Disneyland Paris anyone?

[JerJan]

I was wondering......of those of you who have stayed at Disneyland Paris did you think it was worth it and if so why? We are considering trying it in either 2006 or 2007. We are a family of 4 - DH, DD13, DD5 and myself, thanks!

 

[Boo]

I'd like to hear opinions too. We're going in May 2006, with DH, DD who will be six and DS (3). Can you use points to bump up to the concierge level at Disneyland Paris Hotel? The fact that it has its own private elevator entrance to the park sounds very cool.

 

[CarolA]

I have stayed there twice. Once on points.

If you are a disney fan it's worth going to. The Magic Kingdom is just BEAUTIFUL!

The hotels are nice, but with the exception of the Disneyland Paris may not be "American" nice. I stayed at the Disneyland Paris hotel on cash and it was great. I was there in winter and it was so nice to be able to walk back quickly to warm up.

I also stayed at the NY hotel on points. Also, nice. The rooms were probably more comparable to a moderate, but fine.

They have free breakfast and if you book on points you also get tickets to the park.

Now, I would NOT skip Paris for this...Paris is a great city and while I love Disney... we have the best parks here. (Don't even waste your time on that horrid Disney Studios part)

 

[slindamood]

We have visited Disneyland Paris, but took the train out for the day. The train station is closer to the park than many of the hotels ( the train station is about the same walk as from the bus drop off at Magic Kingdom WDW), but the hotel at the entrance looks like fun. I would not mind staying in a Disneyland Paris hotel one or two nights, but if you are going to see Paris, is very easy to take the train out for the day and time your trip by the weather.

 

[wintergreen]

We did DLP on points two summers ago. The visit was basically bribery for DD's after having put up with a week and a half of churches and museums in Italy and Paris. We stayed in the Newport Bay Hotel. It was fine, but if we went again, I would probably stay in one of the other hotels (I think that I read somewhere that this hotel is the largest in Europe. If you think that the BWV hallways are long . . .). We thought that the points value was good, however, because tickets and breakfast were included. Disneyland Paris is a lovely park, and we even liked the studios. If you do go, I would highly recommend Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. It was great.

 

[Candace]

Ditto on the Newport Bay long hallways!!! I wondered at the time if our room was so far because we were there on points or what! There were absolutely NO people in the rooms around us or on that leg of the hallway. We were in the absolute last room in the resort. That walk made the Boardwalk distant rooms seem like nothing. If I go back sometime, I would really like to stay in the Disneyland Hotel. Having park tickets included in the room rental (on points) was a nice touch. MK is really a beautiful park.

 

[DisBeliever]

A few of you have commented that MK is exceptionally beautiful. In what way? Landscaping? Lighting? Is there something particularly European about it? And how is the food, is it French gourmet fare or can you get just about anything we're accustomed to in US parks? Thanks for a bit more...I'm intrigued!

 

[winjos]

We went to DLP about 6 years ago. At that time, they were offering 1/2 off tickets (after 6pm) when you bought a train ticket from Paris to the park. It was totally worth it! The park seemed empty and we were able to get on all the rides we wanted to see! It is really cool hearing the announcements in a variety of languages!! The park is lush, some buildings have an unique twist on them, and the castle is breath taking! Plus after being in Paris a month, it was nice to be somewhere familiar!

If memory serves me right (I've since had two kids -- so my memory has diminished ), the food wasn't too spectacular! It was comparable to DL fair. However, it was many moons ago, and they may have improved it.

If you go, don't miss Space Mountain!! It rocks!! (It also dislodged a kidney stone in my husband)

Paris is absolutely wonderful! It is any easy train ride to DLP, Versailles, Chartre, etc.

Good luck!

 

[schatterjee]

We were there in 2003 in July and it wasn't very busy - great with two little boys. The rides were a little different than either DL or WDW (Pirates & Haunted Mansion for example). We had a GREAT meal at the Blue Bayou (Pirates restaurant). The park was very clean and seems sort of fresh - maybe because it's quite a bit younger - don't know. We stayed at the Holiday Inn that is right there. It had just opened I'm sure we were the first people to stay in our room. Very nice - came with breakfast buffet which was nice & great staff (they filled up our baby bottle with milk at the bar every night for free) but the rooms are tiny. The kids had a bunk with a circus-themed curtain to divde the room. Again, nice but small.

From the hotel there was a very frequent shuttle to and from the park and we had no trouble getting back and forth. The Disney properties were a lot more money and we just couldn't do it right then.

There was also a Knights of the Round Table themed (I think) hotel on that little hotel row. It had a great themed pool and play area for the kids. Don't know what the rooms were like but it was much busier than the HI.

No complaints about where we stayed.

 

[Mark099]

If you are a Disney fan, don't bother. If you are a Paris fan, then visit Paris and spend a day at DLP. It's real easy to take the train from the city.

 

[married@wdw]

Well, we are Disney fanatics and we savor every point for use at WDW. So parting with a big chunk to do DLP for a few nights on our first trip to Paris was a hard decision. However, we LOVED it. DLP is beautiful -- by far the prettiest Magic Kingdom. And some of the ride "changes" were very fun and clever (love the Haunted Mansion in Frontierland and you have to check out the underside of the castle!!!).

We thought it was an exceptional deal. Continental breakfast is included -- we happily paid an extra $5 per day to have it delivered to our room. Park hopper passes for the length of stay are also included for everyone in the room.

We've now done the trip twice -- once at Newport Bay and once at Sequoia Lodge. We loved both and would stay at either again -- we don't mind long hallways when the resort is beautiful! We loved seeing maps of our home state hanging on the wall at Newport Bay (we're from CT and Disney got shoreline maps of the east coast from Mystic Seaport!). And the huge fireplace in the lounge at Sequoia was the perfect place to warm up on a late March evening.

I agree that the Studios aren't much to write home about, but don't miss Cinemagique! It's nothing fancy, just a clever little show that we really enjoyed -- keep thinking it would fit perfectly in MGM where Drew Carey is! We also liked Armageddon -- just beware that it could really spook little ones. And obviously, if you haven't been to WDW lately, see Lights, Moteurs, Action, too -- we were impressed and we only saw half the show due to rain. Oh yeah, and we got there first thing in the morning on our last day -- we were the first ones on RnRC (not as good as WDW, but), in the front row, and road it 10 times in a row with almost no wait -- love the "low" seasons!

Some other things we really enjoyed -- unique souveniers, the Steakhouse in the Disney Village (can't remember the name), character breakfast at Walt's (we were literally the first guests on Main Street that morning -- awesome pictures!!!).

Just remember, it's not American. The cast members don't always speak English (though many do). Meals take a long time (we got apps, dinner, dessert & coffee at the Steakhouse and it took us 2 1/2 hours to eat). And
it's not a seven-day vacation, but I definitely think it's worth a trip there. While some have said it's a daytrip, I think you can easily fill two days (or even three if you really relax and take in the beauty of Magic Kingdom). We couldn't do everything at their Magic Kingdom in one day.

 

[Mark099]

While some have said it's a daytrip, I think you can easily fill two days (or even three if you really relax and take in the beauty of Magic Kingdom). We couldn't do everything at their Magic Kingdom in one day.

It depends on when you go. We were there on a week day towards the end of September. We circled the park twice and didn't miss a thing.

 

[BigTigger]

I travel to Paris for work often enough to visit DLP about once a year. I always stay near the office in central Paris and take the RER A train to Marne LaVallee. It takes about 30 minutes and is safe and clean (unlike the RER line from Charles DeGaulle airport which is full of pickpockets and luggage thieves).

One thing to consider if you decide to visit DLP is to fly to London and spend a few days there. Then you can take the Eurostar train right to DLP and back to London when you are done for your return flight. Airlines like Virgin Atlantic have great fares to/from London that you won't often find to Paris.

About the park - I'd agree with those above that said DLP is the best of the Magic Kingdoms and I've been to all four many times to make this determination. The only drawback is that unlike Florida and California, DLP has a cold and/or rainy season (as does Tokyo for that matter - the first Disney park ever to have snow in January 1984). I've visited in March, June, and November. Certain DLP rides are seasonal, so a trip between September and April could allow you to do everything in a day given the lesser crowds and the closed attractions. The Haunted Mansion is very unique there, but even more so is Thunder Mountain RR which has the ride in the middle of the lake where Tom Sawyer island is in Florida. You start off on the shore side and go down under the lake to get to the island for a dark start to the ride. Space Mountain is much different at DLP as it has a Jules Verne theme and uses the magnetic start like RnR and has a loop to turn you upside down. It's undergoing a major refurbishment now and is closed until later this year I believe. DLP has some unique items like the Cheshire Cat shrubbery display that moves and grins and the Indiana Jones backwards roller coaster. The food is definitely french and even fast food can be slow. There is a Walt Disney restaurant on the left side of main street about half way down that is very good, but pricey. Given the often cold and inclement weather, Main Street has a parallel covered walkway that runs behind the stores on the left. This allows you to enter and leave the stores from the back too and is the quick way out at the end of the day if the crowds are clogging the main street.

Disney Studios is a half day park, but a fun one to visit. Just like Tokyo DL, it has a big covered main street area that is heated in cold seasons. This is the place to be to warm up or get out of the weather. A nice food court is here too. RnR's Aerosmith/stretch limo theme is lost on the French, so the pre-ride show is lame. The ride is great and you can ride it until you regret the large lunch you just ate as the lines are never long after the morning rush. The Moteurs Action show is a fun one to watch if you like Joey Chitwood type car, bike and jetski stunts.

If you stay at DLP, the Disneyland Hotel is the one to go for. The location above the park entrance is handy and cool to hang out and watch the crowds coming and going from. They have a downtown Disney type area near the train station that can be a fun break from the parks. Practice your mechanical bull riding and you'll be able to wow the locals who don't know how to stay on (hint: keep your knees up at chest level and your body compacted to lower the balance point on the saddle). As far as english speaking, the DLP attractions are mostly multi-lingual (I loved the Snow White and the Seven Dwarves sign in French) and most of the staff seems to be from Germany or eastern Europe anyhow, so I never have had an issue with having to know French to get by.

Send me a PM if I didn't cover an area you wanted to know more about.

 

[bartty]

We just got back last week from dlp. Didn't use points, but did castle club - the concierge....I think it was worth every penny because it was hot and it gave us a chance to take midday breaks. I called MS to make ressies with points but there is a two night minimun. I don't know if the points will get you the upgrade, they are always fully booked! But if it's just the normal hotel, I would just pay cash....it might be better (if the $ gets stronger). If you are used to nicer hotels, I would stay at the Disneyland hotel or New York hotel. We stayed at Newport Bay once and it was impossible to get to breakfast, the lines are horrendous!

As for the parks, We love DLP, the castle is beautiful and the dragon underneath is the coolest. We like POC and SM2 there better than WDW. But like everyone said, remember it's Europe. Customer service is not the same like it is back home. And if you don't like people smoking everywhere and cutting you in lines, just be ready!

We've been every year since 2000. DH works for the Army here in Germany, so have to get that disney fix somehow!

If you have more questions PM me.

 

[JerJan]

Thanks again for all of your great replies. Also, thanks for letting me know about the smoking thin....I never even thought about that!

 

[jana]

For a family of 4 the points use at DLP is not a bad deal, as it includes park tickets and a pretty good "continental style" buffet breakfast.

The park itself is nicely done and it has some excellent rides that are very different from their WDW counterparts. IMHO the haunted house, Space Mountain, Thunder mountain and Indiana Jones roller coaster are all worthy of the visit. Expectation management is important, the park is NO WHERE NEAR as big as WDW and if you go expecting the same sort of experience as you get at WDW you could be dissapointed. However it is still a fun park and if looked at as a seperate entity ( as opposed to a clone of WDW) it stands up pretty well. Of the hotels I've stayed at I preferred the Sequoia Lodge ( I haven't tried the "flag ship" hotel) , I thought the decor was better, the rooms left a little better laid out and the restaurant choices appealed more to me.

IF travelling from London I would definately suggest taking the train ( direct from London Waterloo to the themepark station) as opposed to flying into Paris Charles De Gaul. It's a much more relaxing and unique mode of transport.

They run a pretty good Parid day tour from the DLP hotels and unlike some of the other suggestions, I think the DLP hotels are a better choice if one is mixing a few days sightseeing Paris and visiting DLP. IMHO for Americans not used to travelling in Europe and the "uniqueness" of the European style hotels (AKA twin beds,charging extra for a family of 4, language difficulties and not knowing what your hotel is going to supply) make choosing a known entity in a Disney hotel ( I would agree that a moderate is a fair way to describe the other DLP hotels) is a sensible and far less risky option.

The food at most of the DLP hotels ( and the "Down Town" area) is pretty standard "American fare" , there are a few upscale places to eat at DLP , but if you want to try fine French cuisine then getting some advice on where to try in Paris would be a better option. There are a few more adventurous food options ( Like the restaurant in the Pirates of the Caribbean which awas excellent. DEFINATELY CALL A FEW DAYS AHEAD AND BOOK IF YOU WANT TO EAT HERE) and some wonderful crepe stands around the park.

Definately be prepared for A LOT MORE SMOKING than you're used to, IMHO this is the biggest detraction from DLP.

 

[Sarnia]

I'd say if you just want to go to disney then it's probably not worth it, but if you want to experience Paris and also visit Disney then it's very worth it.

Paris is the most beautiful city i've been to. I've been there quite a few times now and it still takes my breath away sometimes. It's also very easy to walk around so you can get a real feel for the place.

The food is also fantastic, as long as you dont expect the huge portion sizes that you get in the US.

The service is very different over there, as they don't rely on tips. Sometimes people get the impression that they are unfriendly, but it's really just a cultural difference in the way they act. They often seem detached or uninterested, but it's not really the case. As long as you are polite to them the service is normally excellent.