honest views on disneyland paris

[buttercup]

I'm the very happy owner of another countdown - yes, we're going back!!!!!:jump: :jump: :jump: :jump: :jump: :jump:


Oh yes, could anyone give me their honest opinion of disneyland paris - good and bad.

My BIL is going in August on his own with three children under 8's youngest being 5. Has anyone any advise for him that I can pass on from all you knowledgeable people;)

thanks
Gaynor

[Winnies_No1fan]

Have never been before but my sister is just back about 10 days ago and said she would never go back !!!! staff are very very ignorant...She went with her kids and her friend and her kids .They all went for a meal at planet holywood and my neice went to pull chair into the table and it was broken underneath and trapped her finger and took the tip off ....The manager came running over but was only interested in swapping the broken chair over ...They even had the cheek to charge them for the drinks they had ordered but never had chance to drink ...

[tiggermeister]

We have done DLP twice now.....and unless the weather is on your side it puts a damp squib on things.....the french are rude and ignorent and will break the park rules by trying butting in line ahead of someone and smoke in the ques....not nice

Dont get me wrong, but to say its a INTL park with many cultures...all the attractions are in french and as for sight seeing in paris....they speak very good english, but only when it suits them.

IMHO

DLP would have been better built in Spain or Teneriffe at least they are more friendly

[batleyboy26]

I think it would depend whether or not your BIL has been to WDW or not. We ahve done both but went to WDW first and found DLP awful (well maybe awful is a bit strong, but it just doesn't compare to WDW), whereas people I know who have never been to WDW love DLP.

I agree with above comments of the French being rude, unable to queue, and smoking in queues. The staff don't do anything about it. The food was very expensive when we were last there.

[Diane]

Sorry, another negative from me too! :(

We also found staff rude and unfriendly, I left DLP just yearning all the more for another trip to WDW :cry:

Diane :D

[Stu]

We have had this type of thread before and it has turned into a racist thread against the French people.
Before we end up in that situation again, I would ask you please to keep your comments on topic and not generalise experiences at one small place to the whole country or it's people.

Thanks.

[janeywaney]

Oh dear my youngest DS is going in May for a school trip I hope it isn't too bad for him. It's costing me £240 to send him for 3 days. We only spent £449 to take him to Orlando for a fortnight! The maths realy don't add up on that one do they?!
Jane

[saonaqueen]

DLP was first disney experience for DN - she really enjoyed it as did grandparents. My own view having been to WDW was more disappointing. She went back with school to sing in the choir and enjoyed it all again - her eyes will be as wide as the DLP advert when we hit MCO on 26.7 - just the airport monorail impressed me 1st time!

DLP is great for what it is - try not to compare it with WDW - the weather can be a problem though - we got drenched every day!

[sallybrealey]

My family (who have never been to WDW) love it there, they went last year just before christmas and had a great time

Sally

[tiggerfan144]

its fine i think wdw in Florida is a lot more professional. Though i did enjoy myself think its because its the whole Florida experience rather than just the wdw. Would go again to disneyland paris if it was cheaper but compared to Florida value for money it is not as good

[Libby]

I've been to both WDW and DLP and loved both. They are very different and as long as you're not expecting mini-Florida it can be a wonderful few days at DLP. Before you go though, accept that the queuing is haphazzard, the prices are dear and that getting character autographs is best avoided.

Libby

[rob@rar.org.uk]

I've been to DLP many times and think it is a great destination for a short break, either as an introduction to Disney parks or as a quick Disney-fix. It shouldn't be compared to a full holiday in Orlando, but then DLP doesn't pretend to offer that kind of experience.

GOOD POINTS
The Disneyland Park at Paris is the most richly detailed and themed Magic Kingdom that Disney has ever built. It is beautiful and ornate, with no expense spared when designing or buildng the park.

Most of the attractions in DLP are improvements on their counterparts in Orlando. Pirates, Big Thunder, Phantom Manor (cf Haunted Mansion), etc are all improvements on what has gone before. The Castle is widely regarded as Disney's best (it even has a live dragon living underneath it!). Space Mountain is leagues better than any other SM that Disney has built.

August weather in Paris is likely to be much more pleasant than August weather in Orlando. There won't be regular afternoon thunderstorms, and it won't be oppresively hot and humid like it is in Disneyworld.

Even though I don't speak French I've never had any problems understanding what was going on at DLP. Any attraction that relies on the spoken word for its storyline is either translated or is done in more than one language. Park announcements, signage, menus, etc are all done in at least French and English, occasionally German, Spanish and Italian.

The whole DLP resort is compact. This means that you can walk from your Disney hotel to the parks, hop from one park to another in a minute or two, walk to Disney Village for lunch (shorter queues) and then back into the park for the afternoon. I much prefer this when compared to the way Disneyworld does things, where there is a lot of unnecessary tavelling during the day.

There are some great dining opportunities around the resort. The Blue Lagoon restaurant, where you become part of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, is an amazing place to eat.

Depending on where you live in the UK, getting to DLP can be very easy. If you can get to London the direct Eurostar service is a brilliant way to get there - it takes you literally to the gates of the park in less than three hours.

BAD POINTS
The Walt Disney Studios is very disappointing. Although there are a few great attractions, overall it is very small and poorly themed. There is very little there for children, and few dining choices. Until they expand the park (DLP has announced plans to do this) it's a half-day experience.

The parks do get more groups of teenagers visiting than Disneyworld gets, with occasional problems when they try to walk past you in queue lines. For me this has never been more than the occasional frustration, especially as most of the attraction queues marshall you into single file. I don't think this is a 'French' problem as others have said, as I see exactly the same behaviour in Alton Towers and Thorpe Park here in the UK. Incidently, French people only comprise 40% of DLP's guests, with most people from other European countries. After the French, British people are the next largest group of guests (about 25% I think).

Character interactions, if this is of interest to you, are not well managed. With one or two exceptions, there is no management of the guests who want to have photos/autographs with their favourite Disney characters. Most of the time there is a small crowd of people gathered around them, and it is a bit chaotic.

Although I've never had a bad experience with a DLP Cast Member, I think on the whole they are more reserved than their counterparts in the US Disney parks. For me this is a good point (I find the in-your-face cheeryness of the American "have a nice day" attitude to be a bit much), but for others it might be a bad point.

Like all short-break desinations, it can seem like poor value for money when compared to a full blown 14-day holiday. However, when you compare like with like it is no more expensive than Disneyworld.


As for advice, the best guidebook for DLP is "A Brit's Guide to DLP" by Simon Veness. My best tip is the same for all Disney parks: make sure you are at the gates just before opening time, hit all the main attractions first thing, take an afternoon break and then return to the park in the evening.

Regards

Rob

PS: Thanks for your comment Stu!

[lesleyanne]

we went to dlp in october (after 4 trips to disney world) we didnt like it at all the organisation was appalling so unlike disney world ..i would not go back there again..
but i absolutely love france....i will be returning to france but not dlp.

[Scotsmomma]

I went in December for a few days...ok..it's no WDW...but for a short break it's ok...only problem is...it's full of French...sorry..but it's true ...they are really ignorant...I don't think I've got anything I filmed without a Frenchman walking in front of me....that aside...of course the rides are still good...we stayed in the Sante Fe...budget Disney hotel....it was ok...and an easy walk to the park...but I think for someone that's never been to the real thing...they'll probablly enjoy it...give me the real deal anyday

[tiggermeister]

Originally posted by Stu
We have had this type of thread before and it has turned into a racist thread against the French people.
Before we end up in that situation again, I would ask you please to keep your comments on topic and not generalise experiences at one small place to the whole country or it's people.

Thanks.
Many apologies Stu. No malice intended just how we were treated when we were there...:blush:


I will say this much though if anyone was making DLP their first stop for a Disney park, you will be in for a real treat when they visit WDW...

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Originally posted by Scotsmomma
I went in December for a few days...ok..it's no WDW...but for a short break it's ok...only problem is...it's full of French...sorry..but it's true ...they are really ignorant...I don't think I've got anything I filmed without a Frenchman walking in front of me....that aside...of course the rides are still good...we stayed in the Sante Fe...budget Disney hotel....it was ok...and an easy walk to the park...but I think for someone that's never been to the real thing...they'll probablly enjoy it...give me the real deal anyday

And from your massive experience of one visit to Disneyland Paris you can draw the conclusiuon that all French people are really ignorant? How would you feel if someone said all Scottish people are really rude based on a short break to a busy tourists attraction in Scotland?

Regards

Rob

[lesleyanne]

well said rob.....
i did not like dlp but i loved france and i loved the french people where we stayed.
they were polite and all greeted us with a smile...but then we were staying about an hour from d l p and i would readily go back there..
as for ignorance i think us british are masters at it!!!!!!

[Hoosier]

I was going to write a long reply but basically Rob has summarised it nicely, only thing to add was the variety of food served in the park was very limited (CHIPS) and finding an empty seat to sit down and eat is tricky as many of our European cousins like to sit there just smoking and chatting!
Also don't expect too many chances for individually meeting a character, because the second they appear they are mobbed, CM's have no interest in getting people into an orderly queue. Nevertheless when we took our 6 yr old over just before Christmas she thought the whole thing was magical ( especially the falling 'snow' on main street, and she met the real Father Christmas because he 'speaks different languages!!!- I was never that observant at 6!). .... And yes we did meet some friendly French people out there as well.

[Scotsmomma]

Hey Rob....It was just an opinion....surely we all have different ones on here....I found them to be rude...as a Scot...I'm used to people generalising about us...doesn't worry me...Like I said....we're all entitled to opinions....and as for my 'massive' experience....real sarcy huh...

[Senior]

I went to DLP last year with my wife and two young children and had a great time and would not hesitate to go back.

The bad points are that it was expensive in the Parks, hotels and Disney village and we didn't have a car so had to pay the costs requested. The shows were reasonably a mixture of french and english and we do not speak french so it was a bit of an issue (I am not saying anything is wrong with this btw).

Good points - short flight over, well looked after parks, pleasant staff (we found them to be anyway), good size for moving between the parks and the village and it certainly had a magical feeling about it. My wife has been to WDW before and she said it was probaly better weather as Orlando can get too warm so with little children the climate is better.

We are off to WDW this year and can compare then, but all in all we had a great time at DLP.

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Originally posted by Hoosier
only thing to add was the variety of food served in the park was very limited (CHIPS)

Ah, don't you mean French Fries ;)

There are a couple of places where you can can a wider range of food (the Mexican place opposite Big Thunder does some nice stuff, and the Agrabah restaurant in Adventureland also has a wider menu than typical theme park fast food). A good website for DLP food is http://www.dlpfoodguide.com which includes menus from most restaurants in the resort.

Regards

Rob

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Originally posted by Scotsmomma
Hey Rob....It was just an opinion....surely we all have different ones on here....I found them to be rude...as a Scot...I'm used to people generalising about us...doesn't worry me...Like I said....we're all entitled to opinions....and as for my 'massive' experience....real sarcy huh...

I don't have any problem with you saying that you came across a number of rude people at DLP (although I'm not sure how you knew the people walking in front of you were French - the majority of visitors to DLP aren't). My problem is the sweeping generalisation you make from just one visit. I visit France often and I wouldn't dream of generalising about all French people. I've met rude French people, nice French people and really lovely French people - probably in the same proportions as Americans, British, Italians, etc, that I've met.

[Scotsmomma]

Ok Rob....point taken...no offence..I apologise

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Thanks Linda :)

Regards

Rob

[Petalsoftly]

peeps from behind sofa.... is it safe to come out now?

[Elouise]

Friends of ours were very disappointed with trying to get any charater photos in the parks, as alot of other people (adults) were pushing their kids in front of the characters, and knocking theirs out the way. The character meal was fine but expensive!!!... Their avice be prepared to be in a scrum.... they got ruder as the days went on, just to ensure their kids got to see anything. Not ideal, but when in Rome and all that.

[Scotsmomma]

lol Petal....I'm sorry for what seemed like an attack on the French....to be honest I did enjoy my time there....anything Disneys good....but I do think once you've been to the States nothings going to compare...but for anyone going to DLP...i'm sure you'll have a ball...and you'll come home wanting to move on to bigger and better things....lol ps Petal...I think me and Rob have kissed and made up

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Originally posted by Elouise
Not ideal, but when in Rome and all that.

Sad, but true! I've never understaood why they can't organise the character greetings better than they do. It's not difficult - the characters already have other CMs minding them, so with just a little bit of an effort it would be so much easier for the kids. I've written to DLP twice to complain about this and didn't receive a satisfactory answer.

Regards

Rob

[paulcardy]

Have been many times and always had a great time.

[Jewel]

We are big fans of Disney land paris and sometimes I feel that there is a couple of us on the board who are always defending it. We have always had lovely times at disney land paris and are lucky to have some fantastic memories. I must however agree on the comment about the characters and how people tend to push in to get to them. Florida does have the upper hand when it come to organizing the characters, but like life both places have advantages and disadvantages. As commented before space mountain, pirates of carribean and big thunder mountain are better in paris. When we have stayed in France we have visted other places as well and havent come across any problems, totally the opposite especially if I try to speak a little french:D
We loved our time in Florida but that will not make us forget DLP, I can see us still wanting to go back there. The atmosphere at christmas time was lovely.
julie

[Claire44]

We have been twice and enjoyed it both times, I don't really think you can compare it with orlando as they are so different. Wouldn't like to go to disneyland Paris as my main holiday but the odd weekend when you need a disney fix is great.

[deano1212]

It does provide you wih the fix that you desire. Although I try very hard not to I always end up comparing it to WDW. If you take it on its own merits, all in all, it`s a cracking short break destination. No it`s not WDW but it doesnt pretend to be either. Just enjoy it for what it is......a little bit of magic.

[anna68]

I think you have to go before WDW - I went to DLP as a kid then WDW, allows you to appreciate both that way rather than being dissapointed. The cots of DLP is so much though you have to wonder whether it would be better to go to WDW

[CarolDel]

We are going back at the end of June & really looking forward to it. :jump: :jump:

talking about comparisons to WDW - as we had been to DLP first -when we went to WDW we were a bit disappointed in a few of the WDW rides - DLP is far superior for a lot of the rides & we are looking forward to re-doing a lot of them. The castle is much nicer than the WDW one as well - again when we got the "the real thing" we just looked & were really confused that it did not seem to be as pretty.

agree with Rob's comments - we are getting 2 day hoppers so that we can spend a morning at the studio & a day & 1/2 at MK.

The language is not that much of a problem - I speak a smattering of basic french & I was always propelled to the front of the queue for food n stuff - & without fail even thought I know what I asked for (& am convinced I got it right) - they got the order wrong every single time - but my french was never good enough to argue the finer points - but the food ain't all that IMHO.

I actually never noticed a problem with pushing in at the queues - but then again - hands full with the 3 lads and one having aspergers it may have happened - not something that I would get too worked up about - the weather was so blistering hot when we went we were glad to queue in the shade lol.

I know another thought is costs - but it can be done quite cheap - ferry for £ 120, staying at Haven Holiday park - £500 for large 3 bedroom that sleeps 8, not bad for a weeks holiday - I just know I could not do WDW for that lol - not for a family of 5. ( with room for more if we wanted).

the local food is delicious & the supermarkets have wonderful cheese, sticks of bread & gorgeous flans & the locals can be lovely - the last caravan park we stayed on the owners took a shine to us - (I think they were amused by my loose grasp of the french language lol) & they were always leaving us free bottles of wine & french bread and moved us to a nicer caravan.

sorry waffled a bit - can you tell I am starting to get excited about our weeks holiday there :) we love it ( & my eldest actively prefers it to WDW)

Carol

[FSnug]

We return for our 4th annual 4 night break to DLP at the end of May - bank Hol week. It is ideal for being able to unwind on a short break from a hectic life quickly (via the Eurostar) and on the whole we find it hassle free and ideal for our now 6 year old. Yes it's not cheap - but every year we have paid half or more of the cost using Tescos Clubcard vouchers (4 times face value if booked with Bridge or Cresta) which is a bonus. Vouchers from Tesco spending + visa (paying off each month). Last year (son then nearly 6) was the best yet as he was able to plan what we were going to do with us and really contribute. We do the same rides losts of times and chill. I said we were not going back this year as we are doing "the big one" to Florida in 2006 - but everyone couldn't think of something they'd rather do!

Eat early - in the Disney Village we have our evening meal 4.45pmish and it is never busy. Annette's Diner has lovely American style food (service on roller skates), King Ludwigs Castle has oodles of atmosphere and rainforest is typical Rainforest! Can't beat Blue Lagoon for atmosphere (Pirates of Caribbean ride) - not cheap and booking recommended a day or so before you want.

Fast food is sloooow in the parks - expect to queue and wait even if there is hardly anyone waiting to be served. A French colleague of mine tells me they never hurry food - and fast food isn't really a French thing.

Our worst year was 2003 as the UK hol week coincided with Ascention day long weekend in Europe and it was busy - and this is the only real time we encountered queue jumping and masses of rudeness, "no speak English" attitudes from French and Italian visitors (not german or Dutch) - just stating the facts as we saw it. But other years have been great. You can tell an "English" queue for photos & autographs a mile off - chatty parents and everyone taking a fair turn. Characters in front of the studios do take time - often early afternoon - the times are published - we got some good photos last year.

We may even go back after Florida (visited as a couple in 1989) - not sure yet. Can't wait!!!! I certainly don't have a problem for a short break - about 5 days / 4 nights.

[CarolynU]

We took my 5 year old nephew and 6 year old niece in the October half term to DLP which coincided with continental holidays too. Consequently the MK was absolutely heaving. The only thing that I could complain about was the character interaction, which as others have sad was chaotic to say the least. There were few 'minders ' so it was just a free for all, and all nationalities were pushing and shoving children out of the way to place their own children in front of the characters. My nephew actually became scared,and was slightly hurt. I wrote to DLP but although they kindly offered to send us complimentary tickets for a future visit I would rather they instigated some sort of queueing system in response to the guest comments that they have obviously received on the subject.
Carolyn

[MRSB]

We are going to WDW for the first time in July, so cannot compare. However we went to DLP last year for a short break we were slightly apprehensive, after listening to reports. We stayed at the Sequioa Lodge (VERY NICE) the parks are lovely and clean staff very helpful all did or tried to speak english( terrible really we should try to speak french)! I understand that the parks are no where near the size of WDW, but are great for a short break.
Most of the European Visitors were rude and queue jumped a lot, but we made a fuss and they either moved back themselves or a cast member did it for them.
We really had agreat time and the restaurasnts we ate in were very lovely and the service excellent( King Ludwigs Castle, Annettes Diner, Cafe Mickey's) all fantastic.
:jump: :jump: :jump: :jump: :jump: Hope your relatives have a .good time

[CityWalk]

VERY EXPENSIVE!!!

With the dollar so good it can actually work out cheaper to go to WDW

[donna100]

I have been to DLP more times than i can remember. I fondly recall my grandparents taking me the 1st year it opened...

I have always loved going here. We have been in summer and in winter and i don't think you can compare to WTD as they are different.

Yes i must admit Pirates of the caribeean is a bit different in French but at the end of the day what do you expect... you are in France. The only thing which is a bit of a problem is q jumpers but you can tell them a mile of and they don't get past me.

When i wwent in December the Christmas decorations were amazing and dare i say better than Orlando. I think the wather does have something to do with it as it was a freezing day and in there Christmas parade there were real Reindeers. I had my cousins with me and the look on there faces I will remember forever.
If you go trying not to compare it to Orlando then you will have an amazing time. Put it this way, it knocks any of our theme parks out of the water...

You wont be disapointed , as you can probably tell I love it and will defend it against any criticism..

xxxxx

[jblower]

We went to DLP before going to Florida, and I would say that you cant really compare them( I.e. the vastness of MK). And you also cannot begin to compare the hospitality of the Americans, so freindly and lovely to the children.
However, saying that if you just fancy a short break it is ideal to get a taster of Disney and th MK is small enough to do everything you want in a day and get to see the parade, and manage to do shopping at Downtown Disney!(Although the Euro is definately not as good as the Dollar).
It is worth going, we usually stay off resort as it does work out cheaper (there are 5 of us).But another positive is a booze stop at Calais, which more than makes up for any extra expense!!

[kina]

I went in March 2003.

I found the parks to be dirty and rundown and the french very rude. When we wouldn't let a group of french lads push in front of us in a queue they blew smoke into my mothers hair and spat down my husbands back. On another occasion my husband and I were saw down outside HISTA and observed a family stop, pull down the pants of their small child, lift them up and let them urinate all over the floor before walking on. The characters were rude and there was no organisation with regards to photos and signatures etc. I lost count of the amount on times I was pushed in front of whilst queuing for the toilet. I also hated queuing up and having the people behind constantly banging into us and having their heads virtually on our shoulders - they had no concept of personal space.

All in all I detested it and would not hurry to return.

[MRSB]

Hi all this is MRSB'S DS (11) i've been to DLP with my family (04) and it was very nice,clean and the staff were very helpful, the hotels are FAB along with the restaurants serving lovely food and everything looking fine, DLP is a GREAT place to stay.:D :D :D :jump: :jump:

[Tonesemitone]

We visited DLP for the first time last October after 2 previous visits to WDW and one to DL. We all loved it and wouldn't hesitate to go again (although not in preference to WDW - we just adore the whole experience there). MK was beautiful and theming was great. As has been said previously, many rides were better than their Californian/Floridian counterparts and the fact that the hotels are so much closer to the parks makes that another plus point too. The Studios are only small but we enjoyed our visit and look forward to their expansion in years to come. Getting and staying there was cheap for us but eating out was expensive but as you would expect in France very good. Didn't care for the smoking but we were in France and that's just their way. Everyone was very polite and helpful. Take it at face value and enjoy it for what it is - don't expect or compare it to anywhere else and enjoy - have a great time! :jump: :D :jump:

Mrs Tonesemitone

[Tiggernut]

I went several years ago and was so disgusted at the organisation and atitude of the other 'guests' that I would NEVER go back....not until they move it out of France anyway!!!!!! :p:

I played a great game of 'trip the French child' whilst in the queues for things. They famuilies tended to send their little darlings through first then push past the rest of thecrowd becasue theri child was at the front! This hapened so may times I lost count!!!

I LOVE Disney but I think they got it badly wrong plonking the park down in France where the weather is often poor and the culture doesn't really 'fit' with the Disney attitude!

Just MHO of course!!!! :D

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Originally posted by Tiggernut
They famuilies tended to send their little darlings through first then push past the rest of thecrowd becasue theri child was at the front! This hapened so may times I lost count!!!


Have to say I've never seen this happen, in the 25+ times I've been to DLP. I've seen groups of teenagers try to sneak down the sides of queues on many occasions, but never family groups.

Regards

Rob

[Tiggernut]

Originally posted by rob@rar.org.uk
Have to say I've never seen this happen, in the 25+ times I've been to DLP. I've seen groups of teenagers try to sneak down the sides of queues on many occasions, but never family groups.

Regards

Rob

Rob

WE must each speak as we find - the OP asked for honest views - and this was mine. You are a more frequent visitor than I but that one visit was enough to put me off I'm afraid. As I said - this was a common problem - especailly in the Fantasyland area. I almost had a stand up fight with one charmng woman who ctried it and called me a very unsavoury name in French when I would let her do it! Sadly for her, My BIL, who was with me speaks fluent french and gave as good as we got!!!!! :D

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Originally posted by Tiggernut
Rob

WE must each speak as we find - the OP asked for honest views - and this was mine. You are a more frequent visitor than I but that one visit was enough to put me off I'm afraid.

Agree entirely. I don't doubt your experience there was spoiled by other guests, which I think was a great shame as generally I've found it a great place to get that Disney fix between full-blown holidays to Orlando.

Regards

Rob

[Stu]

Guys,
We will not tolerate racist remarks on these forums. We have had to edit/remove a couple of posts within this thread.

Your experiences in DLP are exactly that, experiences in DLP, not the whole of France or the French People!

[SimonB]

There was an hour long programme about Disney Studios Paris on 1 of the Sky Travel channels last night.

Looks quite good. There seems to be a few different rides such as Armageddon and it also showed the construction of Rock N' Rollercoaster.

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Originally posted by SimonB
There was an hour long programme about Disney Studios Paris on 1 of the Sky Travel channels last night.

Looks quite good. There seems to be a few different rides such as Armageddon and it also showed the construction of Rock N' Rollercoaster.

There are some great attractions in the Walt Disney Studios: the Rock n' Rollercoaster (in my opinion slightly improved over the Orlando version), the Lights, Motors: Action stunt show (much better than the preview of this show that saw in Orlando), Armageddon (great show, but a bit too short. It could do with an additional effects scene) and the often overlooked Cinemagique (funny film with Martin Short, with a bit of added live action - great for cinema buffs). Other than these the park is a bit bare of things to see and do. It really needs two or three major new attractions, plus much more stuff for younger kids, before it can be considered a full day's visit.

Regards

Rob

[stevered1]

Dont go and compare it to WDW, there is so much more at WDW you will feel short changed, but as a short break with 2 parks ( studio is too small and is a half day visit ) its a great way to enjoy disney.

We went when it was cold, the parade was v v short, yes some people were rude and pushed in, but I find you get that in alton towers or chessington so I am not blaming french people.

overall take it for what it is, its not WDW and never will be... but you will find anyone who hasnt been to WDW loves it, if you neeb to WDW you compare it and it cant win.

Go, Enjoy and try not to trip up too many french children!

[Jewel]

You will also find people who have visted wdw and still love DLP too. julie:D :D

[missbounce]

I think it's a real shame that some people have been personal towards the French on this thread. There are good and bad in all nationalities and I've found some of the comments on this page to be a bit below the mark. I've recently married in to a French family and they are all lovely people and not at all dirty or rude as has been hinted at in a couple of threads. I hate the fact that a lot of people generalise a nationality based on just a few people that they have encountered. I would hate it if other done that about the English. Sorry to rant... :blush:

[chocking]

We went in June last year and really enjoyed it:D . The weather was lovely and we had a geat time. We did have a problem with people pushing to get to the characters and line jumping and my DD who was two at the time got pushed over more than once, but having said that it was like that when we went to Blackpool. I think it was just over excited teenagers rushing to the next ride. It gave us a good taste of whats to come and made us deceid to take the plunge and book to go to Florida.

Claire xx:D

[simon9792]

i visited last thursday,i was glad i was on holiday in france about 1 hr from disneyland.we had good day but would not have travelled to the park from the uk purely for a visit i have been to florida twice and it cant even start to compare,with the true home of disney FLORIDA the park i thought was very small we also visited disney village which we found very dirty especially macdonalds which had ripped seating.the staff where ok to us it cost us £106 for the 4 of us a bit expensive for such a small park also space mountain was closed to all except V.I.P,S but all we saw was the same people just going back on time and time again.i asked what constituted a VIP and was told they had sent tickets out thru the post the attendant wasnt too sure??? i did state as i and all the rest of the people had paid to get in wasnt we all VIP,S i think i lost him somewhere in translation.

[Rio]

We went to DLP not long after it opened and we had a great time, though we found it to be very expensive. It's a lot bigger now though, but for our first taste of the disney magic...it was great.
I work with a French lady from Paris and her children were over at their grandparents for Easter and they were taken to DLP for the day last week and as they live at the other side of paris, they went by train and with the fares and admission to the park as well as food and just a souvenir t-shirt for the 2 kids, it cost her parents around £200, quite an expensive day out for a couple of pensioners!!
The kids loved it (and so did her parents) but it will be a while before they go back again.
Love Rio

[dscotcher]

it all depends what you yourself make of it. Some people can't find the time to go to florida for two weeks so pick DLP instead . OK it can be a bit expensive. However, the prices have come down a lot. We went when it first opened and it was megga bucks!! We last went in sept2004 with our 18month old. He loved it and cried everytime we dragged him away from tigger!!! we will certainly go back because its near and a good family holiday no matter what others think.
You don't need to stay in the best hotel to have a good time - just somewhere to eat and sleep!!

Debbie

[mnis]

DLP was our first Disney experience and I have to say I thouroghly enjoyed it....it was expensive and yes the organisation of the character meets was chaotic to say the least..with lots of people of all nationalities pushing and shoving in!!!But at the end of the day as a family with kids we loved it
Cant compare it to WDW though....but if it was a choice of DLP or no Disney then I'd go back!!
mnis:angel:

[buttercup]

What can I say apart from a huge THANK YOU I told my BIL that you are brilliant people with a vast knowledge of all things Disney. Sorry, Stu, about the replies that had to be removed. I will sit my BIL down to read all of your replies and he can then have an informed visit to DLP. I'm sure he will love it, especially the children, and when he's back (by the way, he's going in August), I'll get him to let you know how he got on.

P.S. Is that really a Nottingham Forest Fan on this site:p: Ah well - never mind!

[rusty30]

Just one thing that no one has mentioned, that REALLY spoilt DLP for me, and that was the smoking. So many people were puffing those awful unfiltered Continental ciggies (see...I didnt say French :D). Both myself and my son suffer from asthma, and there was nowhere we could sit without someone coming along and lighting up within about 7 seconds.

Horrid, and the one reason we probably wont rush back.

Oh, and we hated the food...but the rides were good, in fact generally much better than those at WDW.