First timer! Questions about booking!

PanIsMine

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 21, 2012
Greetings,

I live in Florida and have been to WDW hundreds of times, I even worked there. I've also down DCL and DL California. August 2018, I'm making my first trip to Europe and wanted to include a few days at Disney.

I'm confused about the part where I can book different deals from different parts of website, such as the UK version. I was also looking into maybe buying an AP and then doing an AP discount for a resort. Would I be able to buy the AP before I go and then book the room?

Basically, I'm just trying to figure out the best way to get the resort and park tickets for around three nights.
 
Welcome to this part of the DISboards and hope you're having fun with planning!
The different versions of the site have deals on at different times - it is almost always the case, I believe, that the US site will be more expensive so keep checking the UK and other European versions. All packages booked directly with Disney for 3 nights will include 4 days park tickets.
I've had APs on and off in the past and never used AP discount for rooms - the dates I wanted always happened to be poor value at like 10% discount or thereabouts, and booking room only through an external site worked out cheaper for me. So you might save with AP discount but it's only certain hotels on certain dates so it's not guaranteed.
August 2018 might be expensive depending on your dates. If it is possible for you to go later in August to avoid British and French school holidays, I'd recommend doing so - for price and crowd level reasons!
If you keep an eye on this forum for news of offers in the coming months you should be able to find a decent deal - it's hard to predict what the best offers will be and when they'll come out though. I believe in the US people tend to book for WDW much further in advance than we typically do for DLP. I.e. right now there aren't offers on for Aug 2018.
 
lots of great advice from @loladelorean

I wrote this for another poster in another thread and Im just copying and pasting here for you

Fly into Charles de Gualle

1. You need transport to Disney
Magic Shuttle
- a private non Disney bus company which has the licence to pick up and drop off at the Disney onsite hotels and partner / good neighbour hotels travel time to Disney approx 1 hour http://magicalshuttle.co.uk/

TGV - French state train company. The train station at Disney is beside the park entrance. Depending on your hotel you will either walk or get the free hotel shuttle bus. Travel time is 10 minutes BUT the trains are infrequent and the timetable may not suit your flight arrival time https://parisbytrain.com/tgv-train-cdg-to-eurodisney/

Private Car Service

There are a few, Im sure someone will advise you on a company they have previously used

2.How Long To Stay At Disney
Disneyland Paris is very like Disneyland California. There are 2 parks beside each other. I usually do 3 full park days, most people advise between 3 and 4 park days.

3. Where to stay
There are 6 onsite hotels and 6 partner / good neighbour hotels to suit all budget types
The onsite hotels give access to EMH and the shopping service and they get first priority for booking character meals.

The most expensive onsite is Disneyland Hotel, located at the park entrance. This would be deluxe. The moderates would be Hotel New York, Sequoia Lodge and Newport Bay. The budget would be Cheyenne and Santa Fe.

Disneyland Hotel, Hotel New York, Sequoia Lodge and Newport Bay all have a concierge level which have various degrees of extras included for the premium price.

4. How to get park tickets
If you book through Disneyland Paris website or through the Disney call centre the price is for a hotel and park tickets package. Park tickets for your arrival day and departure day are included. Disneyland Paris has different websites for each of the European countrys and there are different deals and offers on the website. You dont have to book through the website for your country, in fact it is advisable NOT to book through the USA Disneyland Paris site as prices are far higher. Disneyland Paris does not mail any documents, everything is through email. You just show your confirmation email when checking in.

Countrys to check

http://www.disneylandparis.ie/ - Ireland
http://www.disneylandparis.co.uk - UK
http://www.disneylandparis.fr - France
http://www.disneylandparis.de - Germany
http://www.disneylandparis.it - Italy
http://www.disneylandparis.nl - Netherlands
http://www.disneylandparis.be - Belguim

All the websites have the same layout, just in different languages, so just keep an English website open in one tab.

You can book direct through the websites. When you book this way you need to pay the full amount at the time of booking.

You can also book over the phone through the Disney call centre. Just ring the phone number for Walt Disney World in Florida and ask to be transferred to whatever country call centre you wish to book through. When you book over the phone you can pay a deposit and then rest is due approx 30 days before arrival

5. How to make ADR
ADR open at 60 days from arrival. While its not the manic ring on the dot of midnight or you miss out of Walt Disney World, for some things like the Princess Meal you do need to make ADR. They can only be made by phone, so again you will need to ring the phone number for Walt Disney World in Florida and ask to be transferred to the Disneyland Paris Dining Reservations.

Most people only make ADR
about 2 weeks before they arrive. You can also do ADR at your hotel reception or at Town Hall.
 
Can we use Disney gift cards to pay for the package? I know I can’t use them at the park. So even though I live in the USA, I can book through UK? And it’s totally allowed? That seems odd to me. If we can do that, then why is US so much higher? So glad I found this post! We are looking to go in 2019 for the first time!
 


Can we use Disney gift cards to pay for the package? I know I can’t use them at the park.
As far as I know USA Disney gift cards can not be used for payment for the package for Disneyland Paris.

So even though I live in the USA, I can book through UK? And it’s totally allowed? That seems odd to me. If we can do that, then why is US so much higher? So glad I found this post! We are looking to go in 2019 for the first time!

This is possible due to the European Law of Freedom of Goods and Services. This means that goods and services can be bought and sold from different European countries without trade restrictions.

The reasons prices and offers are different between countries is to do with marketing. Disney knows that in general people from different countries vacation differently. Therefore they apply pricing and package offers to the different countries. For example France would have a good offer for a short vacation package as the park is in that country and Disney would expect French visitors to buy short stay packages and have multiple visits in a year. Disney would expect USA visitors to stay for a week or more on a one and done visit and therefore dont have good prices for shorter stays.

The same works in the opposite way.
European visitors get a good price on 10 to 14 day tickets for Walt Disney World, while USA visitors get the discount codes and offers for shorter visits.
 
So, if I do end up and finding a better offer through, say the uk, do I have to say I’m from that country? I know nothing is mailed, so do they just not ask? I had no idea this was an option! Thank you for your help :)
 
So, if I do end up and finding a better offer through, say the uk, do I have to say I’m from that country? I know nothing is mailed, so do they just not ask? I had no idea this was an option! Thank you for your help :)

No, when doing an online booking, leave the country as UK. I did my last trip booking over the phone. I am from Ireland and I booked over the phone through the French call centre, as the offer on the French website was better for me than what was on the Irish website
 


No, when doing an online booking, leave the country as UK. I did my last trip booking over the phone. I am from Ireland and I booked over the phone through the French call centre, as the offer on the French website was better for me than what was on the Irish website

It sounds like we’d have to call becasue we would have to go the deposit route. We wouldn’t be ready to pay in full. So that’s why I was wondering how it would work when asking to get transferred and booking over the phone with a different country. And I would just call the normal number for WDW and say something to the effect please transfer me to the uk area to book a Disneyland Paris packagage? I hope all my questions aren’t driving you nuts! You are being so helpful!!!
 
It sounds like we’d have to call becasue we would have to go the deposit route. We wouldn’t be ready to pay in full. So that’s why I was wondering how it would work when asking to get transferred and booking over the phone with a different country. And I would just call the normal number for WDW and say something to the effect please transfer me to the uk area to book a Disneyland Paris packagage? I hope all my questions aren’t driving you nuts! You are being so helpful!!!

That was exactly the same situation I was in for my last trip. I rang the number listed on the Irish website and said I wanted to book using the offer I saw on the French website. I was then transferred to the French Disney Call centre and spoke to an English speaking person. As soon as the call was transferred and I explained what I wanted there was no issue. My details were taken and the booking was made. When I got the confirmation email with the confirmation number, I went to the French website and created a MY DISNEY ACCOUNT and when I logged in my booking was there. Thats one thing you need to make sure of, you need to go to the country website you made the booking on to create a MY DISNEY ACCOUNT, not the country you live in.
 
So I could buy my family four one day tickets on the UK site, which is less now that I am really looking into it and it will be perfectly legal? And they will honor them at the gate. I just started comparing some prices on the US vs. the UK site, and ya buddy, the cheaper prices are on the UK site, along with available specials.
 
So I could buy my family four one day tickets on the UK site, which is less now that I am really looking into it and it will be perfectly legal? And they will honor them at the gate. I just started comparing some prices on the US vs. the UK site, and ya buddy, the cheaper prices are on the UK site, along with available specials.

Yes, you could, and its perfectly legal and yes they will be honoured at the gate. Just one word of caution though before you buy one day tickets. Just make absolutly sure that that you will be travelling from central Paris in the morning and back again in the evening instead of staying on site at Santa Fe hotel. Buying park tickets and hotel room separately works out more expensive. If you get a one night park and hotel package at Santa Fe through the UK site it will include a park hopper for arrival day and departure day. This means you will have access to the parks for 2 days and stay one night.
 
Yes, you could, and its perfectly legal and yes they will be honoured at the gate. Just one word of caution though before you buy one day tickets. Just make absolutly sure that that you will be travelling from central Paris in the morning and back again in the evening instead of staying on site at Santa Fe hotel. Buying park tickets and hotel room separately works out more expensive. If you get a one night park and hotel package at Santa Fe through the UK site it will include a park hopper for arrival day and departure day. This means you will have access to the parks for 2 days and stay one night.
Well now that I have found out that my $680 worth of Disney Gift Cards are no good there, I am not sure if we will even stay onsite at all. Just a possible one day at the park. Do they allow people who are not staying onsite to tour around the hotels like the do in Orlando? If so, I am somewhat just leaning toward touring the resorts and the Disney Village. My gut is telling me that there is nothing special about the Disneyland park vs. what I get here at home in Orlando. Am I wrong on this? Am I missing something by chance?
 
Well now that I have found out that my $680 worth of Disney Gift Cards are no good there, I am not sure if we will even stay onsite at all. Just a possible one day at the park. Do they allow people who are not staying onsite to tour around the hotels like the do in Orlando? If so, I am somewhat just leaning toward touring the resorts and the Disney Village. My gut is telling me that there is nothing special about the Disneyland park vs. what I get here at home in Orlando. Am I wrong on this? Am I missing something by chance?

Yes you can just go to Disney Village and the hotels but it is far far smaller than Walt Disney World. Disneyland Paris Village is a smaller version of Downtown Disney in California.

Disneyland Paris Parks are very different to Walt Disney World. Disneyland Paris is more like Disneyland California, a main park which has The Castle, Main Street USA, Discoveryland, Fantasyland, Adventureland and Frontierland. I describe it as Frenchified Disney, an American style themepark with the cultural and social aspects of France and central Europe. Alot of USA visitors think that Disney = America and expect the same happy smiley Disney CM's and customer service. This is not how it works. Yes it is Disney BUT it is not America, it is France and the the CM's and park guests are European and there is a difference in customer service and park guest behaviour.

There are rides and attractions which are not in Walt Disney World, for example, The Castle is different, it has a dragon underneath, Indiana Jones is a rollercoaster and rides such as Pirates, Phantom Manor, Snow White, Pinocchio, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain etc are different versions. The main park also has a unique fireworks and animations show which is projected onto The Castle at park closing time. In the second park, The Studios, there is a unique ride call Ratatouille and themed area which is not in any other park. There are also other unique rides such as Crushes Coaster and unique shows.

In both parks most of the audios on the rides and attractions are in French, the nighttime projection show is in French and English. When you walk into shops on Main Street for example the CMs will say Bonjour, they all speak both French and English. There Disneyland Paris unique park merchandise and pins, The food and snacks are different and there are different restaurants. For example Plaza Gardens at the end of Main Street USA is a European style buffet

If you go and try to compare Disneyland Paris to Walt Disney World then you will have a negative experience. You need to go with an open mind, to experience familiar in a different way. Disneyland Paris has its own unique character, it is not Walt Disney World scooped up, made smaller and transported to France.
 
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Well now that I have found out that my $680 worth of Disney Gift Cards are no good there, I am not sure if we will even stay onsite at all. Just a possible one day at the park. Do they allow people who are not staying onsite to tour around the hotels like the do in Orlando? If so, I am somewhat just leaning toward touring the resorts and the Disney Village. My gut is telling me that there is nothing special about the Disneyland park vs. what I get here at home in Orlando. Am I wrong on this? Am I missing something by chance?

I will be making a detail post in a few days but I absolutely will not waste a day in Paris to just go tour the Disney village and hotels totally not worth it. I think a day in Disneyland Parc would be better spend for sure.
 

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