Disneyland Paris tips

[Familyguyfan]

Hi all

Hubbie has decided to go to a music festival in mid-August with his friends (which I don't mind) for four days/three nights. Instead of simply stating at home with our 15 month old daughter, mum and I have decided to go to Eurodisney. As daughter is so little, I know there will be quite a bit she can't do, but I'm hoping she'll enjoy the environment and mum and I will like it!

I've had a look at some of the other posts about Eurodisney, which was a bit depressing, so thought I'd ask for practical suggestions and feedback. We are planning on staying at the Radisson Blu and flying out. I think we've got a pretty good price (£800) for the three of us without park tickets, but all suggestions welcome.

Thanks everyone

Can you give a live link to that? I googled it, but nothing comes up.
It sounds like www.ezyshuttle.com who are a well recommended company for transfers from airports to Disneyland ( owned by an Irish man named John ) but I have never heard of ezytransfers.

Three companies are used regularly by DLP forum posters on Trip Advisor.
www.ezyshuttle.com
www.isprestige.com
www.prestige-transfer.com

Don't use any transfer company that want payment in advance. Pay at the end of each trip.
Prices vary, depending on the number of people. These are private transfers, so you do not share with others. They will be waiting for you at arrivals with your name on a board, and the vehicle is usually parked right outside.
The journey takes 30 - 50 mins depending on traffic.
If you want a vehicle with a DVD player showing Disney movies, ask for this when you book. I'm not sure that ezyshuttle have them in their vehicles though, unless they have installed them since I used them last August.

Tallulah - you should have asked questions on the TA MLV/ DLP forums. We are enthusiastic about DLP, but not blind to the faults. One of our Top Questions is about smoking in the parks.
I don't agree that DLP ride loading/ unloading is very different though. I have been to WDW five times, spending at least 2 weeks there each time. Like Paris, some rides have a quicker loading/ unloading turnover than others.
Lancelots Carousel that you mention is one of the slowest, as CMs have to check everyone is wearing the seat belt. Autopia is also a slow turnover, as it is in Florida.

Rides with fast loading / unloading like Small World, Pirates OTC, Phantom Manor, Thunder Mountain, are the same in Paris and WDW, although all these 4 rides are better in Paris as newer and improved.
Many attractions in the Studios are large capacity theatres, so worth doing those when parks are at their busiest.

DLP will never be like America, as it is run by Europeans, with a majority of European visitors.
American Disney parks are run by Americans with a majority of American visitors.
There is a huge cultural difference between the USA and Europe in general. Some Europeans never queue for anything, anywhere. Some do not have smoking bans yet, so are used to smoking where they like.
Americans have been used to smoking bans for a long time, and Southerners are usually very polite - Sir, Ma'am, Have a Nice Day, etc. We have certainly seen queue jumping there though, from non American visitors.

The Walt Disney Company only own 39.8% of Disneyland Paris. It is run by EurDisney SCA, a different company. 10% is owned by a Saudi billionaire named Prince Alwaleed, and 50.2% by EuroDisney SCA shareholders.

It is generally agreed that Paris has the prettiest castle and ' Magic Kingdom' park. The Studios is only 10 years old, and still being expanded.

Some true Disney fans don't like WDW as they say it is too big and impersonal. It certainly is a huge money making machine. They prefer the original park in California, which is smaller than Paris.

I do find that CMs in Paris smile and say hello ( bonjour ) but maybe that is because I do the same.

Lancelot's Carousel has 86 horses and two chariots, so it takes a while to check everyone when it is full. The ride lasts 2 mins.
The outside horses are decorated with 24 carat gold leaf.
Some reviewers say it is boring for older kids and adults, but my adult sons still like going on it, and I have always liked carousels.

There is something very special seeing Fantasyland from the back of one of the horses, with traditional Disney music playing. Quite beautiful an night, when it is lit up.

www.dlrpmagic.com/reviews/attractions/childhood-dreams/le-carrousel-de-lancelot/

Sorry it was ezyshuttle I was thinking of

Ah, I thought you might be.....I am using John again in October ( ezyshuttle ) for my transfers from/ to Orly.
We have the VEA bus included in our package, but only one way as we arrive after the buses stop running. I prefer to have private transfer both ways anyway.
isprestige are slightly cheaper, and have DVD players in most of their vehicles. I just prefer the personal contact with John, and easy to book just by sending him an email.
He takes your mobile number, and if your return flight changes at all he lets you know, or if anything happens on the roads and it is necessary to leave earlier so you don't miss your flight. I have not read a bad report of ezyshuttle so far. Very popular now, so you have to book him early.
Ezyshuttle currently charge ? 70 each way for CDG airport for up to 6 people and ? 80 for Orly.
Isprestige currently charge ? 60 each way for 1-3 people, ? 65 for 4 people ( CDG ) and ? 70 for 4 people ( Orly ). They give a discount for round trips. They are usually very reliable and many posters recommend them, and use them every time they go to DLP, but occasionally some have reported that they were not there when they arrived, so had to phone and wait for them which was a nuisance.

How long does it take on the bus/ in a car transfer?

A private transfer driver will meet you at arrivals holding a name card, with the vehicle usually parked right outside, so you can be straight on your way. With clear roads it takes 30 mins. How much traffic there is will depend on arrival time - we landed at 09.30 and our driver said he would go via the back roads as there were long queues on the roads with people heading to the parks. ( summer holidays ). That took about 50 mins door to door.

The VEA bus takes longer, as not so fast and cannot use small back roads of course. It stops at the 6 Disney hotels, and sometimes the associated ones as well, so if your hotel is the last stop it can take a while longer.

At CDG you need to get to Terminal 2E/F to catch the VEA, which could mean catching the free airport shuttle from your landing terminal. Then you could have to wait a while for the next Disney bus. They should run about every 20 mins at peak times, but not always that frequently outside school holidays and quiet times of the day.
We waited nearly an hour once at CDG on a hot summer day, so by the time the bus arrived the queue was very long with people arriving on flights and heading for Disneyland.
I complained to the driver and he called for an extra bus.

The order of hotel stops is as follows -
Newport Bay Club
Sequoia Lodge
( Kyriad)
(Magic Circus )
(Dream Castle )
(Explorers )
Santa Fe
Cheyenne
New York
Bus station by Chessy railway station
Disneyland Hotel.

Associated hotels in brackets have 3 stops daily.
The bus does this in reverse on the return journey, so staying in the New York you would be second pickup, which helps as the bus will not be crowded.
You might want to consider a private transfer on arrival after travelling for convenience, and to use the VEA bus for return as you know what time to catch the bus from the timetable, so not hanging around. The bus would only cost ? 33 for one adult and one child aged 3-11.
Just allow time to get from the parks to the HNY and get your bags from luggage storage desk.
Allow 3 hrs from leaving the park to your flight time however you travel as there can be long queues at CDG airport, and a long walk to your departure gate.

Another option is to use the fast TGV train for the return journey. If you have pull along cases or light luggage it is not far to walk from the New York to Chessy station, only about 5 mins, through the Disney Village.
You can also pay ? 12 at hotel reception for Disney Express Service when you arrive, so on the last morning they will send your luggage to the DE desk in Chessy station ( top floor near Eurostar checkin ) then you don't have to go back to the hotel at all. Just allow time before your train to collect your bags.

It is advisable to buy advance tickets for the TGV as it is popular and could be fully booked if you try to buy tickets when you are there. The PREM tickets are the cheapest, but are not flexible and have to be bought early.

You might find these threads useful.

www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g226865-i2224-k4367883-l32318713-Disneyland_by_TGV_from_CDG-Marne_la_Vallee_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_France.html

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g226865-i2224-k4499841-l33518923-Anyone_used_tge_private_transfers_for_eurodisney-Marne_la_Vallee_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_France.html

See post #28 where someone used a private transfer on arrival, but the TGV for return.
www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g226865-i2224-k2357033-o20-Has_anyone_used_isprestige_shuttle_service-Marne_la_Vallee_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_France.html

www.voyages-sncf.com/ (in French only)

www.tgv-europe.com

www.raileurope.co.uk

The difficulty of booking the high speed TGV train for transfers on arrival is that you don't know if your flight will be delayed or how long you may have to wait for luggage, and time getting to the TGV station in Terminal 2D lower level. If you miss your intended train you could have a long wait for the next one, and unable to use PREM tickets as well.
Fun for kids on the way back though.

The bus transfers are included in the price of our stay so that's a bonus, although I may be tempted to book a private transfer on the way to DLP for convenience, I think we arrive about 10am on a sunday. Will probably use the bus service on the way home, flight is 20.30 so will leave about 4pm to give us plenty of time. It's airfrance flights so should hopefully be pretty straight forward.

Thanks again for your help, with travelling alone, I just want to make sure I have all bases covered.

Current high season bus times from Hotel New York - CDG are ;
16.50, 17.10, 17.35 on mon, thur, fri, sun.

16.40 and 17.25 on tues, weds, sat.

This could change when you are there though. The hotel will give you a VEA timetable when you check in, with bus times from the hotel to the airports.

the hotels and transfer companies recommend leaving 3 hours before your flight, so that allows an hour for the journey, and 2 hrs check in time.
We left at 6pm on a friday evening in summer, and were at CDG airport in 30 mins.

Are they the only buses each day or just the ones around that time?

No. sorry if I confused you - they are the current bus times from the New York to CDG that would be appropriate for your flight time.
This is high season though, so more buses run. There are fewer in low season.
See this page - click on Hotel New York to see bus departure times from there to Orly and CDG airports.

www.vea-shuttle.co.uk/vea-bus-timetable.asp

Check the timetable before you go for current times, but reception desk gave us a VEA bus timetable when we checked in, as they knew we had vouchers for the bus included in our package.
Some people have said that the bus they wanted to catch was full and drove past their hotel, so they had to catch a later one, but this is more likely to happen if staying in a hotel towards the end of the pickups at peak times.
New York is third stop, after the Disneyland Hotel and the bus stops by Chessy Station, so should not be a problem.

Ah grand, thanks once again so much! You are a star!

You're welcome, anytime.
If I am not on here, find me and others on the TA Disneyland Paris or Marne La Vallee forums. ( they are linked, so posts appear on both ).