WDW Vet- help planning 1 day DLP trip

[hmkenn0]

Hello- My family (DH, DS(9), DS (4- 40inches)) and I will be in Paris from June 25-30 this summer. We have 1 day in our itinerary to do DLP. I fully realize that this is not enough time to do/see everything, but I would like to try and get as much out of it as possible. I used to work at WDW (Magic Kingdom Guest Relations, Tour Guide- Keys to the Kingdom, VIP Tours) and my kids have been to WDW a lot, so we are most interested in the things that are different from WDW. So, I have some questions-
1. What day of the week would be best (or does it really matter at this time of the year)?
2. What rides/shows should be a priority for us?
3. Any touring/FP suggestions (we are definitely rope-drop people so we will get there early, but we will probably take a break from 12-3 for a nap at our nearby apartment in Paris)?
4. Any other WDW vs DLP things I should know?
Thanks so much!

 

[micksn]

Looking at your dates I would try to go on Thursday, Summer weekends can get busy.
The DLP park is very pretty and has some subtle differences to Magic Kingdom. There are 2 arcades running behind either side of mainstreet. The castle is an attraction in itself. There are shops on the ground floor, tapestries of the story of Sleeping Beauty upstairs and a fire breathing dragon down below. Make sure you do BTM the Paris version is better! It starts by plunging into the dark to get to the mountain which is fully surrounded by water. Space Mountain is much more intense with inversions. Phantom Manor has a different story line to Haunted Mansion and is lots of fun. The story boat ride and Casey Jr train are good fun for little ones particularly on a nice Summers day. The Dreams show is amazing and not to be missed!
Most of the different rides can be found at the Studios which is adjacent to the main park. Crushes Coaster is a spinning rollar coaster and is great fun, Toy Story Playland has 3 fun attractions for children and the Cars ride is a bit like the Tea Cups but with Cars.
If you want to do both parks you might be best to do the Studios at rope drop and then go into the main park at lunchtime and use FastPass. I think you will struggle to have your break in Paris the train takes about an hour each way. You could go into the Disneyland Hotel (at the gates of the park) and relax in the lounge, there are lots of comfy sofas and you could have a coffee or afternoon tea. If it's a nice day you can go and sit beside Lake Disney and let the children play there to have a break.
Have fun planning your day - I'm sure you will have a great time!