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[Aurora]

Hallo Dagobert,
thanks for TR. I enjoyed reading it. And great pictures too. Especially the night shots. I love them! Gives me some ideas for pics, when we go in april.
A question, where did you see the Mickey and Donald figurines, at te Studios. I never noticed them.
Aurora

[dagobert]

Hallo Dagobert,
thanks for TR. I enjoyed reading it. And great pictures too. Especially the night shots. I love them! Gives me some ideas for pics, when we go in april.
A question, where did you see the Mickey and Donald figurines, at te Studios. I never noticed them.
Aurora

Thanks for the comment.

The figures are in front of the blue sorcerer's hat at the Animation Building in WDS. There are more like Tinkerbell and others.

Have a great trip in April!!

[HildeKitten]

I remember when I stayed in Sequoia back in 2006 (they did "last minute" deals over the website back then and we got to go in June for € 83 per person for 2 days one night so we just went for it) that I really liked the hotel but that the room was surprisingly small, smaller even than rooms in Santa Fe.
Apart from that, it was a lovely hotel, which is why I went for that for my birthday trip in July.
(that and my bf really wanted a hotel with a pool)

I often notice that there are a lot of CMs about that only speak French.  I speak French as well as English, but my vocabulary in English is much more extensive than in French so sometimes I can't express myself in French as well as I would like and that can get problematic.  
I think that people in key positions or at important locations (such as managers, people working guest relations, city hall and the AP office) should at least be able to speak both languages.

[dagobert]

I remember when I stayed in Sequoia back in 2006 (they did "last minute" deals over the website back then and we got to go in June for € 83 per person for 2 days one night so we just went for it) that I really liked the hotel but that the room was surprisingly small, smaller even than rooms in Santa Fe.
Apart from that, it was a lovely hotel, which is why I went for that for my birthday trip in July.
(that and my bf really wanted a hotel with a pool)

I often notice that there are a lot of CMs about that only speak French.  I speak French as well as English, but my vocabulary in English is much more extensive than in French so sometimes I can't express myself in French as well as I would like and that can get problematic.  
I think that people in key positions or at important locations (such as managers, people working guest relations, city hall and the AP office) should at least be able to speak both languages.

I had French for four years in school, but now it is not very good anymore. I can speak some phrases and so I was able to order food. Nevertheless it was a lot easier to use the food picture cards to order. The main problem for me is that I hardly understand the French people with my small vocabulary. I think I will take a French course next semester to refresh my French.

I still would stay in the Sequoia Logde if they had given me a room in the quality of the Santa Fe. That is what makes me so angry about that hotel. Paying more for less quality than you get in a value hotel like Santa Fe.

So if we stay on site again, we will take the Santa Fe, but we tend to stay off site.

[DLP-Photos.com]

Thanks for the report - it was great and I am happy that you despite some food and language problems seem to have had a wonderful time!

I really like your photos - they have made me wanna go during winter season as many of the places seem very beautiful in snowy conditions May I ask what camera you use?

[dagobert]

Thanks for the report - it was great and I am happy that you despite some food and language problems seem to have had a wonderful time!

I really like your photos - they have made me wanna go during winter season as many of the places seem very beautiful in snowy conditions May I ask what camera you use?

Thanks for the comment.

I use a Sony Alpha 200, but until now I don't know all the features of the camera :lol: . Disneyland is really beautiful when covered in snow. I think it looks even more magical.

[Annet]

I love night shots, yours are brilliant too!

[pink_danio]

fantastic trip report love your photos, and really detailed daily experience too. I cant wait to go!!

[dagobert]

After we returned home, we wrote a complaint about the things we weren't happy and today I got a reply.

It just says that:

Thank you for your correspondence concerning Disneyland® Paris. Please know that our priority is to deliver Disney quality service at all times. As such, please accept our apologies for any disappointment that may have been caused on this occasion.

We would like to assure you that a reply to your comments will be sent as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

So I'm looking forward to the reply. At least they read my complaint.

[strawjaw]

Loved the report - I can't see how someone couldn't compare DLRP to WDW, they are supposed to be owned by the same company - therefore, standards should be carried across the board.

Your photo's look great too. Can't wait to try and take some (hopefully just as good) when I go in march.

Did you ever get a response to your complaint?

[dagobert]

Loved the report - I can't see how someone couldn't compare DLRP to WDW, they are supposed to be owned by the same company - therefore, standards should be carried across the board.

Your photo's look great too. Can't wait to try and take some (hopefully just as good) when I go in march.

Did you ever get a response to your complaint?

Thanks for the comment!

Yes I did get a response. It just said that they are sorry about our experiences and that they try to deliver high quality to their guests.

I have already deleted the email, but I kept these excerpts for my trip report. Unfortunately I have never posted them:

Disneyland Paris strives to ensure that every guest has a magical and memorable time and therefore, I am disappointed that you may have been left disillusioned by some of the experiences that you report in your correspondence. All Cast Members strive to ensure that every guest is able to escape the "real world", if even just for a moment, and to be swept away by the magic of Disney. Bearing this in mind, I regret that we did not meet all of your expectations on this occasion.


All rooms, which are due to be allocated, are checked by our housekeeping and maintenance teams and should any concerns be noticed these are reported so that they may be corrected before the room is occupied. In this way, a proactive maintenance, cleaning and decoration programme has been established. I regret, therefore, to hear of your comments pertaining to the room you were allocated at Disney's Sequoia Lodge®.

I would like to apologise for any disappointment caused on this occasion and I can assure you that your comments have been forwarded to the relevant departments and management at Disney's Sequoia Lodge® for their information and internal review.

I would like to assure you that I have also forwarded your observations and suggestions regarding the merchandise available at Disneyland® Paris to the relevant departments and management. We do use guest feedback as an integral way of examining our operations and, where necessary, implementing changes that will benefit the overall guest experience at the Resort.

Disneyland Paris strives to captivate and charm its visitors of all ages with the dreams and magic with which they have come to associate the Disney name. I was therefore surprised and concerned to learn that you feel that Disneyland® Paris is only orientated towards children.

The response was very friendly and informative.

TWDC just holds 40% of ED SCA, the operating company, and 51% of legal shares, which gives TWDC the decision making power. I hope that's correct, what I have just said.

Unfortunately the standards, especially on food and hotels, between WDW and DLRP are different, at least that's what we have experienced.

Nearly all CMs we have met in Paris were friendly like their colleagues in Florida, except for the Walt's restaurant manager. The overall guest experience is a lot better at WDW. There the CMs and restaurant chefs did everything to create some very delicious meals for us, because we are vegetarians and the receptionist of our hotel suggested that we should ask in the restaurants if it is possible to get something special and most of the time they really did. I thought, since it is Disney, they will do the same at DLRP as well, but don't ask in Paris, because the restaurant manager can get mad at you.

I know that Disneyland has some financial problems, but their hotels really need to be refurbished. The quality is below European standards for the money you have to pay. At WDW we stayed at the Pop Century Resort, a value resort, and this hotel was nicer, cleaner, more modern and offered more to the guests than Sequoia Lodge, which is a moderate resort.

[strawjaw]

Don't you just hate run of the mill complaints replies - where they just fill in the gaps.  :lol:
It would be great if we could think they would actually take note of what visitors say and try and change things for the better, after all, it's us continuing to come back and spend our money that keeps them in business.

I have to say I fully agree with you regarding the merchandise situation.
I was astounded when I visited last year. I was expecting, similar to WDW, every shop to have different items of merchandise.
Don't get me wrong, there were items that were carried across most stores, but each shop seemed to have something different in it. I would love to see this carried across at DLRP.

Similar to the Photopass idea - that would be great if DLRP offered the same, it meant we could get home, view our photos, and order them from the comfort of our settee, instead of deciding there and then if you want the photo (Which is what I am led to believe DLRP do)

Don't get me wrong, I loved DLRP, to the point, I am returning again this year, and will keep returning until I can afford to go back to WDW again, but it is very hard not to compare the 2, when WDW has so much more to offer.

[dagobert]

I also like DLRP a lot, in some parts even more than WDW, especially the Disneyland Park in Paris is much better and more beautiful than the Magic Kingdom.

We have been to WDW in 2008 and there we were also disappointed by the merchandise. In the same year we have also been to DLRP and there the variety was better than at WDW, but now it is really disappointing. But you are right at WDW many stores still had some unique items. In Paris Disney is just selling the same cheap stuff in every shop and Marvel merchandise invaded the Disneyland Park.

Quality matters more to me than quantity and so I don't compare WDW with DLRP in terms of size and offerings. But I do compare both in terms of quality regarding the hotels and the food. Both resorts are Disney resorts and so the quality standards should be the same in Paris and in Orlando. Unfortunately the hotels and the food are so much better at WDW and DLRP is really far behind these standards. DLRP's hotels are even far behind European hotel standards. I also think that WDW cares much more about their guests and that isn't a matter of size and offerings. As I have already mentioned the CMs and restaurant chefs did everything to satisfy us.

Friends in the US, who visit WDW or DLR once a year, told us that the quality at WDW is also dropping in recent years. So I would say that Disney doesn't care so much anymore like they did. Nevertheless WDW cares more about their guests than DLRP.

[strawjaw]

I definitely agree with everything you've just said.

We went in 2006, and I was totally in awe of the merchandise there was on offer - I especially loved the huge shops rammed full of all kinds of themed merchandise after each ride or attraction. DLRP don't seem to carry any where near the same range (Only at a couple of attractions - Star Tours being one of them), but I suppose one could argue, do you really need 'that' much merchandise for each ride(?)
As a Disney shopoholic, I would say yes.  /

In terms of comparing the parks - I knew that there were certain things I couldn't possibly compare with WDW before I went, such as the size. But you're right - when it comes to hotels and food, there should be a certain standard set, that is then carried across the whole of the Parks franchise, regardless of what country they are in. I am quite certain that Walt Disney fully intended for it to  be that way.  

 I didn't stay in a WDW hotel when we went, we left it too late to book,and it was too expensive, so we stayed in an affiliated hotel, just a 5 minute walk from Downtown Disney - fantastically convenient...  :thumbs:
Anyway, we weren't overly impressed with our hotel, but would probably stay there again, as they've since been taken over and renovated, and like I say it was incredibly convenient. But I would love to stay in a Disney hotel next time, and see what they're like.

I just hope they don't keep getting worse - it would be a shame if it all ended up disappearing into obscurity due to money cuts and greed, and the standards that Disney should be famous for, slipping to less than average - one thing a Disney holiday should NEVER be.

[LittleMonster]

It looks like you had a good time!<3