Staying on-site at DLP or off-site in Val d'Europe?

[esc38372]

Hello! We are planning a trip to DLP and will be in the parks July 4-6.

I am worried about the heat/crowds in early July. Hotel l'Elysee Val d'Europe is cheaper, and the rooms/service seem nicer, but once I add in park tickets, the price is roughly comparable to Newport Bay Club standard rooms (DLP seems to heavily discount tickets when included in the hotel/tickets package, which is very different from the pricing at the US resorts).

A few questions:
1. Is the air conditioning at Hotel l'Elysee better than at Newport Bay Club? I read TripAdvisor reviews saying that the Hotel l'Elysee has good air conditioning, but are they both typical European air conditioning?

2. Is it worth staying at Newport Bay Club to be able to go to the parks earlier for Extra Magic Time in early July and possibly avoid crowds?

3. We will be in Paris for several days before moving to DLP. Should we travel to the DLP area on Sunday night (7/3) so that we have three full days in the park, or do you think having a half-day on Monday (if we transfer from Paris to DLP on Monday and stay two nights in the DLP area) is sufficient?

4. One pro about staying at Newport Bay on Sunday night is that we would have more time at DLP (since the tickets include the check-in and check-out dates). Could we go to DLP on Sunday night to watch the fireworks, or would it be too crowded and too difficult to find a viewing area? How early would we need to be at DLP to find a place to see the fireworks? Do you think 3.5 days in the parks is too much time (we are not huge roller coaster/thrill ride fans)?

Some background:
We love the Disney atmosphere and tend to hang out in the parks all day, into the night. But we will be traveling with relatives who are not Disney people and may wish to spend more time at the hotel or go back to the hotel for significant breaks. I'm worried that if the a/c is not working at the hotel, they will not be able to rest during breaks or while sleeping overnight.

Thanks so much for your help! We are very excited about visiting DLP. (We have been to DLR, WDW, Tokyo Disney, and Hong Kong Disney, so DLP is definitely on our bucket list!)

 

[Karin1984]

1. I haven't stayed here myself, but you have to look for reviews posted by Americans (assuming you are). Europeans have a completely different opinion on what is good air conditioning. All Disney hotels will have typical European A/C, which is probably not sufficient when there is a heatwave.

2. I don't think Newport Bay is worth the price, but that's how I prefer to spend my money If I am doing an 'all day in the park' trip, I prefer the value hotels Santa Fe or Cheyenne. Only because you are with people who want to take breaks, then club level becomes more worth it. If you want to save some money, is Sequoia Lodge available for club level? It's a bit cheaper and club level is comparable.
If your relatives aren't Disney people, maybe send them into Paris or to the big shopping mall next to DLP ? Because there is not much to do otherwise in this region without a car. The hotels are hotels, not resorts with loads of amenities. There is a pool, a gym and a bar, but that's it.

Staying onsite for the extra magic hours is worth it, in my opinion. The entire continent + UK will have summer holidays, it'll be busy.

3. For fans, first visit, in high season, I would go for 3 full days.
Unless you plan to buy fastpasses, you could come across some lines.

4. Yes, with a DLP package deal you can go into the park every day, if you have a 3 night package, you get 4 days park access. There are plenty of spaces with a good view. Only if you want to be on the front row in front of the castle, you have to plan some time to sit and wait.
I would say: Use your half day to explore the park, get familiar with it, if you come across a short queue, go in. Take it slow on the other days, go see the shows, walk around and enjoy the park.

 

[esc38372]

Thank you, Karin! I really appreciate your responses. Based on your advice, I took another look at the TripAdvisor reviews and found that most of the "good air conditioning" reviews were from Europeans, so perhaps the Hotel l'Elysee has typical European a/c like the DLP hotels. If so, it's not worth staying off-site.

The Sequoia Lodge is undergoing refurbishment (facade), and the pool is closed "from mid-January to Summer 2022" (not sure if the pool will be open by July?) I was thinking that it might be nicer to stay at Newport Bay Club because of the pool and to avoid construction. The DLP website does not show Golden Forest club rooms as available, but I can book them on the non-DLP hotel websites. I will take a look and compare the prices. Surprisingly, the Hotel Cheyenne rooms are now more pricey for my trip dates than the Sequoia Lodge rooms (maybe because of the construction/pool closure?)

Thank you also for your recommendations regarding the Extra Magic Time, length of visit, and touring. I like the idea of taking it slow and just enjoying the parks!