Trip Report Say Please in French - A June and Sept. 2018 DLP TR *Updated 4/22

[Steppesister]

Catching up and saying Happy New Year!

Love your new medal rack. Very thoughtful and sweet gift!

You've got loads of planning ahead of you... fun!

 

[cindianne320]

Happy New Year! I'd love to meet up if you make it here to MN- with or without kiddos!

It's funny that you mention gluhwein- DH made some on Christmas Eve as well- he had had it on his travels to Germany. A bit strong for my liking, but still really good!

I would love to go to London or Scotland (watching Outlander as I type) or Paris, but guessing we will be in the outskirts of London. I'll be happy with anything!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Happy New Year!

Nothing helps the heal the heart better than a warm cup of gluhwein (with a shot of rum, in my case) and fresh baked sugar cookies.

That sounds wonderful! Sorry to hear about the sadness and loss associated with your holidays this year, but how lovely to be able to spend it doing fun things with those you love.

Alex gave me this incredible medal rack for Christmas:

This is amazing! What an awesome gift.

Looking forward to hearing about your trip plans in future! Nothing like a money-saving deadline to get you in gear for running training again!

 

[amazingact21]

his is a spectacular picture of the two of you!

What a thoughtful and useful Christmas gift. I'm sure this will help motivate you to fill it up!

Thank you, and yes I do hope the medal rack keeps me motivated for years to come!

I love the medal rack!! My girls started a healthy kids running series in our town, so now all five of us have medals we want to display. I'm hoping to find something family themed.

There are some really awesome and unique medal racks out there; I hope you can find one that works for your family so you can display those hard earned medals!

Catching up and saying Happy New Year!

Love your new medal rack. Very thoughtful and sweet gift!

You've got loads of planning ahead of you... fun!

We have a lot planned for 2019. Sometimes all the planning is overwhelming, other times it's exciting to think about all the trips we will be undergoing!

Happy New Year! I'd love to meet up if you make it here to MN- with or without kiddos!

It's funny that you mention gluhwein- DH made some on Christmas Eve as well- he had had it on his travels to Germany. A bit strong for my liking, but still really good!

I would love to go to London or Scotland (watching Outlander as I type) or Paris, but guessing we will be in the outskirts of London. I'll be happy with anything!

Alex and I are 90% sure of our trip dates, so here soon I'll send you a message and see if you will be free. If so, we can start planning a get together!

Haha, the gluhwein is pretty strong!

You'll have to let me know when you find out for sure where overseas you will be visiting. If it's Scotland, don't be surprised if I pop up there. I have been eyeing Outlander tour companies for a few years and might have to participate in one while I'm living in England.

This is amazing! What an awesome gift.

Looking forward to hearing about your trip plans in future! Nothing like a money-saving deadline to get you in gear for running training again!

Very true. I always try to take advantage of the best deal, at least as far as Disney's concerned. But man, now I have to convince myself to get up in these dark winter mornings and get my butt running. Easier said than done most days.

 

[amazingact21]

Saturday, June 16th, 2018 Part 3:

When the Mickey the Magician show ended, Alex and I dragged the kids to the closest quick service location. Landon was beyond grumpy by that point and we needed to get him food, pronto.

The restaurant in question was the Restaurant en Coulisse, which was a burger and nuggets type of eatery. The lines to order were brutal, and we struggled to find a seat once we got our food. Alex and I tried the upstairs seating area first, but when we came up empty handed had to drag the kids and the tray back downstairs and wait for a family to leave so we could pounce on their table.

The only positive from this lunch was that we split food again and saved ourselves some money and excess food; besides that I would recommend trying to find some different food options if you’re in the Studios Parc.


After we ate, Alex and I took the kids back to the room. Both were still a little irritable, and since we’d already tried improving their moods with food, we went to Option # 2: naps. At the very least, they needed some time to rest in bed and decompress with their toys and the quiet, so we hopped back over to the Disneyland resort in a flash.

Except, Alex didn’t stay long. Earlier that morning, Dugette had graciously picked up two extra tickets for the Marvel: Super Heroes United show.

This was the first week of Disneyland Paris’s new Summer of Superheroes event, where the parks unveiled three new live action shows for guests to enjoy. Because it was new and the Marvel craze was as high as ever due to Infinity Wars being released a month prior, the shows were drawing in big crowds and were incredibly popular.

Fortunately for Dugette, Paris was doing the same “Fastpass” style system for the United show that they did for Mickey the Magician, where if you have a Mastercard then you can get guaranteed seating. When Dugette went to reserve her family’s, she asked how many she could get and they gave her 5 (I think. Maybe it was 6…) and she generously let us have the two extra.

Alex was going to take Landon with him to the show, but since he needed a break more than anything else, Alex ditched him and went back into the Studios Parc to meet up with Dugette’s family and go see the show.

He told me later that when he got to the auditorium entrance there was a mob of people waiting for a chance to get in. It was like the standby line for the Candlelight Processional when Neil Patrick Harris is hosting. Just an endless queue that went on and on, the end nowhere in sight.


And here, Readers, I fail again. This next section of the update will depend on inference and speculation on what went down during the show. Alex might have explained the details when he returned, but that information has since left my mind. We’ll have to wait for Lesley’s or Dugette’s update on the show and compare how close I was…


I’m going to say the tickets came in handy with how close Alex seemed to have gotten to stage:





Making their appearances first were Iron Man and Captain America:


I guess the show was following the movie story line, and Iron Man utilized that handy dandy burner phone to ring up Steve Rogers.



Then we had Thor:


Wielding his hammer….all right, scratch the storyline theory. Alex never mentioned them showing him making a detour to visit Tyrion Lannister.



Next up, the couple I shipped in the first Avengers film:





And then our baddie of the show entered center stage:


No infinity stones or gauntlet on his hand, so I am as lost as you all are about the timeline of this story. Alex is never allowed to go see a stage show by himself again…he leaves this report in the dark!



Doctor Strange and a hodgepodge of other superheroes made their way in:




I vaguely remember Alex saying there was some inner-hero arguing and battling going on at this point. You know, the usual bickering.

“We’re doing this for the good of the world.”

“But at what cost?”

“There’s always a small price to pay for keeping evil aliens away from Earth.”

Etc, etc.

Then, Thanos came back and caused them all to realize they needed to work together to stop his evil plan.

This meant they needed an extra hand and Spider-Man had to swing in to help:




Which apparently entailed Scarlet Witch throwing a red vehicle across the stage:



That looked pretty cool, and it had to be fun for any fan of Marvel to see so many of the characters on stage at once. Disney managed to get quite a few into one show:



I can neither confirm nor deny that the Avengers were successful, but they looked pretty content from their finale pose, so let’s just assume Thanos was thwarted.

…For the moment.



With the show over, Alex walked outside and saw another one of the new Marvel productions underway. This one was the Stark Expo Presents: Energy for Tomorrow, where Black Widow and Thor were dealing with Loki’s shenanigans.



The cool thing about this show was that it was outside and free to be seen by any wandering guests. No need to wait in line for hours, although Alex suspects people did stand around for a very long time, waiting for a good viewing spot.

Alex caught the end of the show, then walked back to the room so he could see how the kids and I were faring. From what Alex relayed to me, the show was fun and worth watching for a Marvel fan. I know for me, personally, I wasn’t heartbroken to miss it. But that’s more because I don’t have a huge passion for superheroes. I go see the films when they hit theaters, I know the story archs, but unless it was the actual Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson up on the stage, I didn’t need to see the show.

I think a lot of the appeal for Alex was the fact that this was something exclusive to the Disneyland Paris parks; he knew he would never get that experience in Walt Disney World, and that’s part of the fun of going to a “different park” than our home one. Makes the trip unique and special…





Up Next: Drop It Like Its Hot

 

[missangelalexis]

That's great that Alex could go see the show! I hope you were able to enjoy some rest while he was gone!

 

[TheStarscream759]

Oh yeah I forget you were at the Marvel season it was like a good 3 months after I went. From what I heard from other people that went to that event, it was disappointing. I kept getting reports that the Marvel Superheroes United show at the cinemagique theater was having the worst technical issues, they always told evacuated from the theater and even when they got their chance to see the show itself, the effects never worked. The Guardians of the Galaxy show was a bit better but it was plagued by the fact that if you were faraway and just arrived you won't be able to see the show at all.

It's more to do with the stage being lowered down and as a result you wouldn't be able to see Star Lord and Gamora. You can hear the show but seeing as it was a popular show you wouldn't be able to see it at all from the back and you would have to arrive early to catch it.

The Stark Expo from what I've seen looks good and it's definitely Spiderman doing flips on stage and even appearing on the roof of the Stitch Live and Disney Junior Buildings.

There was a meet and greet for Captain America....and that's it. That's literally all your getting. Good idea, not enough offerings in execution is what I kept on being told.

Even then I consider myself a Marvel fan and even then I wasn't fussed about not seeing that event. Glad Alex enjoyed it though.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Alex never mentioned them showing him making a detour to visit Tyrion Lannister

Well he's pretty busy these days


But those Marvel shows look amazing! I'm sad it was only a limited-time thing and that Marvel is so limited here at the parks in the states (especially WDW!)

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I have a Marvel obsessed friend that would have died to see those shows, looks fun!

 

[Lesley Wake]

And here, Readers, I fail again. This next section of the update will depend on inference and speculation on what went down during the show. Alex might have explained the details when he returned, but that information has since left my mind. We’ll have to wait for Lesley’s or Dugette’s update on the show and compare how close I was…

I should be getting there soon! Maybe next update!

I guess the show was following the movie story line, and Iron Man utilized that handy dandy burner phone to ring up Steve Rogers.

Not quite...

I vaguely remember Alex saying there was some inner-hero arguing and battling going on at this point. You know, the usual bickering.

“We’re doing this for the good of the world.”

“But at what cost?”

“There’s always a small price to pay for keeping evil aliens away from Earth.”

Etc, etc.

Then, Thanos came back and caused them all to realize they needed to work together to stop his evil plan.

Again.... close, but not completely! I'll include it in my TR (and I found a video online, so I will include that too)

Overall it was cool to see a new show and they did a lot of fun stunt work and special effects!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I had to laugh at your valiant attempt to tell the story of the show that Alex saw without you!! Looks like kind of a neat show, and cool that it was exclusive to the park. I'm similar to you, though, that I'm not particularly passionate about superheroes. I watch them with the husband, and I enjoy them well enough, but that's about it.

 

[amazingact21]

That's great that Alex could go see the show! I hope you were able to enjoy some rest while he was gone!

I was glad Alex could go and watch something he was interested in and get a short break from the kids. Hopefully, he was able to focus on the show, and I didn't mind because I appreciated the break.

From what I heard from other people that went to that event, it was disappointing. I kept getting reports that the Marvel Superheroes United show at the cinemagique theater was having the worst technical issues, they always told evacuated from the theater and even when they got their chance to see the show itself, the effects never worked.

What a disappointment to hear the show kept having technical troubles. I think Disneyland Paris was trying to bring something fresh and popular into the park, but they might've needed more time to prepare for it all.

But those Marvel shows look amazing! I'm sad it was only a limited-time thing and that Marvel is so limited here at the parks in the states (especially WDW!)

Now that I've seen what a presence the Marvel franchise can be in the parks, I can tell WDW has to really miss out on some great opportunities. I understand why they can't, but it's still a letdown for people who can only visit the Florida parks.

I have a Marvel obsessed friend that would have died to see those shows, looks fun!

People were going nuts over all the Marvel content in the park; I had never seen the Studios so busy before! Makes me sad that the WDW parks can't include any Marvel in their parks.

Overall it was cool to see a new show and they did a lot of fun stunt work and special effects!

It looked like it was a fun show, if nothing else. And like I said, I think Alex liked it because Marvel wasn't something he normally gets to enjoy in the parks. Plus, he was kid-free, so that was an automatic win.

I had to laugh at your valiant attempt to tell the story of the show that Alex saw without you!! Looks like kind of a neat show, and cool that it was exclusive to the park. I'm similar to you, though, that I'm not particularly passionate about superheroes. I watch them with the husband, and I enjoy them well enough, but that's about it.

As I "grow up" I realize I am more of the "I want to relax and do nothing" type of vacationer, which can be really bad for trip reporting! I've got to start giving Alex pointers on jotting down what he sees and does in the parks.

 

[khertz]

We had fun at the Superhero stuff they had at Disneyland when we went in 2017, but it would have been really cool to see a show like this had they had it. I know DS (and DH & I for that matter) would love a big Avengers stage show. As much as I love Universal, it's a shame WDW will never have a chance to flex all of its Marvel muscles in the Florida parks and showcase the Avengers.

 

[amazingact21]

I know DS (and DH & I for that matter) would love a big Avengers stage show. As much as I love Universal, it's a shame WDW will never have a chance to flex all of its Marvel muscles in the Florida parks and showcase the Avengers.

I agree, it was a really nice change of pace to see so much Marvel content in the parks. Kind of gave the Paris parks yet another unique feature that we knew we wouldn't get to experience at WDW.

 

[Steppesister]

LOL! Loved your update! You have story-telling mojo, Girl!

 

[amazingact21]

LOL! Loved your update! You have story-telling mojo, Girl!

I'm realizing as the years go on that I am more of a "use my vacation to relax and do nothing" person, which is proving to be a challenge for good trip report documenting. I need to give Alex a notepad to take notes the next time he goes off on an adventure alone!

 

[amazingact21]

Saturday, June 16th, 2018 Part 4:

The kids were in good spirits after our afternoon break in the room, so Alex and I went back in to the Studios Parc in the late afternoon. This was Alex’s third time going from the park to the room and back; he was certainly making use of our hotel’s close proximity. Even when we stay at the Polynesian, we wouldn’t dream of hiking back to our stuff more than once in a day. Yet again, I can’t help but throw in how fantastic it was to be staying right outside the park exits…


Landon had been eyeballing the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop attraction over in the Toy Story section, and he really wanted one of us to take him on it. Alex and I had been pushing it off because the ride is slow loading and builds up high queues no matter the time of day. Neither of us really wanted to stand in a long line for a whole minute of fun, but he wouldn’t let the ride go.

Evie, meanwhile, kept asking to go on the Cars Road Rally again. I can’t remember how we came to the decision of who got which kid, but I agreed to take Landon to the parachute drop while Alex took Evie to Cars.




I started a stopwatch when I entered the line, because I wanted to see if the wait was as bad as everyone online swore it was. Every fan site and blog I read warned parents about what a waste of time this attraction was and to skip it at all costs.

But how could I say no to this excited boy?



The two of us waited about twenty minutes for our turn, which I didn’t think was that bad. And Landon loved it; he held his hands up and giggled like mad when we floated down. As soon as we unbuckled our restraints at the end of our turn, he begged me to take him on it again.

To which I looked at him and said, “Oh no. If you thought this was awesome, then your dad can take you on an even better drop.”





Alex and Evie had gone on Cars while Landon and I were waiting in line, then he took her to another slow loading ride.

​

This one took quite awhile to get on, and Landon and I spent a long time waiting for them over by the stroller parking.

​

When they finally did come off the ride, I told Alex I had a suggestion for him.

“What?”

“Landon LOVED the parachute drop. He couldn’t get enough of it.”

“So?”

“So, I think you should use some of our Fastpasses and take him on Tower of Terror.”

“Really?”



Alex didn’t want to get his hopes up. That’s one of his favorites, and he had been hoping to take his kid on it since we learned we were going to be parents.

Had the big day actually arrived?

Would Alex get to experience that thrill of riding a Disney coaster with his first born like I had the previous summer on Big Thunder?

….


It had!

Landon was a little nervous, but he was willing to go with his Dad and give Tower of Terror a try.


(Hard to see but he's right about votre in this photo.)

Afterwards, I asked Landon how he liked the attraction and he said he wasn’t a fan, but Alex said he seemed to be enjoying himself throughout the experience.

If I had to guess, Tower of Terror equally scared and excited Landon. He probably loved the drop but hated the story and build up to the big moment, and he most likely talked himself into being freaked out. I’m pretty sure when we take him to WDW next summer he will ride DHS’s version no problem.



In shock that my baby boy was tall and brave enough to ride TOT, I waited for him to complete his adventure watching a Guardians of the Galaxy dance party with Evie.





It was a cheesy show, with a lot of pop music and audience participation and overused dance moves.


But it kept all the kids entertained and helped pass the time. I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to watch it on a regular park day, but it was just the kind of entertainment I needed that evening.


Plus, Evie was having a blast looking at the giant Hulk statue that had been erected:



When I left the party and learned of Landon’s Tower of Terror opinion, I began to feel hungry and knew there was nothing in the Studios to fill our bellies. It was time to say goodbye to that park and head next door.




Up Next…They’re Nuggets, Only They’re Acting Like Hotdogs.

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like a great time! That's awesome that Alex could finally take Landon on ToT, even if he didn't LOVE it.

Love that last selfie of you and Evie, so happy!

 

[TheStarscream759]

What?! People actually think Parachute Drop is a waste of time? Ridiculous is what I say! It's a fun ride, I actually rode this on my solo trip, I won't give much away considering I want to say in full detail about it in my trip report which I will eventually write on this site but let's just say it's a ride I want to go back on. As of today I've actually watched the Twilight Zone that Tower of Terror is based on. And I gotta say my favourite episode from that show is the Pool episode where a full of himself pool player wants to best his idol of Fats Brown. I have six episodes on two DVDs of the Twilight Zone all from different seasons of the show itself.

 

[Lesley Wake]

When they finally did come off the ride, I told Alex I had a suggestion for him.

“What?”

“Landon LOVED the parachute drop. He couldn’t get enough of it.”

“So?”

“So, I think you should use some of our Fastpasses and take him on Tower of Terror.”

“Really?”



Alex didn’t want to get his hopes up. That’s one of his favorites, and he had been hoping to take his kid on it since we learned we were going to be parents.

Had the big day actually arrived?

Would Alex get to experience that thrill of riding a Disney coaster with his first born like I had the previous summer on Big Thunder?

….


It had!

It must have been so awesome to finally get to that point when he can go on those types of rides!

If I had to guess, Tower of Terror equally scared and excited Landon. He probably loved the drop but hated the story and build up to the big moment, and he most likely talked himself into being freaked out. I’m pretty sure when we take him to WDW next summer he will ride DHS’s version no problem.

Wait until one day he gets to Disneyland! They have the Guardians version and Baby Groot is in it!