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[cahaya]

First of all: excuse my english mistakes. School is long ago ;-)

I will not post pictures because on most of them there is my baby on it and I don't like to post him  on the internet.

I am a huge Disneyland Paris fand and visited it between 20 and 30 times since opening year (yes also IN opening year), but this time was special, because it was the first time with our little 9 month old son. I don't write the trip report day by day, would be too long ;-)

The train ride with Thalys from Aachen to Paris Nord was okay. The german railway was not able to get us a family place on the train and it is also impossible to book it online, so we had our son on our lap, which was a little stressy, because he just starts to crawl and wants to move around. But it was very cheap (180 Euros for both of us round trip) and only 3 hours and for us the easiest way to get to Paris. The first day we just went to Val d' Europe to get food for the baby and to shop around. It was my first time there and I was impressed about the really big supermarket. And the french baby clothes are SO nice. In Germany they are a bit boring.

Then we spended 5 and a half day at DLP and one day at Paris city. We had a wonderful time. Baby switch worked well, but we didn't use it too often (only at ToT and Buzz), because time together was more important then riding for us. I did also Captain Eo (what a long and useless Preshow), which I loved to see again and Star Tours alone while my husband waited with the baby and he did SM and Rock n Roller Coaster alone while I waited. We took our baby on several rides and shows with us (Pirates, IASW,Peter Pan, Caroussel, Storybook boats, Animagique, Mickey Mouse Club Show (don't know the real name) and the Parade. Our little one loved IASW and the Caroussel and the shows. Pirates was a bit scary for him and on PM we had to get out because he was frightened. But the best for him were the characters. He just loved them. So we did two character meals and they were so nice to him.

The new character meal at the Cowboy Cookout was really nice. The characters danced a lot with the kids and I never had a character meal before where the had so much time with us. My little one was so happy.

The baby care centres were nice places with a big BUT. Yes they have a nice little room where a baby coul crawl and play... BUT this is not allowed, because this room is only for the los children. I never saw one and would never disturb a crying lost children and would promptly left if there would come one in. But an empty nice room makes no sense. And so: NO crawling space at Disneyland. Tell that to a baby who just needs to move. Okay, I thought, then I will break some rules. I let him crawl on the empty Victorias and explore the piano and decorations (they are all fixed). I let him crawl on the playgrounds which are for children ages 2-6. And between benches in Discoverland. They should open the lost children rooms for the babys. Now it was good weather. But on winter, you got a problem. I' ll write to Disney. I read somewhere that in the U.S. the lost children rooms are open for the crawling babys.

For the cast members: most of them were just fantastic. One girl at Emporium did some phone calls so I could grab a musical box with the right box around it, which wasn't there at Emproium anymore. On "bodyguard" of Stitch managed that I can get to him with the baby through all the older kids as she saws that my son wants to hop off my arms to Stitch and I had problems to hold him back. Everyone was very helpful with the baby. I saw a little conflict with a CM, who was very angry ( I don't know why, because he shouted in french) and was accompanied by two security guys. I think it was a CM of the Remy Restaurant, but I am not sure.

Most of the visitors were nice too. Lots lots of dutch people there. Some rude people were at Cafe Mickey.

Lots of refurbishments and paintings were going on. The one at the Fantasyland castle stage blocks the passway so there is only one way through Fantasyland and on this way there is the Tangled meeting point too which makes it very crowded. Walts and the shop beneath is on refurb. Paintings on the outside of Victorias and Gibson Girls, too. The castle looked a bit strange without two little towers. Refurbs at Colonel Hathis and the windmill too. It seemed to be fences everywhere. For me it was a bit too much and should be better planned.

On wednesday it was less crowded and we had problems to find a place to eat. We wanted to eat at Agrabahs which was closed then at the Lucky Nugget, closed and the Steakhouse also closed. We ended at the Plazas.They should change something about the buffets. Always the same (except Agrabahs which reopened friday).

Our day in Paris was very nice. We know Paris well and our little one needed a break of non stop music at DLP, so we just went to Disney Store to shop and to the Eiffel Tower to have a picknick in the space between the tower and the military school. Was very nice, but the metro with a baby is difficult. Elevators are non existing in the Metro, only on the RER (and they are soooo slooooooooow). Gare du Nord elevators are very confusing because the sign outside doesn't match to the directions inside the elevator.

It was a very nice first trip for my little one and for us. It's very different with a little one, but so much nicer. To see in the little eyes overwhelmed when a character plays with him... our magical moment.

cahaya

[cahaya]

i am sad that nobody answered.

[dagobert]

I feel sorry for you that no one answered here, including myself, since you have written a very good trip report.

I think you lost most of the readers with your first sentence. I totally understand that you don't want to post pictures of your baby. I wouldn't do that either. It seems most people are only interested in pictures, because there have been really good trip reports, which have not only been about Disney, and no one answered.

During the week it's sometimes really difficult to find a nice place to eat, especially since the fast food options are so bad at DLRP. I'm not a huge fan of fast food. Agrabah Cafe is our favorite restaurant at DLRP, so it's really bad that you couldn't eat there.

Did you stay in a Disney hotel?

[Alice@Wonderland]

Nice trip report Cahaya! I arrived just as you left, on the 7th. The park was full of characters and live bands, we had a wonderful time, and although there was lots of refirbishments going on, it makes me happy as I feel Disney are making a big effort so everything is 100% pristine for the 20th aniversary. Also none of the resturants were closed the week I was there, but they did finnish serving food at 3pm (or round about) as they were only open for lunch, maybe you were just unlucky. It's just an excuse to go again next year for the 20th when every thing will be newly painted and flushed up, hehe, ! xx

[princessemily]

We used to go into the Disneyland Hotel with its huge lobby and let our crawling baby down there for a little while.

[traveller]

Thanks for the lovely report cahaya.  Its very interesting and helpful giving so many information for different things.
I think that parents with little ones will agree with me  
Could you please tell us more about Val d' Europe?  Never been there and I am thinking maybe in our next visit.
The thing is I don't want to spend any time far from DLRP, when we are there, but if it worths, why not.
I am so sorry you found places closed.  However, it seems you really enjoy it and thats the point.
I agree with you for the photos though.

[davewasbaloo]

Vielen Dank Cahaya.

Sorry about the delay in responding, work has had me very busy this week. Sounds like a great trip overall. And I agree, your stance on the parks changes once you take your own children. Some of my absolutely favorite trips were when mine were babies and toddlers. I am surprised you did not take him on Buzz, I find babies love that one, and mine adored Phantom Manor, but of course every child is different.

How annoying about the restaurants. Though I try to stick with the table service restaurants as much as possible (it sounds like a lot were closed though).

Now you have each of your child's milestones to look forward to, and pictures in the same places as they grow. I cannot wait to hear about future trips.

[MrsPirate]

Thank you for your trip report. From what you have said about lack of crawling space I am glad we have decided not to take our 9 month old with us this year. It was nice to hear the CM's were helpful.

It sounds like you had a great time and well done for fitting in a trip to Paris.

[Sal]

Thank you for the trip report, Cahaya. We are taking hour 12 months old son, so I read your report with great interest. I've never thought about the lack of spaces for a crawling baby.    I think we will use the playgrounds and with the weather hopefully being good we can let him crawl a little there. It was also nice to read about which rides you took your son on.  

Just can't wait to go now.  

[davewasbaloo]

Sal - other good indoor crawl spaces are the lobby and bar area of the Disneyland Hotel, videopolis in Discoveryland, and the theatre by the Fantasyland railway station.

In the Studios, Backlot Express was always a good option, as well as the Art of Animation post show area provided it was not too crowded.

We have been taking our children since they were 12 weeks old, and it has never been a huge issue with the right planning.

[Sal]

Sal - other good indoor crawl spaces are the lobby and bar area of the Disneyland Hotel, videopolis in Discoveryland, and the theatre by the Fantasyland railway station.

In the Studios, Backlot Express was always a good option, as well as the Art of Animation post show area provided it was not too crowded.

We have been taking our children since they were 12 weeks old, and it has never been a huge issue with the right planning.

Thank you, davewasbaloo.    I've written you're suggestions down so that I'll remember where to look. We went last fall, when he was 4 months old and that was perfekt. This time though I think it's a bit more challenging with him crawling (waiting for him to take his first step) and also I'm thinking about food for him. I can't quite decide if I should bring food for him and feed him before we eat og if he should just eat at the restaurants with us. They dont have babymenues do they?

[davewasbaloo]

Once our kids were eating solids, we always fed them from our plates. There is baby food available in the baby centres if needed, but I am guessing he will be past that by then? Toddlers and babies eat free in buffet restaurants, and in some table service they will do plain pasta if asked, and we were never charged for milk (though with my kids being 8 and nearly 6 now, of course that policy may have changed).

There are high chairs in all the table service restaurants, as well as in the baby centres. The baby centres also have microwaves and bottle warmers (though they always used to warm bottles for us in the table service places).

Hope that helps.

[Sal]

Once our kids were eating solids, we always fed them from our plates. There is baby food available in the baby centres if needed, but I am guessing he will be past that by then? Toddlers and babies eat free in buffet restaurants, and in some table service they will do plain pasta if asked, and we were never charged for milk (though with my kids being 8 and nearly 6 now, of course that policy may have changed).

There are high chairs in all the table service restaurants, as well as in the baby centres. The baby centres also have microwaves and bottle warmers (though they always used to warm bottles for us in the table service places).

Hope that helps.

Thank you again very much. My son eats solid food now. I didn't know that he eats free in buffet restaurants. Very useful tip. Also plain pasta will be perfekt for him. With your help I think I won't be bringing food for him and just feed him from my plate. I guess all my problems are solved now - just have to make the next 18 days fly by.