Any advice for an American?

[eeyoreland]

Hello! I'm from the United States and taking a trip to Germany and France the first two weeks of June. We will be spending one day at DLP (two if I have MY way). Is there any advice you can offer about not only touring DLP in one day, but also anything I might want to know as I'm not familiar with the language, culture, etc.? Thanks so much.

 

[Cyrano]

Hi eeyoreland and welcome to DLP DIS board
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As DLP will only form a part of your trip it would be worthwhile think about what you would mos like to see as 1/2 days will give you a great flavour but not allow you to do everything.

There was a good thread that one of your countrymen penned that I'll try to find.

www.dlrpmagic.com is a great website along with www.disneylandparis.com to get a flavour of what to expect

 

[eeyoreland]

Thank you for the quick replay Cyrano. If you can find the report you mentioned it would be much appreciated.

 

[Danauk]

If I had a limited time in the parks and had visited both WDW and DL a lot then I would probably recommend making sure you do the attractions at DLP that are not in the American parks. I love the Alice in Wonderland maze, plus the fact you can go up inside the castle to see the stained glass windows and down in the basement to see the dragon. Also do rides like BTMRR which goes onto its own island in the middle of the lake. Space mountain is also very different to the American versions as well plus the Indiana Jones rollercoaster (a looping rollercoaster). If you are able to park hop and like coasters definately do Crush's coaster.
Perhaps try a meal at a restaurant which is unique to Paris. Walts would be a good choice, or Blue Lagoon (similar to Blue Bayou at DL as it is inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride but theamed differently.)

As for language you should be OK. Most cast members speak English fluently so language is not a problem. I'm not so sure on cultural differences as not being an American it is hard to comment. I don't find anything too noticable though.
I hope this helps a bit!

 

[Ware Bears]

then I would probably recommend making sure you do the attractions at DLP that are not in the American parks. I love the Alice in Wonderland maze, plus the fact you can go up inside the castle to see the stained glass windows and down in the basement to see the dragon.

Ditto.


Hope you manage to wangle that second day!

 

[bigAWL]

I'm an American who recently visited DLRP for a few days. Here are my tips.

Language: Getting by with English in the parks was not a problem at all for me. I would suggest familiarizing yourself with the names of the attractions that are only listed in French. I had no idea what "Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant" was, but it's the central attraction to the whole park (Sleeping Beauty's Castle). DRLPMagic.com is good for this with a descirption of each attraction.

Culture: Living in a country that is pretty spread out, I think we've grown accustomed to our "personal space." There were a few times when I felt too close to those around me, such as waiting in a long line (or queue) or waiting on Main street for the parade to start. But it wasn't often and it's not big deal.

Touring: You didn't specify if you're travelling with kids or if you're interested in thrill rides. I have young girls, so I spent much of my time in Fantasy Land. Here are the ones my kids liked the best:

It's a small world: a big hit, and fast moving lines.
La Tanière du Dragon: The dragon in the castle's dungeon (can be scary for very little kids).
Peter Pan's Flight: I don't personally like this one too much, but the kids loved it. You can grab a fastpass in the morning and come back later to avoid the long lines. This is also available at WDW, so if you're already familiar with it, I'd skip it.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant: Only for little kids, though.
Le Pays des Contes de Fées: A relaxing boat-ride through miniature scenes from Disney's various movies.
Casey Jr. - Le Petit Train du Cirque: This small rollercoaster is a kid-version of a thrill ride.

Other lands for small kids:
Disoveryland: This is a really cool-looing area that you should try to explore.
My girls weren't interested in Buzz Lightyear or Star Tours, but maybe other kids would be.
Frontierland and Adventureland: I could skip them for a one day visit with little kids - or see them after you're done with Fantasyland and Discoveryland.

If I were trying to see the big thrills rides all in one day I might try something like this (never tried it before, so don't know how it works - maybe all the DLRP veterans around here can comment):
- Be there at opening
- Go directly to Frontierland and ride Big Thunder Mountain RR
- Maybe see Phantom Manor if the line is not too long
(Maybe switch the order of these first two attractions after grabbing a fastpass (FP) for BTMRR).
- Move on to Adventureland and grab a FP for Indiana Jones
- Tour a little of the area and ride Pirates of the Carribean while waiting for the FP time.
- Trek over to Discoveryland and grab a FP for Space mountain.
- Now you can probably relax a little and grab lunch.
- Maybe explore Discoveryland a little bit before your Space mountain return time.

After all that if there is still time left, you can stroll around and really absorb the park the way it should be, slowly. Enjoy the detailing in everything. Go see the dragon under the castle, and the gallery upstairs. It's really a very beautiful park.

I personally wouldn't spend my time in a table-service restaurant if I only had one day. There are plenty of decent counter-service options that around that you can get into and out of relatively quickly if you arrive early enough. Don't wait until after 12:00 to try to grab a quick bite.

Hope this helps.

 

[MazdaUK]

I'd say definitely try to eat early - lunch at 11.00 and dinner at 5.00 are good ways to avoid crowds. The space is tiny compared to WDW or even DL so don't be surprised to find yourself at the far side of the park quite quickly. It is still very tiring though.

And what no-one has mentioned - PRICE. You will be horrified by the price of food and the size of portions. And no "mousesavers" tips work here, so its no good ordering say one meal to split between you, or asking for a glass of free water or ice. But the water fountains are fine, so I recommend using those as much as possible (take a bottle into the park with you to refill), plus it saves you queuing.

Also, check you're not going on a French public holiday - otherwise you should be OK after the first week in June as all the kids are in school. And although the Cms do speak English they appreciate a few basics - bonjour, merci and au revoir are enough to get you by!

 

[disneyhockeymad]

Hey Eeyoreland!
Couple of tips for you... the French are very pinickity about sitting in restaurants if you don't eat, especially videopolis if there is a show about to start, quite often I've had a french CM come up to me and shout a whole lot of french at me to my bafflement and just look blankly at me... so advice, try not to do that!
Other than the random french speil as I've mentioned above the language barrier is not a problem, all the cast members speak good english and most of them will be willing to have a conversation in it, but as MazdaUK said basic yes, no, thankyou, hello and goodbye are very much appreciated.
You also have to be prepared for the fact the french, and indeed some of the German do not que, especially when a character is about, they tend to bundle, which isnt so much fun! Parades are ok, the street fills up very quickly though so make sure to get your place early!
Don't go expecting WDW in Paris, because it's not, but it's a completely different experience and one that I would definately recommend!
Hope you have a great time!