First trip, choose restaurant and rides for me please...

[Rhonna]

Hi everyone,

I am a new member. Your site seems to have the most info. on DLP. I am from the west coast of USA. Planning first trip to Paris in October and can spare one day for DLP.

I have been to WDW in Florida several times and Disneyland in California many times. But this will be the first time to DLP and I would appreciate your insight.

Since I'm familiar with the disney parks, I just want one day in DLP to go on the most popular rides and experience the park in French. (I think it would be a blast to hear Pirates of the Caribbean in French.) I don't think the new park would be worth the time.

Which attractions should I not miss? Just my sister and I - no children. My favorites in the states are Tower of Terror, Pirates of the Caribbean. We aren't too interested in the Halloween activities in October nor the parades since we have limited time. Mainly want to do the attractions. What is the best day of the week to go to avoid crowds?

We'd like one nice meal. First I was considering the Blue Lagoon Restaurant inside the Pirates ride. However, we've been to the original one in Disneyland, CA. I've read good reviews about Auberge de Cendrillon Restaurant in Fantasyland. Is the atmosphere and food really good there? Are they open for lunch? How do I make reservations in advance?

Well, I'll stop there and post other questions later.

Thanks!

Rhonna

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Hi Rhonna, and welcome.

With one day to use I would make sure I did at least these rides, and then whatever else I could fit in:

Space Mountain - nothing like its cousins in WDW or DL, and one of the best Disney rides ever. Not to be missed!

Pirates - I think it is much better than the version in WDW, and at least on a par with DL. The dialogue is a mixture of French and English.

Phantom Manor - this attraction is also different to the Haunted Mansions in WDW and DL, particularly witrh regard to the music.

Big Thunder - bit more thrilling than its American versions, but still a family friendly ride. Takes place entirely on an island in the middle of a lake.

Both Space Mountain and Big Thunder have FastPass, and queues for Pirates and Phantom Manor are not so bad, especially in October.

If you are a thrill ride fan try the Indy ride in Paris. Nothing like the DL version (sadly!), but a fun little coaster, with the added twist of riding it facing backwards...

Of the two restaurants my favourite by far is the Blue Lagoon. The Auberge's food is good, but atmosphere-wise it just doesn't compare. Both restaurants open for lunch, and I suspect in October not for dinner. Disneyland Paris does not have a Priority Seating system like WDW, but it does have a traditional reservation system. I've never booked a table in adevance of arriving at the park, but I will try and find out if this is possible. Perhaps others will know...? I don't think that any week day is quieter than any other, so if you are able to avoid the weekend you should have low crowds and short lines.

Another good website for info about DLP is this one. Please feel free to ask any more questions you have.

Regards

Rob

 

[SimonV]

If you are after a really good lunch (and enjoy Disney memorabilia), try Walt's - An American Restaurant on Main Street as I think the period setting and memories of Walt around the walls are well worth seeing. Food's good, too!

As regards attractions, I also recommend SM and Pirates, while the Indiana Jones ride is quite a rough one. But take some time to explore as I'm sure you will enjoy the differences in style and (I think) the extra detail which the Imagineers poured in here.

 

[Rhonna]

Hi Rob and Simon,

Thank you both for your replies.

Our top attraction choices will definitely be:

1) Indiana Jones
2) Space Mountain
3) Big Thunder
4) Pirates
5) Haunted Mansion

Possible additional choices: (any comments welcomed)

1) Peter Pan
2) Small World
3) the Dragon under the castle

What do you think of the following attractions?

1) Le Visionaruim (is this similar to the Timekeeper in WDW?)
2) Storybook Canals (is this similar to the one in Disneyland?)
3) Alice's Maze


From what I've been able to find so far comparing the menus and reviews of the Blue Lagoon and Auberge de Cendrillon - the latter has better ratings for the food. I'm sure we would enjoy the atmosphere of the Blue Lagoon but the menu I found didn't seem that appealing to me. I thought we would at least see the Blue Lagoon as we go by it on the Pirates ride.

Have either of you been to Auberge de Cendrillon? I am really leaning toward that as our choice. Do you think we will be happy with it? Apparently it is closed on Tues. and Wed. so I was thinking Thursday might be a good day for lower crowds but still getting into the restaurant.

What do you think of Thursdays during early or mid October with regard to crowds? France seems to have a different weekend than the USA. Apparently they get Sundays and Mondays off? So is Thursday considered mid-week for the french?

Is October holiday for school children or workers from England or France? I remember alot of Brits travel to WDW in October.

Rob: I did check out the link you included that takes one around the dlp site. Although the attractions are described in both English and German (?) - unfortunately, the restaurants are only described in German.

Simon: Thank you for the recommendation for Walt's restaurant. If we had more time we would check it out - but with only one day I really am leaning more toward the two restaurants I mentioned above.

How do I find out which days are one hour earlier entry for the disney hotel guests? Those days will most likely be busier and I would prefer to avoid them.

Thanks for all your suggestions and insight!

Rhonna

 

[Rhonna]

Hi again,

I forgot to ask, are there any new attractions or shows scheduled to open at DLP before October?

Rhonna

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Hi Rhonna

Peter Pan is very similar to the version in WDW. It's a nice little ride, but its biggest prblem is that it is so popular. Standby queues often reach 90 minutes, and FastPasses can all be issued for the day by 1.00pm. If you want to ride this I would recommend picking up a FP early in the day, although with only one day to spend in the park this ride wouldn't be high up my list of 'must do's'. Alice's Curious Labyrinth is a big maze: fun but probably not worth spending much time on if you only have one day. The Storybook Boats is very much a kids' attraction, so I wouldn't go out of your way to ride it unless you have spare time.

Small World is similar to WDW, although more European countries appear in the dolls' costumes. This is a good ride to pick off if the queue is short, which it should be mid-week in October. As for 'Le Weekend' it is Saturday and Sunday for most French people, so Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday is midweek.

Le Visionarium was introduced first in Paris, so the WDW version is similar to Paris (rather than the other way around) A few of the scenes are different in the film, but other than that it is similar. Headphones are provided for translation into English, French, German and a couple of others I think.

The dragon under the castle is a MUST DO. Unique to Paris, it's a wonderful example of the Imagineers' creativity. It's great fun watching kids reaction in there!

I've eaten at the Auberge a couple of times, and although the food was nice I didn't think that it was any better or worse than The Blue Lagoon or Walt's. Overall we prefer the 'experience' at the BL becuase of the amazing setting. I'm sure that Simon has eaten at the Auberge - he's the author of this book and has tried out most things in the resort! I'm sure he'll offer his opinions. There is a particularly good restaurant in the Disneyland Hotel, the California Grill, which some people regard as the best Disney restaurant anywhere. I can't comment on this claim, but we did enjoy our time there. The website I pointed to is a collaborative effort between a number of DLP fans based in Germany and the UK. Unfortunately the restaurant reviews have not yet been translated into English.

There are no new rides due to open before October, although a new nightime parade, Fantillusion, will be introduced in July to replace the Main Street Electrical Parade. Unfortunately this will probably not be running when you visit in October.

As for UK school holidays, the last week of October is the usual time for mst schools to have a half-term break. DLP sees many UK visitors at that time of year, and if you can avoid it you would have smaller queues no doubt.

There's no Early Entry day at DLP, so this won't be a factor in choosing what day of the week you visit.

Regards

Rob

 

[SimonV]

As a final thought on BL v AdC, the BL is a more seafood-orientated menu (which I really enjoy) whereas AdC is more gourmet French cuisine. The Auberge is beautifully decorated but I just prefer the theming of BL. However, as you've been in the BL in DL, I would steer towards AdC (if the menu appeals to you - you will probably be able to check them both out before booking as October midweek tends to be fairly quiet).

 

[richard3330]

Hi Rhonna .,

We really enjoyed our meal at Auberge de Cendrillion. The servers were extremely friendly and the food was delicious and extremely well prepared and cooked - it arrived very quickly. On our last visit it was EXTREMELY busy, the queue was very long. I would make a reservation at the podium in the restaurant when you arrive in the morning.

I also enjoyed Walt's - but I wouldn't visit there unless I had the time to enjoy the atmosphere, rather than rush the meal and leave quickly to get on some more attractions. It is very unique and has a wonderful themed and great memorabilia. I also wouldn't visit Blue Lagoon if I was in a rush.

We prefer DLP's It's a Small World - IMO it is longer and has better scenes.


It's a shame that Disneyland Paris Resort Hotel guests don't get early entry on selected days - I really think it is something DLP should introduce.

Richard.

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Originally posted by richard3330
It's a shame that Disneyland Paris Resort Hotel guests don't get early entry on selected days - I really think it is something DLP should introduce.

Richard.

During the summer months on-site guests used to get early entry (for one hour) to Frontierland. This was a great way to get lots of ride time on Big Thunder and Phantom Manor. Sadly this stopped in '96 or '97 as part of the csot-cutting measures introduced to get on top of EuroDisney's financial problems.

Regards

Rob

 

[richard3330]

Thanks for the information, Rob.

Hopefully sometime in the future it will be re-introduced

Richard.

 

[Disney owl]

Another vote for Spacemountain, not to be missed.

Also Peter Pan which is my favourite ride. Be warned last time I rode I. Jones, which travels backwards I felt SO ill. I usually love big coasters too!!!!!

We were at DLP last October during our half- term & the queues/lines were fine. Be warned it rained most of the time we were there & of course is much colder than WDW.

I hope you enjoy your visit.



?Sue

 

[Rhonna]

Thanks everyone!

Richard, thank you for the comment about Auberge de Cendrillon, I think it will be the best choice for our visit since we want the french atmosphere and food. When it was so busy for you - what time of year and day of week were you there?

I will see if it is possible to order Simon's book at our local book store - they can usually get most anything. It might be more difficult if it's not available in the states.

I thought I read somewhere that there is a spot in the Pirates ride at DLP where you get splashed or squirted with water - does that sound right?

Thanks for your help.

Rhonna

 

[Rhonna]

Hi again,

Another question, is the entire DLP park decorated for Halloween the entire month of October? We will be there beginning to mid - October. I would really like to get photos of the park and especially Sleeping Beauty's castle without everthing being covered with Halloween decorations.

I'm one of those people who did NOT like it when they turned the castle at WDW into a birthday cake a few years back. I'd really like to see the DLP castle as it normally looks - it's really very lovely in photos I've seen.

Rhonna

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Halloween decorations go up in the first week of October and are largely restricted to Frontierland (which becomes Halloweenland for the duration). The last time I did Halloween at DLP the Castle was not decorated. Like you, I generally frown on any attempt to add unnecessary decorations around the park (why try to gild the lily), but I have to say the Halloween decorations are excellent. The Halloween theme seems to fit very comfortably in the Frontierland setting, and does add a great atmosphere at that time of year.

Pirates is generally not a wet ride if you compare it to something like Splash Mountain. Much like the same ride in WDW or DL, there is a little bit of water sprayed around at the drops and when the cannons fire at the Fort Attack, but generally you don't get wet. There is one small exception to this: just after the main lift hill the boat goes around a corner and occasionally a bit of water laps over the edge of the boat. This only affects the person sitting in the front row, left hand seat!

Regards

Rob

 

[BevS97]

they don't do early entry - but they do offer a chance to eat breakfast in Fantasyland before the parks open. We did this, and got a head start on a number of Fantasyland rides before the other guests were admitted. We rode Dumbo and the Carousel as the only guests on the ride, and were then first in line for Pirates (which I absolutely love at DLP, much more fun than the WDW version)

Bev

 

[Rhonna]

Thanks Rob,

If the castle is left alone I'll be happy.

Rhonna