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.’

"numerous sets of DS's classmates who see Paris as a sideshow, which, if you were feeling cruel to your children, you might enforce a day away from DLP in"

Really? Numerous sets?

Myself, DH and DC have been to Disneyland Paris a LOT.

Doesn't mean we find the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, River Cruise, wandering Parisian Streets and looking at all the patisserie windows anything other than wonderful .

Yet we still encounter people like you who seem to think we're some sort of uneducated, cultureless swines.

And even if we did just do Disney instead of other trips and not as well as. Who cares - it's our holiday time to enjoy life. Let people enjoy it.

Why people seem to think theme parks are an awful way to spend a day/week off I just can't get my head around.

We frequently visit UK ones (Merlin pass holders) and European and American ones and there just seems to be some kind of "why aren't you real grown ups" stigma attached to it.

I suppose my point is less that Parisians don't see DLP as an obvious place to take their children than that it struck me as very weird when I moved to the UK to see that, for a significant number of parents I encountered, Paris had become a tiresome 'Oh, if we MUST' daytrip from DLP, and was being viewed entirely in terms of DLP as a destination.

It's come up lots of times with DS's classmates' parents, as we go back to Paris often in halfterms or school holidays, and they seem baffled that we're not structuring a trip around DLP, or they ask for advice about going there, and it comes up we've never been.

I did live in London for fifteen years without Madame Tussaud's ever crossing my mind as somewhere I might go, admittedly.

We love Florida and all my now grown up children 14,16, and 27 have asked to go again this year so we have 3 weeks to look forward to. Even my autistic sons love the magic and are treated very well. However we all hated DLP. The french are not welcoming at all and Europeans don't queue and have no manners as far as I witnessed. We would never go to DLP again.

Krispy see my second post. Yes, numerous sets mostly DS's classmates' parents over the past several years, but also people in the village. As it said, it keeps coming up because foreigners are not exactly two a penny in our neck of the woods, and people keep asking about DLP stuff.

Yet we still encounter people like you who seem to think we're some sort of uneducated, cultureless swines

That's you projecting. I didn't say that, or imply it.

We went in 2012 when dd was 7. We spent a week in Paris (which was amazing) and went for the day by train. We got the last train back to Paris.

We went only because we thought dd would love it. I have zero interest in either Disney or theme parks. I did not share these views with dd and she was excited at the thoughts of going.

However she was less impressed with the reality. LOTS of queueing. She spotted the dumbo ride and wanted to go on that first. We stool in line for 55 minutes for a ride that lasted less than a minute (or so it felt) she wanted to stay on for a second go but no chance of that. So we moved to the teacups - again HUGE line snaking all around the barriers. We spent so much of the day queueing, it took the good out of it for all of us.

Then the mountain ride was closed as it broke as it was going around and people were trapped in it and had to be rescued.

We did enjoy the haunted mansion bit, that was good.

Food very very medicore and expensive. And the thing I liked the least was how at every hands turn merchandise was being flogged - shops, street stands etc. Very hard for kids to see it everywhere and not get something if you are on a budget.

I was very very very glad to get on that train back to Paris and know that we had ticked that box and would never have to return!

She is now a teen but we were in Paris again a couple of years later and asked her if she wanted to go back - no way - too much queueing was her answer.

We never revealed our feelings about the place when we were there, we kept is all upbeat and jolly etc as we wanted her to enjoy it but she made up her own mind....

If I won a tip to florida or california I might go but otherwise....no! Far too many other places on my wish list

Some of this stuff is definitely horses for courses and I've got no interest in Disney evangelising 😂, but some complaints IMO are avoidable. The food, for example - I think the counter-service stuff is huuugely overpriced and the queues for it are outrageous, but a lot of the table service and buffet restaurants are great in terms of the food, theming and customer service, and although they're expensive I think they're much better value and certainly not exceptionally expensive for anywhere that has a captive audience. Likewise we've never queued over an hour (and rarely over half an hour) in spite of being stuck with school holidays. I also think it's not a good plan to try to do it as a day trip, even if you do the whole day: I reckon it can be done in two days with some careful planning, but 3-4 days allows you to do it all in a fairly logical and definitely unrushed fashion. Obvs for some people 3+ days in Disneyland must sound horrific but I definitely find 4 days, with the time to pop back to the hotel and swim when the park is busiest, long sit-down meals booked in advance, do the long-queue rides like Dumbo and Peter Pan first thing when they're so much shorter, take in the parade and fireworks as often as we want but not feel 'we MUST do it NOW as there won't be another chance!', way less overwhelming than trying to get everything ticked off on a day trip.

Of course some people are going to hate it regardless, and others still just won't be into that sort of planning. But I do think some trips are bad experiences when they could've been much more enjoyable.

(Final top tip - May half term! Weather favourable, long park hours, and not French school holidays.)

It's wonderful. I totally thought I'd hate it - we've been three times now. The pleasure the kids get from it is amazing

I love it but prefer the Efteling in Holland.

YABU, it’s what you make it.
Have been a few times and going back in December .
I can’t beleiev you’d rather be ill , that’s extreme, just cancel if you’re really unhappy about going

*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.*

@nunoGoncalves quite! It really annoyed me! Apparently there were multiple Darth Veders, you had to walk into a room to meet him, and there were several rooms. But they all went to lunch at the same time!

One of my favourite phrases in life 'Stuff can be two things.'

IMO, yes it's expensive and busy and a big money making machine with everything designed to squeeze extra cash out of tired parents with sugar addled kids but it is also bloody magical and wonderful for those kids.

Green, I'm not sure what you mean.
Nearly all the rides have wheel chair access.
And some you can go in wheelchair.

I wasn't tagging you to be competitive over Disney.

I was genuinely pointing out that actually it's a more relaxing easier park to get around esp with disabled child. no worries if Disney is your thing and you won't go anywhere else!

I feel it my Mumsnett duty to make fellow MN aware of efteling because I'd never Heard of it at all until once on a thread about dlp... year's ago... many posters were raving about it.
I couldn't afford Disney at that time, so I looked into efteling!
We've been 3 times and last year finally got to Disney on annual passes.
My DC love Disney as well..but both were still yearning for efteling! It's got more variety and is just a more substantial experience!

But both are great fun. I'm not fond of UK theme parks.

Some fascinating stuff on here:

www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/7oklbk/what_is_a_disney_world_secret_that_you_know/

Nellwilsonswhitehair - unless ascension day is at the end of may. (can you tell I am thinking of going back during May?)
We went late Nov last year but only had 2 days in the park. Would love to go back with longer days. Have plans for next year so thinking may 2021. Have already checked when ascension day is.

Absolute shithole.

Tiny park, massive queues, customer service non existant, crap rides.

Go to Parc Asterix, knocks DLP into a cocked hat.

40something here and done all Disney parks bar shanghai a few times now. No kids!
Just an entertaining place to visit. We don't queue for characters though did enjoy chatting to the frozen ladies and how they stay in character. The food and wine show at Epcot each autumn is fantastic fun.
It's not for everyone but then a week in Benidorm would fill me with abject horror!

I disagree but I always go in winter where it's quieter. I don't think they're fully about making money, for example they allow people to take their own food into the parks. There's ways of doing it on a budget they just require a bit more planning. If you get taken in by character meals etc then of course the costs soar

I'm also on the fb group. It is suffocating, you aren't allowed to express an opinion that isn't 'DLP is the best thing ever'. I joined as I took my son for his bday last year. He was too young for WDW sadly.

I didnt enjoy it. The staff were generally more rude than in Florida and it did feel less 'magical'. However, I dont think you need to think of it solely through the lens of making money. Yes it is expensive, but it can create wonderful memories. I first went at 9 and remember it so fondly.