Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why Disneyland Paris is SO expensive?

117 replies

Sickofyoutube · 21/02/2020 13:39

Dd4 is desperate to go Disneyland. We took our oldest when she was 4 a long long time ago. It cost around £900 for 3 adults and 3 children for 3nights and Wild West show with breakfast with mickey! We went in February.

Iv just priced for 2 nights for 2adults and 3 kids at £1.300 without anything or Eurostar.

Like what?! How is it so expensive 😩

OP posts:
JacquesHammer · 21/02/2020 15:28

If you went in February last time, that’s the absolute cheapest time of year - Jan/Feb are always when the deals are

They do various deals all year round. We found it cheapest in October.

NameChangeNugget · 21/02/2020 15:29

Save your money and go to Florida.

Was my idea of hell when I went but, my children loved it

EveLevine · 21/02/2020 15:35

What day are you going? The price per night depends on the band day of the day you check in.
There’s a calendar on the website which shows you the super value days, but weekends tend to be the dearest.

It’s also worth looking for the 2 night free offers rather than the 25% off offers as they tend to be better value.

There’s a Facebook page called Disneyland Paris for Brits which has lots of good advice about how to cut costs.

Mummyoflittledragon · 21/02/2020 15:40

We stayed in one of the cheap aparthotels outside Disney. There are buses or the RER in. We took the car in as we drove there. It’s expensive. Especially with the exchange rate now.

ShesGotBetteDavisEyes · 21/02/2020 15:41

It cost us £1200 last year (Easter) just for easyJet flights and 3 nights in an apartment off booking.com which we had to get on the tram to get to Disney (which was admittedly only 1 stop and fine). Tickets for 2 days were another £450-ish. We spent about another £1200 on food/drink and going into Paris on the last day. So about £4K altogether for a mon-fri trip for 5 of us! We had a good time but I’m loathe to spend that again.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 21/02/2020 15:42

Have you looked at De Efteling in the Netherlands instead? Not Disney but magical and much cheaper.

This. I used to go a lot as a child and it's amazing. We've just booked to take our dc (5 and 2 by the time of travelling this autumn). It's costing us around £650 for 4 nights (5 days of park tickets and 4 days worth of breakfast). We've got a whirlpool bath and the kids are in a separate bedroom. With ferries and the extra night we've booked somewhere else in the Netherlands, we're still less than £1300.

anotherlittlechicken · 21/02/2020 15:43

@Sickofyoutube Do you HAVE to stay in a Disney hotel?

We stayed in a hotel on the fringes of Paris. It was only about 30 miles, and we got a bus in.

Disney is, and always HAS been expensive though.

FizzyIce · 21/02/2020 15:44

We’ve been a few times and it’s definitely more expensive now but suppose that’s to be expected.
We never fly or take the Eurostar though , we always drive and go via the tunnel.
So quick and easy !
We last went the week before Christmas last year and stayed at Newport bay , was about £1300 for 4 of us for 3 nights, park tickets , meal plan and the Wild West show .
It’s pricey but it’s such a great break

Zombiemum1946 · 21/02/2020 15:59

We priced Florida against Paris and Florida was cheaper as long as you watch when cheap flights come up. The weather is more reliable as well. In January there were flights available from our local airport in October for £250 return, that's only £1000 3 adults and one child for 9 days. We're going in April, the flights were £300. With condo , shuttle to and from parks, and flights it's £1900, you can get much cheaper accomadation and be careful of hidden fees. I imagine out with school hols would be a lot cheaper. We're only taking hand luggage as there are washing/drying facilities in the condo. We got our flights on skyscanner. Travel time including transfer times comes to around 16hrs each way. Our first trip, dd was 4 and she managed fine. The return flight is over night. It's well worth the research. Have a wonderful time whatever you choose.

Flibbitygibbit · 21/02/2020 16:06

Save up and do Florida . So much nicer. I have found TUI doing flights from Birmingham for £270 end of April. We stay off site and need a car. But I'd reckon you've could do 2 weeks better than that price plus I've done DLP in March and it was bloody cold !!!!

Dixiechickonhols · 21/02/2020 16:12

Just come back with Guides. Stayed at explorers hotel. There is a bus to there from park only 10 mins. Hotel was fine. Park food is expensive and poor. We took girls to MacDonalds in Disney village.

DaisyDreaming · 21/02/2020 16:14

What day are you arriving? It will be really expensive if it’s a Friday or Saturday. They are doing lots of work so put the prices up to fund it but the fact is people still paid it so they carry on putting up prices sighting ‘new experiences’ and ‘improvements’

pinkdelight · 21/02/2020 16:15

At least in the US you get that smiley customer service that goes with the brand. The Paris staff really struggle to fake it and you can often feel their grumpiness and disdain. Not the ones in character but certainly in the restaurants etc. It ain't very Disney.

sparkysdream · 21/02/2020 16:17

October might be a cheaper time to go. We went for four nights, five days park access for 5 of us (one under 2) including free ferry for £700. It was buy two nights get two nights free. We were supposed to be in Dave Crockett’s lodges but when we arrived were given a free upgrade to a hotel onsite that included a free meal plan. Think we must have been incredibly lucky given the prices others are mentioning but means it’s worth checking regularly. I booked it in January for the October.

Hingeandbracket · 21/02/2020 16:28

Like what?! How is it so expensive
Those Disney executive bonuses and shareholder dividends don't pay themselves.
As a PP says it is that expensive because people will pay. If no-one went they'd have to put the prices down. I don't personally understand the appeal at all but more fool me as I am the one shelling out not the one making millions.

MabelMoo23 · 21/02/2020 16:31

Honestly I think Florida is far better value - plus there are lots of places to eat outside of Disney that aren’t too expensive. You don’t get that with DLP

Honestly save and go to Florida

princesscallie · 21/02/2020 16:36

We went in January 2adults 2 kids 4 days park tickets, stayed in the santa fe hotel(basic but clean) breakfast and dinner included for 3 nights, private transfer and flights from Dublin for around 1900e. I thought it was actually a good price. I wouldn't go back again without a meal deal. The prices are extortionate if purchased on their own. Kids are 6 and 4 and would definitely go again. My husband is of the same opinion and he was dreading going. I booked with a travel co for accommodation and booked the flights myself.

MrsPatrickDempsey · 21/02/2020 16:37

Done it a couple of times recently. Stayed on site at the Disneyland Hotel with premium half board - 4 of us for two nights in November was £1400 plus Eurostar which I booked separately as I get a discount through work. Previously stayed off site (very near Val d'Europe so walkable to the park although there was a shuttle) with indirect Eurostar via Lille which lowers the cost a bit. Got park tickets from Attraction Tickets and took food into the park. It can be done reasonably.

DdraigGoch · 21/02/2020 16:39

Another vote for saving the pennies a little longer for Florida. I went when I was seven, still remember every detail. Head and shoulders over Paris.

36degrees · 21/02/2020 16:41

We tend to combine it with a trip to Paris, stay in an Ibis handy for the RER, grab sandwiches first thing on the way to the station and do it as a day trip.

Butterflyflower1234 · 21/02/2020 16:47

We went in April last year and it was horrendous. Lines of over an hour for all rides, including small rides. Some were closed and to top it off we were locked in a restaurant as there was a suspected terrorist attack. We were locked in for three hours and it was petrifying.

Wheresthesandman · 21/02/2020 16:47

Depending on how old your children are, try the coach company Harry Shaw. Their Disneyland Paris holidays are so reasonable (I don’t know how they even make a profit!) but their prices are based on 4 people sharing, so unless your third child is a toddler you would need 2 rooms. You could get 3 nights in a Disney Hotel and 2 days in the parks for £1000 for 4 people/4 people and a baby (a bit less not in the holidays) and they have been brilliant both times we’ve used them.

MrsApplepants · 21/02/2020 16:51

I’m a big Disney fan, I love It all. However I would agree with pps and say to save up a bit more for Florida. Paris is ‘Disney lite’ and much, much less of a big deal. If you can go outside of the school holidays you can get some good deals on flights.

Lippy1234 · 21/02/2020 16:52

My family and I loved it, we went one February half term. We enjoyed a character lunch one day and it was so easy using Eurostar.

WellTidy · 21/02/2020 16:57

Ds and I loved it when we went, but having been to Orlando (albeit nearly 30 years ago), it doesn’t compare in the slightest. If you’re finding it will be expensive to go to Paris, it may be worth pricing you Orlando and just doing Disney there, so not Universal Studios, Kennedy Space Centre etc, just buying a Disney pass and nothing else.

If you do decide on Paris, have you thought about driving and then taking a plug in cool box? It plugs into the car and then plugs into a socket in your hotel room. Everything that you’d keep in the fridge goes in there and then take a big bag of dried food and squashes etc. Saves on what you’d buy to eat in the park.