Good Evening Everyone
A few of you have asked if Id visit Disneyland Paris while I was here, and my honest answer was I didnt know. Im headed home Friday, and since I may never have this opportunity again, I went out to DLP today. This may rival Debra in word count when Im done, but here is the report.
Getting there is easy, it isnt quick, but its easy. The RER A4 line goes to Marne la Vallee-Chessy, and this station, the last station is 100 meters from the entrance to DLP. Their ads say 35 minutes and that sure isnt accurate, but I got there with minimal effort. I spent the first half of the day in the Disney Studios, and the second half in the Magic Kingdom.
Entering the studios you go thought a plaza for the Lumiere Brothers, walk through a sound stage with a restaurant and some shops, and when you walk out youre in Hollywood. They use illusions to show Hollywood Boulevard and the Hollywood Hills right in front of you. When you walk toward them, in about 25 meters you can see how they did it.
I rode Rock N Roller Coaster 2X, and Tower of Terror 2X to start. They are basically the same (Tour de Force Records v. G Force Records) as in Orlando. The Tower is more different, as you can see things they did to cut costs since the Studios park was built under financial duress.
After this I went to the cinemagique movie/show, which was wicked cool. It is a film which starts with silent cuts, and a patron is pulled into the movie by a wizard. The patron in the film is Martin Short, and his female foil is Julie Delpy. They go from silents into all film genres, and I thought it was really clever and cute. Particularly the Star Wars scene, when Julie in storm trooper gear saves Martin Short.
I had lunch, and man is that park seriously under-served for meals. 2 quick restaurants, 1 very pricy sit down restaurant, and carts/stands. I next went to Crushs Coaster, which is also terribly clever. Its a dark ride coaster, which rides the EAC. Its kind of like the wild mouse style coasters, but its up and down, and spinning, as you literally flow along with the EAC. Very smart and fun. I wandered around and saw the whole place, very small, but didnt get in any attraction lines. I exited the park and walked about 200 meters to the Magic Kingdom.
As you can imagine this is much like Anaheim or Orlando. Main Street and various lands around the center square. From right to left; Discoveryland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, and Frontierland. Not surprisingly, no Liberty Square.
Obnoxious question, which I simply cannot resist, sorry about that, but if I did you all would think this was being written by an imposter
. Would Frances version of Liberty Square have a central plaza with a guillotine, along with cast members dressed as members of the aristocracy and bourgeoisie, walking up the steps to the razor? They could even sell little headless Louis and Maries in the gift shops.
I rode Buzz Lightyear, just like in Orlando except the pistols come out free into your hand. Sadly that didnt help my score. I was alone so I tried to shoot with both hands, and quickly learned that (1) my aim with the left hand is worse than poor, and (2) my brain cannot function at a high enough level to fire 2 pistols at the same time. After 1 hit worth 100 points out of maybe 25 shots with the left I put it back in the holster. I next got on Space Mountain, which is different, as you queue inside, then go out to load, are shot up the outside of the mountain in a tube with magnetic propulsion, then dive in. It was great fun, but it was EASILY the roughest steel roller coaster Ive ever been on. I love RNR so much because it is so fast and smooth. This was fast and shook the crap out of me. My neck was bounced and twisted all around, to the point I tried to wedge myself into the seat and hold my head tight in the back of the headrest and harness. I didnt work. On the train ride back I tried to adjust my head and neck, and felt the ride.
I wandered over to the Discoveryland Railroad station, figuring a ride around the park would give me a great view. I suppose it would have, but there as a 1 hour wait to get on the train! So . . . I walked over to Fantasyland and although it was laid out differently by far than Florida/California, it was the same stuff.
Well sort of. This is where The Lord of the Flies comes into the report. Continental Europeans do not line up like the Brits and we Americans. In addition Ive noticed that Continental Europeans also invest significant emotional and financial resources in their children. Translated that mean that although many European children are a delight to be around, more by % than in the USA (by my observation) are totally spoiled little merdes. Anything you try to do in DLPs Fantasyland involves lots of blocking, squeezing, holding your ground and keeping from being played for a fool by parents, children, and best of all, grandparents. You are in line for something, you are next, the person being served steps away, and they pour into the gap, harangue the server, who immediately serves them, likely out of fear for his or her own life. Yes, this has happened to me about once a day here in Paris, so by the law of large numbers it was sure to happen a lot in Fantasyland. It did. By the time I wandered out of the place I came close to voiding all the Anglo-Franco good feelings Ive tried, along with Marthas help, to create during my stay. Yes, I know, parts of WDW can get tough with parents and kids, but today I saw a large amount of totally inappropriate behavior.
Getting that off my conscious, I hit Adventureland next, starting with the pirates. Same thing, but sort of in reverse. You go up right away, then float down, through the city, the battle, the city again, then the grottos. And . . . like in Anaheim they have a nice and expensive (TERRIBLY EXPENSIVE) restaurant looking over the first few meters of the ride. The restaurant was about 1/3 full when I floated by, and when I saw the prices I knew why. They also have an Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril roller coaster, and I rode the thing. Its very tight in space and turns, and has one inversion loop, also very, very tight. Also very rough and bumpy, but with excellent views of the park.
I than walked over to Frontierland, and sadly, Phantom Manor was closed for work. The outside looks identical to the house that Anthony Perkins and his mother lived in about the Bates Motel in Psycho. A really cool, old broken down clapboard house, locked up tight, pity.
I wandered around some more, took pictures, and then headed home.
The Good
Im really glad I went. I have no idea when Ill be here again and have the opportunity. In the morning when the crowds were small and the temperature was cooler, it was great. The studios at opening were empty and very slick. I adore the 1930s Hollywood architecture and feel, and there it was in northern France. I also enjoyed the many small changes from the attractions in the US. Im geeky enough that I like to walk around and observe changes and speculate whey they were done. At DLP it was mostly money, I suppose, since the thing is still a financial albatross on Disney stockholders. Although I wonder why given the next point.
The Bad
Let me put it this way. I considered staying out there and having dinner, when a little voice inside me said, no go back to Paris, since dinner there will be much cheaper than here. My admission ticket, 1 day, 2 parks was euro 59, which is just short of $100. I suspect this day cost me, a single male (notice I didnt say gentleman, that way Judy couldnt make a Judy-like comment) well over $150. And I bought nothing to bring back (well actually I did, but its a surprise for Martha and Lesley, which pushes the days cost way over $150). For a family of 4, WOW! And not surprisingly, my lunch meal at the Studios quick service restaurant was the worst meal Ive eaten in France.
The Ugly
This may preclude me from ever becoming the US Ambassador to any EU country, but come on, would taking a shower now and again be too much to ask? Hot day today, a bit humid too. Riding in a closed train, standing in line next to thousands of my closest friends. Do everyone a favor and use soap and water before you come, wed all appreciate it.
There are no designated smoking zones in the parks, because every square meter of the parks has a haze of grey smoke above it. Actually that is unfair, because there is no smoking in lines, which must be enforced as I saw none of it. Of course, as soon as they get out of an attraction, the smokes come out. The same thing happens when they leave the subway, so its not a surprise. All over the parks it is the same. You see more smoking in 1 day than in 1 month in Orlando or Anaheim.
The previous comment of line behavior. Every second in every line I felt that I had to dig in and hold my slot. The corrals are wider here than in the states, so its even harder. I particularly enjoyed by 45 minute wait for Crushs Coaster, as the woman in front of me was on her cell phone the entire time, and her 2 little darlings were hanging on the railings, jumping off and on, bouncing into people all around them, etc, etc. When I got to the loading area the cars were for 4, and the cast member tried to load me in with them. No thank you, Ive just spent 45 minutes in close contact with them, was my comment. I did some reading about DLP before I came to France, and this was a common comment. I realize its totally cultural, and Im the visitor here, so I never said a word about it.
Conclusion
A very nice day, which would have been nicer if Martha or Lesley had shared it with me. My buddy Jimmy Buffet said it best, something along the tone of going cool places is great fun, but sharing the experience with someone you love is way better than doing it alone.
Ill be home in a few days, and begin to drop back into my normal life. Ill catch up with everyone become a positive contributor soon.
Craig
A few of you have asked if Id visit Disneyland Paris while I was here, and my honest answer was I didnt know. Im headed home Friday, and since I may never have this opportunity again, I went out to DLP today. This may rival Debra in word count when Im done, but here is the report.
Getting there is easy, it isnt quick, but its easy. The RER A4 line goes to Marne la Vallee-Chessy, and this station, the last station is 100 meters from the entrance to DLP. Their ads say 35 minutes and that sure isnt accurate, but I got there with minimal effort. I spent the first half of the day in the Disney Studios, and the second half in the Magic Kingdom.
Entering the studios you go thought a plaza for the Lumiere Brothers, walk through a sound stage with a restaurant and some shops, and when you walk out youre in Hollywood. They use illusions to show Hollywood Boulevard and the Hollywood Hills right in front of you. When you walk toward them, in about 25 meters you can see how they did it.
I rode Rock N Roller Coaster 2X, and Tower of Terror 2X to start. They are basically the same (Tour de Force Records v. G Force Records) as in Orlando. The Tower is more different, as you can see things they did to cut costs since the Studios park was built under financial duress.
After this I went to the cinemagique movie/show, which was wicked cool. It is a film which starts with silent cuts, and a patron is pulled into the movie by a wizard. The patron in the film is Martin Short, and his female foil is Julie Delpy. They go from silents into all film genres, and I thought it was really clever and cute. Particularly the Star Wars scene, when Julie in storm trooper gear saves Martin Short.
I had lunch, and man is that park seriously under-served for meals. 2 quick restaurants, 1 very pricy sit down restaurant, and carts/stands. I next went to Crushs Coaster, which is also terribly clever. Its a dark ride coaster, which rides the EAC. Its kind of like the wild mouse style coasters, but its up and down, and spinning, as you literally flow along with the EAC. Very smart and fun. I wandered around and saw the whole place, very small, but didnt get in any attraction lines. I exited the park and walked about 200 meters to the Magic Kingdom.
As you can imagine this is much like Anaheim or Orlando. Main Street and various lands around the center square. From right to left; Discoveryland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, and Frontierland. Not surprisingly, no Liberty Square.
Obnoxious question, which I simply cannot resist, sorry about that, but if I did you all would think this was being written by an imposter
. Would Frances version of Liberty Square have a central plaza with a guillotine, along with cast members dressed as members of the aristocracy and bourgeoisie, walking up the steps to the razor? They could even sell little headless Louis and Maries in the gift shops. I rode Buzz Lightyear, just like in Orlando except the pistols come out free into your hand. Sadly that didnt help my score. I was alone so I tried to shoot with both hands, and quickly learned that (1) my aim with the left hand is worse than poor, and (2) my brain cannot function at a high enough level to fire 2 pistols at the same time. After 1 hit worth 100 points out of maybe 25 shots with the left I put it back in the holster. I next got on Space Mountain, which is different, as you queue inside, then go out to load, are shot up the outside of the mountain in a tube with magnetic propulsion, then dive in. It was great fun, but it was EASILY the roughest steel roller coaster Ive ever been on. I love RNR so much because it is so fast and smooth. This was fast and shook the crap out of me. My neck was bounced and twisted all around, to the point I tried to wedge myself into the seat and hold my head tight in the back of the headrest and harness. I didnt work. On the train ride back I tried to adjust my head and neck, and felt the ride.
I wandered over to the Discoveryland Railroad station, figuring a ride around the park would give me a great view. I suppose it would have, but there as a 1 hour wait to get on the train! So . . . I walked over to Fantasyland and although it was laid out differently by far than Florida/California, it was the same stuff.
Well sort of. This is where The Lord of the Flies comes into the report. Continental Europeans do not line up like the Brits and we Americans. In addition Ive noticed that Continental Europeans also invest significant emotional and financial resources in their children. Translated that mean that although many European children are a delight to be around, more by % than in the USA (by my observation) are totally spoiled little merdes. Anything you try to do in DLPs Fantasyland involves lots of blocking, squeezing, holding your ground and keeping from being played for a fool by parents, children, and best of all, grandparents. You are in line for something, you are next, the person being served steps away, and they pour into the gap, harangue the server, who immediately serves them, likely out of fear for his or her own life. Yes, this has happened to me about once a day here in Paris, so by the law of large numbers it was sure to happen a lot in Fantasyland. It did. By the time I wandered out of the place I came close to voiding all the Anglo-Franco good feelings Ive tried, along with Marthas help, to create during my stay. Yes, I know, parts of WDW can get tough with parents and kids, but today I saw a large amount of totally inappropriate behavior.
Getting that off my conscious, I hit Adventureland next, starting with the pirates. Same thing, but sort of in reverse. You go up right away, then float down, through the city, the battle, the city again, then the grottos. And . . . like in Anaheim they have a nice and expensive (TERRIBLY EXPENSIVE) restaurant looking over the first few meters of the ride. The restaurant was about 1/3 full when I floated by, and when I saw the prices I knew why. They also have an Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril roller coaster, and I rode the thing. Its very tight in space and turns, and has one inversion loop, also very, very tight. Also very rough and bumpy, but with excellent views of the park.
I than walked over to Frontierland, and sadly, Phantom Manor was closed for work. The outside looks identical to the house that Anthony Perkins and his mother lived in about the Bates Motel in Psycho. A really cool, old broken down clapboard house, locked up tight, pity.
I wandered around some more, took pictures, and then headed home.
The Good
Im really glad I went. I have no idea when Ill be here again and have the opportunity. In the morning when the crowds were small and the temperature was cooler, it was great. The studios at opening were empty and very slick. I adore the 1930s Hollywood architecture and feel, and there it was in northern France. I also enjoyed the many small changes from the attractions in the US. Im geeky enough that I like to walk around and observe changes and speculate whey they were done. At DLP it was mostly money, I suppose, since the thing is still a financial albatross on Disney stockholders. Although I wonder why given the next point.
The Bad
Let me put it this way. I considered staying out there and having dinner, when a little voice inside me said, no go back to Paris, since dinner there will be much cheaper than here. My admission ticket, 1 day, 2 parks was euro 59, which is just short of $100. I suspect this day cost me, a single male (notice I didnt say gentleman, that way Judy couldnt make a Judy-like comment) well over $150. And I bought nothing to bring back (well actually I did, but its a surprise for Martha and Lesley, which pushes the days cost way over $150). For a family of 4, WOW! And not surprisingly, my lunch meal at the Studios quick service restaurant was the worst meal Ive eaten in France.
The Ugly
This may preclude me from ever becoming the US Ambassador to any EU country, but come on, would taking a shower now and again be too much to ask? Hot day today, a bit humid too. Riding in a closed train, standing in line next to thousands of my closest friends. Do everyone a favor and use soap and water before you come, wed all appreciate it.
There are no designated smoking zones in the parks, because every square meter of the parks has a haze of grey smoke above it. Actually that is unfair, because there is no smoking in lines, which must be enforced as I saw none of it. Of course, as soon as they get out of an attraction, the smokes come out. The same thing happens when they leave the subway, so its not a surprise. All over the parks it is the same. You see more smoking in 1 day than in 1 month in Orlando or Anaheim.
The previous comment of line behavior. Every second in every line I felt that I had to dig in and hold my slot. The corrals are wider here than in the states, so its even harder. I particularly enjoyed by 45 minute wait for Crushs Coaster, as the woman in front of me was on her cell phone the entire time, and her 2 little darlings were hanging on the railings, jumping off and on, bouncing into people all around them, etc, etc. When I got to the loading area the cars were for 4, and the cast member tried to load me in with them. No thank you, Ive just spent 45 minutes in close contact with them, was my comment. I did some reading about DLP before I came to France, and this was a common comment. I realize its totally cultural, and Im the visitor here, so I never said a word about it.
Conclusion
A very nice day, which would have been nicer if Martha or Lesley had shared it with me. My buddy Jimmy Buffet said it best, something along the tone of going cool places is great fun, but sharing the experience with someone you love is way better than doing it alone.
Ill be home in a few days, and begin to drop back into my normal life. Ill catch up with everyone become a positive contributor soon.
Craig
Thank you for the trip report! I don't know that I'll ever get to DLP and quite honestly, now I'm not sure sure I'd want to! 
I was sure your review would be so much longer. Say, Debra-length? 
Made my night! 
