Hey guys :)!
I'm back after a pretty good trip, though with a not so good start. I don't think I'm going to write a full TR due to most days being similar (EMH, Studios, afternoon rest, Disneyland Park) and lack of photos as I rarely took my camera out with me because of the rain. I will do a highs and lows list though, most of the lows or bad points of the trip have nothing to do with Disney or out of their control. ;
Highs
Cast Memebers. The CMs were all so friendly this year, not once did we walk past a CM without them smiling and saying Bonjour! Which is a large improvement from last year, where we were mostly ignored or served with no smile.
Wait Times. We were so lucky with queues and timing this trip, we never waited over 10 minutes for most rides, with a lot actually walk on! While on Pirates mid-afternoon one day the CMs let us stay on for another round :thumbs:. And this was Mid-July!!
Rainforest Cafe. I always feel aprehensive when eating here, as I've heard/read alot of negative reviews but that's several times I've ate here and always had great service/food and this trip was no exception, we ate here twice.
Lows
Baggage Mishap. So when we first arrived at CDG everything was going to plan and we got through border control etc. quickly, we waited and waited for our luggage and when looking at the time we'd actualy had been waiting for the luggage for an hour already. Time flew by as everyone from our flight waited on our luggage, to then be told by airport staff that our baggage had been lost and we'd need to fill out a lost baggage form. This was just devistating to be honest, and by this time we had been waiting in baggage reclaim for six hours :shock:. I was tired, grumpy and annoyed. The staff told us it could be days before our bags show up as they have no idea where they are but they'd send them to the hotel when they arrived. Hearing they could take days really pushed me to the verge of crying, I had EVERYTHING in my luggage. Anyway, we came back to the hotel for a rest on the second day, turned on the TV to see a flashing message on the screen; "YOUR BAGS HAVE ARRIVED - reception" :lol:. I'm glad they arrived so quickly, although it did feel like I was without them for longer.
Weather. It rained most days we were there, which wouldn't have been so bad if I had packed for such weather.There's not a lot you can do though but wear a poncho and make the most of your time :D
Cinemagiqué. Twice we attempted to see this and both times the show failed and we were evacuated after just seconds. I've heard of this happening a lot recently, not a good sign.
Toy Story Playland. I was wanting to try RC Racer, but the queue was ridiculous. 60 minutes while rides like TOT and BTM had 10/15? Craziness.
Not really a high or low but something I thought was worth mentioning was that I saw alot of mice around the resort this trip, something I've never actually notice myself before. One of the sightings was in Frontierland at night and I'm sure they were far too big to be just mice, ew.
Overall we had a really great trip and I noticed several improvments since last year :D.
Hope you had a great time. =]
I noticed the more friendly Cast members and they were more helpful also! I heard an english cast member talking to a british family about where they were from and how they were enjoying their stay. It was nice to here.
Sorry about your baggage, it has happened to us in Spain about 5 years ago, we didn't get anything for over 24 hours of our 7 day holiday, but it's glad everything was resolved. :thumbs:
Yeah, it does put a damper on your stay when it's raining and cold. But like you said, there's nothing to do about it.
I'm glad you had a great time, it would be nice to see even a few photos of your stay. =]
regarding the mice, i saw one running around blockbuster cafe whilst there (11th-15th July) and the cast members didn't seem bothered when it was brought to their attention! we left very very quickly. although we did not notice any at all throughout the rest of the trip.
glad you had a lovely trip as a whole (:
i was there on monday and it was down main street and it wasnt a mouse it was defiantly a rat, it was massive!!! EWWW
Yeah, I thought it must have been a rat. ew!
Also I forgot to mention, another highlight of the trip was The Earl of Sandwich, which was delicious! And the view over lake Disney was beautiful :)
Great report. I love it when people break down their trips into easy to read Pros and Cons. Good stuff.
See, Disneyland Paris does have a mouse/rat problem. I mentioned mice in another discussion on here, and people thought I was exaggerating. They've definitely been spotted in the queue for Big Thunder Mountain and also in Walt's Restaurant!
What people forget is that 25 years ago DLP was just sugar beet fields so ironically Mickey & Minnie wont be the only mice you see.
At least the cast members seem a lot better than when I went a few years ago, they were a real miserable bunch! Shame about the weather, but as you say what can you do!?
the benches in the fantasia gardens area are a prime rodent spot ! we have often seen a variety of quite cute furry things (not characters !) sitting there seemingly oblivious to the passing crowds. we saw some gorgeous baby squirrels ( i think ) last year. 8 years ago when youngest had just turned one we were standing waiting for hubby and big sister at the tea cups. she seemed fascinated by something in the grass and when i looked there was a huge rat running around beside the railing. needless to say i moved her and the buggy very quickly !!
Quote from: "fly_with_me_dumbo"i was there on monday and it was down main street and it wasnt a mouse it was defiantly a rat, it was massive!!! EWWW
Yep, I saw a rat too during my recent trip. It came out of the Cast Members Only door by the men's toilet by Phantom Manor! The only rodents I wanna see are Mickey and Minnie!
I've never seen any rats, yet. I'm more worried about bird droppings when I walk under a tree.
Has Disney ever confronted the issue or tried to control it?
Place with lots of hidey holes, food and water? There are always going to be mice and rats around, no matter what anyone tries to do.
i think they all moved to buffalo bills for a while, but probably didnt enjoy the food so headed somewhere new !!
glad you had a good time and that your luggage problem was resolved quickly .
I agree with you about the cast members, much more approachable this year and whenever we asked a question they seemed interested in talking to us.
We also saw a huge great rat by lake Disney.
I have seen rats and mice. Such a shame Disney cannot control the problem.
I saw mice when I was there three years ago but never a rat, I think I'd freak if I did! It's to be expected in ride queues and generally around the park, but surely they shouldn't be in the restaurants?! Eww!
Last september hubby spotted a mouse at the Santa Fe Hotel, runing to the dining room. He went to the reception desk and told the castmember.
First thing, the castmember looked irritated, with a face like "Ok, a mouse. You're at Disneyland. Nothing strange about mice running around. Then :idea: :idea: :idea: :shock: a REAL mouse, not Minnie or Mickey :lol: :lol: :lol:
Last week I had a problem in Colonel Hathi's in relation to a credit card transaction and while waiting at the counter for a manager i saw a mouse run into the kitchen. When I told the manager his response was "That is my boss!"
Then when waiting outside Colonel Hathi's for my bf I saw a rat running around the shrubbery....
Also saw a rat running along the area where the characters do photos near Caseys...
Its bound to happen is such an open space where there is growth and water.... But I'd rather not see it ha
Quote from: "15MagicalYears"Highs
Cast Memebers. The CMs were all so friendly this year, not once did we walk past a CM without them smiling and saying Bonjour! Which is a large improvement from last year, where we were mostly ignored or served with no smile.
Weather. It rained most days we were there, which wouldn't have been so bad if I had packed for such weather.There's not a lot you can do though but wear a poncho and make the most of your time :D
Cast Members: The simple answer is that us Scots have taken charge of most big attractions/boutiques this Summer!
Weather Meh, you should be used to it at home! :P It was such a miserable week though, really I felt bad for folk in the park.
Quote from: "Snow_White_Girl"I saw mice when I was there three years ago but never a rat, I think I'd freak if I did! It's to be expected in ride queues and generally around the park, but surely they shouldn't be in the restaurants?! Eww!
why is it expected around ride queues?
Mice let alone rats carry all sorts of disease makes me cringe to think of rats and mice ruiing around.I have a huge phobia of both and disney is my escape
What I meant is I don't think there's any way they can control it in open spaces like ride queues etc., other than covering all the park floor space in rat poison(!)... but surely in places where people eat and in kitchens there's hygiene regulations they have to stick to, so something should be able to be done to control it there?
Don't get me wrong, I'd flip if I saw a rat in the park. Mice don't overly bother me but rats....ugh!! :(
The place is full of rats;seen them in queues inWDS running over peoples feet, TOT gardens(very atmospheric),in Adventureland paths, eating pumpkins by BTM,along the Rio Grande, in fact if you find a quiet spot and wait anywhere, you will see them.