Guests Managing Expectations When Comparing Disneyland Paris To the Other Parks

[Karin1984]

I did notice the lack of availability for families of 5. I saw Newport Bay as probably a better fit, with the Disneyland Hotel being quite pricey. Would have to wait until the NY is reopened to get pricing there. So, are there characters that just roam around the hotel? Obviously, that would also relieve some character meets in the parks themselves. And the EMH wasn't really needed at DLR when we were just there, mainly because the parks didn't fill up until later in the day (if at all) - and that even included us waiting to enter SWGE on two days for our two 8 AM reservation times. On the other hand, our youngest has issues with lines, long waits, etc and we were able to use a DAS pass for him to help make up for the lack of EMH or other line-related issues. Four years from now, we are unsure if he will still need that assistance or not, depending on how he develops and grows. (I did read some preliminary information on how that is done at DLP, with the need of a letter, etc. - what we could NOT so easily find, however, is how it works functionally, if acquired; does it actually work like the ones in the US, where it can be used to get a return time and you enter at a designated area? or is it only available on certain attractions, etc.) If he does still need assistance, and the DLP version doesn't quite cut it (I really don't want that to sound as negatively as I think it might be read), then the EMH might indeed be a very important consideration. Do the crowds at DLP show up for rope drop or do they mosey on in around lunch time/early afternoon?

Regarding timing, when do the local schools usually get out and bring about peak season for European locals? May? June? early June? late June? April?

1. Hotels
Hotel New York was priced between New Port Bay and the Disneyland Hotel, so I do not expect this to be cheaper. You won't know prices till about 10-11(?) months in advance, everything will be an estimate before that.

2. Characters at the hotels
Characters at the hotels are usually 1 of the fab five who meet in the hotel lobby in the morning. So not all day and not roaming. Reception can help you with exact timing.

3. EMH or not
DLP and DLR are both local parks, in comparison to WDW, but I don't see the same pattern as DLR has that crowds don't build till much later in the day. If you have access to EMH I would use it, especially now that they added the big coasters to EMH in both parks, you can get those out of the way early, without using FP.

4. DAS questions
For your son, read this thread https://www.disboards.com/threads/faq-disabled-queries.3736286/
I don't think rides are excluded, it would depend more on his ability to transfer etc.

And in some cases, you don't get a return time, you just enter the DAS-queue and wait till it is your turn. Yes, there might be other families waiting, so waiting times differ, Big Thunder Mountain can get 'long'.

5. Public holidays
For public holidays and school vacations, check www.publicholidays.fr for France, the main influence of crowds.
We have more holidays and longer vacations than the US in Europe, vacations for 2023 are not officially know yet, but if you go by July & August being the summer holidays and schools get back in session in September, you will have a good estimate. If you go in earlier, keep in mind that our Spring break is usually late April, early May (depending on the country)

 

[Karin1984]

Thank you so much.

As for the timing and planning, we were just at WDW and DLR within 6 months of each other (late Nov18-June19), we have a quick WDW-DCL in Feb 2020, and DS-14 has a school sponsored trip to Ireland in July 2020 that DW and I are going as well. That, plus we are looking at 2021 for WDW's 50th anniversary, and probably a 2022 return to DLR for Marvel addition, AND, we had heard that the Marvel, Star Wars, and Frozen additions are coming to WDSP in Paris, but that they won't be ready at least until closer to being ready prior to the 2024 summer Olympics, so, that's really our timeline for everything. Plus, we will probably try to squeeze in another DCL in there somewhere.

I do have a question about the dining plans. I have seen that a current special is running now (at least on the American site) that includes a free half-board. I have also read that since these are value-vouchers, that we could still order what we would and just use the vouchers for partial payment and pay out of pocket for the remainder. I also recognize that booking via different national websites will have different rates and different offers, and all of that homework will have to be done. I also assume that my TA would be able to help with all of this (or does using a TA bind one in ethically in using the US site and US rates?? I just am not aware).

So, regarding dining. Is the dining plan really worth it (not really monetarily), but in terms of availability. I had heard where several of the restaurants close down early in the evening, and we might get stuck with unused meals or not be able to find a place to eat in the park that has availability.

Also, we have determined that we will NOT be using the WDW dining plan for many/any future trips, simply because our two youngest have been eating more picky and/or less volume, and we would have so many snacks/meals leftover and unused. While, come 2023, they will be older and able to eat more, but also, by that time, at least one (maybe two) of the three adults will have undergone bariatric surgery, and will have difficulty eating full portions. Now, again, maybe I am assuming a similarity in American portions versus those served at DLP restaurants, and if so, please let me know. However, if this is the case, would getting the meal plan (unless it is greatly discounted or free) be unnecessary/not-in-our-best-interests? Yet, if indeed the vouchers can be used for a dollar-amount value, then could we then just order how our family would eat and just pay with the vouchers like we otherwise normally would (and just pay the balance oop?)

Again, sorry for all the questions. And I suppose these may all be moot if trends, policies, or practices change in the next 3-4 years. But again, I just started wrapping my head around this just a couple of days ago.

Thanks again!!

Had you discovered this thread already? It has several FAQ threads that might be helpful
https://www.disboards.com/threads/faq-1st-time-visitors-crowds-weather-language-wifi-money.3736354/
1. TA
Ask your TA what he/she can do, but I doubt they can help with specific questions about DLP or find best deals better than you can do yourself. I don't even think they will know about the option to use a different country website to get a deal from Spain etc.

In Europe there are (to my knowledge) no TAs specialized in Disney destinations like you have in the US. You can buy your packages via TAs, but there is hardly a price difference. It is more for convenience.

2. Meal plans
It really depends on what the deal is, if it is going to be a good deal. Sometimes they have free dining. Which can be a good deal.
If it will work for your family only you can judge, if your family members cannot / dont want to eat full meals, then it may not be a good deal. But portions are smaller than in the US.

You can order what you want with the vouchers against the Euro-value.

I wouldn't be surprised if the vouchers will change in the coming years, so I wouldn't break my head over this part.

3. Restaurants.
Restaurants CAN close early during low season, during the week. That usually involves the counter service restaurants (except Agrabah Cafe). There will always be plenty of options open. They don't close all the restaurants for the evening. Don't worry about this, you will not starve and you will be able to use your vouchers somewhere.
For all the table service restaurants in the parks and at the hotels you can make reservations.
I am not sure how it works with the restaurants in Disney Village, but if they accept vouchers it should be on the DLP website.

 

[olafLover]

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[kpd6901]

1. Hotels
Hotel New York was priced between New Port Bay and the Disneyland Hotel, so I do not expect this to be cheaper. You won't know prices till about 10-11(?) months in advance, everything will be an estimate before that.

2. Characters at the hotels
Characters at the hotels are usually 1 of the fab five who meet in the hotel lobby in the morning. So not all day and not roaming. Reception can help you with exact timing.

3. EMH or not
DLP and DLR are both local parks, in comparison to WDW, but I don't see the same pattern as DLR has that crowds don't build till much later in the day. If you have access to EMH I would use it, especially now that they added the big coasters to EMH in both parks, you can get those out of the way early, without using FP.

4. DAS questions
For your son, read this thread https://www.disboards.com/threads/faq-disabled-queries.3736286/
I don't think rides are excluded, it would depend more on his ability to transfer etc.

And in some cases, you don't get a return time, you just enter the DAS-queue and wait till it is your turn. Yes, there might be other families waiting, so waiting times differ, Big Thunder Mountain can get 'long'.

5. Public holidays
For public holidays and school vacations, check www.publicholidays.fr for France, the main influence of crowds.
We have more holidays and longer vacations than the US in Europe, vacations for 2023 are not officially know yet, but if you go by July & August being the summer holidays and schools get back in session in September, you will have a good estimate. If you go in earlier, keep in mind that our Spring break is usually late April, early May (depending on the country)

Had you discovered this thread already? It has several FAQ threads that might be helpful
https://www.disboards.com/threads/faq-1st-time-visitors-crowds-weather-language-wifi-money.3736354/
1. TA
Ask your TA what he/she can do, but I doubt they can help with specific questions about DLP or find best deals better than you can do yourself. I don't even think they will know about the option to use a different country website to get a deal from Spain etc.

In Europe there are (to my knowledge) no TAs specialized in Disney destinations like you have in the US. You can buy your packages via TAs, but there is hardly a price difference. It is more for convenience.

2. Meal plans
It really depends on what the deal is, if it is going to be a good deal. Sometimes they have free dining. Which can be a good deal.
If it will work for your family only you can judge, if your family members cannot / dont want to eat full meals, then it may not be a good deal. But portions are smaller than in the US.

You can order what you want with the vouchers against the Euro-value.

I wouldn't be surprised if the vouchers will change in the coming years, so I wouldn't break my head over this part.

3. Restaurants.
Restaurants CAN close early during low season, during the week. That usually involves the counter service restaurants (except Agrabah Cafe). There will always be plenty of options open. They don't close all the restaurants for the evening. Don't worry about this, you will not starve and you will be able to use your vouchers somewhere.
For all the table service restaurants in the parks and at the hotels you can make reservations.
I am not sure how it works with the restaurants in Disney Village, but if they accept vouchers it should be on the DLP website.

I'm not sure a TA will look into different country deals for you or if they are willing to book it. But there is no ethics in being allowed to book from whatever country, it's an European law which dictates they can't sell the same product for a different price to different people, so they must allow you to book it (they can market it differently, that's where the different deals come from). Going over all the deals is still a lot of work, so a TA might not be willing to do it


You don't have to use the dining plan vouchers for dinner, you could also use them for a big lunch and then get a (cheaper) quick serve dinner. But there are some places (in Village for example), that will most definitely be only at night, so you won't have to do that each day. That said, I would never pay for the dining plan, it's just not worth it, we always pay less if we pay out of pocket. But the free one is always a good idea. Also, in Europe the portions are a lot smaller compared to America

Thank you both SO much! Re:TA, I will talk to mine, we use a small, local, family-based TA that is Disney gold-certified and focuses on customer service. We don't use our TA specifically for volume deals like some of the large nationally-marketd TA companies. Again, she may or may not be willing, but I do greatly appreciate your help and input.

 

[Winnowill]

I'm kind of in your same boat - I've been dreaming about this trip for five years, and we (finally) leave TOMORROW!

Originally, we were not planning on staying onsite. However, when I read one of @BadPinkTink's FAQs about looking at deals on different national DLP sites, I discovered that staying on site could be comparably priced - we even were able to upgrade our onsite hotel choice because, for some strange reason, Sequoia Lodge was less expensive than Cheyenne on the French site! Our total for three nights at Sequoia, booking on the French site, was 1207 Euro, versus $2200+ on the American site (including park tickets for four days). For us as Commando Disney Tourists, having access to EMH is a big deal.

 

[kpd6901]

Thank you both SO much! Re:TA, I will talk to mine, we use a small, local, family-based TA that is Disney gold-certified and focuses on customer service. We don't use our TA specifically for volume deals like some of the large nationally-marketd TA companies. Again, she may or may not be willing, but I do greatly appreciate your help and input.

I'm kind of in your same boat - I've been dreaming about this trip for five years, and we (finally) leave TOMORROW!

Originally, we were not planning on staying onsite. However, when I read one of @BadPinkTink's FAQs about looking at deals on different national DLP sites, I discovered that staying on site could be comparably priced - we even were able to upgrade our onsite hotel choice because, for some strange reason, Sequoia Lodge was less expensive than Cheyenne on the French site! Our total for three nights at Sequoia, booking on the French site, was 1207 Euro, versus $2200+ on the American site (including park tickets for four days). For us as Commando Disney Tourists, having access to EMH is a big deal.

So, after mentioning this to my TA, her response was that she has heard of this and of people doing it and was shocked that people would recommend it, due to liability concerns. She said she had called Disney twice and was told that although not often enforced, we could be forced to pay the difference upon arrival and we should just be prepared for that. IDK. Maybe it is just some inexperience or lack of comfort level on her part? Or is it because of some discrepancy between her position as an American TA, that while I might privately be able to book on another national site, that a TA is more restricted on what they are able to do. I don't think so, because I read the terms and conditions and it clearly says that any offers for any nation are available for booking by all.

 

[Winnowill]

The French site asked no questions I wasn't able to answer truthfully, including giving my real address. That said, I was not able to read the Terms of Sale because they're in a French PDF which Google Translate, apparently, can't. It's possible I've been entirely taken in. I guess I'll find out on Tuesday.

 

[olafLover]

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[B3rlingirl]

I think she's inexperienced with European law. What she's telling just isn't allowed and Disney has tried to stretch it as far as they can with the different offers. There has been an actual law suit before they allowed this and Disney lost. Not sure if she called Disney in the US or in France, but if the one n France told her this, they could be in trouble

Yes...In the EU every country has to be treated equally! Even the laws for the individual countries can’t favor one country over the other...(though they sometimes try but often loose the following lawsuits...)

This even works backwards: there are great specials for WDW for the Irish/ British ... and for the “rest of the EU” the rates aren’t very special but of course thanks to the EU laws as a German for example you can book from the Irish/British site...

 

[Karin1984]

I wonder who she asked, US or Europe, or if she called at all. Probably she is not comfortable and unfamiliar with our laws. And trying to cover herself, maybe because she thinks this cannot possibly exist. By telling you, you might be asked to pay the difference, you cannot blame her if it would happen.

 

[E&As Mom]

Thank you for all of the information on this thread! We are finally getting to go to DLP during our Spring Break (last full week of March) in 2020. We are planning on doing 2.5 days in the parks (arrival day, plus 2 other days), taking 1 day to travel to Paris for lots of sightseeing, and then an open day where we are weighing our options of what to do. Our plan is to book the Sequoia Lodge (DLP is running a nice promo right now for a stay plus the 1/2 board meal plan at a very good price for our dates). I'm looking forward to reading through all of the threads to see what else I can learn! We have visited WDW several times and DLR twice... we are excited to check out the differences and this thread has helped me understand a lot of what we'll experience!

 

[ErinC]

Thank you for all of the information on this thread! We are finally getting to go to DLP during our Spring Break (last full week of March) in 2020. We are planning on doing 2.5 days in the parks (arrival day, plus 2 other days), taking 1 day to travel to Paris for lots of sightseeing, and then an open day where we are weighing our options of what to do. Our plan is to book the Sequoia Lodge (DLP is running a nice promo right now for a stay plus the 1/2 board meal plan at a very good price for our dates). I'm looking forward to reading through all of the threads to see what else I can learn! We have visited WDW several times and DLR twice... we are excited to check out the differences and this thread has helped me understand a lot of what we'll experience!

We'll be there the exact same time that you are there! We are booked at New Port Bay though. First trip for us as well.

 

[Winnowill]

Well, we will be checking in Tuesday on our American stay booked on the French website. If there's any kind d of issue, I'll let you know!

 

[Winnowill]

Okay. We checked in yesterday to Sequoia Lodge. Not a question asked about the French reservation. Checked in just fine. Today, we had our lunch reservation at Walt's (NOT worth the expense, BTW), booked through the Dutch site. Again, no questions asked.