Disneyland Paris in the Summer

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Dec Fri 04, 2009 4:38 pm

It's a possibility that I may be going to Europe in the summertime of 2010 and I had discussed a few things with one of my best friends about going to Disneyland Paris. She is the one that will be going to study abroad in Oxford but she will possibly stay later in the summer for me to accompany her. Everything isn't cemented so this is just up in the air but we want to at least have some information on us so we know what we are doing. I have never been to a Disneyland outside of California (let alone travel to Europe) so I have no idea what to expect.

If anyone's been there to DLP and has some tips of the trade for us to deal during the summer, I'd greatly appreciate it!

mindflipper · Post by **mindflipper** » Dec Fri 04, 2009 7:38 pm

If you enjoy Disneyland, you'll enjoy Disneyland Paris! It's been more than 10 years since I was there, but you'll have a good time.

From downtown Paris, you can take RER A (Regional Rail) out to Marnee-la-Vallee, Disneyland Paris. Also, the "chunnel" high speed train that leaves from London has a service that will take you directly to Disneyland Paris.

The railway station takes up to the parks. The entrance to DLP's MK is the Disneyland Paris Hotel (looks like the Grand Floridian at WDW or the Coronado in San Diego). The ticket-purchase area is one first level. A short distance walk from this entrance is the DLP Studios, the railway station, and Festival Disney. All is a short distance away from each other. The hotel even looks great lit up at night:

Electrical Parades are done seasonally, and unless things change DLP is still running Fantillusion, which it inherited from TDL when it changed to Electrical Parade Dreamlights. Mont de l'Escpace: de la Terre a la Lune (Space Mountain) was very cool. You board it outside the attraction, and get loaded into the "cannon" which then shoots up the side of building into the interior through the top. I hope that hasn't changed!

Pirates of the Caribbean is similar to DL's - including the Blue Bayou Resturant. The order of the scenes are different, its multi-lingual, and even featured a sword fight (again, I hope that hasn't changed). There's no Tom Sawyer Island - it's Big Thunder Mountain. You board on shore and then pass under the water to the island mountain via the "bat caves".

Nearby, is Phantom Manor. If you been on it, you'll become a fan of it like so many others have. Only wish I could have been on it while they used the original Vincent Price narration.

And don't forget to check out the castle. While you can visit the dragon underneath the castle, the interior of the castle tells the story of Sleeping Beauty through books, stained glass, paintings and tapestries:

Have any questions, just ask, but it's been 10 years since I've been but the basic layout hasn't changed. Hopefully, someone can give you some insight into DLP Studios.

And thanks! I only recently recovered these lost photos, so I've been wanting to chance to post them.

I wish you all the luck that you get to go this summer!

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Dec Sat 05, 2009 1:18 am

Oh lord that is a great visual aid there, mindflipper! Thank you for that! And I'm glad I gave you the opportunity to post them too!

I have seen pictures here and there about the dragon below the castle and I've been wanting to see that one. I've also wanted to try out the Space Mountain and especially Phantom Manor. Phantom Manor's been on the top of my list for so long.

mindflipper · Post by **mindflipper** » Dec Sat 05, 2009 10:07 am

I think of the castle dragon as the original "murphy". My camera back then had problems taking pictures down there, so I would love to go back now since I've got a much better camera now.

It's surprising how quick you can pick up the tune while riding Phantom Manor. I found myself humming its score throughout the rest of the day. I love that music to this day.

When I went the first time - back when it was known as Euro Disney - I was going through Europe as part of a tour group. My tour guide found out my plans to visit Euro Disney was actively discouraging it. Turns out, their union wanted kickbacks for referrals and Euro Disney wasn't paying out any. So they were boycotting Euro Disney and trying to stop any tourist from going there. But I was an avid WDW theme-park nut back then - there was no stopping me!

My second time we stayed at the Disneyland Paris Hotel (hotel at the front gate of DLP's MK). That was a beautiful hotel!

The hotel is worth visiting too - and back when I was there years ago, you could watch Mary Poppins and Bert perform "Jolly Holiday" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" live on the grand staircase (another thing I hope has not changed!):

Yes, they lip-synched but they did a fabulous job and had a good dance routine. It was fun to watch.

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Dec Sat 05, 2009 7:23 pm

Oh wow! That is a gorgeous hotel. I can link this site to my friend and let her know about this. She'd love to get a visitor's view on it.

wdwannabe · Post by **wdwannabe** » Dec Mon 07, 2009 10:16 am

I hope your plans work out to go to Paris! My fingers are crossed. BTW, do you have a large suitcase?

mindflipper · Post by **mindflipper** » Dec Mon 07, 2009 10:22 am

I don't know about large suitcases - I always found it better to pack light when traveling Europe in the summer! Lugging around large suitcases on the Euro-Rail - good luck! If you're staying with a friend, then hopefully you have a way to do laundry maybe? If you can, it would make life easier than having a large suitcase to travel around in Europe.

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Dec Mon 07, 2009 3:30 pm

I may have a large suitcase somewhere. I can always ask my mother but I may be backpacking my way around. We'll still need to discuss plans for how it will all go.

mindflipper · Post by **mindflipper** » Dec Mon 07, 2009 3:49 pm

If you're staying with a friend, you could take the large suitcase and leave it there while you use the backpack to travel around elsewhere.

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Dec Mon 07, 2009 4:02 pm

We may have to do the hotel route if possible.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Jan Sat 08, 2011 2:03 pm

wdwannabe wrote:I hope your plans work out to go to Paris! My fingers are crossed. BTW, do you have a large suitcase?

mindflipper wrote:I don't know about large suitcases - I always found it better to pack light when traveling Europe in the summer! Lugging around large suitcases on the Euro-Rail - good luck! If you're staying with a friend, then hopefully you have a way to do laundry maybe? If you can, it would make life easier than having a large suitcase to travel around in Europe.

I think wdwannabe wanted to be in that large suitcase!

Thanks for the photos mindflipper ~ you've been back since I was there in 2003...

mindflipper · Post by **mindflipper** » Jan Wed 12, 2011 1:12 pm

Amy wrote:
wdwannabe wrote:I hope your plans work out to go to Paris! My fingers are crossed. BTW, do you have a large suitcase?

mindflipper wrote:I don't know about large suitcases - I always found it better to pack light when traveling Europe in the summer! Lugging around large suitcases on the Euro-Rail - good luck! If you're staying with a friend, then hopefully you have a way to do laundry maybe? If you can, it would make life easier than having a large suitcase to travel around in Europe.
I think wdwannabe wanted to be in that large suitcase!
Thanks for the photos mindflipper ~ you've been back since I was there in 2003...

Sadly, no. I went a few months after it opened back in 1992, and then again shortly after Space Mountian opened in 1998. Your trip was years after mine, I'm afraid.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Jan Wed 12, 2011 1:37 pm

mindflipper wrote:Sadly, no. I went a few months after it opened back in 1992, and then again shortly after Space Mountian opened in 1998. Your trip was years after mine, I'm afraid.

Oh, I thought you had been recently...

mindflipper · Post by **mindflipper** » Jan Wed 12, 2011 2:32 pm

Amy wrote:
mindflipper wrote:Sadly, no. I went a few months after it opened back in 1992, and then again shortly after Space Mountian opened in 1998. Your trip was years after mine, I'm afraid.
Oh, I thought you had been recently...

Sadly, no, but my UK friends had been, which is why posted their trip report from October 2010 with their kind permission:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6805

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