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[Snow_White_Girl]

Hey guys. Well I'm back from my 5 days at DLRP, with many stories and pics to share with you all!  Before I start, a word of advice to anyone flying from Leeds Bradford Airport in the future – never stay at the Britannia Airport Hotel, it's possibly the worst place in the world! Anyway, on with the trip report!

Day 1
So Day 1 started nicely(!) – we had a 4.30am start in order to be at the airport for 5.30.  Flight (with Jet2.com) was pleasant enough, even for that time in the morning!  We saw the Eiffel Tower from the plane as we landed, and I said to my mum that I'd be more excited when I saw ToT from the bus, upon which she called me "sad".  We actually landed at CDG 15 minutes early, however the crush for the VEA shuttle cancelled the time we'd made up out!  We finally set off for DLRP at 11.30, having got off the plane at 10.05 – I really don't know why it took so long, as we were on the bus at 11.00. This was the first time I'd done the drive to DLRP with the VEA shuttle, I actually shouted in excitement when I got my first glimpse of ToT through the trees (which prompted my mum to tell me to shut up because I was embarrassing her).  We arrived at the Santa Fe by noon, all prepared to have to leave our luggage and go to the park in jeans in 30-degree heat.  However we were greeted with a surprise – our room was already ready!  This made things so much more pleasant for us, as we could freshen up, change, and go to the park comfortable.  So 20 minutes later I was all ready to go, however Mum held us up another half an hour messing about, during which time I was practically hopping from one foot to the other in excitement.  Finally, we went to Disneyland Park, walking there through Sequoia Lodge and Disney Village.

So the first thing I wanted to do was show my mum the dragon, as we'd never seen anything similar at DL or WDW.  Deciding this would be our first stop, we walked up Main Street to La Tanière du Dragon, where we had our first disappointment of the holiday – he wasn't working!  At first I thought he was just taking ages to wake up, then I realised that the roaring soundtrack was playing but he was staying completely still! The odd thing was his eyes were still moving though.  Moving on from that minor disappointment, we started in Fantasyland and decided to start the rides with an old classic – Blanche Neige et les Sept Nains!  The park seemed unusually quiet for a July day – we only had to wait about 5 minutes.  As for the ride itself, well I'd forgotten how scary the forest bit is!  It's really not a ride for kids when you think about how dark it is.  Next on the list was Les Voyages de Pinocchio – another very dark one really when you think about it, especially the shadow scene of Lampwick turning into a donkey... It was around this point I decided that fairytales are messed up!!  Then it was time for my mum's favourite – It's A Small World.  We hardly had any wait there either, the park was ridiculously quiet.

After that we were hungry, but thinking we'd be eating a big meal in the evening, we didn't want anything too heavy.  On coming out of Small World, we spotted Fantasia Gelati and decided an ice cream was just what we needed.  I had tiramisu ice cream, which was AMAZING!!  Then we decided to go on the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.  This was the first ride we had to actually queue for, even though it was only 15 minutes.  We stood there trying to figure out how they worked – Mum swore they were moving on the discs and I swore they weren't! We didn't ever settle the argument...   We moved on then to the carousel, where I noticed the actual horses are looking a bit the worse for wear and could really do with a repaint... Although I suppose it would be hard as the whole Fantasyland centrepiece would have to be cordoned off, but I'm sure the disrespectful children trying to actively peel the paint off the horses didn't help!!  After quick rides on Le Pays des Contes de Fées and Casey Jr., Le Petit Train du Cirque (which neither of us had been on before and both LOVED!), we thought it was finally time to brave Peter Pan's Flight!  On discovering there was a 40-minute wait we thought Fastpass was the way to go.  Imagine our surprise when we realised that our Fastpasses, which we got at 4.00, were for 8.00 that night!  

We thought then that a change of land was in order, so it was over to the Far West and Frontierland, where our first ride just had to be Phantom Manor.  Now my mum had never been on this before, and chose the stretching portrait gallery to discover she's actually afraid of the dark, which was slightly embarrassing when she screamed, and even worse when the ride broke down in the fairground scene!!  I seem to remember breeno saying something in his trip report about idiots on Phantom Manor, and unfortunately I had them too.  In the doom buggy in front of us there were two boys, probably about 15, who spent the whole ride talking loudly, laughing and screaming in that horrible theatrical way that makes you want to turn round and slap their faces. I leaned round the side of our buggy and told them (in French and probably slightly impolitely!) to "stop being so disrespectful and shut up!".. It quietened them slightly, but they still managed to spoil it for everybody.  Idiots.  Anyway I finally managed to take a trip onto Boot Hill, which I loved, but how freaky is that beating heart?!

By this time it was 5.30, 25 degrees, and our feet were throbbing.  Seeing the Molly Brown on the river just ready to set off inspired us to take a relaxing little boat trip around Thunder Mountain, and I took the opportunity to snap my first pics of the trip!

We then decided to go and stake out our spots for the parade (at 6.10!!).  Having studied the parade route beforehand, I knew I wanted to see the Princess stop, and we grabbed the prime spot by the castle.  Well, this was where the "rugby scrum" problems started.  A particularly obnoxious child pushed me from my position on the kerb into the road - rather than telling her off, her parents just laughed and the CM in front of us gave me an evil look like it was my fault she'd pushed me!  My mum was then knocked over by another mother trying to push her two children to the front.  I understand they want to see but all they had to do was ask nicely if their children could go in front and we would quite happily have let them.  It was just the rudeness that got to me!  However, there was one saving grace.  A little girl next to me was in such a state, she couldn't see anything, and I felt so sorry for her.  So I asked her mother whether she'd like to go in front of me, and they both seemed so grateful – the mother especially, who was thanking me repeatedly for my kindness.  Just goes to show that manners are all it takes.

The parade itself was wonderful, and the Princess float stopped RIGHT in front of me, but Snow White got off on the opposite side!  I was gutted, and resolved to watch the parade from the opposite side the next day.  I also properly smelled the smells of the floats for the first time, and kept getting a good waft of flowers from the Princess float! There's also a new(ish) section after the Dreams of Power float, to replace the Flotsam and Jetsam puppets, which have quite sadly gone.

We were starving afterwards so we got some popcorn (best I've tasted!) and sat in Discoveryland trying to work out where to eat, as we hadn't planned well due to tiredness.  As it was nearly time for Peter Pan's Flight, we decided to walk back to Fantasyland and pick something up along the way.  After our trip to Neverland we decided to eat at Au Chalet de la Marionnette.  Not much to say about it really, it's fast food and pretty disgusting, but it was food and stopped our hunger pangs for a while!

Now, while we were eating dinner, the weather suddenly changed and the heavens opened!  Looking to shelter somewhere, I suggested a walk over to Adventureland to try Pirates of the Caribbean, thinking the queue through the castle would keep us dry.  We walked over and walked straight on to the ride without even having to wait! By the time we came out of there, the thunder and lightning had started too, leaving Fantillusion for that night hanging in the balance (or so we thought!).  We decided to wend our way back towards Main Street, and once we got there, we ran to shelter inside the castle and avoid getting hit by lightning! However, once it got to 10.00 we were kicked out into the elements by the CMs wanting to close Fantasyland, and we got completely soaked through.  We decided to wait and see if Fantillusion would go ahead, and amazingly it did, although we got a very short, quick version with no show stops.  To add insult to injury, the rain stopped just as Fantillusion finished!

Then it was time for Candleabration and the Enchanted Fireworks, and all I can say is WOW. They were amazing, and I cried and cried!

We got back to the hotel at midnight after a 20-hour day, in bad need of sleep!

Day 2 and Studios coming soon!

(Pics will follow when I get them sorted!)

[never2old]

Looking forward to your pics & other days!

Great review, I could almost see myself next to you!

Sorry the dragon wasn't working, it's really quite something, you can see him breathing, his fingers moving, and every now and then he wakes up and moves the head scaring all the little (and not so little) kids! (or maybe they fixed it before you left?)

[burntsienna]

Brilliant trip report!
Sorry the Dragon wasn't working though!
Can't wait for Day 2! and hopefully some photographs  :mrgreen:

[SophieD]

great trip report for day 1!!
i must admitt that the popcorn in DLP is the best i have ever eaten too!!
looking forward to day 2!!  

[Clarebelle]

Disneyland popcorn IS the best lol did you get the 15th anniversary tub?

Great trip report, hope the holiday wasnt too full of disapointments, Cant wait to see photos!!

[Anonymous]

If you go again, the spot by Bella Notte is a nice spot to stop for the Princess floats, and it's much quieter. That's where I always go for my parade pics these days, although you'd probably be better a bit further up to catch Snow White, as I usually only catch her getting on and off the floats at that point - but I'm perfectly primed for Belle.  :lol:

[MinniesBestPal]

Can't wait to see photos and more of the report!

[Javey74]

The dragon wasn't working.....you can't say that...it was just feeling unwell at the time... :wink:  

[spoiler:1iongffl]Kids read these reports aswell you know... :wink:  :mrgreen:[/spoiler:1iongffl]
Great trip report there for Day one Snow White Girl.  =D>  

As for the heartbeat from within the nameless black tomb, I want to listen to it next time I go, I never knew it had one till about 10 months ago... :lol:  

Looking forward to Day 2 and the photies when you get them sorted... /  /

[Aveen2008]

Hey Snow_white_Girl

Great first day report! Read very well and I can't wait to hear more about your trip and see your photos!

I can totally understand what you mean about rude people, who are often parents with children. It was very kind of you to let that little girl in front and i totally agree with you that manners are all it takes!:) I really hope you got to see the dragon working properly over the next few days of your trip!

Aveen xxx

[Futurecastmember]

Great report:D I have experienced some of those rude people on Phantom Manor too :evil: It started in the stretching room when the light goes out they screamed "ooh, it's just a skeleton hanging another one", and they kept screaming, and making noises through the rest of the ride  :x SO DISTURBING! Ruins the ride completely, and the worst about it is, you're lucky if these kind of people aren't on the ride everytime you ride it.

[Pete's Dragon]

Great report, can't wait for the photos ( as I can't wait another 38 days to take my own !!!!!!).Dont know about you, but I would have stood in Main Street during the thunder and lightening hoping for a great pic of the castle.

[Clarebelle]

Great report, can't wait for the photos ( as I can't wait another 38 days to take my own !!!!!!).Dont know about you, but I would have stood in Main Street during the thunder and lightening hoping for a great pic of the castle.

I know I deffinatly would have! lol it would be an amazing pic!! but probably I would have been struck! and it would be horrible to see something bad happen to the castle ....

[pussinboots]

So did you check back later to see if the dragon was working again?

[Snow_White_Girl]

Day 1 photos have arrived - I didn't take that many on the first day as I was too busy soaking up all the magic! :wink: Most of these were taken from the Molly Brown































That's all for now!

[Clarebelle]

Whats happened to old joe? lol  :shock:

Great photos Snow_White_Girl! I can't wait to go now  / looking forward to part 2! and more piccies  :lol: