how would you spend it? I'm thinking three days at Disneyland at this point. What do you think?

You may not even need three days - one for each park (Disneyland/Studios) would be enough to do most everything in my mind - but if you decide to do three you could catch up on the things you want to repeat. Also just a thought - I think DLP lends itself to a more relaxed approach to park going - no commando approach needed here - you can be somewhat leisurely and enjoy the ambiance - I would call Disneyland especially a good park to stroll through - there are lots of little details that I wouldn't notice if I went commando. It is also very easy to hop between the parks which I did often.

 

[Jonjo]

I see your also asked about a guide book, I sugest the Brit Guide to Disneyland Paris, which also includes a guide to Paris too.

 

[theffaddict]

I figure I can plan the Disney part of my trip when I find out what time my flight comes in, and detail of that nature. I just wanted to know the Disneyland Paris basics, and you did that for me!. One last question.. What meal plan do you recommend? And what are the must eat places in the park or at the resorts? Thanks!

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Have just realised you are talking about in 2 years time

A lot can change by then concerning hotels-restaurants and the offer for the park.

DLP only takes reservations for restaurants 60 days out and even then most people don't bother as it's rare to have to outside of Café Mickey or events like Xmas Eve/NYE

Get a guide book etc 6 months before

 

[markpsych]

1 day in Versailles

Make sure this visit includes Marie-Antoinette's estate : http://en.chateauversailles.fr/marie-antoinettes-estate

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

I figure I can plan the Disney part of my trip when I find out what time my flight comes in, and detail of that nature. I just wanted to know the Disneyland Paris basics, and you did that for me!. One last question.. What meal plan do you recommend? And what are the must eat places in the park or at the resorts? Thanks!

Magical Kingdoms website lists menus (don't know how current it is - and things will change - but gives you an idea) - I liked Agrabah and Plaza Gardens at Disneyland Parc and Restaurant de Stars at the Studios - but I sure didn't try a huge variety of restaurants so you might want to look at some reviews/recommendations here on the Dis - a lot of people like Walt's.

 

[theffaddict]

Have just realised you are talking about in 2 years time

A lot can change by then concerning hotels-restaurants and the offer for the park.

DLP only takes reservations for restaurants 60 days out and even then most people don't bother as it's rare to have to outside of Café Mickey or events like Xmas Eve/NYE

Get a guide book etc 6 months before

Yeah I'm getting a feel for Disneyland Paris. That's the only reason that I am starting planning this early. Plus I want to have an idea for what I am doing for my senior trip, and now I think I know

 

[theffaddict]

Oh I will visit Marie's estate! I learned all about it in history class this year! It's so interesting! However, what **** was Marie doing. That couple was so dumb, and Marie was a *****. While the people of her country suffered she created this mansion just for HER! I don't even know what she was thinking. Anyways, I will go there!

 

[theffaddict]

About the food changing..I know menus and etc will change, but very few restaurants are gone in a matter of two years. You just don't see it happen that often. I'll definitely hold off on the guide. I've got lots of time