Do not trust Disneyland Paris tips for Brits/holiday planning Facebook group

[greenbean789]

When I was planning our trip to Disneyland Paris I joined this group - Disneyland Paris for brits, as it was recommended on MN. However, the group is not what they claim to be, and their purpose is not to exchange useful tips and information on DPL. It is mainly to promote their own businesses, which are somehow related to Disneyland, and most members of the group have vested interests. You will not get objective information or advice, the group pushes down the agenda of Disneyland being magical and rosy. I posted my after-trip report, which although wasn’t completely related to Disneyland itself, mentioned my impression of it being overrated. And I received 150 comments, most of them negative and downright vile. They went through my FB profile and picked it apart, commenting on personal things. I did not intend to criticise DPL in my post, it was just my honest opinion.
The group wants you to have a rosy image of DPL, where the queues can be beaten by fastpass, meals booked in advance, baggies rented to cart children around, all magic, happiness and joy and excitement.
The reality was different - on our first day we barely managed 3-4 rides. We were in the first queue for 2 hours. Children got so tired and bored they didn’t enjoy the rides. My friend and I had to carry our children for 1-2 hours, and hers is very heavy almost 6 year old. The pushchairs were not allowed in the queues. Everywhere I saw exhausted, bored, cranky children, many asleep in their parents arms.The fastpass was not all it cranked out to be: we got our for one ride at 12, and were given a time for 5pm, so we couldn’t use until we finished your first ride. By 5pm the children didn’t want any rides, they just wanted to go home. The second day was a bit better, but still 80%of the time was spent queueing, with children hanging from us. My back is still achy, 4 days on. Our shuttle bus run once an hour only, which was inconvenient too.
So, you are planning a trip, it is important that you know downside as well and be prepared.

The more I hear about Disney the more it sounds like an utter ballache designed to get rising amounts of money out of you - similar to all the airlines where you end up paying more than the stated price - just so that you can have a tolerable experience.

We never spend more than £1k for a week including travel, park tickets and meals. That’s staying in Disney premises and doing the parks for 5 days. I’m at what some people spend!

Titty we did under 1000 in January with 2 under 7. Now mine are both over 7 I actually couldn't see how to do that...

Ok that sounds reasonable enough. Like you I've seen people spend tonnes more though. And all the weird stuff with the passes and everything - I dunno, I suppose if you look at it as a challenging project I suppose you could see it as fun getting your head around it.

2a 2 7 year olds (2 families). 4 nights 5 days around £1000 with free half board meal plan at DCR. Half = £500
2 nights room only £200. Half = £100
2 tanks fuel = £150. Half = £75
Eurotunnel = free with Tesco vouchers
1 x Meal upgrade = £60 ish each
Set of headlight adaptors £5
Snacks, drinks, shopping £150

I don't think the group is full of people with business interests, but it has made me feel slightly worried about going to DLP later this year. It really is a terrible showcase of just how the British must seem to Europeans: people complaining that they were not understood by others in the queues (try speaking French, maybe?); people complaining about how rude Europeans are (yes, probably because you go to France and cba learning basic French); people asking the stupidest of inane questions (What shoes should I wear to DLP? What is the McDonald's like?); fully grown adults collecting "autographs" from people in a costume (wtaf, you aren't getting Mickey's signature, you're getting Jean-Paul Guillet writing Mickey's name); and general lack of common sense (one person claimed that they couldn't find anywhere selling cigarettes in the WHOLE OF PARIS and warning others to take their own -it's Paris everyone and their dog smokes, they have massive red signs saying TABAC); people getting stroppy about the (nationwide) French rule of not allowing short-style swimming shorts (yes, it's another country, they do things differently); oh and the casual racism with one knowledgeable poster claiming "everyone knows that the Germans and Spanish are well-known for their arrogance," and another in the same thread saying "the Germans are rude, they love to bully us Brits, they still haven't learnt."

Seriously, it's put me right off, to the extent that out of our week-long stay near to DLP I've decided that we'll just do one day in the park. If these are the people in there, then I want to be as far away from them as possible.

ah yes. I zone those posts out. Plus anything that could be answered by a quick google/Facebook search.

When did you go Titty? We'd be double the price as there's 4 of us.

Went last September. Going again in a couple of weeks. Can do 2 adults and 1 child in one room at Santa Fe in March for about the same price. Worth checking other countries’ sites as they often have under 12s free.

Choccy, many people are literally brain washed by Disney... Dd has friend.. Who picked up blue princess doll at our house said whose that... Dd said. Cinderella... The other child was adamant it wasn't because she has only got Disney dolls, books and films.

The people who post as you describe have seemed pretty obvious to me.. Those who are not well travelled and have not had wider experiences... Maybe can't afford too or still very young.

I agree on the auto graph and I can't get my head around queuing for hours for the hug.
Again friend spends hours queuing... For hug from someone in costume..

Of course it's deigned ti squeeze every last penny out.

I feel our annual passes were best value. 192 and we get extra magic time, discounts in shops, meals... Special entrance so no huge queue to get in..
The first time we went it was just over grandma with annual pass cost. But every time since, hotel room under 100 euro, between 60 and 90 per night.. Self cater alot.

I cannot belive the Disney hotels don't even have to fridges on the room for guests to use and no kettle! Our hotel has those as standard! We will get four trips this year and feel we got our money worth.

I haven't heard of pushchairs in queues in any theme parks either. You always leave it at the buggy park. And seriously. a 6 year old who can't queue? Maybe then theme parks aren't for him. Not been to the Paris one, but have been in another disney park and you can get an app for queue times. There are rides with barely any queues, and some with over an hour. To children, they might not mind that much if you go for those only with a short 10min queues. I wouldn't go and join one with over an hour queuing.

And there is one

www.disneylandparis.co.uk/mobile-app/

You should get this and look at the queue times.

It is good to hear honest reviews, when I go on instagram it looks so special. It was nice to see a blogger recently give it a more realistic review. Crowded, pushy parents etc. Seeing posts about all the planning puts me off. I don't want to have to plan and plan just to enjoy the experience, not for the prices charged.

What shoes should I wear to DLP?

I actually think this is one of the most important questions you can ask wherever you are going if you are talking at all. Making sure your feet are comfortable (And your clothes will keep you warm and dry if necessary) are prerequisites to enjoying anything but especially anything outside walking.

people complaining about how rude Europeans are (yes, probably because you go to France and cba learning basic French)

I speak French and a little Spanish. I still find the British public as a rule the politest and the most aware of other people. Even more when I try venturing out the Disney bubble

want them so dc have more and something different to do, where you can sit and relax on one spot...
See this is my idea of hell. It usually results in a load of unruly kids mucking around in the full knowledge their parents can't see them and won't do anything or even believe you if you tell them your kids are being little wotsits. Legoland suffers from this badly in some of the play areas, even the water play the kids behaviour generally deteriorated when it changed from the lovely small splash to drench towers where proper supervision is harder. We've always avoided soft play and play parks at theme parks unless it's really quiet. I do actually love Disney for the very reason it is not about this, I love the fact it is all about shared experience and shared gaze. Generally for a change from rides will do the caves (I still find spots in the caves I've never been before) or the labyrinth or the shows and parades.

I probably should add that drench towers is still one of my favourite bits of LEGOLAND, But I would really hate it at Disney. It's just not Disney!!!

It is good to hear honest reviews, when I go on instagram it looks so special.

But that’s instagram for everything. We go to one every year when visiting family. (It’s not the Paris one so no personal experience on that particular one, but I have been to two of them). We also have a annual pass to Paultons and been to a few different theme parks in the UK. The rides in Disneyland are better (and look much more expensively made), there are a lot more character meet and greet, and there are multiple parades a lot plus a fireworks. It’s much better than probably most theme parks in the UK. The only theme parks I have been that are as good as Disneylands are the few Warner Bros studios I have been to.

I think you just need to have realistic expectations.

I don't know why they built it there. I would have put it in Spain or somewhere else with better weather

What’s the ideal age for Efteling please?!

@MadMags I have been told under 10. I’m planning to go next summer!

Well we're going back to DLP on Sunday and we're super excited, our trip last year was nothing like you described yours (sorry)

Planning is the way forward with places like that.
I've booked some meals already and when we get there, we will work out the things that everyone really wants to see/do and make them a priority and anything else on top is a bonus
And expect to queue, it's inevitable

Also don't agree about your comments with that FB group, someone else mentioned it by the Daniel Potter one is much nicer

Thanks @AutoFilled think my eldest is too old

I hate queuing, especially with kids as it's not my idea of fun. But that's why we don't go places like that in the summer.

We went in January. No queues at all for most things - just the time it took to walk back through to the ride. It was amazing! We did everything we wanted and most things twice or more. It's a small world it felt like a billion times ;)

We did a day in Paris too so mon- Fri (with mom and Friday being shorter days). It was amazing! Helped the fireworks were earlier for my kids too so we could do magic hours and then all day and not be silly late.

I would love to do it again.

I love Disneyworld, but the Paris one is no-where near the same. The last time we went it was dirty, poorly maintained and the staff were really rude and surly. None of the Disney magic at all.

I wouldn’t say over 10 is too old for Efteling. Some of the rides are really exciting. Proper rolllercoasters. You can check them out on the website.