Disneyland Paris versus...

[engrdad]

How does Disneyland Paris compare to parks in the U.S.? We were in Paris for a couple of weeks but decided against going to Disneyland due to time contraints.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi,

In my opinion, I have only been to DLRP once but have been to WDW over a dozen times, the 2 parks compare very well.

I think Disneyland Park is at least the equal of Magic Kingdom and in some ways better, I prefer for example Discoveryland (DLRP) over Tomorrowland (WDW).
There are minor differences on some of the rides, I prefer the Paris version of Pirates Of The Caribbean but liked the Florida Peter Pan ride better - these are just examples and it's all a matter of opinion.
The park is themed really well, castle very nice, shopping probably could be better but it's a great place to be.

The convenience of having so much within easy walking distance is a major plus point. Both parks are minutes apart, with all the on-site hotels closeby too.

The Studios wasn't my favourite WDW park and it isn't in Paris either, never really taken to them. To me the Paris park lacks imagination and there is nothing that brings the whole park together, but like I say it isn't my favourite in Florida either.

So the parks compare well - where WDW wins hands down, and I guess it's a Florida thing where you have all the other parks and attractions, not just the Disney one's.

 

[chmurf]

you can't compare both resorts. They're both Disney, but quite different.
You need to break the comparison down to categories.

General : as was said earlier, DLRP is much smaller. it's less than a quarter mile walking distance between the two parks. But smaller means less things to do and see, and sometimes it means bigger crowds too.

Rides : some are better in DLRP. ToT and POTC, IASW are better in my opinion. Others are very disappointing, like SMM2. and some are similar. But basically DLRP lacks the variety of rides offered in WDW.
No splash mountain for example. Some other things are disapointing, like the new Toy Story Playland. That's only three "state fair" attractions rethemed to a disney theme, but not much imagination behing the imagineering ...
Globally rides and diversity of rides has the upper hand in WDW, but I guess you'd expect that from a park that's several times bigger.

Shopping : It's hard to say which is better. Some specially designed merchandise will make the difference. But globally it's disney stuff, very overpriced but you just can't help buying

Weather : In paris, winter can be sooooo cold, and summers might get soooo hot. Seasons in between are unpredictable. WDW tends to have a better weather, especially in spring. Living close by DLRP, I would gladly trade our weather for Florida's. But I guess it depends on what you're accustomed to.

Staff and guests : Americans will find that the staff and the guests are very rude. As far as UK citizens go, I don't know. But the feeling might be the same. It's all a matter of cultural differences. But be advised that the "spirit" is less present in paris than in orlando.

Overall : I can only speak for myself here. DLRP is great, fantastic, magical, you name it ... but in my opinion WDW is even better.
Maybe it's because I'm French and I'm attracted to the warmth and magic of florida, but I really prefer WDW

Just to give you my final word. I decided to stop paying for an annual pass at DLRP, despite the fact that I was given 18 months access for the price of a 12 month pass, and despite the fact that this year is the 20th anniversary.
I did the maths, and 2 weeks at a Disney Hotel was so expensive that with that money I could get my family of 3 a return ticket to orlando, onsite accomodation, a rental car, and 14 days tickets to the park ... almost to the penny.
guess what... we're flying in about 2 months.

So my bottomline would be : Try DLRP at least once. But I still like WDW better, and even if I went over 20 or 25 times to DLRP last year, I would still go to WDW each time I get the chance to.

 

[DLPdaft]

Hi engrdad,

Welcome to the Disneyland Paris Trip Planning & Community Board .

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[ben1993]

Obviously for sheer amount of recreation, dining, resort options, WDW is superior, as it is to any other theme park destination in the world. However, if we are just comparing the parks, Disneyland Park in Paris is SO superior to Magic Kingdom. DLP is the best Magic Kingdom Disney ever built. There is nothing other than Wishes at MK that I don't prefer at Paris. Walt Disney Studios in Paris is pretty small, and not very attractive really, but has some great attractions, much like Hollywood Studios in Florida. DHs wins though for having more attractions and Fantasmic!.

 

[Michael623]

I think if you're in Paris and you're a Disney fan it's worth a visit. It is not worth planning a trip around DLP as your main focus.