How much spending money for Disneyland Paris??

[shavmcv]

Going to Disneyland Paris in a few months time with dp (will be dh by then!) and dd(6)

I want to go and spoil dd but I don't want to go with looooads of money and spend for the sake of it .

How much would be a good amount to take ? In € or £ either is fine :)

Thanx x

We are a family of 3 and a meal in the park usually costs around ?30 for the hot dog, chicken nugget type food and double that in one of the fancier restaurants. There is tons of merchandise to choose from so would maybe suggest and extra ?100 or so for 'treats'. The McDonalds in the village is probably the best value food around and is very similar to UK prices.

The best advice I got was to tell the dcs (four of them) that they could buy one thing at the end of the trip. We set a budget of 40 euros each, and they could then go in the shops, without us panicking.
food wise, we took loads of froot shoots and crisps, and tbh found the park food either nasty (we are veggies) and fast food or really expensive. Even coffee and cakes at a stall was about 10 euros each.

I went to the disney shop here and gave them presents on holiday which were a lot cheaper, then at the end of the trip they could spend euros on a toy of their choice (appx 15euros each). for example, dressing up clothes about 45euros each, over here 30 quid. so that way, i didn't feel like i was being totally ripped off! I took snack type food and drinks in with us and had main meal in restaurant. Was quite expensive, but if we had been buying food all day and then ate out in the evening as well, it would have been ££££. Love it there though and sure you will too.

Food is very expensive, even a kids happy meal at mcdonalds is about 6 or 7 euros. Take snacks and drinks with you, especially for kids, and hide them at the bottom of your bag as they check bags sometimes.

I'm going in August and will be doing what milkybarsrus said and buying stuff from the disney shop here before we go for our DD's who are 2 and 7. And will be making sure we have plenty of snacks and drinks to tkae in with us

If your kids, especially the two year old want outfits, buy them in your supermarket for £12 or so as some of them work out to over £50 at DLP!

Loolah is correct. if you do not go prepared you will be stung for every euro that you have. it is very easy to get carried away with te excitement. EVErything is expensive but if you take snacks budget according to your pocket then you will be fine.

have fun :)

Thanx for the advice guys !!

We are going for our honeymoon so I want to make it special and when we come back htb and I will be ttc so this will be dd last chance to get only-child spoiled !!!

I want to get her the princess makeover anyone know how much that costs ?

And get her a few things to take back but I would like to save on meals etc .

Are there attractions within the park that another entrance fee / ticket is charged ? Like shows etc ?

Dd doesn't know yet I'm not telling her until nearer the time the excitement is too much for me never mind dd !!!

Nothing costs extra within the park other than meals and the princess makeover you mentioned. Think that costs about 35 euros. We went for a character tea which was lovely and well worth the money. Also a meal at cafe Mickey is brilliant, our DD got up and danced with Minnie and all the characters come to your table to have photos etc. I think that costs about 45 euros per adult and 30 child, but it is a once in a lifetime type of thing.

Our DD got all her dresses here as they are so expensive there. We went for a week (Me, DH, DD and 2 DS) as DD had been really ill so we wanted a really amazing treat for them all after the awful year we had had. We took £1000 to pay for everything including transfers from airport. We came back with £250.

Hope that helps. Have fun

Oh thank u ringosbaby that was really informative I had been thinking £1000 but if you didn't spend that between 5 I doubt even I could spend it between 3 !!

I take it most people dress up then if you bought dresses to take with you ? I would have just took normal clothes for her haha

How long are you going for?

We ate in the snack bar in the Disney Village in the evenings (on the way back to the hotel) - panini with chips kind of food but decent, not junk.

Go for breakfast in the Mickey Cafe for the character meals - you will have to book this in advance. It costs a surcharge to your breakfast from hotel but it is well worth it.

The pasta/pizza place opposite A Small World is fairly decent and not too expensive.

I don't agree that the food is terrible, some was not that great but most was ok.

You must take food and drink with you, or it will cost you a fortune. Also, we all thought the night time parade was the best bit so you might need even more to eat if you stay late. I hate all that American plastic commercial rubbish, had to admit - it was fab!

3 nights but 4 full days . I really want to make the most of it

I've been on looking for recommended itineraries but nothing there that's informative or I can understand haha

By the time we go I will probably have every minute mapped out for us hahaha !

I can post my itinery if you want it.

This is a year old, so some of the prices may be out of date, but will give you an idea. Tips were collated from MN suggestions. We were there for 2 full days

Monday
Breakfast ? in hotel (included in price)

Go to Disneyland Park. Early Bird 8am? Ask in hotel.

Get ticket for Big Thunder Mountain ? Fast track

Adventureland

Frontierland - Mickey Winter Wonderland Show

Lunch ? Lucky Nugget Cafe Character lunch ? book for 11.30pm
Buffet
Character lunch & dinner buffet
Assortment of crudités/Chicken Wings/Nachos/ Salsa/ Chicken Fajitas/ Pork Spareribs/Chili Con Carne / Pasta/ Pizza/ Wide range of desserts and treats
Adults - ? 30,00
Children (3-11) - ? 15,20

Fantasy Land ?The Tea Cups, It?s a Small World, Disney Castle, Peter Pan, Dumbo

Shop on Main Street ? photos with favourite characters

Disney Parade ? Once upon a Dream Parade

If you want a good viewing spot, plan to arrive 30-60 minutes before parade time, depending on how busy the park is.

Popular viewing spots are Main Street, U.S.A. and Central Plaza. Quieter spots can be found in Fantasyland. A good place to get an elevated view is the Disneyland Railroad Main Street Station.
Dinner ? Disney Village? Snack/Sandwich

 

Tuesday
Breakfast ? in hotel

Go to Studio Park

Studios Park - Moteur Action Stunt Show

Lunch ? Annette?s Diner / Village book for 11.30pm

Discovery land ? Buzz Lightyear Lazer Blast, Star Tours

Wednesday

Breakfast at Cafe Mickey ? book
7:30am - 10:30am
American breakfast buffet with the Disney characters
Hotel supplement:
Adults - ? 16,20
Children - ? 11,40

Have you been on The Dibb? The font of all Disney related knowledge .

Aw thanx ladies I am so chuffed with all the info I'm getting here

Keep it coming :) haha !!

In answer to your question about dressing up....my DD took a cinderella dress, minnie mouse and Princess and the frog. She wore them a lot, but I put my foot down when it was very hot as they're just so impractical!

You can que up in the park to meet a princess (varies as to which one) and we do have lovely photos of our mini cinderella with a big cinderella and Prince Charming (and 2 very bemused DS)

Asda and Disney Store do dresses and all sorts of Disney clothing for reasonable prices.

As for the food, if you can accept that you'll be lucky to get even one of your 5 a day, then you'll be fine! The breakfasts in the hotel are good though, I have never seen my children eat so much!

Hi shavmcv,
Firstly, posters here have given you some great advice, but bear in mind that DLP changes with the seasons and years, so some things mentioned here are no longer current or available.
There is an ongoing PRICES thread on the Trip Advisor DLP / Marne La Vallee forums which posters add to when they return, so that includes prices of food and merchandise which should help you.

If you look on the MLV forum page, right hand column, you will see a list of Top Questions. There is one titled ' How much do things cost, and how can we save money? '.
Click on that question, and you will see various links to help you with tips and advice, including the PRICES thread.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowForum-g226865-i2224-Marne_la_Vallee_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_France.html

The reason there are two forums for Disneyland is because until recently DLP questions were under Marne La Vallee, but we now have one just for DLP as well. Both forums are linked and have Top Questions. All posts on the DLP forum appear on the MLV forum page as well.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowForum-g2079053-i21935-Disneyland_Paris_Marne_la_Vallee_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_France.html

Anyone can read the questions and posts on TA, but you have to sign up to be able to post your own questions. Regular posters ( including me! ) are always very happy to help in any way that we can. It is a very friendly forum!
The Dibbs and DISboards are also very good forums, so it is a matter of personal choice, and which forum layout you prefer and find easier to navigate, or even use all of them!
We try to keep our posters updated as much as possible, and also have a DLP Latest News thread so you can read what is going on there now or in the future...

You will also find a lot of useful information for a trip to DLP on this site, including restaurant menus and prices, park maps, ride descriptions, how to use Fastpass ( or see Top Questions on the TA forums )

www.dlrpmagic.com/guidebook/

You don't say exactly when you are going, or where you are staying, so it is difficult to advise more without more info. You will only see Fantillusion electrical parade and fireworks if you are going in DLP Summer Time from 9th July to 4th September. It is also on some special celebration days of the year, and usually during Christmas Celebrations which begin in November ( although word on the streets is that it will not be on this winter ).

You will get Extra Magic Hours in the Disneyland Park from 8am - 10am if you are staying in one of the 7 Disney owned hotels, or Hotel Elysee Val D'Europe as a hotel / tickets package, or have Dream Annual Passports. This is not available on a few days of the year though. ( like at the end of September when they are preparing the parks for Halloween Festival beginning in October ).

Lucky Nugget Saloon that was mentioned is a good buffet lunch in frontierland, but no longer has Characters. This has been moved to Cowboy Cookout BBQ also in Frontierland, which is counter service fast food with some choices, so cheaper.
Cafe Mickey restaurant in the Village is table service, and used to be a set price for 3 course meal only, but now you can also just order food from a main menu like pizza, pasta, chips etc, so not as expensive. You can still pay a set price for 3 courses with choices of starter, mains and desserts.

It is very hard to tell someone how much money to take, as people are not all the same, some eat more, and some like more souvenirs than others! It can also depend on whether people have booked Half Board vouchers.
If you are staying in a Disney owned hotel you can use your hotel Easy Pass like a credit card, and pay using your bank or credit card at the end of your stay, or be debited automatically with Express Checkout. Keep track of spending though!!

I had better end here - once I start talking about DLP it is hard to stop!
I have answered other DLP questions on Mumsnet when I am not busy with the TA DLP forums, so scroll through the Topic list to find the DLP ones here.

Hope you have a Magical Time!

( I am there again in the first week of October -hurrah! )

P.S. The current summer show in Chapparal Theatre is the Tarzan Show, which returned on June 11th and will hopefully run until Winter season begins, although not definite yet.
Mickeys Winter Wonderland ice skating show in the same theatre will begin in November with Christmas Celebrations.
Moteurs Action Stunt show in the Studios is worth seeing, but the first show does not begin until at least 11am. Sometimes 11.15 or 11.45 am. The show lasts for 45 mins, so not able to get to Annettes Diner for 11.30am as helpfully suggested by MmeLindor. This is a nicely themed 1950's American Diner table service restaurant, but you cannot make reservations for lunch nor dinner - just turn up and wait. Some waiting staff are on roller skates, and in the evenings they do a short show about every hour.
Their burgers are the nearest to proper American ones that you will find in Disneyland / Marne La Vallee. ( rated by my American friend who lives there!)
Totally agree about taking Princess dresses or costumes with you. Dresses range from ? 45 to ? 75, and a Buzz Lightyear Costume is around ? 60!
Reversable ones are great, as two dresses for the price of one!
Some card shop chains sell fancy dress costumes including Disney costumes for kids, and also see the Argos catalogue. Some people have got great bargains of original Disney Princess dresses and other costumes on ebay.
Only kids up to the age of 10/ 11 are allowed to dress in Disney costume in the parks. Older kids or adults in costume could be mistaken for real Cast Members and totally mobbed all day!
Larger dresses and costumes are also a danger on rides, if they get caught up.

Just be aware.....although Disney do allow some snacks and drinks into the parks ( no glass bottles or alcohol ) they do not officially allow full picnics. Some people have reported having food confiscated at security checks where they look inside your bags or pass them through an xray machine, like they have in airports etc. Much can depend on the CMs on duty - some are more lenient than others.
One thing you can do is to leave picnic bags or cool boxes in a locker at Chessy railway station, which is between both parks and the Disney Village. Snacks, sandwiches and drinks are cheaper in the shop in Chessy station. There is also a cafe selling hot jacket potatoes etc inside the station.
Both parks have bag storage, but you pay per bag, and still have to get it past security checks.
There are no lockers in the parks for hire, so what you take in, you carry around with you.
Sorry, I did warn you that I prattle on about DLP.....LOL!

.....only two things inside the parks that you pay extra for apart from buying ride photos and any official photos taken with Characters - the amusement arcade in Discoveryland, and the shooting gallery in Frontierland.
Waste of money - don't bother!!