Disneyland Paris

[disneykidsince1970]

Hi all - hope I am posting in the right place - done a bit of searching on the Boards an can't seem to find any references so... a new post it is!

We are currently living in Europe and after having taken my 4 yr old to Disney World for her bday last year, my (about to be) 3 yr old son seems pretty convinced that a trip to "the castle" is a birthday right. Since he is also a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fan, we are thinking about Disneyland Paris as a trip over to Orlando just isn't in the budget this year.

To be honest, I was totally against it - makes me feel like a traitor! :thedolls: However, I took a look at the website - the hotels look nice and I think I pick up on a familiar Disney vibe after clicking around...

Does anyone have any experiences with Disneyland Paris? Ever stayed at the hotels? How much is in English (I suspect that the staff all speaks English but the attractions are in French?)? Do they have a "Toon Town" type experience so my 3 yr old can get the Playhouse experience? Any other tips?

I miss DisneyWorld!!!

Many thanks guys!!

[Melanie]

Oh my goodness, don't feel like a traitor! Look at this as a wonderful opportunity not many get to do. I'm jealous!!!! From what I've heard and seen, the park there is gorgeous, particularly Sleeping Beauty Castle.

I don't have experience with Paris, but when were at Tokyo Disneyland, there was never a problem finding a CM to assist us who spoke English. Many of the attractions were in the native language, but many were in English as well. It's fun to step out of the box and experience something new. Hope you go and your 3 yo has a wonderful birthday!

[lindique]

Bonjour!!
You won't have much trouble with the language. The official language at the hotels is English (believe it or not). Most of the CMs are multi-lingual.

At the parks, most announcements are made in French, English, and German. Live shows and movies either have alternating French and English presentations, or have headphones where you can choose from quite a few languages. Some things, I remember, are only in English.

The hotels are nice, but expensive. Be careful when you go - the value hotels do NOT have air conditioning. The Cheyenne, one of the values, is very cute though - it looks like the movie set of a wild west town (I think the French still think that America looks that way!!) I have stayed at the Cheyenne and the Sequoia, which looks somewhat like the Wilderness Lodge.

Transporation to DL Paris is very easy - the TGV trains and Paris RER lines all stop there. In addition, there is a direct bus from CDG and Orly airports.

There are only two parks, but there is plenty to do. Disneyland Parc reminds me more of California than Florida - Fantasyland is larger and has advanced versions of the rides. Wait until you see the Haunted Mansion (Phantom Manor) - it is FAR SUPERIOR to those in the US.

If you have any specific questions, I"ll try to answer them - I haven't been there in a couple of years though.

[disneykidsince1970]

Thanks very much to you both! I am trying to get excited about going... of course, my 3yo is helping me quite a bit! We have an old DVD of MK and he watches it over and over... he wants to ride the train, see the castle, see Mickey and friends, ride the Rockets...

I have noticed that it is quite pricey!! But, still... cheaper than flying all of us to Orlando!

I appreciate the feedback very much and will post about the experience afterwards!