Euro disney

Deliverance

Worth it or not for a childhood experience. I have the possibility of bringing my child to this with my ex. Finances are not good at the moment but I can just about afford it before breaking the bank.

If it worth it as an experience for my little one then the bank question is irrelevant. Anybody else here have views or experience on Euro Disney as an experience for a child, is it worth it?

star-pants

May I ask what age the child is?
Because I think it depends really on the age and if the child is interested in such things.
I'm now 26 - I went when I was 23 and I was like a 5year old I LOVED it, I bounced around the place.
My siblings went once when they were 10 and 8 and they complained half the time. My parents (not a great idea IMO) brought them again when we all went and they were 15 and 13 and fairly uninterested in most things.

I loved the experience myself, it is rather expensive (to go and for food/living there). There is a lot of walking involved and sometimes a lot of waiting - so it can be rather tiring and rather stressful too. Would your child be interested in rides / seeing the characters, would they be ok with large crowds, and sometimes having to wait in line, long days?

Deliverance

star-pants wrote: »

May I ask what age the child is?
Because I think it depends really on the age and if the child is interested in such things.
I'm now 26 - I went when I was 23 and I was like a 5year old I LOVED it, I bounced around the place.
My siblings went once when they were 10 and 8 and they complained half the time. My parents (not a great idea IMO) brought them again when we all went and they were 15 and 13 and fairly uninterested in most things.

I loved the experience myself, it is rather expensive (to go and for food/living there). There is a lot of walking involved and sometimes a lot of waiting - so it can be rather tiring and rather stressful too. Would your child be interested in rides / seeing the characters, would they be ok with large crowds, and sometimes having to wait in line, long days?

Apparently it is a package 'all in' with hotel on site? My little one is 4yrs old. We are thinking of spending one day in Paris outside the site. My child loves rides she has no fear at all. I just do not want to spend the days waiting in line for these rides myself.

But if she loves it as a memorable experience then I'm all for it.

star-pants

Well they do have what are called 'fast passes' - you go up get tickets and it has a time on them for you to come back - and you skip most of the Q at this time. Handy because you can plan better your route /day. Some rides are quieter so if she likes them she can go again and again. There are other things like Alice in Wonderlands Maze for example that don't really require queuing and you can wander around.

We found the fast passes great because it meant you didn't have to stand in a queue for hours - they also have Q times above the entrance to nearly all rides so you can see how long the wait would be.
There are shows on daily throughout the park so you can stand and watch the parade which she'd probably enjoy. So not everything would have to be about rides/Qs. But twas just to warn you about some Qs being a bit mental.

There's a train that stops IN Disneyland Paris, and you can get that out to Paris (afaik) and you can also get the train to a shopping centre not too far from the park and it has a supermarket /shops etc. But we used to stock up on food/drinks because they're outragous inside the park. So you can take a day to go to Paris and half a day to go to the centre if you wished.

At the age of 4, I would probably need to be sure that she would enjoy it - as some 4 year olds it'd go over their head or they wouldn't get the experience as much as you'd like. If she's the type to enjoy all of the magic of it ,all the characters and parades and things then it might just be a wonderful experience.

whatdoicare

Deliverance wrote: »

Apparently it is a package 'all in' with hotel on site? My little one is 4yrs old. We are thinking of spending one day in Paris outside the site. My child loves rides she has no fear at all. I just do not want to spend the days waiting in line for these rides myself.

But if she loves it as a memorable experience then I'm all for it.

I wouldn't recommend it for a four year old- the rides available to them are very very limited and queues for these few rides are very long and thats painful for a four year old.

angeldaisy

we took our four year old boy when he had just turned four, we spent 2 days there and he absolutely loved it, he enjoyed the characters just turning up. have to admit we only queued to see winnie the pooh and he loved it, but it was too long to wait. I found that he was able to go on some of the bigger rides too and we had to go on the pirates of the caribbean ride a couple of times. we went out of season, so the queues weren't as bad. he must have had a great time as he keeps asking to go back.
btw we loved it as well and would go back again tomorrow if we could afford it!!

Deliverance

star-pants wrote: »

Well they do have what are called 'fast passes' - you go up get tickets and it has a time on them for you to come back - and you skip most of the Q at this time. Handy because you can plan better your route /day. Some rides are quieter so if she likes them she can go again and again. There are other things like Alice in Wonderlands Maze for example that don't really require queuing and you can wander around.

We found the fast passes great because it meant you didn't have to stand in a queue for hours - they also have Q times above the entrance to nearly all rides so you can see how long the wait would be.
There are shows on daily throughout the park so you can stand and watch the parade which she'd probably enjoy. So not everything would have to be about rides/Qs. But twas just to warn you about some Qs being a bit mental.

There's a train that stops IN Disneyland Paris, and you can get that out to Paris (afaik) and you can also get the train to a shopping centre not too far from the park and it has a supermarket /shops etc. But we used to stock up on food/drinks because they're outragous inside the park. So you can take a day to go to Paris and half a day to go to the centre if you wished.

At the age of 4, I would probably need to be sure that she would enjoy it - as some 4 year olds it'd go over their head or they wouldn't get the experience as much as you'd like. If she's the type to enjoy all of the magic of it ,all the characters and parades and things then it might just be a wonderful experience.

Thanks so much 'Star' that sounds perfect. I'm on a budget and that sounds great for what I want for my kiddy and myself. Are the fast passes obvious on arrival? Or do I need to prebook them in some way?

Woddle

whatdoicare wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend it for a four year old- the rides available to them are very very limited and queues for these few rides are very long and thats painful for a four year old.

The rides for a 4 year old are restricted due to them not being tall enough but I've brought my kids twice now.
The first time it was just me and my eldest, she was 3 then and it was during the summer, the lines were huge but she loved it, they have a pochontas playground and dinner with the princess so it's not all about the rides. The park is huge though so I found I had to carry her on my shoulders alot.
We also went at the start of April this year as I was running the Paris marathon, so we spent the weekend in Paris seeing the city and then on the Monday we headed to euro disney and stayed there till Thursday, we both a 2 day pass and went to the park Tuesday/Wedneday which I think is plenty of time, this time we all went and my kids were aged 3 and 4 and again they loved it.
We're currently saving so we can bring them again, we all loved it, however is it wise going away with your ex?

Monkey61

Just a note on Fastpasses - they are only available on a couple of things and mainly the big rides. So for a four year old, all you can really have them for is Peter Pan and Buzz Lightyear. (I don't know if Buzz Lightyear would be suitable for a 4 year old anyway?). Basically there is a ticket machine outside the available rides, you scan your park ticket, press a button and it prints out a ticket telling you what time to come back at. It means the queues are shorter, but not totally non-existent. Also you can only hold a fastpass for one ride at a time, so you get one, wait 90 or however long, go on the ride and only then can you get another one for a different ride.

Like a previous poster I didn't go til I was 23 and my God it was one of the best days of my life. I think a lot of it would go over the head of a 4 year old and the expense wouldn't really be worth it. If you had loads of cash to throw around then why not, but if almost going to break the bank for it, I think it would be silly.

But if you do decide to go for it - try to go at a quiet time. Also, pack loads of your own food and bring it in, you can fill up your water bottles in there if I remember correctly. Take loads of breaks so as not to get overwhelmed etc.

deisemum

Avoid Saturdays and Sundays as the parks are very busy on those days.

The first time we went December 7th to 11th, the longest queue was 5 mins on the weekdays but then on the Saturday it was 90 mins. That time of year is cold but you get good deals.

The second time we went it was warmer but busier (May).

I think it depends on the 4 year old. It is a tiring day as you're on your feet for most of it. Ours were older but they really enjoyed it.

redout

Just a bit of advice. I was there the end of november and it was bitter cold so not exactly the environment for a small child. If I remember it was like 1c and even with a hat and gloves it was fairly unpleasant queing up in that. Also also make sure you buy your tickets before you go there as I had to que for over an hour in the cold while others just waltzed through. The park itself is great especially for the little one's.

Eyeofthetiger

We brought our 4 nearly 5 yr old there last March. Queues weren't too bad and she loved it! She bought an autograph book and had a great time bringing it round and trying to spot characters.
AFAIK there are deals on at the moment where all meals are included, if it were possible I would try and get this. The other thing is if you stay in a disney hotel (and possibly 1 other one can't remember the name) you can get into the park from 8am (I think it was that time anyway) and lots of the rides suitable for 4 yr olds are open at this time so less queuing. I'd also advise getting breakfast in the park if you're going to be in from 8am, it's great fun!

We went on the weekend but it wasn't an overly busy one, try not to go when the french holidays are on as queues can be massive then!

RosieJoe

Just back from a break at the end of September and can definitely recommend it.

Our 3 and 5 year old loved it and had a ball.

Was there last year and they enjoyed it when they were 2 and 4 also. My wife loves the place, hence the frequent visits!

Hint: to save money during the day, use the food from the free breakfast to make rolls for your lunch. Might sound miserly but nearly everyone there does it!

And if you can, try and get to Mickey's Cafe in teh Disney Village for dinner one night. For 2 adults and 1 child it might cost about €60ish, but the characters go around the place saying hello to the kids. You will need to prebook it in your hotel, but definitely worth the look on your kids face!

IsThatSo?

My son went for his 5th birthday and loved it. On the second day there we cottoned onto the buggies that can be rented and this made life much easier. We called it "the ferrari buggy" (gotta convince them to get insomehow lol) but the second day was so much easier as there is a lot of walking for little legs.

Enjoy:)

LegacyUser

I went to disneyland Paris Oct'08 with my husband, my then 1yr old, my two nieces (12 and 9) and my sister and her husband. I was pregnant at the time and wasn't really looking forward to it.
We all had the best time ever.
It was my 7th time there (I used to live in Paris) but I had never been with (real) kids before.
We walked around, met some characters. Went on the ride 'its a small world'. I had never been on it before. Didn't kill ourselves but did what we wanted to do.
I didn't expect my 1yr old to enjoy the day at all. However, the look on her face when we went on that ride was so fantastic that it made the whole trip worth while. She still jumps around the place when we play the music for her.
My nieces loved it. But what made it for me is that my parents talked about it for months afterwards and said it was the highlight of their trip to Paris!!! They were like kids.

I think like everything it is what you make of it. I have been there so often because people who visited me wanted to go, but I have to say it never got old for me. I'll be going back when my kids get older.

pubpub

Hi we are embarking on our fourth trip to DLP - we love it.

i first brought my DS on my own when he was five and we had a ball. We went in March and it was super super quite - not much queues at all. We also went in June - Nightmare, so so busy, October - fab for the Halloween experience. Here are my tips.

Book in advance - I would suggest booking for maybe Jan - March if it suits you. You can get really really good deals and it will be very very quite.

Book through disneyland paris UK website - pay in sterling and you will save lots of money. Check the disneyland paris ireland website to compare the price - we are being completely ripped off. I used iglu.com, an english company for one of our trips and they were good value but anytime i look lately they seem to be the same price as dlp uk site. I have heard on disboards that expedia have very good deals too. Book your hotel and then book your flights separately. My first trip was on a shoe string and it can be done.

Choose one of the lower budget hotel - we stay in Hotel Cheyenne and I would recommend it - basic and good value - you are not there for the luxury of a nice hotel - its only for sleeping in. The Santa Fe is even cheaper.

Again as i said book well in advance - and look out for deals - we booked in April for the Christmas in November and have saved about E500 on our hotel/tickets. It was £455 sterling for the three of us staying and our park tickets (and bear in mind your child is under 7 so she should get to stay and play free) In saying that I remember last year after Christmas they had good deals for Jan/FEb.

Google French/British/German school holidays to avoid any public/school holidays. Go week days.

If you do go bring lunch boxes and lunch bags - at breakfast everyone makes up extra rolls and brings them to the park - this saves you spending money on snacks. Food is the most costly thing there we found.

DLP is a fantastic place there is plenty of rides your child will be able to go on - I actually think it is ideal age because they become so captured by the magic.

I also would recommend Cafe Mickey if you are there - it is expensive but the interaction with the characters is brilliant.

If you go at the right time there will be hardly any waiting.

RosieJoe

+1 on booking through the .co.uk site. We did this and saved over €100.

Deliverance

Thanks to everyone on this. Very much appreciated advice. From this I can plan a complete day out without massive queing. Thanks again you guys for valuable advice. Financially I can just about afford it I think. But for the little one it will be worth it.