disneyland Paris......?......

[smelly07]

I really want to take my daughters to Disneyland Paris (even considering christmas time... My husband isnt keen) and i want to know if anyone has been...what is it like? what ages were your children?

Any tips or advise? eurostar or ferry? (I wont fly )

people have suggested saving money by staying in hotels in Paris rather then in the disneyland resort.........Any recommendations?

thank you x

 

[Louise-H'08]

My husband took me long before we had Erin, we went but coach and ferry but I wouldn't recommend it if you can afford not too. It was such a long trip, I think it was about 13/14 hours there then the same back. The train takes you right into the resort I think so it wouldn't be too much trouble and a lot quicker if you went that way.

We went for the christmas period and it was AMAZING!!! if you have LO's that aren't in school i would say go during the week coz it wasn't so busy.

When we stayed it was in the Santa Fe, a disney hotel, but the cheap one and it was fine. I don't think it would have been any cheaper to stay outside of the resort. Plus there is / was free transport from the hotel to the park, and some of the characters would come and have breakfast with the kids.

.... I want to go again now, can i come with you????

 

[dgirllamius]

Never been there, but we will go there when LO is old enough to remember it. I do however travel a lot between the UK and the continent and I prefer eurostar - it's quicker though slightly more expensive. Takes about 35 minutes and ferry takes about 1 and a half hours.

 

[Twister]

Me and oh went last year, we went by coach but I wouldn't recommend it as it's a long journey and can get very cramped. We also stayed in the Santa Fe, it was ok but nothing special. It's good if you're looking for somewhere just to put your head down of a night. It was lacking that Disney magic and could have done with a lick of paint though but maybe i'm just being picku. If I went again I think I'd stay at the Cheyenne instead (the other 'budget' Disney hotel) because it has better reviews and looks better from the outside.

 

[babyhopesxx]

I've been 3 times and stayed in the Hotel Cheyenne, a disney one but one of the budget disney hotels but we had no problem with the hotel. I also stayed in the Explorers hotel, which was also nice but not a disney hotel and there's a free shuttel bus to the parks. The disney hotels are all a short walk to the parks.

The easiest way to get there is the eurostar as it stops just outside the parks.

I love Disneyland Paris and can't wait to go back there I would love to go at xmas time it sounds amazing.

 

[smokey]

we go every year (apart from missing a year when I was pregnant) for the last 12 years and we are going again in november.

Dont book through agents as they ad around £300 on top of it, go to the disney website and book directly as this is alot cheaper plus you get the opption to book some of your meals alot cheaper at the same time.
Ferry is alot cheaper but by the time you add in travle to the port and then to the park the other side you loose best part of a whole day that you could have spent in the park.
Eurostar isnt that bad a price and if booked a fair bit in advanced you can save a fair bit plus we just booked ours the other day while they had a special offer on, we got ours cheaper though by getting the train into paris rather then the park because it knocks over £100 off the price and then we just jump on the metro into the park which is only a 20 odd min ride plus you can get there alot earlier doing it that way so get extra time in the park.
But only ever do that if your confidant about what train to get on and traveling around paris, we are pretty used to it but the first time we did it years ago I was scared as hell and we got scammed (it actualy bordered on being mugged) so its not something I reccomend for a first time visit.

Dont bother about getting lunch in the park it will cost about £10- £13 per person just for burger and chips, instead get some rolls and ham from the breakfast cart for free and make yourself up some rolls, fruit and yoghurt all for free.

If you are eating at the resturants make sure you book a table as early as possible because they normaly stop letting people in about 4pm and if you go at the last minute you will often not stand a chance at getting a table.

Yes booking a hotel outside of the park is cheaper but to be honest booking either santa fa or cheyann isnt realy that expensive and it realy adds alot to the experiance and makes everything a bit easier, we have stayed at most of the hotels but cheyann is by far the best in terms of decore and price.

Christmas is the best time to go, it is so beautifull with all the fake snow and christmas trees and the lighting of the castle.

Biggest tip I can ever give though is NEVER be there on 11th novemeber, its a holiday there and the place becomes so packed you cant even move, go the week after.

Any other advice you want just ask

 

[smelly07]

WOW - guys thank you SOOOOO much - its made me really want to go at CHRISTMAS TIME NOW!!!! hee hee - i never knew the eurostar to france only takes 35 mins!!!!!!!! thats crazy !!!!

off to check the website now ...........................

 

[smokey]

To get into france ie be on french soil is only about 35 mins (about 23 mins in the tunnle) from Kent but the journy to the park take longer then that.
I think its something like 2 hours 15 mins from london to paris and 2 hours 25 from london to the park so kent to the park would be routhly about 1 hour 50 mins

 

[kmbabycrazy]

I went a few times when I was a kid. We stayed on a camp site in Burny Riviere which is not too far from Paris. We got the train from the town which goes right to disney land. Me and my sister were 8 & 9 and my brother was 3 the first time we went. The second time he was 5 so we were 10 and 11. My brother had a fantastic time the second time around. And of course me and my sister loved it both times. You'll have loads of fun and so will your daughter xx

 

[littleemma]

Hi!

How old are your kids? If they are small i really recommend staying on one of the hotels in disney, not all of them are very expensive, and they include passes for two days, and people staying in the hotel can access the parks earlier than opening times. And personally i would rather pay a little extra than getting in paris traffic with a completely exhausted kid.

Have you checked their website? because it's their 20 year anniversary this year and i think they have some promotions right now.

 

[kmbabycrazy]

You can get the train from Paris to disneyland and it goes right to the park x

 

[smokey]

You can get the train from Paris to disneyland and it goes right to the park x

Thats what we are doing, its somethimg realy silly like €1.20 for a day travle pass and there is a huge shopping centre 1-2 stops from the park

 

[kmbabycrazy]

You can get the train from Paris to disneyland and it goes right to the park x

Thats what we are doing, its somethimg realy silly like €1.20 for a day travle pass and there is a huge shopping centre 1-2 stops from the park

The place we stayed was 5 stops from the park and for me my sister, brother, mum & dad it was 5 euros return!

 

[smelly07]

My daughters are 7 and 3 - do you think its worth waiting until my youngest is a little older?

how long is it on the eurostar from st pancras to france?

 

[smokey]

St pancras to the park is 2 hours 15 min, if the wearher is bad they cant go full speed though so sometimes can take 2 hours 40 mins

Before I had Brian I always said 3 was too young but he is disney crazy so he realy gets into it and he will be 33 months and still loved it last year when he was 20 month

 

[smelly07]

i am thinking of saving up and then doing a spontaneous long weekend as its cheaper ......look at all the hotels and i dont mind where we stay as we will be eating out all the time and be out all day so it literally is just a place to sleep.

thanks girls, i can refer back to this thread when i need to x