Fist time to DLP few questions.

[loli104]

We went to Florida this year and that is not going to happen again in a LONG TIME and on the basis we live close to the channel tunnel, we can nip over two to three times a year quite easily. BUT....I have a few questions.

1. On the basis that we hate queuing, Ive pretty much accepted that our only option are VIP fast passes. This only leaves the Disneyland Paris Hotel as a viable option. I can not find hotel prices anywhere so I have no clue if its better to stay concierge or just POP for the passes. I figure that if we just pay for the passes we can do all the big rides in one day using the vip fp and then just sort of take it easy on the rest of the days.

2. On the website, I can only find packages which include tickets and free dining half board. This is fine but we are very tempted to buy the Dream AP. I understand that you can not put the price of the tickets towards an AP if you do a package so I'm not sure what works out better, to book the hotel and buy and AP when were there (but then we wouldnt get the AP hotel discount), or just book a package and buy the AP whilst IM there..... considering the half board meal offer which is pretty good.....

My head is spinning, can some of the more experienced members please shed some light???

Thank you

 

[DLPdaft]

We went to Florida this year and that is not going to happen again in a LONG TIME and on the basis we live close to the channel tunnel, we can nip over two to three times a year quite easily. BUT....I have a few questions.

1. On the basis that we hate queuing, Ive pretty much accepted that our only option are VIP fast passes. This only leaves the Disneyland Paris Hotel as a viable option. I can not find hotel prices anywhere so I have no clue if its better to stay concierge or just POP for the passes. I figure that if we just pay for the passes we can do all the big rides in one day using the vip fp and then just sort of take it easy on the rest of the days.

there are other ways of not queueing at DLP, which don't involve spending megabucks on VIP fastpasses or Castle Club rooms at the Disneyland Hotel. Firstly - go midweek, when all the French, English and European schools are in term. You won't queue for anything for longer than about 20 minutes.
There aren't that many rides at DLP which have fastpass to be honest, so even with a VIP fastpass on a busy weekend day at DLP, you'll have to queue. If you must buy VIP fastpass, you can buy them at the DLH, HNY, and I believe at City Hall in the main park. They currently cost 60 euros per person per day I believe. But as I said already, in my opinion they are a waste of money at DLP, unless you are there for one or 2 days only over a weekend, or in high season/French school holidays.


2. On the website, I can only find packages which include tickets and free dining half board. This is fine but we are very tempted to buy the Dream AP. I understand that you can not put the price of the tickets towards an AP if you do a package so I'm not sure what works out better, to book the hotel and buy and AP when were there (but then we wouldnt get the AP hotel discount), or just book a package and buy the AP whilst IM there..... considering the half board meal offer which is pretty good.....

My head is spinning, can some of the more experienced members please shed some light???

Thank you

my advice would be to price up getting Dream APs through promoparcs or cemultiavantages. These APs give you access to the parks 365 days per year, access to Extra Magic Hours in the park, regardless of where you are staying, and food and souvenir discounts while at DLP. Then have a look at the price of a 4* associated hotel, like the Dream Castle or Magic Circus, booked through travelrepublic, expedia, alpharooms, ebookers etc etc

Meal plans at DLP are not good value at all, especially compared to those at WDW. They don't save you money, and they are restrictive. So discount any "free" half board plan you're seeing for onsite - especially if for the price of your APs and offsite but associated hotel, its a lot cheaper, because then you can just take your meal money with you to DLP, eat where you like, and pay at the end of the meal.

AP discount on onsite room only through DLP themselves is rarely cheaper than a package, as the rack rate for the rooms are so expensive to begin with.

Have a look at the AP thread here -

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3094378

for loads of information about how to best use an AP, whether you prefer to stay onsite or offsite. As you live so close to the tunnel, and you intend going a few times a year, personally I wouldn't consider a full package at all for your family, it would be APs and offsite but nearby every time for me .

 

[HFJohnson]

I agree with the previous poster - if you're able to visit during term time then VIP fastpasses aren't necessary. We were there a couple of weeks ago, Wednesday to Friday, and the queues were manageable down to non-existant.

You can also get some good onsite deals if you have APs, especially in the winter months. At moment you can get a room at the Cheyenne or the Santa Fe for around £60 a night.

 

[sky13]

As other people have said - there are definitely ways to avoid long queues at DLP. EMH is a great way of getting into Fantasyland and Discoveryland early for Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, Peter Pan and a couple of other rides. The FP system works fairly well too.

I almost got a VIP fast pass last year and actually went as far as going to ask about them at City Hall, but the CM there advised me that it wasn't probably going to be worth it, especially as I had EMH with my Dream AP, which has access to several of the FP rides. Although I have to say I occasionally think it may be worth it to pay 60 Euros just to go on Big Thunder Mountain non stop... (But then again, 60 Euros could also pay for a very nice meal at Walt's with money left over!)

Free half-board could be pretty good value in my opinion, but it depends on whether you think you would get good use out of the vouchers. AP would be a great option especially if you think you might go again within the year, and you also get discounts on food/merchandise and a couple of other perks like EMH.

The hotel discounts with AP usually aren't great - I wanted to add on an extra day to our stay and called up their number. The cost I was quoted for 1 night's stay with the AP discount was more than the cost coming up on the disneylandparis website for the exact same room including park tickets for 1 guest!