Disneyland Paris

Author's product rating:   

Prices	Good
Transport links	Excellent

Advantages:	Full of the magic of Disney
Disadvantages:	Blows a hole in your wallet

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Having only very recently returned from a 4-day break at the Disneyland Resort in Paris, I questioned whether now was a good time to write a review. Yes, all of the information and flavour of the place is fresh in my mind but, to be honest, I'm still so amazed by the whole experience that I will be in danger of trying to include too much in my review!! The resort is truly, truly MAGICAL, or "maaaagical" as the little girl says on the advert!! It's a place for young and old alike to be whisked off to fairytale lands, the Wild West, Hollywood or Arabia, and be entertained, bewitched and mesmerised in true Disney style!!

Hopefully, I'll include enough information to do the resort justice, but without too much storytelling, so I'll try to review each hotel, park and "land" clearly. The Resort has a reputation for being expensive, and you can be prepared to pay 20% to 30% more for items you would normally buy (fast food, drinks etc), but it's all within the spirit of the holiday, and the experience will blow you away so much that you won't care!! (I keep trying to tell myself this, because I was very guilty of saying "oh, it's Disney" or "oh, it's Christmas" many, MANY times over the last few days!!!!!).

In time honoured tradition I'll begin with - "Once Upon a Time…………….

What is Disneyland, Paris?

The resort is a huge, sprawling leisure and entertainment complex situated around 45 kilometres to the east of Paris, in Marne la Vallee. It is broadly circular in shape, with 3 main "sections" that split the resort into areas of fairly equal size, like an equally divided pie chart. They contain, in turn, the accommodation, the theme parks and the service area, which I will not review. There are 6 hotels on site, of various rating, and 2 theme parks - Disneyland/Magic Kingdom, which contains all of the Disney themed "lands" and rides, and the Walt Disney Studios, which is themed on Disney film-making and contains movie related attractions and rides. The main Magic Kingdom Park, which is similar to those in the USA, opened in 1992, with the Studios opening in 2004.

Forming the central hub to the "wheel" is the Disney Village, which is a "street", approximately 100 metres long with shops, cafes and restaurants along each side. This "street" forms the link between the hotels and the entrances to the parks, and is free to enter, giving you the first indication that you are at the mercy of the Disney merchandising and selling machine!!

How to get there

As you would expect with such a huge complex, transport links are easy and numerous. The resort is easily accessible by road (the A4 from Paris runs extremely close) and rail, as there is a train station around 50 metres from the park entrances, near to the Disney Village. The station is served by line A on the RER service, which runs through Gare de Lyon, and a train runs every 30 minutes into Paris, so links with the city are great. A bus service also runs from the airport, being extremely well sign posted in the terminals. We flew into Charles de Gaulle earlier this year and spotted the signs for the bus service in our terminal when we weren't actually looking for them, so getting to the park from the airport is no problem.

Alternatively, the Eurostar service has a booking facility on its website which allows you to travel directly to the park by train. This involves 1 change, at Lille, then taking the TGV into the station at the Resort. In total, the travel time via Eurostar is around 4 hours from the UK, so is certainly worth considering.

Prices

With such a wide range of options available in terms of transport, accommodation and park entrance fees it is impossible to say easily that the price for this is "£x", so it really is a break where you can tailor your requirements to suit your timescale and budget. I would recommend that you check out the Resort's website, at www.disneylandparis.co.uk, at the start of planning your break, as they not only advertise all of the offers or free places that are available (we went on the "3 nights for the price of 2" offer and in the first quarter of 2007 they are offering free child's places), but, having searched around, it seems that all of the accommodation packages are booked centrally via Disney, regardless of your travel operator, so the accommodation packages stay the same.

For a general guide, we travelled by coach and ferry, using Travelscope, and stayed at the Sequoia Lodge for 3 nights, with a 2-day "hopper" ticket for the parks. As with most operators that we checked out, the prices only varied depending on which hotel you wanted to stay in, but we paid £199 per adult and £149 per child for the holiday. I would thoroughly recommend that you book your break as a package, as the overall price comes down. As a guide, staying at the Cheyenne was £30 per person cheaper, whilst staying at the Newport Bay was £20 more expensive per person, so it really is a matter of choice.

As a general guide, though, for a range of random dates that I checked, a single ticket direct to the resort using Eurostar is around £125 per adult and £50 per child. For the same dates I can find flights from Birmingham to Charles de Gaulle for £70, but you then need to get from the airport to the resort, which is around 45 minutes travel, so the choice really is yours.

On all of the holiday packages that we checked the Park tickets were included in the price. I would recommend that you buy the ticket that means that you get the maximum time in the Parks. The hotels and Village are not really for spending a day around as there are very few activities, or you will spend a fortune in all of the shops!!

Currently you can get 3 types of ticket - 1 day, 2 day or 3 day, and each are valid for 1 year from date of purchase.

1-day tickets offer admission to one of the Parks on the day specified. You can leave and re-enter the Park as many times as you like during that day, as there is a hand stamping facility at the gate, but you cannot enter the other Park without paying. Ideal for day trips, but not if you are staying for a while. These tickets are currently £31 per adult and £25 per child.

2-day tickets operate on a "hopper" system, which allows you unlimited access to both parks over a 2-day period. The entrances to the park use a turnstile system, so, after feeding your ticket into the front of the machine, please make sure that you take your ticket out when it pops out. Losing this ticket is a bad idea, as you will need to re-purchase a ticket if it is lost. The gates are manned by many, helpful "cast members", so access should be very easy. Prices for these tickets are, currently, £67 per adult and £55 per child, and are valid for 2 days in a 12 month period.

The 3-day tickets offer the same facilities as the 2-day tickets but are priced at £84 per adult and £69 per child, valid for a 12-month period.

Tickets are available for a shorter validity period, but are not really any cheaper.

The tickets allow you free access onto all rides, parades and shows within the Park, and there are no wristband or token requirements. A few attractions, such as the shooting galleries in Frontierland, require a couple of Euros to activate the guns, but essentially you have paid for your days activities once you have bought your Park tickets.

Where to eat

Having arranged how you are getting to the Resort and how you are getting in, it's time to fill your belly. You have to remember that, whilst all of the attractions are included in your ticket price, food and merchandise are not, so the Resort is obviously keen to extract as much cash as possible from you for these. As a result, there are plenty of food outlets, mostly fast food, around the Park, as well as street vendor stands selling hot dogs etc. The prices are around 20% more than you would usually expect to pay for a child's fast food meal or a burger and chips, but all of the restaurant facilities come with either a fantastic view of the park or some type of live show, so you are easily distracted from the price!!

There are a couple of restaurants, serving more wholesome and "normal" food, on Main Street. "Walts" looked particularly nice, with a range of pasta and "meat and 2 veg" meals, but, again, the prices were a little high for general food.

We found the food to be of acceptable quality. The fast food outlets become very busy between 12pm and 2.30pm, as you get a concentration of thousands of people trying to eat, and hence the food is sent off something of a "production line". The burgers/chicken burgers/nuggets were tasty enough, but were only generally warm, at best, and the fries were thin and a little limp. The hot dogs from the stands were hot and very smokey in flavour, so these were popular. However, they are around 4 Euros each. I would recommend Casey's on the corner of Main Street, by the castle, as it's somewhere to sit down rather than just walk around with your hot dogs.

As a recommendation, if you are feeding a larger family, it would be advisable to take a packed meal with you, but the facilities to eat outdoors are not plentiful, as the Resort would rather you buy in the Restaurants!! There are no shops available that sell food for picnics, so this is only really an option for day-trippers.

In terms of the fast food outlets, they all serve the same menu, with children's meals (small drink+burger/nuggets+fries and dessert) for 10 Euros, and a small selection of burgers, chicken burgers and hot dogs for adults. A main meal will cost around 12 Euros per adult. As all of the outlets are the same I would recommend Videopolis in Discovery Land, where the seating area is arranged as a theatre. The stage shows a 15 minute musical production of "The Lion King", every half hour or so. It is a synopsis of the general story from the film, led by Timon and Pumbaa, and is an excellent, well performed and visually dramatic show to eat your burger to!!! The cynical side of me can't help but wonder if the show is meant to be a distraction from the high prices you have just paid for your average meal, but it works, and the show is fantastic!!!

Each hotel on site has at least one restaurant, serving a wide range of food, from steak meals and pasta meals up to more refined dining. Again, the prices are a little high, we paid 20 Euros per head for a main meal and dessert, but they are convenient and the staff extremely friendly and helpful. There is a central restaurant reservation service available at all of the hotels, including a touch button option on your room telephone. So if you spot a restaurant at any hotel or in the Parks that you fancy visiting, you can use this service to book your table!!

Due to the fact that you have unlimited access to the Parks, I would advise you to leave the Parks over the lunch period to eat and move out to the Village. We went there for lunch one day and it was very quiet, as everyone is in the Park. It's no cheaper to eat there, but there is a better range of restaurants, including a huge McDonalds, Planet Hollywood, and an excellent American diner, Annette's. The big advantage was the space and time we had to eat, so I would definitely give it a try.

One final word of praise - the coffee!! Hot and cold drinks are readily available in the Parks, but all of the vendors sell Nescafe coffee, not weak tasteless vending coffee, which is great!!

Accommodation

There are 7 hotels to choose from, mainly situated in the hotel "section" of the site, and they all seem to have the same general facilities. All have restaurants, an excellent concierge service and limited leisure facilities (some have a pool). You have to remember that the hotels are really only somewhere to sleep and, apart from timetabled "meet and greet" sessions with the Disney characters, offer limited entertainment. Disney is obviously keen to get you out of your hotel, into the Resort, and spending!!! An excellent, and frequent, free shuttle bus service also runs between the hotels and the parks. They are yellow and well signposted, so provide easy movement around the Resort.

The layout and environment of the hotels is superb. On heading out of the Parks, you are directed straight down the run of the Disney Village, at the end of which is a man made lake. 3 of the hotels are situated around the sides of this lake, meaning that they are a 5 minute walk from the Park entrances. The Newport Bay, Sequioa Lodge and New York hotels provide a very pretty "frame" for the lake and the easy access make them my recommendation if you are staying there. They offer differing price ranges, as I will review, so it's really a matter of budget. 2 other hotels are slightly further away, and the Davy Crockett Ranch is a short drive away. Of course, the signature, pink Disneyland Hotel straddles the magic Kingdom park entrance, so is a minute from the magic, but you pay for the privilege.

One point of note, on checking in you will be given your DisneyLand Resort I.D. card, which gives you free access to the car parks and access to the pools and leisure facilities. On leaving a card imprint at Reception, it can also act as a "charge card" around the Resort, allowing you to charge many of your Resort purchases to your room. Some restaurants also accept this as a method of payment. We didn't sign up for this, so I did not really read the leaflet, but please check this out first for terms and conditions and a list of allowable purchases.

Between the hotels is superbly maintained woodland and pathways, with very clear signage, so you always know where you are, and where you are going.

We stayed at the Sequoia Lodge, so I can review the details of that clearly, but all of the hotels operate on the same basis. Each has a theme which runs throughout the hotel - through the lobby, restaurants and rooms, so a general idea of the theme of each hotel should give it's flavour.

Davy Crockett Ranch

The ranch is situated a 10 minute drive away from the main Parks, and is themed with log cabins and an "outdoors", frontiersman, feel. Prices for the first quarter of 2007 start at £130 per person, for a 2-night stay, based on 2 adults sharing. The price includes breakfast and Park entrance.

Hotel Cheyenne

This is situated in the main resort, around 10 minutes walk from the Park entrances. It's theme is the Wild West, so it's time for "yee-haws" and gun totin'!! Prices start at £124 per person for a 2-night stay, and includes breakfast and entrance.

Hotel Santa Fe

This hotel is also in the main resort, about 10 minutes form the entrances. Prices start at £104 per person for a 2-night stay (including breakfast and entrance) and it's theme is America's south west and native American Indians.

Newport Bay Club

This hotel, on the shore of the lake, is a very impressive looking New England mansion and is themed on sailing. Decorated in New England pastels this has a very cool, refined feel to it and is a great place to unwind. Prices start at £172 per person, again, for a 2-night stay, with breakfast and entrance included.

Sequoia Lodge

We stayed at the Sequoia Lodge which is located on the long edge of the lake, 5 minutes from the Park entrances, and is set in landscaped grounds of, unsurprisingly, sequioas. The theme is American National Parks, particularly the Rockies, so it is decorated with dark wood, stonework and large leather chairs. Particularly at Christmas, with the decorations, it had a very warm and homely feel to it, and the large open fires were very welcome. The bar area was very comfortable, with large armchairs, open fires and a wide range of drinks. However, at over £3 per pint, it's pricey!! Children were welcome in the bar and a wide range of soft drinks are available.

The rooms were extremely well maintained, with 2 comfortable double beds made of dark wood, and all interior fittings carrying on the woodland theme. The room facilities were limited, with no drinks making facilities as standard, and a very limited selection of channels on the TV. Disney channels, main French terrestrial TV and BBC World was all that was on offer, so, again, you get the impression that Disney are keen for you to spend as little time in your room as possible. The bathroom had a bath and shower, which were easy to operate and a separate alcove with the basin and mirror outside of the bathroom, so 2 people could get ready at the same time. Speed again?

For next year prices start at £152 per person for a 2 night stay, including breakfast and Park entrance. Breakfast was continental, buffet style, with a fairly limited selection of meats and only cheddar and Gouda on the cheese board. Orange juice and hot drinks are dispensed from easy to use machines placed regularly around the breakfast room. Breakfast tickets, for time slots, could be obtained from reception, so you can avoid the 8 o'clock rush, but the room was big enough to accommodate everyone, so we just sauntered down at half past 7 and were seated very quickly. A cooked breakfast is available, at 4 Euros, but not many guests took up the offer!!

Hotel New York

This hotel is located at the other end of the lake, opposite the Newport Bay, and is themed on Manhattan, so oozes sophisticated, modern city living, with clean décor and crisp colours. At this time of year there is an ice rink outside by the lake, on Rockefella Plaza, with a huge Christmas tree.

Prices start at £189 per person for a 2-night stay, including breakfast and Park entrance.

Disneyland Hotel

The pink jewel in the hotel crown is the Disneyland Hotel, situated at the entrance to the Parks. It drips with Disney magic, and it's theme is, quite simply, Disney!! It's location makes it an ideal hotel for getting to the Parks quickly, but at around £280 per person for a 2-night stay (including breakfast and entrance), you really do pay for the convenience!!!

As we are now at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom it really is time for the fairytale to begin!

Disneyland Park/Magic Kingdom

The entrance to the Park is situated under the main arch of the Disneyland Hotel and is a turnstile facility, although disabled access is easily available at the sides. Also at the entrance is the stroller hire facility, so you can push babies and toddlers around without having to bring your own. The Park opens at 9am and closes at 8pm during the winter, with the attractions and "lands" open from 10am to 7pm. During the summer the Park is open for longer.

On entering the park you first encounter Town square and Main Street USA. On the Square, over the entrance, is a station for the Disney Railroad, a steam train that travels around the outer edge of the park and is an excellent way to move around and get your bearings. At this time of year there is a huge Christmas tree in Town Square, decorated with baubles, parcels and wooden toys, and which very cleverly masks the finest thing in the Park from view - the Sleeping Beauty Castle. As people moved around the tree you could hear the gasp in wonder as they first saw the castle, and it really takes your breath away!! It's huge, pink, glittery and everything that you associate with Disney. It sits at the centre of the Park and provides a fantastic focal point for the shows and parades.

In front of the castle is Main Street USA, set on either side by wooden building housing merchandise stores, restaurants and an ice cream parlour. This is by far the best place to see the parades, and has a wonderful relaxed atmosphere and a great place to soak up the atmosphere.

All of the main information points are located on Main Street, so I would recommend that you locate one fairly quickly to ensure that you know what attractions are open and what time the shows and parades are. These boards are large and green and are very difficult to miss, with the main point located in the Plaza Gardens at the top of the street. This lists all of the "lands" and which attractions are open, and what restriction on riding there may be. It also clearly states when the shows and parades will start. Alternatively, the information guides are clearly identifiable by their bright red jackets and we found them to be polite, friendly and extremely knowledgeable.

Within the Park there are 4 themed "lands" that house the rides and attractions. Each has a range of fast food outlets, cafes, merchandise shops (obviously) and vending stalls, but each has a unique feel and range of attractions.

Moving up to the end of Main Street USA, at the Plaza Gardens, the first "land" is Frontierland on the left.

Frontierland

This is themed on the Wild West and the entrance is a Cavalry Fort straight out of the classic films. Accompanied by soaring cowboy film music, you move into a Wild West town street straight off a film set with saloons, bank houses and mercantile stores lined up.

The main attractions here are Big Thunder Mountain, a fast moving, twisting, turning runaway train rollercoaster, and Phantom manor, which boasts 99 ghosts. Big Thunder Mountain has a height restriction which prevents small children from riding it but, to be honest, I think that they'd be scared to death anyway - it's fast!!! It sits on an island in the middle of the lake and provides a great focal point.

I would recommend a ride on one of the riverboat paddle steamers that ride around the lake. It's an excellent way to see the "land" and very authentic!!

Through an Arabian archway and you're into Adventureland!!

Adventureland

Themed on the mystical Middle East and the depths of darkest Africa, Adventureland has a real expedition feel to it and is a wonderful mix of sound and colour.

At it's centre is Adventure Isle, which is a labyrinth of caves and rope walkways where you can live out your pirate fantasies to your heart's content. Captain Hook's Galley is a fast food outlet based in a full sized mock up of a pirate ship, and is quite breathtaking, and is situated under skull rock.

The main attractions here are the huge rollercoaster of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, which winds, very quickly(!), around an ancient eastern temple, and, my favourite, and a firm recommendation, The Pirates of The Caribbean ride. This is an interior boat ride, with a couple of short, but fairly dry, plunges, which takes you through a town overrun by pirates. The soundtrack throughout is "A Pirate's Life for Me", which can become annoying, but the ride is populated by many animatronic pirates and townsfolk, in various forms of drunkenness and terror as the pirates take over. The scenery and effects are fantastic as the pirates pillage their way through town, drinking their rum and having a great time. The ride is a little dark in places, but our 5 year old had no problems with it, even when the final part of the ride takes you through Davy Jones Locker, complete with gold, piles of coins and skeletal pirates!!!

After the high tempo and sense of adventure, it's a short walk through to FantasyLand.

FantasyLand

FantasyLand really is for the younger visitors (and those younger at heart), with much gentler rides and attractions and an assortment of tea rooms and cafes based on the Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty/Beauty and the Beast films. Our boys called it the "girls" section and it really is a land of princesses and Disney magic.

The Peter Pan ride, which allows you to fly over Wendy, Peter and John's London is very gentle and popular, as is the huge, authentic Carousel of Lancelot and the Dumbo ride. One of my favourites is the Mad Hatter's Teacups, which can be spun really quickly, if you have the knack! This land really is about Prince Charming and whisking princesses off to a magical castle, so really fits in well with a Disney atmosphere. You can access the Sleeping Beauty castle from here, and inside are a couple of shops and a couple of stairways that can be climbed onto the lower parapets of the castle, giving fantastic views of the Park.

My recommendation for this "land" is "It's a Small World". It may have the most annoying theme tune ever written, but with over 280 animatronic characters that accompany you on a boat ride around the world, depicting many countries and cultures by the use of national dress and landmarks, it is a fantastic experience and our kids loved it!!

Having made your way around the top end of the Park, you are now entering Discoveryland.

Discoveryland

Themed on space travel and technology, DiscoveryLand has many state of the art attractions, which are very popular, and make it probably the busiest area.

The main attractions here are Space Mountain, which is an enclosed roller coaster which start with the train being fired out of a cannon, Honey I Shrunk the Audience and the new Buzz Lightyear Lazer Blast.

Honey I Shrunk the Audience has you sitting in a mock theatre at the Inventor of the Year awards ceremony. On a huge cinema screen the story of the ride unfolds, in very effective 3D, where Professor Szalinski manages to "shrink" the audience with his new invention. Seen from the perspective of a shrunken person, the attraction is extremely realistic with various 3D images jumping out at you. It's a little startling at times, alarming younger children, but very, very good.

If you only go on one ride in the Park I would recommend that it is the Buzz Lightyear Lazer Blast. It is a new ride, bringing the shooting gallery right up to date. Shepherded to the launch area by Buzz's commentary on an alien attack, the ride is a flat, slow moving ride around a planet and the enemy base, shooting at targets with the lazer gun that is holstered in your car. The car can be manoeuvred through 360-degree turns, making all of the targets available, and a running score makes it very competitive in family groups. Fantastic entertainment, we went on this 3 times and didn't get bored.

Having now sampled the thrills of all of the "lands" it's time to relax and let Disney entertain you with their signature parades. There are 2 parades each day, but check the information boards for the times, the first one usually themed (so we got Mickey's Christmas parade) and the second one usually illuminated. The parades consist of a number of "floats" travelling the length of Main Street, carrying the main Disney characters. The floats are themed on the main films and characters, so you have an Aladdin float, Cinderella float etc. Fabulous entertainment and very special. As these are a signature of the Parks they are very popular, with people 5 to 6 deep on the pavements of Main Street. The best spot, in my opinion, to watch the parades is on the straight run of Main Street, but pick your spot around 30 minutes before the parade starts, as it gets very, very busy.

Whilst the Magic Kingdom is large, it can be covered in a day, but I would recommend planning a further, shorter, visit, using your hopper ticket, whilst you are staying at the Resort.

Walt Disney Studios

The second Park at the resort is the Walt Disney Studios, which opened in 2004 and is much smaller than the main Park. The studios open at the same time as the main Park, but close a couple of hours earlier.

The whole Park is themed on filmmaking and is designed to resemble a huge "backlot" Hollywood studio. The entrance to the Park is through a huge, hangar style building that is set up a s a Hollywood Street, where all of the shops and fast food outlets are located, and the back lot contains all of the attractions and rides.

The studios are fairly small, but have a number of excellent attractions. Unless you are a real film buff, and enjoy the paraphernalia of filmmaking, then the Studios is probably not a full day out, leaving you time to revisit the main Park.

Our first port of call was the Studio Tram Tour, which is a 10-minute ride around the top of the Park, highlighting the skills and tools of the film production team. Narrated by Jeremy Irons, it is a great way to understand the art of filmmaking, from the special effects, physical effects and costumes. It has 2 stops on it's route, at Catastrophe Canyon, where an oil tanker is thrown towards the tram in flaming glory and accompanied by hundreds of thousands of litres of water, to highlight the special effects art, and at a mock up of a burnt out London square, complete with hanging train carriage, after an attack by dragons, showing off physical effects.

The site contains one rollercoaster, an enclosed twister called Rock n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith, so you are accompanied on your flashing, twisting journey by rock music and power ballads. I would suggest that the scariest part of the ride is the close up of Steve Tyler!!!

I would thoroughly recommend Armageddon, which is a mock up of the bridge of the space station from the film, and consists of a meteor bombardment and the station finally blowing up!! Many fitments move around, you are thoroughly shaken and there are plenty of explosions, so it's probably not for younger visitors, but is very exciting!!

Finally, and by far the best attraction of the Studios, is the Moteurs……..Action Stunt show, which runs twice daily, and is a live display of the stuntman's art. Set in a mocked up town square, cars and motorbikes squeal around performing jumps and turns and defying belief that they can actually make the turn. It lasts for about 45 minutes and is thoroughly worth it!!

As you will probably have guessed by now, I heartily recommend a visit to the Disneyland resort in Paris, if you are looking for an exceptional, magical break for all of the family, that will leave you feeling happy, entertained and warm inside. Some of Tinkerbell's magic fairy dust really does rub off and will make you want to return. We do! Soon!!!

Before you go/Tips :

 Make use of the "hopper" facility on the tickets and plan to stay overnight, so that you can visit both Parks
 Wear comfortable shoes and clothing, there's a lot of walking!!
 Set yourself a budget
 But be prepared to accept that you will blow it as you get carried away with the experience
 Make sure that you pick up a Park map at each of the entrances. They are available in 5 different languages, and are extremely clear and useful
 Make sure that you are in position for any of the parades and shows around 30 minutes before they are due to start
 Make use of the concierge service at your hotel. They are extremely helpful, polite and knowledgeable
 Check the website before you start to book as Disney run a range of offers for free places or free nights. It's www.disneylandparis.co.uk

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the magic!!!!!