Dreams do come true

Rafael · January 29, 2013, 01:50:16 AM

Our trip started on the evening of December 27th, when we traveled from Brazil first to Lisbon and then to Paris . It was a little tiring, because besides the 7 hour flight to Lisbon, we had to wait in Portugal for 8 hours before the flight to Paris. We arrived at Orly about 7pm on December 28th and then we managed to get the shuttle to Disneyland. As we were staying at Ibis Val d'Europe, we got off at the bus station and took the RER. We were tired and looking forward to arriving at the hotel, but just being there and seeing the lights of Disney Village for a few minutes already made me feel good and really happy. We were there again.

The train takes only 3 or 4 minutes to get to the Val d'Europe station (exit 2 if someone is planning to stay at Ibis) and the hotel is just a few meters from the station. I would say the hotel is pretty good for people who are traveling on a budget, especially because of its location.
When we got there, we just wanted to take a shower and sleep. However, even though I was very tired, the thought that I would be at Disneyland the next day kept me awake for a while.

Rafael · January 29, 2013, 02:01:51 AM

As I had read Elaine saying here at the forum that people could have breakfast at the Disneyland Hotel even not being a guest, we decided that the first thing we would do at Disney would be having a late breakfast at Inventions. What can I say?

Thanks Elaine!

It was really nice and a great start for our Disney adventure. I highly recommend it.

Rafael · January 29, 2013, 02:09:23 AM

After the great breakfast at Inventions, we decided to go to the park. Following again great advice read here at the forum, we decided to buy Annual Passport Dream. It was simple and easy and the cast member at the Bureau Passeport Annuel was really friendly.

Rafael · January 29, 2013, 11:53:42 PM

After getting our passports, we decided to go to Phantom Manor. During the whole trip, I think we did it more than 6 times.
It is a great attraction and I love the fact that the manor is located at Frontierland. I think the whole backstory is really clever and adds a lot to the experience. One thing that bothers me a little is that sometimes some cast members destroy the mood of the attraction behaving as if they were operating a carnival ride in a cheap fair. It seems that they don't care about the story that is being told and the perception of the attraction by a guest can be influenced by the way they behaved inside the manor. From the moment you enter its gates, you are being prepared to what will come later during the ride and it is part of the whole experience. If cast members don't buy the story and help telling it, how can a guest buy it? On the other hand, sometimes there are some great cast members that help create the mood and make it unforgettable. When you do it repeated times you can see the difference a good cast member can do to this attraction. The same thing for The Tower of Terror. Unfortunately there is another thing that was not that good about Phantom Manor: the sound. What is going on?

DoodleMummy · January 30, 2013, 12:53:59 PM

So glad you had a great trip and returned home safely.
Loving the pics already and can't wait for your next installment!!

Rafael · January 30, 2013, 04:04:39 PM

Quote from: "DoodleMummy"So glad you had a great trip and returned home safely.
Loving the pics already and can't wait for your next installment!!

Hi DoodleMummy!

Thank you so much.

I'm glad you like the pictures. I will post more soon.

Rafael · February 03, 2013, 12:38:24 AM

After Phantom Manor, we decided to take a cruise around the Rivers of the Far West. It is a nice opportunity to relax and contemplate the beauty of Frontierland.
We ended up going on the riverboat ride 3 times during the trip.

norhel · February 03, 2013, 08:39:09 AM

Great shots of Frontierland, and nice report :-)

Rafael · February 03, 2013, 01:17:31 PM

Quote from: "norhel"Great shots of Frontierland, and nice report :-)

Thank you, Norhel. I'm glad you like it.

Rafael · February 03, 2013, 01:25:14 PM

Later, we headed toward Fantasyland to try two rides we had missed last time: Casey Jr. and Le Pays des Contes de Fées. I think they are great for children. While in the queue, Helio told me he was getting a headache and we were also a bit tired because of the long trip the day before. We decided to save some energy and go back to the hotel after these two rides and return later for Dreams.

princessemily · February 03, 2013, 02:03:53 PM

Beautiful colours in these photos, it really shows Frontierland in all it's glory. Looking forward to the next installment!

princessemily · February 03, 2013, 02:07:56 PM

Love la pays des contes de fees, although to us it is always known as the "houseboat ride" as when we first went with my oldest aged 2 (he is now 11), that's what he called it. And it has stuck at that for this Disney family. That and Casey Jnr are two great rides for the kids, although I will never understand how sometimes Casey Jnr is a walk on and at others the queue is huge.

Rafael · February 03, 2013, 02:19:17 PM

After a good rest, we came back to the park for dinner and Disney Dreams!

We tried going to Plaza Gardens (we didn't have reservations), but the queue was huge and we gave up. We ended up having a lasagna at Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost. It was our first time having a meal there I loved the theme. You can spend hours just checking all the great details. Amazing! Nothing much to say about the food. I had already read the food usually came cold, but it was not the case and it tasted good.

Dreams gave me goosebumps from the very beginning and made me cry. It is an amazing show, full of Disney magic. I watched it 5 times and each time it seems that I discovered a new detail and it was like seeing it for the first time. I had already watched videos on youtube and I knew it would be great, but watching in person is indescribable.

Rafael · February 03, 2013, 02:22:22 PM

Quote from: "princessemily"Beautiful colours in these photos, it really shows Frontierland in all it's glory. Looking forward to the next installment!

Thank you so much, Princessemily!

I love Frontierland. What a great land!

Rafael · February 03, 2013, 02:27:28 PM

Quote from: "princessemily"Love la pays des contes de fees, although to us it is always known as the "houseboat ride" as when we first went with my oldest aged 2 (he is now 11), that's what he called it. And it has stuck at that for this Disney family. That and Casey Jnr are two great rides for the kids, although I will never understand how sometimes Casey Jnr is a walk on and at others the queue is huge.

Houseboat ride! That is so cute!

Thanks for sharing this part of the Disney history of your family.

If I remember correctly, we had to wait about 10 minutes for Casey Jr.