Don't Want to be Puzzled in Paris!

[mariezp]

I am in the beginning planning stages of a family vacation to Europe in 2014. While we just happen to be "in the area" we will be stopping in to spend a day or two at DLP. Seeing as how it will most likely be a one time trip of a lifetime I am seriously considering splurging on a stay at the Disneyland Hotel. I am sure I will have many questions over the next 18 months but the main ones I have not found answers to so far are:

1. How far in advance can you make reservations for the Disneyland Hotel?

2. Do any of the suites have private sleeping areas with a door between them and the living area?

3. How much time should be allowed to travel on the TGV from the Disneyland Paris station to Charles de Gaulle? And, how early should I arrive before our flight? Is the airport as horrible as I have been reading about?


Also, I am trying to decide if we should visit near the beginning of our trip or at the end. Neither seem to be ideal to me as I know it would be best to not be there during the weekend but it is what I have to work with. I lean slightly towards option 2 because I like the idea of DLP being the last thing on our trip but the thought of an entire crowded weekend worries me just a bit. I know we will make the best of it either way. If you had to choose, which do you think would be the better choice?

Option 1- August 31-September 1 (Sunday, Monday)

Does not include Saturday but it is still in August which might be busier?

Option 2 - September 13-September 14 (Saturday, Sunday)

Includes both Saturday and Sunday but would it be any less crowded since it is in September?




Anyone know how weekend crowds at DLP compare to crowds at DL in Anaheim?

Thanks in advance for any advice you have to share!

 

[sky13]

I don't have good answers to your questions, but my best guesses:

1. The Disney hotels are currently taking bookings up to at least end of March 2014 (there's a current early booking offer of up to 30% off on the UK site, valid for stays through end March 2014). I'm not sure how far in advance they actually take reservations... Also worth checking out offers on hotels - booking early might not get you the best offers.

2. (No idea about this so will skip this question...)

3. The TGV takes 10 minutes between CDG airport and Marne La Vallee (Disneyland Paris stop). However you will need to look at train times as they may not suit your flight! There are also other transfer services available. For me personally CDG is one of my least liked airport, but I've heard it depends on which terminal you're in.

http://about-france.com/school-holidays.htm
Looks like French schools start 2 September 2014 - but not sure what the implications will be crowd-wise.

DLP versus DL Anaheim - last year a weekend in DLP at start of December felt about as crowded as a weekend in DL Anaheim at end of October - am afraid I can't give a better comparison than this (which is rather vague)...

 

[mariezp]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, sky13.

As much as I love to save money I like the idea of being able to book far in advance, have my plan in place and locking in the specific dates I need so I really hope that I will be able to book close to a year in advance. I am sure I will have to call because I want to check prices on the family suites. Not looking forward to that. Nothing like getting all built up to make progress on your planning and getting a phone agent you can't understand on the line. Hoping when the time comes that I will get a clear phone line and not run into any sort of language barrier. Oh yeah, and definitely will be hoping I stumble upon one of those nice early booking deals!

As long as I have an idea of how long it takes for the train to get from DLP to the airport we should be fine. We are notorious about arriving at the airport early. No doubt after 2-3 weeks we will all be anxious to get home and won't want to miss our flight. Wouldn't be surprised if we spend most of our day at the airport. Not expecting to really enjoy the airport but we'll make the best of it so long as they can get us home.

Thank you for pointing out the school schedule! Definitely a good point to consider while trying to formulate the big plan.

And, I have been to Disneyland in October so, yes, the comparison does give me something of an idea as to what I might expect crowd wise. Thanks!