Heading to DLP this summer...What do I need to know?

C

CaptainShortty

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So, I'm finally checking another one of the Disney parks off my bucket list and heading to Disneyland Paris this summer (plan is late June/early July)! I've never been to Paris and am planning on doing the park as well as the actual city and its landmarks. So, what do I need to know about visiting? How many days would you suggest? What attractions/restaurants are can't miss? Should we stay on property and if so, where? We're willing to spend a little bit on the trip to get the most out of it but don't have a ton of money so cost cutting and saving is appreciated!

Thanks in advance everyone!
 
EOD K9

EOD K9

Well-Known Member
When traversing the city, it is always best to use the Metro. Buy a book of Metro tickets as it will save you a ton of money. The system is pretty efficient and will get you where you want to go. The city is broken into 20 arrondissements or districts. The 8th is centrally located and has good hotels. I can recommend two if you are so interested. You probably need at least 7 to 10 days if you are going to the city and the parks. The area called Montmartre is in the upper northwest and is a great area to hit small shops and cafes.
The Eifel Tower, The Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, and the Arc de Triomphe are all not to be missed. No visit would be complete without walking up and down the Champs-Elysees and hitting some of the shops for bread and the like.
 
C

CaptainShortty

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
EOD K9 said:
@CaptainShortty I love Paris and DLP. I have been to DLP once and Paris three times. Are you staying in the city at all or staying at the resort the whole time? If you have specific questions, I can probably help.
Click to expand...

We haven't made any concrete plans yet but I was thinking of doing like 3-4 days at the parks (if we need that much...I'm not sure how it compares to the stateside parks in time needed) and then head over and do about 6-7 days in the actual city.
 
P

peep

Well-Known Member
Best amount of time is probably 3-4 days depending on how you like to do a Disney Resort. Stay on site (if money is no problem) for extra magic hours to maximise your time in the parks or stay in Val d'Europe which is 5 minutes on the RER (the next stop) for much cheaper accommodation (can be of better quality too). If you do want to stay on site then bare in mind that Newport Bay is under heavy refurbishment. The official hotels do come with entry in to the parks too so weigh up all the different pros/cons and costs before making your decision.

Food wise is all down to what kind of thing you prefer. My favourites are Walts and Blue Lagoon. Walts tends to have slow service and is pricey but the food is phenomenal. Blue Lagoon is amazing because of it's location in Pirates of the Caribbean, the food is also fantastic. The new Ratatouille restaurant looks great but has limited options so isn't for everyone.

The fast food is of varying quality and although most complain about the high prices they are similar prices to any theme park food outlets in Europe.

If you're looking at checking out Central Paris then stay for a few nights a bit closer to the center and have a good idea of what you want to see and do and how to get around. RATP.fr is a great official website for info on how to get around on public transport.

If you're used to WDW then Paris will be very different for you, everything is right next to each other, a 5 minute walk between the two parks and the Village. Definitely check out the attractions that are unique to Paris like Phantom Manor, Pirates, Casey Jr, Space Mountain: Mission 2, Cinemagique, Animagique, Ratatouille, Crush's coaster and Tower of Terror (although they're all very similar I do have a love for the Parisian cast members on this attraction).

Some people find the staff to be rude, just provide a smile and say at least Bonjour and you'll find them to be very helpful. If they see you try to make an effort to speak their language they usually make an effort to give you the best service. I find using the phrase "Parlez-vous Anglais?" ("Do you speak English?") helps break the barrier.


I hope that helps a little bit, more than happy to delve into more details. http://www.dlpguide.com/ is also a great tool and is full of useful information.
 
216bruce

216bruce

Well-Known Member
Peep is spot-on for advice. A couple of other observations from our trip there last summer. A goodly number of attractions listed on the map were closed, so check before you go. Also, you'll find the level of upkeep really terrible in some places, especially on the river and the riverboat. Shockingly bad for the geysers and rockwork. Frontierland should have named "nothing land" as much of it was closed and seemingly abandoned.

The castle show is incredible- better than the one at WDW and DL. Even better than Fantasmic at either US park. Maybe the best Disney attraction or show I've ever seen.

There was, I think, only one or two snack carts open, dozens were sitting there unstaffed, so snack accordingly.

Walt's was very good and just had a wonderful interior for fans of Walt and his life.

If you are a fan of 'classic' Disney- ride the Canal Boats. We ended up going on it a few times and found it just charming and beautiful. Short wait too!

I didn't find the staff rude, just rather 'cold' and business-like.

The Studios was just not great at all. Ratatouille wasn't quite open yet when we visited (it was in pass holders only mode), but apart from that there isn't a whole lot in the park that's worth seeing individually if you've been to WDW.The Studios itself as a whole is just a mish-mosh thematically and is kinda butt-ugly. A little bit of CA mixed with DHS.

We stayed at The Disneyland Paris Hotel. It was very pretty and the location is, obviously, wonderful. It ain't cheap though.

Generally, I came, I saw, I have no desire to return unless they get the place up and fully operating and cleaned up. It just lacks 'care'.
 
HolleBolleGijs

HolleBolleGijs

Well-Known Member
For me, it's not the quality that's bad (granted I don't have high standards and I mostly eat at QS), but the hours are weird or nonexistant. Some close quite early (like 3-4pm), other are only open seasonally. Like yesterday when the park was filled to capacity, at least three QS restaurants were closed all day.

(but for food suggestions I'm partial to Hakuna Matata, especially their fries)
 
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GenerationX

GenerationX

Well-Known Member
We were just there in July (both downtown Paris and DLP). We stayed at the Marriott's Village d'Ile-de-France, which is minutes away from the parks and quite comfortable.

The Plaza Gardens restaurant at DLP was simply outstanding. Decor is similar to the Crystal Palace, but the food is way better. The Agrabah Cafe had exquisite theming, but terrible food. Very narrow selection, too.

Phantom Manor and the fireworks show (Disney Dreams) are NOT to be missed. Space Mountain is cool, too.

There are a million sites to see in Paris. Our favorite part was taking the Metro to a station on the Champs-Elysees, walking up the street to the Arc de Triomphe, and seeing Paris and the surrounding area from the top of the Arc.

We found the country, from the Swiss border to Besancon to Chambord to Paris to DLP, to be extremely beautiful and the people to be very friendly throughout our entire trip. I spent the year before we left learning French, so my ability to communicate may have contributed to the positive interactions we had with locals. Also, my family is polite and smile a lot, which I'm sure helped, too.
 
m steve

m steve

Active Member
Three days should be more than enough time to see both of the parks and Disney Village. Take advantage of early entry. The morning rush at the turnstiles at DLP was much less busy than we were used to in the American Disney parks.

We stayed at Sequoia Lodge and liked it very much.

BTMRR at DLP is my favorite ride in any Disney Park.

Our experience at Agrabah Cafe was much different than the previous poster. We thought that both the food and atmosphere were very good.

Have a nice trip.
 

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