I have been told that apparently it's my kids' holiday too and that we should look at going to Disneyland for a couple of days. My response that they can pay for this part of "their" holiday didn't cut much ice so I'm faced with the truly appalling prospect of 48 hours of saccharine brand immersion and being pick-pocketed by a giant mouse. I would rather eat my fingers than pay to stay in some logo strewn 'hotel style experience' on site at £200 a night so can anyone tell me what it's like to drive there from surrounding areas - is it the traffic hell I imagine it to be?
Can anyone suggest a real hotel within say an hour's drive?
Can anyone suggest some better lines to try on my wife to persuade of the folly of her argument?
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Oh dear.
People who will even contemplate going to Disneyland Paris for any reason whatever are very unlikely to be amenable to what you or I would call 'reason'.
Better hope there's a decent bar somewhere nearby.
Try the nearest real village.
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Wow, I bet life is just a bundle of fun in your household!
Try Paris - you can stay pretty central and it's only about 30 minutes on the train from Euro Disney.
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We stayed in a Campanile about 20 minutes away from Disney when we went three years ago. Basic BnB but saved a packet. As we were at the Park for nearly 12 hours each day it didn't seem worth shelling out for more than the basics. Only downside is you then have to pay for the car park; about a fiver if I remember correctly.
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Try the Accor hotels website (no connection) that will give you a range from formule un (not recommended) up to Novotel, and you can search by area. Gives you a choice of what to spend. Traffic for local runs surprisingly reasonable, and they manage parking well. Queues inside, however, entirely different matter; I believe there are now specific guide books (and, probably, websites) that give you hints about which rides to go to when to avoid the worst of the queues. Personally I would suggest Parc Asterix as an alternative; much more friendly, and seemed better organised. Just a question of introducing the kids to a cartoon Gaul rather than a cartoon mouse. The rides are as good, if not better, the shows as impressive, and the ambience much nicer. Depends on the kids gender; if boys, probably persuadable, if girls, it'll be disney.
Tim{P}
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Stay in the Holiday Inn which is on the Disney campus but is much cheaper than the onsite hotels and has a bus there every 10mins. We stayed in Feb for 4 days & they are great, big family rooms, very clean etc.
MM
ps: you might actually enjoy it as well!
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Don't forget the hotels at Disneyland will provide free parking and park entry for the entirety of your stay (i.e. two nights = three days park entry).
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Mike Farrow
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We went last summer with our young children and it was very busy and thankfully we only needed to stay in the Fantasy workd area as trying to get anywhere else would have been a nightmare. Too hot and too busy. But the kids had a great time and we'll go again in five years time and not at August Bank Holiday!
However, we also stayed in the centre of Paris in hotel not too far (15 mins walk) from the Gare du Nord and took the RER to Disney Resort Paris (sic). Very efficient service and a good way to wind down at the end of the day rather than going to another Disney themed restaurant in a Disney hotel. In Paris one can get 'real' food!
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Nsar, I can fully understand where you are coming from. You could always try the line "can't find a parking space darlings, I will drop you off at the entrance and catch up with you once I find a space!"
However, there are some aspects of it that are actually quite good. The park is split in two and in one section they have the car stunt show which is really enjoyable. Yes prepare for a lot of queues and if your kids are young, also prepare for the fact that they will be too small to get on a lot of rides.
IIRC they have a pre booking system that you can book in advance for 3 rides, memopry a bit hazy on this one though.
We travelled from a farmhouse that we were staying at and the traffic was a dawdle all the way to the entrance. Just be prepared for a lot of walking!
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We went there in March this year and stayed in one of the on-site hotels. Though we stayed off-site during our first visit 2 years previously (IIRC Novotel in Marne la Vallee) . Pros and cons to both.
May be worthwhile having a look at the following;
www.dlpuog.co.uk
www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/index.html
There are loads hotels/motels and B&B type places scattered around the park. Though as someone has already mention,the fact that the park tickets are included in the Disney hotel prices does make them fairly competitive.
If I was to do another trip (not for another 2 years at least, thankfully), I'd choose one of the onsite hotels for the sheer convenience.
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Don't waste any more of your money - the Paris version is IMHO a huge let down with plenty of no can do French attitude.
Go to Florida instead. Don't get a package - get a flight and by booking a hotel ahead you will get very good off-peak room prices (it is summer after all !)
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Theme park is accessable from the motorway, so don't worry about the traffic - so long as you don't stay in Paris itself.
I like theme parks - but HATE Disney. So if you would prefer a French experience, can I recommend Parc Asterix. Not so far from Disney, but thoroughly French and all the better for it. A word of warning though - it is French, so don't expect any multi-lingual stuff like Disney. (unless it's changed - it's a couple of years since we visited) Mind you our kids couldn't speak french but thoroughly enjoyed the day.
That holiday we spent a day at Disney and a day with Asterix. the whole family preferred Asterix.
Les
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Check out the webstie @
www.parcasterix.fr/
There's even an English verision !
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It's about 10 years since our family visit to Disneyland Paris. It was in August - and most of the French population seemed to be packed in there! An hour to pay to get in was followed by 1hour queue per ride. It's highly organised fleecing and, despite abject weariness, we hung on for our money'sworth until the last firework fell from the sky and the Mouse went to bed.
Several years later, the company went there for a staff conference in the winter. I can tell you that if you love the rides but can't stand queueing, there's nothing to beat a wet Tuesday in December!
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I can only count myself as being very fortunate, that my 9 year old has never expressed a desire to visit Disneyland in the US or Paris.
It fails me as to why the Americans seem to think us Europeans like their brand of merchandised vacuum-packed so called entertainment. We go on holiday to France every year, and find that there are far more wholesome forms of entertainment on offer than this........
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Am I the only person in the UK whose kids (girls, now aged 12, 15 and 18) have never asked to go to Disney/Florida?
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My girlfriend and I are going to paris in the middle of this month. Were are staying in paris and not hireing a car so are taking the train from the Gard Du Nord. We are going since she likes disney, what is worrying is that she is 21 and has just graduated from uni with a 1st in english, so you don't need kids to go (apparently). Have heard the car stunt show was a total waste of time, but then it is not surprising someone liked it since this is a motoring forum.
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