May I vent about Disneyland Paris here?

[FergieTCat]

(Looked like as good a place as any).

I am visiting Paris in March, and am of course visiting Disneyland Paris. Unbeknownst to me when I planned this, their Studios are opening on March 16th, so I will be there for Opening Day.

I thought I'd try to book a room there. The cheapest package I could get was $375, which included 3 nights in their equivalent of the AS (Hotel Santa Fe) and a park pass. You cannot book the room separately, which I think sucks because I only need a two day park pass. But, OK, I was willing to deal with it. I then read that the Hotel Santa Fe is the ickiest Disney hotel ever built. Apparently, it's designed to be a motel on Route 66, and the rooms are apparently small, dark and noisy (just like the real thing!) To upgrade to another hotel would have cost $425 for three nights, including the 4-day pass. If I stay in Paris and take the train each morning, it will cost me $250 plus the 2 day park pass ($60). And the hotel is alot nicer.

So ... I called to cancel the room, and was told my money would be refunded eventually. (I'm thinking 6-8 weeks). They could not give me a cancellation number, but told me not to worry because it was "in the system." I don't know how things work in Europe, but I have been nailed a few times in the U.S. by hotels claiming I never called to cancel. If they dont' refund my money, I can always contest the claim on my credit card, I guess.

Thanks for letting me clear my spleen ...

 

[Sarangel]

First, beware of other people's descriptions of hotel rooms. Since taste is so different, what other people find noisy & dark you may find just fine. When I went to WDW for the first time, we had rooms booked in the Carribean Bach Resort & I read a lot of descriptions of the rooms that led me to believe that they would be small & icky. When we got there, I found the rooms to be just fine (and that it wouldn't have mattered much anyway, since we barely spent any time there).

Second, many of the hotel rooms in Paris are also noisy & dark (from personal experience), and if DLP is your primary destination, then you may perfer noisy & dark & close to noisy & dark & far away. If Paris itself is your primary destination & DLP is just a side trip, then definately stay in Paris.

Third, many European hotels will fax you a cancellation since they do so much business by fax...

Good luck & enjoy your trip. And let us know how the Studios are when you get back.

Sarangel

 

[GeorgeY]

We have stayed at both The Disneyland resort (Paris) and Hotel Santa Fe. We stayed 1 night at Hotel Santa Fe and will never stay another. We went in March as well, but when we were there there was a heat wave and the Hotel Santa Fe Rooms do not have an Air Conditioner, just a fan. The room was very smelly and appeared to have house animals (i.e. dogs) due to all the scratches. The food court how ever was better food than any of the restaurants at the Disneyland Resort (even the Calif Grille).

George

 

[FergieTCat]

Sarangel -- Disney themselves are the ones who will not give me a cancellation number or proof of the cancellation. I am not happy about that at all. I am going to call again next month from my home telephone (I'm at work where we don't get phone bills). That way I will have proof that I did make the call. I decided to stay in Paris at a 3 star hotel, which appears to be adequate. I have no doubt that the room will be small, but I'd prefer to stay in a hotel rather than a motel with the parking lot outside of my door.

George -- That's what I heard about the Hotel Santa Fe. I read some reviews on line and no one seems to like it.

 

[mmouse37]

I went to Disneyland Paris in March of last year and we also had problems with the hotels and the packages. We had one person not be able to go at the last minute to a death in the family and the hotel would not credit back their portion of the package. It was a big mess. We stayed in hotel new york and it was fine, though very smokey (many more people seem to smoke in Europe than in the US)

We took the train into Paris on two days and found the rates very reasonable. We had damp, chilly weather for five days.

Hope you have a good time!

MJ

 

[brad]

I hope you are not going to be TOO disappointed with the studios.

Apparently it is as bad or even worse than DCA.

 

[Scotfan]

Apparently you can book room only at DLP hotels.
If you phone the hotel direct and tell them that you have an annual pass they will give you a room only or perhaps B+B rate.
If you go on to the UKDIS Boards you will find people who do this.
Sorry I dont know how to do a link.

 

[SpaceMountain_uk]

Firstly have you even seen the studios? The quality of that park is amazing.The detail on every building is up to the high disney standards. The studios in paris is actually bigger than MGM when it first opened and has more attractions on opening than MGM had on opening.

DCA is no comparison. You shouldn't judge this park before its even open. go here http://www.dlp-guidebook.de/ to see the lastest construction pictures and you'll be impressed. Having seen the construction myself 1 month ago I cant wait for the opening.

Euro Disney SCA hasnt got the huge amounts of money needed to build a super park but phase 2 is under construction already before phase 1 has even opened. We could see a TOT there by 2003. and rumours suggest a toontown backlot aswell. Euro Disney has done amazingly well compared to what california produced.

Anyway anyone know that during construction the Walt Disney Co. brought in some archaeologists because they unearthed ancient cavemen fossils. and that when the resort was being built it was the biggest archaeological burial site in europe.