Before I start, I must apologize for not having posted our trip report sooner... There's no excuse (well, there is one: six-month post-honeymoon laziness...). As some of you may know, I got married in March and went to DLP and Paris for our honeymoon. It was the second time for me (first trip was in 2001) but the first visit for my girlfr... wife. ;)
I don't promise any great or funny report: just a recap of some facts that happened during those days. Luckily I kept a diary of (almost) everything we did during the honeymoon (I said almost...) so I'll try to be as accurate as possible. Sometimes I assume it will be a bit boring, that's why I'll also try to include pictures to make it easier to read.
We had been planning the trip since early October 2009 and are more than grateful for all the members of this forum, who helped us (directly answering questions or indirectly with their posts we read) during the preparation of the trip.
Anyway, without further ado, let's get on with it, starting with the...
DAY 0 – Sunday, March 7, 2010
We live in a town near Barcelona and we had to be at the airport by 6am in the morning, cause our flight was departing at 8.15am. That's why on Sunday, the day after the wedding, we went to my parents' home in Barcelona to sleep. Even though we had a wonderful weather during our wedding on Saturday (not a single cloud and reasonably warm temperatures being March), on Sunday evening it started to rain a little, but it was nothing to be worried about.
Or was it...? 8-[
DAY 1 – Monday, March 8, 2010
Alarm sets off at 6am. We got out of bed, had a quick shower and a cup of coffee. The taxi arrived at 6.30 as expected and we went downstairs carrying our luggage (which, by the way, was already prepared since before the wedding). That's when we notice it hadn't stopped raining for the whole night and also felt how the temperatures have decreased noticeably. It's ok, though, the rain was not heavy and there was no snow forecasted... or so we thought, because while going to the airport we heard on the taxi radio that it had just started to snow up north in the mountains (Barcelona is next to the sea and it almost never snows).
We got to the airport by 7am and did the check in. We wanted to peruse around the new terminal (really huge) and luckily all stores were already open.
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Since everything was on schedule we grabbed a couple sandwiches and waited till they called our flight number. Once in the plane we saw extremely white clouds above us... will it snow...? Well, it DID, and a LOT, in all Catalonia.
Here's a video of Barcelona during the heavy snowfall of that day:
[youtube:2qtmekga]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWN5OPcfoa0&feature=related[/youtube:2qtmekga]
It may not seem that much for people accustomed to this weather, but I'm telling you, this was completely unexpected to happen in Barcelona...
However, we were lucky enough to depart before everything started to get worse and we had a very smooth flight, arriving on time at Orly airport just a few minutes before 10am. So, what about the Parisian weather? NOT A SINGLE CLOUD!!! :D
Actually, we enjoyed a wonderful weather during our entire honeymoon (despite the low temperatures, for which we were more than prepared...).
The baggage collection was quite fast and at 10.30 we were already going to the VEA desk (//http://www.vea-shuttle.co.uk/) to purchase our shuttle bus tickets to DLP (17€ each for a single trip). Our bus left (half-full) around 11:15, and by 11:45 we started to see some well-known buildings of the resort... is that building the Tower of Terror...? We are already there!
First stop, New Port Bay Club, then the Sequoia, Cheyenne and Santa Fe... Nerves increasing, only 5 people remaining in the bus and finally our stop came: Hotel New York.
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The check in was fairly quick. In about 15 minutes we were ready to go to our room. Even though the CM spoke a bit Spanish we had decided that during our trip we would try to speak (and listen to) French only, so we asked her to address us in that language (which only my wife had studied, and that was 7 years ago...). Strangely enough, we were happy to realize that we could understand almost everything and we even actually spoke French (with an effort, of course, and sometimes switching to English when there was no way to communicate what we wanted). :thumbs:
The CM took her time to explain to us everything we needed to know about the hotel and its facilities, the parks, how the half board worked and other stuff... things we already knew thanks to this excellent forum. However, we were so excited that we listened to her advice anyway, and we were given all the info, passes and vouchers inside a nice envelope. Just before we left she said: "Oh, and enjoy your lune de miel" with a strange smile. We looked amazed to each other, as we had only mentioned that some months before, when we booked our stay by telephone. Odd... :shock:
Anyway, it's time to get to our room, so we took the elevators on the left (our room was on the Brownstone side of the hotel), up to the 7th floor, to our standard double room, number 7230.
We put in the card, opened the door and, as some of you (if not all) already figured, we got the first surprise of the trip. We had been upgraded to a lake view room!!! With that splendid sunny day and being on the one but last floor, the views were amazing!
The room
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And the view (Artist's impression... :P )
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However, we didn't have time to enjoy the views because we heard someone knocking on the door... who might that be...?
...Mickey...? :roll:
No. It was the cleaning lady. :?
But she brought two small packages and an envelope. "Monsieur, pour vous". Well, "merci"... but we hadn't ordered anything, had we? She left and I entered the room again, curious to discover what were those wrapped items.
And, once again, the magic popped in.
One of the presents was the toiletry set that is given to some rooms (or all, not sure) in the Disneyland Hotel, the one with Snow White and the Prince on the cover and inside seven boxes with the seven Dwarfs, each for an item.
Left to right and top to bottom:
1. Toothpaste and toothbrush
2. Shower cap
3. Razor and shaving foam
4. Cotton pad and swab
5. Sewing kit
6. Comb
7. Emery board
What about the other package? We unwrapped it and... a set of two wine glasses, where the stems are Mickey and Minnie.
Here's a picture of them. :thumbs:
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Inside the envelope was a letter from the hotel manager wishing us a great stay and hoping we would enjoy their presents.
We surely did!
We tried not to leave things in the middle of the room, so we left our luggage in one of the closets so we could leave the two queen-size beds clean.
Is it 1 pm already? Time to go to the park! The unpacking can wait...
So down we went, passing by the concierge and out we were. We turned right and passed next to the new synthetic ice-skating rink. The first thing we see is the Disney Village, which I didn't know yet. Restaurants on the left, shops on the right, the Disney Village radio playing all around. There's no time now to stop now, though, not even window shopping. To the park we go!
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We left the RER train station (//http://parisbytrain.com/rer-train-paris-to-euro-disney/) on our right and already saw the signs showing us the way (even though it's impossible to get lost), when we noticed some dark green tents on the path and wonder what they are. Security check. Nothing to be worried about, just a quick look inside your bags and they let you go.
The Fantasia Gardens look beautiful, even though it's March, really cold, and there are no flowers, yet. How will it be in late April or May...? The Disneyland Hotel is right in front of us, so elegant and majestic, the best way to get in the park.
DAY 1 – Monday, March 8, 2010 (Continued)
Finally! Disneyland, here we are! Across the passage under Disneyland Railroad's Main Street Station and Main Street, USA, is waiting. Some refurbishing is going on, but the scaffolding shows the building that is being renewed. This is the special touch that other parks don't have.
We arrive at the Central Plaza and without a doubt turn left to Frontierland. Big Thunder Mountain has only a 10 minute wait, so we go straight to the queue. This is my wife's first ride in a Disney park. We loved it! The themeing is great, compared to the other park we go more often (Port Aventura). To our eyes everything appears so detailed, so precisely done, that you really can feel you entered another world. Even CMs seem to belong there, as they are dressed according to the area or ride they are working in. This is something we've only seen there.
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After BTM we go to one of my favourites: Phantom Manor. Again, so well themed, and best of all, NO queue! :) The doombuggies are the best invention for a ride like this one. You just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. We have a quick walk around the cemetery, listen to the creepy thumps coming from within the big black tomb, and laugh at some of the epitaphs, especially the ones from the servants Jasper and Anna Jones ("Kept the master happier" ??? LOL :lol: ). Again, attention to details is one of the strengths of Disney.
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Leaving Frontierland we got lost sometimes in the caves of Adventure Isle in Adventureland. Important notice: watch out with the ice in winter! :!: These caves are fun and hide many secrets, but they can also be very slippery during winter... there are many warning signs, but one must be careful, anyway...
Unfortunately POTC was closed for refurbishment, so we head north to Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril, which is a nice coaster, but it's so far and hidden that we only rode it twice during our stay. Both times there was almost no queue (5 min or so) and it didn't seem as rough as some people say. Besides, for me it was the first time I rode it forwards, because last time it was still "à l'envers" (BAckwards. And I'm glad they changed it again, 'cause and I didn't like it).
Fantasyland was our next stop. Alice's Curious Labyrinth was OK, and I tried to turn the rock where the Dodo stands, so that it turns against the direction you turn the rock (again, something I learned here). In a matter of 10 seconds I was surrounded by kids who wanted to turn it after they saw me doing it.
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The labyrinth was quite well-kept despite being March and not having all the vegetation and flowers it probably has in spring or summertime.
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It's a Small World only had 5 minutes of waiting (even less, I have to admit), so we went for a ride. Since I bought the CD "Un Journée à Disneyland Paris" last time, my wife already knew the tune, but she hadn't suffered yet the different ethnic tones it has along the tour. It's the kind of ride my grandma would love: slow, smooth, no drops, catchy music and singing dolls... :lol:
Then we went back to the central hub of the park, where the beautiful castle stands.
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Unfortunately the bridge was still being rebuilt, so we had to use the back entrance.
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The inside is breathtaking, I must say, even for Europeans, more accustomed to this architecture than other people. All the details, the splendid stained glass windows, the elaborated tapestry on the walls, the sleeping (and snoring) armors, the red-eyed crow (only when you use flash), the ceiling...
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Since we got earlier a couple Fast Passes for Peter Pan's Flight and it was our time, we went for a ride. I must admit this ride made me feel a bit dizzy... :? Everything is quite dark and you don't know which way you're moving sometimes (since you're hanging from a railing, you not only move forwards but there are also little ramps that are a bit tricky in my opinion...). All in all, however, the ride fulfills its storytelling purpose quite well.
We were a bit hungry and we went to the Chalet de la Marionette for a snack: a Mickey brioche, popcorn and a hot Nesquik for 7€. With more energy we headed to our next stop: Discoveryland.
The first ride in this land was also a first time for both of us: Buzz Lightyear's Laser Blast. The audioanimatronic Buzz at the beginning is awesome and very realistic, by the way.
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It was our first time, yes, but I had read some tricks to get more points and I tried to win... but I miserably lost against my wife...! :shock: I don't know how, but she got a great score the first time!!! She must have hit some really hard target without even knowing while I was trying to shoot at the important ones... well, this opened the doors for revenge... :twisted:
And from Buzz's alien infested outer space we thought we could try and reach for a Supernova in Space Mountain: Mission 2. I rode it back in 2001 when it was still based on Jules Verne's novel and of course with the old, more classical soundtrack. Two things I didn't like this time: the volume was soooo low you almost couldn't hear anything but the bass beats (sometimes) of Giacchino's beautiful and more modern soundtrack. The other thing we found a bit upsetting was the roughness of the ride... our backs were banging on all sides and our necks were struggling not to be separated from our bodies... however, the (audio)visual effects were great.
Now, if we weren't already tired of stars we headed to Star Tours for some more... We almost didn't have time to see the themeing of the queue because, once again, it was empty. The ride looks a bit old now, so I guess it wouldn't do any wrong if they updated it (I think they are preparing some Star Tours 2 or something like that in the US, right?). Anyway, having seen all Star Wars movies, it's nice to feel you're in one.
So many trips to the outer space made us feel a bit tired. That's why we took the Disneyland Railroad for a complete tour of the park, which lasted around 20 minutes, from Discoveryland's station.
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We sat at the very end of the train and enjoyed every moment of it (especially our feet...!). While doing the tour, even though POTC was closed, we could take a sneak peek inside the caves of the ride, where there's a skeleton guarding and a treasure (poor little guy... all his life guarding something he couldn't enjoy... what's the point?). :-"
Back in Discoveryland we went for Autopia, where we suffered the longest line of the day... 15 minutes! (Yes, it's not that much, but compared to the 0 to 5 minutes wait... ;) ). We took the same car and I drove pretty well at 10km/h.
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There was a traffic jam at the end of the ride, so it took a bit longer, but even so I thought it was a short ride.
It was a bit cold and we went to the Videopolis to watch some classic Mickey cartoons (there were no show performances in March, just screenings). Afterwards we went for our last ride of the day, another Laserblast in which I finally managed to... loose (again...???). :-"
We walked through the Disney Village to the hotel, left our backpacks and had a quick shower. We noticed somebody had left 4 Mickey chocolate coins on our pillows! However, we didn't eat them yet, and went back to the Disney Village for dinner. We had purchased the Half Board Plus meal plan and one of the restaurants we were interested in was there: the Silver Spur Steakhouse.
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The HB menu we had comprised the following:
- Caesar salad (watch out! No chicken included in the HB menu!!!)
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- Rumpsteak with pepper sauce, plus side salad and fries.
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- Traditional curried chicken with rice and mango chutney
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- Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream (3 balls)
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- Bailey's Crème Brulée
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- Fanta orange
Everything would have cost 64.80€, but with the HB we saved almost 12€... not bad...
We were so full and tired that we would have run to our beds (if we hadn't been so full and tired, that is...), so when we arrived to our room we went straight to sleep. I was a bit worried because my wife has problems to sleep, but the beds and pillows were so comfortable that it took her no more than five minutes to fall asleep (it took me less, though!). Good night!
Night shot. Panorama from our window.
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End of Day 1. Day 2 coming soon.
Like your pics! Sound like you had a great start of your day. :-)
Quote from: "norhel"Like your pics! Sound like you had a great start of your day. :-)
Thanks! I'll tell my wife (she's the one who took the pictures) :)
I'm finishing Day 2, will post ASAP...
looking forward to day 2! looks like you had a great time! :)
So, on with...
DAY 2 – Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
We woke up at 7:30 and by 7:45 we were already having breakfast. While there, we met this forum's member "never2old", which we already knew was there with her husband. :)
The variety of food in Hotel New York was superb! Both hot and cold dishes, sweet and salty, healthy and.... naughty? And no queues either neither time slots for breakfast. I must admit we ate a LOT but when you're walking the whole day around the parks, you really need a full stomach.
We left the hotel and walked to the right of the Disneyland Hotel, where we saw some Cast Member's checking the visitors' tickets, as only hotel guests have the privilege of entering before the others. Thanks to these Extra Magic Hours, and even though we entered the park at 8:45, we were able to spend a good hour wandering around Fantasyland and enjoying two of the rides we couldn't do the day before.
In Dumbo the Flying Elephant the first thing I noticed was the state of some of the elephants, with peeled paint on their ears and on the seats. So I was quite glad to see they refurbished before this summer. The ride itself is very simple, but it's amazing to see the success it has among the younger ones. Maybe it's because you can control the height at which you "fly" or the cute little elephants, don't know.
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By the way, while we were waiting for the ride I was checking the machinery, which is surprisingly full of nice details.
The Carrousel de Lancelot is, as all carrousels, an old type of ride, but this one's very large and the "carrousel-like" versions of popular Disney songs make it different.
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When we were there we heard the "Colours of the Wind" song from Pocahontas and the "Is this love" from Cinderella (or Sleeping Beauty??? Please correct me!). Other tunes that can be heard are "Gaston" and "Be Our Guest" (Beauty and the Beast) or "Chim-chim-cheree" (Mary Poppins). I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I noticed.
Before leaving the park we decided to take a look at the courtyard next to the Auberge de Cendrillon, where we saw some nice tables (this must be great when it's not so cold) and Cinderella's carriage, something I didn't notice the first time I was there. That's one of the things I like about these parks, that you always have something new to discover.
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It was past 10 and more visitors were arriving at the park. We felt like salmons swimming against the current while we were leaving towards Walt Disney Studios, a park I read a lot of, but never been before.
There's always time for some silly pictures, though...
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Studio 1, though still with the scaffolding on its façade, looked impressive. And in the inside... shops on your left, restaurants on your right, a Hollywood panorama at the very end and lots of lights, cameras and movie props all around.
The Twilight zone Tower of Terror was our first stop, but we thought there was a long line (well, it said 20 minutes of waiting) and took 2 FPs for 1pm. I was a bit scared of this ride... :oops: I don't care about heights nor going up in elevators. What I fear is to know that, once on the top, the cabin will drop. I'd never been on a free fall ride before because I was too scared, but this is Disney, this is ToT and I have to do it! And I did... but first we had other things to do.
The Art of Disney Animation might seem a bit boring at first but I think it deserves at least one visit. After all, it all started with a mouse, they say, and without these "pioneers" we wouldn't have all the great pictures Disney has offered us. The synching of the presenter and Mushu the dragon in the last part of the show is a nice effect. The post show exhibition is worth seeing and though we wanted to spend some time learning to draw we didn't see any sessions going on at that time (besides, my drawing skills and techniques are so bad that I would need more than just a session to become acceptable...). :?
We went to our rights to Armageddon and waited 10 minutes until we got in... just to tell us we had to continue to the end, across the main show set, and exit because they had technical problems... this one would have to wait. :(
It was for good, though, because we were right in time for Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular. The show started at 12 and we were there at 11:45, so the waiting was not too long. However, our toes froze during the show... it was so cold!!! Each time there was fire on the set we were wishing they wouldn't turn the gas off. ;) The show is really spectacular even though some effects didn't work (there was no water bike scene and one of the red cars broke almost at the beginning of the show). The scenery is very realistic and the car ballet and the final scenes are impressive. They really are professionals. A great stunt show.
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We still had some time before ToT and wanted to ride the Rock'n'roller Coaster avec Aerosmith... but it was out of service that day. Another ride that would have to wait.
And now, here it is, the ToT... so big, so high, so... scary.
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Since we had the FPs we didn't see much of the queue outside, but then the hotel lobby... so wonderfully decorated and detailed! The cobwebs, the newspaper on the table, the coat and hat on the desk, the broken walls... yes, it was a glamorous hotel once, indeed...
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Then there's the preshow, that room so crowded with objects and artifacts and those CMs so creepy and funny at the same time. And the final room, with the boilers, the girl screaming from behind the wall, the dim lighting, with all the red and purple... Themeing like this is not seen everywere, I admit. Great work! =D>
Ok... there we are, standing in front of the elevator door, each on a number plate on the floor... the door opens, the CM starts shouting the numbers and in we go. We got first row, we attached our seat belts (is THAT was is supposed to hold me...? OMG... :shock: ). I don't want to go into further details, so I'll just say it was a great experience! We really enjoyed it and it was one of the rides we went on more times. It's just a free fall ride, if you want, but the ambience, the mood, the setting, everything is so well done that for me that stands as a great ride.
Once outside, and before lunch, we saw there was a Cinemagique show at 1:45pm so we went in. It's a nice show, and I think movie goers and people with some cinema knowledge will enjoy even more, this brief tour along the history of cinema presented in a humorous way with interesting visual and special effects.
To be continued...
Thanks for another great update. Your pictures are great.
Great trip report so far. I have never been before so it's nice to read a trip report that goes in to detail about the atteractions instead of assuming preople already know.
Thanks! That was the intention. :)
Now I just realized I forgot "Day 2 - Part 2", so I'll try to upload it today or tomorrow.
Great stuff WillN, thx for sharing :thumbs:
Thank you for posting a great report, I really enjoyed reading it. Just been showing my 3 year old son the pictures and he loves them too x
Previously, on WillN's report...
It's the second day, we've just visited WDS park and are leaving to DLP. (Short summary, but clear) ;)
Ok, let's go on:
It was about time to eat something, we were starving a bit. We decided earlier that The Lucky Nugget was our place for lunch, so we left the WDS, back to DLP and into Frontierland.
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A band was playing when we entered, we found a place to sit next to each other, on that bar facing the tables downstairs, and served ourselves some food.
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The variety and quality of the food was OK but not great. I understand it's more a place for kids/teens than adults. While we were eating we heard some child screams and when we turned we saw that some characters had just entered the restaurant. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto were there, wandering around the tables and playing with the children, posing for some pictures, signing autographs... they even came to our table and we took some pictures with Goofy and Pluto, even though were just two adults (I thought they would only go to kids but they proved me wrong...!). :thumbs: Just behind our table was a young couple with their daughter who was celebrating her first birthday and Pluto went up to their table. You should have seen the happiness in that little child's face... it was very touching to see her so happy, laughing and grabbing Pluto's ears (and trying to bite his nose...). :lol:
We ate a bit too much :oops: and didn't feel like walking too much, so we went to PM and then a ride around the lake on the Mark Twain (the Molly Brown was being refurbished).
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This ship offers a relaxing trip with nice views of the area, BTM and some extra features like some wild animals, the fisherman (whose name I don't remember) with his dog and the geiser area (with, sadly, no water...).
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Even some seagulls were flying next to the boat!
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It was already 4:15pm and we went to the Central Plaza in order to find a place to watch the Once Upon a Dream Parade. The area was not yet crowded and we found a place next to a lamppost where we sat until it was 5pm and the parade started.
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:!: Complaint/Warning :!: : It was a bit difficult to manage the nervous and anxious parents who try to get their children in front of you, which is OK since you're taller than them and you can still watch the floats and the characters and dancers normally. What really bothered me was that, once they placed their children in front of you, they tried to get there themselves subtly by elbowing and telling you to move aside...! Come on... we have been waiting for 45 minutes, you just arrived 5 minutes ago, put your children in front of us without even asking and now you want to step in front of me? No way! :x We just pretended we didn't understand them and enjoyed the parade. It was quite easy once we ignored them, since they got tired and went to the back.
The parade, despite the fact that you listen to the same song in a never ending loop ("a la" Small World) is wonderful.
The floats are perfectly done, the choreographies simple but effective. It's also nice how the characters, performers and CMs interact with the audience (I booed a pirate while filming Peter Pan's float and he came to me with a menacing face...! How rude for a pirate to do such a thing... :-" ).
Here are some (nostalgic) pictures of some floats:
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After the parade, and once again, I miserably lost against my wife at Buzz's (why did I even bother...??? :? ) and then we headed to Honey, I shrunk the Audience. I remembered it as a good show but I left disappointed this time. A lot of effects weren't working (no rats, no spray...) and the quality, compared to the current 3D movies felt a bit outdated. However, now that Captain EO is back, there's no reason for complaining anymore...
Back to SMM2 the soundtrack was a bit louder (yay! :thumbs: ) but the ride was again quite rough. A quick ride at the Orbitron and then for some shopping at the Main Street stores. I usually don't enjoy walking in a shop and perusing around, but I must admit these stores are worth a visit (or more, which was the case).
It was dark already and we turned back just past the Disneyland Hotel, which looks great at night!
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Then back to the hotel and went to the Village, this time to Annette's Diner. We had to wait for about 30 minutes and we were given a table downstairs. We had:
- Cheese burger
- Onion and cheese burger
- Since they were menus, they also included fries, a soft drink and a brownie "a la mode" (which consisted of vanilla ice and whipped cream).
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Everything was 35€ and it gave us enough energy to go to... sleep, since it was 10.30pm and we were extremely tired...!
Shhhht! We're sleeping! :-$
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Day 3 coming soon.
As always great photos and a great report, Thanks!
Its already been said but I will say it again, excellent photo's, your wife has a real eye for a shot. All the detail you remember is fantastic too.
Gerat trip report. It's so nice not to hear about how this and that was better before as I won't know the diferance. I may have to steal that door hanger though.
Quote from: "WillN":!: Complaint/Warning :!: : It was a bit difficult to manage the nervous and anxious parents who try to get their children in front of you, which is OK since you're taller than them and you can still watch the floats and the characters and dancers normally. What really bothered me was that, once they placed their children in front of you, they tried to get there themselves subtly by elbowing and telling you to move aside...! Come on... we have been waiting for 45 minutes, you just arrived 5 minutes ago, put your children in front of us without even asking and now you want to step in front of me? No way! :x We just pretended we didn't understand them and enjoyed the parade. It was quite easy once we ignored them, since they got tired and went to the back.
We had the same problem last year. Lady physically tried to put her buggy in front of us. We had been waiting for 30 mins and had a good view. There was room on the other side of the street so we sent them over there. I'm not too fussed about the children but having me feet run over by the push chair really got me annoyed.
Thanks for all the replies. It's our first report so they are very encouraging...! :)
DAY 3 – Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
We got up at 7am and enjoyed briefly the nice views from our room.
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After a long breakfast (we weren't in a hurry and needed to eat a lot for another exhausting day at DLP) we took advantage of the EMH and went this time for Mad Hatter's Tea Cups.
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This ride, even though it hadn't been refurbished yet, I like a lot. The roof geometry is wonderful. Of course we managed to be alone in a cup (it was very easy) and we didn't turn it too much, just in case, since we wanted to keep our breakfasts inside for a while... I like the soundtrack loop, which is a medley of Alice in Wonderland's movie songs.
We also went to IASM once more
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As we did the day before, just a few minutes before ten we were inside the big Studio 1. The first ride this time was Crush's Coaster, for which we had to make a 25 min queue (I think the longest of the whole trip). It's a pity that the loading/unloading takes so long, otherwise we would have ridden it more times (though we rode it twice).
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I liked the way it's divided in two parts. The first one, calm and smooth, with the characters and so on... the second, after the lift hill, so crazy and fast! I really like these indoor coasters...
The two rides that were previously closed were already operating that day, and first we went to Armageddon. The preshow was a bit avoidable, to be honest, but the show is ok. However, I compared it to the Templo del Fuego in Port Aventura and Armageddon is quite smaller and shorter.
Rock'n'roller Coaster avec Aerosmith is another great indoor ride. :thumbs: Something I like from DLP is how many rides and shows are indoor (obviously due to meteorological reasons), and it also adds more magic, since the atmosphere totally surrounds you. Being inside a building it's easier to create the feeling. Wow...! This coaster was amazing! The music makes you feel it's even faster than it is, and the launching is so long you almost think the first loop never comes... until it comes, and you start seeing all the spotlights, smoke, lasers... when we left we went for a ToT and the to Animagique.
Animagique is great for children but as adults we also enjoyed this show. The theme song is very catchy and the black light effects work perfectly in this show.
Here's a video (not mine) featuring the song:
[youtube:2jm70vuv]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzsPuBLKwQQ[/youtube:2jm70vuv]
As I said, not only children liked this show. :P
(Part 2 and Day 4 during the weekend, I hope...)
Quote from: "Clara2141"We had the same problem last year. Lady physically tried to put her buggy in front of us. We had been waiting for 30 mins and had a good view. There was room on the other side of the street so we sent them over there. I'm not too fussed about the children but having me feet run over by the push chair really got me annoyed.
Well, I see we're not the only ones...! ;)
Actually, situations like that are quite usual in Spain (though not ALL Spanish people act the same, of course!), but now I see that sometimes nationality doesn't matter... :?
How long does animagique last? I have a toddler and I'm hoping it isn't too long for her to sit through. Any other info would be great because I'm not sure what the show entails.
Quote from: "gothprincess"How long does animagique last? I have a toddler and I'm hoping it isn't too long for her to sit through. Any other info would be great because I'm not sure what the show entails.
I think it lasts around 20 minutes, but I assure you she wont't get tired of sitting through it. There were lots of children and most of them were sitting very quietly almost like hypnotized by the show, so... ;)
However, since the show is based on dark light, it gets very... well... "dark", so if she is afraid of it, I don't know how would she take it. However, I insist, I think it's great for them.
Hi again, and sorry for the delay.
Day 3 - Part 2
After Animagique we left the WDS and went back to Disneyland. I forgot to mention that we had previously booked a table for two at Walt's: an American restaurant. We booked it at the City Hall, a building where people can get lots of information about the park, but many don't even notice it's there (right on the left as you enter the park, the building with a clock tower).
We still had some time until lunch so we went for two similar rides we hadn't seen yet. One was Les Voyages de Pinocchio and the other Snow White. Both are more or less the same, since they tell you the tales of Pinocchio and Snow White as if you were in the story. They're short rides but very well designed, recommended for small children.
We arrived at Walt's and were told to go upstairs, where we were sat at the Adventureland room (there are 5, one for each land in the park, I think). Our table was next to a window that faced the small dead end street almost at the corner of the building, so we could see a bit of Main Street while eating.
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We used again the Half Board Plus vouchers and have to say that the quality, quantity, and presentation of the food were excellent! Plus, the service was also on the same level as well. Even the dishes have some nice details!
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And here are some pictures of what we had for lunch (we don't have pictures of everything, but you'll get an idea):
- Goat cheese salad
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- Salmon rôti
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- Cheese Cake
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- Chocolate coulant
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We took our time and enjoyed every moment. We had a very quiet meal (the quietest of our stay, to be honest) at Walt's and wished more restaurants were like it. It's probably the most adult oriented place to eat, or at least of the places we went to.
Since we were already in Main Street, we decided (we...?) to go shopping for a while. We entered the large Emporium store and spent some time perusing around the other shops. As I already mentioned, they are worth a visit, even if you're not planning to buy, just to enjoy the architecture, the decorations and all the details.
We spent the rest of the afternoon riding some random rides like BTM, Buzz (guess what...? I lost again...), HISTA and SMM2 until 6.30pm.
That day we had decided we were going to walk around the lake and visit the other hotels out of curiosity, so we went to the hotel, had a quick shower and left for a walk.
It took almost 2 hours but we enjoyed every minute. It was a nice change after all the excitement in the parks. We left our hotel and turned left following the lakeside:
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At the American based Sequoia Lodge hotel we stopped for a while next to a fireplace inside before we continued until the classic Newport Bay Club hotel, right at the other side of the lake:
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From here we could admire our hotel from a different perspective:
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Then, instead of following the lake perimeter we decided to go back and make a right following the Rio Grande (a river that dies at the lake) to visit the two hotels on its banks. On the right, the Mexican style Hotel Santa Fe, with some nice details as a volcano or a UFO crash landing next to the road. On the left, as if going back in time to the Far West, Hotel Cheyenne, which we understood why is best recommended for children, with its outdoors play areas and large streets. It was getting dark so we headed back to our hotel and since there was still one hotel we hadn't seen from the inside, we thought it would be nice to visit the Disneyland Hotel. Its majestic outside matches the interior perfectly, with large staircases, wide halls, and classic architecture.
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Two hours of (more) walking made us hungry and since it was almost 9pm, this time the choice was the Rainforest Café. The service that night was very slow, somehow understandable because it was very crowded, but it was something we didn't like. The jungle atmosphere, however, is very nice, and especially during those moments when the lights dim and the rain starts falling (almost literally) with thunders and lightning.
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Food was OK. My wife had a Caesar salad (this time with chicken) and I had the Cha-cha menu (coated turkey with tomato and mozzarella salad and fries.
We left by 10.30pm and went straight to bed.
End of Day 3.
Mmmmmm yummy I'm so hungry now.
Thanks for your excellent trip report, especially the photos from Walts. We have booked lunch here on the second day of our trip and I am really looking forward to it, the food looks fantastic!
We are also planning to visit all the other hotels as we have only stayed in Hotel New York. We are going to go to a different one each night for cocktails!
Again, thanks for your comments! We really appreciate that! :)
DAY 4 – Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Our last full day at DLP! :?
We decided to do some of the things we hadn't done yet, so that day, once we entered the park during the Extra Magic Hours, we hopped on the double-decker vintage bus and sat at the front, which offered us a different way of admiring Main Street and the castle.
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At the end of the tour we went to Dumbo, Peter Pan and finally Buzz (don't ask who won this time, I'm not going to answer that... :-" )
Then, at 10 we went to WDS (as usual), as in DLP for some rides we hadn't done yet.
First we headed for our second time at Crush's Coaster, which we rode after 20 minutes of queuing. The next was Cars Quatre Roues Rallye, a flat ride which was OK, but nothing special (similar to the teacups), and the cars are quite small (some large people looked like sardines in a can).
The following ride was Les Tapis Volants (Flying Carpets over Agrabah), a Dumbo-like flat ride which, again, was OK but nothing remarkable IMHO.
Since we were in the WDS we couldn't miss another trip to the twilight zone or some thrilling musical moments at the RnRC.
When we finished we went to Stitch Live. We went for the English version of the show and found it very funny. The way Stitch interacts with the audience is very well done and the technical aspects of the show are great. :lol:
It was around 1.30pm when we had lunch at the Restaurant des Stars, a buffet restaurant which can be very crowded sometimes, especially when Rémy himself shows up around the tables. And I don't mean a human-size character, no, I mean a rat-size... err... rat.
See for yourselves:
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We would like to thank the CM who made Rémy come right next to our table (by next, I mean a few inches only!). Since I knew about Rémy's coming around the tables, I asked one CM if he could manage to get it next to our table so my wife could see it and, well, he did! It's very funny to see him move, "speak" and even dance at the tune of "U Can't Touch This"! :D/
After lunch we went to see the Stars'n'Cars Parade, which is nice if you can get a spot in front of the main stage. Otherwise I guess you only see the cars passing by for some moments and then nothing... :roll: The show features a nice song and some dances performed by the various characters. The floats... well, actual cars, are very well achieved, so once again it's that thing only Disney can do, I guess...
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We went back to DLP and took another one of the Main Street vehicles, this time the Fire Truck. At Central Plaza we turned left to Frontierland, took a couple FPs for BTM and went to Phantom Manor. Then we went up to Adventureland to ride Indy again, Fantasyland for a last IASM ride, Space Mountain at Discoveryland
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and finally another complete tour on the Disneyland Railroad. We took some sunset pictures before we went shopping on Main Street and back to the hotel.
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These were about to become the last pictures we took there, since on Day 5 we didn't go to the parks... :(
At 8.30pm we had dinner at the hotel's Parkside Diner restaurant, but I completely forgot what we had, even though I remember it was very good.
And went to bed, to enjoy our last night at Disney...
Thanks for another great update. I really enjoy your trip report and can't wait for the last day.
Great trip report!
The sunset pic od the castle is amazing you have quite a talent.
DAY 5 – Friday, March 12th, 2010
This was our last day and the less "Disneyesque" of them all. We woke up at 8, had breakfast and by 9.30 we were already leaving our room in order to proceed with the checkout. However, we left our luggage still in the hotel because today we wanted to go to La Vallee Village, the outlet stores close to DLP, and the Val d'Europe shopping center. We booked a van at the reception (I think it was about 5€) and in 10 minutes there was a large black van waiting for us for a 10 minute ride to the site. The outlet village was almost identical to the one we have near our home in a town called La Roca del Vallès, which means expensive brands at not so expensive prices, but still pricey IMHO... However, we did enjoy the Val d'Europe shopping center, where we had a sandwich before we went back to the hotel.
We collected our luggage (they were in a huge meeting room, one of many in the hotel) and walked to the RER station, where we bought two train tickets to Paris, were our honeymoon continued for six more days.
So, that's the end of our trip report, finishing with this picture of the beautiful Castle.
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We hope you've enjoyed it and wish all of you a wonderful time when you're visiting Disneyland Paris. :thumbs:
Good Bye!!!
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that last pic is awsome =]
Thanks to you both, great report with a lot of fun and love, always a good thing :D
Thanks for your great trip report. I really enjoyed reading it. Hopefully you had a great time in Paris, too. We did it always the other way round. First we spent some days in the city and then moved to DLRP.
Just finished reading your report, great read and gorgeous pictures, thank you for that!!
It really sounds like you guys had a wonderful time (even though it sounds like you need more practice with your shooting in Buzz ;) )
Glad we got to meet while you were there!!