Disneyland Paris/EuroDisney - Questions & Answers

balletshoes

I agree with Mikey, DLP can be done on a budget, especially if you are driving because you can pack what you like and take your own snacks and drinks. With breakfast provided at the hotel, you can easily manage on one paid meal per day, and you can do McDonalds, or share some pizza/pasta at the Sports Bar etc.
I would definitely cut down my food budget to its absolute minimum if it meant I could be in The Magic. If you bring your own snacks and drinks you won't need anything like 60 euros per day for spends - in fact the 60 euros per day would cover your food and spends . As to souvenirs, I give my daughter a budget, and we usually go window shopping, then on the last day she gets to spend her money. That way she knows that what she ends up buying is something she really wants, and not just some random thing because its there at the time . I usually don't buy anything for me, or for anyone else (its only 3 days you're away for).

**dancingbutterfly**

thanks balletshoes and mikey.

Ive had a look at flights and that works out at £46 pp return which is fantastic, ive also had a look at rstransport for the transfer from charles de gaulle and that is 107 ish euro in total return. so only a bit more expensive than driving and a lot quicker than spending 9 hours in the car!

brill advice re food balletshoes, will smuggle things from breakfast and then eat tea at the cheaper places in evening.

we will have to find a way to save in time

mikey72

**dancingbutterfly** wrote: »

thanks balletshoes and mikey.

Ive had a look at flights and that works out at £46 pp return which is fantastic, ive also had a look at rstransport for the transfer from charles de gaulle and that is 107 ish euro in total return. so only a bit more expensive than driving and a lot quicker than spending 9 hours in the car!

brill advice re food balletshoes, will smuggle things from breakfast and then eat tea at the cheaper places in evening.

we will have to find a way to save in time

I'm sure you have checked the flight, but make sure it is to CDG, and not Beauvais, which is miles away.

The main reason I like the car is you can time it to arrive at the opening time on the first day, (but you do need to drive through the night) and you can leave after the end of the last day, (and again drive through the night home)

Check the timing for the flight, normally by the time you've included the trip to the airport, the check in, baggage claim, transfer, sorting out the bags for the hotel, it's getting nearly as long as driving, and you may be missing out on being in the park!
It's not going to be a relaxing holiday anyway, it's too exciting for that.

I can't tell you the price in the disney hotels, but explorers have a pizza bar, about 10 euro for a medium pizza, 4 euro for chips, which you can take up to your room if it's late, and use the coffee in the room as well.

We shared 2 pizzas and 2 chips between 5, and 1 pizza and 3 chips again fed 5.

If you time it right, you can put a few beers in the car for christmas from the local auchan, it's open 8.30am to 10pm, (apart from Sunday), and save a few pounds that way. (Unless you drink them first!)

dan0191

**dancingbutterfly** I really hope you manage to sort funds out to be able to use the fantastic prize you won.
If you plan to go after xmas you could ask family and friends to give your son money rather than toys etc and then he would have his own spending money:)

Just to let people know as of next year the direct Disney eurostar has changed the times for departure, both going and coming back:)

**dancingbutterfly**

Mikey,

thanks for that. yes its definitely charles de gaulle (sp?) airport . Yes as its easy jet and I havent flown since i was a kid there's probably going to be lots of extra charges and fees which will all add up. My husband is really against the idea of driving lol! we're also taking my younger brother who is disabled and has no patience bless him, he sometimes fights with my 6 year old, so for them to sit together for that long it may be a problem

a spanner in the works already maybe as the only flight on the day we would like to go is late afternoon! so we'd miss the whole day which is no good! but maybe im doing it wrong ive never booked a flight before!

Id like to drive as your in control so to speak, we can pack the car up as much as we like. But we're a good 5 hours from dover so i dont know argh!

I desperately want to take them we'll have to do it one way or another!

dan0191, thanks for that. Good idea regarding money for christmas. My sons birthday is march the 1st so we'd like to take him on the 2nd (or 3rd cant remember!) he'd love it for his birthday present so we could use the £150 or so we pay for a party towards it instead.

balletshoes

you could drive to ashford and stay the night in a travelodge/premier inn (just look out for a £10 travelodge sale, premier inn you can get for £29 for the night) then get an early Eurotunnel crossing next morning. on the way back your brother and son will probably be so exhausted they'll sleep most of the way home . if not, you can always split them up if they start fighting by putting one of them in the front of the car while you sit in back with the other one - or you sit in back between them.

whichever way you travel, your kids will either be sitting in the back of the car, or hanging around the airport/sitting in their plane seat, then transfer seat.

Rachie_B

driving doesnt have to be the nightmare you think it will be ( French motorways are much better than ours!)

use tesco clubcard deals for eurotunnel (its only 35 mins)

you can stop as often / whenever you like
can pack the car up with food / snacks / drinks etc
see if you can get a premier inn / travelodge cheap room for the night before, then get an early morning tunnel crossing
borrow some seat back DVD players for the kids! they are a godsend lol !

as you will then have the car you could go and eat in Val d'europe in the evenings,some really nice eateries and cheaper than in the park
there's always Macdonalds in the village if you want cheap n cheerful !

we liked the Pizza planet buffet too,good for kids the theming is fab!

mikey72

I always drive.
We've just come back from disney in the motorhome, to the Midlands.
200 miles from Disney to Calais, 3 hours comfortably in the car, nearer to 4 in the van, but an easy drive.
I like the tunnel, pro's are the kids don't need to get out, but the cons are it is hot stuffy, and boring. But it's not prone to strikes either, like ferries or air travel.
Then again, at least with the ferry you do get some fresh air, and relax in the lounges, or even sleep, but you also have to drag yourself up from the car deck.
About 250 miles back from Dover to the Midlands, so again 3 to 4 hours in the car.
If you are ok, and the kids will sleep in the car, you can take the car overnight, and if you arrive in Calais at about 6am, you'll arrive at the park opens, and hopefully there won't have been a fight.
Even if there has, once you get to the gates and see the castle, it'll be forgotten instantly.


Disney is very disabled friendly, I have no experience but I do know you will get priority to the rides, I'm sure other posters will be able to help out with the details you need, and what paperwork you need to take.

Completely and utterly off topic, as you said you had to buy passports, have a look at sunparks website for the next time, they have some really good deals for holidays in school holiday dates, really close to calais, (just up the coast in Belgium) brilliant for kids, and just a bit different to staying in the uk. But really cost effective. (Been a few times, when it's too cold in the van)

Beetle_lover

dan0191 wrote: »

Just to let people know as of next year the direct Disney eurostar has changed the times for departure, both going and coming back:)

Hi what times are they changing to? I hope they are good, I'm going on my hen do next June

Thanks

genevie

Rachie_B wrote: »

...

I don't mind when I actually go, but I want to have everything booked in time for her birthday which is in about 5 weeks - or at least have the park tickets booked. So I can't really wait for a newspaper deal

Air travel seems to be about as expensive as Eurostar unfortunately. There's a P&O offer to get a free park ticket if you book a ferry ticket with a car, but neither of us drive so that's also out of the question.

Seen the tesco deal for park tickets, might beg someone to let me use their clubcard points!