Disney freak going to Paris..tell me everything about Disneyland Paris

[Lizboo]

SO..we are headed to our first trip to Paris. We are WDW vets and have also been to DL last year, so I knew there was no way we could go and not see the Paris version. We are looking at renting an apartment for the week (if it matters, we will be there the week of August 6). Maybe look into getting an apartment for part of the trip and staying a couple of nights onsite.

How far away is the property for Paris? The airport? Transportation from the airport?
Can we see most of the parks in two days?
Are the tickets there like at WDW (park hoppers, 1 day, 2 day, etc.)?
Are there night time parades/fireworks?
For those that have been there and WDW/DLR, are some of the rides the same?
As for the hotel categories, are the 2 keys equivalent to Value resorts, 3 keys Moderate and 4 keys deluxe?
Are the rides narrated in English or French or both?

I would also appreciate any other tips you can give this newbie.
TIA
Elizabeth

 

[c&m]

Subscribing to this post...we're heading to Paris in mid-August. We're big WDW and DL fans so also cannot imagine going to Paris without stopping by DLP.

Planning just a 1-day visit to DLP and commuting in from our Paris apt. rental. We're renting from Vacation in Paris (VIP). Found a studio for $135US/night on Rue Cler in the 7th arrond. They're very reputable and are written up very positively in Rick Steves, Tripadvisor and Fodors.

Looking forward to hearing what the DLP vets advise.

 

[micksn]

How far away is the property for Paris? The airport? Transportation from the airport?

It takes about 30mins via shuttle or taxi and 45mins on the VEA bus from CDG airport.
Paris by train about 20 mins -I think!

Can we see most of the parks in two days?

Yes with careful planning and early starts, prioritise the things you want to do most and allow more time for the Disney park than the studios.

Are the tickets there like at WDW (park hoppers, 1 day, 2 day, etc.)?

You can get a 2 day hopper for about £100 per adult.

Are there night time parades/fireworks?
Yes in August there are at about 10pm

For those that have been there and WDW/DLR, are some of the rides the same?

Some are the same some are better, BTM, space mountain are better, I prefer Pirates, peter pan and IASW just because they are newer.
Haunted mansion is probably better than Phantom manor, but they are different.

As for the hotel categories, are the 2 keys equivalent to Value resorts, 3 keys Moderate and 4 keys deluxe?

Yes sort of although the WDW resorts are a higher standard.

Are the rides narrated in English or French or both?

Both, with a nice mix, enough english to understand and enough french to know you're in france.

Have fun!

 

[Happy Tappy]

SO..we are headed to our first trip to Paris. We are WDW vets and have also been to DL last year, so I knew there was no way we could go and not see the Paris version. We are looking at renting an apartment for the week (if it matters, we will be there the week of August 6). Maybe look into getting an apartment for part of the trip and staying a couple of nights onsite.

How far away is the property for Paris? The airport? Transportation from the airport? Paris: 40mins on train, Airport: 10mins on train, 35mins by car.

Can we see most of the parks in two days? In August, probably not. It does get very busy. You can get a good feel for the parks in that time but you'll miss lots.

Are the tickets there like at WDW (park hoppers, 1 day, 2 day, etc.)? Yes. If you stay in a Disney hotel, tickets will probably be included in your package.

Are there night time parades/fireworks? In August, yes. There's the Fantilusion parade and the Enchanted fireworks. Due to a legal ruling, the fireworks aren't as loud as the ones at WDW but they are pretty.

For those that have been there and WDW/DLR, are some of the rides the same? Yes and No. Our Space Mountain is more intense and goes upside down. Pirates is layed out slightly differently and doesn't feature Johnny Depp (thankfully!). Our Haunted Mansion is called Phantom Manor and is a bit different. After you exit the mansion there's a haunted Frontierland that you ride your doombuggy through. It's fun but a bit strange. Thunder Mountain is on it's own island so the trains go through a tunnel under the river to get to it. It's certainly fun! Many people seem to think our versions of the rides are better. Phantom Manor aside, I'd probably agree.

As for the hotel categories, are the 2 keys equivalent to Value resorts, 3 keys Moderate and 4 keys deluxe? Correct. Some of the resorts are starting to look a bit dated now. It's probably worth avoiding Newport and Santa Fe and going for the other hotels in their category, they're far superior.

Are the rides narrated in English or French or both? Disney are quite clever about this. Most rides/shows give you a snippet of both to allow you to know what's going on. The best example is the Animagique show. It features Donald and Mickey. Donald speaks in English and Mickey in French. They pretty much just repeat what each other says but in a way that looks like they're talking to each other. Donald then goes through the Disney vault and they sing 4 classic songs. 2 in English and 2 in French. Some of the other shows have separate screenings for English and French. Stitch Encounter does this.

I would also appreciate any other tips you can give this newbie. If you're staying in a Disney hotel, make sure you use EMH. You'll get 2 extra hours in the morning to do the rides in Discoveryland (think tomorrowland) and Fantasyland. Fantasyland gets very busy in summer and lines for Peter Pan can get to 90mins+. During EMH you'll be able to get on it in 5 minutes.

TIA
Elizabeth

See answers above.

 

[Lizboo]

WOW! You guys are awesome. Thanks for the replies.

DH and I have not settled on where we are going to stay yet. We were thining maybe to stay the majority of the trip in Paris and spend 3 nights on property.

I thought of another question. Does DLP use Fastpasses? OH and tell me about the restaurants at DLP and how they compare? OH and how close are the hotels to the parks?

Thanks again (I am getting so excited now)

 

[micksn]

The resorts at DLP are set around a lake, you then walk through the Disney Village at the top of the lake and then on into the Parks. This is the main difference from WDW, everything is close together. There are buses if its raining, but to be honest its just as quick and very pleasant to walk. Looking at where you've stayed at WDW I would try Sequoia Lodge or the Hotel New York. The Sequoia is similar to Wilderness Lodge, in that it's rustic and it has a new Bambi theme in its refurbished rooms, but I would say Wilderness Lodge is a higher standard. New York is only a 10 minute walk to the Parks, it is slightly smaller and so more relaxed. The room sizes are also closer to those at WDW with a table and chairs and double sinks in the bathroom. Both have nice indoor pools and also outside pools if the weather is good. They both have nice bar areas and restaurants. The New York is more expensive.
There are some good table service reataurants, Cafe Mickey, Auberge du Cendrillon and Cowboy Cookout have character dining. I would try the Blue Lagoon which is inside the Pirates of the Caribean ride. Also Walts is lovely! I would recommend The unofficial guide to DLP available on Amazon to help with your planning. Enjoy!

 

[micksn]

Yes they have Fastpasses, the same system as WDW. They are also starting to sell a premium Fastpass, but I don't know how much this will be.

 

[loladelorean]

WOW! You guys are awesome. Thanks for the replies.

DH and I have not settled on where we are going to stay yet. We were thining maybe to stay the majority of the trip in Paris and spend 3 nights on property.

I thought of another question. Does DLP use Fastpasses? OH and tell me about the restaurants at DLP and how they compare? OH and how close are the hotels to the parks?

Thanks again (I am getting so excited now)

The other posters have done a great job of answering your original questions, so I'll just answer this post
If you are going for a week, 4 nights in Paris and 3 nights in DLP sounds like a good way to divide your time. You will be able to see most of the major sights in Paris over 4 or 5 days, and 3 days in DLP should be enough.
As far as onsite hotels go, I would highly recommend the Hotel New York - the breakfast is better than the other hotels (besides the Disneyland Hotel which is much much more expensive), its got a great pool and is right in Disney Village less than 10 minute walk to the park gates.
DLP does use Fastpass, its been a while since i visited WDW but I think its just the same system.
Check out the restaurant review thread - we loooove to talk about DLP restaurants on this board As I understand it, there are tons of restaurants at WDW - DLP, considering its smaller size, offers a great selection. Plus, this is France, so there are a few restaurants (esp. Walts, Auberge de Cendrillon and Inventions) with a distinct culinary flair.
Just reminded of the line from Be Our Guest, "After all, dear, this is France, and the dinner here is never second best!" That sums it up!
My personal favourite restaurants are Walts on Main Steet, and Blue Lagoon which is inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Cafe Mickey is very popular for character meals, and I also love the Steakhouse in the Village for more grown up fare.
Finally, the hotels are very close to the parks, as follows:
Disneyland Hotel - forms the gates to the park, so literally couldn't be closer!
Hotel New York - 10 minutes
Newport Bay - 15/20 minutes (depends where your room is, there could be a massive trek within the hotel as its huge)
Sequoia Lodge - 15 minutes
Cheyenne - 15/20 minutes (again, depends on where your room is)
Santa Fe - 20/25 minutes

This was based on my own timings walking to all the hotels, but if you have young children with you the walks would take longer - there are also regular shuttle buses.
I should add that the walks are very pleasant, along a natural river which will be beautiful in summer for the two further away properties, and the HNY, SL and NBC are situated around the gorgeous Lake Disney.
In case you didn't know, the train station is right next to the park gates, just before Disney Village, which makes getting to and from Paris and/or the airport very easy.
Any more questions, fire away, we all love helping newbies fall in love with the most beautiful Disney park

 

[loladelorean]

micksn and i posted at the same time there, with much of the same advice oh well, no such thing as being too helpful!

 

[micksn]

I agree! Just saw a post saying Premium Fastpasses are 60 euros - OMG! I hope they don't stop the original system being as effective, that's more than a single day park hopper.

 

[Lizboo]

The resorts at DLP are set around a lake, you then walk through the Disney Village at the top of the lake and then on into the Parks. This is the main difference from WDW, everything is close together. There are buses if its raining, but to be honest its just as quick and very pleasant to walk. Looking at where you've stayed at WDW I would try Sequoia Lodge or the Hotel New York. The Sequoia is similar to Wilderness Lodge, in that it's rustic and it has a new Bambi theme in its refurbished rooms, but I would say Wilderness Lodge is a higher standard. New York is only a 10 minute walk to the Parks, it is slightly smaller and so more relaxed. The room sizes are also closer to those at WDW with a table and chairs and double sinks in the bathroom. Both have nice indoor pools and also outside pools if the weather is good. They both have nice bar areas and restaurants. The New York is more expensive.
There are some good table service reataurants, Cafe Mickey, Auberge du Cendrillon and Cowboy Cookout have character dining. I would try the Blue Lagoon which is inside the Pirates of the Caribean ride. Also Walts is lovely! I would recommend The unofficial guide to DLP available on Amazon to help with your planning. Enjoy!

Lots of great advice! Thanks so much.

 

[Lizboo]

The other posters have done a great job of answering your original questions, so I'll just answer this post
If you are going for a week, 4 nights in Paris and 3 nights in DLP sounds like a good way to divide your time. You will be able to see most of the major sights in Paris over 4 or 5 days, and 3 days in DLP should be enough.
As far as onsite hotels go, I would highly recommend the Hotel New York - the breakfast is better than the other hotels (besides the Disneyland Hotel which is much much more expensive), its got a great pool and is right in Disney Village less than 10 minute walk to the park gates.
DLP does use Fastpass, its been a while since i visited WDW but I think its just the same system.
Check out the restaurant review thread - we loooove to talk about DLP restaurants on this board As I understand it, there are tons of restaurants at WDW - DLP, considering its smaller size, offers a great selection. Plus, this is France, so there are a few restaurants (esp. Walts, Auberge de Cendrillon and Inventions) with a distinct culinary flair.
Just reminded of the line from Be Our Guest, "After all, dear, this is France, and the dinner here is never second best!" That sums it up!
My personal favourite restaurants are Walts on Main Steet, and Blue Lagoon which is inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Cafe Mickey is very popular for character meals, and I also love the Steakhouse in the Village for more grown up fare.
Finally, the hotels are very close to the parks, as follows:
Disneyland Hotel - forms the gates to the park, so literally couldn't be closer!
Hotel New York - 10 minutes
Newport Bay - 15/20 minutes (depends where your room is, there could be a massive trek within the hotel as its huge)
Sequoia Lodge - 15 minutes
Cheyenne - 15/20 minutes (again, depends on where your room is)
Santa Fe - 20/25 minutes

This was based on my own timings walking to all the hotels, but if you have young children with you the walks would take longer - there are also regular shuttle buses.
I should add that the walks are very pleasant, along a natural river which will be beautiful in summer for the two further away properties, and the HNY, SL and NBC are situated around the gorgeous Lake Disney.
In case you didn't know, the train station is right next to the park gates, just before Disney Village, which makes getting to and from Paris and/or the airport very easy.
Any more questions, fire away, we all love helping newbies fall in love with the most beautiful Disney park

More awesome advice. I love the DIS!Now if anyone has WDW questions, I'm your girl

 

[Lizboo]

So for the restaurants on property, how do you make ADRs? I am guess you have to call (I'm guessing the online system is for WDW only). How far in advance do they need to be made?

 

[Happy Tappy]

There is no online system for DLP. You can either phone in advance or make reservations when you get there.

In advance you call: +33 (0) 1 60 30 40 50. It's a French phone number so it might cost a lot!

You can book when you get there by visiting City Hall or the reception desk of your hotel (if you're staying in a Disney hotel).

Reservations aren't as important as at WDW. You don't need to book so far in advance. I normally leave it until we get there and just do it all at City Hall on the first day. If you plan on visiting Cafe Mickey on your first day, it might be worth booking on the phone.

 

[Lizboo]

I just got the Unofficial Guide to DLP. They mention the neighbourhood hotels there. What can you tell me about them? Can you buy packages with these for tickets to the parks? How close are they to the parks? Is there transportation (buses or what not) to the parks from these resorts?

TIA

 

[Happy Tappy]

There are 4 partner hotels located inside the resort. These are:

Kyriad
Exlporers
Magic Circus
Dreamcastle
↑↑↑ Click for FAQ links ↑↑↑

All have a free shuttle bus which will take you to the parks. The trip takes less than 10 minutes. You can book all of them through the Disney website with tickets, but it is nearly always cheaper to book hotel (through Expedia or other) and tickets separately.

The Kyriad is a budget hotel. The Explorers is a moderate and the Magic Circus/Dreamcastle are deluxe.

There are then several hotel options in Val D Europe. Val D Europe is a town 10 minutes from the resort which Disney part owns. Here you'll find budget hotels like the etap and Ibis. The only hotel you can booked as a tickets package is the Hotel L'Elyssee. It's a budget/moderate hotel which has a free shuttle bus and is the only non-Disney hotel to offer EMH.

In Val D Europe there is an indoor shopping centre, supermarket, fashion outlet village, aquarium and numerous restaurants.

There are also a couple of hotels near the Disneyland golf course. These are the Radisson Blu and the Marriott. The Marriot have is a villas type resort where you stay in small houses. There's no shuttle bus but there is a local bus that will take you to the parks (for a small fare). The Radisson Blu is a 4* hotel that has a free shuttle bus. I believe you can book the Radisson with park tickets but I could be wrong.

All the hotels I've mentioned have a pool except the Kyriad, Ibis, Etap & L'Elyssee.

Edit - forgot to mention the Adagio at Val D Europe. It's an apartment hotel (you get a little kitchen and a seating area). It has a shuttle bus and can be booked as a package with tickets.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

Glad you are planning a trip to DLRP! Enjoy!



If you are flying into Charles de Gualle airport a good way to get to DLRP is the TGV train but depending on how many are in your party it may be more economical to arrange a shuttle. The VEA shuttle is 18 euro a person I think and the TGV you can get starting 16 euro a person and I think there are stickys which will give you the prices for private shuttles. The advantage of the TGV train is that it takes only 10 minutes! You can purchase tickets online ahead of time through TGV-europe.com. As an American I purchased online and picked up my train ticket at the station at CDG. See parisbytrain.com for more information about how to do this.

Also - I have stayed at the Magic Circus hotel and at the Dream Castle hotel - check out my trip reports if you want more info. on these hotels. The shuttle transport is fairly good. If I were choosing a Disney hotel I think I'd go for the New York or the Disneyland Hotel - pricey but a great location. The associated hotels are really very affordable! and I thought good value for the money.

Disneyland Park is really beautiful with great attention to detail! Hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

Oh one more note about restaurants! I have always booked my meals when I arrived but may be if there is a special meal you might need to book ahead. I like the buffets for value - Plaza Gardens, Rendevous de Stars and Agrabah. I thought counter service was very expensive for the quality. One thing that caught me off guard on my first trip to DLRP was that restaurants were closing an hour before the park closed - I was looking for a hotdog about 6pm and couldn't find one! I have found it better if eating at the park to book a meal for lunch/or late lunch rather than dinner though I think Village restaurants are bookable for dinner. First DLRP trip I ate very badly then I discovered the lunchtime table service/buffet - much better quality of food and I spent the same amount on food!

 

[Lizboo]

Thanks for all the awesome replies!! You are getting me so excited for this trip. I really appreciate it.