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Old 22 May 22, 07:40 AM  
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Gill H
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Happy Birthday 30/55 - March 2022: Day 1

<<Travel Day

After a decent night’s sleep in the Ibis’ comfy bed, I woke at about 6.30 am. We weren’t in a rush this morning as we only had regular tickets, so couldn’t use Extra Magic Time. Nevertheless, I figured I might as well get ready, so I jumped in the shower and was dressed in time to wake Peter for 7am with a cuppa. It’s worth mentioning that, like a lot of European hotels, the Ibis has no kettles or fridges, so we had brought our travel kettle and some of the ‘Kenco latte’ sachets so we wouldn’t need milk.

As usual we watched a bit of French music TV while we got ready – at that time of the morning it is either dubbed cartoons, shopping telly or news, so we usually end up watching their music channels.

By 7.30 we were ready to go down to breakfast. We knew from our last trip that breakfast at the Ibis was surprisingly good, and so it proved this time. There were freshly baked croissants, pain au chocolat and pain au raisin; several different kinds of bread including one you could slice yourself; and a good variety of excellent cheeses and cold meats. You could also have cereal, yoghurt, fruit and even boil your own egg if you wished. In addition there were freshly baked madeleines – little sponge cakes that were light and delicious. To drink there was fruit juice and hot drinks from the machines, and it was easy to have a plentiful and tasty breakfast. One little touch I love is the provision of wafer cups (think ice cream cones but with a flat base) which you can use to hold your jam, marmalade or honey. So when you’ve finished you can eat the cup and save on washing up!



Once we’d eaten our fill and popped back upstairs to wash our hands and grab our things, it was about 8.30 so we headed straight over to the station. The RER soon arrived, and by 8.45 we were walking through the security tent. As we weren’t staying onsite and didn’t have annual passes, we wouldn’t normally have been allowed in until 9.30 – but we showed our Club cards (former Shareholders’ Club) which gave us entrance into Salon Mickey from 9am, and we were waved through.

Dead on 9am we knocked on the door to Salon Mickey and were welcomed in by a smiling CM. She served us with a coffee each and a doughnut. To be honest we didn’t really have room for the doughnuts but like many foods in DLP, they are Nutella filled so worth persevering with!



We took our time to relax in the lovely surroundings, and of course use the poshest loo in DLP!







Then it was through the other door to exit straight into the park – always a thrill! Hey, anybody can go through a turnstile but not too many get to enter the park straight through a door.
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DLP: day trips 2000, 2003; Cheyenne Sep 2009, Feb 2011, Nov 2018; Sequoia Lodge June 2008, May 2012; Elysee May 2012, Jan 2013, Sep 2013; Disneyland Hotel Mar 2015, Santa Fe Nov 2016; Newport Bay Sep 2017, Ibis Sep 2019, Hotel NY Art of Marvel Nov 2021
WDW: Port Orleans Riverside Dec 10; SSR Nov 14

Edited at 10:19 PM.
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Old 22 May 22, 07:44 AM  
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Gill H
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Join Date: Jan 08
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theDIBB Guidebook
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Our first ride of the day was Phantom Manor. Probably my favourite ride in the park (at least while It’s A Small World is being refurbed). I love the restored Vincent Price narration in the entrance and the stretching room. Standing near us was an American family with two little girls, and I asked the mum whether they had ridden either of the US versions. She said she had, but the girls hadn’t, and they were a little worried. I told them it was ‘a bit scary, but only pretend scary’ and hoped they would enjoy it.



As usual there were plenty of ghostly delights to see, even walking through the hallway onto the ride. And once in our doombuggy, we still found things we hadn’t noticed before as well as all the usual spooky touches. The level of detail on this ride is truly amazing, and the fact that there is no spoken narration on the ride itself just amps up the eerie feeling. And of course, there was a scary extra guest in our doombuggy at the end.

As we walked out of the ride we saw the American family again, and the smallest girl was in floods of tears clinging to her mum. Ah, good old Phantom Manor, scaring the living daylights out of people since 1992…!

Next we walked over to Big Thunder which had a 10 minute wait, so Peter headed straight in. Meanwhile, I took some film of the area and tried to catch him coming past on the train – which I never manage to do! Once he came off the ride, we checked at the booth that our Photopass was working, which it was.



Next was Pirates, which had a 5 minute wait. As usual, a great ride – I always tense up before the drops, and then wonder what all the fuss was about afterwards. Someone told me to let out a long, deep ‘Ohhhhhhh’ as I go down the drops, to help with that ‘left my tummy behind’ feeling. It does work, but for the purposes of this ride I changed it to “Yo HO!” which seemed more in character. Again, we queued up to give our number to the CM at the booth and check our photopass was working. Still good!



We walked through Fantasyland, which by now was getting quite busy. As it was term time, and the week after the Paris school holidays, it made sense that pre-school children would be here in abundance, and therefore the Fantasyland rides would be more popular. As I mentioned earlier, my favourite ride was down for a substantial refurb.

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DLP: day trips 2000, 2003; Cheyenne Sep 2009, Feb 2011, Nov 2018; Sequoia Lodge June 2008, May 2012; Elysee May 2012, Jan 2013, Sep 2013; Disneyland Hotel Mar 2015, Santa Fe Nov 2016; Newport Bay Sep 2017, Ibis Sep 2019, Hotel NY Art of Marvel Nov 2021
WDW: Port Orleans Riverside Dec 10; SSR Nov 14
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Old 22 May 22, 07:50 AM  
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Gill H
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We noticed that even the Teacups had a reasonable queue, which is very unusual as that’s normally a walk-on in our experience. However, there was also a small queue for a meet and greet happening at the side – the Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit. So we decided it would be fun to meet them.

We waited about 15 minutes, which is pretty good for a character meet. I made sure to tell the White Rabbit that we were going to see a show and needed to be on time, so would he please make sure we weren’t late! They loved that. Both characters were good fun and we got some decent photos.







We weren’t kidding about the show – we intended to go and see the “Dream … and Shine Brighter!” show that was running several times a day. Unfortunately by the time we got there, it was only really possible to stand in front of the castle, which wasn’t the best viewpoint. However, we were won over by the incredibly catchy soundtrack, and resolved to watch it again from a better angle another time.



By now we were getting both tired and hungry, so decided to make our way out of the park for some lunch. On the way we stopped in at the Bookstore and bought a couple of pins. Of course we had to get one of the ’30’ ones, and we don’t have many of Chip and Dale.



And since Fantasia is my favourite film, we chose this one too.

__________________
DLP: day trips 2000, 2003; Cheyenne Sep 2009, Feb 2011, Nov 2018; Sequoia Lodge June 2008, May 2012; Elysee May 2012, Jan 2013, Sep 2013; Disneyland Hotel Mar 2015, Santa Fe Nov 2016; Newport Bay Sep 2017, Ibis Sep 2019, Hotel NY Art of Marvel Nov 2021
WDW: Port Orleans Riverside Dec 10; SSR Nov 14
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Old 22 May 22, 07:54 AM  
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Gill H
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Join Date: Jan 08
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theDIBB Guidebook
Guidebook Photos: 86
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After leaving the park we decided on lunch at Earl of Sandwich. Peter chose an ‘Original 1762’ and I went for a Hawaiian BBQ.





We also got a bottle of Coke each, and one of their delicious bread puddings each too. This didn’t count as a meal deal, so we got Shareholder discount on it.



While Peter was waiting for the food, I went upstairs to try and find us some seats. The upstairs at EoS has lovely décor, themed to the Earl’s library, but on a sunny day like today, the heat inside was stifling due to the ‘greenhouse effect’ of so many windows. So instead I found a table outside with a great view over the lake.

After a nice relaxed lunch, we decided to go back to the hotel to recharge the camera, and also recharge ourselves! I don’t know whether it was my arthritic knees, general lack of fitness or the perils of advancing age, but we were finding an afternoon siesta a very useful thing on this trip. Fortunately the RER was quick as usual, and within 15 minutes of leaving the park, we were putting our feet up in our room.

After an hour or so snoozing, we made it back into the park for 3:30 pm. Before we left home, I had tried to make a reservation for Plaza Gardens for that evening so we could eat and then find a good place to watch the fireworks. However, on trying the app, I had received a message which basically said they were having problems and would email me shortly. Which of course they never did. So I had a strong suspicion we didn’t have a reservation.

We popped into City Hall and spoke to a lovely CM called Elodie, who took us over into the side room while she checked the system. Alas, she confirmed that ‘computer says non’ and we didn’t have a reservation for that evening. However, she was able to find us a table, though she feared it might be too early for us at 4.15 pm. No, we said, that was absolutely fine, and snapped it up.

By now it was almost time for the parade, and since we had seen it many times before, we decided to try our luck getting into Flora’s New Century Notions. At this point, all the 30th anniversary merchandise was only available at Flora’s, and queues had been several hours long over the previous week. However, with everyone standing to watch the parade, we managed to make it over to the shop and go straight in. Result!

There was a decent selection of merch available.











__________________
DLP: day trips 2000, 2003; Cheyenne Sep 2009, Feb 2011, Nov 2018; Sequoia Lodge June 2008, May 2012; Elysee May 2012, Jan 2013, Sep 2013; Disneyland Hotel Mar 2015, Santa Fe Nov 2016; Newport Bay Sep 2017, Ibis Sep 2019, Hotel NY Art of Marvel Nov 2021
WDW: Port Orleans Riverside Dec 10; SSR Nov 14
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Old 22 May 22, 07:57 AM  
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Gill H
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However, the thing I was really interested in was the Mickey soap dispenser! These had been a staple of Tokyo Disneyland for years, and had recently made it to WDW as well. Now they had arrived at DLP and I was keen to snag one. They are filled with foaming hand soap, and give you a Mickey-shaped blob of foam whenever you press the top! Our only hesitation was that we were travelling hand luggage only, and of course the size would be too big when filled with soap. But we decided to use it in the hotel for the next few days and then empty it before we packed.

Queues at the counter were quite long, but a CM came forward and asked whether we were queueing for the special pins and magnets, or whether we just wanted the soap dispenser. We hadn’t actually known there were special pins and magnets! But we didn’t have long before our reservation, so we said just the dispenser, and she took us through to a counter at the sweetshop, where we soon paid for this little beauty. With Shareholder discount of course.



By now it was time to go to Plaza Gardens for our meal. We paid and chose our soft drink, and were shown to a nice table. The 30th anniversary place mats were a lovely touch.



As usual we had a little giggle at some of the English translations for the food; ‘moutard a l’ancienne’ which I guess would mean ‘traditional mustard’ was translated as ‘old mustard’ which didn’t sound quite so appealing. And it is rather worrying in a Disney park to see that they serve ‘rack of piglet’. Poor Piglet!

We started with some ‘salady bits’ and of course this included smoked salmon and a good range of cheeses. Because this is France.



Then we moved on to some hot items, which included Mickey-shaped potatoes and even Mickey-shaped carrots!



I’ll say it again. Mickey carrots!



We finished with a selection of desserts. Unfortunately one of mine got a bit damaged on its journey back to the table!

__________________
DLP: day trips 2000, 2003; Cheyenne Sep 2009, Feb 2011, Nov 2018; Sequoia Lodge June 2008, May 2012; Elysee May 2012, Jan 2013, Sep 2013; Disneyland Hotel Mar 2015, Santa Fe Nov 2016; Newport Bay Sep 2017, Ibis Sep 2019, Hotel NY Art of Marvel Nov 2021
WDW: Port Orleans Riverside Dec 10; SSR Nov 14
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Old 22 May 22, 08:01 AM  
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Gill H
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After a very good meal, we left Plaza Gardens and for the first time today, we visited Discoveryland. Buzz Lightyear only had a 15 minute wait, so we jumped straight in the queue.



Then Peter did Star Tours, which also had a very short queue.

















Peter then went to Space Mountain while I went into Videopolis for a sit down, but within minutes he was back as he had decided not to do it today after his big meal. Can’t say I blame him for that one.



Instead we made our way to Cable Car Bakery for a hot chocolate. Peter found a place to sit in the arcade, while I joined the queue for drinks. Although the queue wasn’t too long, everyone seemed to take ages to decide what they wanted, consulting with everyone else in their party and having long discussions. This, coupled with the usual speed of service here, meant that by the time I had got our two drinks, my dodgy knees were yelling at me. But we did manage to enjoy our drinks for a while before going to find a space for the evening show.
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DLP: day trips 2000, 2003; Cheyenne Sep 2009, Feb 2011, Nov 2018; Sequoia Lodge June 2008, May 2012; Elysee May 2012, Jan 2013, Sep 2013; Disneyland Hotel Mar 2015, Santa Fe Nov 2016; Newport Bay Sep 2017, Ibis Sep 2019, Hotel NY Art of Marvel Nov 2021
WDW: Port Orleans Riverside Dec 10; SSR Nov 14
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Old 22 May 22, 08:03 AM  
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Gill H
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By now it was 6.30 pm and the show was due to start just before 7 – which was leaving it a little bit late to find a good spot. However, I find that if you stake out your spot well in advance, usually someone pushes right past you or puts their kid on their shoulders at the last minute anyway, so it’s a waste of time. On this occasion Main Street was busy but not ridiculously crowded, and we were able to find a decent spot near the ‘gardening hut’.





As tonight was midweek we had figured crowds would be the lightest, and so it proved to be. There were the usual parents with little children, but for once they were holding them at head height rather than on their shoulders, so this was no problem. However, we did notice there was a child in front of us with a Mickey balloon tied to their buggy, that was completely obstructing the castle entrance. We amused ourselves by harbouring dark fantasies of getting behind them with a pair of scissors just before the show started… but fortunately for them, we didn’t have one!

In the end we had a superb view of the pre-show, including the amazing drones that made the 30 logo. Seriously, this would have been worth waiting to see all on its own. It began with a glittering blue castle and an invitation in French and English to ‘dream bigger and smile brighter’. As blue and purple lights played across the castle, the theme from ‘Inside Out’ introduced the show, followed quickly by an excerpt from the anniversary song “Un Monde Qui S’Illumine” while the water fountains rose and fell. Snatches of a few classic Disney songs were woven in with the music, and the castle was transformed over and over again, until finally the real highlight arrived. Drones made a figure 30 to the right of the castle,forming a Mickey head, and the crowd gasped in astonishment. It’s hard to imagine how impressive it was in person – this really was one of the best effects I have ever seen in a Disney park.



The pre-show was followed almost immediately by Illuminations. This is a show we’ve never been that wild about. The previous show ‘Dreams’ was incredible, featuring projections specially designed for the Paris castle, and had been the precursor to ‘Happily Ever After’ at WDW. By contrast, ‘Illuminations’ had been developed for Shanghai as a way to introduce an unfamiliar audience to Disney characters and films. Unlike Dreams, it lacked a central storyline, and was very obviously designed for a completely different shaped castle, so not all the sequences fit properly. And that’s before we get on to the inclusion of Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean and the live action Beauty and the Beast. Live action footage just doesn’t look right on the castle.

Nevertheless, it was nice to see the show again after a long absence, and the crowd were great, cheering in all the right places. Unlike previous trips, no-one in the crowd was smoking either, or trying to push their way through, or even holding their ipads in our faces. The best crowd we’ve ever encountered at a DLP castle show.

At the end of Illuminations, there was an announcement in French and English advising us not to leave, as something special was about to happen. This obviously went unheard by much of the crowd, who immediately turned around and moved off down Main Street, leaving us clinging to each other not to get swept away! It was worth waiting though, as within a couple of minutes we were treated to ‘the afterglow’. No, really. That’s what they called it. It consisted of an uptempo version of “Un Monde Qui S’Illumine” with more light shows, fountains and another appearance by the drones, who really went to town this time, playing about with the Mickey head 30 logo, turning it different colours and moving it around. The crowd joined in enthusiastically with the ‘woah-a-ohs’ and it left us all in a great mood. I gather that since our visit, the two shows have been combined into one and a few other effects added, so obviously we need to go back and see it again!


After the show, I needed to sit down for a few minutes so grabbed a seat outside Casey’s until the crowd dispersed. We made our way out of the park...



and were soon back at the hotel, where we treated ourselves to a drink at the bar before going back to our room.

We had exchanged a few messages during the day with a couple of vloggers who were also at DLP. They were Carina and Lee from C&L Wandering, who you will hear more about tomorrow. We arranged to meet up in the morning and offered to take them to Salon Mickey for a coffee. Once we’d sorted out our plans we settled down to watch Hot Fuzz, which was being shown on TV that evening. Of course it was in French, but as we had seen it a few times we knew what was happening and it was still funny. And yes, they kept “Yaaaarp”!

Once the film was over we were soon in dreamland after a really great day. Join us tomorrow for chats with vloggers, a more successful view of the “Dream… and Shine Brighter” show and an offsite meal that didn’t quite go as expected.

>>Day 2

INDEX
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DLP: day trips 2000, 2003; Cheyenne Sep 2009, Feb 2011, Nov 2018; Sequoia Lodge June 2008, May 2012; Elysee May 2012, Jan 2013, Sep 2013; Disneyland Hotel Mar 2015, Santa Fe Nov 2016; Newport Bay Sep 2017, Ibis Sep 2019, Hotel NY Art of Marvel Nov 2021
WDW: Port Orleans Riverside Dec 10; SSR Nov 14

Edited at 10:21 PM.
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Old 22 May 22, 08:15 AM  
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Wow a busy day! That bread pudding looks amazing, that’s def on my list!
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Old 27 May 22, 08:44 PM  
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What a busy day, lots of rides and an Earl of Sandwich

The evening show look fab so glad you got a good view
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