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[Rincelex]

Hi all

We have just returned from our first trip to DLRP and we all had a great time .  All is the three of us, myself, my husband and our two and a half year old son.

Day 1 - Monday

After a stay in the Premier Travel Inn in Ashford we arose at 6am (no lay ins with a two year old) grabbed a bite to eat from the McDonalds next door and headed for the Eurotunnel.  My husband is a regular on the tunnel but it was a first for me and my son. We had a 7.50 crossing and arrived around 7.15 and went through straight away. The train left on time and we were on the road to Paris a little after 8.30 of course being an hour ahead it was now just after 9.30.

We arrived at DLRP about three hours later after an easy and uncrowded drive all the way down.  We were staying at the Hotel Cheyenne and having done my research knew we wouldn't get into our room until 3pm but needed to check in to get our passes.  my husband and son went back to the car and had lunch while I was checking in. It took me about 45mins to get to the front of the queue but it didn't feel like this as I was filling in a form and looking at the screens showing things in the park and information boards. The only breakfast slots left were 7 for the next day and 8.15 for Wednesday I was told to come back the next day to get Fridays as we had already prebooked our Good Morning Fantasyland Breakfast the week before for Thursday.

We walked into the Disney Village and and decided that as it was an EMH night in the park we would wander round here for an hour then go back and get in our room, unpack and then head back to the park for dinner and our EMH. It took us about 10-15 minutes to get there walking alongside a river and through gardens - the whole route was traffic free allowing my son the freedom to run (translate as tire him out). We were going to give the bus a try the next day so that we could compare. We brought my son an autograph book and pen in the Disney store and then headed back to the hotel to collect our key.  There was no queue now so I went straight up to the desk and collected our key after showing our Hotel ID pass, we were staying in the Annie Oakley building which was the second one down from the reception right next to the South Corral car park.

After unpacking we walked back to the park and got there around 5.30. There is a security gate to go through first where they give your rucksacks a cursory glance and then wave you through, they did not check anything loaded up on the pushchair and never did.  We entered the park and walked up main street and took the obligatory 10 photos in front of the castle, we walked through to Frontierland and then back to Fantasyland via Adventureland the queue for the Carousel was not very long so we waited to go on here as my son loves these, we didn't wait very long probably about 5 mins or less.

We thought we would try and eat at The Silver Spur steakhouse as this was on my list of restaurants for the half board meal plan that we had purchased when we booked, we got there about 6.30 and were told that we could eat straightaway but there were no reservations left after 7pm.  I asked what the menu was for the half board plan having looked at their extensive menu outside which looked good, they gave me an A4 laminated sheet with a choice of two starters (neither of which we liked), a selection of meats and two puddings, we decided to go for something off of their main menu instead and use the vouchers to part pay the bill.  I asked whether I had to pay for my son as being under 3 we were told that he could eat for free in most places and the waiter said that no we didn't have to pay but they had special food just for him, he went away and came back with a small Heinz pot of apple puree for 6months+, I laughed and said, thinking he didn't understand, no he's not a baby and told him that it was baby food really intended for under 1's, to which he frustratingly said that is all there is and if you want anything else you will have to pay for it. I didn't mind doing this but did end up paying 12 Euros  for a meal which he only picked at.  I realised that we could have quite easily given him some from each of our plates and that would have been plenty.

After dinner we went back to Fantasyland and did Peter Pan (no queue) which my son and I liked and Pinocchio which I think he found a bit too dark as he said it was scary we then walked round to Discoveryland and my husband rode Space Mountain Mission 2, again no queues.  We left the park about quarter to nine and took a slow walk back to our Hotel.  Although it was dark now it still felt safe walking back along the river and through the gardens, the only thing was right by our hotel there was a section where the lights were not working and these ended up being out the whole time we were there.

Day 2 - Tuesday

Another early morning with my son waking at 6.30 so we went along to breakfast, we got there about 5 to 7 and there were only a handful of people there and no-one checking the tickets. Breakfast consisted of Cereals, Rolls (which were nice but very chewy) croissants, plain and chocolate, cheese, jam, marmalade, ham and what I think was Salami.  I made up some ham and cheese rolls for lunch to go with the various bits and pieces that I had bought with me from home. We noticed that about half past seven it really started to fill up but strangely there are two double glass exit doors on the opposite side to where the food is and people were coming in these doors and just walking to the tables and then going to get their food bypassing the queue at the door.

As we left breakfast and went back past reception, Goofy arrived outside and we queued up for a photo and autograph, just as we were leaving Pluto turned up to take over from him so we jumped on the back of the queue and had another turn with Pluto. We took the bus today which we waited about 2 minutes for and it took about 5 to get to the park, the bus stops beside the station which not having used it yet we did not know that this was the stop for the parks and there is no announcement or anything, several people looked confused having got on at the same point as us and we were all asking each other if this was the stop for the parks, fortunately someone getting on said yes.

We arrived at the park today at about 1000 and there were various characters in the the Main Street Square, so we went to each in turn but I had read on this forum and others that be careful as people tended not to be too fussy about pushing kids out of the way to get through so I stuck with my son and we waited, I found it easier if I held the book and when I could I gave it to the character and then guided him in for a photo. We noticed that behind us Minnie Mouse had arrived at the bandstand so we went and got in the queue to meet her and he loved this one but this time it took us about 30 mins to get to the front.  After this we went up Main Street and the Alpha Bet You Are letters were dancing down to 'we're following the leader, the leader, the leader' so we stood and watched this for a few minutes (this is the tune I now can't get out of my head).

We went into Frontierland and sat and had our lunch watching The Thunder Mountain Train going round, having already discovered the previous day that the riverboats weren't running again until Friday it was very quiet on the lake.  My husband and son then went for a climb round the Fort and we then went to the Pocahontas Village which had lots of climbing stuff and slides that were just right for him to get on.

My husband then did Indiana Jones and The Temple of Peril which he only waited about 15 mins for and then we walked round to the Pirate Ship and the Pirate's Beach play area before all going on Pirates of the Caribbean, this was good my son did grip our hands tightly with both drops the first one not as bad as the second and we did spot the Pirate swinging overhead which is very lifelike. We then walked up the back of Fantasyland and did Le Pays des Contes de Fees and the Casey Jr train the first is very tame just a boat ride with miniature fairytale scenes to look at in beautiful kept little miniature gardens with bonsai trees, the train was very weird as you can see it while you are queuing to get in the boat and it looks quite big but when you are actually standing on the platform its very small. Neither of these had very long queues in fact I think we went straight on both of them.  Next we walked along to Its a Small World and again no queues here so we went straight on the boat with my son saying no don't like it and us saying yes of course you do. Needless to say we were right and he did like it.

Next was the Alice Labrynth which I thought was good and you start off by seeing lots of different things like statues and water fountains and things that talk to you and Cheshire cat signs but suddenly, and it seemed to be as you got over the back away from the entrance, it got boring and there were just hedge after hedge and we ended up running round to try and then get up the building/castle thing whatever its called.  There was a Queen hidden behind a hedge and we could only see the top of her hat which I thought was odd but I later found out it was supposed to pop up and it wasn't working as the next one we got to had another Queen hidden behind and this popped up and frightened the life out of my son but I suppose the Queen in Alice has got rather a harsh face and when your two and that pops up in front of you it can be a bit scary.

I then went on my own and had a look at the Dragon under the castle and after this we all walked around the back of Fantasyland via Its a Small World I decided to go and bag a spot for the parade and my husband and son went on the Small World ride again to use up some time before the parade.  There were not many people at all round here and with 15 minutes to go I quite easily got a spot by the rope opposite the Pizzeria Bella Notte. My husband and son turned up and he had been even more vocal this time about not wanting to go on the ride but they got in the boat anyway and again he got off and when asked if he liked it responded by saying that was good - kids what can you do with them.

On our way in that morning and as we had passed the previous night we had noticed that there were a lot of characters at Cafe Mickey in the Disney Village so for want of a better place to go we thought we would eat here and use our vouchers to part pay the bill.  We got there about 10 to 6 and there was one other family in front, we had no reservations but went straight in.  The food was very nice and the characters came round to your table and you had their undivided attention for photos and autographs, we saw Goofy, Gepetto, Daisy Duck, Minnie Mouse and Tigger. My son's favourites are Tigger and Mickey so we saw Tigger and he bounced for us and we had seen Mickey come out and my son kept pointing at him as he was going to the other tables, there were three tables left to go and suddenly he turned round and walked out the back both my son and the little girl at the next table were most upset, all the other characters were still there.  We thought that maybe they had gone to change over as they sometimes do but to be honest he had only been out about 30 mins and all the others had been there for at least 45 mins and it was only about two thirds full downstairs.  Then suddenly they all left, I waited about 10 mins and by now we were eating our sweet and my son kept asking where Mickey was so I asked if they were coming back out and was told in about 30 mins so I thought we could eat slowly so I asked if Mickey would be with them and was told no he is not coming for another hour as he was now going round upstairs. I did explain that he had missed out three tables earlier when he had been going round and the manager was really nice and told us to go upstairs and see him there. Unfortunately I don't think Mickey was understood because I waited while he was with some other people and then I nipped in while he was between tables and he kept gesturing to me that he was going round so I had to explain  that we had come from downstairs and he had missed our table out and we had now finished our meal and he seemed to get this.  I think the tip here is to try and sit in the middle of the restaurant.

Will post more tomorrow...................

Tracy