Disney in a day COMPLETED About This Page:

[chezp]

Disney in a day – pre-trip report

I think this trip started in something like October, when we became aware of a great deal on the Eurostar, the high speed train that runs between London and Paris. They were opening two new stations, one at St. Pancras in London and the other one in Ebbsfleet in Kent, about 20 minutes from where we live and, to encourage people to try out the new stations, they had a half price offer, which meant that a return ticket would be just £29, instead of £59.

The trains run to Brussels and Paris, so that was our choice of destination. The offer was valid for December, January, February and March only. December was out, as we were spending 19 nights at Walt Disney World then and February was out, as we were off to Hong Kong and their Disneyland. There was no availability for early March (no surprise, as the weather is obviously better then), so January it was. I eventually found the deal for both the outbound and return trip on Saturday 26 January and went ahead and booked our trip to Paris – and that’s exactly what it was going to be at first. I figured we should just pick between the two cities, but then someone at work asked me why I didn’t just take the train from Paris out to Disneyland Paris and go there for the day? That sounded like a plan to me!

I looked into train times and figured if we took the first train out, at 6.45, we’d be in Paris by 9.50 and should hopefully be at the park by around 11.00 or 11.30. The last train back was at 9.13 in the evening and we had to check in half an hour before that time, meaning we’d have to leave the park by 7.00 or 7.30 at the latest. Well, that made for a good eight hours at Disneyland Paris – that worked for us, so we booked and we were all set….

… that was, until about a week before, when I got an e-mail to say that the time of the return train had been changed, due to engineering works. It would be leaving at 8.50 instead, so that meant leaving the park by around 6.30 or 7.00 to be on the safe side. Well, we could live with that. It would still give us plenty of time out there.

So those were our plans for a day trip to our nearest Disney park? How did it all work out? Stay tuned!

Next: it can only get better from here, can’t it?

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Cheryl! Can't wait to hear all about it

[Disneybine]

Can't wait to hear more, Cheryl!

[MickeyMAC]

Great start Cheryl. I was hoping you would give us one of your great trip reports about DLParis

[lauren-roxy]

Great start Cheryl!!

[wvugrrrl]

I can't wait to hear more!

[Grammy Grumpy]

I KNEW you'd be starting this soon Cheryl, I'm very excited to hear all about it.

BTW, is that a new ticker???? I'm hoping to catch up with you during your American Tour. Can't wait to hear how those plans are going.

[jimmymac]

Great start. Looking forward to the next installment

[chezp]

Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy

I KNEW you'd be starting this soon Cheryl, I'm very excited to hear all about it.

BTW, is that a new ticker???? I'm hoping to catch up with you during your American Tour. Can't wait to hear how those plans are going.

Well spotted! It is new - and it's only appeared because the plans are now definite.

[jpod523]

awesome! i can't wait to see your amazing pics of disneyland paris!!

[chezp]

Disney in a day – part 1: it can only get better from here, can’t it?

4.30 is not a time that I see very often and not usually without good reason, but today we had a very good reason to be up that early – it was our Disneyland Paris day trip! We were out of the house just before 5.15 and, on our way to Ebbsfleet International Station. This is newly opened serving the Eurostar trains and it was opened in November. For us, we now have two choices of station – Ashford, which has a more limited service and is about half an hour’s drive from us and Ebbsfleet, which is about 20 minutes away. It would be our first time at the new station, having used Ashford at least four times before.

We found our way there and parked up easily enough and in we went. It’s not a very welcoming place and the architecture is nowhere near as stunning as it is at Ashford. In fact, the whole thing looks like it was really done on the cheap (and it probably was!)

We weren’t the only ones there so early, there were probably about another 10 or 12 people there when we arrived, all looking very bored, as the check in didn’t open until 6.00. In fact nothing seemed to be open until 6.00, very disappointing, as according to the website, it should have all been open at 5.00.

We stood around for a while and then a rude French woman told the couple in front of us to move back and that they should’ve be standing that near to the check-in counter. She even accused them of taking down some of the barriers, so they could get there. Well, I’m sorry, but it was already open when we got there – and we were there before they were. How were they to know?

The rude woman did go on to redeem herself a bit a few minutes later when she came over to sort out our tickets, although that was quite a performance. You need your reservation number and credit card that you paid for the tickets with, both of which we had with us, but it just didn’t seem to like them. She headed off into a back office and returned with a ticket. We did ask about upgrading to first class, which we’ve done a few times before, but we were told the train was pretty full and we would have to ask when we boarded. Not what we’re used to, as at Ashford, you can do all that at the station. Then it was through security and French customs and into the waiting area.

The first we noticed was that it was a lot smaller than at Ashford, so we quickly grabbed seats. They only had a newsagents and coffee shop there and that was it, not even any restrooms. Again, there is much more at Ashford – I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but it’s true. As you can probably tell by now, we weren’t impressed by this station at all. It just felt like they didn’t really know what they were doing and that’s not good, when you’ve been open for more than two months. :



We sat and waited and we were one of the lucky ones, as there were an awful lot of people without seats in there. About 15 minutes before the train was due, we were let down on to the platform. It’s a really similar process for boarding, you go and stand by your carriage (it’s marked on your tickets), details of which are marked on the platform. It means you’re in the right place when the train pulls in, so you’re quickly on the train and it’s off again.

The journey over to Paris was fine, a little bumpier than we’re used to perhaps, but that could be down to the speed we were going at, as we were flying along. It’s been a long time since we last travelled in standard class and it was interesting to see the difference. The seats are quite big, certainly compared to aircraft economy seats for example. You each have a fold down tray for anything you want to do. The big difference is that food isn’t included in this class, whereas it is in first class, so Mark went to get breakfast and two pains au chocolat, an orange juice, apple juice, a cup of tea and a bag of crisps came to £10. Pricey, but what we’d expect when they have a captive audience really.

On the way, we saw a beautiful sunrise:




Soon we were in Paris and off the train. Our first stop as to get tickets for the rest of our journey to Disneyland Paris. I have never seen lines like this before at the ticket booths. I went to see if I could use the automated machines, but I couldn’t (it only does zones 1 – 3 and you need zones 1 – 6 to get to Disneyland Paris). Also be warned, these things are only in French, so you do have to speak the language to use them.

Mark was in the other line and I joined him and we were soon served, despite the length of the line. I got what I wanted in French, although I would imagine that most of the people here speak English, then it was off. We took the RER, the main line train system that runs through Paris and out to the surburbs, line D2 or D4 to Chatelet Les Halles, the next stop on the line, then we changed to the A4 line, which took us out to Marne La Vallee Chessey, the last stop on the line and the stop for Disneyland Paris.

Wouldn’t you know it, one left just as we got to the platform at Chatelet Les Halles and had about a 10 minute wait for the next one. The train journey to Marne La Vallee Chessey was fine, although the braking when we came into the stations left a bit to be desired and it wasn’t the cleanest of trains. It’s certainly a shock to the system after the Eurostar anyone! Having said that, I do think the Eurostar is probably one of the nicest train systems anywhere, much better than most services in the UK and France anyway.

Next: which park to head for first?

[BritDisFan]

I totally agree with you about Ebbsfleet Cheryl, we went to Paris in December and much prefer Ashford. The station is far too small and gets crowded very quickly, not very impressive really when they have so many trains departing from there rather than Ashford now.

It sounds like you have had a good journey, can't wait for you to arrive at DLP .

[Colexis Mom]

Another great update!! Great pictures of the sky Can't wait to hear about DLP

[jpod523]

that sun rise is so pretty!! i'd never make it in france, or canada for that matter. after 4 years of french in high school, i only know one phrase, and it wouldn't get me anywhere!!

[DouglasE]

How great it sounds just to pick up and do a day trip to a Disney park! I love fast, speedy trains. I love how you have gotten spoiled by traveling first class. I'm the same way about certain things.

I'm considering revising my plans for a trip to Italy in 2009. The cost of food and other essentials are really going up here in the states and my income isn't raising at nearly the same rate. Consequently, I'm thinking about skipping cities. I'm considering spending a few days in the Dolomites (Italian Alps) basing my stay in Castleruth/Castelrotto, a few days off Lake Como basing myself in Varenna, and a few days in the Cinque Terre (Italian Riviera) basing myself in Vernazza. Who knows what changes are in store for me for the future so that all could change as well.

Tell Mark I said hello!