Disneyland Paris

[Westdene Seagull]

Taking the kids for a surprise visit to Disneyland Paris in August. I've looked at the prices of the Disney and associated hotels and to say they're a tad expensive is like saying Archer was misunderstood !

Do the well travelled of NSC have any suggestions for places to stay nearish Disneyland ? Ideally looking for a self catering place or B&B.

 

[Beach Hut]

Depends there are loads of Formula 1 hotels near there and other chains

Camping La Croix du Vieux Pont - Camping 4 toiles Aisne France

This place is around an hours drive and bloody brilliant, stayed here about 8 times and you can also do Parc Asterix if open and they have their own Gites as well.

 

[SpidersLegs]

Don't bother with Paris save a little bit more & do Florida instead.

 

[philsussex]

Don't bother with Paris save a little bit more & do Florida instead.

Definitely that.

The French are just a downright miserable bunch

 

[Whitterz]

yeah, deffo do Florida instead. You wont regret it.

 

[spunkmonkey]

Explorers Hotel, really nice has a swimming pool big soft paly area and is about 10mins drive away. Loads of deals tied into hotel usage like free parking discounted food etc at Euro Disney.

 

[jordanseagull]

Go CAMPING

 

[brighton_girl87]

One of the times I went there we stayed in a Holiday Inn nearish the parks. There was a free shuttle bus that took us to and from the parks everyday and it didn't take too long. Being a Holiday Inn, I doubt it cost too much.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

Stay in the log cabins part was much cheaper when I took our lot

 

[willyfantastic]

been to both paris and florida (as a youngster) and hong kong disneyland a few years back. florida makes it look rather amateur tbh, but paris is still better than the hong kong version which is TINY. you should be able to get a good deal on florida disneyland if you book early enough? definitely worth the extra dosh

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

Benn to Eurodisney 4 times - only once did I stay in the disney hotel. It was actually a cheap deal but catering was awful almost fist fights at breakfast and never any evening tables. Stayed at the Kyriad once that was very nice and cheap(ish).
One tip - if you stay in a disney hotel have breakfast in the park. Still crap but you get to the rides first.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

When we went 7 years ago, we stayed in the Holiday Inn at Bussy St Georges. 5 mins walk to the metro and 2 stops to Disneyland. Hotel was OK, but nothing fancy, and Bussy is a functional commuter town with a few cafes. We drove and it was easy to find off the motorway.

 

[desprateseagull]

disney? near Paris? in August? hahahahaha

best avoid the ripoffs, and go to alternate themed parks- some on west coast of france, name escapes me right now, or even Spain?

 

[Hiney]

Depends there are loads of Formula 1 hotels near there and other chains

Camping La Croix du Vieux Pont - Camping 4 toiles Aisne France

This place is around an hours drive and bloody brilliant, stayed here about 8 times and you can also do Parc Asterix if open and they have their own Gites as well.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Little kids are dead easy to please. Take 'em to the Isle of Wight or Butlins Bognor and they'll be in KID HEAVEN and you'll be hundreds of quids in. As others have said, it's Florida or nothing at all.

 

[Norman Potting]

disney? near Paris? in August? hahahahaha

best avoid the ripoffs, and go to alternate themed parks- some on west coast of france, name escapes me right now, or even Spain?

If the kids are old enough (7+) try Puy Du Fou in the Vendee region. Minds will be blown by it (including the grown ups), second most popular theme park in France after Disney apparently and not a white knuckle ride in sight.

 

[Beach Hut]

If the kids are old enough (7+) try Puy Du Fou in the Vendee region. Minds will be blown by it (including the grown ups), second most popular theme park in France after Disney apparently and not a white knuckle ride in sight.

I thought Parc Asterix was the 2nd most popular however maybe wrong. Actually there are some gems of small kids theme parks around France.

Whilst on the subject of theme parks are there any near Berlin and accessible by public transport ?

 

[Norman Potting]

I thought Parc Asterix was the 2nd most popular however maybe wrong. Actually there are some gems of small kids theme parks around France.

Whilst on the subject of theme parks are there any near Berlin and accessible by public transport ?

If you like an (unintentionally) 70's themed park try Pierre Brun in the Northern Vendee - younger kids enjoy it!

 

[Bozza]

I'm lucky enough to have been to Orlando 12 or 13 times over the last 20 years or so. It goes without saying that I'm a big fan of the place, including WDW.

I wanted to take my little one to Paris last year, so we tagged on some time over at DLP too.

I'd always had it mentally filed as a poor man's alternative to the delights on offer in Florida. However I have to say, in some ways, I was wrong, very wrong. The parks have all the theming and Disney quality you would hope to see - no corners have been cut at all. In some areas, the Paris attractions better their Orlando equivalents, largely for the reason of being newer.

There are areas where Paris falls down though...

- Fellow punters. In Orlando you have to abide chavvy Brits, rude hispanics and massive Brazilian tour groups in day-glo t-shirts. But they are all in the minority, with a lot of decent yanks. But the continentals really aren't very pleasant at all. Rude, pushy and they smoke a lot. And everywhere. In the queue for one attraction I had to quickly move my little girl before she copped a lit Marlboro in the face.

- The workers (or the 'cast' as Disney will call them). I've long held massive admiration for they way Disney, in Orlando, get a huge number of people who don't earn much money, to consistently deliver customer service of a level very rarely experienced in the UK. It is simply outstanding and can really contribute to the quality of your holiday. You don't get any of that from the French lot, and other nationals employed in and around the parks.

- Character interaction. There's plenty of them about but meeting them can be a real headache. In Orlando characters will have a Disney castmember with them who will organise a queue and make sure each child gets their turn, in turn, to get an autograph and a photo. In Paris it is generally a massive bundle where pushing and shoving is the only way to get in. And when you take that 'must have' photo of your little one cuddling Mickey, you'll also have some Spanish, German and Dutch folk in shot as they try to get in next.

- Scale. Orlando: 4 full sized Disney theme parks (plus 2 Universal parks, Sea World, Busch Gardens about an hour away, many water parks, Kennedy Space Centre, Gatorland and some of the best crazy golf you'll ever see). Paris: 1.5 Disney parks.

- Cost of incidentals. The value of the £/Euro in what is already an expensive area can leave your eyes watering at even buying a bottle of Diet Coke.

We had a decent enough time there. My 7 year old won't probably remember too much different from her 3 visits to Orlando: it was just Disney and Disney is fab. If it's the only option available to you, you'll probably enjoy it, your kids WILL enjoy it.

NB We stayed in Disney's Sequoia Lodge at DLP but I'll only stay in Disney (and Universal) hotels in Orlando and, again, you'll pay a reasonably hefty premium for being 'on-site'.

 

[Beach Hut]

Going to Florida Disney this year so really looking forward to it.

Went once before around 20 years ago but did Florida two years ago and the 6 park ticket and despite reservations it was very good.

Take on board the views of Disneyland Paris having been there 4 or 5 times the hosts are very rude and when characters appear it is a bundle and normally unless you have the Disney autograph book your kid will be shunted aside.

Went last Easter to Paris and shockingly expensive due to the Euro but the Tower of Terror was awesome.