Spur of the Moment Trip to DLRP

[Miceberg]

An opportunity arose for a last minute trip to Paris for DH and my 29th Anniversary. 4 days to plan, pack and prepare (and we are both working those days) is little time to feel confident in our efforts. We will have 7 days including arrival and departure and plan to spend one day at DLRP. Can anyone offer some tips to Europe newbies? Since I am a big planner, I'm a little nervous over the lack of time I have to research and plan. We were thinking of visiting the parks on Monday. Thoughts?

 

[Swissmiss]

Just be aware that next week 2 out of the 3 school zones in France will be on winter break and it could also be winter break for other European school systems as well. Also think of the cold and dress accordingly. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Miceberg]

Just be aware that next week 2 out of the 3 school zones in France will be on winter break and it could also be winter break for other European school systems as well. Also think of the cold and dress accordingly. Enjoy your trip!

Thanks for the info about the school holiday - it didn't pop up on the calendar I checked. I'm sure it's going to effect crowd levels everywhere we go. However I really have no choice in the timing - and we really want to grab this chance. I hope we can do it all at DLRP with one day. I have additional comp tickets available to me if we need a second day, but I'm really hoping to use that time to do other stuff.

 

[Swissmiss]

Although it will be more crowded (in DLP and in Paris) than if school were in session - many people also go skiing during the winter break. Don't worry too much about it - you can't change it so just enjoy what you can.

 

[AndyS2992]

Monday is a great day to visit whether school is on or not, DLP crowds are nothing compared to the American parks so you should be fine. Keep in mind Paris and Disneyland are covered in snow right now so wrap up.

General tips for a trip to Disneyland Paris:
Disneyland Paris Must Do attractions:
1. Phantom Manor
2. Big Thunder Mountain
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
5. It's a Small World
6. HyperSpace Mountain
7. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
8. Crush's Coaster
9. Ratatouille
10. Rock N Rollercoaster
Make sure to watch Mickey and the Magician show at Walt Disney Studios, Disney Stars on Parade [5pm] and Disney Illuminations fireworks [8pm] at Disneyland. Arrive at least an hour before show time to get a good spot for parades and fireworks. Oh and don't forget to find the dragon under the castle.

Park Hours:
Disneyland: 10am - 8pm [Magic Hours 8:30am to 9:30am*]
Walt Disney Studios: 10am - 8pm [Magic Hours 8:30am to 9:30am*]
*Resort hotel guests only

Fastpass is the old ticket system which includes the following:
-Big Thunder Mountain
-Indiana Jones Coaster
-Peter Pan's Flight
-Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
-Star Tours 2.0
-HyperSpace Mountain
-Rock N Rollercoaster
-Tower of Terror
-Ratatouille
-Flying Carpets

Food at Disneyland Paris is very expensive and underwhelming so recommend strolling through Disney Village to McDonald's if you are on a budget.

Current attraction closures:
-Phantom Manor
-Casey Jr
-Storybook Land Canal Boats
-Sleeping Beauty castle walkthrough

Characters, shows, parade times and locations:
http://download.disneylandparis.com/Disneyland-Paris_Shows-and-Parades.pdf

There's the Disneyland day planning sorted for you, hopefully it will be of use. Tons of guides on getting around Paris online so you should be able to find those easily. Paris is very easy to get around if you used the trains and Metro. Also get attraction tickets online in advance as they are usually cheaper and will often allow you instant access and skip any queues.

 

[Miceberg]

That's a lot of good info - thank you! We start our travels tomorrow, but won't actually arrive until Friday so I have a little more time to try and prep!