Originally Posted By dagobert Last week my girlfriend Claudia and I have been to Disneyland Paris for our fifth visit. We didn't stay on property, because the Disney hotels and their partner hotels were fully booked, because we decided togo there on short notice. We stayed for six nights in a nice hotel at Val D'Europe, the Disney planned community. We went to DLP for four days and for one day to the city of Paris. Here's our arrival day: <a href="http://reisewarnung.blogspot.co.at/2013/04/disneyland-paris-part-1.html" target="_blank">http://reisewarnung.blogspot.c...t-1.html</a> Here's the first day in the parks: <a href="http://reisewarnung.blogspot.co.at/2013/04/disneyland-paris-part-2.html" target="_blank">http://reisewarnung.blogspot.c...t-2.html</a> And here's the second day in the parks: <a href="http://reisewarnung.blogspot.co.at/2013/04/disneyland-paris-part-3.html" target="_blank">http://reisewarnung.blogspot.c...t-3.html</a>
Originally Posted By dagobert Here's part four, our day trip to the city of Paris. <a href="http://reisewarnung.blogspot.co.at/2013/04/disneyland-paris-part-4.html" target="_blank">http://reisewarnung.blogspot.c...t-4.html</a>
Originally Posted By u k fan Great report dagobert. You take some great photos. If I ever find the time to put my trip report up I hope people don't expect the same. I'm not a photographer at all. I took one photo on my cell phone the whole time I was at DLP. It's interesting how a lot of European cities have similar features, yet they are each unmistakeably different!!!
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>Great report dagobert.<<< Thanks! >>>You take some great photos. If I ever find the time to put my trip report up I hope people don't expect the same. I'm not a photographer at all. I took one photo on my cell phone the whole time I was at DLP.<<< And thanks again!! I don't think my photos are that special. I just enjoy taking pictures when on vacation. My cellphone is too old to make good pictures. I was surprised to see so many people using their ipad. I don't want to offend anyone, but I think that looks so stupid. We also have an ipad, but I would never use it as a camera. >>>It's interesting how a lot of European cities have similar features, yet they are each unmistakeably different!!!<<< So true, but London, New York and Vienna will always be our favourites.
Originally Posted By u k fan The iPad thing was one of my biggest problems with Dreams. As the show starts suddenly hundreds of them are thrust up into the air to record the show making it really difficult to see. My cellphone is also very old, but I wanted a picture to use as my wallpaper!!!
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>The iPad thing was one of my biggest problems with Dreams. As the show starts suddenly hundreds of them are thrust up into the air to record the show making it really difficult to see.<<< We only watched Dreams once and we loved it. We stood at the entrance of Liberty Arcade and so we weren't distracted, but we have also seen many people using the ipad to record the show. We didn't take any pictures of Dreams, because usually they turn out bad when I don't use a tripod. Later I will post part 5 of the trip.
Originally Posted By dagobert HEre's part five: <a href="http://reisewarnung.blogspot.co.at/2013/04/disneyland-paris-part-5.html" target="_blank">http://reisewarnung.blogspot.c...t-5.html</a>
Originally Posted By dagobert And here's the sixth and last part of my trip report. I hope you enjoyed it. <a href="http://reisewarnung.blogspot.co.at/2013/04/disneyland-paris-part-6.html" target="_blank">http://reisewarnung.blogspot.c...t-6.html</a>
Originally Posted By tashajilek Really nice pictures! looks like you guys had a great trip. I really want to go to DLP, but i wonder if i can get by knowing no French. It also seems like beer is water in Europe lol. My husband always told me Europeans drink a lot more than people in North America and I didn't believe him.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>Really nice pictures! looks like you guys had a great trip. I really want to go to DLP, but i wonder if i can get by knowing no French.<<< Thank you. My French isn't good either, but you don't have any problems when using English. Nearly every CM speaks at least some English and if there's still a problem they usually get someone who speaks English. We have been five times and never had any problems. So you should definitely go there. >>>It also seems like beer is water in Europe lol. My husband always told me Europeans drink a lot more than people in North America and I didn't believe him.<<< Yes we do. Beer and wine are a big part of our cultures and it was a good move by Disney to offer alcohol in the parks. People don't get drunk and I've never seen a drunk person at DLP, like it's sometimes mentioned on US Disney boards. I wouldn't mind if alcohol wasn't sold at counter service restaurants, but I can't imagine eating at Walt's and having a soft drink. I don't like soft drinks that much in generl and usually I have sparkling water instead, but when I'm on vacation I enjoy drinking alcohol. I have been to the US for half a year and I was surprised that alcohol wasn't available at regular supermarkets or that I have to drink my beer at the bar of the restaurant instead of having it with my meal.
Originally Posted By u k fan <<<Really nice pictures! looks like you guys had a great trip. I really want to go to DLP, but i wonder if i can get by knowing no French.>>> There is no problem with language at all. I speak reasonable French and can get by, but I've only ever encountered about 2 CMs who don't speak English in the last 20 years! <<<It also seems like beer is water in Europe lol. My husband always told me Europeans drink a lot more than people in North America and I didn't believe him.>>> Come to the UK we drink proper ale here! As a non-drinker I often drink soft drinks with nice meals, but I wish I had the option of non-alcoholic wines at fancy restaurants. I sometimes go for water, but that's no fun. I often wonder whether it would be worth me bothering with somewhere like the Napa Rose as a non-drinker as the wine is such an important part of the meal!!!
Originally Posted By u k fan Glad you enjoyed Cafe Fantasia. It's one of my absolute favourite places in the whole of DLP!!!
Originally Posted By tashajilek In Canada you can only buy alcohol in government liquor stores. My husband likes being able to go to the states and buy beer at the gas station lol. That's good to know that you can get by at DLP with little French. How about the rest of Paris?
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>How about the rest of Paris?<<< Again, no problem. When we have been, the French have always been very nice, helpful and friendly. For example we didn't find the way to the Louvre and a very nice lady helped us without being asked. >>>In Canada you can only buy alcohol in government liquor stores.<<< I didn't know that. When we have been to Toronto, we bought some beers in a liquor shop, they even sold Austrian beer, but I didn't know that it was government owned.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>Glad you enjoyed Cafe Fantasia. It's one of my absolute favourite places in the whole of DLP!!!<<< Now it's one of our favourite places as well. We have been there on Friday too. It was a very good idea for meeting there.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>Come to the UK we drink proper ale here!<<< I know. Unfortunately over here you only get the Newcastle Brown Als, but that's also very good. I loved the pubs in the UK, so many great different beers. >>>As a non-drinker I often drink soft drinks with nice meals, but I wish I had the option of non-alcoholic wines at fancy restaurants. I sometimes go for water, but that's no fun.<<< I have never tried non-alcoholic wine, but when I have to drive, I usually have alcoholfree beer, which doesn't taste that bad. I'm not a big drinker, but on vacation I enjoy having beer and wine.
Originally Posted By dagobert Some last thoughts about our trip. When you are part of a Disney Fanboard, I guess you have higher standards when it comes to Disney Parks. Before we went I had a bad feeling, because DLP is known for broken effects and bad maintenance and so I wasn't that sure if would enjoy the trip a lot. In addition the last time we have been there was three years ago and except for LP, I wasn't that much into Disney anymore. So I decided to look at the positive instead of negative things, because if you want to find something bad, like broken stuff or peeling paint or bad cleanliness, you will find it. I didn't want to ruin my vacation because of trying to find such things. I was surprised to see that DLP was in a much better shape than expected. Of course it wasn't perfect like in Tokyo but it was by far not as bad as during DLP's dark times. The parks were clean, the bathrooms were definitely in a much better condition as in recent years and even the fast food improved a lot. Now they just need to offer more vegetarian options. During the whole week maintenance workers were out in the parks to improve stuff. However some lampposts were missing on Central Plaza, but at the end of the week most have returned. It was good to see that so many fire effects throughout the parks were working. This time CMs were out in the parks cleaning after the visitors, we didn't even see an overloaded garbage can. The only disappointments were the broken rides in the morning, but I guess that was on porpuse to save money, and the lack of nice merchandise. It's still a lot of cheap crap. We also didn't encounter an unfriendly CM. All were helpful and polite, but I guess to guests used to WDW, they might not be as overfriendly as in Florida. At the end of the trip we realized that Disneyland is still such a big part of our lives and that we can't wait to return. We definitely don't want to wait another three years. And next time we will stay on property again. Leaving the Disney bubble wasn't that great, especially if you have to use the commuter train. Another highlight was meeting with ukfan at Cafe Fantasia. By the way, if you (ukfan) read this, thanks again for Scrooge!!
