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Old 21 Jan 19, 08:48 PM  
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DevonPumpkin
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Finally going back...19 years later! Day 3 - A studios breakdown and Bistrot Chez Remy

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Once again it was another early start with the alarm going off at 6, but the past two days were starting to catch up so the snooze button was hit a couple times and I was eventually up at 6:15. We took our time getting ready and went to breakfast slightly later at 7:25, expecting it to be much busier than yesterday. We decided to eat in Cape Cod to try it out and surprisingly it was nearly empty! We were given a window seat by the lake again and although it was dark when we arrived we had a nice view by the end of breakfast.

The selection at Cape Cod seemed to be much bigger than the Yacht Club buffet and there was no difference in quality so we were happy with our choice of restaurant. I was especially excited to find the chocolate shell cereal that I had loved so much on our first trip when I was 7 so treated myself to a big bowl of that, followed by a cooked breakfast and a pain au chocolat, some ham, cheese and bread. Halfway through the holiday and my stomach was starting to get used to buffet portions





The plan for today was to start the day in the studios park where we had a lunch reservation at Bistrot Chez Remy, then finish the day in the main park and watch illuminations. We were also really keen to ride Ratatouille, and I had seen online that Remy was meeting, which I hadn't told Mum about as I thought it would be a nice surprise if we managed to catch him. Ratatouille is one of her favourite Disney films.

We went back to the room to get our bags and left the hotel at 8:40. It was another slightly drizzly and cold day and Mum was struggling with her bad knee sadly. By the time we got to the studios park she needed a sit down, so she found a table and chairs inside Studio 1, and I decided to have a look around the shops for a bit. The Pandora shop was very tempting but I don't have a bracelet already so made a quick exit! I decided I'd like a pair of official Disney ears so went into the connecting shop and bought the rose gold ears for 19.99 euros. By the time I was done, Mum was feeling better so we made a beeline for Crush's Coaster, as I'd read online how busy this would get later in the day. I don't remember the exact stand by queue time as we used Mum's green pass, but I think it was already over an hour



I was really excited for this ride as I'd heard so many good things about it and I love Finding Nemo, as does Mum. We were straight through with Mum's green pass and before we knew it we were being loaded into the back of shell. It was a bit of a mad rush to get into the seat and the lap bar came down before we were properly sat down which sadly hurt Mum's leg again. I'm not sure if it was because we were going backwards, the lap bar hurting Mum, the ride itself or a combination of all three, but we really didn't like this ride! It was a bit of a shock how much you get thrown around and I think we missed out on quite a lot of the details because we were going backwards. Safe to say when we got off the ride we both decided we wouldn't be trying that one again!

To calm ourselves down we decided to ride Ratatouille but unfortunately it wasn't open yet (remember this!) This area is so pretty so we stopped to take some photos, I love the details on the fountain.




Our other plan for the day was to meet Minnie which meant a Lineberty reservation. Mum was also hoping to meet Pluto, so as it was 09:40 I went on the app ready, quite nervous because this was my first time trying it. When the slots opened up I booked one straight away for Pluto and got ticket 10 and went back to the main screen to reserve a time for Minnie and... she was fully booked I don't know if you can only book one character at a time or if the slots really went that quickly but I was so gutted, it was only 09:46. My phone was already buzzing to tell us to go meet Pluto so we made our way over there.

Obviously we weren't the only people shocked by the speed of the reservations filling up because there was quite a crowd forming around a character attendant and they weren't pleased! The character attendant was giving some families who said they were unable to get on the app return times from a clipboard, so maybe they keep some time slots back? It might be worth a go if you find yourself in that position.

Still a bit sad about missing out on Minnie, we showed our ticket number and joined the queue for Pluto.



Pluto was really cute but it was definitely a quicker meet than the ones we had done previously. We didn't really like the Lineberty process and the whole thing felt slightly more chaotic than just a standard queue which can be extremely long, but at least you know you'll definitely get to meet your favourite characters that way!

We decided if we couldn't meet Minnie that seeing her was better than nothing, so went into the art of animation. Her Christmas outfit really is beautiful!



By now the park was open to the public so we thought Ratatouille must be open. When we got there though, there was a huge queue forming for the stand-by, and even a queue for fast pass outside of the ride building itself, and no one was being allowed in. There is no disabled entrance for Ratatouille and instead you join the fast pass queue so that's what we did, thinking the ride would be opening any moment. We also ended up bumping into the family we'd sat opposite in the Eurostar so had a nice catch up with them.

After 20 minutes they still weren't letting anybody in, and we overheard another person in the queue saying every ride in the Studios park apart from Slinky Dog and the Magic Carpets had broken down! This was the morning we had set aside just for exploring the studios park so we were a bit stuck with what to do, as we knew we had to be back at lunch time for our Bistrot Chez Remy reservation. Just as we decided to leave and go to the main park, we heard someone shout "Remy!" and turned around to see Remy walking out to his meet and greet area. Finally some good luck! We abandoned our spot for Ratatouille and I ran over and joined the queue with Mum following behind. We were fourth in line and were meeting him within 10 minutes!




We could see Ratatouille still hadn't opened so started to leave the park, but then at the last minute decided to see if a drawing class was running in Art of Animation. One was being set up but no one had joined it, so we ended up having a drawing lesson with just me and Mum! We were given the option of drawing Mickey or Winnie the Pooh and picked Winnie. I'm really glad we did this now as Art of Animation has just been closed for the expansion of Studios




With one last check to see if any of the rides were open (they weren't, the whole park was still broken down! It was about 11:30am at this point) we walked over to Disneyland Park, stopping on the way to get some photos by the fountains.




Another thing that had been on my bucket list for this trip was to meet Winnie the Pooh. He was my favourite character growing up but we didn't get to meet him on our first trip, so it was a real must this time around! We went straight to his location, there was a big queue but we were still unsure of how the green pass worked for characters so we decided to join the main queue and I think we waited about 30-40 minutes, but it was worth it!





I got a bit emotional afterwards as this is a moment I'd been waiting such a long time for, and wished that Dad could have been there for it. It was a great meet though and made up for our slightly unsuccessful morning! We had about an hour and a half to kill before our lunch reservation so we went on teacups again. We spotted White Rabbit out as well and though about meeting him but sadly the queue was closed.

As we hadn't been upstairs in the castle yet we thought now would be a good chance. It's so pretty and really adds something special to the castle. I can't imagine going to another park and not being able to go inside the castle now!

I checked the Dinseyland Paris app and saw the the rides were finally working in the Studios park, and we thought it would be nice to go on Ratatouille right before eating in Bistrot Chez Remy, so that's what we did.

This ride is so amazing, and so smooth. We got soaked when the champagne cork popped! This became one of Mum's favourite rides overall. It was perfect timing when we got off the ride to go to our lunch reservation.

Bistro Chez Remy is beautiful it's so well themed and everywhere you look you spot a new detail. Our waitress was lovely and the food was delicious, I would really highly recommend eating here, especially if it is covered by your meal plan!

We both had the soup of the day to start which was carrot, the fish with crushed potatoes for main and I had apple tart for desert. Mum had the Gusteaus desert which was a chocolate eclair and came with a fruity sauce, but our waitress wasn't sure if there was any strawberries in the sauce, and as mum is allergic she decided to have it without.







I'd also seen on Youtube before we went that if you asked your waiter/waitress for the chef to sign your napkin then they would come back with a special surprise!



We went straight back on Ratatouille after lunch which was just as good as the first time round, although the champagne cork got stuck for quite a long time! When that was finished we realised that Surprise Mickey, the show for Mickey's 90th birthday, was due to start any minute so we made our way to the stage, not really sure what to expect as I'd managed to avoid all spoilers for this.

This show is so cute, the dancing and costumes are excellent and we loved the song. Surprise Mickey was a pleasant surprise!




After the show we felt like we really wanted to do some more rides as we'd missed quite a lot of time that morning. I suggested Tower of Terror but Mum refused as someone at her work had told her it was the worst ride ever! We also ruled out RC Racer and Rock'n'Rollercoaster as we were quite full from lunch. Neither of us wanted to do Crush's Coaster again! Eventually we agreed to try Peter Pan's Flight back in the main park, as we knew we wanted to watch Illuminations that night so would need to go back there anyway.

When we got to Fantasyland we weren't exactly sure where to find Peter Pan's Flight and ended up at the entrance for Snow White. We were straight on with Mum's green pass, although even the stand by queue looked pretty tiny, and we had a cart to ourselves which was nice. We really liked this ride! It was so cute and very nostalgic, I don't think we had been on it on our first trip but it had a very 90s Disneyland vibe.

As we came off the ride we somehow found ourselves at the entrance for Pinocchio and decided to jump on this too! We didn't like this as much as Snow White, maybe because we don't know the story as well but the ride seemed to go too fast to actually look at the different scenes properly.

Eventually we found Peter Pan's Flight! Even with Mum's green pass there was a little queue for this, I think it was about 15 minutes which is obviously nothing compared to the normal queue, so no complaints! We loved this, especially when you fly through Wendy's bedroom and out over London. It was much better than I expected and I can see why it has such long wait times.

It was dark when we got out and Teacups was looking incredible with all the lanterns so we couldn't resist a second ride of the day!




I loved this even more in the dark! It makes it so much more magical when it was all lit up! When we got off we thought it would be nice to try Dumbo in the dark as well to get a good view of what Fantasyland looked like at night. This time we got an elephant that went all the way up and the view didn't disappoint. We even managed a selfie with the castle in the background!



It was nearly 6pm and we knew if we wanted a decent spot for Illuminations we probably only had time for one more ride, so there was only one thing for it - Big Thunder Mountain at night!



Riding BTM in the dark was another thing on my bucket list so I was so excited for this. Amazingly, we timed it absolutely perfectly and as we came around the corner at the very top of the mountain, we saw the fireworks going off on Tower of Terror for Goofy's Incredible Christmas. It was such a magical moment and one of the highlights of the trip!

We decided to slowly make our way back to the castle to get a spot for Illuminations. We got a bit confused at first as it was so dark, but eventually we found the disabled area to the left of the castle by the Adventureland entrance. It was pretty empty when we arrived which was ideal as there was a bench free and Mum could have a sit down while we waited. This was our amazing view:



Before our trip, Mum had bought some glow in the dark ears from Home Bargains so we got these out now and made them up in time for the show. Unfortunately it was raining pretty heavily at this point so they had to go over the hoods of our coats. Such a good look We took them down for this picture



As it we were there during the 90th birthday celebrations, there was a pre-show all about Mickey Mouse that started 15 minutes before the main Illuminations show. The show was brilliant and I especially loved the Fantasia part, the fountains were used so well. If you haven't seen it yet I would highly recommend watching it on Youtube, although it's not the same as being there in person it really is worth it!

After the pre-show came the main event! This was the first time we have ever seen a castle show and we were blown away. I have seen people say Illuminations is not as good as Dreams but as we had nothing to compare it to we absolutely loved it, and a few tears were shed in the Lion King and Little Mermaid parts Mum took pictures on my phone while I filmed it on her new camera. She got some really great photos I think!





Because we were very close to the front, we decided to hang around a bit to let the crowds disperse before trying to get out of the park. On our way out we realised the shops were still open and deicded to have a look around Harringtons. This turned out to be an expensive choice!

I had been eyeing up the glass roses from way before our trip began, and knew that Harringtons was one of the places to get them. When watching videos on Youtube I struggled to decide between the glass rose that lay on it's side or the Beauty and the Beast dome, but in person I knew I had to get the rose inside a dome. It was 39.99 euros, so definitely not a cheap purchase but I really loved it. they also offered to personalise it for an extra 5 euros, and so I had mine and Mum's initials and the year engraved on the back. As it was technically after closing time, I would have to wait until the next day to pick it up.




We also had a look at the jewellery and I bought Mum a necklace as a Christmas present (two interlinking Mickey's), and she bought me a ring (a gold crown with a tiny crystal hidden Mickey). Mum also bought me the Marie Disney Traditions figure as a memory of the amazing meet we'd had with Marie the day before. I also found the poster pack which was another thing I'd had on my shopping list before the trip and so bought that as well.

Just a side note, I loved this Steamboat Willie figure, but OMG the price!



By the time we left Harrington's the park was practically empty, with just a last few stragglers coming out of shops and getting near empty main street photos. I decided to join in!



We weren't sure what to do for dinner that night as we'd already used our meal plan voucher for the day in Bistrot Chez Remy. We thought it would probably be best to get something in the Village, but stopped in more shops along the way.

In Disney Fashion we found the spirit jerseys! Before the trip I had really wanted one of these but in person I wasn't sure and thought they were a bit overpriced. I'd spent that days spending money in Harringtons anyway so decided to sleep on it, but on the way out spotted the customisation area. I was hoping to be able to buy the patches separately but sadly they don't do this. The cast member explained I could pick a denim jacket from a selection of vintage jackets and they would customise it with the patches of my choice. I didn't write it down but I think the jacket on it's one was 40 euros and then you paid for patches on top. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong! Overall it would probably come out around the same price as a spirit jersey and I did like this idea more so had planned to go back the next day and get one. You'll see what happens in the next instalment of this trip report!

We also popped into the Lego shop but didn't buy anything, just stopped to admire the huge Lego statues! How cool is the Lego pick and mix in here as well?




It was now about 8:30 and we were starting to feel hungry so thought we should check out the dinner options. I suggested King Ludwig's but Mum wasn't keen on the menu. Rainforest Cafe was quite expensive and I'd heard not so great things about Planet Hollywood, so I'm ashamed to say we ended up in McDonalds!

It was total chaos as half the resort seemed to have the same idea as us and the self service machines were down so everyone had to wait to be served. I think we queued for about 40 minutes which was one of longest waits of the whole trip! Eventually we got some food though. No idea what Mum had (bad trip notes strike again!) but I had the Chicken, Bacon and Onion burger with fries and a drink. It was surprisingly tasty! I also didn't record the price but I think it was about 18 euros for both of us.



We eventually got back to our room just after 10pm and we were both feeling the effects of such a long day with much park hopping! My notes end here so I can only assume I totally passed out


The days purchases!


Just a little bit of walking
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Old 21 Jan 19, 09:20 PM  
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Another jam-packed day! I absolutely love the rose and that engraving makes it even more special - the perfect memento for your trip. Looking forward to the next installment.
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Old 21 Jan 19, 11:01 PM  
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Really enjoying this trip report, it’s geting me very excited for my DLP trip in March. Looks like you made some really special memories with your Mum, it’s so cute how you bought each other gifts. Can’t wait for day 4!
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Old 21 Jan 19, 11:24 PM  
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What a fab day. I love DLP and you did a good job of packing everything in. Ratatouille is just the best ride!
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Old 21 Jan 19, 11:32 PM  
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Another brilliant day!
Your rose is a really special purchase, it looks beautiful. And your mum got some amazing firework photos!
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Old 22 Jan 19, 06:47 PM  
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DevonPumpkin
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Originally Posted by HappyPanda View Post
Another jam-packed day! I absolutely love the rose and that engraving makes it even more special - the perfect memento for your trip. Looking forward to the next installment.
Weirdly this felt like one of our quieter days! I think because of all the rides being down in Studios in the morning so it felt like a lot of hanging around at the start of the day! Thank you, I'm really glad I decided to have it engraved in the end!

Originally Posted by formosagirl View Post
Really enjoying this trip report, it’s geting me very excited for my DLP trip in March. Looks like you made some really special memories with your Mum, it’s so cute how you bought each other gifts. Can’t wait for day 4!
March will be here before you know it! It was definitely a trip we'll remember forever. Haha, most of my Christmas presents this year were either from Disneyland Paris or Disney themed!

Originally Posted by Zomax25 View Post
What a fab day. I love DLP and you did a good job of packing everything in. Ratatouille is just the best ride!
I was surprised how much I liked it! The good thing about it being in 3d as that there's not really any videos of it on Youtube so I didn't know anything about it before I went on! The bit when you go through the vents is so clever.

Originally Posted by kadypants View Post
Another brilliant day!
Your rose is a really special purchase, it looks beautiful. And your mum got some amazing firework photos!
I love the rose so much! I have it in my living room and it brings back lovely memories whenever I see it. She did a really good job with the photos! I was very impressed when she handed my phone back afterwards
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Old 22 Jan 19, 10:35 PM  
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The rose ornament is really lovely; I can quite see why you were drawn to it.

How strange (and frustrating) that most of the studio rides were having tech problems. It’s a shame you didn’t enjoy Crush - I’ve only ridden it once but do remember it being more intense than I thought it might be!

I’m really looking forward to Ratatouille. I’ve heard so much about it.

I’m intrigued about the patched denim jacket. Looking forward to the next instalment.
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Old 5 Mar 19, 01:02 PM  
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Another wonderful sounding day. Love all your purchases. I can't find the final day of the trip report Hope you everything is ok and you get chance to finish it.
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