Originally Posted By thenurmis Ahh, our last day in DLP. The third part of four, hope you enjoy rob Part 3 Walking towards the Castle, we decided to for go the Dragon, and head up stairs. The size of this palace is deceiving, it doesn’t look that much bigger than either DL or WDW, however, the use of space in side is amazing. On the left side is Snow White’s forest, a neat little area that I am sure the princes her self must come and visit, (there is a small bench there that would be a great spot to read to, or tell stories to her many little friends) It (the area) feeds into two small little shops, and is just another of the special little details that this park has hid around its grounds. The main entrance to the Castle has an upstairs area that tells the story of Sleeping Beauty through stain glass and tapestries. Now I know that to all that have been , or ever looked at the park via this site and others, know about this part of the park, still when I compare it to WDW or DL it is just so far in it’s own league, that it’s not comparable. A little side bar here; I have only been to three of the parks, Cal, Florida, and now Paris. Of those three my heart belongs to the original, Disneyland. How ever This Park in France is amazingly beautiful, and of the three, it is easily the best looking, and has the highest potential, of the works. I had heard stories that it wasn’t up to “snuff†when compared to the other two, and I could not put in to words how wrong that is. If they put this park in Vancouver, You would never see me in another. Sure other lands have other treasures, but DLP is just so good. Anyway back to the story. I could go on and on about the Castle, but there is WAY more about fantasyland that was great. Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, they are all so clean, so crisp. They rides are not a lot different from “homeâ€, but they are newer and fresher. ‘Alice’s Curious Labyrinth’ is neat, just a fun idea that a park with space can do. I wish that it had not been so busy, and that Holly was a few years younger, yet still I really had fun wandering about. I loved what they did with ‘Le Pays des Contesde Fees’ (story land boats), no cast members, but a little story with each scene. Casey Jr. was a bit strange, kinda fast, like a mini coaster, the track is seriously banked, and it moves just about half the speed of Thunder Mountain (ok maybe a little slower, but not much) Small world is GREAT, (yes I love small world, it is my favorite ride to go on with my little girl, and always will be.) It has a REAL Canadian section, as well as it is so fresh, and clean. Simply it is the prettiest ride in the land. Now Generally I will avoid the Tea Cup’s like a stick in the eye. They (in the other parks I have been in) have NO redeeming qualities what so ever. In fact I generally just call them the “spin and puke†…Hate them. How ever, Holly loves them, and as much as I tried to avoid the S&P, I was beat down by pleading eyes and pouty face. At least the ride at DLP is very pretty, and in the shade (it has a roof), but there was something else about it that I begin to notice as soon as we got in line. The cups spin faster here. In fact they were spinning a LOT faster. At first I thought it was my imagination, but no people were becoming serious blurs in these multi colored little buckets, and there seemed to be no way at this point to stop my pending ride to oblivion. I had two ways I could go, one was sit back and do nothing, let Holly try to spin this ride around just enough, that I would loose my great lunch, or make that little pouty lipped, boo boo eyed, demon child, pay for making me get on this P&S in the first place. I am a vengeful nasty old man. Guess which route I went? In the history of spinning tea cups, there has never been a cup spun with more passion, I was going to break my little girl down so badly that she would never again be able to look at that evil ride, let alone go back on it. I used ever ounce of my muscle, every gram of my strength to spin that cup, we hit mach 2 five seconds in to the ride, and by the time we had reached top speed, time travel had become a reality. My hands gripped that center wheel and pulled so hard that my skin blistered off, I pulled with every thing I had, we spun faster, faster, faster. When I looked up, eagerly looking forward to seeing the complete terror on my daughters face, all I got was this big toothy smile and the request to spin faster? What the hell have I just done to my self? I am off the ride now, I can’t walk, the park is spinning, the skin is hanging of the palms of my hands, and Holly wants to go back on the dam Tea Cups…I am a failure, where are the bathrooms? We are now on path to Discovery Land; I am much looking forward to Space Mountain, as it again is radically different that the other two versions I have been on. There had been a rumor that DL Cal was going to redo their Mountain to have the same sort of “out side†launch, I really wished they had, as this ride is so cool, the themeing was a bit strange, but the mechanics and lay out of this coaster are just too cool not to like. Very fast, looping, smooth, but with the same shoulder restraints we found on Indy. It was not as bad on this ride, but still, Holly and I, suffered the pinball head thing again. The Nautilus is something I have seen a ton of photos of, and was kinda looking forward to. I really wasn’t too sure what to expect, or what type of ride it was, but I didn’t know it was a walk through. I was kinda taken back a bit, yet I still very much wanted to go take a look. It was very cool, but also very sweaty; some one needs to tell the Capt. about A/C. The weather in France was HOT, and the Submarine, was little more than a sauna. I was very seriously dripping, when we came “top sideâ€. Now I have been told that old sub’s are like that, that the sailors would work shirtless, pant less, in efforts to keep cool. How ever, I don’t think that is a good theme for a Disney ride, or show. Oh well, it looks good from the out side : ) Autopia is cool, like so much in DLP, it feels bigger and faster, but being that we were near to the land of the “Autobahn†I couldn’t expect that the Cars wouldn’t be faster. This was Holly’s opportunity to prove to me she could drive, she has been trying to sell me on the idea that I should buy her a car for her 16th birthday for over a year now, (she is still only 14). So she was going to prove to me, (with this Disney ride) that she was a good driver. Good luck Holly, it’s not going to happen. The Ride is again very pretty, and looks brand new. The cars are smoother (or was that just my daughters driving skills) and I like the way they look. (Less cartoony than the other two parks). Over all I liked Discovery land, still like the other parks that I have been to, it is not my favorite, this one is much better looking than the other two I have seen, and I do like the Theming, but I am more of a left sider I guess. So off to the train, and back to Main Street for me, and my carless little girl. We had a few hours to spend, before the fire works, so we headed of to our Favorites, a visit with ghosts, a little thunder, a slow cruse on the river boats, and a song or two with some Pirate friends. While the day wound down, I had a bit of time to think about the park, and our visit. I had been concerned about our lack of French skills (language). I had been told by friends that it would not be, yet I was still so very impressed by the cast members, and how help full they had been. Not all spoke English, but all made a very friendly effort to try, and always helped us with any questions answered. They were funny, helpful, and in character all of the time. Maybe it was just our luck of the draw, but never did we feel less than special, or that we were in a foreign land. The park was amazingly beautiful, the prettiest I have ever seen, although I had not been impressed with the layout of the “Studiosâ€, even they were very well kept, clean , and friendly. The only part I did not like was the Village, it just was not very Disney to me, and I hated the street vendors in the entrance way. (I really wanted to stomp on those stupid little electric cats walking around). There has been a lot of love poured into the design and building of this park, and it shows, yet there was a feeling of promises not yet kept. Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios, and the Disney Village/Hotels, all have so much growth possibilities, yet there seems to be a stalled feel. It was like a “what if you threw a party, and no one came†sort of feel, yet when we were there, there were lots and lots of people. It would take more than a two day visit to put my finger on it, but something was amiss. Still Holly and I loved it, and we had a great time. As we watched the fireworks light up the sky, we soaked in the last bit of Disneyland Paris; I found my thought drifting to our up coming days. Holly and I had four more days in France, but now we would be moving to the city. Paris and its endless art was beckoning. How much more beautiful could my life be?
Originally Posted By u k fan These are great trip reports! I know what you mean about the S&P (love that name!) We always go for it on them and have a great time. I'm so glad you enjoyed my "home" park. Cast Member interaction has got much better recently and I'm starting to feel that the CM's care more about the fact that this is a Disney park now. I've had some ropey times with CM's, but they are now ancient history thankfully. And the park is looking cleaner these days too. I'll be there myself this time next week and I can't wait!!!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^I agree about the CMs. For the most part the front-liners were wonderful, friendly, helpful and seemed to enjoy their jobs. Exactly the polar opposite to what I was expecting. They were wonderful. Even though they should have a better grasp of English in apark whose second-largest market comes from the UK. But management is another story. Enjoyed reading about your experiences.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo "The only part I did not like was the Village, it just was not very Disney to me, and I hated the street vendors in the entrance way. (I really wanted to stomp on those stupid little electric cats walking around). Sadly the area around the station between the two parks and village is public land, so there is very little that can be done to get rid of the street hawkers. I hate those crooks with a vengance. The village is a shadow of it's former self. It has never been great as a whole package, but the removal of the star lights and Central Stage has really, and the addition of the Balloon lights have really dragged the place down. I understand there are plans for change here though.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo The cast members are definately improving, as is the live entertainment, and this is indeed encouraging. Our last visit in May was the first time in years (maybe even a decade) where I saw all the water features working - now if they could just bring back the flames on the water in Discoveryland.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I do think the bit you couldn't put your finger on was the culture. DL has 50 years of people experiencing the resort, and an intense amount of magic. The cast in the main are proud to work there, and the majority of guests feel it is home (this is one of the many reasons why it is my favorite MK park). WDW - again, 2 generations have grown up with the resort, and the 50 year expectation in the US from the DL experience ensures people see a trip to WDW as a rite of passage and a patriotic experience. And for foreigners, many save for years to vacation there and enjoy it. DLP misses out on a number of these things. For a lot of cast members it is just a job, not an aspiration to work there. For a number of guests, it is just a theme park, they treat as if it were a 6 Flags experience. And there is very little of the American patriotism as in the others. Also, there is no where near the amount of live entertainment on the streets. And although the gardens are lovely, there does not appear to be as many flowers - did you notice the lack of roses that the US parks have in abundance? It's all of these feature that to a trained eye, differentiate the park and means there may not be as much magic. To me DL is the epitome full of magic, the best shopping, the most attractions and the largest entertainment factor. The MK has a better overall atmosphere than DLP. And DLP has the best design, attractions (though slightly fewer), costumes, restaurants and stage shows. I enjoy all three, but I really miss the magic in our new home park. When it first opened it was closer to the US style - lot's of entertainment, more flowers, and a set of cast members who aspired to work there, as opposed to it being just a job. Also more English was used back then. Sadly, these features are flexible costs and have been cut over the years to keep the resort affloat. Let's hope the 15th anniversary, Toon Studios and TOT have the desired effect and we can see these rise again.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Also, just so you Studios haters are aware, one of the key reasons why I actually like the studios is that it contains much more streetmousesphere than DLP - more akin to the way DLP used to be - live music, dancers, non rubberhead characters etc. DLP hasn't has a barbershop quartet for god knows how long, and they keep trying to close the barbershop!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo BTW Rob, I'm really glad you liked our resort. The reality is it has a lot of potential. But until it turns a profit, we have a lot of trade offs and growth in fits and starts. The original masterplan was three theme parks, a concert arena, a waterpak, and 12 hotels. All to be DLP quality. Sadly, the economy was aweful in 1992, and about 15% of Europeans actually lost their homes at the time. The other factor is that most Brits can go to FLA for the same price, and in some cases, less than DLP. For example, we can go to WDW in Nov. for 11 days, Animal Kingdom Lodge Deluxe Savannah View room, Dining Plan and flights for £3500. To go to DLP and stay at the Disneyland Hotel in the same time period for 4 days is £1700 excluding meals. I wonder which offers better value for money? It's a no brainer, and then in the US, most of the souvenirs are half the price of DLP's, with a better selection too.
Originally Posted By thenurmis <<For example, we can go to WDW in Nov. for 11 days, Animal Kingdom Lodge Deluxe Savannah View room, Dining Plan and flights for £3500. To go to DLP and stay at the Disneyland Hotel in the same time period for 4 days is £1700 excluding meals. I wonder which offers better value for money? It's a no brainer, and then in the US, most of the souvenirs are half the price of DLP's, with a better selection too.>> That is very surprising, I would not have thought that your rates to Florida, would be that good ( I guess its a supply and demand thing) For us DLP is pretty much a one shot deal. I would realy love to take Cathy, how ever, It would not be any time soon. a trip there ( for the two of us) would run somewhere around $5000 for a week. Florida would be 3500 and Cal. about 2500. Add on the kids<(or eating machines) and that can double or more.
Originally Posted By irishfan Regarding entertainment, I've seen images online of a band playing on Main Street over the summer. I cant remember where I saw it, but from memory they were playing at Casey Corner. Does anyone have any info on this?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Very intresting points, Dave. I also wasn't at all entralled by Disney Village. It's just not attractive at all and doesn't offer much compared with DD in Anaheim and Orlando and CityWalk in LA and Orlando. I don't know if it was always this way, but every shop seemed to be an extension of the Disney Store there, which basically is their World of Disney. I didn't enjoy the Studios very much because it's just a mini-park. It's more of a regional type venture and has little in it. It does make DCA great by comparison. Yes, I enjoy some of the elements, but as a whole it's a wasteland, made more so with the amazing DLP a 5-minute walk away. And I don't think ToT and Toon Studios are going to be silver bullets for DSP anymore than ToT and Flik's Fun Fair were for DCA. This park was destined to be a failure from the start. Another great move by Eisner, Pressler and Rasulo ... and a gift that keeps on taking (money away from the bottom line).
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo "Regarding entertainment, I've seen images online of a band playing on Main Street over the summer. I cant remember where I saw it, but from memory they were playing at Casey Corner. Does anyone have any info on this?" There is currently a small brass ensemble for the summer on Main Street that play near Casey's Corner. However, remembering back to opening year, the entertainment (not set shows, but streetmousephere excluding rubber heads) included: Main Street: Dapper Dans Barber Shop Quartet on Tandem Bike Keystone Cops Brass ensemble The Euro Disneyland Marching Band Piano player at Casey's Corner Horsedrawn streetcar running all day every day Main Street Motors only sold vintage cars - not Pooh Merchandise Now we have the occasional band in Main Street in the summer Christmas Carolers Halloween Villains Mickey waving goodbye (this is a nice touch) Frontierland Had: Lucky Nugget Revue Wild West Shootout Country Band Bluegrass band Native American Indian Basket and rug making Wood Carvers Now we have - a country band in peak periods at the Cowboy Cookout BBQ Adventureland: African TamTam band Plate makers in the Bazaar Attacking pirates Pirate Shanty Band The characters of the Explorer's Club Now we have the occasional african group or pirate band. Fantasyland had: Sword in the Stone ceremony Jugglers and Stilt Walkers Accordian players Now - rubberheads only Discoveryland had: The Jaminators A Musical robot the Galactic Rocket band and I know they are characters, but CP30, Chewbacca and Ewoks Now - no one And the Village used to have 2 outdoor stages and 3 show venues, they now have just Billy Bob's and the Circus (in summer)
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo "I also wasn't at all entralled by Disney Village. It's just not attractive at all and doesn't offer much compared with DD in Anaheim and Orlando and CityWalk in LA and Orlando. I don't know if it was always this way, but every shop seemed to be an extension of the Disney Store there, which basically is their World of Disney." I much prefer the US efforts. Festival Disney was more cohesive when it opened with: Annette's 50's diner (with more entertainment and roler skating service staff) The Post Office and Tourist Information Centre (these have now moved, and the Disney Gallery has moved in). The Disney Store (hasn't really changed) Central Stage, video games and Neverland Children's club (all gone and not replaced) Sports Bar - not changed, only Disney owned tobacconist New York Deli - was great little, cheap table service with fresh sandwiches, hot dogs chilli etc. (now a carry out of packed sandwiches, a real loss) Team Mickey - Sporting good store with Disney and Non Disney items (Now Disney Fashion) Hollywood Pictures - used to sell Video Tapes and real movie memoriabilia (now a Disney store and the main Pin store of the resort). LA BAr and Grill - specialised in Pizzas and So Cal cuisine (Now Cafe Mickey's and I believe this is an improvement. On the opposite side working back towards DLP - Key West Seafood restaurant, a highish end eatery shaped like a sail, with Hurricane's nightclub above (now Rain Forest Cafe - a more family friendly offering) The Steakhouse - (now expanded and some of the intimacy has been lost, but it was needed - piano player is still there thankfully) Buffalo Trading Company - western suppliers and american food store - only place in DLP to buy rootbeer), now marginalised and is more of a Disneystore Billy Bobs - a great saloon and restaurant with live bands and line dancing starring the Moody Brothers (I miss the Moody Brothers, and now the venue is a hodge podge of acts). Rock N Roll America - shaped like a jukebox, this venue hosted tribute bands for pop and rock music, and karioki (sp?) bar - Now King Ludwigs - a much better restaurant IMHO, but a loss of entertainment. And the crown jewel, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show - I still love this place, but the menu has scaled back a little, but the show is still fantastic! Additions since include the Gaumont Cinema (only one English movie a week), the Imax Theatre and bowling alley, Planet Hollywood, McDonald's, and the short lived Crescend'o (similar to Cirque du Soliel's O). The theme has been lost, entertainment cut back, but in aggregate, there are some nice improvements - Planet Hollywood, Rain Forest Cafe, King Ludwigs, and Cafe Mickey. "I didn't enjoy the Studios very much because it's just a mini-park. It's more of a regional type venture and has little in it. It does make DCA great by comparison. Yes, I enjoy some of the elements, but as a whole it's a wasteland, made more so with the amazing DLP a 5-minute walk away." I agree and will come back to this later when I have more time. "And I don't think ToT and Toon Studios are going to be silver bullets for DSP anymore than ToT and Flik's Fun Fair were for DCA." I agree, but they will help, especially in thrill crazy Europe. "This park was destined to be a failure from the start. Another great move by Eisner, Pressler and Rasulo ... and a gift that keeps on taking (money away from the bottom line)." Ah, but it stopped the government from reclaiming the land in bringing in further outside influences. It has potential.
Originally Posted By u k fan Just one minor point to raise, the first time I ever bought Root Beer at the resort was at the store at the Santa Fe. The CM there couldn't believe that we struggled to find it in the UK (he asked since I bought every can in the place to take home as gifts)!!!
Originally Posted By irishfan It sure is depressing when you consider the entertainment the park once had, thanks for the list Dave. I had completley forgotten about some of the groups you had listed. My favourites were always the keystone cops.
