1st timer would love more info please.

[marni1971]

Oh I know DLP inside out!

I can't see that walk done in three minutes. How did you mange it? Or do I walk reallllyyy slow?

Assuming the security lodge lets you into the Sequoia grounds (if that's the way you went) its a mile from Dream Castle to the Hotel New York plaza. Walking 2/3 mph that's 20-30 minutes to get that far.

 

[Ralphlaw]

On vacation, time changes.

 

[IWantMyMagicBand]

Some pics of our room at Sequoia, we have stayed in all but Disneyland and Sequoia is our favourite. We stayed there in October. I don't believe you can walk from Dream Castle to the parks, there are too many main roads to cross.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

You people are all wusses! It is 50 meters to DLP property, from there it is but 400 meters to the Disney hotel farthest from the parks, the Santa Fé - from which people walk to the parks too. It is a brief, pleasant stroll along a separate walking path, complete with nice zebra crossings that give you right of way too.

At the gas station at Santa Fé you turn right, and voila you're on the hotel ground. I do it hopping on one leg whilst whistling Disney tunes just to burn off some energy.
(Although a seven year old should just take the shuttle, the entire walk is too much)

 

[IWantMyMagicBand]

Maybe I'm a wuss, but I wouldn't chance crossing roads in a country where the drivers make up their own rules. Walking that stretch with my 3 free spirits would not go well for us either.
Plus - Dream Castle does not offer EMH. I know it's only one hour each day but it's good to have a headstart on the crowds, however small they are.

 

[peep]

Dream Castle is no way a 3 minute walk lol. I agree it is a nice hotel and there is a free shuttle, actually all 4 of those big hotels are nice. However as they share the shuttle service between them it can be quite a faff and it can also get quite busy. If you stay at any of the Disney hotels they are all within a 20 minute walk from the parks, everything is very close together and convenient, the free Extra Magic Hours are nice too, especially during the busy months.

^ Most of the drivers in the Disney area are actually very aware that tourists might be around and are usually very courteous when it comes to stopping for a zebra crossing.

 

[Swissmiss]

Thanks for the advice. I'm real tempted to book at Dream Castle, but I'll have a 7 year old with me, which means extra walking can be a pain. We'll decide in the next few weeks. Thanks again.

Since you will be there 4 days you may want to look into getting annual passes, which would be cheaper than the price of DLP tickets, regardless of whether they are bundled into your room price or not. The one that has no black out dates also gives you access to EMH regardless of whether you are on-site or off-site. As much as I love staying on-site at WDW, I've found that at DLP the hotels in proximity (Dream Castle is our favorite) are so much nicer and still have the feel of being on-site. Dream Castle and the other three hotels on the same street have a shuttle service to the parks so there is no need to walk from there. The annual pass also gives you a discount on food and merchandise which almost pays for the pass itself in the amount you can save . You can also sometimes find a deal on annual passes thru some french websites bringing the cost down a bit more.

 

[phrog]

30? The hotel is directly adjacent to the DLP resort! From the roundabout it is three hundred meters to the Santa Fé, and six hundred meters to the Sequoia. The distance form the DCH to the Sequoia is the same as from the Sequoia to Main Street. Like half a mile. There's a direct pathway on the Av. Robert Schuman.

There's a shuttle too.

Left of the railroad tracks are the two parks, to the right the DLP hotels. Outside the ringroad are third party hotels. A is the DCH.

I don't speak french, could somebody please tell me key points on this map. Okay, I found the McDonald's. LOL

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

I don't speak french, could somebody please tell me key points on this map. Okay, I found the McDonald's. LOL

They aren't really key points, just certain attractions that happen to be marked. But here you go:

Le Pays des Contes de Fées = Storybook Land Canal (similar to Disneyland in California)
Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant = Sleeping Beauty's Castle
Le Train de la Mine de Big Thunder = Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
RC Racer = RC Racer (Toy Story Playland, the map is actually older than this area so you can't see the attractions)
La Tour de la Terreur = Tower of Terror
Bois des Livrains = Livrains Woods, nothing really to do with DLP
Lac Disney = Lake Disney (in Disney Village)

 

[Figments Friend]

This thread is great...so many thanks for those that have posted info and tips.

Over the last couple of years i have been toying with the idea of visiting DLP, and looked into it a tiny bit.
It*s good to hear feedback about the various hotels, and other points about the area that a *newbie* can really appreciate.

 

[LeafsFanNL]

I liked it a lot. DLP itself reminds me more of DL than MK, and thats a good thing. I liked DS a lot, loved the Ratatouille area a lot. I thought the out of park experiences were lacking. I've stayed at a half dozen WDW hotels and at the Disneyland Hotel, and fine that the atmosphere at Sequoia Lodge was not what I think of at a disney hotel. It was fine, and I'd stay again for the proximity, but the bubble is absent IMO. Disney Village was fine but not up to either DTD.

 

[PacNWTigger]

I liked it a lot. DLP itself reminds me more of DL than MK, and thats a good thing. I liked DS a lot, loved the Ratatouille area a lot. I thought the out of park experiences were lacking. I've stayed at a half dozen WDW hotels and at the Disneyland Hotel, and fine that the atmosphere at Sequoia Lodge was not what I think of at a disney hotel. It was fine, and I'd stay again for the proximity, but the bubble is absent IMO. Disney Village was fine but not up to either DTD.

I second what @LeafsFanNL said. We were just there this summer, and we had a wonderful time. That being said it wasn't spectacular though. We stayed at the Dream Castle Hotel which is like a good neighbor hotel, and took the shuttle over to the parks and RER daily. Disney Village is pretty darn small in comparison to WDW and DLR. The architecture in the parks is absolutely stunning...I LOVED their version of Sleeping Beauty's castle complete with a dragon in the dungeon.

I recommend visiting the parks, but make sure that isn't the whole purpose of the trip because there is soooo much other stuff to see. The RER into Paris takes only 45 minutes, and if you get an all day pass you can zip anywhere you want in the area (including Versailles). Please let me know if you want more info. I am more than happy to share.

 

[Padraig]

Considering a trip in November/December and I'm looking for info on Fastpass/VIP. My wife was there four or five years ago and she swears there was a system available that was similar to Universals VIP passes. Any of the Disney pages are dead links and other sources seem out of date. The only mention I can see is that of "Privileged access to certain attractions with the exclusive VIP FASTPASS®" on the Amenities section for Club rooms (no prices listed so I'm sure these are super expensive).

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

That was called the Faspass Premium, but it looks like it was discontinued in 2014. I found this on a DLP-specific message board:

"Ils ont été disponibles à la vente entre le 19 juin 2009 et mai 2014. Ils ne sont plus d'actualité."
They were available for sale between June 19, 2009 and May 2014. They are no longer relevant.

That being said, other special FP privileges are currently available to certain hotel guests. From the DLP website:

VIP FASTPASS®
Enjoy unlimited access to the FASTPASS® line and skip the queue during your stay. As a Suites or Castle Club Guest, you'll board within a matter of minutes to the attractions that offer the FASTPASS® service (only available at Disneyland® Hotel, Disney's Hotel New York®, Disney's Newport Bay Club® and Disney's Sequoia Lodge®).

Disney Hotel FASTPASS®
Enjoy faster entry at times that suit you to some of your favourite FASTPASS® attractions. Only available to Guests staying at the Disneyland® Hotel (Standard and Family room) and at the Disney's Sequoia Lodge (Golden Forest Club room), who'll receive one FASTPASS® per day, per person, valid all day except between 1:00pm and 4:00pm.

 

[Padraig]

That was called the Faspass Premium, but it looks like it was discontinued in 2014. I found this on a DLP-specific message board:

"Ils ont été disponibles à la vente entre le 19 juin 2009 et mai 2014. Ils ne sont plus d'actualité."
They were available for sale between June 19, 2009 and May 2014. They are no longer relevant.

That being said, other special FP privileges are currently available to certain hotel guests. From the DLP website:

Thanks for that. I was looking at the Disneyland Hotel and Fastpass isn't listed as a perk for the standard rooms. Any ideas on prices for the Club levels rooms?

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

Thanks for that. I was looking at the Disneyland Hotel and Fastpass isn't listed as a perk for the standard rooms. Any ideas on prices for the Club levels rooms?

No idea, sorry - never had to deal with booking a hotel room. It looks like the club level rooms have to be booked via telephone, which would explain why there's no pricing. I'm assuming you'd be coming from Ireland based on your name/photo? The Irish site says to call +33 1 60 30 60 90 for booking info for club rooms, although there's a different number from the UK site - 08448 003 240.

Even if it doesn't show up as a perk, I think you'll still get it at a standard room at the Disneyland Hotel. I don't see it listed as a perk for any rooms, but it is definitely on the Fastpass info page.
http://www.disneylandparis.com/en-us/guest-services/fast-pass/

FWIW, I don't think it's worth it to pay a ton of extra money on the room to get the VIP FP. The parks are totally doable in 2 days sans VIP FP, unless you go during French school vacations, which end Nov. 1 this year. So you should be good whenever you go in November.

Also just so you know, the hotel prices seem crazy, but they also include park tickets, keep that in mind when picking a hotel! Although there are plenty of much cheaper non-Disney hotels just a train stop away.

 

[Padraig]

No idea, sorry - never had to deal with booking a hotel room. It looks like the club level rooms have to be booked via telephone, which would explain why there's no pricing. I'm assuming you'd be coming from Ireland based on your name/photo? The Irish site says to call +33 1 60 30 60 90 for booking info for club rooms, although there's a different number from the UK site - 08448 003 240.

Even if it doesn't show up as a perk, I think you'll still get it at a standard room at the Disneyland Hotel. I don't see it listed as a perk for any rooms, but it is definitely on the Fastpass info page.
http://www.disneylandparis.com/en-us/guest-services/fast-pass/

FWIW, I don't think it's worth it to pay a ton of extra money on the room to get the VIP FP. The parks are totally doable in 2 days sans VIP FP, unless you go during French school vacations, which end Nov. 1 this year. So you should be good whenever you go in November.

Also just so you know, the hotel prices seem crazy, but they also include park tickets, keep that in mind when picking a hotel! Although there are plenty of much cheaper non-Disney hotels just a train stop away.

It's funny. I always feel like I'm on the backfoot when I'm calling cold on something like that. I just want to armed with information... not that'll make a blind bit of difference. It'll be our first time away as a parents and I can't predict how my daughter (who'll just be two) will react to standing in line. She's fairly energetic, so the idea of VIP passes will really help sell the plan to my wife.

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

It's funny. I always feel like I'm on the backfoot when I'm calling cold on something like that. I just want to armed with information... not that'll make a blind bit of difference. It'll be our first time away as a parents and I can't predict how my daughter (who'll just be two) will react to standing in line. She's fairly energetic, so the idea of VIP passes will really help sell the plan to my wife.

Understandable! It also really depends on when you go. If you were to go during the week in early November right when French students are back in school, it will be very quiet and the queues will be very short (walk-on short). I would not spend the extra money if you're going then.

That being said, the Christmas decorations go up early/mid-November. The weekends will be *awful* once that happens. But any weekday between Nov 2 and Dec 18 should be nearly empty. Last year I went on the Thursday before Christmas, and it was dead. But I also went a few weekends in Nov/Dec and it was a madhouse - I think there was even a capacity closure.

 

[Swissmiss]

It's funny. I always feel like I'm on the backfoot when I'm calling cold on something like that. I just want to armed with information... not that'll make a blind bit of difference. It'll be our first time away as a parents and I can't predict how my daughter (who'll just be two) will react to standing in line. She's fairly energetic, so the idea of VIP passes will really help sell the plan to my wife.

Look a bit on the website so that you are aware of what the pricing should be - I have found that the few times I have booked a room onsite they have proposed a preferred or club-level room and when I mention that I saw a different price on the website they suddenly say "oh yes, the standard room is..." The VIP pass probably won't help you with a 2 year old - I think it is only for certain rides (at least that was the experience of a friend who went with her 5 year old a couple of years ago - it was only good for rides he was too small to go on). Depending on how many days you plan on going, you may want to look into an annual pass and staying offsite. And if you do stay offsite, book directly with the hotel and not thru the DLP website.

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

Look a bit on the website so that you are aware of what the pricing should be - I have found that the few times I have booked a room onsite they have proposed a preferred or club-level room and when I mention that I saw a different price on the website they suddenly say "oh yes, the standard room is..." The VIP pass probably won't help you with a 2 year old - I think it is only for certain rides (at least that was the experience of a friend who went with her 5 year old a couple of years ago - it was only good for rides he was too small to go on). Depending on how many days you plan on going, you may want to look into an annual pass and staying offsite. And if you do stay offsite, book directly with the hotel and not thru the DLP website.

Good point, didn't even think about that! The VIP FP will only help you on attractions that normally give out FPs. So, @Padraig the green ones are the only ones that your daughter could really do:

• Big Thunder Mountain
• Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril
  
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
• Space Mountain: Mission 2
• Star Tours
• Ratatouille: L'Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith
  
• Flying Carpets over Agrabah - technically a FP attraction, but they don't normally distribute FPs for it

So unless you would normally splurge for club level, I wouldn't pay those prices just for the FP, since you would only be using it for 3 rides for her.