1st Trip Highs and Lows with 17mth old!

[Enchanted]

So we got back from DLP on Thursday night! It was my first time and DS’s who is 17mths old. DH’s 2nd trip but last time he was there was a school trip the year it opened so we were all pretty much 1st timers.

We flew from Leeds with Jet 2 to CDG and stayed at Santa Fe for 4nts.

I tried really hard not to compare it to WDW Orlando but after 10 trips there in 31yrs it was hard not to as WDW is so familiar to me.

Highs:

Flights - really quick and smooth, great crew and DS slept both ways.
Magical Express - fast, easy, comfortable and cheap!
Santa Fe - great theming, La Cantina buffet was fab, room was lovely and quiet, the walk to the park was gorgeous and peaceful, and DS enjoyed feeding the ducks and fish on the way.
Disneyland Park - just so beautiful! The castle is gorgeous, the rides are superb - some of them definitely superior to their Orlando counterparts, such as Phantom Manor, Pirates, BTM. Cast Members were all really polite and helpful.
EMH - Spent a fantastic 90mins in Fantasyland with no queues and it was so empty it was safe for DS to run around.
DS - SO many special moments, he loved Teacups, Small World, Pinocchio, Canal Boats and the Carousel. He clapped his hands and beamed with joy throughout the Mickey and the Magician Show. His face when he first saw the castle and Buzz Lightyear...squealing with excitement! And I’ll never forget watching him waving at the parade and his little smile lit up as he watched the Illuminations and fireworks. For anyone wondering whether it’s worth taking a toddler - just do it! It was so magical and me and DH were misty eyed on more than one occasion. We were in awe of how much he loved it.
Food - we had some great quick service and buffet meals especially at La Cantina, Earl of Sandwich, Toad Hall and Rainforest Cafe.
Merchandise - we bought loads of lovely souvenirs, hoodies/t-shirts, plates/mugs, stationery, earrings and DS spent a large chunk of his pocket money on toys!

Lows:

First morning - the entry scanners broke and we were herded into a side area where we were literally squashed between thousands of other guests for almost 2hrs! We couldn’t physically get out, DS was screaming and we had no information - most people assumed it was a terror alert. Really poorly organised and I very much lost my temper as a woman shoved DS out the way and purposefully stood on the front on his buggy to stop us getting through when the gates finally opened. It really got our first full day off to a bad start and I wasn’t sure I even wanted to stay.
Rudeness - lots of people with zero manners and no idea how to queue.
Smoking - I must admit it wasn’t as bad as I thought, we didn’t see anyone smoking in queues BUT there were lots and lots of people just walking round the parks smoking/at benches/eating areas etc I asked several people to put them out or move to smoking areas. CMs just turned a blind eye.
Cost - Food and drink are very expensive but we still didn’t spend as much as we thought.
DS - even though he was amazing 99% of the time, he really didn’t like queuing and was scared of rides we didn’t expect - such as Peter Pan (screamed the place down trying to get out the boat) and Casey Jr Train - maybe a bit fast! We quickly adjusted our expectations of him which really helped.
Studios - Apart from Ratatouille, Mickey and the Magician, RnR and ToT there was nothing there. Not even a half day park for us but the future expansions sound fantastic.

Future plans:
We’d go back to DLP in a heartbeat, we loved it so much more than we thought and really wish we’d had longer there.
We’ve got CenterParcs booked for later this year and then Florida planned for next October but I’m really pleased we did DLP for DS’s first Disney trip and we’ll definitely be back in a few years!

[Noodle500]

I always remember DS face when we went for the first time. Defiantly a misty eye moment. I have a most cherished photo of him receiving a Mickey balloon

[Animagus]

So pleased you had a lovely time. Your DS sounds like he did really well and enjoyed the experience. It’s always good to see more highs than lows. We are off on Tuesday for our first trip in 7 years. Can’t wait.

I don’t think you ever forget your child’s first Disney trip. We took DD to DLP when she was 5 and I still well up at the memory of her meeting Snow White (her favourite then and still now). Magical.

[LOU LOU DISNEY]

So glad you all had a lovely time! We love DLP as that’s where our love for Disney parks came from!
It’s getting better & better now ever time we go & I cannot wait to see all the new stuff that’s coming.