Ebbsfleet Eurostar confusion!

[Tinkjon]

We have booked to travel on the Eurostar from Ashford but have decided to go from Ebbsfleet instead (whch is the stop before Ashford). Eurostar say this is fine and they have confirmed that the train does stop at Ebbsfleet. But when I called the Disney booking line they said that no direct trains go from Ebbsfleet to Disney! He was really insistent and said that they lose bookign every day because trains don't go from there so they would have been told if the train stopped there. I called Eurostar again to tell hem this and they kept saying that they are right and the train DOES stop at Ebbsfleet. Sigh!

I just want to know what to do about my park tickets - when you travel from London you get them on the train and when you travel from Ashford you get them when you check in. But if I get on the train before Ashford, I won't be there to pick them up... if I didn't pick them up at Ashford , would they just take them on the train, I wonder?

Argh, it's so annoying - it would save us a lot of journey time to go from Ebbsfleet but I don't want to risk not getting my park tickets!

Anybody got any experience of this?

 

[MickeysFavouriteGirl]

You are right - the Disney train DOES stop at Ebbsfleet, I only noticed this yesterday. I have booked from Ashford (without knowing about the Ebbsfleet stop) but I may change it if possible because it saves 45 minutes off our drive each way.

Does anyone know what Ebbsfleet area is like? Hotels/car parking etc? Sorry to plonk this on here but didn't want to make a seperate thread. Hope this is ok.

 

[Tinkjon]

Parking at the station is apparently £8 per day or there is a budget car park (car park D) at £5 a day - not sure what is 'budget' about it!

It's annoying that I booked from Ashford, where you have to pick up tickets from a desk - if I'd booked from London then they would have the tickets on the train for me wherever I got on! Actually, I suppose I could have the booking changed to London...?

 

[Tinkjon]

Well I just spoke to Disney and they said that if tickets aren't picked up along the route then they will be taken to the luggage place at the station. It sounds right but I'm a bit wary of that - I'd be nervous that they would think 'this person hasn't checked in at Ashford so they're not coming' and then I wouldn't get my tickets!

 

[poppie123]

I have booked to go from Ashford in January but i am going to go from Ebbsfleet instead. I have cleared this with Eurostar who said it would not be a problem to do that.

As for the park tickets from Ashford, i travelled from there last week and the Disney Express desk was not even open Instead they had people giving people their tickets, meal vouchers etc on the actual train.
I presume that if you don't collect them from the desk or the desk is not open then this is the procedure.

 

[Tinkjon]

That's good to hear that it sounds like the woman was right and the tickets do go on the train... thanks, Poppie!

 

[Tinkjon]

Well some more info on this - I have now spoken to the Eurostar manager and he is insistent that the direct train does NOT stop at Ebbsfleet. He says you can get there from Ebbsfleet but you have to change at Lille and the St.Pancras train definitely doesn't stop at Ebbsfleet - so don't get on it, Poppie and Mickey'sFave!

 

[poppie123]

Well some more info on this - I have now spoken to the Eurostar manager and he is insistent that the direct train does NOT stop at Ebbsfleet. He says you can get there from Ebbsfleet but you have to change at Lille and the St.Pancras train definitely doesn't stop at Ebbsfleet - so don't get on it, Poppie and Mickey'sFave!

I think there is so much confusion surronding this. The direct Disney train stopping at Ebbsfleet comes into effect on the 12th of December is what i have been told by Eurostar.

If you go onto the Eurostar website and say for my dates 6th-10th of January put in Ebbsfleet to Disneyland Paris it actually comes up with it.

It is the same train number 9074 and it leaves Ebbsfleet at 10.04 arriving at Disney at 13.31. It says direct train and takes 2hr 27mins
Departs Marne la Vallee at 19.37 train number 9057 again the direct train, arriving at Ebbsfleet at 20.59 journey time of 2hr 22 mins.

I have just rang and spoke to someone at Eurostar who confirmed all the above.

 

[Tinkjon]

Aha, that would make so much sense - why they are saying now that it doesn't stop, but when I ask them about our dates (in March) they say it does stop. Great, well discovered, Poppie! I will call them about it after Christmas.