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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Just booked Disneyland Paris...need to know what not to miss!!

48 replies

onzephyrstdayofchristmas · 27/12/2006 20:12

Have booked for 1st Feb so it's going to be freezing!! DD is 5 and ds 2.6 so I'm wondering what are the best things/parades etc to see and do are so we don't miss out!

OP posts:
buktus · 27/12/2006 20:15

do both disney studio parade and disneyland parade, studio is is the morning and disneyland is afternoon, although next year i think they are adding more parades some sort of princess one check the brochure or site for that one, i would recommend dinner or breakfast with mickey if you havent already done it which hotel have you chosen

buktus · 27/12/2006 20:17

lion king show
rainforest cafe
buzz lightyear ride
its a small world
peter pan

tissy · 27/12/2006 20:17

be prepared to spend most of your time on the carousel! Dd(4 at the time)was scared of ALL the "good" rides, but really loved the old-fashioned fairground rides. She was even scared of "Small World"

Original poster
onzephyrstdayofchristmas · 27/12/2006 20:18

We've ended up with the cheyenne hotel... only 2 star but I think we'll hardly be in it!! I've booked a character tea as well although I'm convinced dd will ghet all shy!! What are they like - are they quite in your face?!

OP posts:
buktus · 27/12/2006 20:20

they are really good because it save all the waiting around in the park having to queue to see one character, they arent too in your face the first year we went my ds was the same age as yours and he was quite happy to sit and watch them all playing about with his older brother but the last time we went he was another year older and was giving them high fives and much more interested - oh and all the girly costumes are amazing

LIZS · 27/12/2006 20:31

Book a character breakfast in the park and you get in early, eat and are ready to board the rides just as the gates open at the park entrance. dd hated the characters btw , at almost 3. Apart from the princesses they were too larger than life for her.

zephyrcat · 27/12/2006 20:33

DD is going to love it. We aren't going to tell her where we are going so when she gets off the train in the middle of the park she will be amazed!

zephyrcat · 27/12/2006 20:36

How expensive is it in the park for food/drinks etc? My Mum went around 10 years ago and said it was something ridiculous like £5 for a coke back then! Also, is it easy to get out of the park to buy food/drink in a supermarket?

LIZS · 27/12/2006 20:41

It is overpriced from what I recall and the same menus are replicated in most restaurants in the parks. There isn't a supermarket in the park or village area apart from a small kiosk in the station. think there is a petrol station somewhere with a supermarket but the area is quite spread out.

buktus · 27/12/2006 20:43

eating out we didnt find any dearer than home, the only thing we found dear was if you wanted to grab a drink it was 2 euros but you get the same in this country in places like legoland

the supermarket is two minute drive from the park and it is huge the most amazing supermarket and the shopping mall is great too well worth a visit we go as soon as we get there and stock up on drinks and stuff like that

You cant have a charater bfast in the park anymore you can have a fantasyland bfast near the peter pan ride which allows you in the park early but the bfast wasnt as nice as the usual one and it was very busy but you did get to do all the popular rides a few times before the park filled up with too many people

foxtrottothefestivegrotto · 27/12/2006 20:44

my top tip is to embrace the wonderful forum that is here . The amount of useful info here is unbelieveable.

buktus · 27/12/2006 20:45

the best place to get a drink if you dont want to go to the supermarket is at the train station in the middle of disney there is a small kiosk which sells a few things

zephyrcat · 27/12/2006 20:45

That sounds perfect butkus... I don't suppose you have directions/street name of where the big supermarket is?! lol we sound like such cheapskates!!!

foxtrottothefestivegrotto · 27/12/2006 20:47

i didn't look but i'm sure there is a petrol station near the cheyenne which sells drinks etc.

buktus · 27/12/2006 20:48

here

BaileysMilkshake · 27/12/2006 20:49

The food is not expensive. We stayed at Newport Bay and had breakfast included. Lunch was a fast food affair and dinner was a sit down meal in the park or the Disney Village.

It's not as cheap as supermarket catering but it's not hideous either, besides there are no supermarkets once you are in the complex. The only thing I would say is that if your brood like to drink a lot it can be expensive. We went last year and DH ended up making me drink from the water fountains as I was always thirsty - turned out I was pregnant!! How guilty did he feel when he found out and knew he had forced me to drink from them water

As for what to do, there is more for younger children in the Disneyland Park, while the Disney Studios are more shows and demos etc. Although it;'s easier to get up close and personal with wandering characters in the Studios.

There's a great photographers at the top f mainstreet where you can get pictures of your self superimposed on to shots with characters. DD had a great one with all the Princess's.

BTW she was 18mnths when we went and was not scared of the characters at all. And being so small she would squeeze through the crowds to get to them and they would give her attnetion as she was so small and cute - we have lots of great pictures!

You will have a great time!

buktus · 27/12/2006 20:51

this is what the supermarket is called i am just trying to find you the right one , when you get to your hotel they always leave the leaflet for the shopping mall on your table or you can pick one up at tourist info which is just to your right as you leave the train station

buktus · 27/12/2006 20:53

here

zephyrcat · 27/12/2006 20:55

Excellent - thank you butkus As you say BM it's a case of the kids wanting drinks and snacks throughout the day which will add up... we'll go out at night for dinner (just been reading all the reviews on that site - thanks foxtro )

buktus · 27/12/2006 20:57

we always drive so we load the car up with the food we need and bottles of drink and stuff as we have three under 5 we need to

another tip is take some squash with you as its easy to get bottles of water but the squash in the supermarket tastes nothing like our normal squash

buktus · 27/12/2006 21:01

there is also a good deli in between the disney shops in disney village they do some nice filled baguettes and snack type things for the kids and thats reasonable too

as you enter the park the first two shops either side of the turnstyles have a quite a lot of reduced items and sale things

animagique is good at disney studios

zephyrcat · 27/12/2006 21:07

Is the majority of the time outside? I'm just thinking it's likely to be bloody freezing!!

zephyrcat · 27/12/2006 21:08

Do you have to book restaurants/shows/parades in advance or when you get there?

LIZS · 27/12/2006 21:08

Most rides are outside or queues are outside. Some shows and eating areas are indoors.

LIZS · 27/12/2006 21:12

If it is likely to be busy (and if you had problems getting a room it may be) book the evening meal in advance or before you go to the park each day . The shows are first come, first served and you just take up a position for the parades on the street. Buffalo Bills is completely separate and you should prebook especially if you want the earlier sitting.