"Don't anger the dolls"-A France and DLP Trip, June '18-COMPLETED (4/22-ride comparisons)

Always sad to end your last day, but you looked like you made the best of it. I love how you were just zipping in and out of the train station to say hi to people and buy stuff. Honestly, probably what I'd do on a last day lol Excited to hear your final thoughts and about your journey home! :)
 
Reading about you having to bring your bags back and forth through security three times made me tired! That had to have become tedious and repetitive. However...I saw that post about the mugs, too, and rushed over to by myself one, too. And shortly after our trips they sold out of them for a good period of time! So I completely understand you going back into Disney Village for a set.

I didn't realize they had a Vapiano's right outside the security perimeter. Alex will be happy to hear this. We have one near our closest "mall" about an hour away, and that's where we usually take the kids to eat for exactly the same reasons you mentioned in your update.

Those Peter Pan weather vanes! I have to remember to point those out to the kids on our next visit; they'll probably wish we could buy some for our own house.

Two rides on Thunder sounds like the perfect final day adventure.

Glad you were able to meet up with Dugette and her family briefly and see them again when they were in DL.

For a European hotel, that Sheraton looks pretty roomy! I was expecting smaller; looks like it was exactly what you needed after weeks of traveling and right before a long traveling day home.
 
For the train, there are 2 options. The RER is cheaper and the one that goes into Paris, where you transfer and get on another train over to DLP. It also takes longer and isn’t as easy with luggage since it’s the normal commuter train. The TGV is the one I did, which goes directly from the airport to DLP. It’s more money but faster and more set up for luggage since people are going further distances. It’s still not super convenient if you have bags because you have to lift them on and off train, plus find a place to store them (I don’t remember if there was a luggage spot by the doors). I only had a carry-on so it wasn’t an issue for me. The bus would probably not be a bad idea since the bags are underneath and it’s direct to the resort. I think the express bag option is also good so you don’t have to trudge around with them!

Ah, I see - thanks! We won't be going directly from the airport to DLP when we arrive in Paris, but we will be heading directly to the airport on our departure day. This helps a lot as does the info on the airport hotel, which I think I will book for us. Thanks so much!
 
I was going to video for the music and all, but there was a girl behind me who talked the whole time (with the wrong info), so it was irritating

Ugh, so annoying :crazy2:

Though I regretted not getting this headband!

rOQIPJp.jpg

That's cute ::yes::

Landon asked to ride with me. I’ve never done a coaster with a little kid, so forgot that the shared bar wasn’t exactly going to hold him and me down, so I eventually had to put my arm around him to prevent him from bouncing around! But he was adorable and wanted to ride again.

05-jpg.393671
06-jpg.393672


After we got off, Alex (Alicia’s husband) went for a ride, and I gave them one of my extra FPs for Landon to ride again too, while Alicia and I had girl time with Evie (ie talked Disney while Evie "watered her animals").

Cute kids. How fun to have a DisMeet in Paris!

Then took some castle photos (and I had a photobomber for one).

LR3gPrv.jpg
IPcpLuF.jpg

06-1-jpg.393673


Overall an awesome dismeet! It was great having some new friends to meet up with, and I hope we will see each other again soon!

Nice! That castle is gorgeous.

On way out took some photos of statues – the Partners statue is in the Studios, not Disneyland.

:love:

I think the line here was longer than previously and there was a family who tried to bowl past everyone to cut in line (the teenage/young adult kids were just laughing too, like they knew exactly what they were doing). I was sooo annoyed at that point,

So rude. Good for you for saying something.

I grabbed my suitcase and backpacks, went thru security AGAIN, and rushed down to Starbucks, where I bought both mugs, then headed back to the train station. I barely had time to sit down before my train popped up on the boards and I headed down to the platform! A bit heart-racing (didn’t want to get stuck on the even later train), but totally worth it!

Yikes, I don't know if I could have done that, even though I love those mugs!
 


It was somewhat uncomfortable trying to decide if I can scream in joy or not! I think I ended up doing it in spurts!
Hahaha I’m just imagining three stone-faces 10 year olds and then you busting into joyous screams

The main gift shop is themed part as a gas station and part as the backstage of a film set.
Wow that looks really neat!

They have an express luggage service (which I think delivers it to the train station), but it’s 25 euro per room, so not worth it for a single person with just a small suitcase.
Ohhh this sounds interesting! I’ll have to look into that.

I went back to the Studios where I got to see Push the Trashcan
It talks right? Was it speaking French? Something about a trash can speaking French just sounds hilarious

They had special Marvel menu items at some places, and I was interested in the Black Panther ice cream but I never saw it open while I was there.
It’s interesting how the descriptions on the photo with the groot stuff are in English first, then French but the black panther ice cream is only in French.

I got the best seat in house – center of front row of back section. Prefect view…
Wow awesome seat!

So this guy’s son wasn’t able to meet Spiderman, and they didn’t want to wait in line for hours for the show again. Some other people in the audience started shouting that everyone should band together and demand a meal certificate in exchange.
Oh man I can imagine the riots!!

Oh and my personal policy about on-ride and show photos – I try to keep the camera at chest level and my elbows at my side so as not to obscure the view of anyone else.)
That’s so considerate of you!!

I was sooo annoyed at that point, I actually firmly tapped the dad on the shoulder, and said loudly – NO CUTTING! So, he looked a bit embarrassed, and stopped and went back further behind me with his family. Gesh!
GOOD FOR YOU!

I loved this sign at the end – which direction is the Foreman’s office?
Alright I definitely need to find this sign hahaha

Starbucks “You Are Here” mugs were released TODAY! AAAHHH! I checked the time and it was getting close to the rescheduled arrival of the train, but I decided, screw it! I grabbed my suitcase and backpacks, went thru security AGAIN, and rushed down to Starbucks, where I bought both mugs, then headed back to the train station. I barely had time to sit down before my train popped up on the boards and I headed down to the platform! A bit heart-racing (didn’t want to get stuck on the even later train), but totally worth it!
Wow this whole section made me stressed out for you.

Check-in was very easy and the hotel was very nice – I would highly recommend it! It was also the QUIETEST hotel I’ve ever been in, even the more shocking considering it was in the middle of the airport and above a train station! Literally this glass atrium “floor” was the ceiling of the train station escalator area! It's not the cheapest, but the convenience is really spectacular!
I’ll have to look into this hotel. On our last day we are taking the TGV up from the south of France and we need a place to stay before our flight in the morning.

Wow what an amazing trip! So glad you had such a good time in France and especially DLP. Your TR has been so helpful and I’m definitely coming back to it more as I dive into planning our trip.
 
Thank you for the wonderful detailed report. I enjoyed reading along!

You accomplished many things on this trip, DLP looks like a must to check out for us Disney lovers and I can with your report!
 
So when we did DLP our number one ride priority for our 5 hour trip was Space Mountain since everyone in my family loves it. So we had waited nearly an hour and then they made an announcement in French and we heard the groans from everyone around us. They never did any of the annoucements in English so we entirely relied on groans or happiness from the people around us haha so I know that feeling well!

That was such a nice gift bag that you left for Dug and Dugettes family! I imagine they appreciated the fastpasses!

I'm glad you realized the "you are here" mugs were released before getting on the train, definitely a win!
 


Wow!

I hve had this trip report tagged for a long time to read and I hadn’t done it yet. Finally over the last 3 days I read it all! But I didn’t quote anything so just lots of general comments, mostly on DLP :).

First thanks for the travel WiFi tip just reserved ours for our trip!

Also so many cool things you did it Paris, we only have 3 days but you gave us some good ideas!

I am really worried about rude guests, I spent 6 weeks in Paris and 1 days in DLP when I was 17. I don’t remember anyone being particularly rude, but I was also 17.

This trip with 2 young kids I worry about rude guest. It’s hard I try to set and example of good behavior and then everyone else is doing exactly what your explains is poor behavior. I say don’t climb that or no we don’t cut in line and everyone else is doing it! Drives me crazy, legit crazy! I have been know to block cutters, or send people to the back of the line.

Example (can you see this really gets me going), we go to this local park that is done by tokens 3 for this ride 4 for another ride Etc. Etc. However from 4-5 park doesn’t open till 4, all kiddie rides are 1 token. Well last summer at 455 this guy tried to push his kids in front of us, we were next to ride, and I said I’m sorry but you need to go to the back of the line. To which he responds then I will need to pay 4 tokens each. Ok well that isn’t my fault, so someone else should pay 4 tokens instead of you? Someone else let him cut them but I did not! Ugh drives me crazy!! Legit my blood is boiling right now just thinking about him!

I also way worry about the plushies! Omg we have so many but they all look so cute I want them all g-d only knows how many my kids are going to want!!

I am really excited phantom manor will be opening a few weeks before we arrive, granted I won’t actually believe it till I see it but I’m excited about that!

On our arrival day we have Slinky and Buzz open but they both go down for referb the next day, do you think we should hit both? Or is one way better then the other if I can only pick one?

Issue is I currently have Remy booked for arrival night but not sure I want to be running around.... I have a few weeks to decide but any advice? Move Remy, skip Remy ahhh why can I not make decisions.

We are also at Sequoia lodge in a golden forest room, I couldn’t justify Disneyland hotel, but I may live to regret that choice...

I’m excited to check out some shows, Mickey and the magician is on the top of my list!!

I love how many pictures you took off all the details, I am positive I won’t get to spend as much time checking them all out, but I am def going to be sure to pay a bit more attention!
 
Glad you could get on a few of your fave rides before leaving. That is a lot of back and forth through security but sounds worth it for a quick DISmeet and some new merch! I guess your train being delayed wasn't so bad after all!
 
I am really worried about rude guests, I spent 6 weeks in Paris and 1 days in DLP when I was 17. I don’t remember anyone being particularly rude, but I was also 17.

This trip with 2 young kids I worry about rude guest. It’s hard I try to set and example of good behavior and then everyone else is doing exactly what your explains is poor behavior. I say don’t climb that or no we don’t cut in line and everyone else is doing it! Drives me crazy, legit crazy! I have been know to block cutters, or send people to the back of the line.

Example (can you see this really gets me going), we go to this local park that is done by tokens 3 for this ride 4 for another ride Etc. Etc. However from 4-5 park doesn’t open till 4, all kiddie rides are 1 token. Well last summer at 455 this guy tried to push his kids in front of us, we were next to ride, and I said I’m sorry but you need to go to the back of the line. To which he responds then I will need to pay 4 tokens each. Ok well that isn’t my fault, so someone else should pay 4 tokens instead of you? Someone else let him cut them but I did not! Ugh drives me crazy!! Legit my blood is boiling right now just thinking about him!
Welcome to the TR!

It is really frustrating with rude guests! I think you just have to remind the kids not to follow everything other people are doing - they should set a better example!

I am really excited phantom manor will be opening a few weeks before we arrive, granted I won’t actually believe it till I see it but I’m excited about that!
Oh, jealous! It looks soooo cool!

On our arrival day we have Slinky and Buzz open but they both go down for referb the next day, do you think we should hit both? Or is one way better then the other if I can only pick one?
Hmm, well Buzz is basically the same as the DLR version. If you've done that before, then it's not a big priority. Also, because it's summer, you should get very late park hours. You can always try riding it later in the day for shorter wait times? For Slinky, that is a fun ride, especially kids liked it. It's a slow loader though, so even if there isn't a big line, it will take some time to get through. But my advice would be to prioritize Slinky.

Issue is I currently have Remy booked for arrival night but not sure I want to be running around.... I have a few weeks to decide but any advice? Move Remy, skip Remy ahhh why can I not make decisions.
Hmm, I think you should do Remy during your trip - it really is an adorable restaurant! Maybe you'll like the food more than me? I guess I don't know enough about your schedule though to suggest a good time.

We are also at Sequoia lodge in a golden forest room, I couldn’t justify Disneyland hotel, but I may live to regret that choice...
I think it'll be fine! I didn't dislike Sequoia, but just walking underneath that Disneyland Hotel every day made me so envious!

I’m excited to check out some shows, Mickey and the magician is on the top of my list!!
Definitely! Try to get those Mastercard seats too - an awesome view!

I love how many pictures you took off all the details, I am positive I won’t get to spend as much time checking them all out, but I am def going to be sure to pay a bit more attention!
I'm glad you liked them, and I hope I didn't spoil too much!
 
It's Mickey!! A pretty sad one, but there you have it...

Sounds like a great end to your trip! Looking forward to the final thoughts
Yeah, it was pretty sad!

Always sad to end your last day, but you looked like you made the best of it. I love how you were just zipping in and out of the train station to say hi to people and buy stuff. Honestly, probably what I'd do on a last day lol Excited to hear your final thoughts and about your journey home! :)
Yeah, it was nice with the train station being right there! And the X-ray machines were key!

Reading about you having to bring your bags back and forth through security three times made me tired! That had to have become tedious and repetitive. However...I saw that post about the mugs, too, and rushed over to by myself one, too. And shortly after our trips they sold out of them for a good period of time! So I completely understand you going back into Disney Village for a set.

I didn't realize they had a Vapiano's right outside the security perimeter. Alex will be happy to hear this. We have one near our closest "mall" about an hour away, and that's where we usually take the kids to eat for exactly the same reasons you mentioned in your update.

Those Peter Pan weather vanes! I have to remember to point those out to the kids on our next visit; they'll probably wish we could buy some for our own house.

Two rides on Thunder sounds like the perfect final day adventure.

Glad you were able to meet up with Dugette and her family briefly and see them again when they were in DL.

For a European hotel, that Sheraton looks pretty roomy! I was expecting smaller; looks like it was exactly what you needed after weeks of traveling and right before a long traveling day home.
Vapianos is just on the backside of the Disney Village. The west side of the movie theatre!

I wish they had the mini mugs too - I collect those and use them as ornaments!

Yikes, I don't know if I could have done that, even though I love those mugs!
It was only possible with the X-ray machine!

I’ll have to look into this hotel. On our last day we are taking the TGV up from the south of France and we need a place to stay before our flight in the morning.

Wow what an amazing trip! So glad you had such a good time in France and especially DLP. Your TR has been so helpful and I’m definitely coming back to it more as I dive into planning our trip.
There are some other airport hotels, but this is the only one physcially in the airport. I was willing to pay for that extra convenience!

Thank you for the wonderful detailed report. I enjoyed reading along!

You accomplished many things on this trip, DLP looks like a must to check out for us Disney lovers and I can with your report!
Definitely you should check out DLP! It's a great "starter-international" park.

So when we did DLP our number one ride priority for our 5 hour trip was Space Mountain since everyone in my family loves it. So we had waited nearly an hour and then they made an announcement in French and we heard the groans from everyone around us. They never did any of the annoucements in English so we entirely relied on groans or happiness from the people around us haha so I know that feeling well!

That was such a nice gift bag that you left for Dug and Dugettes family! I imagine they appreciated the fastpasses!

I'm glad you realized the "you are here" mugs were released before getting on the train, definitely a win!
Did you at least get to ride it later? I luckily didn't have any ride breakdowns while I was in line!

Glad you could get on a few of your fave rides before leaving. That is a lot of back and forth through security but sounds worth it for a quick DISmeet and some new merch! I guess your train being delayed wasn't so bad after all!
Yeah, the delay worked out fortunately! I know if I had gone to the hotel and then saw that tweet I would have regretted it!
 
So, finally about to complete this TR!

Day 20: A long line in Heathrow!

Today was my lovely, long travel day home. (Though I think I was so tired I didn’t end up taking many photos)!

I checked out of my hotel room and headed over to the British Air counter. It was so nice being just upstairs, not having to worry about shuttles or anything! I did make one detour to the post office (located on the floor between the hotel and the train station) to drop off my mobile wifi unit (it comes with a prepaid postal envelope to make it easy to return). Then over to the airline counter to check my suitcase. I also had 2 backpacks with me (my normal backpack and my park backpack) – I had so much stuff I needed to stuff everything full! So I ended up wearing both backpacks – one on my back and one on my front (it made it easier than having to carry along one of them by the handle, because this way I still had 2 hands free, I just looked a little weird)!

British Air at CDG is a bit weird, with the counter actually being one level down than all the rest of the counters in that terminal area. The signage also isn’t the best, but luckily I knew about it from directions in an email my parents sent (they got a bit turned around trying to check their bags, though it ended up just fine in the end). I checked that through, then had to go thru 3 different lines (at least that’s what I remember – maybe one custom, one immigration, and one security?). It was a bit tiresome, to say the least, but I finally got thru.

Of course, one final Disney stop at the Disney store in the terminal! Though I didn’t buy anything.

p9bDU5E.jpg
WC1ZtR9.jpg
dNmoxec.jpg


And the M&M store was also pretty cute!

y5bNMvr.jpg


(I think I ended up stopping at a store to pick up a bunch of bottle openers my mom wanted but forgot to buy.)

For breakfast I stopped at one of the cafes to grab one final French croissant. (Though I actually ended up buying 2, because I bought 1 and as I was walking away from the counter saw the worker pulling a new tray of fresh croissants out of the oven; I still had extra Euros, so decided to go ahead and get another, lovely fresh one!)

kYJyRFR.jpg


Final Tally
Croissants: 18, Crepes: 10


It was an uneventful hop over the channel. On the way we did fly past Paris and I had a view of the Eiffel Tower.

2z4uFwH.jpg


Back to the hell of Heathrow Terminal 5, where I had to go thru immigration, then get my bag, re-check it, then go thru security again. Ugh. That took forever this time! First, the line at immigration was INSANE! At least an hour there. Then at security I got sent to one line which I swear had a broken machine. EVERY SINGLE BAG was pulled off to the side for extra security checking. And the workers were in the middle of a shift change. It literally took 30 minutes after I got thru the metal detector, before I finally got my bag! It was pretty ridiculous!

I was pretty hungry at this stage, so ended up getting some sort of teriyaki chicken bowl. It was pretty meh. I think I did end up grabbing some packaged sushi roll to go though.

4K0boDG.jpg


And I tried resting in the quiet area of the terminal, but some people decided not to follow the rules about it being quiet! Argh! I also just couldn’t get comfortable, and even though the chairs were reclined, every time I started to nod off, I would jerk back awake. I eventually gave up and let someone else take a reclining seat (that is a bit of a misnomer – it’s not electronic or anything, the seat is molded just in a reclined position).

Soon enough it was time to board – another window seat, but unfortunately this was a full flight so I didn’t have the empty middle spot. I can’t sleep sitting up, so ended up watching The Darkest Hour (awesome), The Greatest Showman (good), Red Sparrow (ended up having a nightmare about the torture scene, but still very good), and some miscellaneous tv shows (probably Young Sheldon). I don’t have notes about food, so I don’t remember what I got, but I do think they kept running out of food I would like by the time they’d get back to my row, so I mostly had the random sides, not the main entrees.

On the approach to LAX I got to see the new LA Stadium under construction (this will show up again in future TR’s)! Very excited about this one!

WXlSZfa.jpg


And arrived at LAX, went thru immigration (no issues), and collected my suitcase (why do people insist on crowding baggage claim? Like, if everyone stayed 5 ft away from the belt, the rest of us could see when our suitcases were coming and step forward grab them and then move back further). Mom had come to the airport to pick me up and we were headed back home, where I ate some proper food, cuddled my cats a bunch, and crashed to sleep! Thankfully I had set my trip to arrive back on a Friday night, which gave me all weekend to recoup!

 
Merchandise haul:

From France (many of my souvenirs are ornaments – I like collecting those and actually have issues with the number of ornaments I try to put on the tree every year…)

Paris – Van Gogh jigsaw puzzle from the Musee D’Orsay (also the coaster set of Renoir paintings); Marie Curie photo and bookmark with the Curie family; Versailles ornament; Eiffel Tower + macaron keychain I use as an ornament.
am66N7k.jpg
LODJ3rO.jpg


Loire Valley – Bookmarks from the chateaus we visited (plus Chambord, which I visited in high school); ornaments from Chateau D’Amboise, Chateau de Chenonceau; da Vinci; keychain from Chateau Villandry because they didn’t have a good ornament.
TKXdv0x.jpg


Normandy – Ornament from Giverny; keychain from Bayeaux Tapestry I use as an ornament.
CQ4J3yg.jpg



From Disneyland Paris:

Pins – General park, 2018, Hyperspace Mountain, Sequoia Lodge (I like to get them from the WDW hotels I stay at), Parisienne Minnie, Belle + Captain Hook I used to represent Princess and Pirates festival
RD3Re1x.jpg
uubXeVi.jpg
JnUlqdy.jpg
DLsRBOj.jpg


Shirts – I got them both and still wear them.
QDXhzvs.jpg
2aQSXhp.jpg


Keychain I planned on turning into an ornament, but that didn’t work out.
WtDkL48.jpg


Ears
wAsATfJ.jpg


I also got a handful of DLP from Ebay afterwards - not pictured are the Fandaze ears I've worn in other TR photos (turquoise and gold), and the set of official Pirate vs Princesses pins

Pins – Oliver, Animators Collection (too cute to resist)
9EdctJJ.jpg
cn8qllX.jpg


And finally, the Disney Store UK online started selling DLP parks merchandise later in the summer. Including ornaments, so I ended up going a bit ornament crazy… Chip + Dale just because; the castle (my favorite ornament); Bambi and Thumper, which I use to represent Sequoia Lodge; and Minnie + Figaro, just because.
wGdDORn.jpg

 
Final Thoughts on Disneyland Paris:

  • I really loved Disneyland Paris. I think even more than I thought I would. They spent A LOT of money building it, and it really shows.
  • The vast majority of my CM interactions were very positive. Despite the horrible guests, they really tried to keep it positive for people who actually were kind and listened to the rules!
  • But the guests, oh those guests! So frustrating! I normally try to ignore when people are being rude, but it’s hard when they are actually impacting your own enjoyment!
  • Food was just fine. Next time I will probably do less $$ table service and instead get some cheaper options. But at least nothing was absolutely horrible!
  • I liked Sequoia Lodge, but I think in the future I would splurge for the Disneyland Hotel. That location just can’t be beat!

Answers to my questions from the intro:

  • Would I eat more croissants or crepes? Croissants! Nothing can beat a buttery, soft, fresh French Croissant!
  • Which museum was my favorite? Probably Musee D’Orsay. Just gorgeous pieces of art in a gorgeous museum!
  • Did I visit everything I wanted to in Paris? Nope. Notable things I missed were the opera house and Grand Palais. More to look forward to on a future trip (nothing planned yet, but obviously I do want to return)
  • What was my favorite ride at Disneyland Paris? Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Crush’s Coaster comes in as a close second.
  • What did I think of the food at Disneyland Paris? Nothing wonderful, nothing horrible. But the theming in restaurants is amazing!
  • What are my future plans for visiting international parks, and how did that change after this visit? Originally, I was going to try to get out to the Tokyo parks in 2019, skipping the Chinese parks. I just didn’t want to deal with the horrible guests I’ve heard about in Shanghai. But then, I realized a couple of things – 1) Halloween in Hong Kong Disney is so cool, so I wanted to see that, 2) visiting HKDL and TDR would mean I only left Shanghai as the park I wouldn’t have visited worldwide – that wouldn’t do as I know I would be desperate to get over and check it off, and 3) I had enough airmiles to fly business class and Aeroplan allows 2 stops in addition to final destination, which would let me visit all 3 places on one airfare, saving a lot of money! So, in the end, I added on a week to my proposed trip and am now going to visit all Asian parks later this year (26 weeks away)! I do want to get back to Paris, but that will probably have to wait a couple more years – I’d also want to go during Halloween or Christmas because those decorations look awesome!
  • How on earth did I come up with the title for this TR? Well, I didn’t, Joey did! Those dolls were hilarious and we still talk about them!
  • Overall where would I rank the Paris parks?
1) Disneyland (California) – the original and classic. My first park. My home park.

2) Animal Kingdom – I just love this one so much. The details, the rides, the atmosphere, the food!

3) Disneyland Paris – Just absolutely gorgeous! I could actually put this as a tie between AK and DLP for #2, with it depending on my mood on the actual day!

4) California Adventure – I know most people wouldn’t have it this high, but I love our “little brother” park! And it’s another home park!

5) Epcot (in Festival season) – In non-festival times, it gets bumped down a spot.

6) Magic Kingdom – I don’t have as much of a love for this, since Disneyland is so similar. I do love the grandeur of it all though!

7) Walt Disney Studios - most people have this as the worst one worldwide, but I liked several of the rides, and the shows were great.

8) Hollywood Studios – there’s really only 1 unique ride I like (Slinky Dog Dash), and most of the shows need updating. I would be very supportive of them bringing a new show like Mickey and the Magician to DHS. Maybe after SWGE opens it’ll get moved up in my rankings, but even then, I feel I’ll like that land, but not the overall park.
 
Sounds like overall a great trip. Crazy what you had to go through to get back, yikes. I'm not looking forward to the stress of traveling back whenever I get to go over and visit the international parks.

I love all the merch you got, it's so cute! That Hyperspace Mountain pin especially. Makes me regret not getting the shirt at Hyperspace in Disneyland because I LOOOOOVVEE that ride. I still can only imagine how insane it is at DLP.

Your list is so interesting, especially when removing the DLP parks so I can compare to my own and we have the same top two, but then everything else is so different for the most park. I prefer Epcot NOT in Festival season because I can't stand the crowds in World Showcase. I like it EMPTY out there, but it's still my least favorite park. Granted, when I go back to DHS and no longer have GMR to ride, it probably might be knocked down to lower than Epcot no doubt. I love your love for DCA though, she is trying so hard and improving so much. It's becoming in some ways what DHS once was or is trying to be again, but just isn't. I can't wait until superhero land opens because I know that's gonna knock everyone's socks off. With DLP in mind, very very interesting your feelings because I know everyone hates Studios over there... one day I'll be able to have my own controversial opinion on that lol

So excited for reading more about your international trips! I know your Asia venture is gonna be INCREDIBLE. ALL THE MERCH hahaha :mickeyjum
 
Sounds like overall a great trip. Crazy what you had to go through to get back, yikes. I'm not looking forward to the stress of traveling back whenever I get to go over and visit the international parks.

I love all the merch you got, it's so cute! That Hyperspace Mountain pin especially. Makes me regret not getting the shirt at Hyperspace in Disneyland because I LOOOOOVVEE that ride. I still can only imagine how insane it is at DLP.

Your list is so interesting, especially when removing the DLP parks so I can compare to my own and we have the same top two, but then everything else is so different for the most park. I prefer Epcot NOT in Festival season because I can't stand the crowds in World Showcase. I like it EMPTY out there, but it's still my least favorite park. Granted, when I go back to DHS and no longer have GMR to ride, it probably might be knocked down to lower than Epcot no doubt. I love your love for DCA though, she is trying so hard and improving so much. It's becoming in some ways what DHS once was or is trying to be again, but just isn't. I can't wait until superhero land opens because I know that's gonna knock everyone's socks off. With DLP in mind, very very interesting your feelings because I know everyone hates Studios over there... one day I'll be able to have my own controversial opinion on that lol

So excited for reading more about your international trips! I know your Asia venture is gonna be INCREDIBLE. ALL THE MERCH hahaha :mickeyjum
Yeah, I know my opinions on parks aren't exactly the same as other peoples! I do have the (dis)advantage of not visiting until 2017, so not the best time for DHS or Epcot. I have higher hopes for Epcot, but honestly, if there wasn't a festival going on, I'd probably just go to eat at one of the restaurants. Not bother with much else! For WDS, the overall park layout and atmosphere probably isn't as good as DHS can be, but the shows are just much better quality (both Mickey and the Magician and the seasonal show), and it has Crush's Coaster!

I'm already overwhelmed by the amount of merch I will end up bringing back from Asia! You'll have to remind me before I go and maybe I'll try to pick up something for you and then bring it to WDW on NYE! I do have a packing strategy though - since I am flying business, I get 2 checked bags for free. So on my way there I will pack a medium suitcase inside a large suitcase. And I'll also have a roller carry-on (I may end up getting one of the Away suitcases for my birthday). So, I'll try to have plenty of space available!
 
Sounds like you had a great trip. DLP has changed so much since I went back in 2001 so I would love to go back.

I also collect ornaments from everywhere I have been. I have so many now I can decorate two trees. Luckily the second one isn’t very full so I have time to still add to my collection. My husband said if we need to get a third tree it has to be fake as he is not lugging home three real trees lol

I have been to the Opera house in Paris and it is amazing. We went to it randomly as it was raining and it was way better than we expected. I guess you can only tour it certain months of the year so definitely look into that prior to going. Looking forward to hearing about your Asian trip!
 
Welcome to the TR!

It is really frustrating with rude guests! I think you just have to remind the kids not to follow everything other people are doing - they should set a better example!

Oh, jealous! It looks soooo cool!

Thanks! Now that it has ended! :rotfl:But don't worry i will be joining some of your other reports!

Hmm, well Buzz is basically the same as the DLR version. If you've done that before, then it's not a big priority. Also, because it's summer, you should get very late park hours. You can always try riding it later in the day for shorter wait times? For Slinky, that is a fun ride, especially kids liked it. It's a slow loader though, so even if there isn't a big line, it will take some time to get through. But my advice would be to prioritize Slinky.

Interesting, we do love Buzz at DL and WDW...... i feel like its bad to not hit Disneyland park the day we get there, but at the same time there isnt as much for us to do in the studios..

Hmm, I think you should do Remy during your trip - it really is an adorable restaurant! Maybe you'll like the food more than me? I guess I don't know enough about your schedule though to suggest a good time
I have VERY low expectations for food in the DLP portion of our trip....

I think it'll be fine! I didn't dislike Sequoia, but just walking underneath that Disneyland Hotel every day made me so envious!
i am sure it will be fine, but will it be the best.... :)

Definitely! Try to get those Mastercard seats too - an awesome view!
Def want to do that! Master card seats would be so worth it, hope we can snag some!

I'm glad you liked them, and I hope I didn't spoil too much!
Loved them, i wont be able to do to much exploring of all the details this trip, so loved looking at them, no spoils here!

From France (many of my souvenirs are ornaments – I like collecting those and actually have issues with the number of ornaments I try to put on the tree every year…
We also do this, we have so many Ornaments.....

From Disneyland Paris:

Pins – General park, 2018, Hyperspace Mountain, Sequoia Lodge (I like to get them from the WDW hotels I stay at), Parisienne Minnie, Belle + Captain Hook I used to represent Princess and Pirates festival
LOVE

inal Thoughts on Disneyland Paris:

  • I really loved Disneyland Paris. I think even more than I thought I would. They spent A LOT of money building it, and it really shows.
  • The vast majority of my CM interactions were very positive. Despite the horrible guests, they really tried to keep it positive for people who actually were kind and listened to the rules!
  • But the guests, oh those guests! So frustrating! I normally try to ignore when people are being rude, but it’s hard when they are actually impacting your own enjoyment!
  • Food was just fine. Next time I will probably do less $$ table service and instead get some cheaper options. But at least nothing was absolutely horrible!
  • I liked Sequoia Lodge, but I think in the future I would splurge for the Disneyland Hotel. That location just can’t be beat!

Interesting points! makes me really excited!

Answers to my questions from the intro:

  • Would I eat more croissants or crepes? Croissants! Nothing can beat a buttery, soft, fresh French Croissant!
  • Which museum was my favorite? Probably Musee D’Orsay. Just gorgeous pieces of art in a gorgeous museum!
  • Did I visit everything I wanted to in Paris? Nope. Notable things I missed were the opera house and Grand Palais. More to look forward to on a future trip (nothing planned yet, but obviously I do want to return)
  • What was my favorite ride at Disneyland Paris? Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Crush’s Coaster comes in as a close second.
  • What did I think of the food at Disneyland Paris? Nothing wonderful, nothing horrible. But the theming in restaurants is amazing!
  • What are my future plans for visiting international parks, and how did that change after this visit? Originally, I was going to try to get out to the Tokyo parks in 2019, skipping the Chinese parks. I just didn’t want to deal with the horrible guests I’ve heard about in Shanghai. But then, I realized a couple of things – 1) Halloween in Hong Kong Disney is so cool, so I wanted to see that, 2) visiting HKDL and TDR would mean I only left Shanghai as the park I wouldn’t have visited worldwide – that wouldn’t do as I know I would be desperate to get over and check it off, and 3) I had enough airmiles to fly business class and Aeroplan allows 2 stops in addition to final destination, which would let me visit all 3 places on one airfare, saving a lot of money! So, in the end, I added on a week to my proposed trip and am now going to visit all Asian parks later this year (26 weeks away)! I do want to get back to Paris, but that will probably have to wait a couple more years – I’d also want to go during Halloween or Christmas because those decorations look awesome!
  • How on earth did I come up with the title for this TR? Well, I didn’t, Joey did! Those dolls were hilarious and we still talk about them!
  • Overall where would I rank the Paris parks?
1) Disneyland (California) – the original and classic. My first park. My home park.

2) Animal Kingdom – I just love this one so much. The details, the rides, the atmosphere, the food!

3) Disneyland Paris – Just absolutely gorgeous! I could actually put this as a tie between AK and DLP for #2, with it depending on my mood on the actual day!

4) California Adventure – I know most people wouldn’t have it this high, but I love our “little brother” park! And it’s another home park!

5) Epcot (in Festival season) – In non-festival times, it gets bumped down a spot.

6) Magic Kingdom – I don’t have as much of a love for this, since Disneyland is so similar. I do love the grandeur of it all though!

7) Walt Disney Studios - most people have this as the worst one worldwide, but I liked several of the rides, and the shows were great.

8) Hollywood Studios – there’s really only 1 unique ride I like (Slinky Dog Dash), and most of the shows need updating. I would be very supportive of them bringing a new show like Mickey and the Magician to DHS. Maybe after SWGE opens it’ll get moved up in my rankings, but even then, I feel I’ll like that land, but not the overall park.

Wow this list is so interesting! I am sure everyone has there own opinions and views... we never spend enough time at AK, need to spend more time there, i say this EVERY trip!

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
 
Last edited:
Fantastic wrap up, Lesley! I really enjoyed reading about your ranking of all the parks you've visited and why. You made some very valid points, and I think I agree with you on Animal Kingdom and DLP being tied. Both are themed so well; it says a lot when you can wander around the park and not feel like you missed anything if you don't go on an attraction.

You came away with some great souvenirs. Landon eyeballed that Hook pin. :rotfl: I'm happy to see you were able to get some ornaments from DLP after passing on that one for fear of it breaking.


Both your descriptions of Heathrow has made me really nervous about using that airport. We flew in and out of Gatwick last year and had such a positive experience that I want to try and avoid Heathrow if possible. :laughing: (Probably going to be an impossible task, since most of the Orlando flights either leave or arrive at Heathrow...)


I already can't wait to hear about your experiences at the Asia parks. It's been a blast following your detailed descriptions from DL and WDW and DLP, that I feel like I'll get as close as I can to Shanghai and Tokyo through your reports.
 
Great trip report, Lesley! I'll definitely be referencing it if I ever get to DLP…maybe in 2 years.

See you in a couple of weeks!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top