DWB pre trip report

davewasbaloo · February 04, 2011, 10:11:30 AM

Well I hope this isn't too premature, but I am starting to get excited about our upcoming vacation. I thought I might do a pre trip report, but about our whole trip, not just DLP.

The players:
Me - 36
Sarah - wife, 34
Mikey - 7
Jess - 5

We will be leaving to go to DLP via Eurotunnel. We are staying at our villa at Marriott for a week and will take time enjoying the resort as well as the parks (we have the Dream APs, so often we will go into DLP for the morning or afternoon, and enjoy the resort and villa the other half, or sometimes we spend all day in the parks). The plan for this trip is to also take the children into Paris for the first time, and we have our river cruise taken care of thanks to Tescos (same with the Eurotunnel Crossing). We will likely eat on a budget (ish) and self cater a bit as this is a big trip, to celebrate easter as well as our 11th Wedding Anniversary.

http://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel ... de-france/

After we leave the resort, we will then head to Metz for lunch and then on to Strasbourg for the night. I am looking forward to it as it seems a beautiful city. Staying in a suite at the Holiday Inn thanks to my points.

Then we will head on to Europa Park where we are staying at the hotel Colloseo for three nights. I am really excited about this as we have never been, and many have told me the Europa Park hotels are better than the Disney ones. We will see. It is unlikely we will do many of the big coasters, but I am looking forward to the dark rides and the shows.

http://resort.europapark.de/lang-en/The ... /c583.html

After we leave Europa Park, we will then pay a visit to Freiberg and take a leisurely drive through the Black Forest up to Heidelburg for the night. We will stop in the Crowne Plaza (once again on points).

After exploring Heidelburg, the next one is the one I am really excited about. We will be staying for 5 nights in a 16th century Wein Kelter on the Mosel:

http://www.moselholiday.com/

While we are here, we are planning on taking in roman Trier, a Rhine Cruise from St Goar to Rudesheim, visit the castles in Cochem and Berg Elz, as well as some vinyards with wine tastings. I am really excited about this part of the trip.

After that, we will then head up to Cologne to visit the Cathedral and then on to Phantasialand where we will be staying in the Ling Bao. My wife and daughter are most excited about this part of the trip I think.

http://www.phantasialand.de/eng/Hotels/Hotel-LING-BAO

We will then enjoy the park and head on to Brussels for the night at the Crowne Plaza (on points) - thinking of going to the Automium and model village the next day before heading on to Calais for the return trip home.

I am very excited about this trip, and I think it goes to show Florida is not the only place you can go to have an amazing time with lots of different theme park experiences (though granted with much more driving involved).

dagobert · February 05, 2011, 09:48:36 AM

I can't wait to hear what you think about Europa Park and Phantasialand. Friends of us have been there several time and they like Europa Park a lot. Although not as beautiful as DLP, but they say that it's better maintained. Hopefully you will do a trip report about these two German parks as well.

And I'm curious to read about your impressions of the current state of Disney's European parks.

davewasbaloo · February 05, 2011, 11:06:24 AM

I intend to write up all of it. I enjoyed Phantasialand when I last went in 1989, but it has changed a lot since then. I am really looking forward to Europa Park, friends of mine tell me there is a lot of live entertainment and I am looking forward to it's dark rides, very much.

davewasbaloo · February 05, 2011, 11:07:15 AM

In the summer, rather than go to DLP, we are also going to give De Eftling a try.

kmara · February 05, 2011, 05:38:38 PM

can't wait to read your trip report, especially about Europa Park! We go there about once or twice a year (for a daytrip usually; it's a three hour drive from here, one way). We have stayed at the Colosseo before and it was really nice!
As for the park, you might want to take good rainclothes (rainjacket and rainpants) as in quite a few attractions you're likely to get wet and this isn't a lot of fun when temps are low. we always have our rainstuff with us and people usually envy us for it :mrgreen:
In Europa Park they have many, many attractions for smaller kids; your kids will love it! And - especially if you're going off season - you won't have to queue for these at all. Even if you don't plan on going on the coasters, don't miss Poseidon, it's my favourite! It's a mix of a waterride and a rollercoaster and wonderfully themed! And then try Cassandra and think of me during the very last part of the ride :mrgreen:

:mrgreen:
You will see that they have also "copied" some Disney rides like "Piraten in Batavia" and "Atlantica" (= Buzz Lightyear).

Well I wish you and your family a great trip and I'll sure stay tuned!

kmara · February 05, 2011, 05:40:20 PM

btw: what are the exact dates of your stay at DLP? I've just noticed that we will be there around that time, too; we'll stay there from April 4 - 7th.

nicoledlrp · February 05, 2011, 06:24:44 PM

we will be at the ling bao in the second week of april following a couple of nights at oberwessel (i think thats how to spell it ). we are heading back to germany later in the year for europa park to stay at the colosseo so i look forward to lots of info on it as we havent stayed at that hotel before !! hope you enjoy efteling as much as we did last year. have a great trip when the time comes.

disneyloverjessie · February 06, 2011, 11:31:30 AM

i went to phantasialand in the summer and it was AMAZING!
reminded me of DLRP although not as good. The theming was great and so were the rides!

davewasbaloo · February 06, 2011, 02:05:27 PM

Quote from: "kmara"btw: what are the exact dates of your stay at DLP? I've just noticed that we will be there around that time, too; we'll stay there from April 4 - 7th.

Thanks for the tips kmara. Sadly we will miss you at DLP, we are there the week later. But I am looking forward to the trip very much. Especially trying the new things out in Germany. Any tips at Europa Park?

For me, I want to do the Universe of Energy, the Haunted House attraction, Pirates of Battavia, the shows, and that kind of thing. I am really looking forward to trying the hotel Colloseo out, it looks fab.

kmara · February 06, 2011, 03:15:49 PM

too bad we will miss each other

It would have been nice to meet you in person

tips for Europa Park:
As I already said, don't miss Poseidon! Even if you are not a big coaster fan, this one I love! Blue Fire is great, too, but for this one, you have to love speed and coasters. I've never been on Silverstar because I'm afraid of heights and this one is the highest coaster in Europe (if I'm right).

I also love riding the monorail (the small one, not the EP express, EP express goes around the park and to the hotels (the Colosseo's got a station, too) which gives you an idea of the size of the prak). The monorail starts in the chocolate building and takes you a couple meters above the crowds through England, Abenteuerland, Holland, Portugal and now they have extended it and even built a second station in Iceland.

And when you're in Iceland: don't miss the Coffe Huis! We just love it there! Very comfortable, delicious coffee specialities and bakery stuff!

Take your rainstuff, not just a cape but rather also rainpants, as the seats are sometimes wet, too; for example on the Fjord Rafting Ride, the Atlantica Supersplash, the Tiroler Wildwasserbahn,Poseidon and the new attraction where you go around in ships and shoot with waterguns at each other!

Definitely plan on spending quite a while on the huge and wonderful playground "Welt der Kinder"! They have great slides, sand, water to play with and some attractions for smaller kids.

The park is much bigger than DLP and you definitely need at least two days to see it all! The hotels are very close to the park though and the hotel entrance to the park is right on the opposite site of the entrance for one-day-guests, which gives you a good start on the attractions close to the hotel before the main crowds hit this section of the park.

I have been to Europa Park regularly for the last 30 years, so I kind of saw it myself, how the park grew and all the developements. and I think, ever since Disney came to Paris, Europa Park started to better theme its park and try to get that Disney standard in order to be able to compete with DLP. And I have to admit, they did a very good job with this! I have to say (and you will see) that in many ways thes have reached and even topped Disney standards (I am talking about about food and merchandise diversity (like they had at DLP in the beginning), the hotel standards and many shows and details).

I might come up with some more tips as I keep thinking about it; if you have any questions just go ahead and ask!

dagobert · February 06, 2011, 03:47:32 PM

Quote from: "kmara"I have been to Europa Park regularly for the last 30 years, so I kind of saw it myself, how the park grew and all the developements. and I think, ever since Disney came to Paris, Europa Park started to better theme its park and try to get that Disney standard in order to be able to compete with DLP. And I have to admit, they did a very good job with this! I have to say (and you will see) that in many ways thes have reached and even topped Disney standards (I am talking about about food and merchandise diversity (like they had at DLP in the beginning), the hotel standards and many shows and details).

Friends told us the same a few days ago. They are regular visitors to DLRP and to Europa Park. According to them Europa Park's hotel are in a much better shape than all Disney Hotels in Paris. But that's not hard, since German hotels are in general above the European average in terms of quality.

A few years ago all themepark companies looked at Disney Parks on how to run a resort and now it seems that Disney, especially DLRP, could learn a lot from them. Our friends even enjoyed the fast food at Europa Park a lot and usually they don't eat such food.
I'm sure you will enjoy your stay there a lot. Maybe we will shorten our next Disney vacation and stay two days at Europa Park since it's on the way to Paris.

davewasbaloo · February 06, 2011, 05:09:33 PM

It sounds great. I love coasters, problem is my kids are too small, and sometimes, sadly I am too big. But I am really excited, I have heard great things. Sadly it seems Iger is not interested in restoring Disney standards, so we are looking for alternatives.

kmara · February 06, 2011, 06:38:00 PM

Europa Park with small kids is great! they have lots and lots of rides for the little ones to enjoy; they have more rides for small kids than coasters or other rides for adults. you really can do lots of things together as a family!
They also have at least - let me count - 6 playgrounds, at least one of them indoors, so your little ones can also let of some steam and become active in playing after being passive on the rides.

my kids love the small version of a pendant to Autopia; they sit in small cars all by themselves and go around!

never2old · February 14, 2011, 09:03:27 PM

Sounds like a great holiday!! Hope you give us a detailed report when you're back.

Strasbourg is a really beautiful place, as is Metz. Luxembourg is about 30-40 minutes away, so we go to Metz regularly, mostly for shopping... But it's a really nice town, if you have time try to visit the cathedral there!

I also know Trier quite well (again, not far from Luxembourg), there's plenty to visit there, you can easily spend a day there. They have some great roman ruins - the baths are very well preserved, and the amphitheater, though a bit far from the center, is definitely worth a visit. Don't miss the Porta Nigra, the Cathedral (they have the Holy Tunic there), the Basilica (and the pink castle attached to it... I always thought it weird, but they have nice gardens there too)

And of course, you're not far from Luxembourg... Also worth a visit!!

davewasbaloo · March 16, 2011, 02:35:22 PM

I am getting very excited now. We have tacked on a day in Gent after Brussels as all the hotels in Brussels seem to be very busy that weekend, and I wanted to use points where ever possible. What is great is the only accommodation we are paying for are at Europa Park, Phantasialand and the Wein Kelter on the Mosel, all the rest are through points or our vacation club membership, and our APs are still good from last year!

It is getting exciting, but I had hoped the weather would be very good, now I am not soooo sure.