Hi.
The trip advisor Marne La Vallee forum does not only give details of private transfers, there is information of all the different methods from the different French airports in the TQ box, and posters will also answer any individual questions.
The options are by fast TGV train ( 10 to 12 mins, then taking the free shuttle bus or walking to your hotel ). the train leaves from Terminal 2D, so you may have to take the CDGVAL monorail from your arrival Terminal. The CDGVAL monorail runs on a loop serving all the Terminals and 2 main car parks. Prices are cheaper if booked online in advance. You can buy tickets at the station as long as the train is not fully booked, which can happen at peak times.
VEA bus from Terminal 2 E/F at CDG to Disneyland, but this only stops at the 6 Disney hotels apart from three times a day when it also stops at the 5 non Disney hotels, so this depends on where you are staying. Guests staying at the preferred hotels would have to get off at the bus stops by Chessy ( Disney ) railway station, then catch the free shuttle bus to their hotel.
The VEA bus costs ? 18 adult and ? 15 child aged 3 to 11, so you would be paying ? 66 one way for 2 adults and 2 children over 2 yrs. Kids under 3 go free. Frequency of buses and times vary during the year, and days of the week, so check on the website. Also check the times of the first and last buses to see if this is a suitable option for you.
www.vea.fr
You can save money by catching the RER line B to Chatelet Les Halles, then the RER line A4 to Marne La Vallee Chessy ( the station inside Disney resort ) but this takes a long time. Not something I would fancy doing with kids and luggage after an early start, travelling and flight, when they can be getting tired and maybe crabby.
The reason that so many families choose to book a recommended private transfer is because the driver will be waiting for you at arrivals, with the vehicle parked right outside, so you will be straight on your way to your hotel door. Some of them have DVDs for kids playing a Disney movie, and all of them have correct child seats if you give kids ages when booking. The journey takes 30 - 45 mins usually depending on traffic.
Private transfers cost from ? 60 each way per vehicle, so can be cheaper for a family than paying for individual train or bus tickets, and hassle free.
Regarding breakfast at Cafe Mickey - don't book early breakfast time if you are staying in one of the preferred resort hotels as you cannot get there until the hotel shuttle buses begin running, which is after 8am. They begin running earlier for the Disney hotels for guests going to the park for EMH, so they can either bus or walk to Cafe Mickey.
If you are standing behind the stage in the Studios park, Place Des Stars, when the Stars N Cars parade arrives there, Characters do indeed come over to the ropes to meet people there for photos, autographs etc while the show is in progress. However, bear in mind that you cannot see what is going on in front of the stage, which is where Characters including Princesses dance and sing, so kids could be disappointed if they have not already seen the show.
I would always recommend getting here early to get a good view of the stage behind the rope, as the Characters come over after the show.
Meet and Greet Locations for Characters will be on the park programme which you can pick up as you enter both parks along with park maps, or see online a week in advance on the Disney website. These can change during the seasons of the year, so check this for Characters that you would like to meet. Princesses are usually in the Disneyland Park apart from during Stars N Cars Parade and following show in the Studios.
There's not much that we don't know about DLP on the TA MLV forum. Many of us have been going regularly since it opened in 1992.
Always glad to help there.