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Hopefully heading to DLP in Jun 2012 But have questions
I am taking my girls on a trip to England and Paris in June 2012. We are going with my best friend and her daughter. I am trying to go to DLP at the end of our trip. But I am concerned with what I am reading about the smoking, rudeness, character interaction etc. I would hate for my girls to lose the Disney magic.
I also have no idea where to stay or how to decide how long to stay?
Hi there, I'm from the UK and with a husband who doesnt like flying we have been to DLP twice but never to WDW (I went to Disneyland Anaheim in 1979 aged 5 but dont remember enough to compare it!) so I cant do comparisons, but I can tell you about DLP.
Both times we have been were in school (UK) holidays, first at Easter then this year in February. Both times were busy, but not awful (except Crush's Coaster in WDS, but that's not really our sort of thing anyway). I have read lots of people complaining about people being rude and the smoking, but I didnt find it that bad. Yes, smoking is allowed (not on rides) but I never found it to be a problem (despite hating smoking and having an asthmatic son), if you're following someone who is smoking you can always move to the other side of the road!
Some people say the CMs are rude but I've never had a problem with any of them - most speak English or will have a go, like anywhere in France (and rest of Europe!), they really appreciate it if you try to speak their language, my french isnt great but I generally try to start a conversation in french and they will often reply in English if you are struggling.
The other place people can be a bit rude is queuing for rides and character meets. Again I've not had much of a problem with this, but I do recommend doing the organised character meets, especially the ones in the hotels (you dont have to be staying in the hotels to go in, look round and have photos taken with the characters), then you can avoid the crush where characters are wandering around. Also the character meals are good (cafe Mickey, Lucky Nugget, Inventions), they are generally very good at only interacting with the people on the table they are at, and if other children come up to them they are usually gently sent back to their own tables to wait.
The parks are really beautiful, so if you're going to be in Paris I would take the opportunity to go, and if you're going in June it should be reasonably quiet as it will be school time, but avoid weekends at all costs!
Hope this helps you, and if you do go I'm sure you will have a wonderful time.
Sarah
Sorry, forgot to answer your "where to stay" and "how long for" questions. I guess both depend on budget as it is very expensive, especially with the current exchange rates, but by 2012 it could be very different.
Some people say the hotel is only a room and prefer to stay somewhere cheaper (e.g. Santa Fe or Cheyenne on site or some of the offsite hotels), we prefer to stay as near the park as possible so we can walk easily with the children - the Disneyland Hotel is the most expensive and is actually the entrance to the park so you are there in a few minutes. It is absolutely beautiful and definitely my favourite place to stay. The New York is the next closest and next most expensive, also very good, would happily stay there again. I think I have read people say that US hotels are better for the same grade but we thought they were excellent and the staff very helpful.
If you want to do both parks (which are right next door to each other) I would say minimum of 2 nights/3 days, but longer if you can - we did 3 nights and 4 nights, hoping to do 5 nights next time!!
Thanks somuch! That really helps. I really am excitged to go and looking forward to getting closer to the time when I can crunch numbers. The Disneyland Hotel looks very cool so hopefully we will be able to swing it.
I wouldn't let other's experiences put you off trying a Disney park. I'll be the first to say that we've had bad experiences there, but then again, we have in the past at WDW too. I think, if you go knowing that the French can be rude sometimes (and to be honest, it tends to be the guests more than the Cast Members in our experience), you won't come away too disappointed. Sure, we've seen people smoking where they shouldn't and the frustration is often the Cast Members won't say anything about it, but these are minor things. The parks are beautiful - some people think the castle is the most beautiful of any Disney parks.
As to how long to go for, I would think you could do most things in three days/two nights. One thing I would say is, if you can, go there during the week. The parks are a huge attraction for locals at weekends.
As to where to stay, there are a variety of Disney hotels onsite to suit all budgets and there are some nearby hotels that are very reasonably priced. It's probably worth having a look round the Disneyland Paris website to see what appeals to you.
Yes, people smoke at DLP. Yes, CMs don't always appear to be as friendly as the ones in the U.S. And yes, Europeans can be rude when waiting in line.
All of that said, Disneyland Paris is still a MAGICAL place to visit! It's still Disney, and if you and your girls are Disney fans, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see the French parks. Depending on your girls' ages, I'd try to get to both parks as the Walt Disney Studios have a bunch of attractions that can only be found there and not in the US parks (like Crush's Coaster!!!).
Ok, if possible, I'd stay on-site. It is SO nice to be able to walk to the parks. Six of the seven Disney resorts are within walking distance (the exception being the Davy Crockett Ranch), with the value resorts the furthest away. The Disneyland Hotel and the Hotel New York are amazing but also rather expensive. We've stayed at the Sequoia Lodge a few times now and have found it good value for our money. It's reasonably prices and it took us about 10-15 minutes to walk to the parks (depending on how crowded the Disney Village was).
I agree with what's been said: 2 nights would be good, DEFINITELY during the week (Monday thru Thursday).
Thanks!!!!! I am getting excited! I hope I can pull this off! I can totally over look everything and can't wait. I am going to try to surprise my girls and not tell them we are doing this so hopefully it all works out!
We have been to WDW, Disneyland Paris and Disneyland California. While our favorite by far is WDW, the Paris resort comes second. We have had ome bad experiences with guests being rude in Paris but we have had similar in Orlando and have met ruder CM in Orlando in peak seasons.
We are going to Disney Paris in October this year and am glad to hear all the info. Having been to both Disneyland and WDW, I am curious to see what the people will be like in Paris. Customer service in DW is way better than DL, so we are prepared for anything.
June will be a great time for your visit, because the weather is usually beautiful and most European schools are not out yet so the crowds are pretty manageable. The French schools are not out until the very end of June. We lived in Paris for 2 years and had annual passes, and our favorite time to visit was spring (although we went pretty much every month!).
The best thing to remember about interacting with the Cast Members and other guests is that they're not American. They just don't have the same culture as you do, so while something might seem rude to you, it's normal for them. For example, the French don't smile at strangers, so while the Cast Members will, you probably won't see many people in line or walking around you that smile if they catch your eye. They're not mean or rude, it's just their culture. Also, if you want the friendliest response from Cast Members, always say hello (bonjour!) FIRST! The French never ask for help from anyone, in a shop, on the street, anywhere, without saying hello first. They will think you're rude if you don't. We never experienced any rude Cast Members in our many trips.
People do smoke in the park, but we never really had a problem with it because it's only allowed outside (not in restaurants or on rides). Just know people do smoke outside and you won't be surprised.
Cutting in line does happen, because in many European countries, their culture just does not include waiting patiently in line. For the most part, we only experienced line jumping on the part of teens, who let's be honest are offenders here in the US from time to time as well. Just know that it can happen and don't let it spoil your fun. It really doesn't happen that often Oh, one other thing you might notice about lines - the French (well, Parisians at least) tend to be less concerned about personal space, so they stand closer to you than Americans would. Just roll with it, they're not trying to be rude or to steal your spot.
No offense to anyone, but I think these rumors may have just rooted from Americans, Brits, and the like who are not used to French culture (to which smoking plays a surprisingly large role). No pointing fingers, it's just a thought.
No we had a seriously bad inident with an older french gentleman who was in such a hurry to ride the Casey Junior train he came from behind us nd pushed my 2 year old so badly he fell over and hurt himself. Worst was he failed to aologise. We have seen the rudest guests in Paris but they are few and far between
I haven't had too many problems with rudeness with the guests except for a few hardcore queue jumpers (always teens though) and one woman who kept letting her flash off two inches from my face during the Lion King show. I have to admit that I have come across a couple of horrors amongst the cast members but more often they were total sweethearts.
I have also had a lot of fun interacting with the ones in character at the Phantom Manor and Tower of Terror - very very funny.
I was at DLP in July of this year and encountered no smokers or rude people -unless you count the idiots who persisted in taking flash pictures EVERYWHERE but especially where ever they were especially asked not to. I loved it there anyway.
Suzie
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I think, if you go knowing that the French can be rude sometimes (and to be honest, it tends to be the guests more than the Cast Members in our experience), you won't come away too disappointed. Sure, we've seen people smoking where they shouldn't and the frustration is often the Cast Members won't say anything about it, but these are minor things. The parks are beautiful - some people think the castle is the most beautiful of any Disney parks. 
Young Gang Mom
Oh, one other thing you might notice about lines - the French (well, Parisians at least) tend to be less concerned about personal space, so they stand closer to you than Americans would. Just roll with it, they're not trying to be rude or to steal your spot.
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