My Family:
Myself Susan, just turned 40 (ouch), Disney fan with 1 trip to WDW and 2 trips to Disneyland previously enjoyed.
DH Darling husband, also just turned 40. Never been to Disney and at a loss to understand why I love it so much
Zino 7 Years, lover of all things Disney having accompanied me on all my Disney trips the first one being when he was 1 year old!
Zak 20 months First time visitor to Disney. Not really interested unless its covered in chocolate.
Today was to be our non Disney day. We had a lot of things we all wanted to do but our main priority was to climb the Eiffel Tower. Zino was really looking forward to this. He had watched Rugrats in Paris at least 20 times in preparation and was determined to climb all the stairs and not take the lift.
But first we wanted to see the Science and Technology Museum. I have visited this about 10 years ago and knew that both the kids would love it. We asked at the Hotel reception and they told us to head for La Defence. It took an hour on the RER to get there and we emerged under the spectacular La Defence building. It was freezing cold and all the snow from the previous day had been compacted into very slippery ice and walking around outside and pushing the pushchair was uncomfortable and difficult. We wandering around a bit and couldnt find the Museum we wanted. It was Sunday and everything was closed and nothing signposted very well. In fact the only sign of life seemed to be fellow tourists all looking as lost as we were. After half an hour trying to find our destination we were bitterly cold and numb so we decided to get the lift up to the top of La Defence (£10 entrance fee for the family). Not that we really wanted to go up to the top, but we were desperate to get inside and warm up and figured someone would be able to give us directions. Although this building advertised spectacular views we emerged from the lift into a dark depressing room full of dark and depressing art works. The space at the top of La Defence is sort of sunken into the top of the building so that the windows on all sides only look out onto unattractive steep concrete steps leading up to the edge of the building. Very weird design. So although you are on the top of the building you feel like you are in a basement. And the only way to see any view is to go outside, up steep icy steps to the viewing platforms. And we came here to avoid the cold.
Anyhow there was a small souvenir shop and I found a map which showed us that the Museum we were here for was in fact on the other side of Paris. The Hotel reception staff had given us the completely wrong information and we had wasted the entire morning coming to the wrong place. Damn.
It would have taken at least another hour on the RER to get to the Museum, and meanwhile Zino had spied the Eiffel Tower from the lookout and was desperate to get to it, so we decided to change our plans and head straight for this. Back onto the RER, another half hour slipping and sliding over the ice and we were at the base of the Eiffel Tower.
It was closed.
All the signs advertised Open every day. All the souvenir shops were open. All the crepe sellers were open. In fact everyone seemed open except for the four entrance Pillars. No signs of explanation, just hundreds of tourists looking puzzled and wandering from pillar to pillar trying to get onto the tower. Eventually we spied a lone security guard having a cigarette around the back of the pillar. We ask when the tower would be open. Closed. Ice. Was his (not so) friendly reply. Oh boy what a day this was turning into.
We got some crepes for lunch. Chocolate for the kids to try and keep the tears away. We were freezing cold, we all had wet bums from slipping over on the ice, and just to add insult to injury, it started snowing again.
We had a quick discussion. I wanted to head for the Museum of Science and Technology. Hubby wanted to go to Montmatre to get some street artists to draw pictures of the kids. Zino wanted to go to the Aquarium. Zak wanted to go anywhere which was warm and dry and tasted of chocolate (well, he would have said that if he could talk). Zino won. We decided to give up on Paris, and head back to the hotel to change and warm up and then spend the rest of the afternoon at the aquarium. I knew both the kids would enjoy this. So after achieving nothing in the day, we headed back to Val dEurope and just over one hour later were outside the doors to the shopping centre. Which would not open. Because the shopping centre was closed. It was Sunday, and contrary to the signs on the doors, the brochures in the hotel, and the information from reception, the Val dEurope shopping centre is not open on Sundays in the winter. We headed back to reception who said that they believed that the food court was open, and so was the Aquarium. But to get to them we would have to walk around the outside of the shopping centre to get to the entrance at the other end. This would have been at least a half hour on the slippery icy pathways, in minus 5 degrees, with a pushchair. As both hubby and Zino had once more slipped on ice getting across the road from the RER station to the Hotel, we decided this was simply not possible.
Wow, wasnt this a great day in Paris.
To console ourselves we decided to eat in the Hotel restaurant. Actually we had no choice because with the shopping centre closed there was simply nowhere else to eat apart from room service which only offered cold baguettes. The meal was quite nice and reasonable priced. The small restaurant at one end was full of families and kids obviously all here to visit Disney, and at the other end was full of suited delegates all attending a medical conference. Bizarre mix of clientele and although the waiting staff were wonderful the conference delegates were obviously most irritated at the occasional youngster wandering around their tables.
That evening I tried phoning around to sort out our departure day. Firstly I could not get the phone to work. After carefully reading all the instructions in the room I finally dialled reception (more than a little embarrassed) to be told that you cannot use the phone until we have your credit card details. Now havent I heard this before?! Once again I had to inform them that they already had my credit card details. They agreed to unlock the phone, and also (finally) unlocked our fridge (all done from a centralised computer system at reception). I phoned the Disneyland information line who told me that the TGV did not go from Disney to Charles De Gaulle. When pressed they admitted that a train did go but it was not the TGV and was unsuitable for your requirements. They insisted that the only way to get to CDG was using their bus system. I phoned a number for Paris Tourist Information who told me that they knew nothing about getting from Disney to CDG. I phoned TGV information line. They didnt answer. I asked at reception who told me that the TGV did go from Disney to CDG. Were now most confused and more than a little annoyed! For the first time in my life I was actually looking forward to the end of my holiday! Just the finish the evening on a low note, we decided to relax in front of the Disney Channel on TV. To find it wasn't working. Reception said they would fix it when maintenance were available 'some time tomorrow.'
Myself Susan, just turned 40 (ouch), Disney fan with 1 trip to WDW and 2 trips to Disneyland previously enjoyed.
DH Darling husband, also just turned 40. Never been to Disney and at a loss to understand why I love it so much
Zino 7 Years, lover of all things Disney having accompanied me on all my Disney trips the first one being when he was 1 year old!
Zak 20 months First time visitor to Disney. Not really interested unless its covered in chocolate.
Today was to be our non Disney day. We had a lot of things we all wanted to do but our main priority was to climb the Eiffel Tower. Zino was really looking forward to this. He had watched Rugrats in Paris at least 20 times in preparation and was determined to climb all the stairs and not take the lift.
But first we wanted to see the Science and Technology Museum. I have visited this about 10 years ago and knew that both the kids would love it. We asked at the Hotel reception and they told us to head for La Defence. It took an hour on the RER to get there and we emerged under the spectacular La Defence building. It was freezing cold and all the snow from the previous day had been compacted into very slippery ice and walking around outside and pushing the pushchair was uncomfortable and difficult. We wandering around a bit and couldnt find the Museum we wanted. It was Sunday and everything was closed and nothing signposted very well. In fact the only sign of life seemed to be fellow tourists all looking as lost as we were. After half an hour trying to find our destination we were bitterly cold and numb so we decided to get the lift up to the top of La Defence (£10 entrance fee for the family). Not that we really wanted to go up to the top, but we were desperate to get inside and warm up and figured someone would be able to give us directions. Although this building advertised spectacular views we emerged from the lift into a dark depressing room full of dark and depressing art works. The space at the top of La Defence is sort of sunken into the top of the building so that the windows on all sides only look out onto unattractive steep concrete steps leading up to the edge of the building. Very weird design. So although you are on the top of the building you feel like you are in a basement. And the only way to see any view is to go outside, up steep icy steps to the viewing platforms. And we came here to avoid the cold.
Anyhow there was a small souvenir shop and I found a map which showed us that the Museum we were here for was in fact on the other side of Paris. The Hotel reception staff had given us the completely wrong information and we had wasted the entire morning coming to the wrong place. Damn.
It would have taken at least another hour on the RER to get to the Museum, and meanwhile Zino had spied the Eiffel Tower from the lookout and was desperate to get to it, so we decided to change our plans and head straight for this. Back onto the RER, another half hour slipping and sliding over the ice and we were at the base of the Eiffel Tower.
It was closed.
All the signs advertised Open every day. All the souvenir shops were open. All the crepe sellers were open. In fact everyone seemed open except for the four entrance Pillars. No signs of explanation, just hundreds of tourists looking puzzled and wandering from pillar to pillar trying to get onto the tower. Eventually we spied a lone security guard having a cigarette around the back of the pillar. We ask when the tower would be open. Closed. Ice. Was his (not so) friendly reply. Oh boy what a day this was turning into.
We got some crepes for lunch. Chocolate for the kids to try and keep the tears away. We were freezing cold, we all had wet bums from slipping over on the ice, and just to add insult to injury, it started snowing again.
We had a quick discussion. I wanted to head for the Museum of Science and Technology. Hubby wanted to go to Montmatre to get some street artists to draw pictures of the kids. Zino wanted to go to the Aquarium. Zak wanted to go anywhere which was warm and dry and tasted of chocolate (well, he would have said that if he could talk). Zino won. We decided to give up on Paris, and head back to the hotel to change and warm up and then spend the rest of the afternoon at the aquarium. I knew both the kids would enjoy this. So after achieving nothing in the day, we headed back to Val dEurope and just over one hour later were outside the doors to the shopping centre. Which would not open. Because the shopping centre was closed. It was Sunday, and contrary to the signs on the doors, the brochures in the hotel, and the information from reception, the Val dEurope shopping centre is not open on Sundays in the winter. We headed back to reception who said that they believed that the food court was open, and so was the Aquarium. But to get to them we would have to walk around the outside of the shopping centre to get to the entrance at the other end. This would have been at least a half hour on the slippery icy pathways, in minus 5 degrees, with a pushchair. As both hubby and Zino had once more slipped on ice getting across the road from the RER station to the Hotel, we decided this was simply not possible.
Wow, wasnt this a great day in Paris.
To console ourselves we decided to eat in the Hotel restaurant. Actually we had no choice because with the shopping centre closed there was simply nowhere else to eat apart from room service which only offered cold baguettes. The meal was quite nice and reasonable priced. The small restaurant at one end was full of families and kids obviously all here to visit Disney, and at the other end was full of suited delegates all attending a medical conference. Bizarre mix of clientele and although the waiting staff were wonderful the conference delegates were obviously most irritated at the occasional youngster wandering around their tables.
That evening I tried phoning around to sort out our departure day. Firstly I could not get the phone to work. After carefully reading all the instructions in the room I finally dialled reception (more than a little embarrassed) to be told that you cannot use the phone until we have your credit card details. Now havent I heard this before?! Once again I had to inform them that they already had my credit card details. They agreed to unlock the phone, and also (finally) unlocked our fridge (all done from a centralised computer system at reception). I phoned the Disneyland information line who told me that the TGV did not go from Disney to Charles De Gaulle. When pressed they admitted that a train did go but it was not the TGV and was unsuitable for your requirements. They insisted that the only way to get to CDG was using their bus system. I phoned a number for Paris Tourist Information who told me that they knew nothing about getting from Disney to CDG. I phoned TGV information line. They didnt answer. I asked at reception who told me that the TGV did go from Disney to CDG. Were now most confused and more than a little annoyed! For the first time in my life I was actually looking forward to the end of my holiday! Just the finish the evening on a low note, we decided to relax in front of the Disney Channel on TV. To find it wasn't working. Reception said they would fix it when maintenance were available 'some time tomorrow.'
