Trip Report - Disneyland Paris 16-20 Dec 2010 (Part 1 of 2)

[Zawadi]

We had severe Disney withdrawal symptoms after our trip to WDW at the end of September 2010 so we needed a top up

Thursday 16 Dec
We were all packed and ready to go by 3:30pm. After taking our cat, Nala, to her "hotel" we started to lock up in readiness for the taxi at 6:15pm to take us to the train station. However, it started to snow at 5pm and that's when the problems started. We had reserved seats on the 6:59pm train to London and it takes around 20mins to get to the station. By 6:30pm the taxi had not shown up - PANIC! After chasing the taxi firm a car got us to the station for 6:55pm.

At the station all of the destination boards were blank. We enquired at the help desk to find out that vandals had stolen the power cables for the signals reducing 4 tracks down to a single track. Our train was delayed by about 45 minutes but all ticket restrictions had been relaxed and we boarded the London bound train that was at the station. A 1 hour journey took 3.5 hours.

In London we took a "black cab" from Paddington station to a hotel in Kings Cross (we were staying in London overnight in readiness for the 9:45am Eurostar train direct to Disneyland Paris). A mile from the hotel the traffic ground to a halt so we got out to walk to the hotel. The reason for the chaos was soon clear - a major road traffic accident where a motorbike was wrapped around a traffic light.

Finally we arrived at the hotel to relax but not yet as the automated check-in machine rejected both mine and DW's credit card. Luckily, the member of staff at the check-in podium managed to find an alternative credit card reader. We finally made entered our room at 11:15pm.

Friday 17 Dec
We left the hotel at 8:30 to walk the 1/4 mile to the Eurostar terminal within St Pancras Station. We arrived in Disneyland Paris a fraction over 3 hours later.

At Marne Le Vallee station we had a choice to get to the New York hotel of a Disney shuttle bus (every 15 minutes) or a 7minute walk (via the Disney Village, "DV", which is DLP's version of Downtown Disney). We were very surprised that at the gates of DV we were challenged by security who wanted to open our cases! After explaining that we were checking into the New York hotel they let us through. Finally checked in and unpacked.

Headed off for Disney Studios, "DS" where we enjoyed:

• ToT - same design as California but we still think that WDW's version is the best
• Animagique - a 30 minute black-light puppet show in which Donald Duck enters Mickey's animation vault and meets up with the Pink Elephants (Fantasia), King Louie and Baloo (Jungle Book), Rafiki, Zazu, Nala and Simba (Lion King)
• Crush's coaster - a Primeval Whirl style 'coaster that takes you on Marlin's journey along the East Australian Current

At 7:30 we had dinner in Cafe Mickey and by 11pm there was almost 1 inch of snow and the already salted walkways.

Saturday 18 Dec
The stay in the New York hotel was 3 nights bed and breakfast including hopper tickets for both parks. We had a buffet breakfast at 7:30am and walked to the Disneyland Park (Magic Kingdom) for its 8:30 morning 1 hour EMH arriving 8:40am.

We got in:

• 3x Buzz which I have to admit is better than WDW's version in that the blasters are detachable from the space cruiser
• Peter Pan
• Saw Dumbo with his winter blankets still on and CM's trying to clear the snow off them.
• IASW and again we though this was better than WDW's version
• PoTC again better than WDW's version as more is made of the fortress and it still has its original theming without Capt Jack Sparrow
• Space Mountain Mission 2 - again better than WDW's version as this is based on the Jules Verne "De la terre à la lune" (From the Earth to the Moon) where you enter a gun and are shot into the top of space mountain in a full inverting rollercoaster ride.
• Phantom Manor - this version still has the bride looking into the skull mirror and a very cleaver "western" scene but it is missing Gus, Ezra, and Phineas
• BTMR better for us than WDW's as the switch backs are not back-breaking. The mountain is actually an island and the train has to travel under the lake to get between the mountain and loading station.
• Belle's Christmas Market - market stalls from Belle's village.

It was then back to Studios (3 min walk between the entrances) to see the Stars and Cars parade (taken from WDW but with Ratatouille car with Remy and Emile)

We had dinner at 4pm in Plaza Gardens (WDW's Crystal Palace) and saw the 5pm parade that took place whilst it was snowing and which ended with the Toy Soldiers and Santa's sleigh. It was diffcult to keep the video camera dry whilst filming the parade. The snow got heavier and we headed back to the hotel.

We return to the Disneyland Park at 7:30pm to watch the Fantillusion parade but it was snowing thick and fast and the parade was cancelled 1 hour early. So it was a case of IASW, PoTC, BTMR (where we came off looking like ) and the park closed 1 hour early at 9pm.

[Melanie]

Awesome report! Oh how cool a visit to a Disney park would be in the snow. DLP is the only Disney park I haven't been to, so I read with great interest. Anxious for part 2.

[forever a child]

Wonderful report! Thank you! Can't wait for part 2!

[faline]

Very fun but, unlike Melanie, I can't imagine visiting a Disney park in the snow!

[Zawadi]

Awesome report! Oh how cool a visit to a Disney park would be in the snow. DLP is the only Disney park I haven't been to, so I read with great interest. Anxious for part 2.

"Cool" being the operative word. The temperature ranged between 26F and 39F but the windchill dropped the temperature to around 15F which made BTMR very "refreshing"

[faline]

"Cool" being the operative word. The temperature ranged between 26F and 39F but the windchill dropped the temperature to around 15F which made BTMR very "refreshing"

You're braver than I am! I don't think I would have given Big Thunder a go in those temps!!!!

[Melanie]

"Cool" being the operative word. The temperature ranged between 26F and 39F but the windchill dropped the temperature to around 15F which made BTMR very "refreshing"

We had temps like that one year in Tokyo. Brrrr! But a nice perspective.

[pdrlkr]

Thanks for the Report!

[vizsla]

Thanks for the report.

[badkitty]

Thanks for the report! I've never been to DLP and it sounds like a lot of fun in the snow.

[Joannelet]

Great report Zawadi!! This past July my hubby's cousin went there on her honeymoon but she didn't give me this kind of trip report. She only had a day there so this was a very neat thing to read. I love when people compare the rides to WDW. That is all I did when I went to Disneyland, CA.
One day if I ever get into gear maybe, just maybe I will get myself on a plane to go see DLP.
Thanks for the wonderful report!!!!