Help! DLP Noob with lots of questions :)

[limace]

We expect to be in London (from the US) at the end of this June, and are hoping to tack on a trip to France at the end of our time; of course, if I'm going to France, I'm going to DLP, come hell or high water. I'm just starting to plan, though, and feel pretty lost, so here are some (probably basic) questions. I've read some on this board and on DLRPMagic...

1. We have a family of 5, which makes finding lodging in Europe challenging. I'm looking at the Marriott Village...any option you'd recommend over this? I notice I can do a timeshare rental for a week there for about $1300 (not Euros) a week-seems like a killer deal, but is this a good location to explore other areas in France? We've also thought of doing an apartment rental in Paris-if we did that and spent a couple days at the park, would the travel be a total pain in the ***?

2. Cheapest way to buy two or three day tickets for the five of us? Kids are 4, 8, and 17. Would it be best to wait to buy them til we're in the UK?

3. Car rental? Any idea of ball park figures for late June/early July?

4. The tickets at DLP seem pretty reasonable but the restaurants seem insanely expensive. If you're a foodie, is it worth it to you? Or would our money be better spent at other local restaurants, doing quick service and/or packing snacks in the park?

Thanks in advance!

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

I am no DLRP expert--have not even been yet--BUT I too am planning a trip from the US for my family of 5. We are going to England via Iceland and then taking the Eurostar to Paris.

I'll tell you what we have done. I found a lovely apartment right by Notre Dame in Le Marias for five nights for around $200 a night, which is way better than any hotel in that area, especially because we would need two rooms. I used VRBO, if that helps at all. Then we decided to move out to the resort for four nights. This way we get to have or Paris and then our Disney! It works for us and because we were able to get the free half board meal plan currently being offered, staying on property and getting breakfast and dinner was a better deal for us. We chose the Sequoia Lodge after reading this board.

We are also renting a car for one day from Marne-Le-Vallee to drive to Epernay. It is costing us $75 just for the day. Cars are not cheap. We are renting one in England for three days and it's $200.

I have been religiously planning our trip for months! Just a few more weeks.

 

[sky13]

Yay for DLP trip!

Hotels-wise - I only have a more-than-general idea of the DLP hotels, the partner hotels (Kyriad, Magic Circus, etc) and the Val d'Europe hotels. Basically if you're staying at any of these hotels you're unlikely to need a car (as accessible by walking, shuttle bus or RER). Marriott Village looks nice but I think you will need a car (others might know better than me)...

I think it's about an hour on the RER to get between central Paris and DLP. The last time I did this journey (7 years ago) it was I think 12 Euros return on the same day... A possible alternative is to split the stay between central Paris and DLP?

2-3 day tickets... Last time my friends bought one-day tickets through either http://www.fnacspectacles.com/ or http://www.ticketnet.fr/ - think for one-day one-park it was about 40 Euros. Ticketnet.fr shows up as 126 Euros at the moment for a 3 day 2 park ticket.

An alternative to consider for tickets is an annual pass (if you're here for 3 days or more). The Francilien annual pass is 119 Euros, but this AP has blockout dates and you can't use it on the 2nd or 3rd day after making the AP. An alternative AP is the Fantasy annual pass (159 Euros - but DLRPmagic says you get 20% off if buying 5 or more at the same time), which also has blockout dates but not the 2nd/3rd day restriction. The Fantasy AP also has the advantage of letting you get into EMH if not staying on-site and restaurant/merchandise discounts. There's a lot more information on the DLRP magic annual pass page...

Will also add that in my experience that Disneyland Paris tickets tend to be rather pricey if bought either in the UK (at a Disney Store) or at the gate...

Restaurants - yes are definitely pricey! There are a few I would say are worth it - I really like Walt's and always make a point to have one meal there each trip; the hotel buffets are extremely good in selection and quality of food; and a couple of counter services are fairly decent (I was quite impressed with Golden Nugget on my last visit, plus it had entertainment!). Blue Lagoon is like the Blue Bayou and has great atmosphere (though I wasn't that impressed with the food). There is also a McDonald's and an Earl of Sandwich in Disney Village (both less than 10 Euros), and a bit more food selection at the huge shopping centre at Val d'Europe.