Dopey and Grumpy's Disneyland Paris mini break

[DOPEYUK]

Here it is-a trip report from D&G-just back from Paris and the Disney experience French style.

DAY ONE

We started early on Monday-the cab turned up on time (always a good start) at 6.15, and after a train ride to St Pancras International, we were soon hungry as can be, as the stupid 'restaurant' sold out of food-at 7.30AM!!

The journey on the Eurostar was a bit longer after the fire, but not by much and we were soon at Marne La Valle-Chessy and boarding the cramped yellow bus to Hotel Sant Fe. Within minutes we were in sight of the giant poster of Clint Eastwood-which is probably the most glamouress thing about the drab prison-like 'hotel'.

Grumpy had written a letter to the hotel in his bes tjoined up French to request a disbaled room as we had Mummy Dopey with us-and she has a bit of trouble getting around. We were told the disabled rooms only housed 2 people-how ridiculous is that? It just wouldn't happen in Florida-so we were already a bit peeved to say the least.

We find the room and settle in-and then take a slow walk around the hotel-seeing the giant flying saucer in the ground (for some bizarre reason) then over the bridge, past the Hotel Cheyenne and down to the Disney Village. Stop at some shops, then make our way to the Disneyland Park-take some snaps outside then into the park.

Last time we went to Paris, it rained for the entire time we were there, but this time it was very hot, so we had a lot more opportunity to do stuff. Mummy Dopey's favourite thing in the whole world is It's A Small World-so that was the first port of call (after a briosch and hot chocolate watching the parade go past)

We then board the small boats of the 'Le Pays des Contes de Fees'-which is a journey around small model villages from fairytales. It's excellent-especially the lion's mouth tunnel! We board the Casey Jr railway and also the disappointing Disneyland Railroad, which isn't a patch on the one in Florida. Do some shopping in Main Street, then it's back into the Village.

Have a reservation at Cafe Mickey, where we are visited by the Mouse himself, aloong with Pluto, Eyore and some rather lesser known characters. A word of advice, don't have the pizzas. They are so undercooked we has to leave half of them. After a lesieurly walk back to the hotel and more hot chocolate-it was time for bed (The TV is all in French apart from the BBC 24 news and the Disney channel-couldn't they put on more stuff for a place that is so heavily geared towards UK tourism?)

Day One done and dusted-Day 2 to follow soon!

 

[SusanEllen]

Good work, starting your trip report. I'll beat UKDeb to the punch and ask you, "Where are the photos of all the fun?" Maybe there will be some on the next installment. Let me see . . .

 

[irongirlof12]

fab day

 

[UKDEB]

You're not painting the best ever picture of DLP there, Dopes - I can't see us jumping on the next chemin de fer for our first ever visit. Let's hope day 2 sees an improvement.

 

[DOPEYUK]

UKDeb-it's not a dreadful place by any means, in fact there are one or two things that are better than WDW, it's just that they could make more of the place.

Anyhoo-DAY 2 has been done (pics still pending) and is lurking on the Disneyland Paris thread!!

 

[GrumpyUK]

It's me!

Just a few notes to add to Dopeys report.

Parts of DLP are fantastic (which I'll come to) but:

I agree that the Santa Fe Hotel looks like a gulag. We had a bit more of a wander round this time. There are a series of buildings in one section which are basic, faceless blocks, painted different colours. I found a sign which told us a bit about this. The gold building represents a bank; the grey a jail and the red...a bordello! Yup. In a Disney resort. There was a large lump of concrete which, apparently, is a volcano. It is very ugly. The whole resort is a bit like someone thought, "concrete, what an exciting material, lets see what we can't do with it". That said, the other hotels all look MUCH nicer.

I was very annoyed when I chose a disabled room when booking and there Vwas NOTHING to suggest it wasn't suitable for 3 people and, as Dopey says, I wrote a very nice letter (in French - all proper and everything) which was completely ignored.

The walk from the hotel to the parks and th Disney Village is lovely and the trees along the river were full of autumn colours. It was lovely and peaceful and the ideal antidote to the horrible buses.

We had a wander through the Disney Village (if you haven't been to DLP this is a stretch of shops and restaurants. It's like DTD but is only about 150 yards long) and on entering Le Parc Disneyland went straight to Victorias which do the best chocolate brioche and chocoat chaude.

Cafe Mickey is great for a character meal but the food is very undistinguished. I had a pasta dish which didn't really taste of anything.

I don't mind having channels in French, though the programmes they were showing were all terible. I made me long for German tv - that’s' how bad it was!

 

[mark&sue]

We went to DLRP this summer and it was soooo hot. It made all the difference the previous three times were cold. Would definately recommend the summer to go to DLRP.

Enjoying the report

susan