Need help, large family, October 2013 trip

[staleyfamily]

Hi!!

We're so very excited to begin making our plans to visit Disneyland Paris this October.  This will be our first trip and I need some help and have lots of questions.

Are there any hotels that offer suites or accommodations for a family of 7?
Is there a travel agency that works well via email to make reservations?

We're from the US and love Disneyland.  We're currently living in Israel for my husbands job relocation for a couple of years.  This will be our R+R trip and with a baby due beginning of December, we wanted to stay some what close to home, and yet go somewhere that feels like we're visiting back in the States.

Our kids are 15, 14, 12, 11 and 2 in October.  I'd like a place that is close enough that I can waddle back to the hotel with the toddler for naptime and leave hubby with the bigger kids to play.

Is Paris chilly in October?  Will we need umbrellas?

Are all of the rides and shows in French?

I'd love to hear from any other family that would have suggestions for us as we begin planning our trip.

Thanks!!

[Irish_disney_fan]

Hello there,

I think you will need to make 2 reservations and link the 2 together. All the basic hotels are a 10 min bus journey away, so the only "waddle"able hotel is the Disneyland Hotel at the entrance (very expensive).

If you want to deal with a travel agency, I would suggest the UK agent Leisure Direction - http://www.leisuredirection.co.uk/ - I have used them in the past, and they have no problem accepting non UK credit cards - plus they speak english!

I could be wet / chilly in October, so yes be prepared, but in the past I have found it a beautiful time of the year to be in France.

Regarding the language spoken on the rides - in general they are multi-lingual (English & French), but I must admit, the English does get second best most of the time (but it is France i suppose).

Hope that helps.

[littlebitofpixiedust]

Hi I know some of the hotels have family rooms but I'm unsure how how many people they accommodate I know the Santa fe does family rooms plus Disneyland hotel also but there maybe others?

We have been October a few times and as quoted above we have also been lucky with the weather! But you can't count on it lol...

The sequioa lodge, Newport bay club and hotel new York are slightly closer than Santa fe/Cheyenne (we never bother with shuttle buses anymore) it's no longer than 10 min walk to these bit longer for sf/Cheyenne. Obviously the Disneyland hotel is best for its location right next to the park but it's pricey!

We always book through Disneyland Paris direct if you can book online it's straight forward we have booked 2 rooms through this and linked the bookings together.

All shows are part french/english wich I think is lovely. Playhouse Disney/stitch live are varied languages but you can check the shows there and what time the English versions are showing.

Good luck with your booking and enjoy DLP

[Elaine]

there are no onsite accommodations at DLP which will take 7 - you'll need to book 2 rooms at the onsite hotel of your choice, and then ask for them to be interconnecting (all the onsite hotels have interconnecting rooms).

Disneyland Hotel and Hotel New York are within waddling distance lol, so are the Sequoia Lodge and Newport Bay Club, the Santa Fe and Cheyenne are probably around 20 minutes waddle away from the park gates.

As October goes on, it gets colder, so it really depends when in October you were thinking of going to DLP. You might need umbrellas at DLP any month you go - its a wet Northern Europe climate.

I think the official DLP site would be your best bet for booking your accommodation and park tickets included, play around with changing the countries to see which offer would suit your family best. You can book using any country's offer, just leave the country on the booking form as it is (don't try to change it), input all the rest of your booking details as usual as your own, and you're booked. You get all booking confirmation by email from DLP.

[Elaine]

oh, and its not going to feel like visiting the States. DLP is not American Disney, its European Disney lol.
I know it will be hard not to compare, but please try not to - each Disney park has its own charm and its own quirks.

[never2old]

I would recommend the Sequoia or the Hotel New York if you want to be relatively close to the parks; all the Disney hotels are walking distance, but some distances are easier than others ... Or if you have the budget, the Disneyland Hotel of course.  The family rooms in the hotels I believe are for 5 people, so your best choice is still 2 inter-connecting rooms (each room has 2 double beds and fits up to 4 people).

Depending on how long you plan on staying, it may be worth buying annual passes and staying off site.  The Marriott Village Ile de France is perfect for a long stay (though not the cheapest), you can get a 3 bedroom villa giving you all plenty of space - though it means you cannot easily go back to the hotel while your little one has a nap. I admit that although my 2 year old usually sleeps quite well in her pushchair, it was a bit of a struggle to get her to sleep when we were in the parks, too many things for her to see! (though once she fell asleep, she slept very well, we stayed in quieter areas with her and it was fine)

Weather wise yes, as everyone's mentioned, it could be anything... It shouldn't be too cold, it could be wet, or it could be really nice, overall it's a nice time to go Plus it's Halloween!

Hope you all have a great time!!

[captain rocket]

There is a wealth of knowledge with the members of this site, but you would need to be a little more specific for us to help you most! What sort of budget are you working with and what sort of accomodation would be best ie hotel or self catering?
People have started the ball rolling and I will add a little of my advice here.
There are six hotels owned and run by Disney, They are all within easy walking distance of the two parks, but have a free shuttle bus service for when the legs are beginning to feel it! The hotels in order of cost are Disneyland Hotel, built at the park entrance (The pay booths are under the hotel!) Hotel New York,Sequoia Lodge and Newport Bay which are all situated around Lake Disney. The New York is the least "Disney" hotel and hosts a lot of conventions. It is my favourite as I cannot afford the Disneyland Hotel and it has a more "adult" feel about it. The Sequoia Lodge is based on  a US national park lodge, lots of wood and is fabulous in the winter season with a roaring log fire in the bar! Newport Bay is a New England Yacht club and is best in the summer, in the winter the light white paint scheme seems a little "cold". The last two hotels are the Cheyenne, built as a wild west town and a lot of fun! Rooms here have a double bed and bunk beds. Lastly the Santa Fe built as a New Mexico Pueblo type town, the room s here have recently been refurbished with a "Cars" theme, great for kids, but a little childish for us older ones!
Next come the four "partner" hotels. These hotels are about 10 minutes away by regular and free shuttle buses and represent far better value than the Disney Hotels, in my opinion. The least expensive is Hotel Kyriad, part of a low cost French hotel chain, it is rated as two star, but I believe it is as good as all the Disney Hotels except Disneyland and New York. The next two hotels are the Magic Circus (Previously a Holiday inn) and the Dream Castle. Both of these are run by Vienna International and are true 4 star hotels, the quality and price exceeds all the Disney hotels except the Disneyland.
The Hotel that I would recommend for you here is the Explorers hotel if you want to stay in rooms together with out self catering. The clever design of the rooms here mean that they offer two room with two double beds joined by a smaller "room" with bunk beds which means they can offer rooms with capacity from 4 to 10 people, ideal for your group!
The other area which is nearby is Val de Europe which is a large shopping complex with shops restaurants etc. It has several hotels, including some where you can self cater. Val de Europe is about three minutes from Disney by RER the Paris metro system. I have never stayed her, but several members of the forum have and I am sure they would be happy to help.
As Elaine, one of the wisest heads on this forum, said. Don't expect Paris to be the same as the US there are several things that are not as good (entertainment is pathetic!) and the weather could well be cold in October, But the design and layout of Paris makes it the most beautiful of the Disney Parks and I believe that our "magic kingdom" is the biggest!
Bring on those questions