Right, am off to Disneyland Paris tomorrow - please, please give me your top tips -

[Ohforfoxsake]

and its DS2s 6th birthday too.

6 of us, me, DP, DS's (7 and 6) DD's (4 and 1.5) are off far too early in the morning, staying in the Santa Fe Hotel. What do I need to know/do?

Any good suggestions for DS2s birthday? I'm trying not to make it massively expensive (but I suspect I'm going to lose that one!) Thought we would eat somewhere half-decent and I'd order one of their cakes.

Top tips would be great. I'm not big on theme parks normally. [miserable bugger emoticon]

Thanks

How long are you going for? We went there in 2007 and DS loved it! But food and drink very expensive in the park and they tell you that you cannot picnic. Ignore this, the french do. Take snacks and drinks then buy a hotdog or sandwich and picnic like the rest!

we had lunch at Cinderella's inn, where all the princesses (and their handsome princes too, obv!) come and talk to the DCs, it isn't cheap, but is a sit down waiter service proper meal and you get to meet the characters and have a couple of hours away from the general hubbub

Thanks

We're there for 4 days.

Should I take stuff or is there somewhere outside of the resort? Or just raid the breakfast buffet

Also take enough nappies to last, don't expect to be able to buy anything essential for less than the inflated 10x price at the local garages.
Also we went for dinner in the studios part of the park on the second day as much less crowded or expensive than the main Disney bit. The external bit near the cinema is also much cheaper and less crowded for dinner. The kids won't particularly want to stop and sit down for lunch! Too much going on. Also take a pushchair! It's a long day and particularly waiting for the parade you need one.

Raid the buffet, but take extras like raisins or chocolate or crisps to get the DC through if they want to see everything.
Use the hotel pool and have a quiet afternoon one day so that you can try to see the fireworks if they have them!

Isn't the Cinderella meal a proper 3 course meal at £50 a head for adults and £30 for children though? That's nearly £200 for one meal for us.

Oh I am SO going to the wrong place aren't I?

If we are staying on the resort, can we use a pool at another hotel?

I wouldn't bother with that the food is SO at the bottom of their list! It's about FUEL to do the next thing!
You'll love it, it's pure magic for children, so forget rules or proper meals! I'd even take bananas and apples tbh cos you won't see hide nor hair of them there!

Sorry don't know about the pools, we stayed in a suite at the Explorer. They really won't care about the pools!

I am very have a fab time!

Did I mention I've lost the Eurostar tickets?

And I'm scared of going through The Tunnel

Shit! Will you be ok? On the chunnel you don't need tickets just your credit card! for you my DH would be doing his nut right now!!! It is EXACTLY the kind of thing I do all the time! Hopefully you'll be fine!

Tunnel's fine BTW! Just read your book!

Trouble is I went for the 'send the tickets' option so I had them here, in my hand, safe . And DPs card expired in the meantime.

Now we have to get there an hour earlier, pay an extra £15, and DP will get sweaty-knickers and stressy.

I try. I really do.

I'm sure DD2 will distract me from my fears.

Thanks for all your advice. Let me know if anything else springs to mind

Bumping

My Dh lost realised that he had his passport had been nicked on a stag to to Estonia lost his passport 2 days before we went .

It's not as bad as that and 15 quid for eternal child happiness is a small price to pay. It's plastic, it's pink, it's magical and they love it. I am genuinly envious, because they love it so much.

Don't forget to pack the video camera!

I second take snacks/juice and we raided brekkie for lunch. Food was pricey.

You can hire buggies.. not sure how much,.

o that didn't work!

You can hire buggies, but they are made of metal and don't recline. We didn't take one, and hired (on advice) and I would say if you can manage to take your own then do!

Take some empty water bottles/squash bottles and refill them each day as drinks are so expensive there.

Take rucksacks to carry juice, tissues, camera, snacks, jumpers etc. It will be cold so layer up.

Get to the park as early as possible and head for the back and work your way forwards - everyone else starts at the front and goes towards the back.

If using a digital camera take a squillion batteries as you will take hundreds of pictures.

Fab!

Have rucksacks, chargers and adapters for cameras

put bottles in, and nappies going in now

thanks everyone

I'll be back when I've done a bit more packing

yes, yes, all tips welcome. We are going in February - huzzah!

Pointydog, it was fab!

Thanks for all your top tips, they were really useful, and you were all so right!

And the nice lady at the Eurostar check in desk didn't charge us for reprinting the tickets.

glad you enjoyed it! I cannot wait