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Original poster

Puy de Fou - is it worth it??

92 replies

Porthia · 17/07/2023 15:10

Hello! Off to France in the summer and was planning to go to Put de Fou but it’s mega expensive so I was wondering if it’s worth it!? And if so is it worth doing the “emotion pass” to get quick access to shows and seats etc?

kids are 5,7,11 years old

thanks!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Porthia · 27/07/2023 22:47

Thanks all this is extremely helpful.

we have already decided to leave after dinner. Our accommodation is about an hour away so won’t want to be driving too late and think the kids will be shattered. If it’s really amazing we will come back to do the evening show when the kids are teenagers!

OP posts:
CheersToMe · 28/07/2023 09:02

https://www.capfun.com/camping-france-paysdeelaloire-breteche-FR.html

We stayed here in a ready erected tent for 3 nights. This was after a eurocamp style stay at the coast. We actually walked into PDF although I wouldn't recommend it with small children. It's about 3km along a good track.

If you have a campervan PDF has its own site next to the park.

MiniMidiMaxi · 28/07/2023 14:32

Can I ask a quick question to those in the know - maybe @Frenchfancy or @Berthatydfil - we’ve got tickets next week for the day and then the cinescieinie, and we’re staying at camping bois du ce. How walkable is it from the campsite do you know?

Handsnotwands · 28/07/2023 14:58

its all brilliant but the Viking one is mind boggling. I’m cannot understand how it was done.

take lots of water. We went on a v hot day, the queues for drinks / food were insane and there’s nowhere to fill up your water bottle

Frenchfancy · 28/07/2023 17:55

@MiniMidiMaxi I don't know the camping personally but Google has it as a 49 minute walk. I wouldn't.

MiniMidiMaxi · 28/07/2023 17:57

Thanks @Frenchfancy, wasn’t sure what the route would be like, but that will probably feel too far at the end of the evening!

Berthatydfil · 28/07/2023 18:36

MiniMidiMaxi · 28/07/2023 14:32

Can I ask a quick question to those in the know - maybe @Frenchfancy or @Berthatydfil - we’ve got tickets next week for the day and then the cinescieinie, and we’re staying at camping bois du ce. How walkable is it from the campsite do you know?

When we stayed there we drove, but it was a very short drive. There is loads of parking on the parc.

Berthatydfil · 28/07/2023 18:39

Handsnotwands · 28/07/2023 14:58

its all brilliant but the Viking one is mind boggling. I’m cannot understand how it was done.

take lots of water. We went on a v hot day, the queues for drinks / food were insane and there’s nowhere to fill up your water bottle

They have some new shows which are even more boggling. The noces de feu has ballet dancers emerging from the lake amongst other things. There are also 2 indoor shows with amazing engineering .

hollowwallow · 28/07/2023 19:29

I've been 3 times and it's truly amazing! Arrive when it opens and plan your day meticulously to see all the shows. Take a packed lunch so no time wasted buying food.

PinkPondQueen · 28/07/2023 19:55

Ok so until this thread i'd never even heard of Puy de Fou! And now I really want to go But someone upthread mentioned animals being used in some of the acts, is that still the case? I can't see any mention of them post 2019 on Tripadvisor so have they definitely stopped that now?

Groutyonehereagain · 28/07/2023 22:29

I loathed it. It was crowded and I just wasn’t interested in local French history. We stayed for the evening show, which went on and on and it was so boring. In July I was freezing cold. I would never take a child, never.

Dancerr · 28/07/2023 22:53

Have been in October half term. It was amazing!

Rainiestsummer · 28/07/2023 22:59

I went with a three year old, he was quite scared of the knights though normally loved dressing up as one... it rained all day... I wouldn't be keen to return (though I think your dc are great ages for it OP) but dh thought it was amazing

lavenderlou · 09/08/2023 07:59

We visited this week and really enjoyed it. As I posted upthread I bought an emotion pass and it was absolutely worth it for August. Some of the queues looked very, very long and for some popular shows in the afternoon they closed access to the queues an hour or more in advance in the afternoon.

If anyone else is visiting I found the app brilliant. You can put in the shows you want to see and it will plan out a timetable for you. You can also get live translations of each show (although there were a couple where it didn't work for us) which the DC found helpful. Take earphones.

minipie · 09/08/2023 10:19

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. We are going in a couple of weeks’ time for 2 days. We have an emotion pass for one day but not the other so will need to plan quite carefully … The app sounds great!

we will bring headphones, thank you, I presume we also each need a wifi enabled device for them to connect to?

How does the emotion pass work, is there a separate fast track queue ? How far ahead did you need to arrive if you had the pass?

It sounds like on our non emotion pass day we should try to do any big shows in the morning not the afternoon ?

Sorry for all the qs!

Kittyhasababy · 09/08/2023 11:10

Sounds amazing. We're thinking of possibly going early September. Does anyone know when French schools go back? I'm hoping it will be a bit quieter. Do they still have all the shows on outside of school holidays?

Frenchfancy · 09/08/2023 11:20

Schools go back Monday 4th September. All shows are still on at the park but they have less of each show per day as the season comes to a close. Far less people too.

Kittyhasababy · 09/08/2023 11:40

Thanks Frenchfancy!

lavenderlou · 09/08/2023 14:50

With the emotion pass there is a separate entrance for each show. There is also reserved seating for each show (though you can sit anywhere). You could arrive up to 15 minutes before the start. We found it best to get there about 20 minutes before. There is free WiFi in the park so we listened to the translations through our phones.

lavenderlou · 09/08/2023 14:52

We were only there for one day and did all the main shows except one and also did couple of walk throughs.

minipie · 09/08/2023 16:05

Thank you! Sounds like we should make the most of our emotion pass day and then do any mopping up on the second day.

Original poster
Porthia · 12/08/2023 22:19

Well, thank you for the recommendation! I am pleased to say we went it it was AMAZING!! I am so glad that we had the emotion passes though. It was a very hot August day so probably one of their busiest days and it was absolutely packed. I wasn’t feeling great when we arrived and had only slept for 2 hours the night before but once we got in there I didn’t even notice any more. I wouldn’t have liked to deal with all the crowds without the passes though.

We did it at a leisurely pace and still saw 5 of the shows and did 2 of the walk through type shows plus one of the musical shows in the villages. All fantastic. I pre booked lunch and dinner which was well worth doing.

We attempted to do the translation / subtitles but with 3 kids it all got a bit tricky and didn’t always work. I don’t think it’s critical though. You can get the gist just by watching and it’s the effects and acrobatics etc which are spectacular rather than the storylines.

we all want to go back and this time I want to stay on site and do 2 days!

OP posts:
minou123 · 13/08/2023 17:18

Porthia · 12/08/2023 22:19

Well, thank you for the recommendation! I am pleased to say we went it it was AMAZING!! I am so glad that we had the emotion passes though. It was a very hot August day so probably one of their busiest days and it was absolutely packed. I wasn’t feeling great when we arrived and had only slept for 2 hours the night before but once we got in there I didn’t even notice any more. I wouldn’t have liked to deal with all the crowds without the passes though.

We did it at a leisurely pace and still saw 5 of the shows and did 2 of the walk through type shows plus one of the musical shows in the villages. All fantastic. I pre booked lunch and dinner which was well worth doing.

We attempted to do the translation / subtitles but with 3 kids it all got a bit tricky and didn’t always work. I don’t think it’s critical though. You can get the gist just by watching and it’s the effects and acrobatics etc which are spectacular rather than the storylines.

we all want to go back and this time I want to stay on site and do 2 days!

I'm so pleased you enjoyed it.

What was your favourite show? And your 5 year old, what was his? 😁

Summerwashout · 13/08/2023 22:15

@Porthia @minipie

We are going soon and struggled to book, in the end dh only managed on his work computer. Is there anyway to add emotion passes afterward we have also never been able to get though by phone.

When we have booked other places you get a little account where you can add stuff but even though we are staying over night we don't have this. I assume emotion passes will be sold out by the time we get there.

Summerwashout · 13/08/2023 22:16

@Porthia glad you went and had a good time