Disneyland Paris - advice please

[donkeyderby]

Has anyone been to Disneyland Paris with a disabled child in tow? We are planning to go this summer (personally I can't think of anything worse, but the rest of the family are keen)

I read on the Ouch website that you don't get priority on rides but that you just go in on a different entrance. This isn't much good for a child who has mobility problems, autistic behaviours and SLD and who doesn't do queues very happily.

I'd be grateful for advice and your experiences. Thanks

[devientenigma]

Hi, you do get to queue at a different entrance and although its not a priority it's still a queue jumper. Not only for the rides but for the characters also. Just take your blue badge or dla award letter or letter from the doc with you to get the pass.
Take plenty of food/snacks with you as the food isn't much good or expensive. Fast food,crepes and donuts. Fizzy drinks!!
There are specific areas to stand for parade/shows etc. Really noisy though. We use ear defenders/weighted dog and blanket. Nappy change is a nightmare if you need to do this. On the floor in the toilets so take something to put down.
My ds is also SLD, ASD and mobility problems. We have been 3 times and the most recent was the worst. If I think of anything else I will let you know.

[UndertheBoredwalk]

I've been before with DD and we're off again on Sunday! DD is physically disabled though so we probably don't have the same kind of issues as you.
Last time we went DD was still in a buggy and we didn't even let them know she was disabled, just went with it.
this time I've been looking into a bit more, with wheelchair in tow etc.
I also read all the info that says you don't get priority on rides etc and disney site itself says same thing.
But having googled around for reviews etc I have found a few people saying that although you arn't technically supposed to get priority, a lot of the rides do as most theme parks and you enter at the exit, which doesn't have a queue and so you do end up not waiting.
How reliable this is I don't know, as we don't actually have any major issues with queueing with DD.
If you'd like I will check it all out at the weekend and get back to you We're there Sun - Tues.

[UndertheBoredwalk]

Oh crossed posts there, seems what people say is right, it does work as a queue jumper This is good news for us, I hate queues
Will still come back and let you know everything about our trip if you like, we will be testing all of their disabled facilities while there at the weekend

[donkeyderby]

Thanks for those helpful replies - love to hear more when you get back Boredwalk.

Maybe it won't be so bad! We can stand ds1 to change him so we don't need changing beds etc. It is more his behaviour I have to brace myself for.

Any charming rides to recommend? Ds loves the crazy rides but me and dh are too scared to go on them with him!

[glitteryb6]

MissSunny is THE authority on Disney Paris, she has lots of info and can send you a guide for disabled guests

she was on this thread but you could probably message her too

[troutpout]

We came back yesterday
don't know about charming...but ds (asd) thought the 'it's a small world' ride was hilarious for all the wrong reasons.

He didn't go on much in terms of scary rides...but he's into animation and making his own films ..so he found the studios really interesting. dd (nt) went on everything though.
I don't know much about how you go about entering the rides with a disabled child but i saw families joining rides . Devientenigma is right.... you would use with a disabled child is effectively a queue jumper.

[rosie39forever]

we went last week for the third time, like you not my cup of tea but dd loves it so grin and bear it! DD has autism and does not do queing or waiting, when you arrive in the park go to the town hall and ask for an easy access pass, you will need a blue badge or a letter from a doctor stating your dc's disability, the pass allows you to enter the rides through the exit, you may still have to wait for a few minutes but you wont be amoung the crowds and there are usually seats, you can also get priority seating at all of the shows and in in the studios as well, also access to a dedicated area at the parade which is a godsend as there is always masses of pushing and shoving people, if your dc wants to meet any of the characters just show your pass to a member of staff and you wont have to Q but be prepared for funny looks!! you can also board the train through the exit with your pass. Most importantly of all enjoy your holiday and beware as much as you resist disney is addictive. oh and take loads of money its rediculously expensive!!

[troutpout]

food was our biggest problem...don't know how your dc's are.
ds isn't a junk food fan..and it was quite hard finding fruit and veg for smaller meals in the park
Salads were ok in colonal harti's pizza outpost
There is a fruit stall in disney studios
We took cereal bars and water and dried fruit in with us

[BriocheDoree]

We went once. Didn't know about the "queue jumping" so didn't do it. DD also noise sensitive and was terrified by the characters train that goes round (they play REALLY loud music). If we go again I'll avoid the noise and try to get a pass to avoid some of the queues.

[rosie39forever]

we bought the half board plus vouchers which saved lots of money and meant that once a day we could eat in one of the proper restaurants, the blue lagoon was nice as was the buffet in the newport bay. We filled up at breakfast had a snack at lunch and a proper meal in the evening but to be honest there isn,t a lot of choice unless you pay through the nose , its junk junk and more junk.

[donkeyderby]

Junk food is fine, but tight dh won't want to be paying any more than necessary - blimey the ticket prices are steep!

Ds will love the characters.

Incidentally, how do you take your blue badge to the town hall when you - presumably - need it for disabled parking?

[rosie39forever]

Sorry dont know about that we've always stayed in a disney hotel in walking distance of the park so have never taken the car. If you go to disneylandparis.co.uk they have an e-brochure for disabled visitors that you can download, i've also e-mailed them in the past and they have been very helpful with their replies. Your dh is going to be in for a shock when he sees the price of everthing!!!

[vjg13]

Using your blue badge will also get you a free carer admission at the gate. Maybe just take a photocopy so you can leave the badge in the car?

[UndertheBoredwalk]

We just got back last night - absolutely exhausted now!
We got the passes from the town hall, and it did work as a queue jumper on most things, the rides we wanted to go on that had queues wide enough to comfortably put a wheelchair through, we had to queue the same as everyone else, although we did only have to do this once.
The staff were V V helpful and made everything easy for us. We queue jumped for character photos, and some of the characters came away from the photo point and to us with photographer in tow so we didn't even have to get to them. Also had disability spots for the parades, we still had to find them and get there early though. There were people in wheelchairs being turned away from the disability spaces closer to the parade time because they were full. So definitely get there early!
DD had a huge fuss made of her everywhere we went
She came away thinking she's the most special kid that ever went to Disney.
For anyone going in a wheelchair and flying. Beware of CDG airport, the fuckups there were astonishing. I have never been SO angry.
Flying out they refused to give us our chair getting off the plane, said it had gone with the luggage, they brought an adult chair with no seatbelt on, which I refused to put DD in, and we were in a standoff. In the end the plane staff had to intervene and the captain refused to move the plane until they brought us our chair (THANKYOU Easyjet!)
coming back, our entire flight was delayed because the special assistance lift just didn't turn up for over an hour so we couldn't get DD on the plane at all!
Was a bloody nightmare.

Disney though was fantastic, DD had an amazing time and I'd recommend it to anyone