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[gemma2806]

Hi all it's been a long time coming but I've finally found a minute to sit down and go over the immense adventure that was 13 days at DLP. Unfortunately I don't have any pics to put on as my laptop promptly died upon my return and my tablet won't let me transfer photos from my camera so you'll just have to use your imagination!! Given the length of my stay I decided for everyone's sanity including my own to do the trip day by day as I find time. So here goes my first ever trip report, enjoy!!

September 2012
Party: Myself, Gemma 29 yrs
           Partner, Daniel 37 yrs
           Son, Jack 2yrs

DAY ONE
I got up at 5am much to the annoyance of my other half who remained in bed. After a quick shower I lugged the cases downstairs and finally got my boyfriend to get out of bed. After a cup of tea to try and wake me up I went to wake our 2yr old son up at 6am as despite the noise of us trying to get ready he failed to wake up. In a very bewildered state I got him ready and the taxi came right on time at 6:30am.

We were flying from Birmingham airport and we arrived just after 7am when my son finally spoke and said, "Is it today we're going to Mickeys House?" When I told him it was he practically dragged me to the check in desk. We checked in and went through security and headed straight to the Weatherspoons in the departure lounge for some breakfast. I don't know why I bother because whenever I fly I get so nervous and excited that all I can manage is a few mouthfuls of something and a few sips of drink. The time literally flew by and we headed to board the plane at 9:15am.

Jack was really excited at this time as he had never been on a plane and the expression on his face at take off was brilliant! The flight went quickly but I must mention a lovely touch that the cabin crew did for Jack. Part way through the flight they brought over a certificate for him signed by the captain, co-pilot and all the cabin crew to mark Jack's first flight. I though this was brilliant and a great keepsake, well done to Air France.

We landed about 11:10am which was great until we then had a 30min wait as we slowly made our way to the gate where we could disembark. We got through passport control quickly and then headed to luggage reclaim. We found our items and then the fun started! We spent nearly 40 mins wandering round the airport trying to find the exit to the VEA shuttles. The airport was undergoing work in Terminal 2E/2F and the only sign marking the exit was a sign propped against a wall which was being stood in front of by a large group of people so we kept missing the exit! Anyway we made it to the shuttle and took the 45minute journey to DLP. At this point I did notice that the shuttle was VERY full and hoped this was a coincidence but more on that later. We arrived at our hotel the Sequoia Lodge and joined the queue to check in.  When I booked the holiday Jack was still in a cot so I had requested one in our room but a few months later he went into his own bed so I called Disney and they assured me they would change the booking for a room with two double beds. However when I got there they had not received this amendment and they said they had no rooms left with two double beds and a lake view. A very nice lady called Beatrice went to speak to a manager and we kept our original room but they would bring in a trundle bed. I did worry about the amount of space available, but I needn't have. We got VIP breakfast passes for the length of our stay which proved invaluable given the queues in the morning.

Our room was number 4331 and we were right at the end of the corridor. We had 3 suitcases, a buggy and a Jack and so struggled a but until a nice workman doing maintenance took my bags off me and helped us to the room. Wow what a room it was!! We had a standard bathroom and dressing area etc but the rest of the room was huge. We had a Kingsize bed and a trundle bed for Jack at the foot of our bed. We had two walls of windows and much to our delight a balcony with a table and chairs for 4 people as well as the panoramic view. We could see our hotel, the Newport Bay Club, Lake Disney, Disney Village, Panormagique and the Hotel New York and the other side of our hotel. It was epic!!

We then unpacked and booked all our evening meals for the duration of our stay with the Concierge desk. We then decided to explore the hotel. The pool looked amazing if a little busy, but more on that saga later. We then went to find the playground which was one of the reasons I chose this hotel, not a big deal for a shorter holiday but for 13 days I wanted a place where we could rest and Jack could play. Well there was no playground there was a single see-saw in a sanded area and that was that. Not what was advertised but I wasn't going to complain or moan as we had a bigger playground 15 mins away in the form of the Disney parks.

We strolled round the grounds and then decided to head to the Disneyland Park to see if we could catch a ride on the Disneyland Railroad to introduce Jack to the parks. We got there just as the parade was starting so the Railroad was closed. We decided not to watch the parade as it was really busy in the park and we couldn't see a good spot free so we went through Discovery Arcade to the Cable Car Bake Shop to have a snack and a drink as we had missed lunch. The cakes were really nice and Jack loved his giant chocolate muffin. While the parade was on we nipped back out of the park and decided to head back to the hotel for dinner. We had a table booked for 6pm at the Hunters Grill.

The food was wonderful and we were seated straight away. Daniel loved the roast turkey and kept going back for more. As Jack was 2 (just, his 3rd birthday was 5 days after we got back) he got a plate and could eat what he wanted for free and get free drinks. We had a lovely meal and would go back here again. I know some people complain about the table cloths but if you think about the sheer volume of people that pass through the restaurant you would never be able to keep linen table cloths clean! Anyway after a lovely meal we had a quick nose around Disney Village and I spent ages in the Disney Store looking at things for myself and trying to stop Jack buying the shop!

We headed back to the hotel and had a few drinks in the Redwood Bar and Lounge, this really is a lovely place to have a sit down and drink at the end of the day and the staff were very friendly.  We then had a look in the Northwest Passage boutique and Daniel got a few cans of beer for him to enjoy on our balcony! I managed to get a very tired but excited Jack to sleep and his trundle bed was incredibly comfortable and then after a nice sit down to watch the world go by from our balcony we went to bed, ready to start our first full day of fun at Disney!!!

[DisneyDancer92]

13 days at disney? wow!! Thats amazing and quite impressive! Did you only stay at Disney for all those days- or did you also visit Paris?

[gemma2806]

We spent one day at Val d'Europe centre and the Sealife Aquarium but otherwise it was just a Disney based holiday!

[julesk]

Hi, would you recommend the Aquarium if only visiting for 5 days? We plan to visit the shopping centre for a little taste of France but is the Aquarium worth the time away from Disney?   :?:   Thanks  

[gemma2806]

Hi julesk, to be honest I'd say its worth it. When I've been on a 5 day break before and it's not peak season I've always taken time on one of the days to go round it. It takes a couple of hours if you have young children but if you're a party of adults you could get it done in about an hour I reckon. It's a lovely aquarium but is mainly about sharks and shipwrecks etc. I often visit the one in Birmingham back in the UK and that one is very bright compared to the one in Val d'Europe which is quite dark. My son did enjoy it but he was a bit more wary due to the shark theme and darker environment.

[julesk]

Hi julesk, to be honest I'd say its worth it. When I've been on a 5 day break before and it's not peak season I've always taken time on one of the days to go round it. It takes a couple of hours if you have young children but if you're a party of adults you could get it done in about an hour I reckon. It's a lovely aquarium but is mainly about sharks and shipwrecks etc. I often visit the one in Birmingham back in the UK and that one is very bright compared to the one in Val d'Europe which is quite dark. My son did enjoy it but he was a bit more wary due to the shark theme and darker environment.

Thank you so much thats a great help. Been in two minds for ages now but it sounds great, loads better than our local one which takes 20 mins to walk round. Thanks again  :thumbs: