Going to Disney Paris is it worth paying for insurance?

[sississy]

It is going to be our firts visit to Disney paris, DD is turning 5 and we finally can afford something nice to do.
I was first looking to stay at the big pink amazing hotel, but I can not justify the price unfortunetely for us is going to be just too much, so I am almost settled with the Sequoia Lodge 2 nights (DD doens't mind walking) - Full Board meal (as DH will die if I take breakfest for lunch) and tarin tickets.
Should I pay insurance too? It will add an extra £42 or £57 on the final price.

Any help, suggestions, great appreciated, I need to book until the 31st january to enjoy their discounts.

Many posters on the TA DLP forum have bought BBWWS tickets online from FNAC. You can't print off the tickets, but they will post them to the UK for about ? 14.50 postage charge. Or you can collect them when you arrive from the FNAC store in Val D'Europe shopping mall, one stop from Disney on the RER line A train.

This is the page for the BBWWS Malin tickets. Use Google translate to read it in English. It seems to suggest that you can print off e-tickets, but I have not come across anyone doing this - it may be new.

www.fnactickets.com/place-spectacle/manifestation/Parc-d-attraction-BILLET-MALIN-LA-LEGENDE-DE-BUFFALO-MI903.htm

People have said that their tickets arrived in about 4 days, so very quick.

You can add BBWWS to your booking later if you don't manage to buy tickets from FNAC. Disney don't usually charge for adding things on to a booked package. I have often added HB later, but I don't book my trips online. I always phone Disney or book it with my travel agent, who usually knocks off another 5% for me. ( worth asking ).

I will have to check out the situation regarding booking a time for Character meals added to a booking. When I last did this, ( 3 years ago ) I booked the date and time when I phoned Disney to add the Character meal to my booked package.

The problem with booking a time far in advance is that you don't know show or parade times until the programme appears online, so you could miss something you want to see.

If you have a few days there it doesn't matter, as you can see the show/ parade another day.
I would expect the parks programme to be similar to the current programme as 20th Anniversary celebrations don't begin until 1st April.

There are no French school holidays 15 - 18 March, but Saturday & Sunday will be busy, as all weekends are. Also 17th is St Patricks Day, usually with Irish Festival and fireworks to music at the end of the day.
Five of our TA DLP forum posters are there at this time.

thanks all
another silly question
there is parade every night??

If you add a Character Meal to your Disney package, they give you vouchers for it when you check in, along with park tickets and HB or FB vouchers if you have booked these as well.

If you travel on the direct Eurostar from St Pancras and have requested the free Disney Express Service, you are given these on the train by a Cast Member who finds you. They also give you hotel labels for your luggage, which you leave at the Disney Express Desk on the top floor of MLV Chessy station when you arrive ( by Eurostar checkin ). You can then go straight into the parks as the direct train usually arrives around 1.30pm French time so both parks are open.

You don't have to go to your hotel at 3pm when rooms are ready, unless you want to. Reception desks are 24hr, so it doesn't matter when you collect your room key. Your luggage will be in the hotel luggage store, or may have aleady been taken to your room ( depends on hotel ). So you can stay in the parks until closing, then have dinner in the Village or different hotel if you want before going to your hotel.

With Disney Express Service, you hand in your luggage at the hotel luggage storage desk on your last morning, and they take it to the station for you. They give you receipts. Then you collect your luggage from the Disney Express Desk in the station about 40 mins before your train departs, so you can have maximum time in the parks on your last day.

All very easy!

People who book the Eurostar independently can pay extra for this DES. With a Disney hotel / tickets/ train booking it is included free of charge.

There is a daily parade in both parks - in the Disneyland Park it is currently called Once Upon A Dream, and is the one with the large floats. The time this begins depends on park closing time, and whether weekend or weekday. It varies from 4.30pm in winter months when park closes at 6 or 7pm, to around 7.15pm in summer holidays when the park closes at 11pm.

The parade in the Studios is called Stars n Cars and is earlier than OUAD parade. It features Characters in their themed vehicles/ cars driving from near Animagique theatre to the Back Lot, near Rock n Roller Coaster. Starting times for this vary from around 12.45 weekdays off peak to around 5pm in summer season.

I meant to give you the current programme - currently showing 28th Jan to 3rd Feb. You can see what is going on in the parks.

news.disneylandparis.co.uk/UK/EN/Neutral/Images/ShowsAndParades.pdf

Some Once Upon A Dream Parade floats are being changed for 1st April onwards, and it is being renamed Disney Magic On Parade.

www.dlrptoday.com/2012/01/17/disney-magic-on-parade-concept-art-for-floats-and-costumes-officially-paraded-out/

There will be a new night time spectacular show called DISNEY DREAMS and other events, but this is not planned to begin until 1st April.

www.dlrptoday.com/news/20th-anniversary/

Hopefully Disney will still have celebrations for St Patricks Day, although can't guarantee it will be the same as previous years.

Parks hours for March are not showing yet, but these are some rides / attractions that MAY be closed. Not confirmed yet on the Disney website.

www.dlrpmagic.com/calendar/closures-refurbishments/

Auberge DC Princess dining restaurant is closed ( for refurb ? ) from 19 March to 6th April.

This is a current thread about Auberge De Cendrillon Princess dining on the TA forum.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g2079053-i21935-k5046280-Booking_for_dinner_with_princesses-Disneyland_Paris_Marne_la_Vallee_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_France.html#37807928

A poster on the TA DLP forum has just bought the Malin tickets for 10th Feb, and has managed to print them off at home paying an extra 0.50 ? per ticket.
Great to know this is now possible instead of just postage or collection in person.
See her post # 80 on this ongoing BBWWS thread.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g226865-i2224-k3799509-o70-Cut_price_Buffalo_Bill_WW_Show_tickets-Marne_la_Vallee_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_France.html#38292839

Wow Figgygirl you are Amazing thanks so much.
I have just seen your post about how to book BBWWS separetely and I have already done my booking this morning, but I am sure it will be helpful to so many other people!!

So here is what I have to say about my first DLP booking experience:

I decided to call DLP instead of booking online as I could not book Eurostar through their website. I was settled with Hotel Cheyenne 3 nights for £532 but upon calling the sales assistant offered me Sequoia Lodge for £488!
I was pleasant surprised as I really wanted Sequoia Lodge (obviously I wanted Disneyland Hotel TBH but it is out of my league at the moment) but I couldn't find such a good deal online (if it is really good deal I don't know, what do you think?)...anyway, as I was prepared to stay at Cheyenne paying more anyway, I was really happy with my booking.

Turned out that they didn't have any Eurostar availability for that period so I had to book separetly with Eurostar which is a bit annoying because one of their offers was 30% discount on transportation...maybe I left for too late as offers run until the 31/01??? Or is it just a trap?? Because the sales assistant would not talk to me about the Eurostar unless I booked and paid hotel first (even though I explained to her that I could not book it through the website in the first place that was why I was calling)...so after taking my payment she put me through someone else to book our time slot for Lunch with the Princesses and promised she would be back with me on the line to book Eurostar but...after booking the princesses, the second assistant could not transfer me back to the first one, so I had to call again and wait about 10 minutes on the line again just to find out from another sales assistant that Eurostar was not available through them at my required dates...anyway, I am happy I am in Sequoia Lodge now instead of Cheyenne.

Other thing that I can't understand is that I was told I had to book lunch with the princesses and not dinner as I wanted because the park is closing early on the days I will be there...but how come the BBWW will be at 6:30 and the Princess's Dinner can't be around that time?? I ended up booking the Princess's Lunch for 1pm but I now regret...can I change the time for the latest available? I want to call tomorrow or Monday but I don't want to wait ages on the line again nor waste another phone call.....

Thanks sooo so much!

Another question Figgy, do you know any reviews about the Post Office Insurance? Is it a good service/value or just reasonable price?/
Thanks again :)

Wow figgy I have just read your review on the Sequoia Lodge very very helpful. I will now chek the trip advisors forum.
One more last little question pleeease:
Is it possible for me to book at this stage with Eurostar, to have our luggage takes direct to the hotel on arrival and back to the station on departure...? I could not book throug DLP express service :(