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DLP vs WDW & DLR - Help a DLP first timer please!!
Hi! A very dear friend of mine lives with her family in Guernsey, and I had been talking to her about possibly coming to visit in May. She then called today and said she had a wonderful idea - that I join her family in going to Disneyland Paris instead, because they wanted to go there for her son's 1st birthday. Naturally I said OF COURSE! I have been to Paris, but not DLP. Thus, I need help, info, anything you can give me! We'll be going the first week in May and staying at Davy Crockett Ranch (they will have a car, so not having a bus option is ok for us). I've been to WDW a zillion times, and DL in CA as recently as last summer. What rides are special to DLP? I looked online and it appears that the roller coasters are far more intense at DLP than the USA parks. Are there any US rides you could compare them to (I've been to Universal, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens Tampa & Virginia, and Six Flags in GA and ridden pretty much everything, so if you could compare them to any of those rides it would really help!) I used to be a huge roller coaster junkie, but as I get older I seem to have less of a tolerance for them so I'd love to be a little more prepared on what to ride and what might not be a good idea. I'll still ride everything at WDW & DL. But again, any tips or ideas you can give would be so appreciated!! Thank you in advance!
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
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I'm not going to be able to help you much on the coasters, as I don't like them. I will say that I did Crush's Coaster and that seriously messed with my head and I found Tower of Terror to be pretty intense too. It's been a few years, but we both did Big Thunder Mountain and found that a lot more intense than WDW.
As far as attractions go, these are the ones we hit whenever we go:
Disneyland Park
- Pirates of the Caribbean (every one in every Disney park is different)
- Phantom Manor (their version of the Haunted Mansion and, as with Pirates, every one is different)
- Adventure Isle (this is a lot of fun to explore and unique to this park)
- Alice's Curious Labyrinth (again, a lot of fun with all the wonderful Alice touches in it)
- Sleeping Beauty Galllery in the castle (something unique to this park, it doesn't take long to see, but it's a lovely touch)
- The Dragon's Den (as above, this is unique and so much fun to have a sleeping (ish) dragon beneath the castle)
- Storybook Land (I know they have this in Disneyland, but as a regular WDW visitor, I find it fun to do it here)
- Les Mysteres de Nautilus (not as much of a fave since the Finding Nemo subs opened at Disneyland, but this does take me back to the days of the original Nautilus subs and is still fun to do)
- Liberty and Discovery Arcades (these run behind the shops on Main Street and as nowhere else has them, we find it fascinating to explore them)
Walt Disney Studios Park
- CineMagique (we absolutely adore this, it's such a unique concept and I wish some other parks would do this)
- Animagique (same comments as above)
- Stitch Live (so much fun, and I've been able to interact with Stitch myself before now! )
- Moteurs, Action Stunt Show Spectacular (the original, open before Lights, Motors, Action came to WDW and I still enjoy this one just as much now as I did when it was a unique show)
If you haven't already, definitely get a copy of PassPorter's Disneyland Paris, as that will be invaluable in planning your trip.
Oh how exciting!!! May is a great time to visit as crowds won't be as bad as during the summer. The weather can be somewhat unpredictable around here nowadays but it *should* be nice in May.
Ok, main attractions that are unique to DLP are:
- Crush's Coaster (AWESOME ride!!! My absolute favorite ride in all the Disney parks beside Tower of Terror. It's a wild-mouse type of ride but faster and in the dark! No loopings though. It's a very smooth ride, too. Can you tell I love it? )
- Animagique (a live show, definitely worth seeing!)
- Cinemagique (a movie-type show, nice for a break)
- Armageddon (don't bother )
- Toy Story Parachute Drop ("very mild" version of ToT, really cool)
- RC Racer (kinda intense; you go back and forth, up and down, in a half-pipe)
- Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin (kiddy coaster)
- Cars Race Rally (teacup-like ride)
- Indiana Jones et leTemple du Péril (intense rollercoaster but not nearly as bad as the intense rollercoasters at Universal's Islands of Adventure!)
- Casey Jr. and Storybook Land (both kiddy rides)
- Alice's Curious Labyrinth (totally cute!)
- Adventure Isle (cool coves to discover)
- Stitch Live! (like Turtle Talk with Crush)
Some rides that are different than in the US parks:
- Big Thunder Mountain (a bit more intense but not bad)
- Space Mountain (much more intense)
- Pirates of the Caribbean (marginally more intense)
- Phantom Manor (similar to Haunted Mansion at WDW but still different)
If you go on the Everest ride at AK, you'll be fine at most DLP rides. Hope this helps!
That's all I can think of right now. If you get a chance, reading PassPorter's Disneyland Paris (which I wrote ) will give you all the info you need for your visit.
Of course I'm happy to answer any and all questions you might have right here in this forum as well!
Thank you ladies both so much for your comments!! They were very helpful and I will definitely be using them in my planning for DLP!!! If you think of anything else, please feel free to add.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Disneybine
- Crush's Coaster (AWESOME ride!!! My absolute favorite ride in all the Disney parks beside Tower of Terror. It's a wild-mouse type of ride but faster and in the dark! No loopings though. It's a very smooth ride, too. Can you tell I love it? )
I have no idea what wild-mouse type of ride means? Is there anything you could compare it to at another park? As far as it being in the dark, is it REALLY REALLY dark (like how WDW Space Mt is now that they made it darker and you can't see anything) or just moderately dark (like Rock n RollerCoaster where you can still see the track a bit)? I have found that if I can at least see a bit of the track in front of me I do much better than when I can't see anything at all.
Thank you for the comment about everything being ok if I like EE at AK. That makes me feel better. I really love EE - I actually find it to be one of the least intense coasters at WDW (I know, I'm weird...I think it's because EE is so smooth).
****ChezP - you said you found ToT to be pretty intense. Is that just in general, or when compared to the ToT at DL & WDW? If you feel that it's more intense than WDW, can you explain in what way? Does it go up and down for a longer period or something? I usually don't mind ToT, but if I continued for much longer than a few seconds I might not like it so much. Thanks again for all your help!
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
I have only been on ToT in DLP so cannot do a comparison with WDW but I remember it dropping 3 times. I am not a natural thrill seeker so it was a bit much for me - but not too bad. The cast members on it were great, very funny.
Do you like the sweeter rides? IASW is very pretty in DLP. The Park in general has more of a feel of DL than WDW in my opinion, compact but charming.
I also like the French commentary in Phantom Manor - it adds atmosphere for me.
****ChezP - you said you found ToT to be pretty intense. Is that just in general, or when compared to the ToT at DL & WDW? If you feel that it's more intense than WDW, can you explain in what way? Does it go up and down for a longer period or something? I usually don't mind ToT, but if I continued for much longer than a few seconds I might not like it so much. Thanks again for all your help!
I deliberately didn't do a comparison, as I was desperately trying to think of the last time I was on Tower of Terror at WDW. I can't remember how long ago it was now and whether it was before the random sequences, but I certainly found Disneyland Paris to be more intense than my memories from WDW. Of course, the fact that I'd just ridden Crush's Coaster straight beforehand may have something to do with that...
I have only been on ToT in DLP so cannot do a comparison with WDW but I remember it dropping 3 times. I am not a natural thrill seeker so it was a bit much for me - but not too bad. The cast members on it were great, very funny.
Do you like the sweeter rides? IASW is very pretty in DLP. The Park in general has more of a feel of DL than WDW in my opinion, compact but charming.
I also like the French commentary in Phantom Manor - it adds atmosphere for me.
Thanks for the tips! I do like the non-thrill rides as well. I am definitely going to go on those; still trying to determine exactly what thrill rides to shoot for.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
I deliberately didn't do a comparison, as I was desperately trying to think of the last time I was on Tower of Terror at WDW. I can't remember how long ago it was now and whether it was before the random sequences, but I certainly found Disneyland Paris to be more intense than my memories from WDW. Of course, the fact that I'd just ridden Crush's Coaster straight beforehand may have something to do with that...
Yeah, I can understand that. I actually do enjoy thrill rides for the most part, but I do not care to do them back-to-back usually. However, the fact that you do not particularly care for thrill rides and yet survived Crush's Coaster does make me feel better about trying it...
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
I have no idea what wild-mouse type of ride means? Is there anything you could compare it to at another park? As far as it being in the dark, is it REALLY REALLY dark (like how WDW Space Mt is now that they made it darker and you can't see anything) or just moderately dark (like Rock n RollerCoaster where you can still see the track a bit)? I have found that if I can at least see a bit of the track in front of me I do much better than when I can't see anything at all..
****ChezP - you said you found ToT to be pretty intense. Is that just in general, or when compared to the ToT at DL & WDW?
Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom is a wild mouse ride. It's got lots of sharp turns but no loopings. It's NOT like the teacups ride at the MK, though!
Crush's Coaster isn't completely dark, it's more like Rock'n'Roller Coaster.
As I love ToT and go on it whenever I'm at any Disney park, I can compare them and I think the DLP version is just like the American versions now that they have the random sequences as well (you never know how often or when the elevator will drop but it's never more than a few times).
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Of course, the fact that I'd just ridden Crush's Coaster straight beforehand may have something to do with that...
Erm, yeah, that would have been my fault I talked her into trying both rides since they're my favorites but I hadn't taken into consideration that Cheryl doesn't handle thrill rides very well
Erm, yeah, that would have been my fault I talked her into trying both rides since they're my favorites but I hadn't taken into consideration that Cheryl doesn't handle thrill rides very well
I did warn you - I don't think you believed how bad I am.... I still remember you telling me how "mild" Crush's Coaster is!
Having said that, that's half the problem - one person's perception of how intense rides are can be totally different to someone else's and that's a good case in point of that!
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Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom is a wild mouse ride. It's got lots of sharp turns but no loopings. It's NOT like the teacups ride at the MK, though!
Crush's Coaster isn't completely dark, it's more like Rock'n'Roller Coaster.
Excellent! Thank you for the PW comparison. I love that ride, so I will definitely have to try Crush's Coaster. Does the individual car spin in CC like in PW? (Sorry for all the questions, geez.... )
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Having said that, that's half the problem - one person's perception of how intense rides are can be totally different to someone else's and that's a good case in point of that!
I agree completely! This is why I usually try to get someone to compare a ride I've never done to a ride I have done....so I can tell what the intensity would be to me. It works much better than just asking someone if they liked a ride or if they found it scary or whatever, because everyone definitely has different tastes/tolerances.
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
Excellent! Thank you for the PW comparison. I love that ride, so I will definitely have to try Crush's Coaster. Does the individual car spin in CC like in PW? (Sorry for all the questions, geez.... )
No problem, I love talking about DLP Yes, the individual cars in Crush's Coaster do spin. I think the ride itself is a bit faster than Primeval Whirl but it's still a really smooth ride.
Another (kind of stupid) question: My friend and I were pricing the resort/tickets out, and I seem to be getting a MUCH better rate here in the US than she is getting in Guernsey. (The rate I'm getting is over $500 less than what she's getting) Is this normal? I figured it would be the same regardless of where you were booking from, but maybe not? I'm just worried that there are hidden fees somewhere that I'm not seeing in the quote.
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
Hhmm, I'm not sure where the price difference comes from. Maybe Disney is calculating with a different exchange rate than you are? In general, prices should be comparable. One thing that's possible is that they're currently running a special offer for U.S. visitors. Discounts do differ by country.
It also depends on the exchange rate and how strong the pound or dollar are against the Euro right now. I didn't think we were doing badly - I was pleased with how many Euros I got for our Amsterdam trip a couple of days ago, but that could be part of it?
It's a shame, as she missed the "flash sale" Disneyland Paris had. I don't know if it would've been your dates, but they had certain dates through to the end of March (some weekends, which surprised me) with 50% off resort and tickets packages, but that ended a couple of days ago. Maybe you're enjoying that deal right now?
It also depends on the exchange rate and how strong the pound or dollar are against the Euro right now. I didn't think we were doing badly - I was pleased with how many Euros I got for our Amsterdam trip a couple of days ago, but that could be part of it?
It's a shame, as she missed the "flash sale" Disneyland Paris had. I don't know if it would've been your dates, but they had certain dates through to the end of March (some weekends, which surprised me) with 50% off resort and tickets packages, but that ended a couple of days ago. Maybe you're enjoying that deal right now?
The deal it says it's giving me is an "early booking deal" if we book by Feb 15. But it isn't giving her that. We're going the first week of May, so I'm not sure if the flash sale would have worked. Do they do that often?
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
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I have been to Paris, but not DLP. Thus, I need help, info, anything you can give me! We'll be going the first week in May and staying at Davy Crockett Ranch (they will have a car, so not having a bus option is ok for us). I've been to WDW a zillion times, and DL in CA as recently as last summer. What rides are special to DLP? I looked online and it appears that the roller coasters are far more intense at DLP than the USA parks. Are there any US rides you could compare them to (I've been to Universal, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens Tampa & Virginia, and Six Flags in GA and ridden pretty much everything, so if you could compare them to any of those rides it would really help!) I used to be a huge roller coaster junkie, but as I get older I seem to have less of a tolerance for them so I'd love to be a little more prepared on what to ride and what might not be a good idea. I'll still ride everything at WDW & DL. But again, any tips or ideas you can give would be so appreciated!! Thank you in advance!
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Is there anything you could compare it to at another park? As far as it being in the dark, is it REALLY REALLY dark (like how WDW Space Mt is now that they made it darker and you can't see anything) or just moderately dark (like Rock n RollerCoaster where you can still see the track a bit)? I have found that if I can at least see a bit of the track in front of me I do much better than when I can't see anything at all.
I am not a natural thrill seeker so it was a bit much for me - but not too bad. The cast members on it were great, very funny. 
I talked her into trying both rides since they're my favorites but I hadn't taken into consideration that Cheryl doesn't handle thrill rides very well 
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