disneyland paris - debating halfboard/fullboard and davy crockett ranch or on site

tms88_user

I am looking at a trip with the wife and 2 young kids (8 and 10) to dlp in November (hoping it will be a bit quieter)
I have never been before, we will be taking the euro tunnel and driving
I am torn between staying at Davy crockett ranch vs Newport bay hotel - quite a price difference
I am keen for any thoughts or advice folks might have?

davy crocket ranch approx 1450 half board, full board is approx 1700:
I think breakfast is pretty rubbish (a basket) but we can then have lunch at the park in a restaurant and then eat back at the ranch in the evening (or decide to pay for a meal as we see fit)

newport bay hotel is approx 2250 full board
if i stayed here I wouldn't consider half board as so close to everything i would want to eat out all the time!

The price factor is obviously a large factor, but I am keen for anyone's thoughts on the pro's and con's of being closer to the park in a hotel vs a ranch. Having never been I dont know how the days flow, that is to say it seems pretty full on to be at the park from say 10 until 17:00 (ish) and then hang about the park for the evening entertainment (assume there is some!?) without a bit of a break.
Being in the hotel offers an easier way of chilling for an hour and freshening up, not so practical to do that by driving back to the Davy Crockett Ranch and then heading back to the park area! 
 
I appreciate there are many posts out there already but couldn't find one that really gave the pro's and con's of park life vs ranch life!

Thanks



 

pridehappy

After visiting Disneyland Paris 15 times and experiencing nearly all the Disney hotels, hopefully, I can weigh up the pros and cons and I'm not too late at replying!

Personally, the first thing I'd suggest is that the Disney hotels are much more convenient than Davy Crockett Ranch and the quality of accommodation, customer service and cleanliness is much superior at the Disney hotels themselves, and when you weigh up the extras in the experience, I believe the extra is definitely worth it. You don't realise how tiring it can be to have a full day until you actually experience it itself, and having a comfy hotel room to quickly walk back to and a bar to return to makes the world of a difference! I'd summarise the overall pros, and cons below:

Disney Hotels:

• Very close to the Disney parks - makes it so much easier to be able to walk than have to worry about taking the car and parking, plus you don't have to pay the fee to park in the main car park which otherwise you sometimes have to stay at Davy Crockett Ranch. In addition, they are all within walking distance of Disney Village too which is where most of the restaurants/shops/bars are located, and plenty of food options are available there.
• Nighttime Atmosphere - not a lot of people actually consider this although the nighttime atmosphere in the Disney Hotels is just an amazing feeling, people enjoying themselves, meeting characters and reflecting on their days in the parks.
• Standard of Accommodation - the overall standard of the room and communal areas is much higher in a Disney Hotel, as you are comparing 2* to 4*. Although rooms aren't as spacious as a full cabin, there are much more amenities in the room, the beds are much more comfortable and the cleanliness is usually on another level. The communal areas are much more inviting, and especially with a hotel like Newport Bay, everything is in one building which in inclement weather makes it so much more pleasant and you aren't just stuck in your cabin/room all day/night.
• Food & Breakfast - I have to agree, breakfast is far superior in the Disney Hotels and all the hotels offer a buffet-style breakfast and dinner/tea which is much better quality and more relaxing, plus you just go downstairs for breakfast without having to find a popup cabin and you have a full cooked breakfast with unlimited drinks, etc. Hotels like Newport Bay also have a table service restaurant for a more formal meal.

Davy Crockett Ranch:

• More space - the only real benefit I can think of other than the price is that you obviously get more space in a cabin than a room, albeit it's a lot more basic.

When it comes to the dining plans, I honestly think it's on a person-by-person basis to whether it's worth it. If you are going to be eating a lot of sit-down meals, at more expensive restaurants, I'd recommend it as it does save money overall. If you are only going to be having one sit-down meal a day, I'd go half-board. If you are going to not be eating at sit-down restaurants, I wouldn't bother with a meal plan.

Meal Plans:

• Restaurant Restrictions - although you can still use the vouchers in the Disney Parks and Disney Village, the only places which accept the vouchers are Disney-owned restaurants. Overall, I believe the quality of these restaurants (with the exception of Walt's) is lower quality and restaurants like Vapiano and Rainforest Cafe are much more affordable and offer better food.
• Table Service - if you are going to be eating nearly every meal table service, it's definitely worth it! Dining out at Disneyland Paris table service is very expensive and it is much more cost-effective to buy a meal plan, but double check which restaurants you are able to use it in.
• Less Reliance on Euros/Cards - you don't have to worry about spending on holiday for food as it's already covered (or mostly is).

Flexible Dining (Non-meal-plans):

• Freedom - yes, freedom! You can actually eat wherever you like, and try some of the other restaurants which sometimes don't accept dining credits/vouchers. 
• More Breakfast Options - you can choose to have no breakfast, have counter service in the parks, a hotel buffet (albeit very expensive) or even upgrade to club level for an exclusive lounge with gourmet breakfast, one of our favourites which in our eyes is worth the price.

Feel free to ask any other questions and I'll try to respond.

youth_leader

We stayed in a hotel in Disneyland Paris, and were so glad we did, the atmosphere was fantastic.   After eating out we'd walk back to the hotel and there would often be characters in the hotel lobby, I still have the photos.  They both went to bed very happy each night.  

Do try and make sure your kids rest a little.  My son was about six when we went, daughter two and in a buggy.  His feet were red raw after all the walking and were so sore he could hardly walk at all.  We ended up going on the 'Paris' coach tour on one of the days to give his feet a rest.  

Alan_Bowen

There is no need to go to the expense of Newport Bay, we stayed at the Hotel Santa Fe which is considered a 2-star Disney hotel but a lot less expensive than the Newport Bay. The rooms have 2 double beds and are warm, which is very important, we went in early October and it was freezing and at times, wet. Although there are indoor attractions, you may well want to retreat back to the hotel for a rest, which is not really practical if you stay at the Davy Crockett

diystarter7

Great thread
We stayed at a villa about 3 years ago - very nice estate about 3 miles from the DLP. The villa had very high end white goods, tv's etc, several showers and w/c, over three floors, gated with villa parking for at least 5 cars backed onto a prk/golf course - paid 800 for three nights - must have gone up but worth considering - but I know what you mean re FB/HB

Good, helpful thread