Disneyland Paris.. my head is melted!

[Ladybird11]

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!

I've never been to DLP but went to the Florida one as part of a bigger trip. We did plan to within an inch of our lives (meal plans and bookings, queues and passes, busy vs non busy calendars, hotel distances, etc ad infinitum!). Wasted many, many hours on The Dibb website. We didn't want to miss out on anything and couldn't afford to go again. Had spreadsheets and everything - totally different to how we normally holiday. We did loads of great things and, despite our misgivings and cynicism about the whole Disney thing, greatly enjoyed ourselves.

@katronfon that made me laugh - snow chains?!

I’m going in June, do you think I should get some snow chains for DS’s buggy just to be on the safe side

We're just back from Disneyland California. No pre-planning at all - used the app on the day to identify the longest queue times / fastpass issue times and then filled the gaps with shorter queue rides. Used the paper map to circle the "must do" rides and wrote our fast pass times on that so we could plan a vague route around but we did criss-cross a lot.

I have no intention of ever going to DLP but I want to join the FB group now just to find out what they are all saying that is so outrageous!

I’ve driven to DLP in December at least 15 times and we have had pretty awful snow at times and I’ve never felt the need for winter tyres or snow chains .

I am astounded by the number of ‘I’m staying in Santa Fe and gasping for a cuppa, does anyone here have any spare teabags’ type posts on the Facebook group. I’m sure I saw someone looking for medication as well!

And the number of posts from people concerned about whether or not they can get booze into the hotels, or where they can buy booe, does nothing for the brits abroad stereotype either!

katronfon in all fairness you can clock up 5-10 miles a day easily in theme park walking. I average 25-30,000 steps in Orlando.

We did minimum of 30k steps a day. Highly recommend a cheapy stroller for young children because it’s bloody knackering

Op if it makes you feel better I did book a package, travel hotel and meal plan and still ended up today on the phone to my travel agent after reading that bloody page!

I think planning is essential on the day for a) the shows you want to see (the stunt car show is brilliant) and b) rides you want to do and get a fast pass for.

We did minimum of 30k steps a day. Highly recommend a cheapy stroller for young children because it’s bloody knackering

We walked a 3yo round without a buggy. She slept well. OP it's a true 'once in a lifetime experience', I'm just glad when I went the exchange rate was 1.40. We did eat in the park without planning, but I think we managed to accidentally claim we'd booked (language barrier). Enjoy

I'm pmsl at these comments.. glad it's not just me.. the fb page also seems obsessed with the cheapest way to do it all and I kinda think whilst you don't want to throw money away you sort of will have to, as it's Disney..
Love the snow tyres.. really..!?

If I'm honest I think that some of the replies on here, are pretty unnecessary - particularly when it comes to someone watching a FB group (and a TA thread), and then reporting back to MN, belittling people's questions and encouraging others to join to have a look.
If you like the way FB groups work then use them, and if you don't, then don't - no one will mind.
You have no idea what is going on in other people's lives and what experience of holidays they have and
in terms of weather questions, some people just want personal experiences that you can't get from google.
As for shoes, if people want to ask, then let them ask - you don't have to answer.
Perhaps you could try to live and let live - you'll feel much better for it