 Disneyland
Paris Resort
Visiting one of the Disney theme parks is nearly a rite of passage
for every family these days! The following babyworld members share their
tips on visiting Mickey Mouse in Paris.
Booking our holiday
We have just come back from Disneyland Paris. We booked the travel accommodation
separately which saved us a bit of money! We bought our tickets for the
park before we left England which helped with the initial queues. With
only three full days, we spent two in the actual park and the last one
in the studios.
Travelling to the Park
We travelled on the Eurostar from Waterloo which could not have been
easier. I booked car parking, which is just underneath the station, online.
I think it was about £60 for three days, which I didn't think was too
bad compared to additional train or coach fares. You then just take the
lift up into the terminal. I avoided additional hassle with pushchairs
etc. The train was great, easy and fast and the a real novelty for the
girls. They were provided with a little activity pack. The train then
stops in the park itself and you take a coach from just outside to any
of the hotels you are staying at free of charge. We stayed at the Explorer's
Hotel, which is just outside the park but only five minutes on the courtesy
bus which is great, they run every 5 minutes of so!
The hotel we stayed in
The hotel had a lovely pool, open until 10.00pm, and a padded play area
which kept the girls amused for hours. You can also get meals in the hotel
if you choose.
Child-friendly activities
With only younger children, we didn't queue for many of the more popular
rides but you can get fast-track tickets which reduce queuing time a lot.
This would have been helpful for the Peter Pan ride, which my kids liked,
as well as It's Small World, Pinnochio, Dumbo and the Alice in Wonderland
maze. My four-year-old really didn't like the ones in the dark though,
eg Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted House, although my 6-year-old
was fine.
More than the rides the children really enjoyed seeing the characters!
They had an autograph book each and ran from one to another with such
big smiles! You occasionally see them walking around or for the more popular
ones info is on the guide when you enter. There is a 'Meet the character'
stage at specific times.
Overall opinion
It really is a fantastic place for adults and children alike. I want
to go back, minus the bump and try out some of the bigger rides!"
Top tips
- It's a lot of walking. My 4-year-old needed her pushchair, which
you can hire for about 5 euros per day, I think. As a pregnant woman,
I felt quite tired and found that I was getting a lot of pulling/ligament
type pains. Take it slowly and take advantage of any queuing that needs
to be done!
- Food in the resort is quire expensive. We had a buffet breakfast
in the hotel and took cereal bars for the day.
- There are water fountains on the way in but not so many in there,
so fill up water bottles etc!
- The park closes at 8.00pm, or did when we were there, so leave a
little early and go to the Disney village for tea. We ate in the Rain
Forest Cafe and the girls loved it! If you leave with everyone it's
packed.
- The Disney Studios don't offer as much in terms of rides but it's
not so busy and a great place for tons of autographs!
- With regard the parades, check out the times and get to the front
early, they are extremely popular and well worth a good view!
- I wish we had gone for an extra day and just enjoyed the facilities
at the hotel more. A three-day pass for Disney was enough for the girls,
they were exhausted, and is cheaper than 3 individual days.
Sarah Weston
- The biggest tip I can give anyone going to Disneyland Paris is go
the week after New Year, e.g. 6 January.
- Although it tends to be a bit chilly, the parks are completely empty
after the Christmas and New Year breaks.
- To get families into the resort during this typically quiet period,
there are some fantastic offers - I've been three years on the trot
and each time the kids have gone free. I've had 4 days for the price
of 3 and even the Eurostar has had free kids' places twice.
- As the parks are empty there are no queues for rides or shows. Character
lunches etc are simply brilliant as you don't have to fight to see them
and the kids really do enjoy the whole experience without any of the
major problems.
Jane
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