Disneyland Paris/EuroDisney - Questions & Answers

balletshoes

mumto3kids wrote: »

We were thinking about going in the 1st week of the school holidays. We had considered the Feb Half term but were put off by previous reports of -10, my daughter doesn't like the cold. The thing is everyone I talk to, even people mad on disney, seem to grimace slightly whenn I suggest that we are going in the school holidays. Does anyone have any thoughts/ experience?

you have to plan a lot more for your days in the summer holidays, for 2 main reasons. One, the parks are open a lot later (11pm in high summer season) and 2, the parks are heaving with people for most of the park day and night.

The best way to plan for busy summer days at DLP is to go into the park for 8am and Extra Magic Hours, stay until lunchtime, have lunch for your main meal of the day (in the Village or the parks, and book your tables in advance) and then leave the resort and go back to your hotel for 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon for a rest (and try to sleep). In high summer season the main parade doesn't start until after 7pm, and Dreams (the most amazing night show over the castle) doesn't start until 11pm. As for rides, outside of EMH time you are unlikely to get to ride many rides without a fastpass for it or a fairly long wait in a queue.

ps - I had a little grimace too lol.

mumto3kids

Thanks balletshoes, as others have said you're great.
We're early risers so an 8am start suits us. Approx how long is a fairly long wait?
I'm really torn as the kids really want to go, hubby doesn't want to take them out of school, so this is the only week. We will probably stay in a Disney Hotel but I have slight information overload when it comes to hotels - Hubby thinks it would be best to go for less nights and stay in a nicer hotel with a pool, but most posts seem to suggest staying in the cheaper hotels. Do any of the Disney hotels (in walking distance) offer lounges, otherwise we will have to go to bed with the kids? I'm guessing the suites offer seperate lounges, but that they cost a fortune. Any help gratefully received.

balletshoes

mumto3kids wrote: »

Thanks balletshoes, as others have said you're great.
We're early risers so an 8am start suits us. Approx how long is a fairly long wait?
I'm really torn as the kids really want to go, hubby doesn't want to take them out of school, so this is the only week. We will probably stay in a Disney Hotel but I have slight information overload when it comes to hotels - Hubby thinks it would be best to go for less nights and stay in a nicer hotel with a pool, but most posts seem to suggest staying in the cheaper hotels. Do any of the Disney hotels (in walking distance) offer lounges, otherwise we will have to go to bed with the kids? I'm guessing the suites offer seperate lounges, but that they cost a fortune. Any help gratefully received.

if you're driving to DLP, theres the Davy Crockatt ranch. This is classed as an onsite property although its not within walking distance, but its the only one which has a separate living area and bedrooms. None of the onsite or nearby hotels within walking distance have a separate living area, unless you pay for a suite.

A fairly long wait in summer would be anything from 45minutes upwards to 2 hours for the very popular rides.

mumto3kids

Thanks again balletshoes, looks like we've got some big decisions to make.

balletshoes

how about May half term? Its usually nice weather, the parks aren't mad busy, and because of Dreams being shown in full dark, the park is likely to be open until around 10pm.

mikey72

mumto3kids wrote: »

Thanks balletshoes, as others have said you're great.
We're early risers so an 8am start suits us. Approx how long is a fairly long wait?
I'm really torn as the kids really want to go, hubby doesn't want to take them out of school, so this is the only week. We will probably stay in a Disney Hotel but I have slight information overload when it comes to hotels - Hubby thinks it would be best to go for less nights and stay in a nicer hotel with a pool, but most posts seem to suggest staying in the cheaper hotels. Do any of the Disney hotels (in walking distance) offer lounges, otherwise we will have to go to bed with the kids? I'm guessing the suites offer seperate lounges, but that they cost a fortune. Any help gratefully received.

Bedtime isn't a problem.
They'll be up past you normally.

goodisongirl

mumto3kids wrote: »

We were thinking about going in the 1st week of the school holidays. We had considered the Feb Half term but were put off by previous reports of -10, my daughter doesn't like the cold. The thing is everyone I talk to, even people mad on disney, seem to grimace slightly whenn I suggest that we are going in the school holidays. Does anyone have any thoughts/ experience?

Hi

We've been here on the last 3 Feb half terms and although it's a bit chilly if you layer up I think it's a perfect time to go as the queues are short and you can fit in so many more rides. We always take thermals, hats, gloves and thick coats, but when we went in 2011 it was mild and we ended up not using the thermals and hats.

Hth

goodisongirl

mumto3kids wrote: »

Thanks balletshoes, as others have said you're great.
We're early risers so an 8am start suits us. Approx how long is a fairly long wait?
I'm really torn as the kids really want to go, hubby doesn't want to take them out of school, so this is the only week. We will probably stay in a Disney Hotel but I have slight information overload when it comes to hotels - Hubby thinks it would be best to go for less nights and stay in a nicer hotel with a pool, but most posts seem to suggest staying in the cheaper hotels. Do any of the Disney hotels (in walking distance) offer lounges, otherwise we will have to go to bed with the kids? I'm guessing the suites offer seperate lounges, but that they cost a fortune. Any help gratefully received.

We've always used the explorers hotel - it has a shuttle bus to disney which runs several times and hour. We have 3 children so book a crew 6 room - it has a separate room with bunkbeds in - but children can only get into adults room from here so no worries about themgetting into corridors etc. Room also has a double bed and two singles. What made us book here especially though we're the facilities outside the room -
Free soft play area (big too!)
Big swimming pool with slides and a pirate ship
Pirate ship climbing thing in the restaurant area
Children's gym -although this was getting a bit tatty this year
And also a choice of places to eat - pizza bar good value.

Also massive buffet breakfast which we utilized to make up sandwiches and take pastries for lunch...plenty of people doing the same too!

Hth....have a lovely time

daz_c

hi all , iam off to DLP at the end of october , and will be there on halloween night , reading through some posts they say that this is an extra ticket event ?? what will i have to pay extra for ?... also iam planning on going into paris for they day, is it a straight forward train journey into the city?

balletshoes

daz_c wrote: »

hi all , iam off to DLP at the end of october , and will be there on halloween night , reading through some posts they say that this is an extra ticket event ?? what will i have to pay extra for ?... also iam planning on going into paris for they day, is it a straight forward train journey into the city?

if you want to stay in the park after 7pm on 31st October, you'll have to pay for the extra event ticket. Your normal park ticket will let you stay in the parks all that day, but only until 7pm. The extra event will carry on until well after midnight (the Halloween extra ticket event is a scarefest with extra decoration through the park, rides open until very late at night, character meet n greets you won't get at any other time, shows and scary encounters, and Dreams that night doesn't begin until the park officially closes after midnight).