Disneyland Paris or daytrip to Lapland in December?

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Hi

Just looking for advice from anyone who has visited either of the above please :)

I would like to take my 8 year old ds for a treat (we've had a rubbish year) and I don't know which would be most magical. I was leaning towards Lapland but some of the reviews from last year (Trip Advisor etc) are mixed. Disney will be completely Mickey-fied version of Christmas but would still magical for an 8 yr old?!

Cost wise both trips are comparable I think.

Any advice welcome, thanks!

I took ds to Disney last year on the 6th nov.

We were there for fireworks for bonfire night, and also the Christmas stuff which started on the 7th iirc.

Was magical and wonderful

Either would be lovely to an 8year old but I suspect she would prefer disney.

Lapland, but i hate Disney!

I think Disney would end up being more to do and a bit more fun for the whole family, and without the longer flight.

But Lapland could be very magical and would certainly be a once in a lifetime experience. But the reviews vary so much I guess it is the risk involved too.

Lapland Lapland Lapland Lapland!!!!!!!!!

Amazing and something I always wanted to get to but never did, will do it when I hae a little one.

Disney! We were there in November last year and was very estive. They even made it fake snow for the parade.

Euro Disney is pretty crap IMO, way over priced, and total ripoff. but I'd love to go to Lapland though. Bet your DS would too.

I think you need to do more research on Lapland? I've heard mixed opinions. What time of year will you go? Will there be snow? What will you actually do when you get there?-apart from seeing the reindeer How long will you go for? (most people I know flew in as a day trip) If you go in winter there are only so many hours of day light, so will you actually be able to see anything? What if it's a foggy day? These are all the negatives I've heard about.

I took DGd to Lapland a few years ago.

It was awful and a total rip off

read some of these reviews

Agghhhhh! It is 50:50! You were supposed to make my mind up for me!!

I will go to read the reviews Shoshe, what a shame :(

I have promised ds a treat and that is what worries me about Lapland - the complaints that I have read so far relate to the poor organisation of the trip and that could just ruin the (expensive) day.

Disney will be the commercial version but for ds probably still fab?!

Any other opinions welcome (make a decision for me!!).

Thanks all :)

Hi!

I'm a strangling and can admit that I've worked both in Disney Paris and in Lapland and so my opinion is very much based on who I worked with out there...

Disney is so amazingly magic all year round and every child and even teens get something out of it when they visit- yes there's all of the characters but the atmosphere and rides mean it has a wider age range and a broader appeal.

Lapland is a special window in every DC's life where the magic is REAL! before all the children at school ruin the magic they can go and have a once-in-a-lifetime-only-really-brilliant-between-ages-5-and-10 experience!!!

I worked with Canterbury Travel. Yes, they're the most flipping expensive but trust me- it's worth it! All of the "behind the scenes" staff are passionate, the props are shiny, new, fabulous and it's a TIGHT ship! I had friends that worked for some of the other more well know tour operators and their tours just didn't compare. Their words, not mine! (We'd take each other's tours on off days because living in perpetual twilight for 6weeks gets really boring otherwise!!!)

My honest to God, Santa and Chocolate recommendation? If you can afford to go to Lapland with Canterbury Travel then do. In not then don't compromise as you'll wind up disappointed and writing expletives. If you can't go with Canterbury Travel then go to Paris which will be amazing and have a wonderful time!!!

Vino and gin and other essentials are infinitely cheaper in Paris!

Hope this helps

Thanks Ribena :)

That is really helpful, I hadn't looked up Canterbury Travel and the bad reviews were based on another operator (Shoshe, that was the company I was looking at!).

At the moment Disney are doing a deal where you get some free days / nights and it adds up to the same price as a day in Lapland, so I think that I will be looking into that some more. The hotel also has a pool etc, so it would be a proper break away, as well as the festive-ness (!) of it all.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts.

I've never fancied the idea of Lapland with very small children TBH, it's -30c some days, and with the flight it's a long day.
With older DC I'd be tempted to do a longer trip (maybe 4-5 days) to do the activities and have some hot-chocolate-round-the fireside-time.

Why not compromise and take your DS to Disney for Nov 5th and Lapland UK in the week before Christmas.
They have film quality snow, the best Father Christmas, huskies,elves, ice-skating.
I'd love to take my DC but they are too old and jaded now.

(BTW this is Lapland UK in Kent not the New Forest one)

We also did Lapland UK a couple of years ago (Kent) It had mixed reviews on Trip Advisor and I very nearly didn't go.
Have to say though, it was wonderful, also assisted by the bad snow Kent had that year, which along with the fake snow just made it even more magical.
I cried when we met Santa at the end and am welling up now at the memory. It was fantastically done, my dc couldn't believe it when Santa talked about grandmas dog, her face was a picture.
If you are a cynical old trout and can't get into the spirit and 'believe' then don't go, but if your kids are still at the age where they think he's real go for it.

ribena can you tell us about the different Lapland resorts with Canterbury? Which in your opinion is the nicest? Also I looked at the day trip but think it may be a bit rushed, how many days would you recommend for a 3 and a 6 year old and a DP who doesn't like the cold..... I want to get the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights, stay in a cabin do the husky riding and reindeer sleigh and of course have a magical Santa experience!

Sorry lots of questions!

we did not like disneyland, over priced IMHO and I cant see us ever going back

Hello :)

I had to make this choice with my little sister, she was 7 and I promised I would take her to disney land paris one day but I ten moved to Sweden and it would have cost the same to go to lapland for a few nights.

I really wouldn't do a day trip, infact I wouldn't do any group trips as the people in groups that we saw were being hearded around in matching snow suits with loads of screaming kids.

We drove to lapland (stopping for a few nights with my DP's parents in Swedish lapland and then driving to finnish lapland) We stayed at the ice hotel and it was amazing, really special. we went to see father christmas at a place called the lap village which was lots more relistic than the awful santa land place. My sister was at an age where it had to be realistic or she would have know he isn't real. We did the husky rides and reindeer rides and sami tent things, it was amazing and she still talks about it, but we really needed a good few days.

It will be cold in december, but you can dress for that, you wont feel cold. It will be dark, all day, but that sort of adds to the magic.

Happy early christmas :)

Hello chocolate

I was based in Sala which they sadly don't run any more (bloody recession!) but in addition to chumming up to other operators, knew the Canterbury Travel team and resorts very well!

Most of my resort clients were on 3 or 5 day tours with the christmas crowd on a 7 day stint (Christmas day in Lapland is the strangest thing as an adult!) however we did cater for 6 parties of single day trips. It's a different level of experience for each 1, 3, 5 & 7dat trip. They're all totally magical, involve exploring and having a lot of fun- having worked all of them, id personally opt for the 3day trip. You don't get too overtired on a 3 day trip. Some little kids are wiped by the one day trip-early up, airport, hyper excited, snow, playing, more snow, more stuff, no nap, crash!!! Tears.
3 day trip is more measured... Day1, get in, get excited, eat, kids entertainment in the eve, sleep. Day 2, all go out together and look for Santa, finding his elves and other cool stuff en route, (more evening entertainment!) day 3, try again, find elves AND reindeer and then Santa who knows all about your DC and has a present for them too (which you deliver to elves when "sorting out some paperwork" on day one!) Each of the resorts is (so far as I remember) designed so that it's almost a self contained log cabin filled, stone building, snowy oasis in the beautiful wilderness! You rarely hear anything other than Canterbury Travel as you're so far off the map (it feels!) I can't recommend a resort over any other based on where I lived as my place is no longer avail.... My baby bro worked at Luosto and that's quite large,possibly less preferable Soumu is lovely!!

Don't worry about DP an DC not liking cold. You're all given very very good (boiled clean between clients) all in 1 snow suits to wear when you're out there. All in 1 means no gaps to freeze and let snow in through! There's a hood included but chuck in a bobble hat and maybe a scarf and you're all good. Because of the insanely low humidity, it seriously doesn't feel cold. We regularly went on 6k hikes to the nearest shops that sold gin and the worry wasn't ever feeling cold (we hit minus 56 one week!) it was that being out that long my camera froze!!! (keep all electricals under your suit and your body warmth will stop them freezing!)

The Santas are professional Santas (I snorted when I learnt this but they are brilliant!) they spend a year growing their big bushy beards then shave them off after Christmas and start again! The Canterbury Travel Santas are separate to any other Santas in Lapland. They are in their own log cabins unvisited by any other company, they are in the middle of nowhere (hence hunting for Santa!) and they introduced me to G&T

Like I say, I worked for Canterbury Travel. They are massively strict with their staff (MASSIVELY) you will never see anything you're not supposed to, it's all about the kids and I was impressed by them. Their staff took real pride in their work and treated their staff very well. This was 5 years ago. I appreciate things may change but I sincerely hope they've not. I still hear good things about them!

You're NEVER guaranteed the Northern lights. You will see them if you're lucky. They are stunning but you can go for weeks and see nothing.

Lapland is the Anti Narnia... It's always Christmas and never just winter!!!

Hope this helps!!! Did I miss anything stupid memory iPhone doesn't let me look at previous posts when typing!

Hi

I have 2dds aged 5 and 7 and am taking them to Lapland this year on the 16th December! Im not sure where you a getting your reviews as the vast majority of reviews on trip advisor say its amazing!!! I suspect it's because you are looking at reviews for day trips and not overnight stays?

A day trip to Lapland costs around £500 each but is very rushed and with airport and flight times you only actually get about 4hours on the ground so very over priced really!!!

However you can stay over night with lots of companies for not much more! There are tons of companies all going to different resorts. I've researched since January and only booked last month. From reading literally hundreds on reviews on tons of forums, the main points I've found are:

-esprit Lapland trips seem the best and I haven't read many bad reviews. They use the resort of saariselka which is very high up in the arctic circle and always has snow unlike some other resorts like rovaniemi (which is a city) It's also small and authentic apparently.

• some operators use resorts which fly to airports with long transfers so check this. Others use major ski resorts o very busy

-there a lots of reviews off Canterbury travel cancelling at the last minute due to low numbers? -the santa experience differs a lot. Some have you meeting Santa in a private cabin, others have him meeting you at a gala evening so not as personal. Even within the same operator the Santa experience differs depending on resort.

Based on all this! We have booked with thomsons for a 3 night stay at saariselka. This was £2200 for four days for the four of us staying at the holidAy club hotel on the 16th December. The price included all the thermal wear, the activity day whe you do huskies, snowmobiles, Skidoos, Ice fishing, reindeer rides etc. you are taken their by private sleigh on a 10min ride through the woods to find santa. I've had all this confirmed via thomsons office in saariselka. Thomsons only started going to saariselka in dec 2011 so there a less reviews on trip advisor. I contacted personally the couple of people who did submit reviews for further info!

Last year we took the girls to eurodisney for 5 days and whilst its good, they were slightly bored by days 3!!! It's certainly made me think we will put off the big America Disney til they are teenagers!

Personally Lapland seems a one off whereas you could do Disney at any time and for my two girls it's was fairly forgettable. Plus very expensive!! However my sister took her kids to Disney last Xmas and said its was great.

Holiday hypermarket are offering the same trip I'm doing on the same date staying at the tunturi for £500 each (wish I'd booked it and could have saved £200!!!!!!). May be worth going a few days instead of a day trip???.

Also is the best resort for the northern lights as its the furthest north and 2012 is supposed to be the highest year for solar activity -still not guaranteed to see them though!

Lapland is absolutely freezing cold, it's only for a day (or a few hours really) and much as it is 'magical'... It will be a totally exhausting trip.

Disneyland is fantastic at Christmas (and the rest of the time too actually!) All the hotels are decorated, there's a Christmas parade down main street where you see Santa at the end... And it fake snows through it which is a lovely surprise and is truly magical :) all around the park there are decorations, Belles Christmas village, trees, the characters all take on a slightly Christmassy costume and everywhere sells hot chocolate.

I'm going this December for 4 nights and taking my DD (who will be 2). I've been 4 times before and always at Christmas because I actually think that there is nothing to get you feeling more Christmassy than that!

I've also been to Lapland (and not just for a day trip) and it's all a bit hard work... Very tiring and I just wouldn't take a child because of how unbelievably cold it is.

In summary... Go to DISNEY!!! You won't regret it!!

With regards to the cold I expect you would be more cold in Disney! In Lapland you get all the clothes a most people say -20 there is only like -1 here and on trip advisor the a few complaints about the cold as you dress for it so 'apparently'! It's not a problem.

In Disney my sister said its was freezing! If you do decide to go to Disney I suggest buying thermals as its a long day in normal winter clothes at that time of year.

Good luck deciding!

The cold really isn't a problem. You won't feel cold if you are dressed properly.

Disney. Christmas is wonderful at Disney, and we have done it many times. The Christmas trees are magnificent, the atmosphere is just wonderful, and the children always have such a great time.

Thanks for the info ribena. I was leaning towards the 3 day tour as I can hopefully work around my shifts (work in retail so no time off at Xmas) it won't be until next year as it will take me ages to save for it. Sorry for hijacking the thread fluffy!