suzybear6
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2007
- Messages
- 373
Our First trip to Disneyland Paris. October 22nd - 27th 2007. Trip Report.
Cast Members
Suzy (over 40!) Have been to WDW Floirda many years ago, loves pretty things and water rides, but hates roller coasters, rides that spin round and anything that goes up in the air!
Vince (DP, over 30) Has never been to a Disney park, didn't quite understand why I wanted to go, but loves fast roller coasters and taking photos.
Kira (DD, 5yrs) Loves the Disney Pricesses and is a real thrill seeker when it comes to rides, but is too small for most roller coasters at DLP
Jamie (DS, 4yrs) Loves Buzz Lightyear, Lightening McQueen and Pirates. Very much like me in that he doesn't like "scary" rides.
Monday 22nd October was our day of departure, but since we don't do early mornings particularly well and live very close to Newhaven we had decided to take the overnight ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe. We'd never done a crossing from Newhaven before so that was a new experience. So much for them telling us we need to be at the port 2 hours before it sailed - when we got there we found that they didn't open the check-in gates until less than an hour before the ferry sailed!
We were one of the first cars through check-in and then ended up being checked over by security - they looked in the boot and under the bonnet and then actually did a "pat down" search of our bodies (just mine and DP's - guess they thought DD and DS wouldn't be consealing any illegal items!). 
By 23:00hrs we were on board then checked out the facilities (not a lot compared to the larger ferries we had used previously), had a little snack and we were tucked up in our beds by midnight - well DP, DD and DS were, I had to wait until we had sailed out of British waters before they would open up the shop and I needed to buy a new map for the journey so I waited until the shop was open, bought my map and a few bits and bobs before retiring for the night. We were woken up at 05:30hrs (04:30hrs British time) ready for our arrival at Dieppe at 6am.
The journey to DLP didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped. We hit major traffic congestion at Rouen and then again as we were driving around the outskirts of Paris. We did get lost once going through Rouen and ended up heading the wrong way on the motorway so had to come off and find our way back to the other side of the caridgeway (not easy in France as their sign posting isn't particularly good).
It eventually took us 5 hours to drive the 3 hour jouney (well that's what the AA and RAC said it should take!), but it was all forgotten once we spotted the Disney signs on the A4 and then we saw the Disney Balloon up in the sky.
We managed to find our way to our hotel (Holliday inn), checked in and picked up our park tickets,had a quick pit stop for a coffee, caught the shuttle bus to the parks and we walked into the parks by midday.
We headed for the Disneyland park first and it was as we were walking up to the DLH that DP seemed to realise what it was all about - he was wowed with all the attention to detail and we couldn't stop him from taking photos. "Come on Dad, stop taking photos and keep up with us" became a constant shout from me, DD and DS throughout our time in the parks!
Mickey was doing his meet and greet in main square as we arrived which got DD and DS even more excited than they already were - their first sight of Mickey! I held DD and DS up to see their first sight of the castle from the bottom of main street and yes they were impressed (as was DP I might add!). What made it even better for me was the briliant blue sky we had as a back drop - yes it was cold - freezing at night, but those blue skies made it seem even more magiacal for me.
We wandered up main street admiring all the sights - DS loved the pumpkin men and couldn't get over how many there were and all the different place they managed to get themselves into.
As we got to Central Plaza we realised the Villians show was on so stopped to watch it and then headed off to the castle. DD and DS both wanted to see the dragon, so we paid him a visit (DD loved him but DS was a bit frightened). Then we did our first DLP ride - the Carousel - I had a feeling it would be the one that DD and DS would head for first. Luckily there wasn't a big queue - 5 mins max I reckon. Then we were hungry so made our way back down main street to the Market House Deli - again I was pleased with the lack of huge queues here as I had heard that it can take ages to get served. We sat outside and low and behold, along came the Charater Express, which had DD and DS standing on their seats waving and dancing along to the music
I had planned that we would stay in the Disneyland Park that day, but DS was most insistant that he wanted to go on the Cars ride, so we headed off to WDS and I was again pleased to find that we only had to wait around 10 mins to get on the Cars ride. I wasn't sure about going on Cars myself as it did look as if it went round and round a bit much for me (serious motion sickness sufferer here!), but I braved it and actually really enjoyed the ride - it's about the fastest ride I would be comfortable going on! lol When we came off Cars we noticed the Mickey was doing a meet and greet so queued for a couple of minutes so that DD and DS could meet him. When it came to their turn though DS chickened out (said he was "too shy"), so just DD got to have her photo taken with him.
We then decided to leg it back to Disneyland Park to see the parade, but had a slight detour on the way because DP spotted Sully doing a meet and greet and had to have his photo taken with him. He tried to persuade DD and DS to go with him as he felt he needed a child with him (despite me telling him it was ok for adults to go alone!), but again DS decided he was "too shy", so DD accompanied DP. Then as we were heading for the gate out of WDS we spotting Pluto and Goofy larking around. DD had great fun chasing Pluto around.
We managed to make it back to watch the parade from just outside the gates where it ends. It was lovely to hear DD and DS shouting "Look there's Buzz, look there's Snow White, look three's Winnie the Pooh, look there's etc, etc as they spotted all the characters
Once the parade was over we headed over to Discoveryland and picked up fastpasses for Buzz then went on Orbitron (aarrgghhh I didn't like that ride! Far too scary for me! Had to insist DS kept the spaceship near the bottom) and "it's a small world" (no queue at all and DP, despite loving roller coaster rides, said he liked this one). Returned to Discoveryland to do Buzz which we all loved. DS was awed by the talking Buzz in the waiting area - shame the queue was movng too fast for us to be able to just stand and watch it. I was quite chuffed to find I had a higher score than DP - think it might have had something to do with the ride stopping quite a few times when I was right opposite a target! lol
When we came out of Buzz it was starting to get dark and DS and DD were very tired, so we decided to call it a day, and find somethign to eat. However we got side tracked by Candleabration and found that everyone had the same idea - the wait for a table at the restuarants in the Disney Village was an hour and with 2 very hungry and tired children we couldn't do that so we ended up getting some fast food from a trailer and eating it in the RER station (it was far too cold to be sitting outside by that time).
We cought the shuttle bus back to our hotel and picked up the key to our room without having to wait and tumbled into bed extremely tired but very happy to be in Disneyland
Cast Members
Suzy (over 40!) Have been to WDW Floirda many years ago, loves pretty things and water rides, but hates roller coasters, rides that spin round and anything that goes up in the air!
Vince (DP, over 30) Has never been to a Disney park, didn't quite understand why I wanted to go, but loves fast roller coasters and taking photos.
Kira (DD, 5yrs) Loves the Disney Pricesses and is a real thrill seeker when it comes to rides, but is too small for most roller coasters at DLP
Jamie (DS, 4yrs) Loves Buzz Lightyear, Lightening McQueen and Pirates. Very much like me in that he doesn't like "scary" rides.
Monday 22nd October was our day of departure, but since we don't do early mornings particularly well and live very close to Newhaven we had decided to take the overnight ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe. We'd never done a crossing from Newhaven before so that was a new experience. So much for them telling us we need to be at the port 2 hours before it sailed - when we got there we found that they didn't open the check-in gates until less than an hour before the ferry sailed!
We were one of the first cars through check-in and then ended up being checked over by security - they looked in the boot and under the bonnet and then actually did a "pat down" search of our bodies (just mine and DP's - guess they thought DD and DS wouldn't be consealing any illegal items!). By 23:00hrs we were on board then checked out the facilities (not a lot compared to the larger ferries we had used previously), had a little snack and we were tucked up in our beds by midnight - well DP, DD and DS were, I had to wait until we had sailed out of British waters before they would open up the shop and I needed to buy a new map for the journey so I waited until the shop was open, bought my map and a few bits and bobs before retiring for the night. We were woken up at 05:30hrs (04:30hrs British time) ready for our arrival at Dieppe at 6am.
The journey to DLP didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped. We hit major traffic congestion at Rouen and then again as we were driving around the outskirts of Paris. We did get lost once going through Rouen and ended up heading the wrong way on the motorway so had to come off and find our way back to the other side of the caridgeway (not easy in France as their sign posting isn't particularly good).
It eventually took us 5 hours to drive the 3 hour jouney (well that's what the AA and RAC said it should take!), but it was all forgotten once we spotted the Disney signs on the A4 and then we saw the Disney Balloon up in the sky.
We managed to find our way to our hotel (Holliday inn), checked in and picked up our park tickets,had a quick pit stop for a coffee, caught the shuttle bus to the parks and we walked into the parks by midday.We headed for the Disneyland park first and it was as we were walking up to the DLH that DP seemed to realise what it was all about - he was wowed with all the attention to detail and we couldn't stop him from taking photos. "Come on Dad, stop taking photos and keep up with us" became a constant shout from me, DD and DS throughout our time in the parks!
Mickey was doing his meet and greet in main square as we arrived which got DD and DS even more excited than they already were - their first sight of Mickey! I held DD and DS up to see their first sight of the castle from the bottom of main street and yes they were impressed (as was DP I might add!). What made it even better for me was the briliant blue sky we had as a back drop - yes it was cold - freezing at night, but those blue skies made it seem even more magiacal for me.
We wandered up main street admiring all the sights - DS loved the pumpkin men and couldn't get over how many there were and all the different place they managed to get themselves into.
As we got to Central Plaza we realised the Villians show was on so stopped to watch it and then headed off to the castle. DD and DS both wanted to see the dragon, so we paid him a visit (DD loved him but DS was a bit frightened). Then we did our first DLP ride - the Carousel - I had a feeling it would be the one that DD and DS would head for first. Luckily there wasn't a big queue - 5 mins max I reckon. Then we were hungry so made our way back down main street to the Market House Deli - again I was pleased with the lack of huge queues here as I had heard that it can take ages to get served. We sat outside and low and behold, along came the Charater Express, which had DD and DS standing on their seats waving and dancing along to the music
I had planned that we would stay in the Disneyland Park that day, but DS was most insistant that he wanted to go on the Cars ride, so we headed off to WDS and I was again pleased to find that we only had to wait around 10 mins to get on the Cars ride. I wasn't sure about going on Cars myself as it did look as if it went round and round a bit much for me (serious motion sickness sufferer here!), but I braved it and actually really enjoyed the ride - it's about the fastest ride I would be comfortable going on! lol When we came off Cars we noticed the Mickey was doing a meet and greet so queued for a couple of minutes so that DD and DS could meet him. When it came to their turn though DS chickened out (said he was "too shy"), so just DD got to have her photo taken with him.
We then decided to leg it back to Disneyland Park to see the parade, but had a slight detour on the way because DP spotted Sully doing a meet and greet and had to have his photo taken with him. He tried to persuade DD and DS to go with him as he felt he needed a child with him (despite me telling him it was ok for adults to go alone!), but again DS decided he was "too shy", so DD accompanied DP. Then as we were heading for the gate out of WDS we spotting Pluto and Goofy larking around. DD had great fun chasing Pluto around.
We managed to make it back to watch the parade from just outside the gates where it ends. It was lovely to hear DD and DS shouting "Look there's Buzz, look there's Snow White, look three's Winnie the Pooh, look there's etc, etc as they spotted all the characters
Once the parade was over we headed over to Discoveryland and picked up fastpasses for Buzz then went on Orbitron (aarrgghhh I didn't like that ride! Far too scary for me! Had to insist DS kept the spaceship near the bottom) and "it's a small world" (no queue at all and DP, despite loving roller coaster rides, said he liked this one). Returned to Discoveryland to do Buzz which we all loved. DS was awed by the talking Buzz in the waiting area - shame the queue was movng too fast for us to be able to just stand and watch it. I was quite chuffed to find I had a higher score than DP - think it might have had something to do with the ride stopping quite a few times when I was right opposite a target! lol
When we came out of Buzz it was starting to get dark and DS and DD were very tired, so we decided to call it a day, and find somethign to eat. However we got side tracked by Candleabration and found that everyone had the same idea - the wait for a table at the restuarants in the Disney Village was an hour and with 2 very hungry and tired children we couldn't do that so we ended up getting some fast food from a trailer and eating it in the RER station (it was far too cold to be sitting outside by that time).
We cought the shuttle bus back to our hotel and picked up the key to our room without having to wait and tumbled into bed extremely tired but very happy to be in Disneyland
Glad that Kira and Jamie enjoyed their 1st day. Logan was the same as Jamie when it came to meeting the characters last year. Hoping that on our March trip he will be much better. Can't wait to read the rest of the trip and see more photos.
I haven't even loaded any of my photos onto the computer yet! 
I'm not sure what Vince thinks about another trip - I did keep saying that we would take K & J back again another time and he didn't seem to object, but I think he thinks it will be in a good few years time....hmmmm......we'll see! 
