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Original poster

Disneyland Paris - a 6 yr old and me !

37 replies

binker · 03/08/2003 11:57

Does anyone have any advice for our trip to Disneyland Paris - we hope to go during this Summer holiday for about 3 nights (travelling by Eurostar)- which hotels do you recommend ? ( the not too expensive options !) what about food ?? and which rides/attractions would be fun for us both ? Am very excited about the Eurostar bit I must say.

OP posts:
Bron · 03/08/2003 16:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bluesky · 03/08/2003 19:50

binker, you'll have a great time. Eurostar is really good, and before you arrive at the station at Disney, they give you your park tickets, map and luggage labels for the hotel, so that when you arrive the luggage goes onto the hotel and you straight into the park.

Hotel Santa Fe, Sequoia Lodge are the basic hotels; big hotels, small rooms, but you are so busy at the park and you are only at the hotel to sleep and eat breakfast!

Original poster
binker · 04/08/2003 18:16

thanks Bron and bluesky - I went ahead this morning and booked at Thomas Cook - we're off to the Sequoia lodge for 3 nights - how much money do you think I need to take to cover eating out/snacks/drinks/pressies and general tat that I know we'll want to buy !? We have to change train at Lille as all the direct Eurostars are booked, but it's only an hour to kill and my husband says that there are lots of shops to look around. Do I need an adaptor for my hairdryer by the way ? And at the risk of sounding wimpy, and I'm sure loads of single parents manage this kind of thing every day, will I be ok on my own with my son - we've never been away on our own before - sorry to seem pathetic...

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nickiw · 05/08/2003 09:06

we stayed at the sequoia lodge in january and had a fab time. i would prebook the character breakfast before you leave, it was much cheaper and really good fun. use the fasttrack passes as I guess it's going to be busy. the food onsite is rubbish and expensive. there is a mcdonalds (sorry! but cheap and dependable). the eurostar is great fun but i felt quite sick when it speeded up in france. the exchange rate on site is not good, we put most purchases, even the bar on credit cards for a better rate. have a fab time!

emsiewill · 05/08/2003 09:27

binker, hope you've read my review on the thread that Bron linked to. We had an absolutely brilliant time, and I'm sure you will, too. Enjoy!

Original poster
binker · 05/08/2003 15:05

emsiewill - yes, your review was great and really swayed my decision to go - am sure we'll have a fab time.And thanks too nickiw - will think about the fast track and character breakfast thing !

OP posts:
nickiw · 05/08/2003 19:00

While I remember it the breakfast included at the hotel is quite interesting. You have to pick up a timed ticket to get brekky and it does get very busy. You can get in without a ticket just say you lost it, worked for us or your child is ill! Get all breakfast times as soon as you book into hotel or you could be left with the 10am slots! I would definitely recommend going straight to the park on arrival and the later you get back to the hotel the smaller the queue to get your luggage, I'm really jealous, I have just had to decorate my 4yr sons bedroom with Mickey as he had the best time.

bluesky · 05/08/2003 19:27

binker, the two of you will be just fine! It is all so easy and near to each other, you'll walk from the hotel, past a big lake and some other hotels, into Festival Disney, it's like a big street, with shops, restaurants, cinemas etc, then at the far end of that are THE DISNEY GATES!!

You get lots of maps and info, and the room TVs have Disney ceefax information. It all feels very safe, and secure .... and magic!!!!!

Original poster
binker · 06/08/2003 15:35

thanks everyone - v reassuring and also useful to know about the breakfast tickets !

OP posts:
Original poster
binker · 27/09/2003 18:38

We went and it was ace ! We had a lovely time and did/saw everything that we wanted to do - I think the 4 days is plenty - we were able to repeat some things (sometimes several times - the tea cup ride for example and It's a small world - aah !) but we didn't run out of stuff to do/see or get bored. We went by Eurostar via Lille (the change over to the TGV was easy) - v disappointed in Eurostar- uncomfortable and tatty - next time I'd consider going First Class !
Everything was fine - shuttle buses, checking in etc. Our hotel was the Seqouia Lodge and we were in the main building (someone else had said to try to get a room there rather than in one of the outside lodges) which made things much easier. Nice room, perfectly ok size wise as it was just me and ds - nice shower in bathroom, fresh towels everyday and cute Mickey Mouse soaps. Avoided using the mini-bar and bought my own water/choc supplies from outside (though everything still v expensive). We took early slots for breakfast,as advised by mumsnetters - thank you ! 7.30 and 8.00 and there was no queueing - nice,friendly staff esp. if you try to speak French ! Stuffed ourselves with croissants and Flanbys (yum !)
My son saw loads of characters and got autographs and his toy badger was kissed and cuddled by Goofy and Minnie much to his delight ! He absolutely loved the Nautilus with the giant squid in Discoveryland (we went to that at least six times !). Best things I think were It's a Small World, the Star Tours ride, Autopia, Honey I shrunk the Audience and Pirates of the Caribbean - much better than Peter Pan's Journey (we got at fast pass for that - I think I'd have been disappointed if I'd waited in the queue for ages.) In fact queuing generally wasn't a problem - go in early and hit the popular rides before the crowds ! We loved the railway and the wonderful Princess Parade. We ate at Pizza Planet and at Toad Hall which had v nice fish and chips and got very nice baguettes from the delicatessen place. We also spotted Nick from Big Brother 1 and Justine from BB4 in Discoveryland !!
We also went to Walt Disney studios and took a trip out to La Vallee shopping outlet - there's a Camper shop which had shoes at really good prices - and then on the Val d'Europe to visit the SeaLife centre which was great !

One tip - take things like tampons with you (if you're going to need them) because there isn't a pharmacy anywhere !(managed to get a pack of Always at the shop in the station -phew !)So, all in all a successful trip and my son loved it !

OP posts:
codswallop · 27/09/2003 18:40

LOvely. Glad it was nice weather too!

emsiewill · 28/09/2003 12:48

Glad you had a good time - it's made me feel all nostalgic, reading about everything you saw and did. It really was one of the best holidays I've ever had.

Beccaroll · 28/09/2003 13:06

Sounds great!

My 18 year old sister has just got a job at Euro Disney starting in January so Im hoping to go and visit her and take the kids (will be 4 and 6 months when we go) - you've made me all excited!

Becca
xxx

lorne · 16/10/2003 21:24

Just booked Euro Disney for next March. Has anyone stayed in the New York Hotel? I am excited already, still along way to go though. Has anyone been at this time of year before, if so what will the weather be like?

Thanks

CnR · 16/10/2003 21:30

I imagine the weather will be pretty similar to UK weather, maybe a bit milder.

We are off driving round northern France next Friday for 10 days. We have promised 18mo DD that we will spend a day with Mickey Mouse whilst there. Quite looking forward to it too

tamum · 16/10/2003 21:44

We stayed in the Hotel New York last April, the first week, and it was absolutely freezing, I have to say (not the hotel, obviously, the outside ). And given that I live in Edinburgh, that's saying something. I don't know if we just hit a cold spell or what, but I would definitely be prepared for it being cool, we weren't really and came perilously close to having to buy and wear Mickey Mouse sweatshirts. The Hotel was good, the breakfasts were really excellent quality, very plentiful supply of everything and next to no queuing. The first night we were in a room where the windows didn't open and the heating couldn't be adjusted and it was really stuffy, but they moved us the next day. They had a list at reception of which rooms had broken (non-opening) windows and which didn't, which suggests it might be a common complaint!
Have a great time.

lorne · 19/10/2003 21:48

Thanks for your replies ladies. I hope we enjoy it. We are going on 29th March so it will probably be cold then so we will take plenty of warm clothing etc.

Thanks again

Lorne

suzywong · 27/02/2004 14:43

Hello
combined resurrection and hijack

DH wants to take DS1 (3) to Disneyland Paris this spring.
What do you reckon is the best way? Train and one night in a hotel? Flying?

Any body got any tips?

Thank the lord I don't have to go as Micky Mouse makes me feel psychotic

TIA

prufrock · 27/02/2004 14:57

Where do you live? Train is definately best at the France end - literally step off the train and walk to the park, but is Waterloo or Ashford convienient for you?

Are you sure you don't want to go? you're not meant to enjoy Mickey yourself, just your ds's reaction to him

suzywong · 27/02/2004 14:58

I live in north London
and I have thought about missing out on seeing his little face light up, but then if Goofy comes within striking distance there could be trouble
Have you been?

capecod · 27/02/2004 15:02

wots with goofy?(feels unusually defensive of dog)

suzywong · 27/02/2004 15:15

It's not so much the characters themselves (am fond of real dogs) it's just Walt Disney the man and the slightly snidey aspect of the slapstick humour. IMHO

Anyway, do you know if there is a train ticket and hotel package available or something like that?

prufrock · 27/02/2004 16:21

dd is only 22 months, so haven't taken her yet. But dh and I took my little sister when she was 6 and had a wondrous time. Some of the hotels do beauty treatment as well.....
We booked through Eurostar holidays direct.

twiglett · 27/02/2004 16:46

message withdrawn

suzywong · 27/02/2004 19:14

Hehehe

Do love Robin Williams. At the risk of repeating my self and being terribley dull, I highly recommend this film Death to Smoochie . It's the antidote to Barnie.

Thanks for that prufrock, I'll get on to the Eurostar holidays direct website.