Trip Report - day 1

[eliza]

Cast -
Myself - favourite thing disneyland at night
DH - favourite ride sitting on a bench! - also loves buzz
DD1 (11) - favourite ride all rollercoasters
DD2 (9) - favourite ride BTM
DS (6) - favourite ride Buzz

This was our second visit to DLRP - this time a two week holiday in France over the Easter holidays staying for 9 nights at Les Etang Fleuris campsite near Touquin and then 3 days at Berny-Riviere campsite further north. We drove via eurotunnel which was much quicker than the ferry. We have annual passes and spent 5 wonderful days at Disney. I shall only describe our Disney days, although this time we also managed to visit Provins which was well worth a visit and Parc Asterix which I didn't like at all.

Monday 2 April
The first day we planned to do discoveryland and frontierland. Knowing about the new fast pass rules (thanks to this board) I took the children on BTM while DH got Buzz fast passes. DH does not do rollercoasters because of epilepsy. We then bought the autograph books. When FP window opened we got new fastpasses for DD1 to ride space mountain and for four of us to go on Star Tours. All did Buzz. Then it was time for Star Tours. The times went really well. I noticed that english lion king show was starting at 12.30 so we had lunch in the cafe while watching the show. It was then time for the space mountain FP. At some point we also did honey I shrunk the audience and nautilus. DS really liked this submarine walk through ride.The park was very crowded and the queues for orbitron and autopia too long so we moved back to Frontierland and did Phantom Manor with a look around the graveyard. The river boat wasn't working. At about 3.20 we sat down in front of the castle to wait for the parade. The parade was good, but I liked the music and the dancing in the previous one more. After the parade we all felt rather tired after the long drive the previous day and so went back to the campsite for dinner. Day 2 to follow.

 

[tennisfan]

Busy day!, can't wait for the rest of the report

 

[kevankiki]

Great start!

I don't think we've come across Nautilus ourselves...

Will be interested to hear about Parc Asterix as my window cleaner was raving about it when I mentioned we had just got back from DLRP (he said he was going fishing while his wife and her sister enjoyed a day at DL and a day at Parc Asterix, which he reckoned was better!)

 

[Sarah Sarill]

Parc Asterix which I didn't like at all.

Would you be sokind as to elaborate on this one as we planned to do a day during our next visit in December.

I would spend my euro on another treat if its not worth the journey and admission charge.

 

[eliza]

To elaborate on our day at parc asterix...

We probably did it on a bad day - it was very busy because of the French school holdiays and the lovely weather. The types of ride are similar to Chessington World of Adventures if you know that - typical fairground thrill rides - this appeals more to teenagers and the park was full of them. The queues for everything were over an hour and there was no fast pass. Although it is based on the Asterix theme the rides do not have the attention to detail of Disney. The hours were shorter so everything was busy right until closing time. We only got on a few rides. With hindsight I would rather have spent the day relaxing at the campsite.

It was dissappointing after spending 5 days at Disneyland. I would recommend doing Asterix before Disney and not the other way round.

 

[Sarah Sarill]

Thanks Eliza,

I will spend another day in Paris then. DD9 loves thrill rides but its a lot of effort for a park that sounds typically English.

Good start to your trippie BTW

 

[Raci]

Great start, TY!
Glad you were able to make the new way of FP's work for you.

 

[Cyrano]

Enjoyed the start to your trippie and another who appreciated the extra info regarding Parc Asterix.

SIL stayed before in Berny-Riviere so I know this is a lovely relaxing site. How does Les Etang Fleuris compare

BTW you did not bad on a first park day after the long day previously

 

[Rachie B]

Eliza,

We are going back to Berny Riviere in July,for 2nd time

we loved it last time even though it was Oct, so not everything was open etc but we were lucky and the weather was fab !

Thinking of going go Les Etangs next yr.......

I would appreciate any feedback / comparisons on the 2 sites ?

 

[eliza]

This was covered in a previous thread about Touquin but I don't know how to point to that thread from here. I said:

The two sites are very different.

Les Etang Fleuris is small, quiet with fewer facilities but ideal for doing Disneyland. La Croix de vieux pont is bigger, busy with lots to do! It depends what you like. La Croix de vieux pont is in much more of an industrial area, whereas Les Etang Fleuris is very much in the middle of the French Countryside.

Personally I like the more relaxed atmosphere at Les Etang Fleuris. The camping life reception had games which the children could borrow and this kept them happy for the times we were at the camp. Most people are out during the day and it is very quiet. There is an outdoor swimming pool but it wasn't open over Easter.

We enjoyed the facilites at La Croix de vieux pont although I thought some of them looked a bit run down and in need of cleaning/updating. It was a nice contrast to stay here after doing Disneyland and it made the journey home a little bit shorter. The restaurant called Chez Micheline at Bernie Riviere was excellent.

Hope you have a lovely holiday in July How many days are you doing Disney? Do you drive or use the coach. It must be quite a trek from Berny-riviere.

 

[Rachie B]

Hi,thanks for that

No it took us just under an hour so not bad,the drive was straight forward and fine ( i wasnt driving though lol)

we do 3 night breaks with the Sun newspaper cheap holidays.costs £89 for 4 people for accom ( exact same break with Keycamp was over £400 !!!)

we travel early ferry ( 7am) on fri morn,drive to Berny and spend a relaxing fri afternoon, then early night!

Sat, leave the site early and get to DLRP for opening,stay all day til it shuts !

Sunday stay in / around the site chilling out and relaxing !

Monday head off after breakfast,stopping off for lunch and shopping at Cite Europe and then get an afternoon ferry

Hoping to have enough in tesco clubcard deals to get a week at les Etangs, with Siblu next yr ! also enough for the ferry / eurotunnel travel too

Then we can have more days at DLRP which would be fab