Say Please in French - A June and Sept. 2018 DLP TR *Updated 4/22

No sooner had our server walked over and introduced himself then the characters started rolling out! You can see this photo that we were still getting silverware and glasses put on our table:
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Well, that was abrupt. LOL!

She had steadily been getting more comfortable with characters, and I am happy to report that her fear of meet and greets is officially behind us.

No more Garden Grill drama!

:worship:

Hallelujah.

I would hate to relive that night again…



Thank God for that. ;)
Yep. One of the best things about the Disneyland Paris parks is that they aren’t afraid to mix and match characters. This was more than just a Mickey and friends dinner or a Winnie the Pooh ensemble.

I love this concept. I get predictable can be a good thing, I also kinda myself prefer... predictably unpredictable, if that makes sense.

When the characters walked away, and we got the kids back in their chairs, all four of us were smiling ear to ear. Feeling giddy, goofy, and highly entertained Alex turned to me and said, “Worth it.”

Magical!


This is the BEST photo! Look at those happy smiles!

With all together too many sweets consumed, Alex and I gathered the kids and went to settle our bill. For two adults and two kids, the price came to 215 dollars.
:sad::sad:

Wowza.

Ouch, but magic usually comes at a price, Dearie.

FWIW, that's not too far off 1 diner at V&As. :)
 
Evie did spectacular with Mickey, showing no hesitation at all. She had steadily been getting more comfortable with characters, and I am happy to report that her fear of meet and greets is officially behind us.
Yay! That’s good at least! Slowly but surely getting her indoctrinated into Disney!

Yep. One of the best things about the Disneyland Paris parks is that they aren’t afraid to mix and match characters. This was more than just a Mickey and friends dinner or a Winnie the Pooh ensemble.
Yeah, I like random characters! One of the breakfasts at Disneyland is like that (the one Dugette wrote about), with people like Fairy Godmother, Captain Hook, and Max!

Lesley and Dugette had different people than we did, and they all interacted differently. So, while there’s not much consistency in the system there’s an element of surprise that turned out to be really fun.
I think I had most of the same people as you guys! I’m not certain if I met Donald but I may have met Minnie instead. Once I get to that point in my TR I’ll recheck!

What a rare opportunity, seeing and interacting with three of the fab five all at once. Each one was willing to hop and dance around with Landon. They made sure to let the kids high five and hug each one of them, then pose in several different ways for photos. There was no rush, and they even tried to include Alex and me in on the antics.
So cool!

Oh my. Tigger got some serious air!
Wow, totally!

The snap peas and potatoes were delicious! I actually went back and got seconds of those because they were so good.

Alex enjoyed the seafood selection and impressed with the vast array of choices. Not only was there plenty for the kids, but there was a lot of dishes period. I doubt anyone couldn’t have found at least one thing they were willing to eat on the line.
Yeah I really liked the variety and I felt it was some of the best food I got at DLP!

The chocolate mousse with a candy light saber attracted him more than multiple macarons.
Oooh, they didn’t have that when I was there! You know I would have gotten one!

With all together too many sweets consumed, Alex and I gathered the kids and went to settle our bill. For two adults and two kids, the price came to 215 dollars.
:sad::sad:

Wowza.

That was steep. Really, really steep but Alex readily admitted that it was worth every penny. The food was good – maybe not spectacular – but the character interaction was unprecedented.
Yup, definitely expensive! But worth it for food and proximity to your room!

Would I eat at Inventions every trip? Probably not. Especially since it’s not very consistent. That being said, it’s absolutely worth it for a splurge, a celebration meal, or a once every few years treat.
I want to go to the Sunday Brunch since the theme changes every week!
 
I want to go to the Sunday Brunch since the theme changes every week!
I would love to do the Sunday Brunch at Inventions but unfortunately for me I probably won't ever be staying around the weekends anyway. But I may give the Character Dinner there a try though.
 


Fantastic meal and by the smiles on those faces oh so totally worth every penny!
The photo of Evie and Landon with Tigger just melts my heart :love:

Landon received the Winnie the Pooh books for Christmas last year, and I had been reading a chapter a night to them before bed. So I think they had a bigger connection to Tigger than any other character at the meal.



Hey there, names Joseph or Starscream if you prefer, I'm new around here and just wanna say I'm enjoying your trip report. The kids seemed to be enjoying themselves there with the character meal at Inventions. Shame I didn't get Hook when I went.

:welcome: Hi Joseph, thanks for joining in! This was one of the better character meals we've had with the kids; both were old enough to enjoy them without being scared, and I was really excited to see Hook there. Not a character that's out and about very often.
 
I love this concept. I get predictable can be a good thing, I also kinda myself prefer... predictably unpredictable, if that makes sense.

Magical!

This is the BEST photo! Look at those happy smiles!


Ouch, but magic usually comes at a price, Dearie.

FWIW, that's not too far off 1 diner at V&As. :)

I do understand that some people want to know who they are paying to meet at certain meals, but I think what won me over at Inventions was the unpredictability factor. It was nice not having something "planned out" at Disney, for once.

Looking back, I'm not sure why we were so surprised by the cost of dinner. We've done O'hana's and Chef Mickey's before, so we should have been familiar with the Disney price. I guess we've just been eating in Europe for too long, where meals are significantly cheaper. I don't know....




Wow, Inventions sounds like an awesome character meal! I’m glad you guys enjoyed!

It was really fun and the kids got great character interactions.



Yeah, I like random characters! One of the breakfasts at Disneyland is like that (the one Dugette wrote about), with people like Fairy Godmother, Captain Hook, and Max!

I will have to keep that in mind and make that restaurant a priority whenever we make it out to DL!


I think I had most of the same people as you guys! I’m not certain if I met Donald but I may have met Minnie instead. Once I get to that point in my TR I’ll recheck!

So cool!

Wow, totally!

Yeah I really liked the variety and I felt it was some of the best food I got at DLP!


Oooh, they didn’t have that when I was there! You know I would have gotten one!


Yup, definitely expensive! But worth it for food and proximity to your room!


I want to go to the Sunday Brunch since the theme changes every week!


I remember someone got to see Minnie Mouse but I couldn't remember if it was you or Dugette. I'll have to wait for the update and see. :rotfl2:


I've heard nothing but great things about the Sunday Brunch...but does this mean you're planning another trip out here?:rotfl:
 
I do understand that some people want to know who they are paying to meet at certain meals, but I think what won me over at Inventions was the unpredictability factor. It was nice not having something "planned out" at Disney, for once.

Looking back, I'm not sure why we were so surprised by the cost of dinner. We've done O'hana's and Chef Mickey's before, so we should have been familiar with the Disney price. I guess we've just been eating in Europe for too long, where meals are significantly cheaper. I don't know....

I enjoy a bit of both.... planned AND unplanned. Both have their places and can be attractive in different ways at different times.

Meals in Europe are cheaper?! Really? I had until this moment thought exactly the opposite! Mind. Blown!
 


I remember someone got to see Minnie Mouse but I couldn't remember if it was you or Dugette. I'll have to wait for the update and see. :rotfl2:


I've heard nothing but great things about the Sunday Brunch...but does this mean you're planning another trip out here?:rotfl:
Yeah I double checked and met Minnie, not Donald! I need to get back to my TR! Just so busy at work and trying to plan for WDW!

I wish I had another upcoming trip to Disneyland Paris! But not for a while. I’ve been stalking all the Halloween stuff and the Christmas stuff and it just looks fabulous!
 
Meals in Europe are cheaper?! Really? I had until this moment thought exactly the opposite! Mind. Blown!

I think it depends where in Europe you're eating, but most of the places I visit tend to cost less than American restaurants. I live right next door to an amazing German restaurant, and their most popular dish (the one we order) costs 15 Euros, so about 17 dollars. But since drinks are cheaper and tipping is only about 5-10 percent since it's built in, that's where we save money. A typical dinner there, with two main entrees, two kids' meals, and two drinks cost us about 45 Euros total. So, about 50 dollars.
My husband recently got back from a work trip to Italy, and it was costing him about 15 Euros for his dinner.
That being said, the more touristy corridors are more expensive. My lunch in Switzerland last summer cost me 30 Euros!



Yeah I double checked and met Minnie, not Donald! I need to get back to my TR! Just so busy at work and trying to plan for WDW!

I wish I had another upcoming trip to Disneyland Paris! But not for a while. I’ve been stalking all the Halloween stuff and the Christmas stuff and it just looks fabulous!

You've got a lot of trips coming up, so I understand!
The Halloween decorations were awesome, and my friend went over Thanksgiving break and sent me some amazing photos of the Christmas decorations. Wish I could sneak down there a day and see them for myself!
 
I remember someone got to see Minnie Mouse but I couldn't remember if it was you or Dugette. I'll have to wait for the update and see. :rotfl2:

I just checked our photos and we met Minnie!

And, agreed, that was a phenomenally expensive meal for us too. But very fun and good food. Worth doing once.

Sorry, I haven't been keeping up on commenting, but I've been reading and loving it!
 
Until Inventions the only character meal I ever had at a Disney Theme Park if at all was over at Cafe Mickey before they rolled out the new menu and refurbished the place. I still wish that I had done the ones over at Disney World cuz from what I hear those are supposed to be fun.
 
YIKES! That is crazy expensive!!! But the character interaction looks amazing, and you can't put a price on those grins.
 
All caught up!

Poor Evie, I hope she grows out of her ride fears soon as she can fully enjoy the parks with the rest of you.


That character dinner sounds amazing!! I love the random mix of characters.
 
I just checked our photos and we met Minnie!

And, agreed, that was a phenomenally expensive meal for us too. But very fun and good food. Worth doing once.

Sorry, I haven't been keeping up on commenting, but I've been reading and loving it!

No need to apologize, I know with the holidays and the kids' school schedules it's a hectic time! I'm hoping once Christmas and New Years are over and my in-laws have left I can finish with this report, but who knows.



Until Inventions the only character meal I ever had at a Disney Theme Park if at all was over at Cafe Mickey before they rolled out the new menu and refurbished the place. I still wish that I had done the ones over at Disney World cuz from what I hear those are supposed to be fun.

It's hard to compare the two. I feel like DLP's restaurant had amazing character interaction. I don't think we've ever gotten so much attention and antics from the ones at WDW. However, that being said the price and variety of food at Walt Disney World is a bit better. You have more places to choose from that doesn't cost as much as Inventions. Ultimately, I am happy to be able to say I have experienced both and seen what each park has to offer in terms of character meals.



YIKES! That is crazy expensive!!! But the character interaction looks amazing, and you can't put a price on those grins.

Very true; the kids had a blast and that's all that mattered!


All caught up!

Poor Evie, I hope she grows out of her ride fears soon as she can fully enjoy the parks with the rest of you.


That character dinner sounds amazing!! I love the random mix of characters.


I think at this point in time, Evie loves rides that are outside. Her favorites are the carousel and DLP's version of Alien Swirling Saucers, so I think her issue might be a fear of the dark. Which I am really hopeful she will be able to outgrow as she gets older.

Inventions had the best character interaction of any Disney meal I've ever done. It was so much fun watching Goofy and Donald mess around with each other while Eeyore wandered around behind them. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip.
 
Friday, June 15th, 2018 Part 7:

After our dinner at Inventions, Alex and the kids wanted to go back in to the Disneyland park and ride some attractions before everything closed at 10 o’clock. Unfortunately, I had taken some Dramamine and in addition to it not living up to its Non-Drowsy name (it wiped me out) it gave me some negative reactions, and I knew I couldn’t go back in to the park. All I wanted was my comfy bed, some Netflix documentaries, and a dark room to alleviate a headache I was fighting.

I felt terrible, because Alex and I have never really taken the kids into the parks solo before, and I didn’t want my rest to stop them from having fun. I offered to take Evie with me back to the room, so Alex would only have Landon to watch. That scenario would have been a lot easier on him, but Evie fought back. If Landon was going back into the park, then she wanted to go, as well.

Alex was feeling pretty brave and agreed to take them both.

Whoa boy.

I armed him with the stroller, diapers, and full water bottles, sent them away with a prayer for patience, and reminded Alex of his steel fortitude.

Poor guy.

He had taken on quite the challenge.

He was off on a great expetition!
(Anyone else watch the new Christopher Robin movie recently? Landon loved how it picked up right where the second book finished.)


As earlier mentioned, I was the ultimate lazy bones that evening and barely got out of my hotel bed. Which means, all the photos to follow are my interpretation of the events that transpired in the Disneyland park. I’ll be connecting the dots and waiting for Dugette to write her report to see how close I came to the truth.



Alex must have met up with Dugette and her family as soon as they got to the park, because the first photo Alex took was of all the kids in front of It’s a Small World:

0064.JPG



They all rode and my son ditched his dad for a row with Izzy:

0066.JPG




We always get a kick out of seeing European Ariel:

0067.JPG

No purple clamshells in the Mediterranean.:rotfl:




Evie seemed to be digging the countries:

0068.JPG

Or she just liked taking selfies with her dad. I think that might be closer to the truth…:rolleyes2




After Small World, it appeared the group went through Alice’s Labrynth Maze.

0070.JPG



Which no preschooler could traverse without a buddy:

0071.JPG



Evie found a door that was exactly her size:

0072.JPG



Then gave the older kids an extra hand:

0077.JPG




Once everyone twisted and turned their way to the top of the maze, they were greeted with a view I was very jealous to miss:

0078..JPG


0080.JPG

The sunset over the castle looked beautiful! I bet it was one of the prettiest sights they saw in the park, and that is now on my bucket list of activities to do at Disneyland Paris.




CONTINUED IN NEXT POST:


 
CONT.D FROM PREVIOUS POST:




Friday, June 15th, 2018 Part 8:



Everywhere Alex and the kids looked, they saw great views:

0083.JPG


I guess somehow they broke away from the hedge maze and went and rode Pirates. How Alex convinced Evie to go on it again is beyond me. He must have used some incredible Dad persuasion to get her to deal with yet more pirates.


Following Pirates, they ended up by Indiana Jones and Alex offered to watch Izzy while Dugette and Dug went to ride by themselves. Alex knew full well how rare it is to get to ride coasters with your spouse when you’ve got young kids, so he was more than happy to give them that opportunity.


And the kids kept themselves occupied by playing tag:

0088.JPG



Everyone was starting to get really into the game:

0091.JPG




But hold on…..


0092.JPG

One, two, three….FOUR!


The game was so intense that Alex gained a kid!
:rotfl::rotfl:


Alex unwittingly became babysitter to a fourth kid. Not sure when or how that happened, but he figured, in for a penny, in for a pound. What was one more at that point?



When Alex got back to the room later that night and showed me those photos, I won’t lie.

I was shocked.
Both because my husband spent the evening with one of my friends, people he had never heard of or knew about before a few days prior.

And because they were comfortable enough to let him watch Izzy for a few minutes.


I think that goes to show how well Dugette’s family and mine hit it off. I think all of us got along well, the kids seemed to like each other, and we all felt comfortable spending hours together despite never having any previous interactions. I really appreciated how open and willing Dugette and her husband were to share their Disney time with us and make us a small part of their trip memories.

If you guys ever have the chance to have a DISmeet while on a trip, definitely do it! They are completely worth it and can enhance your Disney experience.


Alex said the others offered to let Alex ride Indiana Jones once they got off, but he admitted that he’d rather wait until I was with him and go on something with me. So with that, they all headed off for another ride. One that eluded us earlier that morning:

0095.JPG

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.


Where apparently Landon and Dug became best buddies. Landon loved getting to ride with Dug because he showed him how to point the gun and tried for the “bonus shots” and made awesome alien noises. Landon had such a fun time riding with Dug that when he came back to the room, he said Buzz was his favorite ride.



Alex called it quits after Buzz and brought the kids back to the room around 9:45 p.m. The two were asleep almost instantly. They wiped themselves out! And Alex said that even though he had both the kids, he still had a great time. He enjoyed his one on one time with them and said with two other parents’ help it was never overwhelming.


Ultimately, it was a win all around. Alex got as much park time as he could squeeze in – the only way to tackle Disney, in his mind – and I got some kid free time to relax. Sure, I was battling a headache, but it was a small prize to pay for a few solitary hours of decompression. A mom can’t be choosy, now can she?




Up Next…I Need the Cars.

 
Man sorry to hear you had such a pounding headache that evening but it was nice that Alex offered to look after the kids during that trying time. I must say I'm dead jealous of those beautiful shots of that amazing view from Alice's Curious Labyrinth of the sunset because when I went to the Labyrinth it wasn't the best weather because it was very moody weather on my first day but I can vouch that the view is amazing. And GOD NO NOT IT'S A SMALL WORLD! PUT THOSE PICTURES AWAY! PUT THEM AWAY!

Also those pics of the kids playing and walking together is very adorable.
 
I'm sorry you weren't feeling well :( Stinks to miss out on park time.

Sounds like Alex did a good job with the kids on his own! So nice that he was able to meet up with Dugette & family, sounds like it was a fun time for them! The kids look so cute playing together!
 
Unfortunately, I had taken some Dramamine and in addition to it not living up to its Non-Drowsy name (it wiped me out) it gave me some negative reactions, and I knew I couldn’t go back in to the park. All I wanted was my comfy bed, some Netflix documentaries, and a dark room to alleviate a headache I was fighting.

Sorry you weren't feeling the best! I have the same problem with Dramamine to an extent. I get SUPER drowsy with it, and also really cranky and irritable, and a bit headachy. But I'm very sensitive to these types of medications. Even Bonine, which is supposed to be much less drowsy, still gets to me. Glad to hear you got some rest to get past that yucky feeling. Way to go, Alex, for being a great partner and giving you the break you needed! Sounds like they had lots of fun on their own.

No purple clamshells in the Mediterranean.:rotfl:

:rotfl: Scandalous!

One, two, three….FOUR!


The game was so intense that Alex gained a kid!
:rotfl::rotfl:


Alex unwittingly became babysitter to a fourth kid. Not sure when or how that happened, but he figured, in for a penny, in for a pound. What was one more at that point?

Haha that's hilarious!

And Alex said that even though he had both the kids, he still had a great time. He enjoyed his one on one time with them and said with two other parents’ help it was never overwhelming.

That's so great! Sometimes those moments can be really special when one parent can take the lead and spend some quality time alone with the kids. And it's great that you all connected so well with the Dug-family and they could share the load!
 
Man sorry to hear you had such a pounding headache that evening but it was nice that Alex offered to look after the kids during that trying time. I must say I'm dead jealous of those beautiful shots of that amazing view from Alice's Curious Labyrinth of the sunset because when I went to the Labyrinth it wasn't the best weather because it was very moody weather on my first day but I can vouch that the view is amazing. And GOD NO NOT IT'S A SMALL WORLD! PUT THOSE PICTURES AWAY! PUT THEM AWAY!

Also those pics of the kids playing and walking together is very adorable.

I really wish I could have been there to see that sunset from the top of the Labyrinth. The views looked phenomenal...Guess both of us will have to try and make it back so we can catch it on a nice day!




I'm sorry you weren't feeling well :( Stinks to miss out on park time.

Sounds like Alex did a good job with the kids on his own! So nice that he was able to meet up with Dugette & family, sounds like it was a fun time for them! The kids look so cute playing together!

I know Landon thought it was the coolest thing ever, having a kid his age to play with in the parks. While he loves him some Disney rides, he also enjoyed being able to run around and soccialize.



Sorry you weren't feeling the best! I have the same problem with Dramamine to an extent. I get SUPER drowsy with it, and also really cranky and irritable, and a bit headachy. But I'm very sensitive to these types of medications. Even Bonine, which is supposed to be much less drowsy, still gets to me. Glad to hear you got some rest to get past that yucky feeling. Way to go, Alex, for being a great partner and giving you the break you needed! Sounds like they had lots of fun on their own.


:rotfl: Scandalous!


That's so great! Sometimes those moments can be really special when one parent can take the lead and spend some quality time alone with the kids. And it's great that you all connected so well with the Dug-family and they could share the load!


Bonine does this to you, too? Man, that's disappointing. I had such a negative reaction to Dramamine that I was going to try Bonine next and see how that goes. I am not sure why my body changed how it handles motion sickness medicine (I took it during my honeymoon cruise in 2011 and was fine) but it's frustrating. Have you tried the seabands? Do they help?
 

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