Review of our first visit to DLP - some good some bad

[zigzag]

A quick review of the good and bad points of our first trip to DLP (2 adults and 2 children age 2yrs 7mths ans 6mths), staying in Sequoia and travelling by Eurostar.

Travel - good - travel by Estar, though bagage laoding at Ashford is timeconsuming.

Arrival - good - quick and easy bus transfer to hotel, though the bus could have had more baggage space.

Hotel check in - awful - room not ready, wouldnt transfer us to room that was ready, got the feeling that tour operators take prefernce - wouldnt let me pick up the breakfast cards until I was issued with the key, result when getting key at 4.30 all the decent breakfast times had gone - anyway this didnt matter as the cards are totally useless you turn up when you want for breakfast. Reception didnt take credit card details at check in so that we could have a charge card - apparently I should have asked for this to be done - caused much embarrassment at the meal later. Not impressed at all.

Room - average - Ive worked in some of the US parks hotels and they can be dreary, but not this dreary.

Facilities - bad - whose idea was it to put just one small lift to take you from recepton level to exit level, its only one floor but with a pushcahair you need the lift, as do many others - this marks the hotel down very badly in my opinion. Other facilities ok.

Parks - Studios - didnt really see the point of this, didnt feel as real as the US parks

Parks - Disneyland - much smaller than I expected, but enjoyable when quiet, when busy the constant protecting your place in the queue got irritating - why cant some Europeans grasp the concept of a fair queue? I missed the banter that you get around the park/queue in the US, the customers all seemed very quiet - perhaps because we dont all speak the same language. Didnt understand the fuss about Peter Pan, its still just a dayglo and neon ghost train to me.

Food - Auberge - excellent, mainly because of the treatment of the children.
Food - Cafe Mickey - excellent - as above
Food - Beaver Creek - average - a bit of a letdown for the price

Overall - Average - didnt feel the magic at all, but still probabally the best park in Europe but nowhere near the US versions.

 

[Cyrano]

Hi zigzag and welcome to DLP DIS board
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Appreciate you posting up your experiences

 

[corkeyk]

we also just returned from DLP and have to agree in everything you said..No Magic..hotel small and service is nonexsitent..if it wasnt for the fact we saved a ton of money booking thru a friends Travel agency in germany we would have been at Front desk everynight yelling, not asking, yelling for a refund..

 

[BONITATIME]

I am sorry you didnt have a great time.

 

[Ware Bears]

I am sorry you didnt have a great time.

Me too.

 

[woody73]

. . . Didnt understand the fuss about Peter Pan . . .

Everyone wants to fly.

Woody

 

[marcus.ka]

corkeyk: Could you please tell us in which hotel you stayed?

Like you can see in my signature I have stayed in all Disney hotels. And all of them were perfect! Great Service, nice people and a lot of Disney magic! (Even in the Santa Fee!) And especially the staff from the SL was very nice! We even got an upgrade from standard room to Montana room with lake view! And that for free!

I have never been to another Disneypark than Paris; but from time to time I hear some people who have visited the US parks complain that you can feel the magic. I have to say for me every DLRP is 101% magic! I can feel the magic! That is why I return so often!
But I'm corious how much magic I would feel if I would ever go to an US park? That must be haven for me!

 

[SandraVB79]

I'm also sorry you didn't have a great time.

One thing I don't really understand: how big did you think the Disneyland Park was going to be? It is the largest "park-with-castle" from Disney worldwide!

About service in hotels... that's very subjective, and everyone experiences it in a different way (I always got very good service, and I "only" stay at the Santa Fe), but saying that hotel is small?? IMHO, there is nothing "small" about the Disney hotels at DLRP... Even the isneyland Hotel, with is rather "small" number of rooms, is a "huge" building!

ETA: About the room not being ready at check-in: at what time did you check in?? I mean, people are not supposed to check until, what, 10 or 11 am? Check in is only from 4 pm on... If the hotel isn't busy, sometimes, one can get lucky and check in the room earlier, but... that's how it goes in hotels... everywhere in the world

 

[sjaakie]

That I can tell you. Magic Kingdom in WDW feels like coming home in Paris !!!

 

[wideeyes]

Sorry that you did not have a great time. It was interesting to hear your veiws about DLP.

maybe with the hotel you were just unlucky, we have always found the service excellent, staff very friendly, treated my daughter lovely. Always at check we were asked if we wanted to give credit card details to set up a charge account so maybe it was just the CM who was working that day.

We were also given are key to are room at 1pm however we realise that is just lucky.

As already said I don't find the hotel small.

With regards to the studios--I know that some people don't like, however we enjoy it and find it gives a nice change of pace.


The one thing I have to strongly disagree with is your opinion of Peter Pan.
My daughter loves peter pan, it maybe " dayglo and neon ghost train" to you, however not though a child's eyes or adults who are emerged with the magic of DLRP.

I have not been to wdw yet so can not really comment on your coments with regards to that.

 

[Quack]

I am sorry you did not have a great time. We are all entitled to our opinions and I guess that DLRP can't be to everyones taste.

 

[marcus.ka]

Even the Disneyland Hotel, with is rather "small" number of rooms, is a "huge" building!

That is true!
The Newport Bay Club for example is the biggest hotel in west Europe!
I think non of the Disney Hotels is small!
The DLH has 473 rooms! Why did you say small number of rooms, Sandra?
If you got a room in the westwing and you want to walk to the reception that can take quite a while!

Here are the number of rooms in the Disney hotels
DLH 473
New York 563
NPBC 1083
SL 997
Cheyenne >1000
SF >1000

That is not small in my eyes!

 

[julieannbabe]

A quick review of the good and bad points of our first trip to DLP (2 adults and 2 children age 2yrs 7mths ans 6mths), staying in Sequoia and travelling by Eurostar.

Travel - good - travel by Estar, though bagage laoding at Ashford is timeconsuming.

Arrival - good - quick and easy bus transfer to hotel, though the bus could have had more baggage space.

Hotel check in - awful - room not ready, wouldnt transfer us to room that was ready, got the feeling that tour operators take prefernce - wouldnt let me pick up the breakfast cards until I was issued with the key, result when getting key at 4.30 all the decent breakfast times had gone - anyway this didnt matter as the cards are totally useless you turn up when you want for breakfast. Reception didnt take credit card details at check in so that we could have a charge card - apparently I should have asked for this to be done - caused much embarrassment at the meal later. Not impressed at all.

Room - average - Ive worked in some of the US parks hotels and they can be dreary, but not this dreary.

Facilities - bad - whose idea was it to put just one small lift to take you from recepton level to exit level, its only one floor but with a pushcahair you need the lift, as do many others - this marks the hotel down very badly in my opinion. Other facilities ok.

Parks - Studios - didnt really see the point of this, didnt feel as real as the US parks

Parks - Disneyland - much smaller than I expected, but enjoyable when quiet, when busy the constant protecting your place in the queue got irritating - why cant some Europeans grasp the concept of a fair queue? I missed the banter that you get around the park/queue in the US, the customers all seemed very quiet - perhaps because we dont all speak the same language. Didnt understand the fuss about Peter Pan, its still just a dayglo and neon ghost train to me.

Food - Auberge - excellent, mainly because of the treatment of the children.
Food - Cafe Mickey - excellent - as above
Food - Beaver Creek - average - a bit of a letdown for the price

Overall - Average - didnt feel the magic at all, but still probabally the best park in Europe but nowhere near the US versions.

zigzag - don't say that! I am going for my first trip to disneyland paris in july - i have been to both california and florida!

i hope that it isn't a let down - i am gonna try and go with a clean slate and not compare it.

what you go back to disneyland paris?

xjx

 

[julieannbabe]

we also just returned from DLP and have to agree in everything you said..No Magic..hotel small and service is nonexsitent..if it wasnt for the fact we saved a ton of money booking thru a friends Travel agency in germany we would have been at Front desk everynight yelling, not asking, yelling for a refund..

ah - what - no magic at all?

i am going in july - i was looking forward to it as well.

 

[BONITATIME]

ah - what - no magic at all?

i am going in july - i was looking forward to it as well.

Please this is just one persons opinion. There is loads of magic.We just got back form our fith trip in two years and are planning to go twice more this year.

I do feel that it depends what you want from a trip and how you look at it. Every thing we get over basic service we reguard as great and as we work in the service industry we know how bad service can really be. DLRP is a great place with really friendly staff. I have never had early check-in and we often fly overnight so are exausted when we get there but as someone above said check in is at 4pm.

It is a lovely park and even corkeyk has said they will go back

 

[SandraVB79]

Although I have DLP in my backyard, I went twice to DL in California before I got to go to DLP.

I immediately loved DLP!!! I think the park-with-the-castle is the prettiest one of all the ones I visited (DL, MK and DLP) and has the most little details (like for example a huge dragon, now that's a nice little detail, haha!)
The Beast's castle at the storybookland baot ride is so pretty (as are all the mniature displays over there)

Yes, it IS different than the ones in the US. If you want to see DL or MK, you have to go to Florida or California.

In the meanwhile, I have been 4 times to DL (5th time in September) and once to WDW, and I can only say: DLP holds a very special Disney-place in my heart and I will still go back many times!!

 

[Dianetigger]

Sorry to hear that DLP wasn't everything you expected.

We've been three times now (fourth time coming up in July) and each time the magic has gotten better

We have been very lucky and on all occasions we have been able to go straight to our room on arrival (approx 11am) - this is with three different hotels. (Davy Crockett, Santa Fe and Explorers) - we are staying at the Sequoia Lodge this time and I'm prepared (as I was on previous occasions) to leave our luggage there and get to the parks as quickly as possible!

As excited as I get once I get on the VEA bus, nothing compares with walking down Main Street, hearing the music and soaking in the atmosphere! JUST GREAT!

 

[corkeyk]

I am in the US and go to WDW 4 times a year because we are 18 hours away by car and 2 hours by air..But that said the visit to DLP was because my wife happened to be in Ireland on business so we hopped a cheap air france flight to CDG to visit the parc.

The shuttle was quick via VEA and well worth the price we paid, The problem we had was the long wait because the bus picked up at all the other terminals before they got to us so we had to wait for 3 buses to come and go until we finally were able to board...Once on there it was 45 minutes to the parks..

Once at the Sante Fe we entered the lobby and it is very small..based on most other hotels we have stayed at in WDW standards...There were 10 people in front of us but it moved quickly. I got my initial paperwork and found out that it was all written in German because we used a German travel company(because of my TA friend in germany). I had to refill out the form again and then the process was all manual again at the desk because they dont use computers at check in like US parks...

The rooms are very small but probably large to european standards..and there was no A/C controls at Sante Fe which surprised us as we figured that all Disney resorts had this in the rooms but none...The resort itself was small but I can understand this matter because the parks dont attract like US parks do..
The major problem and the thing that lost the magic for us was the lack of care and concern for the customer. It wasnt just me but others who were in line at the concierge desk when we asked where the laundry facilities were located..we were shown on a map but they said they probably didnt work we may have to take it over to Cheyenne to do our clothes..Now by Disney standards this is odd..The whole idea of magic is that your paying them for a product and if the product doesnt work,get it fixed..I am on vacation and paying a premium price for the visit. Treat me like a guest not an inconvienence. we did go to Cheyenne only to find out that they had 2 washers and 2 dryers that had people lined up for the next 3 hours..I went back to sante fe and asked them what happened and why they couldnt fix the machines there..They called a manager and he basically told the CM to have us go back to cheyenne and wait in line...
Now before people start telling me that europeans dont do laundry on vacation or that its an extra perk for laundry and dont expect the machines..PHOOEY..This is not a Ibis,this is not a small hotel no one knows the name brand..Its Disney..worldwide known branding,whether its owned 7% by Disney Co or 100% private held you expect that service and the service to be superior to other hotel brands/chains.

Now to the parcs..clean but so much broken or not working..IE: small world all of the charecters with guitars had broken strings or others not working period. I asked a CM why and was told no overtime and repairs done on a budget..Huh???..its disney, redirect labor to night shift so that way no overtime and with the parks closing everyday at 6pm the days we were there should have allowed them to work as soon as last guest off the ride..

as for size of parks it is small but its fine,easy to get around and the ques were quick..no problems here..rides working fine and clean..Its the extras and backgrounds that make the ride complete that needed work.

I guess I expexted to see CM smiling and happy your visiting theyre park..when we told people we were from US they asked us if the world shocase at WDW was something that would be a good experience for a CM from DLP..I told them they would probably want to stay there after that experience..
we did meet a CM at the Fast pass distribution for Space mountain that had just returned back from a 2 week trip from WDW. He mentioned that the CM there approached him asking if he needed help where as the idea is backwards at DLP where guests have to track down a CM for help...Plus he mentioned how he saw no work during day there and that he was amazed at how if things in his room didnt work or were broken they had maintence come and fix it in a matter of hours and not days..

My overall view of DLP was that it is an amusement park with rides with the Disney name on it, For true magic I will still say WDW takes the prize.

I would go back and stay at the HI or one of the others off property and make the trip just to visit friends who live in europe. But my overall trip was not magical, I felt it was a huge disappointment to the build up..The only thing that impressed me was the few rides or variations of rides that we dont have here.

Oh and the lack of ques at the shuttle stops really surprised me..I was pickpocketed on the shuttle back to sante fe and it was a pushing match just to load and unload..The drivers stay in theyre seat and let it happen. Ridiculous and a huge safety risk for children..I know,thats the way it happens but unacceptable by any large city standard here. They need to do something for crowd control and make people stop swarming the bus when the doors open. If I wasnt handicapped and able to walk the distance from santa fe to the main gate I would but I had to suffer the shuttle rush ritual...

Now before everyone says that I dont understand the way europe attitudes are or that things are just fine at DLP, go to WDW or if you cant go to DLR and spend 2 days walking around..Then go back to DLP and spend 2 days...90% of you would dream of the day you could return back to WDW and will look at DLP in a whole new light..
I have been a Disneyana fanatic for over 15 years now and an amusement park visitor for over 25 years and by far the parc was nice but just didnt give me that squishy warm feeling inside when we were there.I didnt feel like a kid again like I do when we go to WDW.All we could think of was when our flight was back to dublin for our flight home.

 

[BONITATIME]

Now before everyone says that I dont understand the way europe attitudes are or that things are just fine at DLP, go to WDW or if you cant go to DLR and spend 2 days walking around..Then go back to DLP and spend 2 days...90% of you would dream of the day you could return back to WDW and will look at DLP in a whole new light ...

I have to say I have visited both the parks you talk about and still like DLRP and still go back and the only reason we stay in the HI is price.

 

[wideeyes]

corkeyk--Its a shame you had a negative experience at DLP.