First timer- Many Questions

[CrescentLake]

Its official! I just booked a flight to Paris on my first ever trip out of the United States. My major goal of course is to see the city itself and to spend time with a friend that I am visiting.

Being a Disney fan though, I will absolutely have to spend a day in Disneyland Paris. I'm doing my research, but I would feel more comfortable with a bit of advice. I know this thread pops up on here all the time, and I read a few of them, but I still have questions. For that I apologize.

Questions:
1) Best time during the week to go?
2) Where do I start my day if I want to hit both parks and the "big" rides?
3) Do I get tickets while I'm still in the states or do I order when I'm there?
4) How feasible is it to get to and from Paris (would be starting my day in the actual city itself, as that is where I am staying. No access to a car).
5) Anything thats not a ride/show that I absolutely must experience?
6) Place for decent snacks/souvenirs

In my research I know that I have to hit Crush and Rat early. It'll be just me so I'm not too worried about that. I also know to avoid the food, for the most part. I'll be in Paris the rest of my vacation so I'm not too worried about that, I'll be getting good food in the city!

Literally as soon as I booked I became totally overwhelmed. In a good way, of course. Any help is very appreciated!

 

[Swissmiss]

Here are some answers to your questions:

1) Best time during the week to go?

Avoid the weekends. Many Parisians have annual passes and will go for Saturday or Sunday from midday.

2) Where do I start my day if I want to hit both parks and the "big" rides?

About your only chance to do Rat and Crush is to get to the studios early. Even though the official opening time of the park is 10am, we've gotten there at 9:45 and the line to get into line to do Rat snaked halfway across the park. The studios always close earlier than MK.

3) Do I get tickets while I'm still in the states or do I order when I'm there?

Tickets bought online at least a couple days in advance are cheaper than at the gate. If your friend has a paris billing address it is worth comparing the French and U.S. sites to see if exchange rates make the tickets more or less expensive. You can't change the country on the billing address so this may or may not be an option for you.

4) How feasible is it to get to and from Paris?

Very. You take the RER A line to Marne la vallee/DLP (it is the last stop). The train station is at the entrance to the parks.

5) Anything thats not a ride/show that I absolutely must experience?

Visit the dragon under the castle. The nautilus walk-thru is also fun.

6) Place for decent snacks/souvenirs

If you are a fan of WDW, the answer about snacks (and food in general) is "not really". And beware of the popcorn - most often it is sweet and only in a few places is it salty. Unless you are seeing a souvenir that is very specific to the part of the park where you are (such as the pirate themed articles in the shop outside of pots) then you will probably want to wait to get things either in the emporium just before leaving the MK or at world of disney in the village (which you have to walk past in order to exit) - that way you aren't carrying things all day.

Enjoy!

 

[JillC LI]

I just bought tickets in the US for July at this web site:
http://www.disneylandparis.com/en-us/
Check the calendar to see whether you need a Mini Magic, Magic, or Super Magic ticket for the day(s) you will be there.

 

[kirari]

when are you visiting the park? because at the moment, there is a big (not to say huge) refurbishment on Discoveryland, so it's not really nice to visit dlp.

Swissmiss has already give you all the major info. I would just ad, as weekdays, avoid wednesday, lot of children do not have school on this day so parents bring them to the park. Avoid also holidays date if you can.

As attraction, I would recommend Big thunder Mountain, Rock n roller coaster, cinemagic, RC racer is nice too.
Of course, a Not to be missed is Disney Dreams at the closing hour of Disneyland park. It is just wonderful.
As snake/souvenir, I've worked at Emporium and Yes, you will find almost everything there. If you want specific paris theme souvenirs, a good shop is "Chez Marianne, souvenir de Paris", just near Ratatouille.

A good tip for ticket, is to buy it before you arrive, it is a lot more cheaper. You can also subscribe to venteprivee.com, a french site which offer sometimes great deals on tickets.

 

[orlando678-]

A lot of information is given

I would do for

Disneyland park:
- phantom manor
- big thunder mountain railroad
- pirates of the caribbean
- indiana jones and the temple of peril
- dragons lair
- alices curious labyrinth
- its a small world
- peter pans flight
- space mountain( if possible)
- star tours

Walt disney studios park:
- tower of terror
- crush coaster( try to do this first)
- ratatouille( try to do this as second)
- backlot tour
- animagique
- rock n rollercoaster

If you want to do both on one day, start with the studios because of crush and ratatouille especially, but i would strongly advice you to take a day per park and if the studios close, you can head back to the disneyland park.

Nice places to eat

Disneyland park:
- the lucky nugget
- hakuna matata restaurant
- Agrabah restaurant
- toad hall
- blue lagoon restaurant

Walt disney studios park:
- chez remy
- blockbusters cafe
- restaurants des stars

When i visit dlrp and i want to dine i usually leave the park and go to disney village where it isnt as busy as at the parks.

Disney village:
Annette's
Rainforest cafe
Planet hollywood
King ludwig's

 

[CrescentLake]

Wanted to say much appreciated all. This thread has made my trip significantly less overwhelming.

I wish I could spend more than one day in DLP and someday in the future I will, but since I'll only be in Paris 9 days (not counting travel), I figure I can only really spare one day. I am ecstatic to go, as this will also be my first non WDW Disney experience!

Thank you to all who responded, I have compiled it all in my planning documents. You guys are the best!

 

[Tinkerkelle]

Paris is an amazing city and you'll have a fab time. Metro makes it so easy to get about and the bateux bus is great for sightseeing along the seine.

It's really easy to get the train out and only takes about 45 minutes and station exit is practically at park gate. I prefer the story of phantom manor to the haunted mansion but love them both. ToT MUCH better in WDW. You could focus on the rides unique to DLRP. Alice maze, RC Racer, Toy Soldier's Drop, Crush and Ratatouille. Get there early and if you want to do crush, toy story area and ratatouille without too much wait then go to studios for rope drop. I love eating in Blue Lagoon and watching PotC boats sail by. QS locations all much the same.

WDW is just brilliant but there's something really nice about being able to walk from the hotels to Disney village and to the two parks. Also, ADRs and FP+ not an issue which makes for more laid back planning. Some restaurants do need reservations but only a few (Cafe Mickey for example as one of only a very few character meals) and only need to make a few days in advance.

Have a fab time.

 

[PacNWTigger]

Would you need to transfer RER lines to get to Paris from DLP? I know that DLP is on the red line, but if we are wanting to go INTO Paris where would be the best transfer points?

 

[Swissmiss]

You would take the same line back to Paris. Then depending on where within the city you wanted to visit you would need to look at a map of RER and metro stops to see where you could switch to a metro line.

 

[Tinkerkelle]

Disney to Paris line is RER A, the red line. It goes from marne la vallee (dlp) straight into gare de lyon which is one of the big stations that also houses a metro stop. You can transfer easily to the metro and get the line that takes you wherever you want to be in Paris. Gare de lyon is very central so you might not even need to transfer.

 

[Kit83]

I just want to add a word of caution when on the RER into Paris is it easy and quiet during non commute times we have used it several times but in the late evening because it passes through some very rundown areas of Paris you may feel uncomfortable in the late evenings on your own or with children I know we did . Late in the evening they can change where the train stops and you may have to change trains, difficult if you don't speak French a little scary late at night even if you do .

We take a taxi if its late now . We recommend staying at the Disney land hotel in the park if you have the budget and the Davey Crockett cabins otherwise but you will need a car here .

Edit ... I don't know if you speak French but a few words really help in restaurants not just to order but to soften up the Parisian waiters their reputation for snotty service is mainly because of foreigners not trying to order etc in French . You will get better service if you do and they may even share their disdain for other customers that don't if you try a few words .

Waiters are well paid so no need to tip but you may if service was more than you expected 10 % is ok but not expected .

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

I was a regular for a while, so I'm a happy to help I'm sure I'm missing a ton of stuff but if you have any questions, let me know!

1) Best time during the week to go?
Any time but the weekends you should be good. Weekends can be awful, unless it's the Sunday before kids go back to school after a break. The only downside to going during the week is that the park closes earlier, but you make up for that with shorter lines throughout the day.

2) Where do I start my day if I want to hit both parks and the "big" rides?
I would start with the Studios. It closes earlier than Disneyland Park, and I think most people start in DP and will go to the Studios in the afternoon. Hitting all the big rides in one day might be a problem if you go on the weekend, but it shouldn't be an issue during the week. Definitely take advantage of Fastpass. I would recommend getting a FP for Ratatouille and then getting in line for Crush (which doesn't have fastpasses).

3) Do I get tickets while I'm still in the states or do I order when I'm there?
Definitely buy them advance, because they have different options depending on when you're going. For example, it can be less expensive if you go during the week. But I think the ticket offices at the park only offer one price.

4) How feasible is it to get to and from Paris (would be starting my day in the actual city itself, as that is where I am staying. No access to a car).
The train is amazing. I miss the train to Disneyland Paris. It's pretty easy to navigate, as well. You'll take the RER A (red line) towards Marne-la-Vallée - Chessy - Parc Disneyland. It's the last stop. All of the stations have a board that indicates which stops the train will stop at, so when you're waiting you can check to make sure it's the right train (the line splits, so it's a good idea to check). From my experience, the DLP train usually is the double-decker one.

From my experience, it's totally safe. I lived in Paris for four months, and would take it back from DLP after work all by myself. I never had any issues. Not all of the RER lines are as safe at night, but especially after the park closes there are plenty of tourists, passholders, and cast members returning to Paris.

If you're near La Défense, Charles-de-Gaulle - Etoile, Auber, Chatlet - les Halles, or Nation, you won't have to transfer, because the RER A runs through those stations. They are also connected to a bunch of metro lines, so it shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure you buy the right ticket (one that goes outside of Paris), because if they are checking, you can get fined. But if you use the ticket machines, which are available in English, it shouldn't be an issue.

5) Anything thats not a ride/show that I absolutely must experience?
These are listed in the map as attractions, but check out the walkthroughs. The castle has an attraction in itself, in addition to the dragon underneath. There's also a neat Aladdin walkthrough.

There are some nice quiet paths in between Frontierland and Adventureland, as well, which are nice to just explore and wander around! Also be sure to explore adventure isle, which is near Pirates of the Caribbean!

6) Place for decent snacks/souvenirs
Anywhere is going to run you 10-15 euros for an adult meal, which honestly isn't too bad. I honestly love any quick service restaurant I've ever eaten at inside Parc Disneyland. The main street ones aren't as well themed as the rest, but I love them all. I'm partial to Hakuna Matata, which is in Adventureland. The main meals are lightly spiced chicken strips, chicken with "african sauce," and a kebab sandwich. Also their Hakuna Fries are amazing. During the day, there are African drummers outside, as well. Fuente del Oro has Mexican food, and it's right in front of Big Thunder. It's really nice to sit outside there and eat. I also love Toad Hall, which has fish and chips and stuff (it's not far from Peter Pan's Flight).

As far as fancier restaurants go, the new Ratatouille restaurant opened in the studios, but to my understanding it is quite expensive. But it's really charming so I would at the very least check it out! If you're pressed for time, I wouldn't recommend sitting down. There's also Walt's on Main Street which is super nice, and super pricey, if you are so inclined.

They have some neat Ratatouille merch in the studios, but I'm partial to the post-card-style branded merchandise.

EDIT: Just realized that I forgot to remove the quote command when I copied over the questions, so it looked really weird. Whoops!

 

[PacNWTigger]

What are some important French phrases to know? I'm thinking specifically things to know in restaurants because they don't always take kindly to those who don't at least try to speak some French...

 

[Clamman73]

What are some important French phrases to know? I'm thinking specifically things to know in restaurants because they don't always take kindly to those who don't at least try to speak some French...

Whatever you do, don't call the waiter "garcon"

 

[kirari]

What are some important French phrases to know? I'm thinking specifically things to know in restaurants because they don't always take kindly to those who don't at least try to speak some French...

Start all sentences with an "Excusez moi" will already help a lot! say "Merci", "Au revoir", "s'il vous plait?", with a smile, etc... Yes, that basic, but trust me a lot of people here forget about it.

 

[Kit83]

What are some important French phrases to know? I'm thinking specifically things to know in restaurants because they don't always take kindly to those who don't at least try to speak some French...

I think a French phrase book may help, or you could take classes . I don't think there are are important phrases to know, just try to say the things you would normally say in a restaurant, only in French . Trying but getting it wrong is much better than not .

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

Don't overthink the French. CMs are pretty much required to speak English since there are plenty of people from the UK who visit (unless you go during French school vacations, when they are less picky about language skills). Definitely don't go to the trouble of taking classes. The little things are nice, like "bonjour," "excusez-moi" "pardon," "merci," "au revoir," and "s'il vous plait." Also, "Parlez-vous anglais?" (par-lay voo ahng-lay). Be aware that the French value politesse. They will greet you with "bonjour," and part with "au revoir," always in a professional context. Unless you're fluent, they will most likely switch to English, anyway. I've been studying French for over 5 years, and I ended up speaking English against my will, because many can tell istantly that you're not a native French speaker.

If you really want to learn some French, I would highly recommend doing the first few sections on Duolingo. In my opinion, it's one of the best free resources out there. It's 100% free, you can do it at your own pace, and you can do as little or as much as you want.

 

[PacNWTigger]

Don't overthink the French. CMs are pretty much required to speak English since there are plenty of people from the UK who visit (unless you go during French school vacations, when they are less picky about language skills). Definitely don't go to the trouble of taking classes. The little things are nice, like "bonjour," "excusez-moi" "pardon," "merci," "au revoir," and "s'il vous plait." Also, "Parlez-vous anglais?" (par-lay voo ahng-lay). Be aware that the French value politesse. They will greet you with "bonjour," and part with "au revoir," always in a professional context. Unless you're fluent, they will most likely switch to English, anyway. I've been studying French for over 5 years, and I ended up speaking English against my will, because many can tell istantly that you're not a native French speaker.

If you really want to learn some French, I would highly recommend doing the first few sections on Duolingo. In my opinion, it's one of the best free resources out there. It's 100% free, you can do it at your own pace, and you can do as little or as much as you want.

Thank you so much for the info. I will definitely check out Duolingo. I understand Spanish...don't speak it as well as I used to, but I know there are some similarities to the languages. I should be able to pick up the key phrases pretty quickly.

 

[kirari]

heu... can i say no ? spanih is really different. I learn both (well no, I am native french so I've only learned Spanish), and it was way easier.

But trust me, even just one word in french make us more likely to help you .

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

Thank you so much for the info. I will definitely check out Duolingo. I understand Spanish...don't speak it as well as I used to, but I know there are some similarities to the languages. I should be able to pick up the key phrases pretty quickly.

I my experience, knowledge of one definitely helps with the other. Like I can understand a lot of the first Harry Potter book in Spanish because of French. It won't make you fluent, but it will definitely help understanding grammatical concepts and vocab!