The magic of Disney! (Disneyland Resort Paris)

Member Name: frankie1984

Product:	Disneyland Resort Paris
Date:	24/10/08 (389 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun, everything close together and the magic of it all!

Disadvantages: Can get pricey

Well it is such a popular place to visit for short breaks and families that it can be difficult to decide what people who are thinking of going, need to know. In my opinion everyone is different and also everyone needs different things so I am going to review as much as I can of Disneyland as a whole along with some tips and advice that will come in especially useful for those who may be visiting for the first time!

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Please bear in mind that this review is pretty long but, is almost like a rough guide as I have tried to include everything that you could possibly need to know from getting there to picking hotels and the parks itself. I'm sorry if anybody thinks it is too long but I didn't want to miss anything out!
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First of all the basics!
What is it?
Disneyland Paris is a themed resort that consists of two theme parks, 1 Disney shopping and restaurant area, 1 Sea life centre, 1 discount brand stores shopping centre and 7 Disney themed hotels. There is also then a selection of 5 'selected' hotels which are not Disney themed but still have benefits of being within a shuttle bus route and normally sold as a package including park passes.
Where is it?
The resort is located approximately 45 minutes away from Paris itself in France in an area called 'Marne La Valee' and is accessible by a number of transport links the most common being to travel directly from the UK into the resort by Eurostar. Other means is by flying into one of the three main airports and then transferring or to do a self drive and travel over the channel by ferry or Eurotunnel and then drive from the port.


Getting there:
I will go over each mode of transport as when first planning a trip to Disneyland this can be quite daunting and can also greatly affect the cost of the trip! I will run through them in order of cost:
Self drive - the cheapest method is normally to drive. The cost difference between going on the ferry is only slightly cheaper though than going over on the Eurotunnel so for the sake of a little bit more it is probably best to go on the Eurotunnel because for one thing alone, the crossing is only 35 minutes as opposed to 3 hours on the ferry! Both operate quite frequently though and if there is only one person in the car who can drive sometimes the ferry is the better option to allow the driver to have a small sleep before continuing with the drive on the other side which is then a further 3 hours. Both ferry and Eurotunnel arrive into Calais but the ferry operates out of Dover, the Eurotunnel out of Folkstone.

Eurostar - This is by far the most popular method of travelling over to Disney and it's not difficult to see why! There are numerous trains departing every day, some which go via Lille first and passengers are required to do a change of train and then the direct train which goes once a day (or twice daily if Eurostar add the extra service during peak dates) from either St.Pancras or Ashford. Most clients will want to travel on the direct service and this is because of two main reasons. One is that the service is a Disney themed train that even has Disney staff on board and who can then answer any questions that clients have along with the fact that if travelling on this train clients can take advantage of a luggage service which, if you are staying in a Disney hotel, you can have your luggage taken back to your hotel and you can collect your park entry tickets on the train therefore enabling you to go straight into the parks on your arrival and then checking into your hotel later on. This is especially popular if only staying for 2 nights as it means you can really maximise your time in the park.
The second main reason is the times of the trains. The reason the times are what they are is to allow again maximum time in the parks so the train leaving from the UK is in the morning and the departure time from Disney is in the evening. Passengers travelling on the Eurostar can also sit in economy or pay a higher price and sit in first class which is more commonly known as leisure select and they will then receive more comfortable seats along with food and drink. The train stops directly in the Disney resort right next to the Disneyland Park and Disneyland hotel.

Flying - Obviously flying is the most expensive option but it means a more flexible choice of departures for people who may not be anywhere near to the south of the country and could not feasibly travel by self drive or on the Eurostar. Clients mainly fly into Charles de Gaulle (CDG) but can also fly into Orly (ORY) or Beauvais (BVA). Most tour operators can book transfers for customers from Charles De Gaulle or Orly but most cannot from Beauvais so you would normally have to pay for a taxi from the airport yourself upon arrival. All three of the airports are about 40-45 minutes away by road. If you arrive into either CDG or BVA then the transfers are normally a shuttle bus that takes clients to the bus stop directly next to the Eurostar terminal in the resort. You can then jump on the free shuttle buses that operate between the parks and hotels to take you to your hotel you have booked.
TIP - Self drive may be the cheapest package but remember to take into account the cost of petrol too and also the charges for the toll road you need to go through. Cost of the toll road is approximately 20-25 Euros in each direction so although not overly expensive it soon adds up with your petrol cost too.

Hotels:
So you've worked out which method you're going to use to get there and now you need to decide where you want to stay! Picking a hotel is something that will be dependent on the budget you have to spend and also where about you want to stay. With all Disney themed hotels and the selected hotels the accommodation is sold and always includes your park passes and breakfast whether you book it as a package with transport or as accommodation on its own. Obviously costs can vary depending on who you book it with and also depending on what season you travel. Unlike general holiday places this is one of those where there are numerous seasons throughout the year which can greatly affect the cost. So I will give an idea of hotels that are Disney themed and also the selected ones to help you understand and also help when making a decision.
The Disney hotels are listed below in ascending order of cost:

Santa Fe - This hotel has a Mexican theme and is classed as being the furthest from the park gates within the resort. You're looking at a 10 minute walk from the hotel to the park. The hotel does not have a swimming pool. The rooms are all decorated in the Mexican theme colours and there is a restaurant and bar on site. The official rating of this hotel is 2 stars and the maximum number of people in one room is 4 or 5 if including an infant.

Cheyenne - This is the next hotel along from the Santa Fe and so is about 8-10 minutes' walk from the park gates. The hotel is themed like the Wild West and the rooms are no higher than two floors. The hotel also doesn't have a swimming pool but does have a restaurant and bar too. This is also classed as a 2 star hotel and the maximum number of people in one room is 4 or 5 if including an infant.

Davy Crockett Ranch - This hotel is only accessible by car. It isn't actually located in the resort near the parks as the other Disney hotels are which is why it is normally only sold as part of self drive packages through most operators. However, it is less than 10 minutes away and it is very easy to get to the park from it (Trust me - I've stayed here!) and is an ideal hotel for those with children of any ages. All rooms are log cabins which alone are a great feature and the hotel has a swimming pool, small farm, restaurant, bar and also a adventure trail that is great fun. It is still a Disney hotel so you will still see the occasional Disney character around but at the same time you feel you are escaping the madness of the parks by going back here in the evening! The biggest cabin here sleeps up to 6 and the official star rating of this hotel is 2 stars but, in my opinion with the amount of facilities it has it should be at least a 3 star!

Sequoia Lodge - This hotel is themed around New Mexico and so is built within gardens with lots of trees. This is the cheapest Disney themed hotel that has a swimming pool along with two restaurants and a bar. This is also the cheapest of the Disney hotels where you can upgrade your room as they have standard rooms and Montana rooms too which are closer to reception in the main building and therefore also a shorter walk to get out of the hotel. The maximum number of people in one room is 4 or 5 if including an infant.

Newport Bay - This hotel is built in the style of New England and the building itself is huge and very grand all decorated in blues and whites. There is a swimming pool at this hotel and a variety of room types to stay including a bigger room called an admiral family room which can sleep up to a family of 6 in. The hotel has a restaurant and bar and is classed as a 2 star hotel.

New York - This hotel is styled like a Manhattan sky scraper - It is very eye catching and is set overlooking lake Disney and next to the Disney village. The hotel even has its own ice rink in the winter and has again a variety of rooms including a lake view type and along with a swimming pool, bar and restaurant this hotel is classed as a 4 star hotel. This tends to be the most popular hotel for adults that are travelling without children.

Disneyland - This is the crème de la crème of the Disney hotels. The hotel is situated right overlooking the Disneyland park itself of which the entrance to the park runs underneath it! There are a variety of rooms ranging from the standard type to suites such as Sleeping Beauty Suite. You have a lot of amenities to hand by staying at this hotel which includes the location as there is even a separate entrance for guests staying here into the main park. Before going into breakfast there are Disney characters to greet you which are always a big plus for those travelling with children! The hotel is very eye catching as it is a pale pink building and cannot missed as soon as you arrive at the shuttle bus stop or Eurostar terminal which are located just a couple of minutes away.

So they are all the Disney hotels. If you don't want to stay right in a Disney hotel then there are other options too which is where the selected hotels come in. These are quite good for a variety of reasons which are normally that adults who don't want to have Disney characters around after they have come out of the park don't have to encounter them or it could be that they want a more simple or un-themed place to stay. Also depending on which one you choose you might find the cost is better too. All of the selected hotels are still sold as packages which include the park passes for your entire stay and all of them have shuttle buses that run back and forth between the parks so you don't lose out by staying in one of these. So again I will run through these based on the ones that are normally the cheapest through to most expensive -

Kyriad - A basic 2 star hotel that is ideal for those that are on a strict budget but want to have everything included. Even though basic it is ideal for those who will probably be in the parks all day and would not use hotel facilities anyway. The hotel has a restaurant and is a 2 star hotel.

Explorers - This is the most popular of all the selected hotels as it has a swimming pool but is generally on par with the cost of the Santa Fe. A lot of people stay here because even though they could have a Disney hotel for roughly the same price they have the added bonus of the swimming pool and it is themed although not Disney themed. It has a lot of stuff for children and the biggest advantage of this hotel over ANY other at all at Disneyland Resort is that they do a family room that sleeps up to 10 people!! It is 3 separate rooms with 2 bathrooms and is so perfect for either one big family or two groups who want to guarantee to be in rooms next to each other. The hotel also has 3 restaurants and 2 bars which means there are plenty of facilities. The hotel is rated as a 3 star

L'Elysee Val d'Europe - This hotel is located near to the shopping centre of the same name near Disneyland resort. It has a restaurant and bar and because it is in a local area there are a variety of bars and restaurants outside of the hotel too although the hotel does have its own restaurant. There is no swimming pool and the official rating is 3 stars.


Holiday Inn - This is quite a nice hotel if you are travelling with no children and don't want to be swamped by Disney! It has a nice range of facilities including massage, babysitting and also a swimming pool. The rooms are pretty nice with a modern decor and the hotel is rated a 4 star.

Vienna International Dream Castle - This is a popular choice for people who to stay in upmarket hotels. It has lots of facilities including a swimming pool, children's play area, fitness room, 2 restaurants and a bar. The hotel is very grand in design and is located overlooking a lake and is rated a 4 star.

Radisson - This is the newest hotel at the Resort and is the most expensive selected hotel normally. It also has a range of facilities including 2 restaurants, a bar and a fitness room that includes a swimming pool. The hotel is definitely more geared towards adults and is ideal if you don't have children with you and want a nice hotel to come back to in the evenings.

So there we have it - all the hotels. There are plenty of hotels that are also in the local area that don't include passes but are very cheap where you get many offers such as free children so it works out very cheap even once you buy park passes on top of this.

TIP - Hotels vary in price during the year depending on season so if you can be flexible about when you go. For example the resort do various dates throughout the year where you stay for 4 nights and only pay for 3 or stay 3 and only pay for 2 nights. If you can get these deals it can save you a lot of money. Pus during January, February and March the resort and most tour operators do 'Kids go free' for any child under 12. This can also save you quite a bit of money!
Also pre booking the half board meal plans can save you money as it works out cheaper than buying your meals whilst there.



The parks:
So you've now decided how you're going to get there and decided where you are going to stay but, will you have enough time to do everything you want to? Well most people on average stay 3 nights at Disneyland Resort and as all of the above hotels include park passes in the cost and they are valid for your day of arrival and day of departure, if staying for 3 nights you'll have 4 days to experience the lot. Of course some only do 2 nights and some even stay for a lot longer - personally I think 3-4 nights is a good timeframe to see and do everything. So what exactly is included in the park entry tickets? Well you have two parks which are both themed which are -

The Disney Park
Walt Disney Studios

Then you also have the Disney Village area which, you don't need your ticket for but is a part of the whole experience. There is also the Lake, a Sea-life centre and a shopping centre which means that by the end of your trip you'll be well and truly knackered!

So a guide to the parks!! First up the original park - Disney! Located right behind the Disneyland hotel this is the park everyone knows with its Sleeping Beauty castle. The park is split into 5 sections each with a theme and each themed area has rides that are geared around that particular theme. Now I won't go into detail of every ride but, I will name each area and tell you the highlight for that area. So the five sections are as follows -

Main Street USA - This is the main section as you enter the gates of Disney. A red cobbled street that leads up to the castle that is lined with gift and sweet shops galore. The main city hall desk is here for guest information and to hire wheelchairs and is also the area where you can catch the train that takes you around the park. During specific seasons there are different things on display here with probably the most prominent being the huge tree at Christmas time. A highlight here is for guests visiting during Christmas, is the snow that falls when the bells ring! Whilst here also pick up a waffle with squirty cream and chocolate sauce - it's yummy! The parades also ends here too so get a good spot to see the floats coming!

Discoveryland - This area is all geared towards the future with everything being very techno and advanced. There is also the largest stage show in the park in this section which is situated inside the dome where the food area also is. What show is on depends on the season. There are quite a lot of great attractions in this section which of the most popular is the Space mountain rollercoaster of which I have to say is better than the Florida version! Also Buzz Lightyear is great fun which is a shooting alien's ride of which you can control your own carriage by spinning it - highly recommended!

Fantasyland - This is the land geared towards al things magical! Set just behind the castle this area is home to the famous attraction 'It's a small world'. As everything in this area is themed towards the magical side of Disney most of the attractions are for the younger guests - another highlight for the children is the 'Dumbo flying elephant' ride.

Adventureland - This is the land that is has the attractions geared towards having fun hence having two of the main attraction in the park which are the 'Indiana Jones and the temple of Peril' rollercoaster and also the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' family ride. I personally thought that the Pirates attraction was geared more towards the young children but, the layout is good as is the way the outside area has been designed with a adventure Isle section where children (and adults!) can climb the through skull rock and secret passages.

Frontierland - This area is like the Wild West - rugged and the attractions are themed towards this. There is two attractions that are very well known that are both situated here and these are 'Big Thunder Mountain' and 'Phantom Manor' which if you've seen the film with Eddie Murphy is exactly like the manor in the film!! There is also another children's play area here which is set up like an Indian village.

So these are the five lands of the Disney Park - I always like how much effort Disney put into the decoration of each area to make it look so effective and this shows in how different each area is! Also most people who haven't been before don't realise that you can actually go into the castle and explore the story of Sleeping Beauty. There is even a shop inside that sells handmade glass figures - it is really good to watch them being made! There are food stalls and restaurants dotted around too and most are themed in line with whichever land it is in. Look out for the Plaza Gardens restaurant where you can have a character meal with the Disney characters.

TIP - It is not known by many but, the majority of guests enter the park and go around it clockwise - to try and away from the crowds it is sometimes best to go anti clockwise and start off in Discoveryland rather than Frontierland. Also as with any theme park, the queues can get quite long with the more popular rides and so this is where fast pass comes in. Anybody who has an entry ticket to the park can use it and you simply go to the ride that has it, put your park ticket in the slot and then it gives you a time to come back to the ride. This generally cuts off about half of the waiting time and also you tend to find the return time it has allocated you gives you enough chance to queue for another ride as normal or maybe go and get something to eat.


The second park at Disney is the Walt Studios. Originally when they opened this park it was supposed to be geared more towards the adult audience with rides of a fast paced nature and stunt shows. The park is not as big as the other one but, this does not mean it has scrimped on what it has to offer! In this park there are 4 sections otherwise known as 'lots'.

Front lot - Is the main entrance to the park - usually in the morning as the park is opening there will be Disney characters out to greet guests so a good tip is to get here early if you want to get a chance to meet a character before the main crowds. There is also a big store where you can buy souvenirs and this whole area is set up to be made to look like a film studio.

Toon Studio - This is where the magic of Disney comes alive! There are attractions that show you behind the scenes of how the Disney films are put together and rides based around the films we love such as new rides 'Crush's coaster' based on Finding Nemo and 'Cars Race Rally' based on Cars.

Backlot - This is the area where special effects and fast action is order of the day! The main attractions in this lot is the Rock 'N' Roller Coaster with Aerosmith and the 'Moteurs...Action stunt show spectacular' with high speed car and motorbike stunts - not to be missed and perfect for the older visitors to Disney!

Production Courtyard - The courtyard area is home to another thrill ride that has only recently opened, the 'The twilight zone tower of Terror'. Not for the faint hearted! Also in this area you have a variety of other attractions including the popular Studio Tram tour and the brilliant 'Cinémagique' show - it's much better than it sounds on the park guide so don't miss it!

Again there are plenty of places to eat in the park and parades so make sure you get a good spot early to see the floats!


TIP - If you want to see the shows especially the Stunt Motor show, it is best to arrive early to get a good seat. They will close the doors to all the shows about 5-10 minutes before they officially start so if you don't want to miss them make sure you leave enough time to get to it from whichever attraction you are at.

Both parks opening hours vary but you are normally from around between 9-10am and closing at around between the hours of 7-10pm depending on the season and events that are on. Also if staying in a Disney hotel then there are certain days during the year where the parks has what is known as 'extra magic hours' which means guest of Disney hotels can enter the park or stay in the park up to 1 hour longer than those guests who are not actually in a Disney hotel.


The Disney Village is the last main element of the resort. This consists of a variety of restaurants, shops, entertainment and also the lake. The main feature here really is the Buffalo Bills Wild West show. The show runs two shows a day when on but is not open every day of the year so it is best to book early as most shows do sell out. The show features Indians and cowboys and there is also a chance for the audience to get involved! Tickets include a drink and a meal along with a souvenir hat.
Also on the lake you have a tethered hot air balloon that is open during summer months and the main attraction on the lake is of course the Bonfire and firework display on 3 dates around Bonfire night. Guests can also take advantage of the Ice rink located outside the New York hotel which is open during the winter months. Lastly there is also Cafe Mickey where the majority of the character meals take place.

TIP - There are plenty of things you can book before you go but if you know you definitely want to do it then it's ALWAYS best to pre book it! It is the only way to guarantee that you will be able to do it once there especially the Buffalo Bills show or any of the special events such as Christmas dinners or the Halloween party - another thing regarding the Buffalo Bills show is that seating is done in two blocks, Category 1 and 2. If you want to save money go for category 2 which is cheaper and won't be in any way different. You won't be as close to the front but, it doesn't spoil the view and you only really need to be near the front if you want to be picked to get in the arena - other than that the audience still get to join in the fun no matter where you sit!

So I think I've covered most things that you'd need to know - as Disney Paris is smaller than it's American version you really don't need as many days there but I would definitely recommend at least 3 full days to experience it all - one last word is that if you are planning on staying for any peak season such as school breaks, Halloween night itself, Bonfire night or over Christmas day or New Years then book as early as you can! Disney doesn't do late deals and you'll only pay through the roof the later you book as all the best deals as early bookers!

No matter what season you travel I'm sure you'll have a great time and whatever you do whether travelling with children or not just remember to enjoy it for what it is and allow yourself to become one big kid again!

Summary: A good alternative if you can't go to Florida