Who Has Been To Disneyland Paris?

[RalphMouth]

how do it compare to our parks in the Florida & California ?

do you still feel the magic ?

what's better there than here ? what's worse ??

any pictures to share ??

 

[glewis1123]

We spent 2 days there last year.

I hate to say this but I think their castle is better than our two. You can walk down into the dungeon and see the sleeping dragon from Sleeping Beauty. It is beautifully landscaped as well.

I myself didn't do too many rides as it took me awhile to adjust from the flight.

Space Mountain has an inversion - hubby and son rode this. Pirates was down while we were there - still finishing their refurbishment of adding scenes from the movie. Small World was pretty much the same except in French. Haunted Mansion was good - it was an Old West theme. We didn't get to do Thunder - was so disappointed - fast passes were sold out by the time we got there and the line was over one hour long. Also did the Indiana Jones roller coaster - it has one or maybe 2 - can't remember - small inversions - piece of cake for me and I hate those things - the ride itself was short though.

Conversing in english was easy - all cm's speak some english and if they don't understand they'll get someone who will - no issues there whatsoever.

We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel Paris and had a huge room and I mean huge. Don't know if it was a special category or not but we had used our DVC points to book the 2 nights and it included theme park tickets too. We were on a stopover before spending 3 weeks in Italy. The CM's at the hotel were fantastic - some of the best I've ever encountered - they always remembered our names and always addressed us with them. We checked in at 9am after a long flight from California. I asked if there were any rooms available as we were exhausted from the flight and she went to check for us and found us one. I set up a wake up call for a 3 hour nap and shortly afterwards there was a knock on our door with a fresh pot of coffee and juice and some muffins. We didn't order these - they did it on their own.
Can't say enough good things about the friendliness of the CM's or the cleanliness of the hotel. It was a FANTASTIC stay.

DTD was nice but not as nice as our two - basically the same shops though.

Check out the Disneyland Paris Board - you'll find a lot more info there.

Hope this helps somewhat

 

[marivaid]

I've been several times since we live about 30mns away. Not a fan but there's a few good points.

The rides themselves are great and for the most part the same as the ones in FL. Haunted Mansion (Phantom Manor) is pretty cool. They're building TOT right now! No Splash Mountain unless I missed it, but Big Thunder Mountain is awesome.

They've been working on the resorts too and now have several good ones. We've stayed in Hotel Cheyenne and Hotel New York. I liked Cheyenne better. The prices for the resorts are not too bad and include breakfast. The rooms are nice, bigger than the moderates in FL and clean.

The bad parts now..

First it's very small. And very popular which means it's VERY crowded and the lines are long. Most of the lines are outdoors and while it's against the law in France to smoke in a public place the CMs don't enforce this at all (at least they weren't the last time I went).People push in line all the time.
Lots of grumpy people. Lots of dirty stuff on the floor that no one seems to pick up (that was one of the first things that surprised us at WDW,I've never seen a place so clean!).

So in short, the rides are great but the atmosphere isn't, IMO.

ETA : The Indiana Jones ride is great and Pirates of the Caribbean has a bigger drop than the one in WDW.

 

[nbodyhome]

I was just there again a few weeks back. I was sick, but I did a resort walk-about with photos and I also have some photos inside the parks.

http://www.mousesteps.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=33&Itemid=63

It is different. This is my 3rd time there since 2002 (4th time to Paris, which is a city I'm totally in love with). I also have photos of Paris itself here: http://www.mousesteps.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=38&Itemid=68

The park is different in the way that WDW is different than DL. Although my husband and I both think that DLP is the most beautiful park of the 3 MK's we've vistited (we've not been to Tokyo). The Space Mountain is too rough for me, but I love Phantom Manor. The packages there, even with the weak dollar vs. the Euro can be a terrific value.

Next time, I'd like to spend a couple of nights at the DL Hotel at DLP, I've stayed previously at the Sequioa. I just don't like to spend too much time at the parks when I can be in the City of Lights!

The park was very clean when I was there a few weeks ago, the atmosphere seemed better than previous. But you do have more rude people - not that you don't get them in WDW, and it isn't about the nationality. More line cutting, especially in food lines - so keep watch in front of you.

I'll add a few photos from my site here in a bit, it's time for lunch.

 

[nbodyhome]

Here are 5 of the couple of hundred photos from my site:

 

[shoes99]

We also loved DLP. We stayed at Hotel New York. We loved the architecture and the landscaping.

 

[cleo]

Disneyland Park (the 'Magic Kingdom' park at Disneyland Resort Paris) is incredibly beautiful. Some of the rides are similar (POTC, Haunted Mansion, BTMRR) but they each have a 'twist' that makes them unique. POTC is a much longer, more involved ride than the 2 US parks, much more captivating, IMO. The outside theming is also MUCH more spectacular. Same for Haunted Mansion (Phantom Manor).

Space Mountain is totally different. BTMRR is similar to the version in Disneyland California.

The main difference I notice though, is the general atmosphere (I'm speaking only of Disneyland Park, not the Studios in Paris). It's a gorgeous park that somehow looks more 'finished' than Magic Kingdom.

The Studios...well....aren't quite so well-thought out. Having said that, the Tarzan show is spectacular and it's great fun to see the other shows and attractions (in French!) that we don't have here in the US.

Bumping you over to the Disneyland Paris board for more replies.

 

[nbodyhome]

I agree that the Studios could use some massive work.

 

[Ware Bears]

Hi RalphMouth, welcome to the DLP board!

 

[anewvance]

I went to Disneyland Paris when I was 17.. we stayed at Newport, thanks for the pictures, brings back good memories. I really enjoyed Thunder Mountain at this park.. we didn't do alot of rides we were only there 1 1/2 days because we went into Paris the other days which was a quick and easy train ride from on property. Oh and we ate at Annettes too, I remember it being very good. Oh the memories!

 

[A Small World]

Welcome to DLP board.

Having visited WDW 4 times before DLP we were apprehensive about how well France could do Disney but we love it.

For me one of the advantages of DLP over WDW is the fact that (assuming you are staying in a disney hotel) you can walk back to your hotel at the end of the day.
No having to get the ferry or monorail then the tram to find your car or cramming on the bus with everyone else leaving at the same time.

You can literally walk through the village, alongside the lake and along the canal and you are in the furthest hotel within 15/20 minutes

Its also so easy to pop from one park into the other or into the Village for lunch.

 

[davewasbaloo]

Hmmm, this is always a hard one to answer. DLP is the most beautiful MK par WDI has designed. I always find the MK in WDW a disappointment compared to DL and DLP. DLP also has the best dining experiences of the MK style parks. The attractions are all their best versions with state of the art AA's, and the stage shows surpass the American stage shows with the exception of Aladdin at DCA.

Unique attractions at DLP:

The Libery and Discovery Arcades
Legends of the Far West
Pocahontas Playground
Tarzan le Recountre show (not to be confused with that trainwreck that used to be at DAK
Adventure Isle (though they recently have copied some elements at DL on TSI)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril ( a roller coaster, but I'd rather have DL and TDS's Indy)
Le Passage de Aladdin
The Castle and Dragon
Alice's Curious Labrynth
The Nautilus Walk Through
The Lion King show (more like broadway and not anything like DAK's version).
An excellent new daytime parade
In Summer and Winter - Fantillusion night time parade

MK standards that are missing:

Jungle Cruise
Tiki Room
Splash Mountain

Ok, praise over. Although we have a great time at DLP, it does not have the magic of the American Parks. The guest behaviour is aweful, the cast members can be surly, service is slow, cleanliness is poor, maintenance has been aweful in the past, but this seems to be improving thanks to the 15th. And Fireworks are only shown about 8 weeks a year, and then on a very small scale (due to local political issues). There is very little streetmousephere or live music to be found, and so for me, that really erodes the magic as Disney has always been about more than rides. Sadly at DLP, this is not often the case.

The Studios is a good start, and most of the attractions found both here atnd in WDW, I think WDSP has the better versions:

Animation
Tram Tour
Motors Action
Rock n Roller Coaster

There are some fantastic unique attractions - Cinemagique, Armageddon, and Animagique. This park really has potential.

The Disney Village is no where near as good as DTD in WDW or DL sadly. There is little live entertainment and the merchandise throughout the resort is poor (except for the new 15th Anniversary stuff). That said, Buffalo Bill's Wild West show is THE BEST dinner show I have seen on the planet, and to us is a real highlight of DLP!!!!

The hotels are ok, but they really feel like moderates compared to the WDW deluxe resorts or the Grand Californian. Sad. But there are some outstanding restaurants at the resort:

California Grill (better than any restaurant in WDW, but not as good as the Napa Rose in DL)
Innoventions Character Dinner
Manhatten Grill
Hunter's Grill
The Yacht Club
The Steakhouse
Walt's
the Silver Spur
Plaza Gardens

You can only buy churros at one location (Fuente del Oro) and there are no Dole Whips, Mint Julleps or Turkey Legs. Popcorn has sugar on it instead of salt and butter.

In short, DLP is a fantastic resort, but still needs a number of improvements to meet the magic of the US parks. It's a place people either love or hate. To me it's a good second after DL, and I prefer it to WDW's MK (but I wish we had the fireworks and cast members of WDW).

 

[Cyrano]

Hi RalphMouth and welcome to DLP DIS board
We are a friendly bunch here so please join in on any other thread or if you have a number of questions then just start a new thread for each

If you have not had a look yet, posting guidelines can be found here and details regarding help on signatures here

 

[deej696]

My fiance and I visited DLP for the first time in January. We are self proclaimed pro's at WDW, and will visit DL for the first time later this year. Our impression of DLP was that some things were better than WDW, some things need some work.

If you enjoy park hopping, then DLP much better for this than WDW, as both parks are literally a stones throw from one another. Space mountain, Thunder Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion are much better at DLP, granted the WDW versions are 35 years old.

Comparing MGM and Disney Studios is somewhat an apples and oranges. We managed to do the studios in a couple hours, granted the crowds were light because it was January and FREEZING!

All in all I would say both resorts have their pro's and cons. I still am partial to WDW, but thats only because it is so ingrained in my blood! Any Disney fan who is in the vicinity of Paris should not miss it!

 

[Happy Tappy]

We also loved DLP. We stayed at Hotel New York. We loved the architecture and the landscaping.

That's not DLP!

Dlp is magical. In my honest opinion most of the rides are far better than the American versions, mainly because they are newer. The park features far more detail too, it really is beautiful.

For me the only drawback is the language. Whilst everything is in both English and French, it is annoying listening to the French soundtracks on rides (especially Phantom Manor) It's nice to hear the French language when walking around Paris but when in Disney I'd prefer it to be all English (I obviously don't expect this!!!) It kind of takes a shine off things when Snow white is talking in French or you see a show and half of it is in French. I wish they built the park in England!

Visit the resort for yourself, I'm sure you'll love it. All of us do and that's why we post on here and visit every year!

 

[punkin712]

I don't know if they still do this - when DH and I visited in April 2002, as you left the Studios at the end of the evening, the cast members would line up along either side of a red carpet and clap and wave like you were a celebrity.

 

[davewasbaloo]

I don't know if they still do this - when DH and I visited in April 2002, as you left the Studios at the end of the evening, the cast members would line up along either side of a red carpet and clap and wave like you were a celebrity.

That was just in the opening year I'm afraid, but we used to love it!

 

[Ware Bears]

What a shame they don't still do that!

 

[MsFreud]

Hey all.
I am new here!

DLP. Love it.
In 2005 went stateside to visit family and went to Anaheim. It was massively crowded... looked like that street scene in NY from Crocodile Dundee.

Went to DLP for the first time in March of this year. The landscaping was fabulous. Since it was butt kicking cold when we went, there we NO lines (I am no fan of hot outside anyways). We walked right in and got on EVERYTHING within 10 minutes. The parade at the time was... rather blazeh, after having seen the Parade of Dreams in Anaheim, but the kids liked it.

We went back on a whim 3 weeks later in April. The weather was warmer, which meant bigger crowds, but not so bad that we couldn't do any of the attractions. The only thing that was bad that a family with littler kids could go on was BTMRR.
They did a "bonus" castle lighting one of the nights, and it was truly awesome. My daughter wanted to run and get some of the pixie dust from Tink's wand.
(I have a link with a pic of the castle lighting and pixie dust, but my post count is too low to embed it) freudsnuthouse.com/images/pixiedust.jpg

Hotels... we stayed in the Santa Fe first time. Not impressed. They we remodeling when we went, and it smelled of paint. The rooms were big enough, and the bathrooms really nice. Second trip we went with the Val d'Europe Elysee. Very nice hotel, very nice staff, and A/C in the rooms. If you stay here, I suggest going to the Chinese place right next to the hotel for a meal. Excellent food!

We are going back either in Sept or Oct (depending on when Mom comes over), and definitely going in Nov for the BonFire Celebration. We might also do an impromptu in the next few weeks to go buy the Annual Passes.
Anyone know when they do or don't do the fireworks displays? If we go this summer, I know the crowds will be awful, but I would at least like to let my kids see the fireworks. It is the one thing that I think stinks over U.S. parks. They close early in the off season, and no nightly fireworks. Being a Vegas girl I am not used to early closing times.

Glad I found these boards, and I hope to get to know some of you 'round here!

 

[Raci]

Hi!
Welcome to the Dis!
Thats a great pic of the castle, thanks for sharing!

When we went in March they were putting all the characters up on the castle, but Tink, Minnie, Mickey & 7 Dwarfs went up after we came home so its lovely to see it finished