New to DLP - first question of many ....

[Anne64]

Hello everyone

We are thinking of visiting DLRP for the first time in 2009 - either February or August.

I've loads of questions and have learnt from the WDW side of the DIS to ask the experts

So here goes - we will be travelling to DLRP without a car (haven't decided how yet, that's for later) probably staying 5 nights.

What is the cheapest way to book onsite hotels?

What are the best off-site hotels?

Onsite vs offsite - what are the pros and cons?

Yes I know that's 3 questions - but I've loads more

Thanks everyone

 

[Emergency Kitten]

Hiya

What is the cheapest way to book onsite hotels?

Direct with Disney - either via website (pay full cost upfront) or on the phone (pay deposit then settle about 8 weeks before departure). This is usually cheaper than going through a tour operator or an agent but of course you may find some good deals. 3 for 2 and 4 for 3 (and I think 5 for 4) night offers usually appear about 3-4 months before departure date, sometimes sooner.

What are the best off-site hotels?
Don't know - never stayed in one!

Onsite vs offsite - what are the pros and cons?
We always choose onsite for two reasons: 1 is hassle factor - I can't be doing with buses and whatnot so we have always gone for the onsite Disney hotel (rather than onsite non-disney - have no views on those) and secondly if we're going to Disney we want the whole Disney package so that means staying in a Disney hotel. We do throw rather a lot of money at it so that we can stay in the DLH which is magical; right at the park gates and a very good hotel to boot. I do think once you've stayed there you're spoiled and find it hard to go back! We've tried, twice, to not go to the DLH but have always gone back again. if you have kids the characters come to some of the hotels which has to be a bonus. Plus they have (at the top end, at least) very nice shops and restaurants, bars etc.

Offsite could I suppose be cheaper/better value?

 

[DLPdaft]

Hi,

I never have a car with me at DLRP - we always fly into CDG.

I find, for tickets/hotel packages, the official Disney site is cheapest. I book my travel completely separately.

For hotel only, onsite, you can phone Disney and get a price, or you can look on Expedia - they do onsite hotel with and without tickets, on certain dates.

I've only stayed offsite once, and it was fine. Offsite doesn't give you the onsite perks though - no EMH, no character visits to the hotels, no purchases delivered to your hotel etc. Offsite, you also have to rely on the shuttle buses/public transport, whereas you can walk between any onsite hotel and the parks/Village inside about 15 minutes (and they also have shuttle buses too).

If you are intending spending 3 days or more in the parks, buying annual passes and then an offsite hotel may work out a lot cheaper than booking a ticket/hotel package, but that depends on what time of year you are going, what special offers are available from Disney etc.

 

[tennisfan]

Hello everyone

We are thinking of visiting DLRP for the first time in 2009 - either February or August.

I've loads of questions and have learnt from the WDW side of the DIS to ask the experts

So here goes - we will be travelling to DLRP without a car (haven't decided how yet, that's for later) probably staying 5 nights.

What is the cheapest way to book onsite hotels?
What are the best off-site hotels?
Onsite vs offsite - what are the pros and cons?

Yes I know that's 3 questions - but I've loads more

Thanks everyone

What is the cheapest way to book onsite hotels? Usually through Disney themselves

What are the best off-site hotels? Holiday Inn, Kyriad, Dream Castle & Explorers are a few that are off site but close by & have a free shuttle to & from the parks. I have stayed in the Kyriad which was quite nice, many have stayed in the others

Onsite vs offsite - what are the pros and cons? Pros for on site is that everything is included, room, breakfast & park passes for the duration of the stay. Cons is sometimes they are a little bit dearer.

Pros for offsite is that they are sometimes cheaper but a con is that you will have to pay for park passes or an annual passport

 

[cookie334]

Hello and welcome

I'm pretty sure that the cheapest way to book onsite hotels is through DLRP themselves, I've never seen it cheaper anywhere else.

Can't help with the offsite hotels I'm afraid, I have no experience of any of them, but hopefully someone will be able to help you soon.

Pro's for onsite - EMH's, walking distance to the parks, you get the whole magical Disney experience, it's great if you've got little ones as you can nip back to the hotel easily enough for naps/change of clothes etc if need be without taking too much time out of your Disney experience, they're not too badly priced in comparison to the offsite ones. Hmmm can't think of anymore just now, but I'm sure there are plenty more.

The pro to being off site I guess is that if you have a larger than average group you can all get in one room whereas onsite if you have more than 4 (5 if one is under 3) you would have to have 2 rooms or pay a lot more for a larger room.

Oh another pro for onsite is you can choose to avoid the scrum of the shuttle buses and walk back to your hotel

 

[MrsTigger]

So here goes - we will be travelling to DLRP without a car (haven't decided how yet, that's for later) probably staying 5 nights.

What is the cheapest way to book onsite hotels?

What are the best off-site hotels?

Onsite vs offsite - what are the pros and cons?
Thanks everyone

Hello, welcome to the DLRP Boards,

I cant help much as I only stayed onsite, I'm sure others that have stayed offsite will be able to help you out.

I find that its cheapest to book the hotels direct with disney if staying onsite and then booking travel separately.

You can book hotel and tickets togeather, and all the hotels onsite are within walking distance to the village and to the parks,or you can take the free shuttle.

Staying in the onsite hotels you also get breakfast and use of extra magic hours - where the park is open to disney guests for 2 hours extra in the morning.However with some of the offsite hotel I dont think you get this& I also dont think some include breakfast in the price, but they do have a free shuttles.

 

[markpsych]

What is the cheapest way to book onsite hotels?

Unless you have an annual passport, and are wanting accomodation only, I would recommend: http://www.cooptravel.co.uk/disneyland-paris.aspx

Before we had APs, they consistently did it cheaper for us over a period of 4 years.

Put it this way, if you get a direct price 1st, and then call coop, they're likely to beat it by £30-£40.

 

[DLPdaft]

I meant to say in my earlier post -

There are offsite, but Disney associated, hotels (My Travel Explorers, Dream Castle, Kyriad and Holiday Inn) then there are offsite non-Disney associated, in Bussy St Georges, Val d'Europe etc. For the non-Disney associated accommodation, you would not be able to comfortably walk from any of those locales, but Val d'Europe for example is only one stop away on the train, which is literally a few minutes, and the train station at DLRP is right next to the entrance to the Parks.

 

[Anne64]

What is the cheapest way to book onsite hotels?

Unless you have an annual passport, and are wanting accomodation only, I would recommend: http://www.cooptravel.co.uk/disneyland-paris.aspx

Before we had APs, they consistently did it cheaper for us over a period of 4 years.

Put it this way, if you get a direct price 1st, and then call coop, they're likely to beat it by £30-£40.

Thanks for the replies everyone - I appreciate your help

Is it worth buying an AP to make use of the room discounts? Would it need 2-3 visits a year to make this worthwhile?

 

[Cyrano]

Hi Anne64 and welcome to DLP DIS 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, DIS posting guidelines can be found here.

As the AP discount rates are not posted up any place you need to crunch the numbers. The general rule of thumb is that after 3 days APs start to look a viable option