Disneyland Paris

[winkywinkola]

I'm a bit surprised at how not great it is.

Packed with 90 minute queues. Over priced. Queues galore with fast passes run out until 5-6pm.

Food hugely overpriced and average. Products like t-shirts etc also very expensive. Shops absolutely everywhere selling exactly the same products. No variety at all. Dull.

Surly and unfriendly staff. And you had to queue to meet characters. Why aren't there many staff dressed up just wandering about for photo opportunities?

There are no modern characters in the street performance like Buzz or Cars or even a Star Wars element. We saw a Star Wars show that involved children who had booked and paid to be part of it and it was embarrassing.

The rides - once you got on them - are great. Many are closed though. So you pay the same money for a lesser experience.

To me it's a poor experience overall. It really feels like the poor relative of the U.S. version and even the Tokyo site.

The dcs loved it however apart from the queues.

Someone give me some tips as we have one day left.

You clearly haven't done any research for your trip.

There is Starwars academy. You need to wait to book a space. Well worth it. DS loved fighting darth Vader.

Yes you need to wait to meet characters. Go for extra magic hours for shorter lines.

You can see buzz, woody etc in the parade and also as a meet n greet in the studios.

You can see racing McQueen in the studios as well.

Don't even consider comparing it to the states. It's not.

Dressing up and wondering around doesn't work. They'd be mobbed.

Weekends always busy. Did you check your dates against school holidays for Germany, Spain and France as that does make a difference?

Sorry but I agree with the op. It's a bit crap

Get in early (before it opens) fast pass where you can.

The characters used to roam.... and got mobbed by the French who always pushed their children in front even in front if the kid in a wheelchair. The current system is much better.

Where are you eating? If you can always eat buffet class and above. Otherwise fast food wise in the main park colonel haithis is lovely (pizza based) and the food is nice in hakuna Matarta although it is still busy. The only place vaguely doable fast food in the studios is the blockbuster cafe the buffet is much nicer and remy's the food is lovely (but you need to book months in advance). The table service food is lovely

This year is not the best year for it as it is gearing up for its birthday year next year. DLP takes a lot of planning ahead. They badly unesstimated the popularity of ratatouille and that has badly unbalanced queuing in the studios park (worse this year than last) I think it is really hard to do the studio park now.

I planned when to go and didn't queue for any ride at all (off peak). There was a long queue for ratatouille but we fast passed that one!

Food - we ate a mix of the "nice" restaurants and a good breakfast buffet (hotel new York).

I would never go in the summer though as not queueing was important to me!

We didn't book months in advance for reme either (few days before we left) but again we were in January! It wad awesome!

Tshirts are poor value for money, however hoodie are gorgeous wash well and make fantastic souvenirs. The homeware (China glasses etc) are also pretty good. My lot collect the pin badges (which are gorgeous and good for a cheapish souvenir) and I love the christmas stuff (which can only be found in the shop under the castle). If the look out for souvenirs on special offer (spend so much get something for x) they are always good value for money and great quality.

For different we usually look in the buzz shop (older line clothes often different clothes) pirates shop or thunder mountain shop (for jack skellington and phantom manor merchandise), and the one on main street that used to be the photography shop, the studios shop on the left as you go through the main gate (often has some slightly different pins bags and homewear and sometimes sale) and the one at the bottom of the tower of terror (disney villains and alice in wonderland)

If you have a ten year old boy DLP is the cheapest place for marvel dress up, the marvel toys are great and comparatively priced to the UK. The Captain American shield is fantastic however it talks And the lights saber whilst expensive survived being left outside in the rain sound box intact which makes it pretty impressive in my book.

We have disney cuddle toys still going years later

Like giraffe says.. go in winter. However February half term was busier than usual this year.

We went two years in a row in June and loved it as did the dc. We did a lot of research especially on the trip advisor forum first though.

Only thing we queued for any noticeable time for was meeting rapunzel and Spider-Man. Nothing else was more than a 20 minute queue.

We started on Weds. Mid week. The week before Easter. It's supposed to be a bit quieter.

I researched loads. We couldn't get fast passes until right at the end of the day.

The only characters in the parades are Mickey and Minnie, chipmunks and rabbits, Alice and the Mad Hatter. Over and over.

We've got annual passes now (why? ) and even with the discounts I think it's a con.

No comparing it with the U.S. sites is probably daft but if you're paying a lot, I guess one expects more.

And the Star Wars academy was great for the ten kids involved and their parents. Not at all so for the hundreds of spectators! That isn't something really worth queuing to see!

Those aren't the only characters in the parades... At all.

We love it, Florida is better obviously but we like Paris for a few days in the winter. We go in school time and have hardly any queues.

We went the week before Easter last year and stayed Monday to Friday, the longest queue we waited in was about 15 mins and that was the FP queue for Ratatouille. And we didn't get up at the crack of dawn for EMH.

Are you staying on site and have a hotel one-use-a-day FP? You need to be up and out to go to at least some of EMH and be at the FP machines for when they open. Then combine your hotel FP (if you have one) which can't be used between 1pm and 4pm with your machine FP to maximise your FP time.

Re characters it sounds as though you are watching the same parade (Spring themed one?). If you watch the same parade twice then you will get the same characters because it's the same set-up. Have you been to the evening parade - lots and lots of characters there.

I don't queue for characters in the park (with the exception of Thumper and Miss Bunny last Spring). I book character meals, I know it's more expensive but not much more than the other fancy sit-down meals at Disney and the characters come to your table so much less stressful. Try and get a reservation for Café Mickey, Inventions or if you have children into the princesses then Auberge. I would pay any money to avoid the queues in the Princess Pavilion and Auberge is a nice experience for DCs who are into the princess thing.

And surely you like Dreams?
Why on earth did you get APs if you don't actually like it there?

Are you talking about the parade that runs regularly through the day, rather than the one at the end of the day? Yes, that has the same characters every time in. Dreams is lovely if you can stay up late.

Why can't you get a FP until the end of the day?

We are going in Summer this time so are expecting to queue ... last time we went off peak but still queued.

We have APs too. We get up and in for as much of EMH as we can and do the rides with the bigger queues then, or just after the park opens, or later when the parade is on or before the park shuts. Last time we came out completely at lunchtime and went back to the apartment for lunch (cheaper and nicer than some of the stuff in the park). Another day we went to the rainforest cafe - we got there when it opened and had a lovely long lunch. We've stopped queuing for characters too (apart from Mickey and Minnie together, and we do that in EMH). The girls like to be able to see the characters while they're waiting though. Now we go to Inventions for a nice meal. I'd rather pay than spend all my time queuing and it means we get a nice meal as as well.

With annual passes you won't get fast passes from the hotel. You do get extra magic hours though.

The main parade has more characters than that.

I am with the op. We went years back and seemed to spend most of the day queuing for rides, some of which broke down before we got to the front of the queue! The food was overpriced rubbish, lots of rude people, dirty toilets and I just felt very underwhelmed by the whole experience.

We tried Parc Asterix a few years back and found it a far better park with fewer queues and more rides.

Are you watching the big main parade in the main park??

I agree, it's pants. And we've never been to America, so not comparing. It's small, overpriced and too busy.

Parc Asterix is much better if you want a similar experience without travelling far.

I went in jam/feb. I loved it. And so did my seven year old boy! Thought it was magical and didn't have to queue long at all - longest time was 15 mins

I'm guessing my definition of early is probably different than the OP...

All the people saying "go in the winter". Yeah. When it is, without exception, the coldest, most bleak place on earth. Always. Why the fuck Disney agreed to build it there I'll never know except we all do £££££

Overpriced, crap quality food, rip offs at every turn, horrendous queues, closed rides, surly staff, none of whom seem to want to speak English (and I say that as a French speaker so it didn't bother me) and cold dull dank weather. No thanks. Never again.

Bitout, you sound utterly miserable. Disney is fabulous particularly at Halloween, Christmas and when it snows. Yes it can be cold but wrapped up and stopping of for a hot chocolate now and again is great. Never had an issue with staff at all. Never found one that didn't speak English and most were thrilled when I tried to speak French.

I went in October, took kids out of school for a couple of days and it was brilliant. A bit damp but no queues. Food was fab - we went full board. Throughly enjoyed it and have been to Florida also. Found there wasn't much to choose between the two tbh.