Disneyland Paris advice?

[Monstro]

We're going to Disneyland Paris in a few weeks! We've been to Disneyland and California Adventure many times but this will be a first. We only have one day to spend in the main park there. Any advise on what we should see and what we should skip? I don't want to spend a long time waiting in lines for stuff we can see in Disneyland CA.

Thanks!


P.S. I realize this may be the wrong forum, I don't post here much, It just seems to be the only forum people really post stuff in. So feel free to move it if I'm out of line mods.

[monkeyboy]

If you're a "Haunted Mansion" fan, you'll definitely want to check out "Haunted Manor" - it's set with more of a Wild West feel and has some pretty great effects. I haven't been there myself yet, but two different friends have and they say that its a big change from the Haunted Mansion.
Here's a link to the Doom Buggies/Haunted Manor site.

http://www.doombuggies.com/phantom1.php

Also, the Indiana Jones ride is different, it's more a roller coaster ride, called the Temple of Peril. Here's a link:
http://us.parks.disneylandparis.com/...of-peril.xhtml

[stan4d_steph]

Be aware, Phantom Manor is actually a bit scarier than our Haunted Mansion, so if you have kids you might want to skip it.

Definitely check out the area underneath the castle. There's a resident dragon down there!

[pixar]

Go on Space Mountain. It actually has a loop!

[Iceman]

Except that Space Mountain was the roughest, bumpiest Disney coaster I've ridden in the world. My wife actually lost an earring and our nanny had a headache for the rest of the day. That was a real disappointment, because we were SOOO looking forward to the Space Mountain with a loop!

That being said, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was absolutely awesome! It was far superior to the US versions, and easily the best coaster at DLP.

Now that I've been there, if I only had one day I would actually use it at the studios park, because at least that is unique. DL is DL, to a very large extent...

[Drince88]

Space Mt in Paris is rougher than the Matterhorn in California? That's very rough!

[LarryfmScotland]

Space Mountain and the Indiana Jones Coaster are both pretty rough. The Fantasyland area is a little different to MK, with several unique rides. I would spend the day in the original park though, because it is even prettier than DL and MK. Have a great day there.

[Iceman]

Space Mt in Paris is rougher than the Matterhorn in California? That's very rough!

Believe it or not, yes! It's not as jerky as the Matterhorn, but definitely vibrates and shakes more...

[pixar]

Space Mountain is like Rock 'n' Roller Coaster to me. I don't think they're that rough since I have something over me that I can hold on to. I don't have the same type of restraint on the Matterhorn, so I find that rougher.

[Iceman]

Normally I'd agree with that sentiment, pixar. It was certainly true for the Paris RnRC, which was bumpier than it's Orlando counterpart but still quite tolerable. There was just something about SM in Paris that was body-jarringly rough. No matter how hard you hold onto the shoulder restraint, you simply can't make up for that level of shuddering all over the track.

[Silvercat]

My dad lost his false teeth on there! (Would I lie to you??)

[LarryfmScotland]

My dad lost his false teeth on there! (Would I lie to you??)

I lost my very expensive prescription sun glasses on Indiana Jones - Backwards!!!

[mousecanuck]

Here's another spin on the what to do, what to do question: my daughter and friend are in Spain, then travelling Europe for a month between Dec 14 & Jan 14. Friend has never been to any Disney Park (!), but not that interested, either, so not sure if I can convince them to go. DD's been to DL x3 and WDW x1. Should they go to DL Paris or Studios Paris? They both like rides, not super crazy (read: bad, nasty 'Knotts' style rough coasters) but they do enjoy most of them. I just don't know... and I'm not sure if they'll do two days (end of question) or just one because friend isn't so into it maybe...! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Wish I was there and had boatloads of money to take them with (that's part of the friends' issue, too, I think).

[Cory Gross]

I still think that Disneyland Paris is worth it. It is a Magic Kingdom style park, but it is RADICALLY different from every other Magic Kingdom park, either in the USA or Asia.

I had a very narrow window of time in which to go, so I made a priority list that focused on things not found in the US parks: their version of Sleeping Beauty's Castle (which you can actually explore), the Mysteries of the Nautilus, Space Mountain: Mission 2, the Phantom Manor and Adventure Isle. Unfortunately the lack of time prevented me from going on other attractions that are different, like the Alice in Wonderland labyrinth and a non-Sparrow'd Pirates of the Caribbean.

It is also a very beautiful realization of a Magic Kingdom park. The others are rather piecemeal, but DLP was designed as a unified entity from the ground up. It has a much more coherent look to it, and it's just plain gorgeous to walk through and look at.

[roosterroo]

if she can afford it id get a ticket and do both parks, animagique is a great show at the studios park and cinemamagique is similar to the end film section of great movie ride with a few surprises both good to do on colds rainy days which there is likely to be in paris in the winter. rock and rollercoaster has a completly different storyline to florida, lights motors action is the same with a few french lines thrown in, ive not seen the new toy story rides but im guessing they wont be wild! but if you do all that you miss the castle in the main park and i couldnt imagine going to disney and not seeing the castle especially as there is a surpise underneath it! oh tower of terror is different too.

[mkraemer]

I still think that Disneyland Paris is worth it. It is a Magic Kingdom style park, but it is RADICALLY different from every other Magic Kingdom park, either in the USA or Asia.

I had a very narrow window of time in which to go, so I made a priority list that focused on things not found in the US parks: their version of Sleeping Beauty's Castle (which you can actually explore), the Mysteries of the Nautilus, Space Mountain: Mission 2, the Phantom Manor and Adventure Isle. Unfortunately the lack of time prevented me from going on other attractions that are different, like the Alice in Wonderland labyrinth and a non-Sparrow'd Pirates of the Caribbean.

It is also a very beautiful realization of a Magic Kingdom park. The others are rather piecemeal, but DLP was designed as a unified entity from the ground up. It has a much more coherent look to it, and it's just plain gorgeous to walk through and look at.

I had a business trip to the Eastern Mediterranean that started in late September and ended two weeks ago. Because of the flight logistics from Athens to San Francisco, I easily rationalized a stop in Paris for a day and yes, I went to Disneyland!

I've been to DLP before, five years ago, and knew I would be truly storming the parks to see/do as much as I wanted in just one day. I *hadn't* counted on it being as rainy and cold that day (but I brought my rain boots and my poncho; I bought a sweatshirt...).

As Cory says, it's a beautiful Magic Kingdom park; it's absolutely magical! I especially love the audio animatronic dragon under the castle; it's fantastic! The stained glass windows in the castle are beautiful and perfectly appropriate in Europe. I love the 'arcade' covered areas behind the stores on Main Street (especially because of the rain!). While I was there, the park was decorated for Halloween (if you'd like to see photos, look here!)

My two favorite rides in Disneyland Paris are Big Thunder Mountain (it's soooo much fun, sooo fast and exciting!) and Space Mountain (which, IMO, is much better than anything we have in the US with the interior theme and the much more thrilling ride!). Yes, it is somewhat rough (but nowhere near as rough as their Indiana Jones ride, which I will never go on again!). The exterior theme of Pirates is great, but their 'show' is disjointed and does not follow the pirate rule of 'pillage, then burn.' Neither Pirates nor Star Tours have the updates that are present in the US parks. Adventure Isle is really a lot of fun, much like the old Tom Sawyer Island was before it had to be less of a lawsuit liability issue.

I spent a little time over in the Studios, and by far, my favorite ride there was Crush's Coaster, which was great! It was a little like a mad mouse ride, except that the ride vehicle also would spin, adding to the drama and motion of being in the EAC. No fast passes were available, and the line was long; I was not disappointed at all, other than I didn't want to wait another hour to ride it again! The other Toy Story rides were fun and very well themed, great for little mousketeers.

There is a dinner package that allows people into a viewing area for the Dreams show at the castle; I wasn't able to do this because the park closing time was after the last TGV back to the airport (my overnight accommodations were at the Sheraton inside the airport); a 10-minute train ride vs. an hour shuttle made the choice fairly easy...plus the weather was miserable, so it was unlikely the show would have happened that evening.

[Cory Gross]

Neither Pirates nor Star Tours have the updates that are present in the US parks.

You say that like it's a bad thing!

Thanks for the head's up on the dinner packages though. My girlfriend and I are going to Paris in May next year if everything works out, and I will have to look into this!

[mousecanuck]

Well, things have changed a little for my DD. She finished her time at the college, went to England for five or six days, back to Spain to spend Christmas with a few of the students left there over Christmas (all in the same boat, which was nice, rather than her going to relative's place with a friend and feeling like an intruder on their Christmas...) Then she started a 14 day tour three days ago, and she's loving it. She will wind up in Paris a few days before meeting her Canadian friends there for five days, so we booked her into a Disney hotel for a few nights with a four day pass ('on site' - well, a 20 minute walk or five minute shuttle) so she's gonna do it and do it well. I'm jealous and very excited for her; she'll be on her own (totally!) for part of it unless some of the girls she's met on this tour decide to bail on the last day or two of the tour and go with her, which would probably be more fun, but in any case she's really excited about it, and we're happy that for the few days between tour and friends in Paris, she'll be relatively safe and entertained to her hearts' content...

[Deborah Arena]

(03/01/2013)

The four affected people were transported to the hospital for supplementary examinations

PARIS four people were slightly injured after a steam train accident Wednesday night at Euro Disney, a car that was was won by having hit another during the station stop, was learned Thursday of corroborating sources, confirming information of the Parisien.

These four people, including a pregnant woman to six months and a 13-year-old girl, were transported to the hospital for further tests, said a source close to the investigation, adding that they had "nothing serious".

They are from "cash at home or have continued their stay with us", said a spokesman for Eurodisney.

The incident took place Wednesday evening around 20 H 40 on Disneyland Railroad, an attraction that offers a tour of the Park in a steam train of five cars.
According to a source close to the investigation, a bolt broken between the first and the second car of the train, which was disconnected.

"The locomotive and his car were taken advance" and the three cars that were disconnected came encounter when entering station, said this source.

"It has done a small touchette," said the spokesman for Eurodisney, adding that "a wheel of a car was out of the rail".
According to him, this steam train ride at 14 km/h of average and about 8 km/h when the station.

Forty people were on the train at the shock and twelve of them have complained of pain.

"The first elements show that the incident occurred at very low speed while the train was in the station. We will do all that is necessary to shed light on this incident,"said spokesperson of Eurodisney, which said that the attraction was closed Thursday.
A judicial inquiry was opened.

[mousecanuck]

Anyhow, my daughter is excited about the four days, regardless of an issue in DL Paris. Not sure why it was posted here? There's no comment about that, and it's not very helpful to this thread. Stuff happens, everywhere.

[Deborah Arena]

Yes Disneyland is an happy place but when there is no maintenance up the rides is heavy cuz your life is in dangerous when you go up a ride where there is no maintenance so i think that who work there don't know make it his work and is raight that Disneyland become unhappy place if everyday someone dead on ride this stuff happen in Everywhere but for maintenance and too cuz sometimes the people is stupid on ride and make the accidents for example stay up on ride when should have the seat belt fastened when them didn't do it and jump up and down like When the carrots are blanched.

[mousecanuck]

My daughter enjoyed her first full Disney day - she rode her favorite rides several times, said it was fun. She did NOT like Indy (not too much detail but I suspect because of the roughness, I'll find out) but really liked Space, Big Thunder too, but it was Indy and Space that had complaints above. She's like me - loves a good SMOOTH or 'comfortable' coaster but not being jarred a ton. Big Thunder's 'jarring' is intentional and 'seems' to be rough but it's not (I mean everywhere, not just Paris) and somehow that doesn't bother us. There have been coasters in other parks (Sea WOrld Orlando and Hulk in Universal Orlando) that were just a little rough or too much somehow but we've never had that in Disney, so this is a first. Anyhow today she's off to the Studios, so we'll see what she has to say about everything there. She also said it's a LOT colder there (which we expected...) and she wasn't thrilled about that. Told her they should have planned their trip for spring, lol!!!

[mkraemer]

My daughter enjoyed her first full Disney day - she rode her favorite rides several times, said it was fun. She did NOT like Indy (not too much detail but I suspect because of the roughness, I'll find out) but really liked Space, Big Thunder too, but it was Indy and Space that had complaints above. She's like me - loves a good SMOOTH or 'comfortable' coaster but not being jarred a ton. Big Thunder's 'jarring' is intentional and 'seems' to be rough but it's not (I mean everywhere, not just Paris) and somehow that doesn't bother us. There have been coasters in other parks (Sea WOrld Orlando and Hulk in Universal Orlando) that were just a little rough or too much somehow but we've never had that in Disney, so this is a first. Anyhow today she's off to the Studios, so we'll see what she has to say about everything there. She also said it's a LOT colder there (which we expected...) and she wasn't thrilled about that. Told her they should have planned their trip for spring, lol!!!

I'll bet she didn't like Indy because it's the roughest coaster I've ever ridden. It's so dark in Space Mountain, you can't tell which way you're going to go, so you whip around some. I think Big Thunder is amazingly awesome.

Yes! It will be cold there now, but when we went there during spring break several years ago, it was also much colder than expected. So you just never know.

I hope your daughter has a great time, mousecanuck, and am looking forward to your next update!

[mousecanuck]

Still working on it, but she loved Big Thunder and Aerosmith and again, didn't like Indy at all, and went on a lot of rides She's funny about stuff like this (doesn't like to be bugged about it) but she told me last night she did bring home a brochure for me so I'll try and go over it in the next day or two and get 'her final answer' about as much as I can. She did enjoy it and did get brave enough to ask someone to take a photo or two of her in front of the castle. She also noted there were hardly any cast members there - not like when we've gone and there's always been someone to ask to take a photo of us, she had to ask strangers to do it (which she doesn't like AT ALL, she doesn't even like to ask cast members...)

[Shortpix77]

My girlfriend and I are going to Paris in May next year if everything works out, and I will have to look into this!

My husband and I are going in May too! I'm looking forward to the castle dragon, Phantom Manor, and the labyrinth the most :-)