Underwhelmed

[picktails]

As a family that has visited WDW close to 20 times, my D insisted on visiting DLP when we met her in Paris (she had been studying in the Loire Valley for 6 weeks prior.) Well, I can sum up our day with one word - disappointing.

It started when we arrived via the RER, and walked over the the entrance. The silent, quiet, pretty but boring entrance - I wasn't sure we were there! No music, no cast members, no nothing. After walking inside, through the tickets lines, back outside to the queues and onto Main Street USA - same thing. Where were the staff members? The entertainers? The music, the welcome, the MAGIC???

We looked at each other, and walked on to find the board with ride wait info. Again, NO CMs, no one to ask questions, advice, directions. So we did as we would at home, and started with a big attraction for a fast pass. Throughout the day, the disappointment grew. No CMs except at attraction entrances, no street performers in the studios, very little music or Disney feel; we agreed we could have been at any amusement park.

The facades seemed rundown and neglected. The bathrooms were unkempt, with towels and trash on the floor. Shopping was just as dismal. It was almost impossible to find clothing for adults, until finally some decent options at The World of Disney just outside the parks. The highlight was dinner at The Blue Lagoon restaurant inside of TPOTC attraction. Expensive, but good food and cocktails in a cool setting. All in all I would not recommend visiting DLP to anyone.

 

[cazspence]

You couldn't find clothes for adults!? Were your eyes closed?
We always come back with lots of clothes.

 

[anthony2k7]

You couldn't find clothes for adults!? Were your eyes closed?
We always come back with lots of clothes.

Maybe they meant they couldn't find interesting clothes for adults. Most in DLP seem to just be adult sizes of the basic kids stuff. There are a few interesting things for women in the boutique in the village, but nothing for men really. In WDW/DLR you can find very smart and unique higher end clothes for men and women, but this type of clothing is very lacking in DLP.

 

[cazspence]

Disneys not really a place to go clothes shopping though is it. It's a theme park .

 

[anthony2k7]

Disneys not really a place to go clothes shopping though is it. It's a theme park .

Well thats kinda the OP's point I suppose. DLP may seem to some to be little more than a theme park (or 1.5 theme parks) - almost any theme park. Where as DLR is at least considered a resort, and WDW a "world".

People who have done the American destinations know they offer a far more complete package and may be surprised with a few things that are missing in DLP.

 

[Danauk]

I'm sorry you didn't like DLP. I too have been to the US parks and know you can't compare them. It is interesting that several points you disliked are actually reasons I do like DLP. I love the entrance, the tranquillity of it to me matches the look with the hotel and gardens before you enter the park. I also like the fact that the music is not as 'in your face' as in the US parks (I actually find the music quite irritating after a while!). You also must have been unlucky to miss the street musicians. Our last trip we saw a band in Studio One, musician in Place de Remy and some musicians in Adventureland. I actually commented after this trip that it was nice to see this again. As for the façades being neglected, DLP are actually currently redoing many of them. Several facades on Main Street have just been redone after many month of being covered up and completely being redone. I guess the rest are on the list to do in the future.

 

[A Small World]

Ive visited both WDW and DL several times and my favourite park is DL but I do love DLP as well. There are a lot of differences between them all (and I assume the Hong Kong and Tokyo parks as well) but to me that is part of the attraction.
Like Danauk said I love the entrance to DLP - I love the peace of Fantasia Gardens and how pretty is always looks and then often people comment about how attractive and unique it is entering under the hotel and being transported into another place on Main Street.
I was last in DLP in December and there were lots of street musicians about and never noticed a lack of cast members to ask if needed.

As for clothes - European adults don't tend to wear as many Disney style clothing as Americans as you may have noticed so thats probably the reason for less in the shops. There are quite a lot of adult clothes in one of the shops on Main street and in the village and the shopping centre is only one stop away on the train for a large selection of normal clothing.

I don't look at DLP with rose coloured specs - there are flaws as there are in all the parks. Yes the bathrooms can get dirty and untidy but thats the fault of guests not caring how they leave it. Unfortuneatly people drop litter as well instead of bothering to put it in a bin - CMs do their best to keep the place tidy but can't always keep up with it.
In my opinion magic is what you make and when Im in DLP I always feel Im in Disney and not just another theme park - the differences are still obvious despite DLP not being 100% perfect.

 

[picktails]

Thanks for explaining the differences (those who chose to compare cultures rather than berate me for my opinion, that is.) Yes, we are used to very stylish clothing options that can be worn at home without being too obvious about it. We enjoyed the Remy area, but there was no entertainment. We were there during the heat wave - maybe that had something to do with the quiet? I'm sure they're not used to that weather like they are in Florida!
Also I didn't mention the poor snack options - Magnum ice cream bars from the U.S.??

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Thanks for explaining the differences (those who chose to compare cultures rather than berate me for my opinion, that is.) Yes, we are used to very stylish clothing options that can be worn at home without being too obvious about it. We enjoyed the Remy area, but there was no entertainment. We were there during the heat wave - maybe that had something to do with the quiet? I'm sure they're not used to that weather like they are in Florida!
Also I didn't mention the poor snack options - Magnum ice cream bars from the U.S.??

I'm not going to add to what the 2 pp have said concerning clothing and habits, to me DLP is what you make it not what you expect it to be. I wouldn't like the style of the US parks in Europe as it's to OTT for me. I go to DLP twice a week and of course I see the faults, how can I not ? But it's not the parks fault, and I can see past that.

Yes to a lot of CM's it's only a job and people seem incapble of flushing toilets or of putting their rubbish in a bin but that you can see everywhere where ever you go.

There is no more funding and I am seeing changes, little ones for sure but they are there - on the 6th there was live music in the parks, lots of characters about and the annoucement that you could meet 23 of them at various points around the park

It will take time but I do believe that we are going in the right direction

ps - Magnum bars were invented by a Belgian and sold in Europe back in 1989 - they didn't start selling in the US until 2011 - The French ones are still made in Germany

 

[A Small World]

In case anyone due to visit for the first time is following this thread and thinking there are no snacks available there are but are just different to in the American parks - unfortunately they don't sell Dole whips or Mickey Ice cream bars .

Carrie has posted 3 threads recently about snacks at DLP - http://www.disboards.com/threads/further-snacks-in-disneyland-paris-may-2015.3412546/ (the other 2 threads are linked in that one )

Also this thread has suggestions - http://www.disboards.com/threads/whats-your-favourite-dlp-treat.3411796/

 

[moorhunhe]

I can't really find my own opinion in yours.
I'm an adult, there's quite a lot of clothing for adults, granted, may be in The Village mainly (more fancier stuff), but the park has a good part of it too.
(special shop on Main Street somewhere, and most shops through-out the park all have a little something)

Whenever I'm there, I see enough CM's (the ones in red jackets/sweathers) walking around through-out the park.
Can't say I really saw that many walking around during my 6-day visit last year in WDW.

There's music when entering and walking through Main Street.

The parks have been in great debts, so not much money left for extra entertainment on every corner, but if you compare how it is now since TWDC took over then before, there are already slight changes. Guess we can't expect everything to change within a month or so.

And the US simply isn't France/Europe.
It's hard to compare the parks, they all have their own thing.

1 thing I do agree on, the toilets in DLRP are usually gross, that was *a lot* better at WDW.

 

[PumbaBoy26]

Have to agree. My last trip to Disneyland Paris was so underwhelming and the quality of the hotel and Castmembers at Sequoia Lodge were so poor for the price that we came away not really bothered if we go back ever again or not. Hence why my mum and I have booked a 2week stay at Disney's Old Key West for next year in WDW. We are pretty much guaranteed a higher class of experience.

 

[BadPinkTink]

@picktails
Im not surprised at your observations. Many regular visitors to the USA parks, including myself share your views. I have been to DLP twice and plan to go again some time in the next year. I describe DLP as Frenchified Disney. Its a European / French version of Disney, with French / European social aspects and behaviour in an American style themepark.

1. Smoking in central Europe is viewed very differently to in America, which is why, even though Disney is supposed to be a smoke free zone, guests feel they have the right to smoke anywhere they choose. The smoking ban is not enforced by CMs as THEY are not encouraged to enforce it by their French / European managers.

2. Disney themed clothing is not as popular as day to day wear as it is in America therefore in DLP there is not the wide selection of adult clothing you find in the American parks. Also European clothes sizes in general are smaller than American clothes sizes, so pooh sized Americans wont find t-shirts in their size like they would in the American parks.

3. Europeans in general don't like the same level of Disneyness that the American parks have, so the music level is lower and the Disneyness is toned down.

4. DLP does not have the same amount of CMs and departments. For example, there is no custodial department in DLP, ie the CMs in American whose job it is to empty the trash bin, keep ride and attractions free from trash, sweep the ground etc. That is why you only see CMs at the rides and attractions. To keep costs down, they have a lower amount of CMs in the park who have a higher work load than their American counterparts.

5. The façades seem run down because they ARE run down. DLP just does not have the same level of investment and money for maintenance that the American parks have. The American parks are wholly owned by the Disney Corporation, DLP is only partly owned by the Disney corporation. The other major owner is the Brunei Royal family with a small number of other investors. This is the main reason that major upgrades, like the POC film updates to the ride and Star Tours updates and the lack of entertainment / street performers as well as structural maintenance are not the same as in the American parks.

6. Europeans LIKE their DLP because it is a European version of Disney. Regular European visitors rarely visit the American parks and when they do, they complain it is too brash, too in your face and they cant wait to get back to their park.

 

[SWofDisorder]

Also European clothes sizes in general are smaller than American clothes sizes, so pooh sized Americans wont find t-shirts in their size like they would in the American parks.

We are not all pooh sized. I can barely find EU clothes that fit me well. So for a 36 is big on my waist but it is all I can find unless I go to the child section.

 

[BagOLaughs]

Magnum ice cream bars from the U.S.??

This made me giggle. I'm sorry i'm not being rude but I'm afraid Magnum isn't just American. Its sold all over the world. I love them.

Its a shame you didn't enjoy your trip but reading through your thoughts it seems you went in with an expectation that you were visiting WDW or DL. We're very different over this side of the pond and you have to go in with an open mind.

Some of the things I can understand your frustration such as dirty toilets and a bit of wear and tear around the place (lack of investment).

I would respectfully suggest that you take each new park as a something completely new and instead of thinking "there's not music like WDW, that's wrong" think instead "there's no music here, it feels different and peaceful"

I love fantasia gardens and I think music wouldn't be a good addition. Also I have memories of music in main street USA, so i thought they did play it.

Anyway, like I said you have a different take away from your trip. Sorry it wasn't want you wanted it to be but don't be afraid to give it another go.

 

[picktails]

Thank you for all the comments, I find them enlightening (such as about the Magnum Bars, I had no idea.) But that aside, it is a cultural difference of opinion at play here. I know of Disney as a American institution I first visited at age 10 and did not expect such a vastly different feeling at a park outside the U.S. I knew about European differences in many things, and have no issue with various habits and norms. But at almost 50 yo now the "Disney experience" is ingrained in my being as a certain experience. And this certainly wasn't it - to each his own, as they say.

 

[BagOLaughs]

to each his own, as they say.

Definitely! However for me the difference is what makes it exciting. One of the things I was most looking forward to when I went to Tokyo Disney was the culture difference and boy was it different. And I loved it. For the record I would recommend ANYONE to go to TDR! Its amazing, awesome and astounding!

I love DLP too, but then again I'm used to the French way of life, some things are good (e.g.laid back) other things aren't (e.g. prevalence of smoking). But you see even referring to the French as purely European will annoy them. Every country in Europe is vastly different and has its own vastly different culture.

I've read this is why DLP didn't do so well at the start, when it was named Euro Disney a lot of the French people shunned it because labeling something as Europe when actually its in Paris felt like it was combining all the different European cultures into one big stereotypical pot and ignoring all the special cultural things that makes Paris/France so unique

 

[cmpeter]

My dh and I just got back from a four day trip to DLP and we found that the parks exceeded our expectations. We grew up next to DL CA and have been countless times. We have only done WDW once. I love going to Disney parks and would go back to DLP in a heartbeat.

 

[picktails]

Thank you BagOLaughs for your insight! I guess we weren't prepared for the French version of our beloved Disney World. Lesson learned.

 

[kdonnel]

We just got back to our hotel in Paris after spending a day at DLP.

We (my wife and I and our 12 and 15 year old kids) had a great time and enjoyed the rides that were different and the ones that were the same.

We were disappointed in the lack of adult clothing that said DLP. We wanted a shirt to wear back home. Apparently Europeans would not, but it seems like there are enough American visitors to have atleast one American styled shirt that says DLP.

We also thought it was odd that all the restaurants closed after lunch in the studios. I am not sure if the Disneyland restaurants closed as well since we were so tired from walking that we just ate dinner at downtown Disney.

As is the case in the rest of Europe there were people who smoked on their way to smoke. There were only a couple places where people smoked on rides but cast members did ask them to stop.

I would not recommend visiting DLP the day after watching the Bastille Day fireworks. We were up until 2:30am the night before and are so tired now!

Edited to add:
One other observation. There seemed to be more people at DLP that had never been to a Disney/Theme park before. On many occasions I saw people totally confused by the cast members request to have them pull up on the seatbelt check strap. The cast member would spend as long as a full minute trying to communicate the request. I guess the cast member cannot just pull the strap themselves.

We also took advantage of the single rider line when possible and witnessed groups who did not understand they would be separated. When the cast member would call for one they would step aside because they were a group of 4 or 5. Eventually they would understand and either walk away or breakup as parties of one were called.