Paris VS Orlando

[disneytime]

Guys,
we arrive back January from our first ever disney trip. We spent 17 wonderul days in WDW Florida, the kids loved it, we loved it - pure magic.

We wanted to book again this year but the money is an issue.

I wanted some advice about DLP and what people thought of it compares to Paris? I really don't want to be disappointed.

Thanks all.

[wombat]

Hi,

I have been to WDW 8 times and went to DLP with friends last year.

In my opinion I have never been as disappointed. The CMs did not seem happy, the weather was a bit hit and miss, the queues were horrendous as most Europeans seem to have no concept of queing and just kept pushing in.

That's the problem with WDW, it raises the bar and nowhere else can match it.

[Diane]

Sorry, I have to agree with Paul, DLP doesn't cut it for me...:(

Diane x

[loll1511]

I too, have to agree with Paul - DLP was a complete wash out for us - prefer WDW everytime - finances allowing!!

[LizzyBear]

Sorry but I disagree with the majority: I like DLP and find it a great cheaper 'Disney fix' when I can't afford Orlando. The weather is a European thing which you can hardly blame DLP itself for (I don't mind the cold though so it didn't bother me last January), we found the CMs fine (from many visits to France I don't really expect American style service, it's just a cultural difference!) and Disneyland Park is magical :)
I don't think DLP and WDW are really comparable TBH, they're totally different experiences. You can spend 2 weeks at WDW but DLP is more of a short break destination.

[joeyk83]

I like DLP as well. I have never experienced any problems with CMs and have always found them to be friendly and helpful. Never had any problems with queues either.

I think for a quick disney fix it is fine.

[drpepper]

OK...the CM's aren't as friendly...that's because they're French. Besides, the American ones can equally be described as over the top at times.
The weather isn't as good...that's because it's in Paris...i wouldn't have thought anyone could seriously expect the weather in Paris to compare with Orlando.
As for the queues, i have been to DLP 3 times and Orlando 4 times, all at different times of the year and the ride lines have always been shorter in Paris.
One thing i really love about DLP is that when you visit Orlando there is so much to cram in that MK almost becomes a mad dash to get everything done as fast as possible. 3 or 4 days spent at DLP is so much more relaxed and the time actually spent in MK is far more enjoyable in my opinion. MK in Orlando is just complete chaos and in a lot of ways is my least favourite day(s) of the holiday, even though i love the park.
If you go to DLP with an open mind and don't spend your whole visit comparing it to Orlando you will have a fantastic time...it's still Disney, it's still MK, it still has the rides and the characters and the parades and all the fun of a Disney Park....it's not as good as Orlando, but it isn't Orlando! Once you get your head around that it's great fun.
Personally i'll be going back to both for many years hopefully.

[Scotsmomma]

I also think it's ok for a few days break...it's not like you're going to fly to Orlando for just 3 days....so for a Disney fix...I think it's fine

[Leanne1977]

Sorry but I disagree with the majority: I like DLP and find it a great cheaper 'Disney fix' when I can't afford Orlando. The weather is a European thing which you can hardly blame DLP itself for (I don't mind the cold though so it didn't bother me last January), we found the CMs fine (from many visits to France I don't really expect American style service, it's just a cultural difference!) and Disneyland Park is magical :)
I don't think DLP and WDW are really comparable TBH, they're totally different experiences. You can spend 2 weeks at WDW but DLP is more of a short break destination.

I totally agree with this. We really enjoy our short breaks to DLP. We are off on Valentines Day and can't wait!!:spin:

I don't think it is fair to compare the two as they are totally different. Don't go expecting WDW and you will have a great time!

We are lucky as we can do both. WDW each year and DLP in between to get our Disney fix.
Don't get me wrong, i would never choose DLP over WDW but we love them both in different ways.:grin:

[das c]

Been to dlp once never again, they are very rude,they have no idea whats going on. A lot of people say that the Americans are only nice because they get the tips but i think they have been doing it for such a long time that they are generally nice people.

[gill38]

Went to DLP for my son's 6th Birthday. It was such a disappointment. I found the people to be rude, pushy, arrogant to name three, would rather save and go to Orlando, than try and get a quick fix that then becomes a disappointment. Also I would think that because of the Euro it is very expensive when you are there.

[mcknigma]

Have been to DLP 4 times now and find that it has become a bit more dirty each time - the toilets were very bad with a strong stench of urine.

Other than that it is fine - some of the rides are better than WDW such as Peter Pan, Big Thunder Mountain and POTC.

As has been said you cant really blame the weather but in its favour you could say its not prone to hurricaines. As far as CM's not being as friendly this is probably a cultural thing and I do believe that there are only so many times you can be told to "have a magical day" withough beginning to feel somewhat patronised.

Also its good for a weekend break.

Its not orlando but it is what you make of it :)

[Heather1957]

While I understand there is a massive cultural difference between the French and the Americans there is no excuse for rudeness. I'm also surprised that 'Disney' allows it.

Disney isn't just about rides it's the whole concept and that's happy friendly, kind people and to be honest don't you find it contageous? As soon as you walk into any of the Orlando/LA parks I start to smile!! :grin:

[esteeds]

We were dissapointed with DLP. The problem was that we had been to Orlando 3 times and so our expectations were set high.
:nonono:
We kept noticing when things wer'nt up to scratch and found ourselves saying, "that wouldn't happen in Orlando..." "this is much cheaper/better/bigger/more fun in Orlando". We are normally; happy, optimistic, go-with-the-flow people.

:mickey2:
We love Disney and love spending time there, so when we arrived at DLP we were surprised by how we found ourselves being so critical.

It is true that you can not compare Paris with Orlando because of cutural and climate differences, the thing is when you experience Disney you tend to lose yourself in the experience, and forget about the outside world.
:donald:
Simple things like politeness, cleanliness, interpersonal charm and warmth are so much part of the fabric of creating the illusion/feeling, that when it's broken it feels like any pther theme park. Our feeling upon leaving the park was, this is the LAST time we're ever coming here, from now on it's Florida or bust. We have to work and save hard and go without lots of luxuries to be able to go on holiday so we are not being flas, more that we want to feel that our hard earned money and precious holiday time delivers a great experience.
:nonono:
DLP at times just feels like "any other theme park" (Alton Towers, Terra Mitica etc), so why spend all the money to be treated to a poor immitation. A little like buying a pirated copy of a DVD, the same film but not the same quality.

Pros.:mickeybou
It's closer (mileage wise, depending on how you get there, we drove I recommend you avoid this if you can! it took us a whole days travelling!)
Looks and sounds the same
(the rides are excellent, some better From the earth to the moon is better thab Space Mtn)
The hotel at the park entrance is wonderful (but pricey)
The magic is there (in places it is every bit as good as Orlando)
Swimming pools are great
Entertainment in the evenings is good with plenty to do
Walking through the front gates for the first time :grin:

Cons
With 2 parks it is really only a 3 or 4 day destination
The food :thumbd: (simply awful, expensive and cold! every meal, every single one...)
CM attitude, a few were excellent but most were indifferent, (I wonder if it is a French/English thing?)
Litter & cigarette butts everywhere (the CMs seem to walk around litter with their little brooms!)
Many rides and shows being in French (I know, I know, I'm not being anti French , I can speak reasonable Ferench but DW & DD had very little idea)
Non Disney charachters (sounds a little odd but they seemed to be intruding)


I don't want to put you off because I think, everyone experiences it differently, perhaps suggest that you don't expect it too compare with WDW before you leave so you will not be dissappointed.

Hope this helps
:mickey: :mickey: :mickey:
LOL

Mr Ed

[florifan]

I would say if you want to go for a weekend or a short break DLP is good for a fix but if you are going for a week or 2 definatley the orlando option would be my preference, we live in the north and by the time you add in all the travel costs it actually cost us less to go to orlando for 1 week staying at pop than it did to stay at the santa fe in DLP the december before!!!

The studios hasn't got much in it yet not for a full day, the main park is nice and very similar to MK, but the french (CM's and locals) don't have the same Disney ethos and there was a lot of pushing and shoving in queues when we were there as well as smoking in queues etc (although this may now have been stopped)

If you just want a couple days fix go for DLP, if you want more find a cheap deal or wait till next year :thumbs-up

On the upside there is much more from a cultural perspective toexplore in paris such as Eiffel tower Louvre, versailles etc

[jay deesney]

The biggest problem with Paris is.......it's in France.......and we know how friendly the French are........WDW the real thing anytime.

[donnalondon]

I went Disnelyland paris before i went to Disneyworld florida, so i would not say that disneyland dissapointed me, BUT i would choose (world)florida over (land)paris anyday. :) and if it ment not going anywhere for a whole year to save than id rather do that... But in all honesty i didn;t even really compare them, there just not on the same scale/wavelength. But for a weekend break why not a family of four can go for about £200. i got a deal through like that only last week. ;) i declined of course. thats could pay for another week in florida (well almost). ;)

[essexmick]

The biggest problem with Paris is.......it's in France.......and we know how friendly the French are........WDW the real thing anytime.


exactly why DLP dont interest me in the slightest, never been never want to

[missl]

nor me its dear aswell it about £600 for 3 nights had enough of the ignorance with the spanish at port aventura never mind the french

[Leanne1977]

The biggest problem with Paris is.......it's in France.......and we know how friendly the French are........WDW the real thing anytime.

I think thats a really sad view to have.:(

You can find ignorant, arrogant people in all countries. I have met many unfriendly and rude brits. I don't think it is fair to judge the whole country by a few rude people.

I have already said that DLP in no way compares to WDW and i would choose WDW over DLP every time but to me they are totally different and great in different ways.

My 2 boys aged 4 and 6 had their first DLP trip last year and they loved it. They can both now speak a handful of french words and they can greet somebody in French and tell them their names.

As far as i'm concerned with regards to some of the rides being in French, what do you expect them to do.....you are in France!!!
I could listen to english everyday here. If i am in a country that speaks another language i am more than happy to listen to that language.
Would we be expected to have Altons Towers rides in French because French people visit...i don't think so.

If you have been and didnt enjoy it then thats fine, its not for everyone i understand that. But for people to say it doesnt interest them because its in France, well sorry but i think thats really sad.

With respects to the rudeness, all i can say is if you are the sort of person that allows people to queue jump or blow smoke in your face then they will as you are letting them.
I am the sort of person that will speak my mind and if somebody tried to jump in front of me in the queue they would certainly know about it. We have never had this sort of behaviour though i must add. I have had this behaviour a lot more in theme parks in this country.

I would hate the OP to be put off going by negative comments from some people who just don't like it because its in France. Thats madness.
We love it others don't. Its a subject that i don't think everyone would ever agree on.

[Fibe]

I have been to Orlando pre kids and DLP last year with kids 4 and 2 years old.
DLP much easier for little ones cos there isnt a lot there! We went for 4 nights. As a price comparison though we spent an absolute fortune on food, accommodation and transport. Much more than we would pay in Orlando. We are going to Orlando in May and although I have concerns for plane journeys with a 3 year old Im sure that we are gonna have a fabbo time.

We were surprised at the lack of friendliness and in some cases downright rudeness of the staff and characters at DLP. The characters more or less run to you in Florida in Paris they run away!

I stopped Snow White for a photo with my girls in Paris and she shooed us away telling us to go wait in this massive massive queue to be photographed with various princesses. How rude? How long does it take to stop for a photo. So she left me with 2 very upset little girls.

We even found Mickey mouse not as huggy!

[florifan]

[QUOTE=Fibe]IWe are going to Orlando in May and although I have concerns for plane journeys with a 3 year old Im sure that we are gonna have a fabbo time.

we first did Florida with a 2 yr old, we were dreading it as she is very hyper, needen't of worried she fell asleep as we were taxi-ing onto the runway and woke up as we landed in orlando!! Result :thumbs-up :thumbs-up

Don't ask about the return journey though :o:

[jay deesney]

So Sorry you find my brief little comment offensive Leanne but like you say every holiday turns up all sorts. My limited experiences of France were disastrous and when they started those ferry strikes in peak summer a while back that was it for me.........if it wasn't for their cheese and wines I could comfortably live the rest of my life without any contact bar a flight path or two.
I think Spain might have been a better bet to locate Euro Disney but its just an opinion.

[ariel2006]

WDW is essentially the best place on earth but if you cant afford to go there for a while and need a Disney fix DLP is definately worth a visit. We were worried going there at New Years after being in WDW in July but we loved it and some of the rides (Small World, Space and Thunder Mountain and Haunted Mansion to name a few) are actually better and the theming in the park is generally more intricate and clever. You have just got to try not to compare the two which can be hard.

[Heather1957]

Out of curiosity what language is used in Disney Japan and Hong Kong?

The reason I ask is that while Disney was built in Paris it was Euro Disney and is there for the benefit of ALL Europeans. That being the case why should the language used there be French?

When it first opened some youngsters I knew went over for work (clean looking, no piercings tattoos etc) Has this stopped now? I would have thought the CM's should come from all over Europe.

As I said previously, Disney is a package and includes the happy, smiling, polite CM's we make the 'magic' come alive.

I have been to Disney Orlando 4 times and LA twice and have NEVER met a rude CM.

[mcknigma]

As I said previously, Disney is a package and includes the happy, smiling, polite CM's we make the 'magic' come alive.

I think ultimately Disney is there to make money - it just so happens that in the case of Paris vs USA the cultural difference in cutomer service makes the difference.

[carys]

I think ultimately Disney is there to make money - it just so happens that in the case of Paris vs USA the cultural difference in cutomer service makes the difference.
We definately noticed this especially at the breakfast buffets ! We were sadly dissappointed and i would also add that we found it very expensive and would rather have put the cash towards Florida.

[Steve.S]

I have not been to DLP but two of our friends have both married with kids,they said it was over priced,cold and that Paris is very expensive to go out with a family and eat,although it is a good bit cheaper to get there i would go for Orlando every time.

[SimonB]

We nearly booked to go there last year.

Looked at the cost and thought for what it would cost for a weekend break, we would rather save a bit more and have a 2 week family holiday.

[BONZO]

We had some concerns about DLP prior to going recently but this is our summary: -

Highs

Proximity of parks to onsite hotels - we stayed in the Newport Bay Club and it was a very pleasant walk to the parks and Disney Village.

Parks weren't nearly as busy as we'd thought they would be - we didn't queue for much at all, we picked and chose our rides fairly carefully!

FastPass system - It was great being able to hold fastpasses for more than one ride at a time. In DLP you can hold fastpasses for all the FP rides at the same time (although they are only valid for 30 mins).

Food - every meal we had was excellent. They weren't cheap but very high quality. Our best overall was at Cafe Mickey with 8 characters in attendance!!

Travelling by Eurostar - this was really good for us. 15 mins walk to our local station, 30 mins into Waterloo, then 3 hours on Eurostar and we were right in the magic! Very smooth!

Walt Disney Studios - we'd read that this was a very disappointing park, but we loved it!

Weather - Fantastic! Shorts and T-shirts all the way.

Lows

There were only a couple of proper lows, the rest were more niggles than anything (will list those separately).

The scrums to get to the characters - this was a nightmare! Our 2 DDs had autograph books and wanted photos with the characters, but there were no queues, just a mad push and scrum.

Smokers around the parks - this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but you did tend to find yourself walking through clouds of smoke at regular intervals. We were told by a CM in Disney Village that the smoking regulations would be changing soon.


Minor niggles

No pool towels at the hotel - you had to pay 2 euros to borrow a towel each time you went to the pool.

No salty popcorn on sale - it's all sugared! (Although we did find it in the cinema eventually)

No food court in hotel, it wasn't easy to grab a coffee to take back to the room.

Some attractions (also shown at WDW) were in English, dubbed into French, and then we listened in English in the headphones - LOL!

Rock n Roller Coaster - our favourite ride in WDW is also in DLP, but the pre show is really disappointing! A 20 second glimpse of the band with a model of a roller coaster track. We love the WDW version!

[piglets pal]

Hi there

i would recommend that you try DLP if its not for you then you wont return

we have been to DLP 3 times in the last 3 years and returned from florida in January.

its different don't expect it to be the same and its great

we have been twice in december and once in August. we would never go back in Aug but then again we would not go to florida in Aug either.

We love it in Dec (first 2 weeks) as it is really magical and quiet, good prices and our DS5 has loved it for the last 3 years.

yes we noticed that it is a nightmare with the charecters that you do not queue for but we spoke clearly to our son so that the charecters were aware and those around us of where he was in the queue !!! this worked the majority of the time and he got his photos and autograph book signed. those that were a nightmare we removed ourselves and got on with the day.

we have never payed more than £600 for a short break for the 3 of us including flights or Euro star. we book at the cheapest times with the nights free option.

i think its easy to say keep the money and put it to florida but we don't have a budget that stretches to every 2 years to florida and love a short break to the magic.

[Happy Hammer]

we've been to DLP and Florida 3 times.i would never go back to DLP,i dont think it has the magic or the wow feel about it.And if i wanted to spend my time with rude europeans i would stay on the building site.

[LizzyBear]

i think its easy to say keep the money and put it to florida but we don't have a budget that stretches to every 2 years to florida and love a short break to the magic.

I agree.. I was comparing prices and it was coming in at around a grand extra to go to WDW for a week instead of DLP for 3 nights (both for 2 adults staying onsite in a value resort) I don't call that 'a bit more' :erm: I know there are last minute deals but those prices aren't really 'the norm'

[essexmick]

my cousin went to dlp for her companies brochure, and as soon as they found out she was english they treated her like s**t.

even at £600 for 3 days i would rather put it to a florida fund

[thecheshirecat]

We've been several times and never been treated 'like s**t' thankfully

[Leanne1977]

Well we returned last night from 4 nights at DLP staying at the Davy Crockett Ranch. We had a fabulous time!!:spin:

Anyone that can't feel the magic walking down Main Street must be dead cos it felt exactly the same as Florida.

It was busier than last time as we went in half term but that just added to the atmosphere.
The smoking didnt bother me, yes it was noticeable but i didnt let it bother me.
The CMs were great, very friendly and lots of interaction with my boys.:thumbs-up
Didnt meet any rude people and nobody tried to jump in the queue in front of us. This is our second trip and we have never been queue jumped.

The only people we found to be loud, overbearing, and embarassing at times were the Brits!!!:erm:
We heard lots of British families screaming at their children, smacking them in public:mad2: , and we even heard a few British couples having full on arguments around the parks. Lovely! We had no problems with anybody else and found them to be very polite and courteous.

We had 2 wonderful character meals. One was a character tea party at Plaza Gardens which was really lovely. Characters were great and the interaction was as good as any we have had at WDW.
We also had a character breakfast at Cafe Mickey which i would highly recommend. Lots and lots of characters and plenty of fresh hot and cold foods.

I would say the only low point that i wish DLP would correct would be the character meet and greets in the parks. Yes some of them were roped off and you had to queue which is how it should be. But other character meets are just a free for all. We don't bother with these as you cannot get your own time with the characters and you wouldnt get a decent photo. But this is why we book character meals so we get our own quality time with the characters.

One more niggle, i hate it when families chase the characters around the restaurants during character meals.:nonono: Just sit and wait people, the characters will come to your table. These people again were Brits mainly!

But we had a fantastic time.:spin:

Our highlight was during a ride on POTC. Our son is Jack Sparrow mad. Inside the ride at DLP is a restaurant called the Blue Lagoon and we had heard that sometimes Captain Jack hangs around inside the restaurant and you can see him from the boat.

It was our last full day and as we went past, there he was on the edge of the restaurant, my son called to him and he replied and told us to have a good voyage!! It was great and he sounded just like him. When we got off the ride we went round to the restaurant and asked if we could see him. They said that was absolutley fine and we had some great time with him and got photos. My boys were so thrilled and it really made the holiday for us.:cry:

Sad to be home but it has really made us look forward to our WDW trip even more.:grin:

[DisChap2002]

Just came back from DLP yesterday for a week.
I had a good holiday but DLP is celebrating its 15 years opening and I must say its starting to look 65 years old.
Its a sad example of poor investment by the French (who have owned it since 1990's). Paint peeling, fountains with green mold on them. Lights not working and a general smoke anywhere policy.
The parks shut too early and most of the resturants are mostly doing buffets now, which are overpriced and underquaility.
It will be the last time we will visit DLP after 5 visits.
Its just overpriced and not value for money any more because the French have ruined it !

[Whitequeen]

Just came back from DLP yesterday for a week.
I had a good holiday but DLP is celebrating its 15 years opening and I must say its starting to look 65 years old.
Its a sad example of poor investment by the French (who have owned it since 1990's). Paint peeling, fountains with green mold on them. Lights not working and a general smoke anywhere policy.
The parks shut too early and most of the resturants are mostly doing buffets now, which are overpriced and underquaility.
It will be the last time we will visit DLP after 5 visits.
Its just overpriced and not value for money any more because the French have ruined it !
Hhhhmm, I just got back last night and we must have been in a different park............or perhaps we have different tastes.:grin: Had a great time, fastpassed everything we could and didn't wait longer than 20 minutes for anything. We didn't go on it if we didn't have a fastpass. Even my teenage son, who hates the world, had to admit that apart from us wearing our coats we could have been in Florida when it got dark. Encountered a couple of line jumpers, but they got no further than me and I have to agree, the worst behaved visitors were Brits.:nonono:

[DisChap2002]

Hhhhmm, I just got back last night and we must have been in a different park............or perhaps we have different tastes.:grin: Had a great time, fastpassed everything we could and didn't wait longer than 20 minutes for anything. We didn't go on it if we didn't have a fastpass. Even my teenage son, who hates the world, had to admit that apart from us wearing our coats we could have been in Florida when it got dark. Encountered a couple of line jumpers, but they got no further than me and I have to agree, the worst behaved visitors were Brits.:nonono:


With Disney its all about the details. If you stood on main street and really looked at the buildings you could see the poor level of maintainence and money spent. I dont know how you could have missed it !
I guess you missed all the area's that were shut down without notice.
1. critter coral
2. mickeys winter wonderland(cancelled Friday)
3. Autopia (never open)
4. Train de Cerque
5. Indian play area (completely Closed all week)
6. All the Train Stations kept closing and reopening without notice
7. The Big Ballon ride in the disney village (completely Closed all week)
8. The Riverboat (spent more time down than working)

You spend Disney money, you should get Disney quality !!!!

[Whitequeen]

Ah well, as I say...............different tastes.
I've seen Mickey's Winterwonderland twice this year already.
We don't do 'Critters'. Dislike Autopia as much as the similar thing in WDW. Train de Cirque we'll catch in the Summer. A play area (Indian or otherwise) we can go to anywhere. We don't use the train, we walk. The Balloon was working everyday we were there Thurs-Sun. The Riverboat in WDW hasn't been working for nearly 19months, so a bonus if you got on it in DLRP.:thumbs-up
I have loads of pictures of Main Street 'detail'. Looks fine to me and they've just started repainting the Plaza Gardens.:thumbs-up
I'm happy.:grin:

[Heather1957]

Is DLP not owned by Disney? Just interested that someone posted that it's owned by 'the French' now.

[Whitequeen]

The french have the majority of shares in DLRP. I think it's 51% SCS and 49% Disney Corporation, so the French have the deciding vote. It's certainly getting more 'international' friendly than it used to be. When we first started going, the french went out of their way not to talk english.:d: They now mostly all speak english if needed. I've noticed a lot more WDW influence coming into the parks now.:thumbs-up

[Heather1957]

The french have the majority of shares in DLRP. I think it's 51% SCS and 49% Disney Corporation, so the French have the deciding vote. It's certainly getting more 'international' friendly than it used to be. When we first started going, the french went out of their way not to talk english.:d: They now mostly all speak english if needed. I've noticed a lot more WDW influence coming into the parks now.:thumbs-up

Thanks I didn't realise that, I am surprised that the ratio of shares isn't the other way as I wouldn't have thought Disney would have wanted to lose power. I suspect it may have had something to do with the money DLP was losing.

[Whitequeen]

It was the only way the French would let them build there at the begining. This may have changed now, I'm afraid I didn't keep up with the share thing.:d:

[MattF]

With Disney its all about the details. If you stood on main street and really looked at the buildings you could see the poor level of maintainence and money spent. I dont know how you could have missed it !
I guess you missed all the area's that were shut down without notice.
1. critter coral - closed for the season as it says on the website
2. mickeys winter wonderland(cancelled Friday) - we saw this on Friday so maybe only 1 performance was cancelled
3. Autopia (never open) - closed for refurb as said in park guide
4. Train de Cerque - closed for refurb as it says on the park map and website
5. Indian play area (completely Closed all week) - It was open on Saturday and Sunday - friends of ours went in
6. All the Train Stations kept closing and reopening without notice - mainly Frontierland and Adventurland were closed - they were having issues - but Main St Station was open all the time
7. The Big Ballon ride in the disney village (completely Closed all week) - Open all day Saturday and Sunday. Watched it go up about 8 times whilst having dinner at Cafe Mickey on Saturday night
8. The Riverboat (spent more time down than working) - the one in WDW isn't working either!

You spend Disney money, you should get Disney quality !!!!

We have just got back and by checking on the website in advance - we knew of most of the refurbs. They have to maintain them sometime and it is very quiet compared to the summer. Go to WDW now and there are rides closed too. The meals we had were fantastic and Inventions in the Disneyland Hotel was the best character meal we have ever had, either DLRP or WDW

[drpepper]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Disneyland Paris as long as you stop comparing it to Orlando. It still puts most if not all UK theme parks to shame in just about every department.
It's a cheap alternative to Florida...you get what you pay for....it's great for a short break in between Orlando trips...and i'd still rather be there than at some shabby eurpoean resort stuffed full of typical English idiots, running around smashed out of their brains, moaning about restaurants that don't serve egg and chips and singing football songs until 4am before throwing up outside the restaurant door.

[Leanne1977]

With Disney its all about the details. If you stood on main street and really looked at the buildings you could see the poor level of maintainence and money spent. I dont know how you could have missed it !
I guess you missed all the area's that were shut down without notice.
1. critter coral
2. mickeys winter wonderland(cancelled Friday)
3. Autopia (never open)
4. Train de Cerque
5. Indian play area (completely Closed all week)
6. All the Train Stations kept closing and reopening without notice
7. The Big Ballon ride in the disney village (completely Closed all week)
8. The Riverboat (spent more time down than working)

You spend Disney money, you should get Disney quality !!!!

All of the refurbs you mention are on the DLP site. We were aware before we went that certain things were going to be closed but this is no different to WDW if you decide to go out of season.
The balloon was working whenever we were at the Village, the Riverboat does have certain days of the week when it is closed but we got on it just fine. The rest of the rides you mention are always closed off season.

I also don't agree regarding the maintenance and look of the park. It is a beautiful park and as they will be starting their 15th year celebrations soon it is obvious that some things will be having work done. This happens in WDW whenever there is an impending celebration.

One thing i would say that i did notice. I do think WDW take better care of the pathways. Somebody mentioned this to me before i went so i made an effort to notice. There were some areas of pathways that needed work. But to be honest i think WDW maintain them so well as they realise if anyone were to trip or fall due to the maintenance they would sue, so they need to be on the ball.

I spent a lot of time just taking in all the details this trip and i think they have put a lot of effort into the design of the park, the castle is stunning.:)

[MattF]

I think that if you are going in off season you need to check on refurbs. AS Leanne says all the rides closed for refurb are listed on the DLRP website and we knew about these in advance.

I agree that I don't think the park looked at all tatty. The main entrances, Plaza Gardens etc were being redone but it is 15 years old and they are doing it.

We loved DLRP and look forward to going back. As a quick Disney fix, I don't think it can be beaten.

[LizzyBear]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Disneyland Paris as long as you stop comparing it to Orlando. It still puts most if not all UK theme parks to shame in just about every department.
It's a cheap alternative to Florida...you get what you pay for....it's great for a short break in between Orlando trips...and i'd still rather be there than at some shabby eurpoean resort stuffed full of typical English idiots, running around smashed out of their brains, moaning about restaurants that don't serve egg and chips and singing football songs until 4am before throwing up outside the restaurant door.

:pgig: Agreed!

[1968hammer]

Just got back after having had a half term break there.

+'s

Reasonably Quiet
Big Thunder Mountain is better than Orlando's
Space Mountian is better than Orlando's
Buzz Lightyear is better than Orlando's
Wild West Dinner Show - outstanding better than any I have seen in Florida

-'s

CM's seem to be minimal, not sure if there is a staffing problem.
Ref CM staffing problem - this may explain why intermittently some of the rides were shut down - for technical reasons?!**
Railroad stations not open one minute then next opened, then shut again?
The queuing for Disney Characters is a disgrace, it is like a scrum and in the end we didn't bother. The poor people dressed in the costumes must be commended for the experience they go through, it must be worse than a white knuckle ride.
The restaurants do not seem to have the capacity to cope with the volume of visitors in Disney Village - the standard of food was variable and occasionally warm.

The breakfasts get a little boring after 3 days - bread roles, croissants and ham etc.

We generally had a good stay, but the attitude generally of the CM's and some of our European citizens is in need of great improvement.

[chuckles]

My boys are 14 and 15 we went to DLP in 2005 and WDW last year and going to WDW this year. boys are more than happy to go back to DLP next year, just wish could guarantee the weather.

debbie

[Leanne1977]

My boys are 14 and 15 we went to DLP in 2005 and WDW last year and going to WDW this year. boys are more than happy to go back to DLP next year, just wish could guarantee the weather.

debbie


I know what you mean about the weather. Last year we went Jan/Feb and it was so cold the whole of the lake was frozen!!

We went prepared this time but it was lovely and warm. No coats needed on a couple of the days! It was even warm one evening. Weird!:erm:

We werent complaining though, it was lovely.:thumbs-up

[susieb]

Ive just come back from WDW and there was a fair ammount of maintenance going on there too, quite a few attractions closed.

[buddicle]

I went to DLP twice last year, once in Oct then again Dec, i liked it both times and would go back again! I'm doing WDW this year for the first time, from what i've seen on the WDW dvd i'm glad i went to DLP first! I don't think you'll be dissapointed with DLP as long as you try not to compare it with WDW.

[Alvin]

My mum has just returned from a three day trip with three nieces to DLP and Im afraid she was not overly impressed. She said that it is probably great if you have never been to the real thing!

Top of her gripe list was the fact that the french seem to just smoke everywhere, very smelly and particularly unpleasant in ride queues, The litter and fag butts were more akin to Alton Towers than Disney.

There seemed to be very limited choice of food outlets and huge queues, They ended up queueing in a Mcdonalds for nearly two hours!!!:omg: just o avoid going to bed on an empty stomach.

She was also very surprised at how small it is, though she admits that they didnt get to explore every little bit.

Having said all that, the kids really enjoyed it as they only see the magic!!


I dont think she will be in a rush to return there though.

[phgannon]

As has been mentioned a few times already in this thread I also think it's a little unfair to compare WDW with DLP. It's a completely different continent with different weather, different language, currency, culture, etc but the common thing is Disney and IMHO it's fabulous. We've been to DLP 4 times and will continue to go back.

Here's why! http://www.haighgannon.com/disney_montg_vid/index.html (it's a video of our most recent trip to DLP in July '06)

There's other videos and heaps of photos here: http://www.haighgannon.com/disney_page/index.html

[TheBelts]

We have been to DLP about 6 times - thought it was great UNTIL we went to WDW Florida two years ago. OMG you would not believe the difference. I would definately recommend waiting and saving to go back to WDW.:thumbs-up

[MattF]

We have just come back from DLP and we loved it. It isn't WDW but if you go with an open mind you will love it. It is miles better than anything we have over here and compares favourably with WDW. As has been said lots of the rides are actually better in DLP. Read our trip reports or watch "phgannon"'s video. It is great and it is thanks to him that we found the fantastic Invention restaurant

[MattF]

My mum has just returned from a three day trip with three nieces to DLP and Im afraid she was not overly impressed. She said that it is probably great if you have never been to the real thing!

Top of her gripe list was the fact that the french seem to just smoke everywhere, very smelly and particularly unpleasant in ride queues, The litter and fag butts were more akin to Alton Towers than Disney.

There seemed to be very limited choice of food outlets and huge queues, They ended up queueing in a Mcdonalds for nearly two hours!!!:omg: just o avoid going to bed on an empty stomach.

She was also very surprised at how small it is, though she admits that they didnt get to explore every little bit.

Having said all that, the kids really enjoyed it as they only see the magic!!


I dont think she will be in a rush to return there though.

Alvin,

The Magic Kingdom park in DLP is actually bigger than it's florida counterpart. We loved the fact that we could walk from our hotel to disney village or the parks within 5 minutes.

As for the restaurants, last week was french half term and very busy. We made ADRs for all our meals so we were ok, but I did see huge queues for places like Annette's diner and mcDonalds. we booked Cafe Mickey just after Christmas and when i wanted to change our booking to a slightly different time 3 weeks ago we were told that all tables were fully booked until 9pm. I think if you are going during a busy period, you need to make ADRs like you would in WDW.

We saw no litter and were very impressed with the cleanliness compared to UK theme parks. Smoking and the character scrums are probably the biggest negatives, however by booking character meals we avoided the scrums. Also the first 2 days we were there it was very quiet (despite being half term in the UK) and in the parks we had lots of time with the characters.

[phgannon]

... Read our trip reports or watch "phgannon"'s video. It is great and it is thanks to him that we found the fantastic Invention restaurant

Only too glad to have helped! But can't quite recall when I did all this helping :erm:!!

Seriously though the Inventions Resatuarant in the Disneyland Hotel is excellent for Character Interactions. Particularily if you go (as you seemed to have done) as soon as it opens. You literally have the place and the Characters all to yourself.

Patrick

PS Thanks for the acknowledgment. It's nice to be remembered!

[MattF]

It was soon after you posted the video. I asked you where the restaurant was and you told me and suggested going as soon as it opened. It was fantastic and the best character interaction we have had either in DLP, DLC or WDW so THANK YOU :thumbs-up :thumbs-up Harry had the time of his life with all the caharcters - bouncing with tigger, dancing with Goofy and hugging Mickey

[philtucker]

We have been to Disney Paris, Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.

The over riding differences are that Disney Paris feels like a pale immitation.

It has everything but the "magic"!!

The general attitude of the cast members and also other Disney guests in Paris is on the whole really poor. If you enjoy continually fighting with groups of teenage French kids pushing past you to get on the rides then great.

Also for value for money Disney Paris is a rip off.

We were actually in Disney World last week and could buy in the park two large coffee's and a large cola for just over £1.00 per drink.

A decent quality fast food Mexican meal at Epcot cost about £4.50 - compare that with the costs of food etc in Paris and weep.

The only issue with Florida is getting thier. Once there the cost of the holiday and the good weather and excellent food and huge number of rides and decent water parks and generally brilliant level of service that you will get pretty much everywhere blow Disney Paris away.

[phgannon]

It was soon after you posted the video. I asked you where the restaurant was and you told me and suggested going as soon as it opened. It was fantastic and the best character interaction we have had either in DLP, DLC or WDW so THANK YOU :thumbs-up :thumbs-up Harry had the time of his life with all the caharcters - bouncing with tigger, dancing with Goofy and hugging Mickey

Aha! That rings a bell, it's come right back to me now. I'm so glad that you all enjoyed it as much as we did.

Just to clarify for anyone else: all of the character interactions in my video (most are shown in the first minute or so with another batch half way through) took place at the Inventions restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel. As you can see from the video the restaurant is almost deserted if you go at 6pm (opening time) but with a full compliment of characters.

I agree with mdfcef28 that those character interactions have been the best we've ever had too.

[MattF]

We have been to Disney Paris, Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.

The over riding differences are that Disney Paris feels like a pale immitation.

It has everything but the "magic"!!

The general attitude of the cast members and also other Disney guests in Paris is on the whole really poor. If you enjoy continually fighting with groups of teenage French kids pushing past you to get on the rides then great.

Also for value for money Disney Paris is a rip off.

We were actually in Disney World last week and could buy in the park two large coffee's and a large cola for just over £1.00 per drink.

A decent quality fast food Mexican meal at Epcot cost about £4.50 - compare that with the costs of food etc in Paris and weep.

The only issue with Florida is getting thier. Once there the cost of the holiday and the good weather and excellent food and huge number of rides and decent water parks and generally brilliant level of service that you will get pretty much everywhere blow Disney Paris away.

I think it is a little unfair to comapre the cost of food etc in DLP with WDW. DLP is on a par with what you would pay for theme parks over here, but I would say the food and service is on the whole vastly better than you would experience in Alton Towers, Chessington etc. It is more expensive than WDW and the service is maybe not as good but is certainly better than anything we have ever experienced in any UK theme parks.

DLP is a short break holiday - 4 days is enough. Florida on the other hand requires at least 2 weeks and in that time you will not be able to do everything.

[Twink]

Sorry if this puts you off - but for us - never, never ever would be go back to DLP, it is expensive, the Northern French are very rude, the Disney staff have bad attitude, the queues were horrendous, people were allowed to smoke in the queues, :mad2: taking no notice of the NO SMOKING sign, nobody stopped them, to us it was a terrible experience - so never again - stick to Florida - at least you get nice Southern hospitality

[Leanne1977]

Sorry if this but you off - but for us - never, never ever would be go back to DLP, it is expensive, the Northern French are very rude, the Disney staff have bad attitude, the queues were horrendous, people were allowed to smoke in the queues, :mad2: taking no notice of the NO SMOKING sign, nobody stopped them, to us it was a terrible experience - so never again - stick to Florida - at least you get nice Southern hospitality

Its amazing what different experiences people have at the same place!!:omg:
We didnt encounter any rudeness apart from the Brits who were the worst behaved there and very embarassing at times. The CMs were all great and interacted with my boys all the time. Queue length is determined by the time of year so can't really blame DLP for that. We only saw 1 person smoking in the queue and they were immediately asked to put it out. Yes there is smoking around the parks which is a shame but i believe they are addressing this soon. We have had 2 wonderful trips there.

Please everybody stop comparing it to Florida it really isn't fair to do that.
I also don't buy the argument about the cost being comparable to Florida!! We came back recently and it cost us £460 for 5 days in Disney accomodation for 4 of us with breakfast and all our park tickets! Don't forget that the cost of your Florida holiday is minus park tickets which to us cost over a £1000 alone. Then add onto that spending money and food money for 2 weeks or longer.

I would hate for anyone to read this thread and not go because of all of the so called negatives.
Please go and decide for yourselfs. We love it, others don't.

[phgannon]

Its amazing what different experiences people have at the same place!!:omg:
We didnt encounter any rudeness apart from the Brits who were the worst behaved there and very embarassing at times. The CMs were all great and interacted with my boys all the time. Queue length is determined by the time of year so can't really blame DLP for that. We only saw 1 person smoking in the queue and they were immediately asked to put it out. Yes there is smoking around the parks which is a shame but i believe they are addressing this soon. We have had 2 wonderful trips there.

Please everybody stop comparing it to Florida it really isn't fair to do that.
I also don't buy the argument about the cost being comparable to Florida!! We came back recently and it cost us £460 for 5 days in Disney accomodation for 4 of us with breakfast and all our park tickets! Don't forget that the cost of your Florida holiday is minus park tickets which to us cost over a £1000 alone. Then add onto that spending money and food money for 2 weeks or longer.

I would hate for anyone to read this thread and not go because of all of the so called negatives.
Please go and decide for yourselfs. We love it, others don't.

I wholeheartedly agree.

There must be some kind of parallel universe thing going on here because we've been to DLP 4 times and always had a wonderful experience. Never ever encountered rudeness or really bad queues (visited over Easter w/e, New Year and height of the summer). Cost has also never been an issue.

So my “conclusion” in all this is that there must be 2 twin DLP’s – one “good” and the other “evil”!

Having said all that I’m sure that if we looked hard enough there’d be just as many people who’ve had bad experiences at WDW!

I, for one, love both DLP and WDW but for different reasons because they are two distinctly different holidays.

[MattF]

I agree with everything leanne and phgannon. We loved our visit to DLP and will be returning. It is different to WDW and if it is viewed like this can be thoroughly enjoyed. If you constantly copmpare it to WDW you will be disappointed not because it is worse, but because it is different!

[Twink]

As far as I'm concerned it was a lot more expensive for us going to DLP than to Florida, we live on Anglesey - to Florida - drive to Manchester Airport - to Paris, Drive to Ashford, 8 hours, overnight stay in Ashford £100 both ways, Euro Star into Disney Complex, for 4 adults and 2 Children from the 29th Dec. to the 2nd Jan (4 nights - 5 days) £3500, - staying at Hotel New York, round of drinks in bar - 64 euros, (2pints, G & T, 3 soft drinks), dinner at Rainforrest 245 euros, so please don't try and tell me it's not expensive, Ludwig Castle 184 euros (just main course) for 4 adults and 2 children, 4 soft drinks & two pints, so belief me it is expensive. For the cost of going there over New Year we could have gone to Florida for 2 weeks, over Christmas, and for us getting there took longer than going to Florida. That is my personnel experience of DLP.

[MattF]

You could fly to CDG and then get the Train to DLP, which would lessen the travelling time. For us, it was 4 hours 30 minutes from leaving DLP to being back in our own house. Longer on the way out as we got to Waterloo early!

The meal prices you have said are more expensive than Florida (or the US in general) but are on a par with prices over here and no more than you'd pay at Legoland, Alton Towers or the like. The Hotel New York is the second most expensive hotel there and i think as leanne demonstarted you can go for less. It cost us £1000 for 3 nights at the Sequoia Lodge in Feb half term going by eurostar. To go in September the hotel is down to £484 for 3 nights and then travel on top

It is not a cheap trip but i do believe that it does represent great value for money

[Leanne1977]

As far as I'm concerned it was a lot more expensive for us going to DLP than to Florida, we live on Anglesey - to Florida - drive to Manchester Airport - to Paris, Drive to Ashford, 8 hours, overnight stay in Ashford £100 both ways, Euro Star into Disney Complex, for 4 adults and 2 Children from the 29th Dec. to the 2nd Jan (4 nights - 5 days) £3500, - staying at Hotel New York, round of drinks in bar - 64 euros, (2pints, G & T, 3 soft drinks), dinner at Rainforrest 245 euros, so please don't try and tell me it's not expensive, Ludwig Castle 184 euros (just main course) for 4 adults and 2 children, 4 soft drinks & two pints, so belief me it is expensive. For the cost of going there over New Year we could have gone to Florida for 2 weeks, over Christmas, and for us getting there took longer than going to Florida. That is my personnel experience of DLP.

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you regarding the cost of food and drink at DLP. If you compare it to Florida then it will always be more expensive. Florida is extra cheap for food and drink. Compare Florida to the UK and its the same story, the UK is a lot more expensive.
I don't ever remember trying to tell you it wasnt expensive!! I just don't believe that going to Paris for a few days is comparable in cost to a 2 week holiday at WDW.
Your cost breakdown clearly shows this. If you choose to stay at one of the most expensive hotels then it is only fair to compare the cost of that with one of the most expensive in WDW. I wouldnt stay at an expensive hotel in WDW nor would i in DLP.
My trip to DLP cost me £460 without spends. Show me a website that i can go to Florida for that and i will snap it up.
I don't really understand why you chose the Eurostar route? Wouldnt it have been easier to fly to CDG. I would imagine it would have been cheaper too. You can get great prices on flights to Paris.
I must also add that you chose to go at one of the most expensive times and you dined at some of the most expensive restaurants so your costings would reflect this. Did you not research the cost of food, drink etc before you went? You must have known it would have been a lot of travelling also so to be honest i don't understand why you went if you thought you could go to Florida for 2 weeks for the same price. There is no way i would spend the same amount on 5 days in Paris if i could go to Florida for 2 weeks for the same price.

I understand that you didnt enjoy the experience, thats your own opinion on DLP to which you are fully entitled. But it is a bit tiresome constantly hearing the "this was more expensive than Florida" and "that was more expensive than Florida". Its unfair to compare.
Just my opinion of course.:)

[Finn family]

All I can say is Mickey Mouse is not French! i am sure if you look around you will find a great deal to go back to Orlando, I know I would. Good luck :cool2:

[Twink]

I'm not comparing DLP to Florida - if I did I would be slitting my wrist at the cost difference, my biggest objection is being ripped off. I mean 64 euros for a round of drinks - now correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure you will) but who pays £40+ for 2 pints, G & T and 3 soft drinks in their local, ours is expensive but not that expensive, 245 euros for a meal for 6 which included 2kids meals, £180 - I don't know about anyone else but for what they serve in the Rainforest Cafe, that is expensive. The reason we did not go to Florida was my SIL did not want to do the flight. When we go to Florida we always stay in a Luxury Villa or AKL which is comparable to Hotel New York, so no comparing to Florida or the UK the place is a rip off. To stay in AKL for 2 weeks going with Virgin would have cost £3594 - so to me there is no comparison. We did not fly because our nearest airport is over 2 hours drive away, then you have to get to the airport 2 hours before, so thats 6 hours already without any delays.

[matt987106]

thanks to all the posters

we have just got back from WDW, me, DW and DD ( who was 4 and had lunch in the castle for her birthday, CRT a must do if you have little girls )

We have been twice B4 Pre DD, stayed off-site and onsite

my DD is completely mad about disney, so i thought about a 3 night break in DLP

our 15 days on site at disney WDW with a fair bit of shopping cost us about 4000 ( cut out the shopping and it would be down to about 3500 ), now we did character dining every other day )

now i looked for DLP prices last week, 3 nights for just over 700 quid for the 3 of us, add to that food, your looking at way over 1000 for 3 nights

it just doesnt add up to me :( shame really

my other concearn is the french, they are not as "friendly" and i would be concearned the "magic" isnt the same

[chuckles]

As a Mum of boys 14 and 15
I would just like to say we had our 1st disney holiday at DLP in Aug 2005 mon - fri at Newport bay and my my boys really had the time of there lifes.
So went onto next hol 2 weeks at Pop Century for 2 weeks in July last year
again loved it so much are going to Pop century again this year for 3 weeks July/Aug but next year my boys DON,T want to go back to Florida as they think that DLP is better, the same bigger rides they say are better, and like the smallness of DLP.
So we are going to stay at the Disney hotel next year, I would prefer the shopping and sun but not children for long so there are plenty of other years.

Debbie