Disneyland Paris first time in 8 years - 4. 22.12.16

[parisdisneyfan]

We opened the curtains to heavy rain so we opted for packing and a last leisurely breakfast where we packed it in again. We certainly made full use of our inclusive breakfast but not sure it was 40E each worth if we had been paying separately! We left all our bags in the room and booked collection at the Concierge for 2pm. Ds & dd were in the park before us and grabbed a short queue at Small World before doing Pirates. DH and I did some Christmas ornament shopping, we were disappointed that we had either missed the 2016 ornaments or there weren't any. However we picked up a Remy that dh is going to add 2016 to (he has a white and red candy cane so he reckons he can add a small gold decals on to the candy cane) and a snowglobe with Sven and Olaf in. We felt they were fitting as that seemed to have been the theme of our trip.

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We had arranged to head over to Pirates to meet the kids, but they started walking towards us and were at the end of Main Street waiting for us somehow we missed them so agreed to meet up at Small World, as they were determined to get their Dad on it once! Before that could happen though they had to negotiate their way through the mayhem caused by Anna and Elsa (and their two horses) who were singing their way towards the castle. I owned up to thinking that Anna was an aspirational role model because she was a princess who stuck her tongue out at people, ok but who doesn't want to stick their tongue out at people sometimes! With Small World endured as a family (dh words not mine!), we split up again with DH and I doing a final Peter Pan on Fast Pass and kids headed off to BTM to find out that it was closed... Again!

After reuniting yet again we decided that BTM (which had already built up a big queue outside the attraction) was probably going to open again soon so dh and dd waited in the main queue for a while. They eventually decided to cut their losses and move out of the queue (which had continued to grow). Almost immediately the gates opened with them not in the queue. Plan B swung effortlessly into action and they pulled out the hotel fast passes and joined the fast pass queue. 10 mins later, with another BTM under their belts, they joined up with ds and I with the goal of taking a train ride around the park. First. The easy bit.. getting onto the train at Main Street station. By the time the train got to the first station, the locomotive was on it's knees and after waiting for 15 mins, we decided the patient was a gonner and we walked back to Main St. That is where our Disneyland adventure ended this time.

We headed inside to call the car and set off home. I do like the valet service here and it all went like clockwork, car and luggage arrived at the same time and we loaded up. We teased dh about the last time we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel when he had left his phone on the roof (think he may have done it deliberately this time) 11 years ago he had taken his phone out of his pocket and put it on the roof and forgotten about it. 10 mins later as we got on to the motorway he realised! So we back tracked and I spotted it at the side of the road about 2-3 roundabouts before we got back to the hotel (his reply is that it was shiny and I am like a magpie where shiny things are concernedAt the time the little Mobily advert was going around and we had chuckles imagining his phone running after us Believe it or not it was unbroken and still worked - dh wasn't happy as was hoping to get an upgrade - 11 years ago they made them to last and be badly treated lol

All loaded so off to get some fuel and then on up the motorway, once again through Chessy, not sure if it is quicker but bit more interesting. Straight forward journey, even though it was dearer on the tolls, but I think we hit them at rush hour time (not traffic) so perhaps understandable. At the exit side there were Gendarmes waiting fully armed luckily it wasn't us but obviously they had info that someone had been or was going to be very naughty!

At the tunnel we had the option of an earlier shuttle so picked that. As we drove through our letter was showing as to queue up so we didn't stop at the terminal. It wasn't just queuing it was a straight drive non stop on to the train (never done that before)! Although we had to poke ds so the passport guy could look at him

Smooth crossing while munching on the doughnuts we had collected with our Pause Gourmand vouchers and we were back in the UK. After dd telling us that the services at Cobham had won awards we stopped there for a McDonalds for tea, it was very clean but still fast food in a service station. Back on towards home where we arrived to find everything all ok so a great end to our christmas present holiday

[judy22]

You were unlucky with all the ride closures but it must have been a lovely few days for you all. Thanks for posting.