Advice For Visits To Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris Package Deals

2010-02-16T11:07:00.004Z

With the Euro being so strong at the moment it could work out more economical to book a package deal so that you know up front the amount you need to spend in particular I would recommend a half board deal as food is quite expensive but good meals are essential as you will be ready for your evening meal after a busy day round the theme park.

Disney have taken this into account and are currently offering some great packages as you can see below

What's new at Disneyland Paris for 2010

2010-01-27T15:27:00.004Z

The theme of Disneyland Paris is changing with the empahsis moving from the old characters to the new up and coming ones. The title of this years theme is 'The New Generation'

Stars of the show will be the newer additions to the gang such as Toy Story, Monsters Inc and the new Disney Production of the Princess and the Frog

Should be and exciting parade and it will be strange with the emphasis moving away form Mickey!

New Year At Disneyland Paris

2010-01-03T19:26:00.003Z

Now is a great time to start planning for a visit to Disneyland paris in 2010

By booking and planning early you can probably save yourself loads of time and money later on also you will be assured you have booked the accomodation etc that you want rather than what is left.

School holidays are always the busiest times so try and avaoid these if you are a party of adults and very young children.

Scour around for special offers as early birds usually get the best deals.

Visit Disneyland Paris For A Halloween To Remember

2009-08-10T08:51:00.008+01:00

Disneyland Paris
is transformed for Halloween and by visiting at this time you can experience things that are not available at any other time of year. You can also be sure of a great atmosphere that will suit all ages with some extra special surprises.

As you can imagine with Disney being American based Halloween is one of the highlights on the calendar and Eurodisney certainly tries its hardest to provide the spooky entertainment expected. Generally you can expect a whole month of excitement but there is also the added bonus that Halloween does usually coincide with half term making it easier to take the children with out missing valuable school time.

First of all there is a Halloween parade which will include pumpkin men, witches and of course all the Disney Villans who simply love Halloween!!!

‘Crazy coiffeurs- will be around the park and will provide a great FREE treat for children aged 3 – 11 in that they will create strange and freaky hairstyle with matching freaky face painting! Then you are able to join Disney characters trick or treating around the park.

Most shows are changed for Halloween a particular favourite is the Disney Villan’s Halloween Showtime, Captain Hook and Cruella de Vil give plenty of opportunity for screams and hisses!

Click here for up to date offers for Disneyland Paris

The stage near Sleeping Beauty’s Castle has the show ‘Goofy and the magic pot’ where children can learn how to cook pumpkin soup. Minnie and her Bat Boys also come along to help.

For many though the highlight is actually on Halloween when the park opens between 8.30pm and 1.00am when you can experience all the rides in the dark with spooky characters to help you on your way. The will also be a spectacular firework display to add to the celebrations

To get all the lands themed at Disneyland Paris and to make the event as spectacular as possible a lot of time and effort is spent. The following statistics show how seriously Disney takes Halloween

• Over 25 TONS of pumpkins are used during the Halloween season at Disneyland Resort Paris
• 400 bales of straw are brought in to be used in Halloweenland, as well as 500 bales of hay.
• More than 4,500 corn on the cobs are eaten, along with 800kg of sweets per night.

So if you are thinking about a visit to Disneyland Paris and want something different for the autumn then may be a trip to Eurodisney to experience a spectacular Halloween could be the answer.

Hotels Outside Disneyland Paris

2009-07-21T07:42:00.003+01:00

When planning your trip to Disneyland Paris consider the alternative of staying outside of the main parks. There are lots of hotels nearby that can offer excellent accommodation at a fraction of the price of the main hotels.

Most will run shuttlebusses to get you to Disneyland Paris but will have the advantage of being in a nearby French Town giving you a taste of real French life. For example we stayed at Marne and were able to walk into the village early each morning to buy fresh baguettes and croissants for breakfast they were wonderful as they had been freshly baked by the village baker.

There is also a massive shopping centre called Citie de la Vallee where you can but absolutely anything and it also has a designer village attached.

So it maybe if you are planning a longer trip staying in one of the local villages is a better option than staying on site

Disneyland Paris Tickets – It is Possible to Get Free Entry!

2009-07-16T10:08:00.007+01:00

With Disneyland Paris
being the top European tourist destination it is hardly surprising that it is sometimes difficult to find discount entry tickets. With a little research however and some perseverance it you can often find great discounts and even free entry passes. This is my method for getting those discount or free passes;

First of all plan your trip before booking anything i.e

 How will you be getting there car, train, Eurostar, plane
 Decide on the length of your stay. – Sometimes you can get free additional days i.e 4 for the price of 3
 How regular will your visits be – If you are visiting more than once a year consider the option of an annual pass as this will give you lots of other discounts
 Dates when you can visit. If you visit off peak you can often get better deals than during peak times.
 How many in your group. If you are a large party visiting you can often get group discounts or even a free pass.

Now you have all the information in place do your research. Check with the transport providers first. For example Eurostar were offering a free Disneyland Paris Hopper Pass ticket with a Channel crossing with additional tickets available with a 15% discount. P&O also promoted a similar offer.

Some coach companies offer both discounted travel and highly discounted tickets i.e Ledger offered tickets at £17.00 each approx 60% saving!

Check out other websites as many info sites will give up to date information on the best deals available for Eurodisney you may even find that by booking direct there are some good last minute offers.i.e an extra day and night free

So to sum up Disneyland Paris is a great place to visit and whilst entry on the day is quite expensive by planning ahead it is possible to get greatly discounted tickets and this year it was even possible to get a free day hopper pass by booking an essential train journey! So beat the credit crunch and have a great time at this fantastic theme park.

What Is Happeneing at Disneyland Paris For 2009?

2009-07-10T09:48:00.003+01:00

2009 is a great year to visit Disneyland Paris
as it is the park’s 15th birthday year. It seems incredible to think that it was 15 years ago when Eurodisney first opened it doors. I can remember the excitement on my children’s face as we drove through those large entrance gates for the first time and from then on were smitten with the atmosphere and have returned numerous times.

It seems that Disney marks each 5 years with a special ‘birthday year’ they take the effort to decorate the castle and have special events throughout the year. This year the castle has a large Tinkerbell waving her magic wand.

The theme of the year is Mickey’s Magical Party with special events happening throughout the park. In the main park you have a special dance time in discovery land this is where Lilo and Stich will entertain you and get you to join in with their dancing. Minnie’s Party Train will tour through the park at specific times (Top tip is to go to County Hall and get the show times when you arrive. You may also be able to get the times when the characters will be appearing around the park). Mickey has a party for you to join on the central Plaza and the main parade has been changed for the celebration.

Walt Disney Studios also has a special ‘Stars and Cars’ parade for the celebrations and it is a great opportunity to see all the characters and some fantastic cars. It is often easier to get a better view in the studios as this park tends to be quieter.

The Rides are also great this year with the recent opening in the studios of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Crushes Coaster. It is good to see that Disney are committed to improving and adding to the park.

So 2009 could be a good time for you to plan your visit to Disneyland Paris as there are certainly some events that you won’t get the chance to see at any other time.

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Extend Your Visit At The Disney Village Paris

2009-06-23T14:37:00.003+01:00

When Disney Created they were very clever in that they also built a village just outside the parks and right near the entrance to the Train Station and Car Parks. This was a good move as it allows visitors to get more from their visit once the main parks have closed.

The idea behind the Disney village was to provide a bigger choice of restaurant and entertainments to compliment those actually in the parks. You have several eating places such as Annette’s Diner, Café Mickey, and La Grange. You also have a Macdonalds and the very popular Planet Hollywood all in all I think there are at least 10 eateries in the village area.

You will also have a chance to visit the Imax cinema which is a great opportunity to be part of the 3D movie experience that uses all the latest technology.

Buffalo Bill famous Wild West Show is also based in the Disney Village. This is a fantastic dinner show where you can tuck into a hearty cowboy feast whilst you cheer on the kings of the Colt in an action packed tribute to the old Wild West. It features stunt riders, wagons and buffaloes. You will need to book if you want to attend this show and it can work out quite expensive but is well worth it.

Most evenings you will be able to watch live music being performed in the centre of the street. This is great entertainment that everyone joins in with and is also completely free of charge!

Disney Village Paris is well worth a look as it will give you a little longer time experiencing the atmosphere of the park and enable you to dine in more relaxed surroundings once the main parks have closed.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Disneyland Paris?

2009-06-22T11:30:00.001+01:00

Disneyland Paris has rapidly become the most popular European theme park and has millions of visitors each year. The amount of people visiting does however fluctuate quite considerably and by using this knowledge is possible to work out the best times to visit Eurodisney.

If you don’t have children in your group then my advice would always be to visit at times when children are in school. Avoid school holiday times as these are always the busiest. Bear in mind that Disneyland Paris is also a popular place for school trips so June & July often sees an increase in school parties.

There are three ‘slow times’ at the park and if at all possible try to visit at these times they are
- Mid January to late March
- Mid April to mid July
- Mid September to the start of December (avoid Halloween!)

Obviously it is not always possible to visit at these times and there are occasions when you will want to visit at busy times due to special events i.e during the summer for the night time light parades and fireworks, or at Christmas for the special festivities and atmosphere.

By visiting at off peak times you will have more freedom to go on the attractions without having to queue for long periods of time. You will also find it easier to meet and great the characters (a great favourite with the very young we used to have lots of fun collecting autographs)

If you do visit at peak times take time to plan your trip so that you can get the most out of the park and hopefully avoid queuing too long at the popular rides (this is where the fast passes come into their own!). You will also have the advantage that in the high summer months the park is open longer so you will have more time to sample all the attractions.

Disabled Visitors Are Well Catered For At Disneyland Paris

2009-06-19T10:26:00.000+01:00

Disney have spent a lot of time and effort creating a great environment for it's disabled visotrs.

To start with Disney have completed a very comprehensive “Guide for Disabled” Visitors” this can be downloaded from their website if you want to be prepared before you go. Alternatively the guide can be obtained from City Hall in the Disneyland Park, Studio Services at MGM and in the receptions of any of the Disney Resort Hotels.

The guide is a full colour 19 page booklet and covers everything you may need for your visit. Examples of this are;

- Transportation to the parks from the hotels – A specially adapted shuttle bus is provided for the disabled person and adult carer to help with getting on and off the bus. If you are in a bigger party it is possible for a mini bus to be arranged specifically for your party (you need to book in advance)
- Reduced admission rates – Special discounts are available for disabled guests also helpers will be allowed free entry to the park.
- Easy access to the attractions. You will need to visit customer services who will issue you will an easy access card to enable you to get on the attraction easier and usually without having to wait I the sometimes long queues
- Special meet an greet the character sessions specifically for disabled guests making it easier to meet those favourite characters
- Wheelchair hire – If you need a wheelchair occasionally and don’t want to take your own then there is a limited number of wheelchairs that are available for hire

The above are just some of the measures that Disney have put in place to ensure that you are able to get the most out of your visit to by getting hold of the guide beforehand you will be able to plan and ensure you have everything to meet your needs.

How To Get To Disneyland Paris

2009-06-18T15:26:00.001+01:00

Travelling To is easy!

By Car

You need to head towards Paris and then get on the A4 Metz-Nancy motorway. You will need to take exit 14 sign posted “Parcs Disney”. If you are staying at the Davy Crocket Ranch then you will need to take exit 13 sign posted “Provins Serris”. You will find that Disney is signposted along the major routes well before the turn off and is very easy to find.

By Train

If you are staying in Paris and are visiting Eurodisney for the day then you need to take the RER line A to Marne La Vallee/Chessy station

The Eurostar will actually take you right to the entrance of the park and so is a convenient way to travel from England

TGV – There are connection straight to Marne La Vallee/Chessy from over 25 cities in France. The SNCF and Disneyland Resort Paris offer packages including transportation from all of these cities.

By Plane

You will need to fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle or Orly Airports. Once you have disembarked you will find you can continue your journey either by train or bus. VEA shuttle service offers daily links to Disneyland Resort Paris hotels with departures every 30 to 45 minutes.

So as you can see public transport and the road systems are well placed to get you to Disneyland Paris easily however I would advise you avoid driving around Paris during the rush hour as you can find large build ups of traffic

How To Travel To Disneyland Paris

2009-06-18T15:15:00.000+01:00

Travel to is quite easy:

By Car

You need to head towards Paris and then get on the A4 Metz-Nancy motorway. You will need to take exit 14 sign posted “Parcs Disney”. If you are staying at the Davy Crocket Ranch then you will need to take exit 13 sign posted “Provins Serris”. You will find that Disney is signposted along the major routes well before the turn off and is very easy to find.

By Train

If you are staying in Paris and are visiting Eurodisney for the day then you need to take the RER line A to Marne La Vallee/Chessy station

The Eurostar will actually take you right to the entrance of the park and so is a convenient way to travel from England

TGV – There are connection straight to Marne La Vallee/Chessy from over 25 cities in France. The SNCF and Disneyland Resort Paris offer packages including transportation from all of these cities.

By Plane

You will need to fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle or Orly Airports. Once you have disembarked you will find you can continue your journey either by train or bus. VEA shuttle service offers daily links to Disneyland Resort Paris hotels with departures every 30 to 45 minutes.

So as you can see public transport and the road systems are well placed to get you to Disneyland Paris easily however I would advise you avoid driving around Paris during the rush hour as you can find large build ups of traffic

Cheap Disney Tickets - Yes it is possible to get them for Eurodisney!

2009-06-17T12:55:00.002+01:00

Because we all love Disney it is often hard to find any true reductions to the cost of entering the parks however discounts are available and you could save an amazing amount of money if you know where to look

Visits to are a treat for the whole family but unfortunately can work out expensive. It is possible to save a lot of money by planning you trip well in advance, this includes booking your entry tickets before you go.

We have been to Eurodisney several times and are picking up more tips every time we travel. What never ceases to amaze me however is just how expensive the entrance tickets are if you buy them on the day at the turnstiles. This time when we went a day Hopper Ticket would cost you €62.00 yet it was possible to pre plan and get the same ticket for €42.00 this is an incredible saving especially if you are travelling in a large party.

Great places to start in search of those discount tickets is on forums that discuss Disneyland Paris. These forums give great advice which is usually up to date. For example I discovered that Eurorail were giving away free tickets if you booked a train journey with them. I booked my journey from Paris to Marne La Valee for €14.50 and voila I managed to get into Eurodisney free of charge.

The Official Disneyland Paris website also often has some excellent deals that can save you money on the entrance fees if you buy in advance. Most deals are flexible and you can tailor around your families needs.

It is therefore possible to get discount tickets which can help with the cost of your visit. The key is in the planning and booking well in advance of your trip but as the saying goes “a stitch in time saves nine" or in this case Euro's

Make Use of the Fastpass Sytem At Disneyland Paris

2009-06-16T15:52:00.000+01:00

One of the problems you may encounter when you visit is that some of the popular rides get very long queues and the last thing you want to do is spend valuable time in a queue line, by using Disney’s Fastpass system you can pre plan your ride and hopefully minimise the time spent in queues.

So what actually is Fast Pass and how can you use it?

When you buy your entry ticket to Disney you need to keep it safe as this is the key to using the system. At many of the popular rides you will find an area allocated to turnstile type machines that issue special tickets that enable you to come back to the ride at a later time and by following the special Fastpass entrance will enable you to walk virtually straight onto the ride.

The time slots available will be shown on boards above the ticket machines, insert your entrance card and you will be issued with a ticket to come back at this time. A word of warning however once you have obtained a Fastpass ticket for a ride you will not be able to get another until the time of that ticket has expired, this makes the system fairer and gives everyone an equal chance of getting on some rides faster.

Peter pan seems to be the most popular ride and the fastpass tickets for this ride run out by early afternoon so I would recommend that you book this first to ensure you don’t miss out on this magical experience (queues for this are often over 1 hour!).

So make use of this facility that Disney has provided it will make you day far more enjoyable and hopefully mean that you will get to go on more rides

Disneyland Paris Hopper Pass

2009-06-09T15:28:00.003+01:00

When planning your trip to Disneyland Paris you will need to bear in mind that there are actually two parks. If you have been before I am sure you are aware of this but for new visitors it is crucial to understand as this will affect the tickets you need to buy and how you should plan your visit to Eurodisney. It is for this reason you will get the benefit of the flexibility of a Hopper Pass.

You are able to here

The first park to be built was the main Disneyland Park with its 5 magical kingdoms. This is the bigger of the two parks and contains all the well known rides and attractions such as Dumbo, Peter Pan, Small World and Thunder Mountain etc. This is the traditional park we all think of when we are planning our holiday. In the main season there are two parades one during the day and the other is a magical light parade that takes place in the evening.

The newest park is the Disney Studios Park. This is based on the production of the Disney films and has some excellent rides. It is also very interesting as you can tour behind the scenes of films and also see how the animations are created. There are also some excellent shows for you to watch such as the cars stunt show.

Both parks compliment each other well and both are well worth a visit. We have found that the best way to mange this is to purchase a hopper ticket this way you will have unlimited access to both parks and can move between the two as and when you please. By buying single park tickets you will find you lose the flexibility of planning your trip around certain shows you will be able to chop and change and make the most of quiet times in the parks.

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Disneyland Paris Trip – Train Travel To And From Paris

2009-06-08T09:39:00.000+01:00

Disneyland Paris is for many a dream destination especially if you have a young family. Train travel is one of the easiest ways to get to the park and the French have made it easy to travel to and from Paris by train with trains running approx every 15 mins.

The station for Euro Disney is positioned just outside the main entrances to the parks so once you get off your train it is a stones throw from the magic of the parks and you are already slap bang in the atmosphere of Disney.

The train station is also next to the bus station so it is easy to transfer to a shuttle if you are staying on site or get a local bus to the area in which you are staying. I understand there is also a service where if you are staying in a Disney Hotel your luggage can be taken to your hotel for you meaning you are able to enjoy the parks straight away!

City trains travel to and from central Paris to Euro Disneyland throughout the day at roughly 15 minute intervals from the following five large central Paris RER A Stations: Charles de Gaulle Etoile (at Arc de Triomphe), Auber (at Galeries Lafayette shopping center), Chatelet Les Halles (massive underground shopping centre and largest underground/subway station in the world), Gare de Lyon (largest Paris train station), and Nation station. The Station at Euro Disney is called Marne La Vallée / Disney

You will need to buy Zone 1 -Zone 5 ticket which will cover both the underground and over ground parts of your journeyA one way ticket costs approx €6.45 and can be purchased by automated machine (different languages can be chosen) and can be paid for by coins or a chip and pin card.

If there are several of you travelling or you intend to make multiple journeys they you would be advised to but a book of ten tickets as this will give you two free tickets. On our case there was a party of 5 adults on a day trip to Paris so we purchased a book of ten tickets which made the total cost of the journey €51.60 rather than €64.50. €10.32 per person rather than €12.90 a good saving.

French trains are very reliable and the trip from Disneyland Paris to the centre of Paris only took 40 mins each way with the trains running on time. This was much easier than trying to drive into the capital.

Why Do Children Like To Dress As Their Favourite Disney Characters?

2009-06-02T14:10:00.000+01:00

One thing that struck me on this visit is the fact that many children like to dress as their favourite Disney character as they wander round the theme park. While this looks really cute and enhances the atmosphere of the park the cost of this exercise must put fear into the hearts of parents. The cheapest outfit we could find in the park was 45 euros with the highly desirable reversible outfits costing nearly 70 Euro's!

Obviously Disney needs to encourage their visitors to buy from their shops but these prices are exorbitant when you can by the identical outfits (Disney Stores) for half the price and other big chains sell them for even less.

My advice would be to take them with you so your child can start the visit in one rather than having to spend valuable time and money in the shops rather than enjoying the attractions

How Many Days Do You Need At Disneyland Paris?

2009-06-01T09:36:00.000+01:00

So you are planning that fantastic trip to Disneyland Paris and you are looking on the internet to find that there are currently some good deals but just how long will you need?

I think the time you need to allow yourself will depend on many factors such as:

Age of party - If you have a mixed age group and several small children you will find that it will take you longer to cover the parks and also will be more willing to spend time at the shows and parades etc rather than just going on the rides. If you are a group of adults/teenagers you will probably need less time as you are more interested in the larger rides rather than the attraction aimed at the younger ones.
Size of party - The more of you there are the likely hood is that you will find more things to do and will be prepared to spend more time at different attractions.
Have you visited before? - On your first visit you will spend more time finding your way around and getting to know all that is on offer. On subsequent visits you will probably be more selective and so can reduce the amount of time you need in the park.
How much money do you want to spend? - Whilst the travel costs remain the same for however long you choose to stay youwill need to condsider the costs of tickets, meals and accommodation for the whole of your stay with the euro being strong at the moment this can soon add up, for exaple bottles of water were 2.5 euros and ice creams 3 euros

Careful planning is essential for you visit. Take time to sort out what you actually want to do and then book the length of your trip accordingly.

Just Back!

2009-05-30T13:13:00.000+01:00

We are just back from our 5th visit to Disneyland Paris. What a great place and great atmosphere. The kids love it almost as much as the adults and it is great to see that Disney are continuing to invest in the park adding more attractions.

Our only gripe this time is the expense and the exchange rate between the Euro & the Pound it is for this reason I have started this blog to try abnd gather together tips to help you save money on your visit and hopefully get more enjoyment from your visit.