My DD(9) and I just returned from back to back sailings on the Disney Magic (Baltics and Norway), followed by a 4 night stay at DLRP. We had a wonderful trip! It was great to be back at DLRP. We'd gone before, when she was 4, so it was very different this time since she wanted to ride coasters and some of the more grown-up rides instead of just Peter Pan. We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, which is just so convenient. I love how compact the resort is. You really can't beat that.
Overall, we had a lovely time. All the CMs were so sweet. Really enjoyed our lunch at Auberge. The characters were great with DD. Loved seeing the different merchandise and slightly different takes on rides. A quick recap:
Pros:
Beautifully themed resort, very manageable to walk
Big Thunder is awesome there; way better than Orlando
Play areas inside the park
Loved Alice's maze
Parade was great
All the little Queen Elsas were adorable...I think Frozen might be even more popular in Europe than the states
Great CMs and no problems with guests...everyone seemed to be friendly and helpful
Ratatouille!
Crush's Coaster was a welcome addition
Lines were very manageable
The coffee was waaaaaay better than what they serve on the ship, lol. That's a low bar though.
Cons:
The biggest issue for us was the smoking. I know Americans have their own issues with passing unhealthy habits on to our kids, but the number of parents smoking right around their children (and mine) was just appalling. If anything keeps us from returning, it will be that. It is definitely the huge negative for us that makes me rethink another trip when we return to Europe next year.
We have now visited Disneyland in California, Disney World and DLRP in a space of about 8 months. DLRP is undergoing a lot of renovations, which is good. Quite frankly, it needs it. Desperately. I was really disappointed with how dirty and faded the park had become even since our last visit in 2010. I know there have been some issues with money and all, but it was very distressing to see, particularly after just being at Disneyland which tends to be obsessively neat. Even the World, with its huge numbers of guests, manages to be far cleaner, though there were some issues with that not too long ago when the economy was bad and they cut a lot of employees. At any rate, it was good to see a lot of renovations happening. I hope the park can be returned to its glory. It truly is lovely and should look it.
Like I said, we had a blast. If it were not for the smoking, I wouldn't hesitate to plan another trip. I'm not sure yet if that's a dealbreaker for us or not, but it was a huge negative.
Overall, we had a lovely time. All the CMs were so sweet. Really enjoyed our lunch at Auberge. The characters were great with DD. Loved seeing the different merchandise and slightly different takes on rides. A quick recap:
Pros:
Beautifully themed resort, very manageable to walk
Big Thunder is awesome there; way better than Orlando
Play areas inside the park
Loved Alice's maze
Parade was great
All the little Queen Elsas were adorable...I think Frozen might be even more popular in Europe than the states
Great CMs and no problems with guests...everyone seemed to be friendly and helpful
Ratatouille!
Crush's Coaster was a welcome addition
Lines were very manageable
The coffee was waaaaaay better than what they serve on the ship, lol. That's a low bar though.
Cons:
The biggest issue for us was the smoking. I know Americans have their own issues with passing unhealthy habits on to our kids, but the number of parents smoking right around their children (and mine) was just appalling. If anything keeps us from returning, it will be that. It is definitely the huge negative for us that makes me rethink another trip when we return to Europe next year.
We have now visited Disneyland in California, Disney World and DLRP in a space of about 8 months. DLRP is undergoing a lot of renovations, which is good. Quite frankly, it needs it. Desperately. I was really disappointed with how dirty and faded the park had become even since our last visit in 2010. I know there have been some issues with money and all, but it was very distressing to see, particularly after just being at Disneyland which tends to be obsessively neat. Even the World, with its huge numbers of guests, manages to be far cleaner, though there were some issues with that not too long ago when the economy was bad and they cut a lot of employees. At any rate, it was good to see a lot of renovations happening. I hope the park can be returned to its glory. It truly is lovely and should look it.
Like I said, we had a blast. If it were not for the smoking, I wouldn't hesitate to plan another trip. I'm not sure yet if that's a dealbreaker for us or not, but it was a huge negative.
