To think there’s nothing ‘magical’ about Disneyland Paris?

[Wrappleschat82]

And it’s all just one big money making extravaganza. I guess if you can throw enough money at it then maybe the ‘magic’ comes more easily.
We are meant to be going in a few weeks and I’m hoping for a bout of norovirus instead! I was really excited when we booked it a year ago but gradually I’ve started to feel similar towards it as I do now to Christmas: one big money making load of crap.
I’m on the fb Disneyland Paris site and it’s full of adults crying over meeting a French woman in a mouse costume. Trip advisor speaks the truth - that it’s too busy, there’s no customer care, the only places you don’t have to queue for hours are the shops (cunning) and that generally it couldn’t be less magical.

I do wish I could stop seeing everything through the lens of ‘just trying to make money’ because now I’ve started it applies to a lot of things that are billed as ‘special.’ Dh was talking about taking the children to some Easter hunt thing with loads of Easter decorations in the gardens. It looks really impressive online. Then I just think ‘money making scheme.’

I think it’s a lot of overhyped bull . And don’t get me started on adults who go every year or aspire to take their little princesses again and again.
Go once by all means , for the kids and then find something else to do .

I wouldn’t call it magical but we love it. I take my children every year and we always have a great time. If you take it as it is and overlook some issues like staff/smoking/prices you will have a great time pre judging based on other experiences with just ruin it for yourself and your children. Even if you aren’t a huge Disney fan there’s something for everyone and I’ve never liked rides but I enjoy them when we go and have as much fun as the kids. I do agree about the cringey adults getting excited meeting a person dressed up as a character though, very awkward.

@LillianGish i think your a bit confused.

You dont go to DLP for the American experience, its very different, i can have a glass of wine with my meal for one . But also i can walk from where im staying to everywhere onsite which is mightily appealing and some of the American shows are... well.... very American. DLP is actually very European.

I also dont go to Disneyland Paris for the french experience either. If i want a french experience i go to Paris, there i can experience to my heart's content poor attitudes to sn, bad pavements, limited drop kerbs and people waving cigarettes in DS's face. And the Eiffel tower.

Other than the language DLP isnt very french, but its surprisingly un American also

And don’t get me started on adults who go every year

Why? Do you have trouble with people who enjoy different things from you...?

Let's face it, all these threads ever are is a way for superiority complexes to have an outlet

I thought peppa pig world was pretty magical.

Why stop at Disneyland Paris?

Disneyland Florida was a heaving hellhole, couldn't wait to leave.

So children's entertainment and amusement parks and so on should be run as NGOs?

Go once by all means , for the kids and then find something else to do

Any suggestions what? Family of 4. Limited income. One in a (heavy non powered) wheelchair, one struggles with her own physical difficulties and emotional difficulties. One has some signs of aspergers (never diagnosed) has very specific stuff he likes and doesnt like.one freaks out at the feel of sand. And me, who holds it all together. We already do national trust (when its accessible) English heritage (when its accessible). We stopped doing uk theme parks cos as much as we love them generally the mix of rides doesnt work anymore either too tiddly or too physical for DS. Legoland will inevitably being us in contact with with some highly unpleasant language and layout wise is just horrific. Will like the zoo but our local one is on a horrendous hill. The next nearest are long journeys are very busy. Most "natural" locations have inaccessible paths

Dont get me wrong we still do stuff. But there are few places were we can go and all have fun doing the same stuff at the same time.

I have been to the original DL California, DLP and WDW Florida. The least magical is definitely WDW Florida. Absolutely full to the brim with kids and really quite a mucky place I thought. Huge queues throughout Magic Kingdom.

DLP is far quieter, really only queued on a Sunday for any length of time. The shows are great, lovely experience.

If you want the proper "movie magic" then you need to go to California Disneyland where it really is so magical and lovely.

If you're booked to go anyway OP I would take a deep breath and try to enjoy it - if only for your kids' sake. We've been to both DLP and WDW in Florida and yes, Disney is a money-making, fake, plastic extravaganza full of expensive tat. You know this, but in the nicest way possible, get over it!

My advice:

1. Use the Fast Pass system. It's not as good at DLP as in Florida, because you have to go to each ride you want a FP for and print off the tickets, which is a PITA, but it does mean no queuing. Take it in turns with another adult to go and do this. The FP machines open at 10am, prioritise the rides you and your DC most want to do.

2. Go into the parks when they open and hit all the smaller rides. The big, popular ones don't open until 10am, but you can knock out lots of the others before this time.

3. Definitely go on the Ratatouille ride, which is in Walt Disney Studios next door. It's very charming and sweet. We did it three times (using FP each time). You can also beat the queue by going in as single riders if your DC are old enough.

4. Take snacks and water bottles into the parks with you as you can save a ton of money by filling up at the water fountains and eat in the restaurants in the area outside the park as they're much cheaper and nicer than eating in the parks.

My kids love it, which makes it more bearable for me. I don’t find it magical - it’s an overcrowded theme park and I spend more hours of the day queuing than sleeping. One time we queued up for well over 2 hours to meet darth veder, only to get to the front of the queue to be told he’d gone for lunch so we’d have to wait another hour. I realise the workers have to have lunch breaks, but it kind of spoils the magic to have to tell the kids the dark lord takes lunch breaks. We then had an arguement about whether to wait another hour at the front of the queue or sack it off. Not magical.

I’ve been quite a few times (used to take a school trip there annually) and my most recent was the best, because we amused ourselves by trying to spend as little money in the park as possible. We went to the big supermarket to stock up on drinks and snacks as soon as we arrived. We used the very generous breakfast package to make up lunches. We’d got one meal a day free when we booked, so, aside from a couple of ice creams, we didn’t spend much once there.

I realise the workers have to have lunch breaks, but it kind of spoils the magic to have to tell the kids the dark lord takes lunch breaks

That seems like exceptionally poor management. You would presume they'd just switch the employee in the suit while one has his/her lunch.

I hated it! Went to Florida twice as a child teenager and absolutely loved it. So was really excited about DLP with my then 4 year old.

There was nothing magical about it, queues were massive so missed loads of rides (the fast pass is crap compared to Florida). It was really disappointing but I think my opinion probably doesn't go for anything as I loved Florida so to me it just didn't compare. If I'd never been to Florida perhaps I would have enjoyed it more.

Oh there was also the fact we got evacuated from the park due to a suspicious package. We went in 2016 when France was on high alert and I was a nervous wreck to begin with.

If that's how you feel then that's how you feel, but go with an open mind since you've already got it booked and you may enjoy it more than you think! I've been a few times both as a child and an adult and I have a couple tips...

• You don't say if you're staying on site, but if you are then make use of the early magic time where a few rides are open as you can achieve quite a lot!
• I found that the best time to do the Pirates of the Caribbean ride was first thing in the morning so head straight there on one of the days.
• Not really sure why but we found that lots of people just followed each other, so if there's two lanes for a queue then everyone just went for the left hand one and built up that queue, meanwhile if you go the right the queue is significantly shorter!
• Definitely make use of the fast pass system, have a look at how it works and use those to reduce some queue time.
• Take snacks with you as that can really add up to a lot of money. On our most recent trip we took cereal bars/hula hoops etc and it was a massive help.
• We think the best way to approach it is to get the park programme and make a rough plan for the next day (e.g. which land we'd head to first, which shows we wanted to see that day etc.) but not be really rigid with it, so you can still take advantage of unexpected characters, not being in the mood etc.

Florida is better especially as you've got the weather but even that is becoming ridiculously expensive and commercialised. Out of season is the best time to go, also in there early doors if poss to get to the most popular rides first.

I've been to all Disney theme parks including Paris as a child/was 21 when Disneyland Paris opened so went there then.

Personally I like it for what it is - fun but small but I found it a good day out - been to Asterisk Theme Park, also fun, Tivoli in Copenhagen (fun but we'd been to Christiania beforehand and I'd had hash cake! ) - they're all fun places if you take it for what it is.

About 3 years ago I went to Paris at Easter with DH and DD(then 18 months) to meet up with friends from USA with their teen DD's (13 and 15). They would have loved to have visited Disney there and had been to both Disneys in USA but their DP (more their DF) said no. He's a bit of a miserly git though and didn't even like them going to Zara, Galeries Lafayette when they were there. DD too young to go but will be able to go soon.

We enjoyed but we had VIP fast passes so we were able to make the most of it.

We went to Disneyland in California last year and we loved that.

Never been to Florida, don't really have any desire to go yet.

I enjoyed it and I am usually very sceptical about things like this. Found the parades very uplifting!

@DesparateDino - can i ask what the VIP fast passes are? I cant seem to see anything on website?

TV VIP Fast Passes are issued to people staying in the (most expensive) suites in Disneyland Hotels.

The 'normal' fast passes are pretty good imo, as long as you start early (like anything at Disney) so you can get a space before they run out. Just takes a bit of planning.

thank you bad - I did think it must be something like that.

We have always managed to navigate around avoiding large queue times and using normal fast passes. DS and I are staying at Newport so we will get the early entry which is always a good start and we can bow out for a couple of the busier hours in early afternoon.

At least I now know I'm not missing out on something...thanks again

We found it to be quite crap yes. Paultons park is way better. The California Disney was good though. Interestingly the Californians we met see Disney as just another theme park yet over here seen as some sort of semi mystical experience and your children are doomed for life if they miss out on.

God yes just read thread go to Puy du Fou in France about a trillion times better than Disney. We were blown away by that

I took my ds last november to disneyland paris and he absolutely loved it. Seeing his wee face light up with happiness was totally worth it. We are going to walt disney world next year and i cant wait

Welcome TV

We've found the same - we try and get up early to get in a couple of the big rides (Thunder Mountain mainly) before the queues build up. Then after lunch we wander off to have a couple of hours in the hotel pool or have a look around the shops until later in the afternoon. In the evening you can get on most rides without much of a wait - particularly when everybody's waiting around for the laser show to start and while it's on. It just seems to be Thunder Mountain, and for some inexplicable reason, Peter Pan, that always have long queues.