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[AislingM]

Just home since friday night , sob sob sob! We had a fantastic trip , so Id better get started with this report!  We flew Dublin to CDG on Sunday the 11th and stayed that night in the Hotel Elysee in Val Dèurope  ( worked out cheaper to do it that way then to fly on the Monday!)  It was quite late by the time we got there , having taken the RER from the airport so all we did was have dinner in a place next door called Grill Time and then head back to bed. In case anyone is interested this hotel has free wifi ( unlike Disney!)  Full of excitement we were up very early on monday morning to take the RER to Disney.  I wasnt going losing a minute of my extra magic hours!  
So we get outside the station , and find we have no way through the village to get to the hotel . . . the security man told us we had to take the shuttle! So we spent 10 mins in the freezing cold waiting , while we could see the HNY in front of us! Madness. My first impression of the hotel was just amazing! Ive never really had an urge to stay there before , it always seemed a little lacking in atmosphere to me but I fell in love ! We were the only people at reception so we were checked in by 7.40am with our bags left off. Off we ran to the park , yaaay! Only when we got to the turnstile , himself discovered he had in fact lost his ticket! ( Men! ) :evil:  I was in a panic wondering how long it would take them to issue us a new one but as we were walking back to the hotel , lo and behold there was Pluto lying face up on the ground outside Starbucks. Phew! Excitement restored , we were in!



First character of the trip no less than Minnie in her Christmas outfit!  Everyone has seen the pictures of the tree and christmas decorations already so Il keep them to a minimum but they were just excellent. I have to add that this was my first trip in Christmas season so I was just extra excited to see them. First was a go on space mountain to shake off the cobwebs then a round of Buzz ( I am the winner this trip!) , followed by the usual EMH rides. We headed to the studios straight away at half nine just so we could get Crush done without having to wait longer than 30 mins and walked on every single ride there too. It was such a brilliant time to visit - all of the atmosphere and the parks were very quiet so most rides were 5 mins or less. Highlight of the studios that day was Cinemagique. Beautiful show! I cant believe Ive never done it before but I loved it and will definatley do it again next trip. After that we went back to City Hall to book our meals for the trip. We watched the tree lighting at 6pm but even before that all the good places for dreams were gone , so we decided to give it a miss that night because it was just too cold to wait when we werent going to see it properly. We headed back to the hotel to settle in and we had dinner booked for the Parkside Diner that night at 8pm. Our luggage was already in our room when we got there and * eek* I had a letter and a present waiting in there for me! A lovely letter welcoming me back to the resort and esp the HNY and an Eyore mug filled with sweets tied with a ribbon.  Such a nice touch , I was thrilled. I know its not much but its lovely to get recognition as someone who is a regular guest. Our room was 1123 in the Gramercy part of the building and it was great. Huge with 2 double beds that were so comfortable and fresh flowers in the bathroom. Our view was over the carpark but we were never in the room in daylight so it didnt matter!






Went down to dinner then to the all you can eat buffet which was about 30 euro each and it was fab , huge selection of salads and meats and shellfish for starters , then beef stew , roast pork and sausages , pasta etc for mains and then my idea of heaven - a dessert buffet. Really reccomend eating here , the food was great and really hot and we were absolutely stuffed afterwards , too stuffed to even eat the chocolate coins left on the bed with the turndown service when we were back in the room.  So that was day one down , only 4 more to go!


Day 2 Tuesday 13th November




Breakfast in Parkside diner at 7am. Huge selection of pastries and bread , cereal , yoghurts , fruit and hot items. And the orange juice! I saw people rave about the OJ here before and it really is that good! We filled up and were in the park again for 8am. All the rides and then an early lunch at the Lucky Nugget. The band was playing which was brilliant and the food was good too , we got the chicken burger meal which was 13.99 each inc chips , a drink and a brownie for dessert. At 1pm we headed over to City Hall because we had booked a guided tour the day before. It cost 15 euro each and lasted just over 2 hours. There was the 2 of us and then an english family who were lovely. Big Hello if your reading this! Our tour guide was a lovely lady called Aurore and she was so nice. I would def reccomend the tour , but if like me , you have the From sketch to reality book , you wont learn anything new. But it was still nice to walk the park with someone who works there and she pointed out a few hidden mickeys that I hadnt noticed before!Ive a photo here too of a hidden mickey I found in the lucky nugget , and one outside Buzz. We did get a look around Walts as it was closed , so beautiful , and Dapper Dans barber shop too. At the end of the tour we were all given a free Pin of the castle.








After doing all the rides in both parks , we watched the christmas cavalcade , just across from the discovery arcade. Its really cute and good fun. And it starts snowing on Main St afterwards too.




So that evening we finally got to watch Dreams. Everyone knows what its all about so I wont even attempt to talk about it, but just WOW. Incredible. If thats not magic I dont know what is. Photos came out terrible though , so I wont post any here! But Id watch it every night if I could , just magic! That night we had a reservation for 8pm in the steakhouse because himself  had been craving a kobe beef burger since his last visit. The place was wedged! Even with our reservation we were waiting 20 minutes to get a table and the service was really slow. I wasnt too impressed but as long as himself was happy with his burger that was all that mattered! His burger cost 29 euro whilst I got the set 2 course menu for 23.99. I had a steak which was nice and then a fruit crumble for dessert. But to be honest the service and manners of the staff there has put me off going again. Unfortunately that wasnt the only dining disaster of the trip , but more on that later!




Also that day we met Mickey in his new residence and only had to queue 5 minutes. Its a gorgeous building and so much detail in the props and design but it used to be so much fun to see an impromptu appearance around the park from the mouse! Disney Magic on parade we saw too today , I thought most of it was the same as once upon a dream , but the song is slowly growing on me!  
Well thats part one done for now , Ive to sort photobucket out so I can do this faster. Il do the rest tomorrow! Thank you for reading so far!

[disneydreamer_x]

Great trip report looking forward to the next part

[norhel]

Nice report so far. Good that you found his ticket.

[AislingM]

Part 2

Forgot to mention that the X factor finalists were there at the same time as us. I dont watch the show so I didnt recognise anyone but at one point on tuesday they were on Captain Hooks ship sword fighting with him and Peter Pan. Very jealous! I asked a CM about it and was told the show that night was fully booked but that if we came back to the park at 8pm we could try to get in. If I followed the show I definitely would have tried.

Wednesday 14th November
Today was bitterly cold , but just made the castle look all the prettier in the fog.
 
Today was the day to meet Goofy Santa Claus!

And to take a walk around the Santa Claus village in Frontierland. They have a little area set up in front  where children can post their letters to Santa , its adorable. Now Im all for meeting characters and I go mental with the best of them when I get to meet my favourites but at 25 , I decided not to join the queue to meet Santa himself! However I did get to meet Tigger and Pluto the dog nosed reindeer!





METIGGER by aislingmckee, on Flickr

SANTA PLUTO by aislingmckee, on Flickr

spent a lot of time in the studios today just strolling around and doing all the rides.  Crush is so good , I could do it all day but its the only ride that always has such a long queue so we only did it once a day. I think RC racer is my new favourite out of all the studio rides at the moment.  Love that part of the last fall where you feel yourself lifting out of the seat!







Lunch today was the blue lagoon. Havent eaten there in years , oooh yum yum its so good! We had the Treasures of the Sea menu which was 33 euro each. I had the coconut & ginger prawns to start , then the carribean chicken columbo followed by a creme brulee lit at the table for me. It was pretty busy there at half 12 but we had made a reservation the day before , Im glad we did.


prawns by aislingmckee, on Flickr

chicken by aislingmckee, on Flickr
Munch munch munch , my new favourite place to eat in the Park!  Still didnt stop us popping into Toad hall for a Hot Chocolate 2 hours later! Hot chocolate was used to stay warm at least 4 times every day this trip!  Needs must and all that! That night we watched the tree lighting ceremony again , so so magical , I even shed a little tear , big girl that I am! Just the lights , and the snow , and Chante! Cèst Noel blaring down Main street , , only in Disney.



We left the park after that because we had a reservation for cafe mickey and wanted to try some ice-skating at HNY first, That was so much fun! I was terrified at first but soon got into the hang of it. It really felt like Christmas, with the huge tree behind you as you skate ( or shuffle!) I thought I had read somewhere here that if you were a guest of the hotel it was free but we had to pay 12 euro each?? A little expensive I thought , but you got as much time as you liked.

HOTELICE by aislingmckee, on Flickr

ICE3 by aislingmckee, on Flickr

ICE2 by aislingmckee, on Flickr

And then onto Cafe Mickey , which I was so looking forward to , and which turned out to be the worst experience of the whole trip. Cafe Mickey I am very very cross at you and I dont know if Il come back to you again!!  so even with our booking we had to queue out in the cold for a full 30 mins before we got in the door. We were seated upstairs ,  which we had to wait another 5 mins for, and then the waiter pulled a table for 4 apart to make a table for 2. We were squashed down the middle row where there shouldnt even have been a table. Now the food was ok , , no complaints about that. Set 3 course menu for 35 euro and it was quite nice , although not as good a choice as there had been in January. The only characters we saw were Mickey , Minnie , Goofy , Pluto and Eyore. Not a chipmunk in sight even! And when I say we saw them , thats all we did! They were very seldom upstairs ( a full hour went by with nobody there) and the only one who came to us was Eyore just as we paid the bill. Because of how our table was situated , nobody could get in to us. I was so so disappointed. Ive always had such brilliant photos and interaction there , and to be honest nobody actually goes there for the food!  Im thinking about writing a complaint letter , thats how bad the experience was. Really was not the standard it should have been.  :cry:
So to cheer myself up I did a bit of shopping and got a lovely Vin Chaud from a little chalet style stall in the village. Yum! Purchases included the fabulous 20 Years of Dreams book which I had to open and read straight away! Also picked up a few tree baubles and the Mickey and Minnie bride and Groom plush set to celebrate us getting engaged!  And then back to bed!
Thursday 15th November
 Breakfast in Manhattan Restaurant this morning , lovely and quiet. I felt really elegant with my silver cutlery eating breakfast! Lots of business people down for breakfast and not really anyone else.  Much of the same today , EMH then studios. Rock N Roller was closed at first and when we went back there was no sound on the ride! That was seriously strange!  Its a different ride without steven tyler serenading you!  Decided to try somewhere new for lunch so did Restaurant des Stars with Remy! We didnt book but were seated straight away. Food was grand , usual selection of salads , then a roast , pasta , stews , fish etc but it wasnt anywhere near as good as the Parkside Diner. But of course you get to meet Remy! So worth it , I thought it was brilliant. I asked the CM could I touch him ( hes so small and fluffy!) and when I poked him he squirmed and wriggled and the CM said " oh no he dosent like that" I should probably point out that it was Remy I asked to touch and not the CM haha.  :lol:

REMY! by aislingmckee, on Flickr
When we came out Stars and Cars was just starting so we stayed to watch that. Getting a little old now though isnt it? I dont know , it just seems a little lazy and tired. Something always feels lacking in the studios.  We went back to the park and did another round of the rides ( we really just walked on to everything!) and got  a few character snaps along the way.

DSCN1613 by aislingmckee, on Flickr

MEJACKSPARROW by aislingmckee, on Flickr

MEANDJESSIE by aislingmckee, on Flickr

minnie by aislingmckee, on Flickr

US PLUTO by aislingmckee, on Flickr

US JACK2 by aislingmckee, on Flickr

USDUFFY by aislingmckee, on Flickr

US JACK1 by aislingmckee, on Flickr

ROBINHOOD by aislingmckee, on Flickr

RAFIKI by aislingmckee, on Flickr
Jack Skellington was great , had a conversation with him for a good 10 mins. He was putting on an " Irish" accent chatting away to us. So big clap for him! And some child gave Baloo a little crocodile model so he chased after captain Hook with it. Great entertainment! That day Minnie and Chip and Dalw were outside star tours in star wars gear but there were too many people around them to get good shots.  Had a lovely evening strolling around Adventureland in the dark and going on Indy 4 times in a row!  A little snack of churros and hot chocolate in Frontierland and then dinner was a hot dog in Caseys Corner , mainly so I could buy my duffy souvenier mug. Does anyone know if there is a 20th anniversary travel mug? I couldnt find one anywhere so settled on Duffy!
Because it was our last night  :cry:  we decided to do all our shopping in the village last night ( I brought an empty suitcase with  me!) so we shopped til we dropped then went  to the New York Bar for a little cocktail and I bought a bottle of the 20th anniversary merlot to bring home.

I wanted to skype home that night and because I still dont have a smartphone! I went into the hotel shop to buy a wifi card. 9.90 for 24 hours , I kid you not! What a rip off! There are hostels that offer free wifi to guests! thats my only complaint about the hotel , so be warned!  Last night then in our lovely comfy room.... sob sob.
Friday November 16th
Last breakfast in Manhattan Restaurant and still as quiet as previous mornings. We left our bags down to reception and headed off for our last day. A little busier today than the rest of the week , we ended up having to get a fast pass for Big Thunder and still no music on Rock N Roller! Had a bavarian hot dog in Au Chalet de la marionnette for lunch , and did a round on the train. Watched the parade one last time after doing all the rides and then with heavy hearts it was time to say a bientot! My god , is there anything as sad as leaving the park on your last day??! We stopped in the Earl of sandwich for a quick bite then did a little walk around lake disney before going back to the hotel to collect our bags and wait for the airport shuttle at 6pm.  What a brilliant trip , such a perfect time of year to go!

us taxi by aislingmckee, on Flickr

So my highlights and lowlights!
The Highs:
Guided tour , Christmas decorations , Tree lighting ceremony , Dreams , Blue Lagoon , The Hotel New York ( def going to stay here again , although the Cheyenne is still my favourite!) characters in park
The Lows:
Cafe Mickey , price of wifi , leaving  :cry:
Now just have to see when I can sneak in another trip. Himself says no more Disney until our honeymoon next October but surely if I bring my Dad instead then it dosent count does it? Dont think I can wait more than a few months to go again!  Thanks everyone for reading , didnt intend it to be as long as it turned out , oops! Il just end with a few of my favourite snaps from the trip. xxx











yaaay disney im home by aislingmckee, on Flickr

HOTCHOC by aislingmckee, on Flickr

YAAY JOEY EARS by aislingmckee, on Flickr

[kelly.dylan]

Love your trip report! You had such an amazing time!  I think christmas is my favourite time of year in Disney.

I must admit our last few times in Cafe Mickey have been really poor but we always go back! And the thing with moving a table of 4 really winds me up, we get the same table every time and seem to be stuck in the corner of the conservatory and get another couple sat almost a foot away! Not good!

Was this your first time seeing Dreams? Such a lovely (and emotional) experience!

The Christmas Cavalcade looks good! Can't wait to see this for real!

We've never been on Space Mountain or RnR and I'm trying to convince Dylan he'll like it! We went on Crush for the first time in October and he absolutely loved it. And Rc racer is one of his favourites too!

Your little gift in the room was a lovely Disney touch, we loved the New York aswell! We're having the Merry Christmas Lunch there on Christmas day, cant wait!

xx

[natalie1313]

sounds like a great time! lovely pictures. I cant wait to be back! 24 days to go.

[AislingM]

Yeah my first Disney Christmas! First time for dreams too , avoided watching all the clips on youtube before I went because I wanted to see it in person for the first time. So beautiful. Kinda made me sad to be a grown up and I really wanted to be back as a child in Disney with my parents!  Loved the NY , but I think the christmas-ness made it all the more special and cosy. The hotels all have a season to suit them dont they! You must take loads of pictures of Christmas lunch Kelly , that should be brilliant! And make sure you go up on Rock N Roller and SM , such good fun , even if SM gives you spinal damage ( probably!) it certainly feels like it! Id love to be able to see my face going around on it trying to keep my ears getting bashed. No really , aside from that its great haha!

[kelly.dylan]

Yeah my first Disney Christmas! First time for dreams too , avoided watching all the clips on youtube before I went because I wanted to see it in person for the first time. So beautiful. Kinda made me sad to be a grown up and I really wanted to be back as a child in Disney with my parents!  Loved the NY , but I think the christmas-ness made it all the more special and cosy. The hotels all have a season to suit them dont they! You must take loads of pictures of Christmas lunch Kelly , that should be brilliant! And make sure you go up on Rock N Roller and SM , such good fun , even if SM gives you spinal damage ( probably!) it certainly feels like it! Id love to be able to see my face going around on it trying to keep my ears getting bashed. No really , aside from that its great haha!

Not sure I like the sound of SM myself now haha! Am definitely going to get him on RnR.
Will take lots of pics of the Merry Christmas Lunch, am going to do a proper trip report for Christmas rather than just photos I've been looking everywhere online to get an idea of what the lunch was like last year and can't find anything online

[AislingM]

Did you try the trip advisor forum? They have loads of little bits on there.  Im the same though, I like to know what Im eating before I go! Hope they get the sound fixed on RNR soon!

[kelly.dylan]

Did you try the trip advisor forum? They have loads of little bits on there.  Im the same though, I like to know what Im eating before I go! Hope they get the sound fixed on RNR soon!

I've looked everywhere, I've found last years menu which looks ok but that's it hopefully I'll be able to let you know of the music was back on RnR for Christmas

[Ravenseye]

Thanks for sharing that fab report. Your photos are awesome and made me beam!
Remy is way toooo cute. I'd wanna take him home

[AislingM]

Thanks Ravenseye! Remy is too adorable , I wanted to put him in my purse and squeeze him! Think I took up too much time with him!

[MinnieMum]

Really enjoyed reading your report, we are going in December and it will be the first time for all of us You have a lot of character pictures, were they all just wondering round or are they meet and greets? Also I can't believe how good Remy looked!

[AislingM]

Oh so jealous, you will have a great time!  Mickey , Santa Goofy and Duffy were meet and greets , the rest we just met on our travels. I dont know if you saw any of my other trip reports but we didnt get nearly as many random characters this trip. The best place to meet them is the entrance to the studios and usually by Colonel Hathis pizza outpost in Adventureland ( Jungle book people and Captain Hook) Jack Sparrow is usually just strolling around Adventure land but sticks fairly close to the Blue Lagoon restaurant and Jack skellington has a meet and greet outside Phantom Manor but we caught him just dancing outside of the programme times!  I think alot of it depends on luck too , because we had 5 full days and Ive been so many times we were able to devote time to just walking around trying to spot people! For the meet and greets check the programme for times and locations and start to queue about 10 mins before so you dont end up stuck in a long line! Hope you have an amazing time , take loads of pictures to share with us!

[1975rk]

Great report! Thanks for sharing!