Our first trip on a budget!

Started by Becky92, April 28, 2016, 01:47:04 PM

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Becky92

Hello all, just reading through a few trip reports and thought I'd put our first trip up last summer. We did it on a budget, but it wasn't at all any less magical. Wrote it on a facebook group and helped a few people so glad to share again :) The weather was 34c that weekend, not a cloud in the sky.. I really didn't expect it, but was wonderful!

The only mistake was not getting Annual Passes, but it was our first trip and we didn't expect to love it so much let alone be back 2 months later!

We flew out Friday had both days on the weekend in the parks (one in each) and then flew home Monday after a day in central Paris exploring.
(pictures can be provided for parts if need be haha)
Flights - £60 (Got in November for July 3-6th) - Liverpool -> CDG and Beauvais-> Manchester
Hotel - £70 Fri & Sat night in Kyraid Torcy, then £40 ibis in Paris
Spending money - €200 - Travel paid for out of this too.

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Outward journey / Getting to hotel -
We flew into CDG from Liverpool, absolutely brilliant flight time. Simple and easy, queue through immigration was pretty quick... got a little lost in CDG, but it was our first time and christ it's a lot bigger than Liverpool airport haha! We was staying in Kyraid Torcy hotel. From a recommendation we discovered you could get a bus from CDG direct to Torcy for just €2... Was a lovely air conditioned coach, and I without a doubt will be doing that again when I next visit. The bus drops you off at the RER station which is bang opposite the Kyraid... brilliant hotel. Costs €3.40 on the RER to Disney and takes 11 mins. Massive supermarket next to the hotel and little shopping centre, so got a few goodies in there ready for our first day in the parks.

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Saturday / MK -
We got to the park gates for around 9.15, had a wonder around, took it all in... and they opened the park at 9.32, (to all guests) and you're allowed up main street, so perfect to get photos, grab a few gifts from the shops. But you're not allowed into any of the lands yet. But people start gathering around the entrances to them. Then there is a little tune over the tannoy bang on 10am to signify the lands opening to non magic hours guests. We aimed to get thunder mountain fast passes.. but the system wasn't working so we got indianna jones, that gave us a slot of midday.. but before using that we had a quick gander around again, grabbed an ice cream as the heat was unreal... ate that infront of the castle. Then wasted time till that, after using that fast pass you're allowed to grab another. We got one for thunder mountain at 4pm.. and I didn't expect that at all, as I was under the impression that fast passes run out after about an hour of park opening haha.. but don't worry, they didn't!
Went on a few rides, surprised at how short queues were, longest we saw all day was 70 mins... but longest we waited was 30. We had baguettes for lunch which we brang in with us which we made from the shop before.
Watched the parade by its a small world, as recommended. Where all the floats came out, great view, absolutely loved it. Then we went for tea in the quick service place by it. Lasagne, drink, yoghurt (all good portion sizes) for €13 each. Was lovely.
We was done with pretty much all the rides we wanted to do by about 8pm , but we didn't really have the option of going back to the room, so we hung around, ticked off a few little things like the dragon under the castle, and just grabbed a drink around 9.30pm and sat on a kirb along mainstreet waiting for dreams.... which absolutely took my breath away! View got a bit obstructed by kids on parents shoulders... but maybe next time will pick spot better.
Trains leaving every 15 mins up till 00.30, so we was back in the hotel room by about 11.50, feed ached... slept like a log.

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Sunday / Studios -
As the day before, just had coffee in room and breakfast on the go. They also opened this park earlier today, but we was in no rush... so we got there, through the gates at around 9.55am... people queuing left right and centre for rides already, and fastpasses. We joined the queue for ratatouille fast passes, took about 10 mins, got a great time of 11.30-12. Also grabbed a fast pass for rock n roll coaster after that, brilliant! Saw a show which was a performing arts one which was a school from England, great to watch whilst resting your feet and shielding from the shade. For lunch we went to earl of sandwich, great food, was nice change to food we brang in ourselves. Sandwich, drink with free refils, and brownie for €10. Went back into the parks, queued 60 mins for crushes coaster (cant believe it doesn't do fastpass), absolutely brilliant... glad I took my motion sickness tablets this day... the earl of sandwich wouldn't have stayed down otherwise haha! Beyond warm again, got another ice cream in the park which are about €3.50, same 3/4 options no matter what shop you go to though! Could also get fresh fruit for €1 which was a nice change, rather refreshing compared to the little other snacks we had in our bags.
Queued to see mickey mouse for around 20 minutes, as had met most of the other characters in florida, but can't go without seeing Mickey!!
In the evening we got the train into paris for €7.60, took just under an hour I think it was. But such big spacious trains, you easily get a seat.

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Monday/Flight back -
We stayed in central paris because today we was getting a flight home from beauvais to manchester with ryanair, and we wanted to 1) see paris properly 2) the bus goes from central paris so worked out better this way.
The coach back to beauvais was really easy, cost about €12.90 in advance, but our flights where about £28 for the single... so we was snapping that right up, specially when it meant we could have a night and day in central paris this way too. Flight was around 4pm, so also a good flight time.

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Overall, great time, weather was very high temperatures, but was bearable.
Will be sure going back again, staying at torcy, as just ticked all the boxes for us. It for sure can be done on a budget.
- We made our own ears, which was fun to do, and a little added 'magic'.
- I found the prices for food in the park quite high, but the meal deals you can get in pretty much all food places are great value if you stick to them.
- Don't be worried about staying off site, the trains are so easy, cheap and frequent... plenty of people do them
- Don't worry about rushing right away to fast pass, they don't run out within minutes, and go by time slots, so if you want one for the afternoon... pointless being there at 10am for it anyway, as that'll give you a 11-noonish slot!
- Was only 2 of us, so photopass we wouldn't have used. But got some great photos, and people where very happy to help out taking photos of us too for shots around the parks if asked nicely.
- Make sure you have a waterbottle and squeezy cordial things, there is free water pumps dotted around the park.
- Good shoes!! One day I wore converse, nope... deffo not padded enough, I was gone by about midday, you don't realise how much you are on your feet.. not just walking but the standing for rides


I can't figure out just yet how to insert pictures, forum newbie haha  :-[ :D
DLP x 2, WDW x 1, TDR May 2016 :)

solo_beckett

Sounds like a great trip, I wish we could head back soon

Puffin

You mention you met most characters before in Florida. So how was it to experience the Paris Resort with your previous experience being Walt Disney World? We're frequent Paris visitors, but just returned from our first Florida visit and we're a bit afraid we're gonna be disappointed by DLP now because it's smaller and maybe less magical.
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