I'm new here - hoping to visit Disnyland Paris next Oct but no idea where to start!

[tracy021083]

Hi everyone from Manchester, England.

Just stumbled across this site on the Internet and hoping its similar to the DIBB site I found when we visited Disneyworld Florida 4 years ago and that was so helpful.

We are thinking of surprising the kids (boy 6, girl 4) with a trip to a Disneyland Paris next October in half term or there abouts - so the end of October/start of November 2013.

The thing is I have really no idea how to even start planning or where is best to book etc. there are just so many sites.
I notice there are often offers on for Disneyland ie. kids stay and play free/extra nights etc.
Is it too early to book now for this time next year? If so when would be best?
And is best to book through a tour operator or do it all myself?

Also I have really no idea re price and how much I can expect to pay if anyone can give me even a rough idea.
I would like to stay for 4 or 5 nights (if there is enough to do over there?)
Would ideally like one of the disney hotels to save on transport but can't afford thousands of £££'s.

Would appreciate any help you can give me.
Would love to return to the Florida one but its just so expensive, so hoping this will be as magical for the kids x

 

[DLPdaft]

Hi tracy021083,

Welcome to the Disneyland Paris Trip Planning & Community Board .

We are a friendly bunch here so please join in on any other thread or if you have a number of questions then just start a new thread for each

If you have not had a look yet, DLP posting rules are here
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1477038,
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Its a bit too soon to book anything decent for DLP for next October, so I'd hang off and wait for a good offer. 3nights/4days is a good starter trip time I think, to cover most things in both parks and have time for your favourites over again.

Is October half term the only time you can go? The reason I'm asking is, its a fairly expensive time to visit if it co-incides with French school holidays (as it does this week) and it will be very busy too.

England/Wales February and May half term holidays are usually better for quieter parks (although it can be freezing cold in February).

Transport isn't really a problem at DLP - the whole resort, including the furthest away onsite hotels, are walkable in 20 minutes. The 2 parks and the Village area are literally next to each other, 5 minutes apart from entrance to entrance.

Generally speaking, for booking a trip you're best to book your travel separately, and if you want to stay onsite, book your hotel through Disney or another agent when a good offer comes up. Disney gives you duration of stay park tickets and breakfast at your hotel included in the price you pay. Your children will both be free (under 7s are free at DLP all through the year).

Hope this helps with your planning a bit .

 

[scoobysnax]

We're from Macclesfield, so flying from L'pool on Easyjet again next Friday
I get Holiday Inn points, so staying next to the airport Friday night and staying in Holiday Inn in East Paris on the train line (40mins ride) from the park

We tend to eat lunch out of the park in Disney Village and have one special evening meal in the Parks
breakfast is a bakery and fruit

 

[tracy021083]

Thanks for the replies.

I guess we could possibly go in May half term hols instead, was just thinking of October to give us longer to save up!
Do you have any rough idea how much we are looking at for the 3 nights/4 days inc flights? Is it around the 2k mark. And how much spends would we need?
Definately want to stay in one of the Disney hotels but haven't looked at them in detail yet - are they all very good or are there any to avoid?

 

[HFJohnson]

We went in May this year and paid around £600 for three nights at the Cheyenne, including park tickets. The Cheyenne is one of the cheaper hotels but the themeing is great (it's laid out like a wild west town) and it's only a 10-15 minute walk to the parks. You'll have flights on top of that (I'd be looking to book those asap if you're going in May) and then food and souveniers. With the hotel, the eurostar and all spending money it cost us around £1300.

 

[torsie24]

It could be as high as 2k but only if you want to stay in the Disneyland Hotel (the big pink one that is at the park entrance.) Will be much much cheaper if you pick any of the others.

I suggest looking at/pricing up the Sequoia Lodge. It's a lovely walk to the parks from there (10-15 mins) the prices are good and it has lovely theming (like Wilderness Lodge at WDW)

We had 3 nights 4 days at SL in expensive summer season and paid around £800. If you did want to go all out and stay at the DLH you can get deals. But needs to be at a quieter time of year. For example we stayed there in January (very very quiet time of year) and we paid £800 for 3 nights 4 days.

There are often great deals like 40% off or 1 or 2 nights free. The experts round here will know when the best deals are going to crop up.

 

[tracy021083]

It could be as high as 2k but only if you want to stay in the Disneyland Hotel (the big pink one that is at the park entrance.) Will be much much cheaper if you pick any of the others.

I suggest looking at/pricing up the Sequoia Lodge. It's a lovely walk to the parks from there (10-15 mins) the prices are good and it has lovely theming (like Wilderness Lodge at WDW)

We had 3 nights 4 days at SL in expensive summer season and paid around £800. If you did want to go all out and stay at the DLH you can get deals. But needs to be at a quieter time of year. For example we stayed there in January (very very quiet time of year) and we paid £800 for 3 nights 4 days.

There are often great deals like 40% off or 1 or 2 nights free. The experts round here will know when the best deals are going to crop up.

thanks for your reply.
I have priced up the Sequoia and its really reasonable - around £650 for 4 nights/5 days
thats with staying in on of the lodges - have they recently been upgraded? and are they ok to stay in as think i read they can be a long walk from the main hotel? its around £85 to upgrade to the main building, which doesnt sound much but we're on a budget with wanting to do lots of other things.
The Cheyenne is a contender at around £560 ish.

 

[DLPdaft]

thanks for your reply.
I have priced up the Sequoia and its really reasonable - around £650 for 4 nights/5 days
thats with staying in on of the lodges - have they recently been upgraded? and are they ok to stay in as think i read they can be a long walk from the main hotel? its around £85 to upgrade to the main building, which doesnt sound much but we're on a budget with wanting to do lots of other things.
The Cheyenne is a contender at around £560 ish.

nothing is "a long walk" from anything else at DLP . The lodges are a couple of minutes walk, if that, from the main building, at the Sequoia Lodge, and every room at the Sequoia Lodge has been refurbised, including the lodges.

 

[tracy021083]

nothing is "a long walk" from anything else at DLP . The lodges are a couple of minutes walk, if that, from the main building, at the Sequoia Lodge, and every room at the Sequoia Lodge has been refurbised, including the lodges.

oh thats good then thank you!

 

[zavandor]

If staying onsite I prefere the Cheyenne. It's the decor I like the most and it's cheaper. It's maybe one or two minutes longer to walk to the park then Sequoia Lodge so not much difference.
There are also convenient hotels off site for a budget stay, but I think that with children free and 30% off offer it's probably better to stay on site.

 

[tracy021083]

If staying onsite I prefere the Cheyenne. It's the decor I like the most and it's cheaper. It's maybe one or two minutes longer to walk to the park then Sequoia Lodge so not much difference.
There are also convenient hotels off site for a budget stay, but I think that with children free and 30% off offer it's probably better to stay on site.

thank you
yes would really like to stay onsite (although cant even imagine the whole layout of the disney hotels site anyway and havent looked yet)
i am still considering the 2 hotels, will work out how much money we have and what things we want to do then maybe that will decide for me.
One thing though i was expecting the Disney hotels to be a bit more Disney themed - having looked at a few pics online (not many admittedly) i was imagining them to be OTT with Disney stuff - wallpaper, soft furnishings etc. and they just seem like any other normal hotel?! with the exception of the big hotel at the entrance to the park.

 

[torsie24]

They all have little touches of Disney in the decor.

If you have boys then the Santa Fe might be worth a consideration if they like Cars? The rooms there have just been refurbished in a really fun Lightning MacQueen theme.

SL has bambi artwork in the rooms and they all have hidden mickeys in the wallpaper/carpet etc.

I'd personally pick SL as the breakfast is apparently much better than in the Cheyenne or Santa Fe. But I've not stayed in any of those two to compare. We liked the SL breakfast fine but were glad is wasn't any less on offer.

The DLH breakfast is AMAZING though. One of my favourite things about staying there and you can actually pay for it (€14 per person) if you're not a guest. So that's a nice option when you're staying elsewhere. X

 

[DLPdaft]

they are not OTT Disney themed, none of the hotels are, but they are subtly themed. The Santa Fe is probably the most overtly-Disney themed out of all the hotels, as it has a Cars theme, with Cars pictures, lightning bolts in the flooring, Cars bedcovers, pictures in the rooms, even the mirrors in the bathrooms.

The Cheyenne has no Disney theme, its a wild west town theme. Sequoia Lodge has a subtle Bambi theme in the refurbished rooms.

 

[tracy021083]

They all have little touches of Disney in the decor.

If you have boys then the Santa Fe might be worth a consideration if they like Cars? The rooms there have just been refurbished in a really fun Lightning MacQueen theme.

SL has bambi artwork in the rooms and they all have hidden mickeys in the wallpaper/carpet etc.

I'd personally pick SL as the breakfast is apparently much better than in the Cheyenne or Santa Fe. But I've not stayed in any of those two to compare. We liked the SL breakfast fine but were glad is wasn't any less on offer.

The DLH breakfast is AMAZING though. One of my favourite things about staying there and you can actually pay for it (€14 per person) if you're not a guest. So that's a nice option when you're staying elsewhere. X

We have one of each so think the Santa Fe is out of the running - our daughter hates boys stuff (our son doesn't like girly things either but could probably tolerate it more lol)

 

[tracy021083]

they are not OTT Disney themed, none of the hotels are, but they are subtly themed. The Santa Fe is probably the most overtly-Disney themed out of all the hotels, as it has a Cars theme, with Cars pictures, lightning bolts in the flooring, Cars bedcovers, pictures in the rooms, even the mirrors in the bathrooms.

The Cheyenne has no Disney theme, its a wild west town theme. Sequoia Lodge has a subtle Bambi theme in the refurbished rooms.

Thank you
I'd be happy with either of the 2 on our short list I think but if the SL do better breakfasts that might just swing it along with it having a pool.
What are the breakfasts like over there are they the continental type and not dry ups?

 

[torsie24]

Yes. They are continental.

At SL and NPB it's fruit, yoghurts, bread, Croissants, ham and cheese.

I think the Cheyenne and Santa Fe are similar but less options and no fruit. Also at SL you get seated whereas at the cheaper 2 you have to scrum to find a table.

The hotel New York and DLH have continental with extra pastries (yum) and a hot buffet too. Also your drinks are waiter service at DLH can't remember at HNY but I think we helped ourselves.

 

[figaro2]

Iv heard lots of bad things on here about Santa fe and Cheyenne breakfasts but personally iv never experienced anything bad with them, if you pick a busy time then it might take you a minute or so but it's not really that bad, and the breakfast selection suits us fine for a few days, more of a selection than we get at home anyway! Lol

 

[DLPdaft]

Thank you
I'd be happy with either of the 2 on our short list I think but if the SL do better breakfasts that might just swing it along with it having a pool.
What are the breakfasts like over there are they the continental type and not dry ups?

as Torsie said, you are seated at the SL, and its a slightly better variety of continental breakfast. You can pay extra (its around 4 euros) for a plate of hot breakfast items when you're having breakfast at the SL.

 

[tracy021083]

Thanks girls I will prefer the continental breakfast but hubby will miss the fry ups so good to know he could buy one if he wanted to.

I have decided on the sequoia yay : )
Hoping to get it booked soon, just trying to get 'cheap' flights at the mo then we'll be ready to book x

 

[torsie24]

Great choice. You'll love it.

X