 Discount
Disneyland Paris
Can a family holiday to Disneyland Paris be done on the cheap?
Community editor Sam Pope thinks so…
DIY or package holiday?
First of all, we tried holiday companies offering special-rate packages
to the resort, including entry passes and accommodation at a resort hotel.
We also checked out Disneyland Paris's website to see if booking through
them would be comparable. It was but still the prices seemed horrendously
high off-peak: a two-night, two-day break in a two-star hotel was going
to set us back nearly £400 for two adults and one child.
I did an internet search and found a few other hotels close to the resort.
One was the Holiday Inn, which offered a free shuttle to the Parks every
20 minutes. Their price for an advance booking, room only, was an incredibly
cheap 50 euros (approx £40) per night.
Staying there for two nights and paying the Park's entrance fee of £70
for all three of us was going to cost us half the price, or less, than
one of the so-called cheap breaks we'd been looking into.
We booked our own crossing with the Eurotunnel and managed to get a return
crossing for less than £100. If we had travelled at slightly less desirable
times it could have been even cheaper.
The hotel
The hotel was fantastic: clean, relaxed and extremely child-friendly.
The rooms were done out in a circus theme and my daughter was delighted
to have a corner to call her own; her bed was separated by ours with a
big curtain that she could pull around for privacy.
Plus she had her own telly and lights - she would've been as happy staying
in the room the entire time as going to the resort! Each floor also had
microwaves to heat baby food or milk in, free ice and vending machines.
 The
hotel's main areas were designed with kids in mind.
There were little rides they could go on (costing at least 2 euros per
ride, you have to budget here), a big room with loads of chalkboards and
easels where they could draw, and the main dining room had little tables,
a television, a library and drawing material so the children could entertain
themselves while the parents ate dinner.
I have never seen children behave so well, and parents look so relaxed!
The gardens were nice too. There was a good children's play area plus
a small lake shared by three hotels. Normally there would also have been
a pool to use but it was shut for maintenance when we were there.
The food
The only downside was the food. Eating in the main dining hall was very
expensive - around 25 euros (£18) per head for a buffet.
It was 'eat and drink as much as you like' but if you're like me and
don't have a huge appetite and an almost zero alcohol tolerance, these
deals are often a waste of money.
We did this on the first night because we were tired from travelling
and the food wasn't bad but it wasn't brilliant either: a good selection
of salads, tired looking meat under a hot plate and some fruit, yoghurts
and cakes for pudding.
On our second night we ordered sandwiches from the bar which were better
value for money at 8 euros each (£5). As for breakfasts, we didn't bother
with the restaurant. I took some UHT milk, mini-cereal boxes, muffins,
juice cartons and fruit and that did us fine.
There were tea and coffee making facilities in the room for that essential
cuppa!
The resort
 It
can be quite a thing for a young child to behold - a huge imaginary world
come to life.
The Park runs various 'meet and greet' sessions with major Disney characters
throughout the day and while my daughter was initially keen, when she
came face to face with the wicked Prince John she screamed in horror and
ran away.
She was more excited to see Cinderella, Ariel and Sleeping Beauty but
unfortunately the queues for photos were too long for us to manage.
The resort was very busy when we went, and most of the rides had waits
of over half an hour. We braved a few: the Flying Dumbos, a space rocket
ride and the carousel, but our legs were aching from all the standing
around.
We went for a walk around the resort instead and enjoyed the sights and
smells of Spring: there were millions of hyacinths, narcissi and magnolias
in bloom in the well tended gardens. And it was so clean too; as soon
as someone careless drops some litter it is magically swept up.
The staff are polite and friendly, the loos clean and there is a general
air of respect in the place.
It might sound cheesy to say this but it made a nice change from a trip
down the high street, where everything is dirty, people are rude and the
loos, well the less said about them the better…
The highlight was the daily parade, when all the characters come out
to dance and wave at the children. We fortunately got a place near the
front of the crowds and my daughter was truly mesmerised seeing all the
characters
The enthusiasm of all the staff makes it seem as though this is the first
and only time they are going to do their performance.
It lasts around half an hour but it's a good idea to get to the front
of the route to get a good view.
The crowds are the only thing that let the experience down. They are
everywhere: to get on rides, to get a drink, to buy lunch… you need to
be mentally prepared for this. As for eating, there are a wide range of
places and food to eat.
We (mistakenly) chose a fast-food place and waited ages to be served
and were given the wrong food. Perhaps a picnic would have been better
in hindsight.
The rest of the holiday
 After
two nights in the hotel, we headed back towards Calais; we had booked
one night's accommodation in a small village called in L'Escale near the
Eurotunnel. We stopped off in Boulogne for a play on the beach and a trip
to the fantastic aquarium Nausicaa.
We took two hours to walk quickly around the place, but you could easily
spend an entire morning or afternoon there.
There are touch tanks for children and a sea lion enclosure - both inside
and out - which is worth seeing.
At the end of the day, we arrived at our hotel, part of the Logies de
France chain. The staff were lovely and friendly and had thoughtfully
put us in a triple room on the ground floor to save us the stairs.
However, the room was dark and depressing, with bizarre purple material
stapled to the walls instead of wallpaper. My daughter wanted to return
to the Holiday Inn… and so did I! The hotel's restaurant was great though,
with lovely fresh seafood caught and cooked that day.
The next morning we had a tasty breakfast with fresh croissants, bread,
cheese and spreads, before heading to Calais and the Cite de l'Europe
for the essential wine-buying spree.
Top tips
- Unless you don't care about cost, always check out the cost of booking
hotels privately against doing it as part of a package.
- If you can travel and stay away midweek, this is often cheaper than
at weekends.
- There are lots of rest areas on the motorways in France but the loos
are pretty disgusting! Always look for a sign for a proper services
(with the knife and fork symbol) and stop there if you want a loo break.
- If you're trying to save money, take a hamper of long-life food:
raisin bread, biscuits, crisps, fruit, juice cartons, etc keep well
and can be eaten at breakfast if you're on a room-only basis.
- If your child is likely to pester you for presents in Disneyland,
set a maximum amount to spend and stick to it or the souvenirs could
end up costing more than the holiday.
- Staying in a chambre d'hote might be nicer than a basic Logie de
France hotel, which can be variable.
Where to next?
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