peajay18
Diamond In The Rough
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2007
- Messages
- 393
*EDIT* I've noticed that this thread title is VERY similar to Ms Poppins', and there seems to be a lot of DISers who visited around the same time so apologies if any of this is repeating what others have posted!*
We've been back over a week now and I've finally got around to writing a TR.
My wife, Kathryn, and I (Paul) booked this trip way back in April and thanks to the "40% off" offer we were able to fulfil the long-held dream of staying at the Disneyland hotel
for 2 nights/3 days! We'd previously stayed at the the Santa Fe (Oct 2004), Sequoia Lodge (Oct 2005) and the Hotel New York (Feb 2009).
We caught the train on Tues night from Peterborough to London and stayed the night in the Hoxton Hotel and caught the tube to St Pancras in the morning, ready for our 09.53 Eurostar train to DLRP.
The Eurostar left on time and we had a pretty uneventful journey.
We arrived at Marne la Vallee at 13.30 (local time) and made our way to to the DLH with our luggage (we've used the Disney Express luggage service once before, and it just wasn't worth the hassle of queuing to drop the bags off and then wait for them at the other end, so we carried a bag each through the security check)
A brief wait in line to check in at the DLH and a great Spanish CM checked us in and said our room wouldn't be ready for an hour so we checked our luggage and made our way to the park...
Great pictures everywhere in the DLH!
Dumbo welcomes you at the DLH entrance (parkside)
Love the little details, like this wallpaper in the DLH lobby.
We got into the park at about 2.15 and we had clear blue skies.
First point of business was to get something to eat and we checked out Hakuna Matata and Colonel Haithi's Pizza outpost in Adventureland, then Fuente del Oro in Frontierland before settling on the Last Chance Cafe.
We hadn't eaten there before because it's always been closed during the colder months we've visited, but I guess it's new outdoor seating area means it can open more often. Kathryn had the Texan platter (chicken wings, onion rings, cheese and vegetable sticks) and I had had the very unadventurous chicken strips. Both were fine for a quick counter-service meal.
This was also the first of many times in the counter-service restaurants that I had to go back and ask for various condiments, as they don't automatically give you salt, ketchup etc and they don't have them available in the dining area. I had to join the queue again, so a top tip is always make sure you've got everything you need before leaving the counter!
Blue skies over the obligatory entrance photo.
This pic is my new desktop wallpaper!
Teepees at the Frontierland entrance - I've never noticed before how close you can get to them.
Whatever happened to the huge ghost that used to pull the riverboat during the Halloween season?
Then it was on to Phantom Manor, where there were villains galore outside.
We saw Prince John, Sheriff Of Nottingham, Maleficent and the Snow White Hag but the crowds were too fierce to brave so we joined the queue for PM.
We were in the stretching room within 10mins and glad to be in the warm!
The ride stopped briefly 3 times whilst we were on it (once in the pitch black bit just before the singing busts!) and all effects were in fine working order, except for the phantom figure in the ballroom scene who was static and had his spotlight turned off.
I love this attraction and this was the first time we were able to ride since 2005, as it was closed for refurb last time we visited.
After we'd exited the Manor it was time to head back to the hotel and get into our room...
TBC
We've been back over a week now and I've finally got around to writing a TR.
My wife, Kathryn, and I (Paul) booked this trip way back in April and thanks to the "40% off" offer we were able to fulfil the long-held dream of staying at the Disneyland hotel
for 2 nights/3 days! We'd previously stayed at the the Santa Fe (Oct 2004), Sequoia Lodge (Oct 2005) and the Hotel New York (Feb 2009).
We caught the train on Tues night from Peterborough to London and stayed the night in the Hoxton Hotel and caught the tube to St Pancras in the morning, ready for our 09.53 Eurostar train to DLRP.
The Eurostar left on time and we had a pretty uneventful journey.
We arrived at Marne la Vallee at 13.30 (local time) and made our way to to the DLH with our luggage (we've used the Disney Express luggage service once before, and it just wasn't worth the hassle of queuing to drop the bags off and then wait for them at the other end, so we carried a bag each through the security check)
A brief wait in line to check in at the DLH and a great Spanish CM checked us in and said our room wouldn't be ready for an hour so we checked our luggage and made our way to the park...
Great pictures everywhere in the DLH!
Dumbo welcomes you at the DLH entrance (parkside)
Love the little details, like this wallpaper in the DLH lobby.
We got into the park at about 2.15 and we had clear blue skies.
First point of business was to get something to eat and we checked out Hakuna Matata and Colonel Haithi's Pizza outpost in Adventureland, then Fuente del Oro in Frontierland before settling on the Last Chance Cafe.
We hadn't eaten there before because it's always been closed during the colder months we've visited, but I guess it's new outdoor seating area means it can open more often. Kathryn had the Texan platter (chicken wings, onion rings, cheese and vegetable sticks) and I had had the very unadventurous chicken strips. Both were fine for a quick counter-service meal.
This was also the first of many times in the counter-service restaurants that I had to go back and ask for various condiments, as they don't automatically give you salt, ketchup etc and they don't have them available in the dining area. I had to join the queue again, so a top tip is always make sure you've got everything you need before leaving the counter!
Blue skies over the obligatory entrance photo.
This pic is my new desktop wallpaper!
Teepees at the Frontierland entrance - I've never noticed before how close you can get to them.
Whatever happened to the huge ghost that used to pull the riverboat during the Halloween season?
Then it was on to Phantom Manor, where there were villains galore outside.
We saw Prince John, Sheriff Of Nottingham, Maleficent and the Snow White Hag but the crowds were too fierce to brave so we joined the queue for PM.
We were in the stretching room within 10mins and glad to be in the warm!
The ride stopped briefly 3 times whilst we were on it (once in the pitch black bit just before the singing busts!) and all effects were in fine working order, except for the phantom figure in the ballroom scene who was static and had his spotlight turned off.
I love this attraction and this was the first time we were able to ride since 2005, as it was closed for refurb last time we visited.
After we'd exited the Manor it was time to head back to the hotel and get into our room...
TBC
