I have been to Disney World in Florida a couple dozen times, but this is my first trip to DLP. I'm used to being online the second my dining windows open and still not being able to get everything I want. Reservations at certain places are just that popular. I'm trying to wrap my head around the differences at DLP. I see I can only book 60 days in advance, and only via phone. I'm curious about availability. If I call right at 60 days, can I expect to get a reservation at any restaurant? We are doing half board premium for 4 nights, and I'd like to book each day's lunch/dinner voucher as princess/character meals (still reading to figure out what exactly those would be), plus character breakfasts. Do I have a shot at that? Going with a 2 and 4 year old who love characters!
Just trying to level set what my expectations should be.
hey Pachelbel9
I hope you will have a lovely time in dlp.
When to make dinner reservations al depends on the time of year (and week) of your stay, When you go on a low season weekday. say a Monday on Febuary you could just walk to the restaurant on the day you want to go and ask for a reservation. When you go on a Saturday in august (prime time) I would advise to call ahead. If you call 60 day's before I am pretty sure you can choose everything.
When you only want to do character/princes dining I am afraid you won't have much choice in dlp. I highly recommend auberge du cendrilon. It is a fancy restaurant in fantasy land where you can dine and meet the princesses and princes (snow white, cinderella, aurora and suzie and perla will be there most time). It is a fancy restaurant and that will reflect on the food. Even the child menu can be a litle difficult to manage for fuzzy eaters (See the menu at www.dlpguide.com).
I also recomend inventions. It is a really great character buffet at the disneylanf hotel (The big one above the entrance) with good food and a great variaty of characters. When you go before march 26th you can also choose to dine at Cafe mickey in disney village. Here you can meet mickey and friends while you eat pasta and burgers. Or you could choose to have a (in my opinion poor) hot backfast with mickey and friends. From 26th of March there won't be anymore characters there for diner and breakfast. But you will be able to have breakfast with the characters in the plaza gardens restaurant on main street.
You could also choose to go to the buffelo bill wild west show in disney village. Where you can't meet but will see mickey and friends in a diner show. I dont know if it is ok to do with a 2 year old tho. There will be loud noises and animals like horses and buffelos. But it is a really fun family diner show about the wild west where you will get wild west food (chilli corn bread etc. )
Look for almost everything you want to know about dining and other disneyland paris stuff on dlpguide.com
lots of love and have fun planning.
:D
I have always booked on the first day I can book and yes by phone. They are very helpful and although sometimes I didn't get the exact times I wanted they can usually fit me in with a 15 minute or 30 minute difference. Yes they do get busy in the most popular places, just pop the first available date you can book in your diary and give them a call. Good luck.
Overall Paris is smaller and better suited to young children. Colder but just as much fun. Enjoy.
Thank you both. So much great info! I am going April 24-28. I will definitely plan for the restaurants you recommended. So interesting to hear how different it is regarding restaurant availbility (in a good way!).
I always ring on the 60th day - as early as possible - and I've always got every restaurant I've wanted. Good luck!
Just need to remember it has to be 60 days for every day of your stay, we got caught out on that one.
I'm guessing you are going at low season, so not all restaurants will be open when you want, so maybe some restrictions on opening times etc.
For example we go in Feb half term and cafe de stars is only open at lunch time and not dinner
Quote from: Zee79 on December 29, 2016, 11:12:35 AM
Just need to remember it has to be 60 days for every day of your stay, we got caught out on that one.
You mean that I have to call back every day for 4 days? You can't book your entire trip based on 60 days from your first day?
Also, what time of day am I able to start booking on day 60? I'll call as soon as they open.
I would book when it's 60 days from your last day. We tored to boo k when it was 60 days from our first day & was told to ring back for the next days so we waited until 60 from the last day & booked the other 3 nights then.
We rang at different times of the day. Cost us £6 for the 2 calls when we checked the bill.
Quote from: Pachelbel9 on December 31, 2016, 04:10:09 PM
Quote from: Zee79 on December 29, 2016, 11:12:35 AM
Just need to remember it has to be 60 days for every day of your stay, we got caught out on that one.
You mean that I have to call back every day for 4 days? You can't book your entire trip based on 60 days from your first day?
You can book for your entire stay 60 day's before you're last day. I can assure you that all restaurants you want are available when you book. It won't be necessary to call multiple days.
Only remember that not every restaurant is open everyday and every hour. But when you are a bit flexible you could easily get to eat at all the places you want.
I just go to city hall on the first day of my stay and book everything I want there.
There is no need to panic over dinner. Paris is not that busy or pre booked as wdw. Just relax and plan only if you want to. Just enjoy the most beautiful disney park in the world.
Yes you have to wait until it's 60 days from your final day but really, you don't need to worry, if you ring on that day you will get your reservations. I was making changes to my bookings right up until 30 days before we went and still didn't have a problem getting what I want.
We were there end of November this year - the first evening we got a walk in at The Steakhouse and every evening after we would make our reservations for the next day at the hotel concierge. It was Christmas season so relatively busy but we had no problem getting the places & time slots we wanted. Only disappointment was Bistrot Chez Remy was only serving lunch so we skipped that. I wouldn't worry at all about getting your reservations if you're going to be calling 60 days in advance.
Wow, this is great. Such a change from WDW where you are planning ever second months in advance. I think I'm going to like DLP!
I finally made my reservations. A couple of questions:
1) They wouldn't let me book breakfast with the characters. They said I could only do it 3 days in advance. Is that correct, or should I call back and talk to someone else?
2) They didn't give me any confirmation numbers. Just took my name and asked where I was staying. Didn't even ask for my hotel confirmation number. Is this the norm? Again, I'm just so used to the process for WDW in Florida, that this all feels so informal. I know I just need to relax. ;)
1. Are you staying in a Disney hotel? Disney hotel guests can definitely book character breakfasts at Plaza Garden this early. Three days in advance should only be for non-hotel guests.
2. Yes they just take your surname. Perfectly normal.
Can't help you with the first question but they only took our name & hotel & that was fine. I was worried over it.
Quote from: Pachelbel9 on January 02, 2017, 02:38:56 AM
Wow, this is great. Such a change from WDW where you are planning ever second months in advance. I think I'm going to like DLP!
So many people compare the two. As long as you accept that they're totally different experiences (ie DLP is European and WDW is American) you'll be fine :)
Quick question !
I'm going from 4 may to 8 may. i want to dinner in the days 4/5/6/7 since i get 4 vouchers. and i can only use them in 5 places (regular HB plan). i thought to do the 4 buffets in the parks excluding the hotel one hum.
Should i still book by phone or i can get a reservation when i get there? We are pretty flexible on days as far as we can see the shows one time in the end of one day.
I can't help with number 1. but totally correct with number 1. When you check in if you ask your hotel will give you printouts of all your reservations.
Enjoy!