Rather disappointed!

[LindaR]

DD20 and I took a day trip to Disneyland Paris on 16 Jan 2009. Wow. I guess we set our expectations WAY too high! We have been to DL and/or WDW every year since she was 4.

We arrived at the park at 9:30 am. Being "off season" there were, of course, several attractions that were closed. I have never seen so few people in a Disney park before! We were "done" by 11:30. Went and had lunch and talked about what to do until our ride back to Paris at 7pm!!! We decided to take a taxi to the outlet mall to kill a few hours. Went back to the park around 3:30 and walked around for the rest of the evening.

While I am glad that we had an opportunity to visit DLP, I would not bother ever returning. I simply do not understand how people could spend more than 1 day there. To each his own.

Thank goodness we have WDW!!!!!!

 

[Cyrano]

Shame you did not enjoy DLP. But you must have ignored all the detail to be finished in 2 hours
Thankfully Disney has not imitated every Disney park as a copy of each other.
All the parks have their own character and a number of distinctive differences

 

[jillrobinson]

Oh Well - each to their own !
I can't see how you could possibly take in all DLP has to offer - 2 parks and the Village in 2 hours, but I'm not going to argue the point.
Thanks for sharing BTW

 

[mommy2ash]

i agree with each to their own. i have to say that i could spend all day in dlrp without even going on a ride. i think it is so much more than just ride after ride. also there is the disney studios, the parade, various shows. that all couldnt possibly be done in a couple of hours. my next trip i have seven days in the park and i will make the most of every one of them. also i love off season as i couldnt cope with queues so thats a plus to me

anyway im glad you enjoy the american parks. and at least you tried dlrp

 

[DLPdaft]

Hi,

If you did everything in 2 hours, I can totally see why you'd feel disappointed.

I personally don't see how thats possible, but as you say, each to their own .

 

[LindaR]

We only bought a ticket for one park (MK). And we DID pay attention to detail. We did not choose to ride every single ride (there are some that we do not care for). Big Thunder Mountain was closed (technical difficulties). Pirates of the Carribean was closed (refurb). We enjoyed comparing the differences between the Haunted Mansions (DL is our fav). Everything we went on was a walk-on because there was nobody there! We did notice that when we returned in the afternoon, there were significantly more people but we still never had to wait for anything.

We just really felt that there was a lack of "Disney-ness" to this park. It felt like a very common amusement park with the Disney name attached to it. I guess I don't really know how to explain it. We never got the Disney "feeling" at all. The CM's did not get into character and there was no sense of the magic that we normally find at DL or WDW.

Oh well..............I am still glad that we had this opportunity to experience it.

 

[Rachie B]

2 hours !

what exactly did you do / see in that short time ?!

ETA cross posted ! have seen your reply above

 

[dalemunk]

hey all
really sorry you did not enjoy the park but i think it has alot to do with what you are used to and have grown up with---------ive been to wdw twice and even though i adored it i still felt myself missing paris i could not place my finger on it----things like the beautiful first sight of the pink hotel walking down the two arcades listening out for the dentist in main street--- were not there and they are what makes it disney for me in my mind ------maybe you are you used to bigger always meaning better but this is not always the case. Paris disney is reguarly regarded as the most beautiful of all the parks due to the high level of detail and you really must be related to speedey gonzales to have seen everything the park has to offer in two short hours
regards daley xxxxxxx

 

[Stubbarama]

Blimey, first time we went it took an hour to get out of main st

 

[gemmybear83]

We only bought a ticket for one park (MK). And we DID pay attention to detail. We did not choose to ride every single ride (there are some that we do not care for). Big Thunder Mountain was closed (technical difficulties). Pirates of the Carribean was closed (refurb). We enjoyed comparing the differences between the Haunted Mansions (DL is our fav). Everything we went on was a walk-on because there was nobody there! We did notice that when we returned in the afternoon, there were significantly more people but we still never had to wait for anything.

We just really felt that there was a lack of "Disney-ness" to this park. It felt like a very common amusement park with the Disney name attached to it. I guess I don't really know how to explain it. We never got the Disney "feeling" at all. The CM's did not get into character and there was no sense of the magic that we normally find at DL or WDW.

Oh well..............I am still glad that we had this opportunity to experience it.

Sorry you did not enjoy your time, everyone has their own opinions, but I was really disapointed by the Magic Kingdom in WDW when we went back last year following the last visit to Disneyland Paris, the theming is much better at DLRP -as are most of the rides!

I dont think visting in January really helps though as the bad weather is enough to put anyone off. Janaury is the cheapest time of year to go, and like WDW they use this time to do the rehabs. Its a shame you missed the parade - one of the best disney parades - the floats give off smells, and candlebration which is really beautiful.

I agree the cast members are not all the same as WDW, although there are plenty who have the pixie dust , attitudes and etiquette are very different in the USA and Europe, and with the addition of potential language barriers this can cause some problems.

 

[cap'njack.]

Ok...I'm sorry and I am going to cause a bit of dis-harmony but...

...if you were done in 2 hours you did not pay attention to details. I've been a lot (17 times) and I still find things that I've never seen before!

I get the feeling that you didn't really want to enjoy the park, even in Emh we have only ever managed to do 6-8 rides so to have done everything in two hours we would have to talking of less than 12 rides, this is not allowing enough time. If I was to spend two hours in the MK in WDW you would say the same. Yes DLRP is smaller but I still find that I can't cover everything in 3 days let alone 2 hours.

Just my opinion

 

[mommy2ash]

i totally agree with capn jack. i was there for five days and i still have to start threads asking where is this or that lol. i find a lot of people who dont enjoy dlrp are regulars to wdw. they are two completly different parks and i dont think its fair to compare them. however yes the weather and the refurbs make it not the best time to visit but this is reflected in the price. i guess i am among the soppy ones that see the castle go all teary eyed and feel about 5 again lol

 

[manxtatt2]

i agree as well

we had 2 full days in the park , and not even seen half of what i wanted to see

thats why we are going back for 6 days/5 nights and even then i'll dout we'll see it all

 

[cookie334]

I have to agree with Cap'n. We've been twice in the last 8 months for 6 days each. We're not too fussy about the rides, only really concentrating on the ones in FL as well as a couple of others but still there are LOADS of things we haven't seen and I'm sure I'll find out other stuff that we don't even know about yet, in fact I have no doubt about that.

I find DLP more magical than MK in WDW, there's so many more secrets and hidden magic and the dragon just makes it extra special

I really don't think you could have seen much in 2 hours.

 

[DisneyFamilyJoyce]

While I have yet to go to DLRP. @ months 1 week and counting, I have to agree on premise with the Cap'n. I have been to WDW several times and the majority of our trips have been for at least 10 days and we still see new things every time. While any amusement park can feel cold and uninviting if you allow it to be seen as just that , you have to look for the magic and allow it to find you. Magic is found in the often small simple things more readily that in the grandioso type of experiences we americans often seek because we think that is where magic is. My family plans to have 9 days in the parks when we go and I guarantee we will find something special and magical to cherish each and every moment we are there because we are blessed enough to be given the opportunity to experience a new place and culture. Perhaps you should rethink your opinion of magic and count the blessings you, like I , have and be thankful for that and the magical moments it brings in itself.

 

[joolz1910]

I think some people prefer the hustle and bustle of WDW (and the sunshine). Personally, I like the fact that DLRP is quiet and I choose to go in January because the crowds aren't there. I think the atmosphere is what you make it and perhaps magic (like beauty) is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Boo-Boo]

Hi....Sorry to hear you found your trip disappointing....we have been 3 times and have booked again for the summer and we still havent seen and done everything!

 

[karengr]

We are regulars to WDW and DLRP(next trip one week todaytoDLRP) and we still find something new on each trip to each park. We have been to dlrp as a family and also adults only trips and no way have we done disneyland park in 2 hours on any of the trips . Maybe our daytrippers went commando mode just like they would have to in America to get what they could done therefore missing out on details like parades, Mickey's winter wonderland(which alone is 20mins plus 10/15min wait) and also visiting the top of the castle and looking at story of sleeping beauty in the stain glass following all the way down to see the dragon under the castle,to name a few.
In fact i believe in off season you could spend most of your day not going on rides but looking round the park and taking in the delights around you where as i know you could not do ths in WDW as everythig is hustle and bustle and sometimes too much in your face, But that is not going to stop me going to either but as others have said "each to there own".

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

2 hours to see the whole of MK? Please how did you do this as it would save me a hell of lot of money to go as often as i do and i still havent seen everything.

 

[poppyolivia]

Thats a shame!

Sweet lord I'm going for 6 days again, I'm boogered eh?