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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Disneyland Paris.. my head is melted!

118 replies

Ladybird11 · 02/03/2018 20:57

Booked flights and 4 nights in the Kyriad hotel near Disneyland Paris for April as my girls main Christmas present. Intention was to buy park tickets for the 2 days we will be in the parks (rest of the time in paris). My AIBU is... AIBU to wish I'd spent more, paid over the odds through an agent, booked a package thereby paying for days of passes for DLP that we wouldn't need if it's only just have been simpler?!

Our hotel offers breakfast but (the Disneyland Paris for Brits FB page has melted my head) I've read that to avoid paying 85 billion euros for dinner, meal passes should be bought.. and meals booked in advance.. and scheduled meals, attractions, etc to make the most of queues, light shows, parades.. oh dear goodness it's so complicated!

Can I not just buy passes for 2 days entry (best value?), and go with the flow? It seems no one goes with the flow and it's managed to the last minute..

Please regale me with DLP go with the flow is possible stories!

OP posts:
Quartz2208 · 02/03/2018 20:59

I did it on the flow. It was fine, we ate in rainforest cafe, planet Hollywood and an Italian all in the village. Just went early (12 for lunch 5/530 dinner

Anythingforacatslife · 02/03/2018 21:00

Yes, going with the flow is absolutely possible and that FB group just whips up hysteria about meal plans. We went last February and bought food/meals as and when we needed with no issues whatsoever, and the place was packed too. There are plenty of places to eat and it doesn’t have to be massively expensive. Enjoy!

BiologyMatters · 02/03/2018 21:02

Yes go with the flow. Take snacks like cereal bars with you, find a local shop yup buy provisions, or just eat at downtown disney.

JaneyEJones · 02/03/2018 21:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cardibach · 02/03/2018 21:05

I’ve only ever flowed at Disney (California, Florida, Parisx2). You just have to genuinely flow and eat when there is space.

cardibach · 02/03/2018 21:06

Kaney I disagree. I’m not a theme park fan,but there is something special about Disney.

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 02/03/2018 21:08

You can “go with the flow” if you want to, but a failure to meticulously plan Disney will lead to you paying over the odds and missing out on a lot.

louisiana30 · 02/03/2018 21:08

Those meal plans are only really worth it if included free or you would be eating at the most expensive premium dining locations each night.

Character dining gets full fast but for others just go to city hall in the parc and book meals once there

Dippysnowoman · 02/03/2018 21:10

Just go with the flow. We've done Disneyland Paris twice and never booked meals or anything.
Always had a great time too. Only thing I'd say is get to the parade early if you want to be at the front. Enjoy!

ForlornWanderer · 02/03/2018 21:18

How old are your kids? I organised the hell out if our trip to Disney in Florida, but mine were 5 and 3 at the time, and the reason I did that was because the year before we"d spent one day at the park in California and met up with done if my family, who had older kids and wouldn't make up their mind about what you do, and it was excruciating! We ended up doing very little because nobody could make their mind up and my kids were really upset. So organising it all worked for us second time around, especially the rides, so we minimised the waiting time.

If your kids are older, it probably won't be as bad. Re food, there's always somewhere you can eat, although it is theme park prices like you'd expect. When we went to Florida (in July, so very hot!) we took tons of water in a small cooler which meant you didn't have to buy loads. Take snacks as well and you'll end up spending less.

JustDanceAddict · 02/03/2018 21:20

WHatever you do, don’t eat in Cafe Mickey!!

jaseyraex · 02/03/2018 21:23

It can absolutely be done by going with the flow. I only ever book character dining when visiting DLP and we go twice a year. All I'd suggest is avoiding peak meal time, so go for dinner an hour earlier. But tbh in April it's unlikely to be mobbed like it is in summer so you might be fine. Take a packed lunch and snacks if you want to keep costs down as resaraunts can be pricey and fill up empty water bottles at the fountains to save buying loads of bottles through the day. Enjoy OP! It's not as stressful as people make out to be.

sandgrown · 02/03/2018 21:24

There is a place nearby which I think is called Marne la Vallee which has shops,supermarkets and restaurants. Free bus into Disney.

speakout · 02/03/2018 21:27

Sounds my idea of hell. Wild horses wouldn't drag me to a Disney Park.

Original poster
Ladybird11 · 02/03/2018 21:27

Delighted to hear this! You lot all need to go on the aforementioned fb page and even up the balance.. they are super organised (or meticulous planning freaks).. they had me worried that I'd be trying to stick to schedule.. I don't even know where to find out timings, rides etc in advance so am v happy to go with the flow. Kids are 8 and 14.

Anyone any tips for where to buy park passes?

And thanks all for replying..

OP posts:
EnglishGirlApproximately · 02/03/2018 21:29

The Disney FB pages are insane! I’m a travel agent and even I think they take the planning too far Grin

iamjustlurking · 02/03/2018 21:29

We stayed at Disney hotel (new York B&B got train to local shopping centre hot snacks and just ate as an when in evening no meal plans
But we are a go with the flow family as opposed to lists and pre planning Grin

LadyTmalia · 02/03/2018 21:35

Go with the flow, unless you are going in a school holiday and want to eat in a popular Disney restaurant - Dont over plan, you can cause more stress that way, but have a loose plan of when show times/parades are. (Stitch Live! in the studios is awesome though :P)

Earl of Sandwich is amazing (and on the cheaper side) I haven't tried anything else, as admittedly I have always had the (free)dining plan.

There are plenty of good Counter Service places - Casey's have amazing Hot Dogs, there is a place in Frontier land ( I think) that has bloody awesome fries. You can get meal deals for approx 14 Euros for adults.
Have a great time, if you have any specific questions, please ask, i've only been 4 times, but I love it :D

Unihorn · 02/03/2018 21:35

The level of planning needed generally depends on when you're going and the make up of your family. We do Orlando in the summer but stay onsite with the dining plan so meals need to be planned, and they operate FastPass+ meaning you can book ride times in advance. Going to Disney at a peak time with no plans can mean having a bit of a rubbish time if you don't have any incline of what to expect.

That said, we've also done Paris four times on and offsite and never put in the same level of planning. Get to the parks early, do the biggest rides first even if it means zigzagging around a bit, eat at odd times, have a bit of a break during the busiest times and just enjoy the ambience. If you don't expect to get everything done hen going with the flow is absolutely fine.

MsHarry · 02/03/2018 21:35

WE had food passes but they are only in certain restaurants and if you're not in that area at that time , you're stuffed. Plus those restaurants are not the nicest. We did 50/50 really, it's a holiday fgs! Enjoy!

QueenDramaLlama · 02/03/2018 21:36

Lol, I've been in that FB group and they are crazy. No you do not need a meal plan, nor will food cost the earth. Nor should you plan it as things rarely go to plan.
Just go and enjoy!

notallthosewhowander · 02/03/2018 21:38

Don’t worry, you’ll have a great time without booking things in advance.

In the Disney Village there’s a few places you can eat in by just walking up, including an American diner type place called Annette’s, a McDonald’s and a place called Earl of Sandwich. Annette’s portions are huge so you might even be able to share if you want to keep costs down. McDonald’s is about same price as here, can get very busy but there’s loads of seating. In the parks there’s a few places, off the top of my head there’s Cafe Hyperion in Discoveryland and a place in Studio 1 that do meal deals, about €15 for a burger meal.

With regards to meet&greets, shows etc., about a week before the programme will be released online of what’s happening and where. It can be a bit overwhelming, but these can really help if you have a few things that you’d really like to fit in like the parade or a particular character. We did a mix of going with the flow/bits of planning to maximise our time but Disneyland Paris is such a magical place that you’ll just have so much fun without needing to plan the finer details. Have a great time!

Original poster
Ladybird11 · 02/03/2018 21:40

Thank You! Don't mind paying €€ for food.. but was worried I'd have to book it all. We tend to be go with the flow so that's def my preference. Kids will also be happy to see what they see..
Re knowing what's on and when (ie the best bits) where would I get this in advance? Can't see a programme as such on the website..

OP posts:
CaMePlaitPas · 02/03/2018 21:41

I don't get this, I don't understand why people are over complicating Disneyland. I live in Paris and used to work at Disney. It's expensive, of course it is, but for dinner you can go to Disney village and grab yourself a sandwich from Earl of Sandwich or go to Starbucks/McDonalds there - not haute cuisine, but you're on holiday. You could alternatively head to Val D'Europe "Centre Commercial" - which is one stop away on the RER A (train) and there are plenty of eateries there, and also a HUGE Auchan supermarket which you can go round to grab snacks. I think you can buy your tickets to Disney online, and then you can get your fast passes for certain rides in the park from the "Fast Pass" machines - which are always staffed by a "cast member" so if you have problems/queries ask them. I've stayed at the Kyriad too and I liked it very much - enjoy!

TheSconeOfStone · 02/03/2018 21:41

We stayed off site and shopped at the hyper market at Marne la vallee shopping centre. Saved time and money by having picnics and just bought one meal a day in the parks. And picked up wine for the evenings back at the hotel. I found the website DLP Guide really helpful. It’s not a bad idea to print out a map and highlight your priorities. Have fun. We’ve been twice and enjoyed it far more than expected.