A typical DLP vacation?

[invictor23]

Hi all,

Just wondered how long a time most people would generally allocate for a typical visit for DLP? Its somewhere I've always wanted to visit but never really had or taken the opportunity....mad considering the amount of times I've travelled 4500 miles for my fix!

 

[Irishprincess]

We only go for 2-3 days!!
You can get both parks done in a day as well!!
Have fun!:wave:

 

[KCBroadway]

My husband and I just returned from DLP about a week ago. We spent 3 days there (Friday-Sunday) as the ending to our London / Paris vacation. We felt that was more than enough time...especially since the parks were not open late on the days we were there (Studios only open till 7 and Disneyland open till 8 on Friday and 10 Sat. and Sun.). Don't get me wrong...there were some things we didn't get to do, but I guess it really depends on what you absolutely want to do. We did all the major attractions, parades, and shows...but we missed some smaller things. Overall, we were happy we went, but a little disappointed with the park in general. We go to WDW and DL (California) every year and felt that DLP did not have that same "magic" as those U.S. parks. We thought the parks were gorgeous...and some attractions were incredible (ie. Crush's Coaster)...but we were a bit disappointed by cast members and overall cleanliness of the parks. Trash cans were overflowing by mid-afternoon...dirty diapers and trash were in ride queues...mothers changing dirty diapers in food areas...excessive smoking in areas not designated...parents letting their kids go to the bathroom in the beautifully landscaped lawns...it was appalling...

I don't want this to make you not go though...it was something I won't regret...because I LOVE Disney...but I'm not sure I would ever go back...unless they build a whole new park or something.

 

[coolmark18]

Trash cans were overflowing by mid-afternoon...dirty diapers and trash were in ride queues...mothers changing dirty diapers in food areas...excessive smoking in areas not designated...parents letting their kids go to the bathroom in the beautifully landscaped lawns...it was appalling...

Seriously? What the hells going on at DLRP? Sounds unbelieveable!

 

[Brommy]

I felt much the same way. They didn't quite have the 'magic' of WDW.

The cast members were a lot less helpful, which I put down the to the language barrier. Didn't really notice it being particularly dirty / messy.

 

[invictor23]

From whats being said it sounds very much like its falling out of the Disney trend and heading towards being just your standard theme park. I know from visits to Alton Towers/Thorpe Park in the UK, there is not really a wow factor to it. People smoke in queue lines even though its prohibited, people litter like crazy, just seems to be like a general sense of anarchy rather than an enjoyable day.

It's a shame considering it is Disney, perhaps comparing it to WDW isn't wise and it should just be considered a stand alone park?

 

[Drrus]

Dlp

The park is nice, but weather not as bright as at other parks so it always looks a bit sad and grey (like coming back to the UK after 2 weeks in Florida). Staff are not as enthusiastic but more to do with being European, language is also a barrier.
Pirates seems the longest of all 5 parks, and thunder mountain is probably the best of all the parks.
Missing jungle cruise and splash mountain though. Space mountain is more like a standard rollercoaster (with good effects) than then one at WDW ( I prefer this one). Pinocchio is good for kinds and peter pan has 2 rows of seats per boat. Overall not a bad park but lack of splash and jungle cruise puts it in 4th place, (possibly 5th after expansion of HKDL).
The studios park is ok but small and lacks rides (like DHS did originally), TOT has been a good addition and also crush. Cinemagique is different and good.
I usually go every year and enjoy it every time.
Halloween is excellent, most of the adults join in and dress up with the children, usually wearing Halloween consumes of witches, ghosts, etc rather than fancy dress in the US parks. This gives it a great feel but could be scary for small children, when in queue for snow white ride and a car with 6 witches arrives from the exit.
Visits in the winter may get snow, this makes it quite a different experience to get snow at Disney.
Over last few years the crowds have appeared to have increased and now busy times are best avoided.
Over all well worth a visit.

 

[KCBroadway]

My husband also said that it felt like your "standard" theme park instead of Disney (ie. Six Flags). However, if you are a true Disney junkie...and you're in the area...don't miss it. Despite all the negative things we encountered, it did have some positives: Beautiful landscaping (and castle), great daytime parade and stage show, Big Thunder Mountain (best of all the parks I have been too), different Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Crush's Coaster (GREAT ride). The Stars n Cars parade/show at the Studios was also pretty good.

 

[devoy1701]

So we're looking into Paris for our honeymoon next year and were planning to spend about 4 days out at the DLP resort...but you guys are making me second guess myself!

We have two options on the table right now...a return trip back to DL California, spending 4 days at the resort and then head north and spending 4-5 days in Yosemite, or going to Disneyland Paris and spending 4 days at the resort and 4 days in the city/surrounding areas. I really can't decide which we'd rather do!

What else would you throw in as MUST SEEs if we spend a week in the Paris area?

 

[cmatt]

So we're looking into Paris for our honeymoon next year and were planning to spend about 4 days out at the DLP resort...but you guys are making me second guess myself!

We have two options on the table right now...a return trip back to DL California, spending 4 days at the resort and then head north and spending 4-5 days in Yosemite, or going to Disneyland Paris and spending 4 days at the resort and 4 days in the city/surrounding areas. I really can't decide which we'd rather do!

What else would you throw in as MUST SEEs if we spend a week in the Paris area?

the times i have been - i have not noticed the issues in this thread..... and going the first week of sept I had low crowds and it was sunny the whole time I was there....

typical northern european weather - sunny er... in the late sping/summer - crap the rest of the year

 

[KCBroadway]

My husband and I also spent 4 days in Paris (in addition to the 3 at DLP) and had amazing / sunny / warm weather the entire time. We also LOVED Paris! We did so much in those 4 days (Notre Dame / Sacre Coeur / Eiffel Tower / Louvre / Moulin Rouge show / day trips to Versailles and Giverny)....Uh....it was amazing! It's definitely the trip of a lifetime.

Now...on the other hand...DL in CA is AMAZING. My husband and I have gone the past 4 years over Labor Day weekend and are all booked up for this year too. It is probably our favorite of the 3 Disney's we have visited. It has such a nostalgic feeling to it...Knowing that Walt Disney himself walked in this park. They are also doing some great things with California Adventure and it's already improved so much. It's a great park and has much more to do than the Studios in Paris. It also has the new World of Color show, which I am VERY excited to see. I've never been to Yosemite, but CA is a beautiful state (what I haven seen) and you can find tons to do in the area. You could even take a few days and see some of the Southern CA sights (Malibu / LA / Hollywood / Huntington Beach)...All are great.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Brommy]

I can't beleive people can find enough to do for 4 days at DLRP! We had done it all (and many attractions more than once) in 2.5 days.

Like has been said, if you love Disney - it's a must (at least once to say you've done it) but it just doesn't have the same quality, magical feel of WDW

 

[devoy1701]

I can't beleive people can find enough to do for 4 days at DLRP! We had done it all (and many attractions more than once) in 2.5 days.

Like has been said, if you love Disney - it's a must (at least once to say you've done it) but it just doesn't have the same quality, magical feel of WDW

I don't tour Disney Parks like most people do. We did DL over 6 days this past December and that wasn't long enough for us, even though most people said all that we would need was 3, 4 days at the most. We definitely like to take it slow, ride some things 2 or 3 times, try out EVERYTHING atleast once, spend an afternoon just going through the shops, another day just walking around and snapping pictures, exploring the different resorts, etc. I'm actually worried that 4 days won't be enough to tour everything! For 2 people who have only been to Canada and Mexico (BRIEFLY), the whole idea of being in parks in FRANCE is intriguing.

 

[MichWolv]

Hi all,

Just wondered how long a time most people would generally allocate for a typical visit for DLP? Its somewhere I've always wanted to visit but never really had or taken the opportunity....mad considering the amount of times I've travelled 4500 miles for my fix!

I just returned from a trip to DLP. We took the Eurostar from London Monday morning, July 5, and returned to London the evening of July 7. This was a good amount of time for the trip, although a day longer would have been fine as well.

Disneyland Park was open until 11 and the Studios until 7. In a full day at the Studios (10-7), you can hit every attraction in the park. The remaining time we spent in Disneyland Park, which gave us time to hit everything we wanted to see. If we had another day, we'd have explored the Disney Village, repeated a few attractions, and had time to enjoy the hotel amenities.

But for the parks, we had sufficient time.

 

[MichWolv]

I don't tour Disney Parks like most people do. We did DL over 6 days this past December and that wasn't long enough for us, even though most people said all that we would need was 3, 4 days at the most. We definitely like to take it slow, ride some things 2 or 3 times, try out EVERYTHING atleast once, spend an afternoon just going through the shops, another day just walking around and snapping pictures, exploring the different resorts, etc. I'm actually worried that 4 days won't be enough to tour everything! For 2 people who have only been to Canada and Mexico (BRIEFLY), the whole idea of being in parks in FRANCE is intriguing.

4 full days will be enough for you, even touring like that. I spent time looking at everything for differences/similarities with other resorts, figuring out the various creative ways they deal with language issues, walking in and out of shops (no purchasing, but lots of looking), and exploring passages and walkways, and that was in 2 1/2 days. With 4, you should be OK.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

So we're looking into Paris for our honeymoon next year and were planning to spend about 4 days out at the DLP resort...but you guys are making me second guess myself!

We have two options on the table right now...a return trip back to DL California, spending 4 days at the resort and then head north and spending 4-5 days in Yosemite, or going to Disneyland Paris and spending 4 days at the resort and 4 days in the city/surrounding areas. I really can't decide which we'd rather do!

What else would you throw in as MUST SEEs if we spend a week in the Paris area?

Go to Paris!

You can hop back and forth between the city and the Parks if you want to. For Paris, the city and surroundings, a lifetime won't suffice to see it all, but three or four days will get you the highlights.
The Paris Disney parks can be done in one day, two or three seem ideal. As a resort I do not find it all that interesting to me.

DLP is fun. To me though, as several others have said, it lacks a certain 'magic'. I can't quite put my finger on it why...maybe because it's not American, the weather certainly doesn't help. The studios are a disaster, the worst Disney park on the planet.

Some things in DLP are special though. What the park is good at, it is really good at. Adventureland, the exciting Big Thunder, lots of great walkthroughs that blur the line between attraction and theming, the many, many lavish details (a dragon in the dungeons underneath the castle!).