Hi all! Work has been insane (made a promotion) but quite inactive here for a while. Will try to answer all the questions with my POV. That might help you
Yep we are two of those Americans!
Okay so here you go I am going to be pelting you with questions.
Here are a few for today.
Which resort? Trying to save money, is Sequoia worth the extra price over Cheyenne?
We are huge Disney buffs and will want to see everything, how many days will it take us?
Getting to and from the airport, how much and how?
@Greenlawler I've stayed in Disney hotels both times; the package benefit is a big plus for me and I will keep doing that, to ensure a perfect status.
I've stayed at Sequioa at first, and New Port this year. Next year I'm booked for Cheyenne.
I'm booking solo and Sequioa is a lot of extra money, compared to Cheyenne.
I've liked both Sequioa and New Port, but the rooms are much alike. Cheyenne has just been renovated and the rooms look great on the new pics. Around the same size for the cheap ones, with a perfect but small bathroom. So the difference is in the extra's and distance to the parcs. I've liked the pool in Newport, but in the end only used it once and it wasnt much needed to recover. (if any of you guys book the etter hotels and you're up for a swimming pool meet; hit me up! #offtopic).
Same for the distance to the parcs. If you plan it right, you only walk to/from your hotel twice a day. It's all really close, certainly compared to WDW. I dont mind walking and I can deal with it after running.
I saw a lot of people struggling during the races, injured and all, and walking a extra KM to the hotel can be a hell for them.
We've booked newport instead of sequioa to be closer to the expo. However, finish was at studios this year, so that backfired and we still had to walk near 2 KM back to hotel. With that in mind, walking 2 or 4 KM after a race is almost the same for me.
I have no experience with it, but there seems to be a okay connection between the airports and DLP. Dont have details, but I saw little to no complains on a Facebook Group for the Magic Run Weekend. There's a magicl express.
http://magicalshuttle.co.uk/
If you're able to plan decent flight times, you'd only need 2, max 3 days to see everything as a disney buff. If you're there from thuesday-thursday, as
@Swissmiss said, very light crowds.
Studios isn't that big, and in general less crowded than the main parc.
If you're there before friday: even 1 full day in both parcs might be enough to see most of it, with some good planning, and use the other race days to do some left over stuff and take pictures.
You can use friday to prepare for all races, do the expo, relax etc.
The race weekend itself quite crowded, so this year, I didnt even enter the parcs on saturday or sunday. Saw all I wanted before most people came and avoided the masses. Chilled at the hotel and village on saturday and left at sunday.
To add to
@Greenlawler's questions, I'd like to add
1. I'd be flying VA to Heathrow, spend a fews day in London and then take the Chunnel to Calais. Would there be trains from Calais to a location near DLP?
2. Hotel/tickets packages?
3. Food on property? Good, bad, indifferent?
Now,
@Swissmiss, don't get your hopes up. If daughter is expecting by 1st of the year, race date would be too close to delivery date for grandma to go fly off to Europe for a week.
@LAKid53 too late. My hopes are up. You're coming ;-)
1) There's a train station literally next to disney. It's part of the village area, and actually closer to both parcs and village compared to the hotels. Downside: afaik there isnt a direct line. You need to switch trains in Paris I guess.
2) I'm fan of the packages. I have no AP or anything and never went to Disney tickey only, so hard to compare however. As far as I can tell, the packages are a fair deal, taking into account that you're staying in a Disney hotel so paying extra for that.
3) expensive, and I cant tell that much difference from WDW. You're always overpaying and the quality is what you can expect from quick serve. The new Chef Mickey was bad, but all my other dining experiences in DLP had been good
I'd say yes, the Sequoia is worth the extra money - particularly for its location, but Cheyenne isn't all that much further (at least it doesn't seem to be and my only reference is running past it twice during this year and last year's half marathon. As for how many days it will take you, it'll depend on whether you are coming before the races or staying after. In general, that time of the year the weekends are just awful but the weekdays have very light crowds. So for example if you were able to do the parks Wed-Fri, you'd problably get in everything you want to and then some.
Can't help you with your airport question, as I either drive or take the train to DLP.
Sequioa had a great styling and theme aswell, and a pool, but it's all about the distance indeed. You're right, Cheyenne isn't that much futher. So thats why I downgraded this year.
Did you already book?
So, was looking at room rates and they seem very reasonable. When I did the inaugural I didn't notice the cost because I was all
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I've booked quite early this year cause I also was suprised, the prices are very reasonable. I'd almost say its cheaper than the inaugural.
Plus who cares about the money. You cant spend it on Tink or Light side anymore xD. The bibs are way cheaper than the races in Disneyland, CA, so use that saving to book a flight and see Paris
Plus, despite being told that yes, I could get a discount on the room with my AP, those rates aren't out yet 