Could really use some help/advice for a short stay please!

[hookedup]

Hello,
Over the years the DIS has been such a great resource for me with my WDW trips - so many wonderful people have given me great advice that helped me plan and enjoy our many trips.

Anyway, we (me, dh and ds 9) are going to Europe this summer! I have planned our trip and have 2 days to visit DLP. We will be there in mid-July on a Sunday and Monday. Then off to Amsterdam on Tuesday. This is an extra cost to what we had planned to spend initially, but I think we will regret it majorly if we don't see DLP (we went to Japan a few years back and didn't visit DL and still regret it). So we need to keep the cost down, but at the same time we know that there are some things that are foolish to skimp on.

I have read a lot of posts here and also gone on the official DLP site and checked rates and options there. It seems that we could save a lot by booking our hotel direct (Kyriad) and then just get 2 day parkhopper tickets. We are coming from Paris and then off to Amsterdam via train both ways.

Any advice from the pros? If we don't book the package from DLP are we missing something huge by just booking hotel and separate tickets direct? I really appreciate any help or advice we can get. Thank you!

 

[angel girl]

The main two things I can think that you would miss by not booking a package would be Extra Magic Hours, which can be useful when the parks are busy, and the option of half board vouchers for dining out.

We went in August last year and didn't have EMH as we were offsite, but we found that we still managed to do everything we wanted to as the park opens late. We found that the crowds thinned out around the hours of 5-8pm as people went off to eat before coming back for Fantillusion . It's also worth thinking that only certain rides are available during EMH so it may not be worth the extra expenditure in your view?

Re the half board vouchers-they are excellent value, but if you have to pay more for the onsite hotel so that you can buy them will you actually save anything? There are a variety of dining options available throughout the park and village which suit a range of budgets, so again this is a matter of personal preference (lots of info in the restaurant sticky).

I am sure some of the others will be along soon too to help you out. Have fun planning

 

[Kitty-chan]

I did basically the same thing in August/September of 2005. I was staying in Paris, and spent two days/one night at Disneyland Paris. We stayed at the Hotel Cheyenne for one night, which didn't allow us to buy one of the packages anyway (at least, for those coming from the states...I don't know about other countries), and bought park hoppers at the Disney Store on the Champs-Elysee the day before going to DLRP, in the anticipation that there could be long lines for tickets (there weren't).

It worked out quite well booking the trip that way. One nice thing about staying in one of the Disney hotels (even booking without a package) was the Good Morning Fantasyland breakfast included. I'm not sure how much we might've saved by staying in a non-Disney hotel instead.

 

[Mickeys_Mate]

If you stay in an on site hotel and do 2nts and 3 days then you will be eligible for the kids go free offer and the new 40% discount offer. I bet with both of those something like the Santa Fe wouldnt be much more with the extra night than the Kyriad standard price.

Cant be done for 1 nt 2 days though as offer doesnt apply.