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[Mintcar]

Quick question!

We've booked a Christmas break from 21st December - 6 nights to include a stay at Hotel Explorers which is costing us £600 for 2 adults, 2 children (13yrs & 7yrs) to include breakfast.  This booking includes free cancellation.

I've just come across the Dutch 25% discount and free Hboard offer - pricing this up for our stay comes out at around Euro 2000.  I've put the ages of kids in etc, so am assuming the price is right!!

Would you go for the Sante Fe at this half board offer? 

We were going to book Fantasy Annual Passes at around £460 for the stay - so Explorers hotel and park tickets just shy of £1200 excluding evening meal.

The Sante Fe offer is around £1500 to include tickets & half board.  I'm thinking this would make more sense as I'm sure we'd spend at least £300 on evening meals whilst at the Explorers/if we were to go out etc.

Also, this offer would presumably include Half Board on all the 'celebratory' nights, being Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. 

In your experience guys, would you go for Sante Fe over Explorers at this price??

Thank you!

[polar vixen]

Personally, definitely, Primarily for the half board, don't forget tea time treats too.  We only ever book now with this offer, if it's only 300 difference, I'd go for it

[Zee79]

I'd check with others but when we went new year we couldn't use our half board on new years eve evening meal, we could as a lunch but not on the night so don't know if would be the same with Christmas. It was ok to use it new years day for evening meal. We just swapped out dining options round that day. I would still book it, seems an OK deal plus you are on site.

[Slimy yet satisfying]

At that time of  year I would check your blockout days on the fantasy pass too. No point going for Christmas Day etc. and not be able to enter the park. At least with a Disney hotel you will get tickets for each day.

[Slimy yet satisfying]

Just  checked 26th is a blockout for fantasy pass so unless you bought extra tickets for that day you wouldnt be able to enter the park. That would make the £300 saving a lot smaller!

[Mintcar]

Hi guys - thanks for your posts.

I checked with online chat re: Christmas Day & Christmas Eve dinners -  you can dine in either the evening or a lunch at the hotel.  It just doesn't give you access to the Festive Meals.

I'm going to be brave and book the Santa Fe through the Dutch website!  Wish me luck! :-)

Getting very excited now - might even persuade the other half to book a festive buffet dinner if anyone can recommend them???

[Mintcar]

Well, wasn't I absolutely clueless??!!! 

I've now booked through the Dutch website.  It was absolutely painless and Google translate is a wonderful thing for those trickier words!  Hubby decided to go for Newport Bay!!  It looks lovely!   

I never realised the free half board would include half board plus throughout the park!!!  Yippeeeeeeee!!! I figured with such a good offer it would be hotel limited.  So now we can mooch through and pre-book our restaurants throughout the Disney park.  We have 6 nights, so I'm going to have to do some studying ;-) .

I'm soooo excited and really looking forward to it all now!  Not that I wasn't before, but with this fab offer we've gone from Explorers to Newport Bay.  Going to be a fab 10th Wedding Anniversary celebration.

Thanks for your help guys xxx

[stifle]

Half board plus is great, isn't it? It includes every Disney restaurant throughout the resort excepting Auberge de Cendrillon, Inventions, California Grill, and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. My favourites are Walt's: An American Restaurant and Bistrot Chez Rémy. Don't forget to book in advance though, as it's liable to be busy.

[Mintcar]

Thanks Stifle!!!  It sounds amazing!!!  I'm going to get a working on it tonight over a glass of vino ;-)  Then will ring up and book.  Thanks for your recommendations!  I watched Ratatouille with my youngest last night - that has to feature!!!!

Any help gratefully received on top restaurant visits x

[stifle]

I don't think there are any really bad restaurants, only bad times to go (e.g. most counter service restaurants at about 13:00) and occasional bad cast members.

Remember that vouchers are not valid at all on Christmas Eve and that you will also get one Pause Gourmande voucher per guest per day, entitling you to a snack item such as a doughnut or ice cream plus either a hot drink (tea, coffee, hot chocolate) or 50cl soft drink or water. The vouchers are redeemable between 15:00 and 19:00 each day at any indoor counter service restaurant in either park.

[Mintcar]

Thanks Stifle

On my info it says the voucher is valid for lunch on Christmas Eve?  Not sure if that's right - mind, the chat operator told me it was valid for evening meal on Christmas Eve in the hotel!  So not quite sure what to believe, but we are prepared to have to pay for an evening meal on Christmas Eve. 

Will get surfing later.

[stifle]

I'm going on the official Disneyland Paris website at http://www.disneylandparis.fr/services-visiteurs/formules-repas/ which specifically states towards the end "Les coupons repas et Pauses Gourmandes ne sont pas valable le 24 et 31 décembre" (meal coupons and tea time treats are not valid on the 24th or 31st of December.

[Mintcar]

Yup, I totally get that - which is why I'm confused 'cos on the terms of booking and the special offer it says this

Op 24 en 31 december is je gratis Halfpension alleen te gebruiken voor lunch

Which means you can only use the free half board for lunch...

I'll ask when I book the tables....