I must admit that the (VERY!!!!) pink Disneyland Paris Hotel was not my first choice when visiting Disneyland Paris recently as it did look a bit girlie for me! I have been to DP a few times before and stayed at the Hotel new York which I have always thought was a great hotel. however, in the spirit of compromise I agreed to stay at the Disneyland Paris Hotel!
The hotel appears to me to be themed on a grand Victorian Floridian style hotel and is very grand. Having stayed at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Walt Disney World which this hotel is based on it is neither as large nor grand but more whimsical and fits in very well in Disneyland Paris.
The rooms:
The rooms are very elegantly decorated in pale pastel colours and our room featured a massive double bed but I know that rooms for four people are available with two more normal sized double beds in them. The bedroom has also the usual mod cons that you would expect form a five star hotel including television with a few (but not tons) of international channels, radio, air conditioning, minibar, safe and 24 hour room service. We didn't try the room service but the menu looked very reasonable and offered a good range of snacks such as burgers, sandwiches etc. the minibar prices were a bit horrendous as you may expect!
The bathroom is very elegantly decorated and features the dancing
hippos (from Fantasia?) on the tiles. The bathroom features the usual power shower, twos sinks etc and there is plenty of room in there and a good supply of fresh towels each day. Kids will adore the Mickey Mouse soap and shampoo that is left in the bathroom each day!
A nice touch is the turn down service with a chocolate left on your pillow each evening: something that you see less and less in hotels these days!
Our hotel room was just off the lobby on the ground floor and we had a small balcony containing a couple of chairs and a table which was lovely as you could watch people meandering in and out of the park entrance, although they couldn't spy on you. A perfect way to relax with a glass of wine after a busy day in the park!
Location:
One of the best things about the Disneyland Paris hotel is its location as the hotel actually IS the entrance to the Magic Kingdom Park! Many hotel rooms on the higher floors have great views into the park which are truly spectacular at night when the park is open and lit up. (You can also see the great views from the hotel bar)
The get to Disney Village (where the restaurants and night clubs) are located is less than a five minute walk and you pass the RER station on the way to the Village. The hotel is also less than a five minute walk away from the Studios them park
No Disney buses run between the hotel and the parks here: for very obvious reason!
Shop:
Located on the first floor, the shop
The staff:
I found all the staff that I came in contact with at the hotel to be excellent. They were all very friendly, courteous and efficient. Almost all staff speak impeccable English but they are always willing to let you have a go at speaking in French!
Check in was excellent and very quick and all the documents included (such as parks passes etc) were correct and we were able to check in to our room on arrival (just after 10am so pretty early!) As we had paid upfornt we were asked to leave a credit card at reception and had express check out whereby our bill was hung on the door and as it was correct we didn't have to check out at reception.
Leaving credit card details at reception also meant that we could use the Disney card payment system whereby purchases you make are automatically charged back to your room: not too sure if this is a good idea or not as if you take the cash with you don't get charged bad exchange rates by your credit card company when your bill get converted into pounds!
Drinks
The Cafe Fantasia bar is a grown ups piano bar perfect in the evening which offers a great range of cocktails and features a great selection of music. You can either sit in the bar area which affords lovely views over the park (especially at night) or you can sit n the outside area which is adjacent to the restaurants and watch the world go by. Drink prices are the same as other bars on Disneyland Paris and are similar to city centre prices with around £2.20 for a pint of beer and £4 for a good glass of wine.
During the day the cafe serves a nice range of sandwiches and snacks which are great if you fancy an hour away from the parks.
Dining:
99% of the packages you book to Disneyland Paris include a continental breakfast which will be served with in the Inventions Restaurant or California Grill: either restaurant tends to be allocated for breakfast as depending on their businesses.
Breakfast is quite a causal buffet style offering a wide range of cereals, fruits, breads, cheeses and hams as well as fruit juices, tea and coffee and so on. There is always plenty of food as staff replenishes the buffet tables constantly. If you don't fancy a continental breakfast you can order cooked items from a menu (charge is a payable for this).
Kids also love the fact that there are Disney characters who make intermittent appearances in the restaurant. If you are a grown up, just go along with the flow and have your picture taken!
In the evening the Inventions Restaurant offers a buffet selection which is about £20 per person for as much as you can eat. We didn't eat here but we did try the California Grill which offers a fantastic range of typically Californian dishes including lots of excellent fish choices. This is not the cheapest restaurant but the food and service are excellent. Our meal was £75 for three course including two drinks and a bottle of wine: the wine list here is excellent with a great choice of reasonably priced and more expensive wines. Definitely a very romantic restaurant that is great if you are celebrating a special occasion or for your last night!
I would say that these hotels are great for adult dining but obviously do offer good children's menus as well which are very reasonably priced.
Shopping:
There is one shop located on the first floor of the hotel which offers the usual range of Disney accessories (quite a lot in here as it is a big shop!) but also a good range of practical items such as drinks, snacks, international newspapers and stamps etc.
There are two traditional red telephone boxes (except they are painted green!) outside the shop which are handy for phoning home!
Keeping fit:
The hotel offers a wide range of facilities including good indoor pool and a fitness area which offer the usual equipment (all very high tech but well trained staff on standby to give you a helping hand if needed!
There is also a Jacuzzi and steam bath to take away the aches and pains of a long day in the parks! All the above services are free of charge but if you feel like splashing out you can opt for a massage or to use the solarium for a small charge.
The changing etc facilities are very good and cleaned and maintained to a very high standard.
Getting to the fitness area is quite a mammoth task as it requires you getting to the first floor of the hotel in the lobby, walking along a corridor and then taking a lift down to the fitness area. Signage is good however!!!
For kids?
Although we didn't visit with kids there is a children's club called Minnie's Club and there is also the Mad Hatter's Game Arcade that I have got to admit I went into for a while! Noisy and full of kids (Obviously!) but good fun nevertheless!
Best bit?
I have to say that the lobby in the hotel is amazing as there is a majestic staircase that sweeps down: this is one place that people love to take photographs in!
Best deals:
I have always found the best prices to stay at Disneyland Paris are directly with the Disneyland Paris travel company who offer telephone and online booking.
Their packages range from accommodation, breakfast and passes only but can also include flights and driving holidays.
Our five day, four night brekas cost just over £500 each including flights.
We flew from Manchester to Charles De Gaulle Airportin Paris which has an approximate transfer time of 45 minutes to the resort which is using the VER Disney shuttle bus which costs approx. 13 Euros per person one way and drops you off right outside the hotel (return times are available at the concierge)
Practical things:
If you are travelling by carfree car parking is available at the hotel. Valet parking is also available (pay locally for this)
Check in is from 3pm and check out is by 11am although the hotel do seem flexible in this if rooms are available if you arrive early.
Happy holidays and let me know if there is anything else you would like to know!
I've had to concede defeat with my wife on this one and agree to stay at this hotel as it's one she really really wants to stay at. We've stayed in the Cheyenne and Newport Bay and I told my wife the last time we went that I didn't want to go to Disney ever again. So we're going next month. See how much control I have?
petitesquirt 08.03.2004 08:35
Sounds like fun!
TheChocolateLady 06.03.2004 11:46
My daughter wants me to take her to EuroDisney for her Bat Mitzvah trip, so this was more than just helpful for me. Thanks.
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Advantages: Very clean, Themed throughout, Tidy, Pleasant all-over. Disadvantages: 'Games Room' was lacking, Minibar was damn expensive, little insecure about cleaners.
UrkiE-UK 24.12.2003 (24.12.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Disneyland Hotel, Paris
Advantages: Great theming, lovely comfortable rooms, excellent value. Fantastic! Disadvantages: Check-in can take a while and breakfast can get a little busy
Mar 5th, 2004
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