EuroDisney and kids in paris (merged threads)

don9999

I've just returned (on Sunday) from a 5 day/4 night trip to Eurodisney, staying at the on-site Sequoia Lodge. I paid about £580 which included 4 nights B&B, 5 day pass to both sites and a Eurotunnel ticket.

Yes, we took a car, which was the easiest for a family of 5 (kids being 6, 2 and 1). Pack the boot with essentials (AND non-essentials) and unpack as and when anything is needed.

Beware it IS cold! Between minus 1 and minus 4 between Wednesday and Sunday of last week. But wrap up warm (hats to cover the ears highly recommended!) and you hardly notice the cold. It even adds to the Christmas/festive atmosphere. Periodically, they play twinkling music along Main Street and blow out snow from the roofs - lovely.

PLEASE NOTE:-
One MAJOR factor to take account of though!
Do NOT plan to be at the park on the weekend! (Or, probably during French holidays). It is HEAVING and pretty much a waste of time.

From Wednesday through Friday, we had an excellent time. There were loads in the park, but still easy to move around, easy to buy food, and best of all - hardly ANY queues! Some rides, we just stayed on for several times eg. 'It's a Small World'. I think we queued a maximum of 5 minutes on any one ride!

However, on Saturday there was a DRAMATIC change. The whole of Paris turned up at the park! We queued 10 minutes just to get into the park. Even moving around the park was horrendous. The information board was indicating waiting times of between 60 and 90 minutes for the major rides. Queues at the food places were literally 30 deep!

I really would NOT recommend a trip to Eurodisney on a weekend (or holiday). It's really just not worth it. However, on a week day it was an extremely pleasurable experience. Over several days, we saw every show, every parade, and went on all the kiddies rides several times each.

Animagique in the Disney Studios was one of our favourites. Takes place in a huge cinema type room (seating for hundreds on comfortable seats - though still impossible to get into on a weekend!) Then there are some excellent visual effects on stage as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck interact with other Walt Disney characters. Brilliant.

If you want any other advice, please ask away :-)

Cheers,
Don

Nearly-Skint_2

Hi Don

Im going mid week in January and we are also staying at the same hotel as you. Can i ask what did you think of the hotel? What was the breakfast like that is included. Did you visit any of the other hotels i think the New York hotel has an ice rink - are you allowed to use their amenities too?

Sorry for all the questions!

Samantha ;D

don9999

Samantha,

No problem with the questions. Happy to help if I can.

Regarding the hotels, it's a little difficult for me to compare between them, since I've only ever been to the Sequoia Lodge (this was the second time). However, I don't think you'll have any worries. The rooms are more than adequate (we had two double beds) and the overall hotel is nice and clean and staff friendly. (I've heard that some rooms are in adjoining blocks which have uncovered walkways - but I suspect you'd have to be unlucky to have one of those. We had a lovely 6th floor room, over-looking the lake and the Disney village).

The hotel apparently has a lovely indoor pool, but we were always too busy to consider using it!

The hotel is a little awkward for pushchairs, in that you have to take one lift to get from your allocated floor, down to the main level (which is actually level 2), then get out of that lift, and into a separate lift to go down to level 1 which is where the dining room is and the exit to the parks. Most people without pushchairs would simply take the steps down the last level.

The breakfast is a little disappointing. It consists of cereal (4 popular varieties), then cheese and ham with bread rolls, croissants, fruit cocktail and yoghurts. There's no hot food (sausages, bacon etc.) as standard, though you can pay extra for those. Most hotels I've stayed out (outside Eurodisney) would provide hot food. I don't know whether the other Eurodisney hotels do or not, though when we attended a Character Breakfast one morning at Cafe Mickey, they DID provide a hot breakfast (though we paid a lot for the privelege of dining with the characters - our kids loved it!)

My views on the other hotels (though haven't stayed in them):-

Disneyland Hotel - The poshest of the hotels, sited right at the entrance to the Disney Park. However, you get none of the atmosphere of walking past the lake or through the Disney Village on the way to the parks. Also most expensive.

Hotel New York - Another expensive hotel. Has the ice rink outside, but anyone can use it.

Newport Bay Club - Third most expensive. Furthest away of the three hotels surrounding the lake.

Sequoia Lodge - On the opposite side of the lake to the Disney Village. Takes about 5 minutes maximum to walk around the lake to the Disney Village, and a few minutes more to get to either of the parks.

Hotel Cheyenne - Supposed to be good for young teenagers, but probably only in the Summer months (?) Not based at the lake but within walking distance.

Hotel Santa Fe - One of the cheaper hotels. Not based on the lake, but within walking distance.

Davy Crockett Ranch - Not based right on the site, but about 5 minutes away by car (or free shuttle bus). Apparently has a really good indoor pool.

There are many other nearby hotels, but in my view, they all suffer from not enhancing the Disney atmosphere. Disney characters make regular appearances at the Disney hotels, allowing kids to cuddle them and have photos taken. Also, if you are in a hotel around the lake, you have a lovely walk towards the Disney Village, passing the ice rink at the Hotel New York. The excitement builds as you approach the village, before walking on to the parks themselves.

My view is that the Sequouia Lodge provides the best balance of value-for-money, location and amenities.

Cheers,
Don

frizz_head

We went last year, staying at The Disneyland Hotel for 5 days/nights smack bang in the middle of the August Summer Holidays.  We stayed Sunday to Thursday avoiding the busy weekends. It was our only holiday for a number of years so alot was riding on it.   Including the travelling by Eurostar (which was so stressfree leaving Waterloo and arriving in the middle of Disney 3 hours later) it cost us £2000 for a family of four.  More than we have ever spent on a holiday, but worth every penny.

I can honestly say it was the best holiday we have ever had.  The perks of staying at The Disneyland Hotel, other than the brilliant location and superb facilities, are that the Disney Characters freely roam the corridors, foyer and breakfast area, posing for photos, and signing autographs whenever you ask.  

We were expecting the queues to be horrendous, but we never queued for more than 20 minutes for any ride, and the most popular rides operate FastPass which when you input your ticket in a machine in the morning, you are given an allocated timeslot within which you can ride.

All the guides tell you to avoid the summer holidays, but it was fine, not at all as busy as I imagined it would be.  The weather was lovely and we are saving like mad for our next trip.

It is much cheaper to book direct with Disney, and the tips about buying the Disney shares for extra savings is great advice - I wish we'd known about it at the time.

jellyhead

i was really glad i bought the guide book, i forget who wrote it but it's £7.99 in WHsmiths.

sequoia lodge is a lovely hotel but if you're taking kids to the swimming pool remember armbands as there's no shallow bit.

the first time we went (newport bay) our stay included a saturday and it was horrible, never again. this last time was also the french half term holiday so it was a bit busy - the best tip i had was to book a good morning fantasyland breakfast. it doesn't cost any extra, it's just breakfast inside the park instead of in the hotel an hour before the park opens. they start running most rides before the park opens so you'll get on 2 or 3 before most people get into the park.

there were 12 of us who went this last time and we all loved it, we all want to go again at christmas time but can't afford it this year.

the queues were never as long as those at alton towers and the best part was the staff - they were all friendly!! they smiled, they were polite, they looked as if they were happy to be at work - you don't get that in many english theme parks (although west midlands safari park is one exception).

mwhitt

we went on the 29/12/03 until 2/1/4 so we were there for new years eve fantastic , intend to go again xmas next year, we stayed at the sante fee the cheapy  reason being we will be at the park from opening until closure so as long as it was clean & tidy (it was)  then that will do .
worse thing about it was breakfast time everyone gets down at the same time and its not much fun trying to find a table etc. funniest thing,  we couldnt get back into room on new years day after spending all day playing at the park in the snow after a few complaints & staff coming & going with spare keycards they decided to put a new lock on , so they swapped it with 1 from  a door 2 rooms down the hall, just as we  went into our room the people returned to the room 2 doors down , you can guess  the rest ;D
also i believe space mountain closes jan/or feb next year for upgrading so thats one of the best rides unavailable, 1 of the reasons we decided to not go at half term next year but to wait until xmas again

one more thing we flew into cdg airport big red disney buses transfer to the park cant remember what it cost as we prepaid but it wasnt a lot

also we prepaid for evening meals  which ment you could reserve a table & chose from a different menu than normal but it was still good & you could eat at nearly any hotel sequoia lodge was good  but the newport bay was the best we tried

mark

phague

Hello,

I know from this board (and personal experience) that Disneyland Paris is busy at a weekend.

Does anyone know if it will be busy Halloween week, in the week?

Thanks.

modgit

I've never been that week, but my friend went last year and due to the fact it is half term and halloween it was packed, and one day they only got on a handful of rides. We've been first week in October and the park is all done ready for halloween, and much quieter, so unless you wanted the 31st itself it may be worth going early October. HTH

phague

Hello,

If anyone has stayed at the Explorers Hotel - How did you book?

We are planning to go in mid July (Got flights for £30 each return with thomsonfly from Doncaster)

I have been to the hotel's own website, but couldnt see anything about booking on it.

I have looked thro mytravel, and found the bridge travel site, but that was really dear.

I have found Holiday Inn hotel at Disneyland Paris for 100euros per night, so might go with that.
Thanks for any help !!!!

paulie558

phague wrote:

Hello,

If anyone has stayed at the Explorers Hotel - How did you book?

We are planning to go in mid July (Got flights for £30 each return with thomsonfly from Doncaster)

I have been to the hotel's own website, but couldnt see anything about booking on it.

I have looked thro mytravel, and found the bridge travel site, but that was really dear.

I have found Holiday Inn hotel at Disneyland Paris for 100euros per night, so might go with that.
Thanks for any help !!!!

We used
https://www.expedia.co.uk
and went in November.The rooms were just over£50 a night,and would sleep 4.(Our trip was a bargain,we got return eurostar tickets to the park for £29 each.)
However have just checked and they are now coming out at around £77 a night for july,plus booking fee..
It's a good hotel,but you might as well go for the Holiday inn,it's in the same row as the Explorers,along with the Movenpick and one other.
The shuttle buses take you back and forth to the park from all 4 hotels.
Paul.