Easter - Centreparcs, DLP or somewhere else?

[OlafLovesAnna]

We usually to to Spain at Easter to stay at a friend's empty holiday let but last year the kids were a bit fed up as there aren't really that many other kids and we've 'done' all the local activities to death. It usually costs us flights X 5, airport parking and shopping for the week so around £600-700.

I'd quite like to surprise everyone by booking something a bit different this year and am considering DLP in an external hotel and maybe and air BandB in Paris, a European Centreparcs or a citybreak all via ferry or tunnel.

The children will be 12, 10 and 4 and definitively do not do shopping but do pretty much anything else! They all enjoyed Venice this summer with lots of ice cream stops etc.

If you've done any of these would you recommend them or any other ideas welcome.

DLP DLP DLP! It is AMAZING we go every year and enjoy it more every time I can't recommend it highly enough.

Tell me more Rhubarb! Do you ferry and stay offsite or go the whole hog? How long do you go to make it possible to see enough?

We always stay onsite and have stated in nearly every hotel and our favourite is the sequoia lodge it is a 3 star hotel but not too badly priced. The offsite hotels are meant to be really good as our friends have told us and it is easy to get to the parks. We do Eurostar as you get off your train up one platform drop your bags off at the Disney express and out the train station straight into the parks. One week is enough to see and do most things but as we are Disney fanatics we usually do 2 weeks but we repeat a lot of stuff. The staff there are fantastic and are really helpful if you do go and want to stay onsite then I find it easier to book through DLP direct but if staying offsite it is easier to book through a travel agents or do it yourself. Any questions please do ask

Just too add a long weekend at Disney would also ensure that you would be able to do the most important things as well DLP not very busy at Easter and you get free fast pass for the major attractions.

We did DLP at Easter and stayed at this hotel which was fab and SO easy to get to Disney. Has a car park etc, huge hypermarket for food/snacks etc just opposite.
DLP was fab but it was MUCH colder and rainier than I thought it would be so make sure you take loads of stuff.
We drove and took the tunnel, really easy and cheap.
This is the hotel:
www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g780713-d289828-Reviews-Hotel_l_Elysee_Val_d_Europe-Serris_Marne_la_Vallee_Seine_et_Marne_Ile_de_France.html

We went at the beginning of July this year and the French were on holiday and the longest we had to wait was an hour but that was for autopia not a massive ride just one we enjoy. It's a small world and big thunder mountain and mission 2 were all about 20-30 mins you do get free fast pass as well for most of the major attractions but the wait times they display are usually an over estimate.

We didn't find DLP busy but weather was poor so not sure if that affected crowds

We went to Efteling this Easter and DLP the Easter before. Enjoyed both, but preferred Efteling. We combined with a few days in Amsterdam and it was an absolutely brilliant trip.

I don't think weather really impacts on the rides as they are all indoors and most of the queuing is as well although all the times we have been whether it has been summer or winter we have had pretty good weather a little cold in December but no rain we are just really lucky though I have heard of it raining all week for some

How the fuck do you get return flights for 5 people in school holidays for under £700??????

I would really recommend a European Center Parcs. Loads cheaper than the UK ones and lots to entertain the children whilst still being a relaxing break for adults.

We have just returned from De Vossemeren in Belgium and we all loved it so much that we want to book again. There is one near to Paris so you could combine a Center Parcs holiday with a day trip to Euro Disney.

Efteling is far, far better than DLP, have also very heard good things abt Duinrell.

Efteling has great rides, lot smaller queues, better food and there was nobody pushing and shoving as they don 't really have characters. The Bosrijk Village is also really nice to stay in and a short walk with its own entrance to the park.

If you want the Disney Magic go to Florida.

If you do go for DLP 3 days will be plenty, four as a max. It only has two parks. I would agree that the Sequoia Lodge is ok - I actually preferred it to the New York and the Newport Bay.

We fly with cheap airlines, eg. I could book London - Alicante for 2 adults and 3 kids this Easter hols for around £680.

I've looked at Efteling and its looks sweet but on site accommodation in quite expensive.

Where do you get park tickets for DLP? Costing it out I seems a v expensive 3/4 days!

Pinkchampagne which lodges were best positioned in your opinion?

If I book I get to pick my lodge number but not having any experience of CP I don't want to get it wrong if I do book.

We chose to be close to the centre which worked perfectly. We didn't need to hire bikes as we were such a short walk from the pool and plaza.

Le Lac d'Ailette is the Center Parcs nearest to Paris if you wanted to stay near Disney and do a day trip. Go for refurbished accommodation if you pick that one as the older lodges are apparently a little dated.

We're just back from De Vossemeren too. We packed bikes and stayed in zone 8 in a premium cottage (not especially flash - clean - probably kitted out in the 90s). We were in quite a bit of shade overlooking one of the smaller lakes (which was fine on hot days, but less so in the spring). Since it hadn't rained for a while midges weren't a problem.
Zones 5,6 & 7 might be a bit of a trek on a wet, windy day.
De Efteling is good value when the Uk/Dutch school holidays don't coincide.

Thank you, I'm thinking Duinrell for a week with a day out in Amsterdam and one in Efteling too.

DLP would be fab but the tickets alone are c.£500 so it would be an expensive trip!

Duinrell is fab.. We are going again for Oct half term

Bit late but if you do go for DLP then it's worth signing up for their newsletters and looking on the boards and being ready to book when there's an offer on.

They often seem to have offers for their hotels that have inclusive park tickets (and you get to go in s couple of hours earlier than those with 'just' tickets). We managed to go on an offer when you got 2 nights free so we went for 4 nights in total. Kids were also free - but check the ages as its sometimes under 7s and sometimes under 12s etc.
Booking the Disney hotel plus tickets deal through Expedia worked out cheapest for us (although other times I've priced it, dealing direct with Disney or other sites like hotels.com or booking.com or one of the specialist travel agents like World Travellers have been cheapest so check them all!). And I booked it through a cashback site that had a special promotion on Expedia that week so got 15% back.

Overall the 4 of us went for 4 nights b&b at sequoia lodge hotel for less than £800 all in. Ferries cost about £60 each way. Which is a lot - but a heck of a lot cheaper than going and paying the stAndard rate for 4 nights!

The other places in France that I have on my list for doing with the DC some time are Puy du Fou and Futuroscope. Did the latter with dh years ago and it was great so imagine it is excellent now. It's near Poitiers. PdF is same sort of area but very history based. If you can afford ££££ the hotels on site are either s Roman villa or a Loire style chateau or Merovingian huts which all sound fab but unfortunately they seem to be popular with the French so it's rare to see offers from them in the uk!

Thanks Confuugled, the info is useful as I'm still dithering!

I haven't tried Expedia for DLP but that's a good idea.

DLP is great and definitely worth staying in the Disney hotels if you can. We did eurostar and as pp said that works really well. We went at Easter, it is busy but bearable. We were very lucky with weather, however we had one full day of rain, and that day was not fun to say the least. You are taking a slight risk going at Easter in terms of weather but suppose that's true anytime. If you go it is worth shelling out for Mickey cafe. It is good fun and you get to meet loads of characters so you save hours of queing to meet them in the park. Also you must book evening meals before you go.