DisneyWorldTraveller
Dreaming of a Disneyland Down Under
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2012
I thought I'd start by introducing myself properly and tell you a little about our forthcoming August/September 2015 trip. I'd love any help and encouragement along the way... So I'm open to everyone's suggestions.
I'm actually English but I left all my family home in England and moved out to Melbourne Australia back in December 2002 when I was in my early 20's. I now have 2 beautiful (biased) kids and a baby on the way. My DD turns 10 in November 2014 and DS will turn 9 in August 2015 (while we are in UK) I am 23 weeks pregnant. My Disney Princess is due in February 2015. Yes I am expecting another little Princess. I'm so excited!!!
My awesome Hubby has yet to experience a Disney theme park for himself. So this trip I'll be introducing both him and a new princess to the wonderful world of Disney
I am very passionate about travelling and seeing the world but 'LOVE' to add a little Disney magic to my trips when and where possible. My kids have been pretty blessed so far and have already visited Disneyland CA in 2009, Disneyland Hong Kong in 2010 and 2011, Disneyland Paris in 2011. I also took my daughter to DLP in 2005 when she was just 6 months old. So 10 years later I'll be repeating history.... Yay!!!
I'm currently experiencing major Disney withdrawals. Does anyone else get these feelings???
My last Disney trip was in October 2012 to run in the Tower of Terror 10 miler RunDisney in WDW. That was an awesome 2week trip and got me through till earlier this year when the withdrawal symptoms started.
My sister who lives in England in lovely Dorset announced her wedding plans earlier this year and I was hoping and praying to come up with the funds to get all 4 of us over there. Then I got pregnant and realised there'll be 5. Yikes, that's a heap on airfares alone.
A few months ago they confirmed their wedding day scheduled for 22nd August 2015. It'll be just 2 days before DS birthday. Flights were not bookable so I had to try and wait patiently to book them from Melbourne to London before I could get too excited.
The original plan was going to be to fly out via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific Airlines or Qantas and have 4 nights in Disneyland Hong Kong. I've stayed at the Hollywood Hotel in Hong Kong Disneyland twice and it's sooooo awesome. Despite the small size of the park, it is just beautiful with its mountainous, island location by the sea. The character meets and and shows are fantastic too. I wish I knew how to share with you all some photos but Disboards is saying I can't add attachments. Does anyone know how this works???
Anyway, about 5 weeks ago my sister asked me to be a bridesmaid, my DD to be a flower girl and my DS to be a page boy.... So I knew I'd have to get there quick and be there a few weeks before the wedding for dress & suit fittings. Oh and her hen night too!!
Once available for sale we then priced our flights via Hong Kong and found that Disney's Hollywood Hotel was going to cost over $3500 for 4 nights not including tickets. Yikes!!! This was mainly because they wouldn't let us have 4 people plus a baby in the 1 room for fire regulations. So we would have to have 2 rooms
For my stop over there in December 2011 I'd paid approx $1200 for 4 nights for 1 adult & 2 kids including 2 day entry each. There had been a pay 2 nights stay 4. So it had really gone up heaps. For this reason & the need to be in the UK sooner, combined with amazing airfares released by Royal Brunei Airlines, which were $1500 cheaper than ones via HK, meant we decided to fly straight through Melbourne to LHR. My heart almost stopped at the idea of not going to Disneyland.
I've been longing to take DH to Disney since we first met. For his birthday in September 2013 I surprised him with flights to Queensland and took him to Movie World on the Gold Coast for the day. This is a Warner Bros theme park in Australia which is VERY tiny even compared to HK Disneyland (& it's NOT Disney) Anyway, I needed to test the waters to gauge if I think he'd love Disneyland as much as me. I'd taken my parents here in 2004 and they had hated Movie World. They just kept comparing it to DL Paris, which is a very unfair comparison really. On the other hand DH (then just BF) loved it. He wanted pics of everything which isn't as common for him as me. And he loved the buildings and architecture as well as the rides. I even got him to have a pic with Daffy Duck and Tweetie Pie. So there's definitely hope in DL Paris. Yay
Anyway, realising we were not just saving the $1500 on flights but the cost on not stopping over each way meant I could afford to look at Disneyland Paris. The idea of Paris was much more exciting to DH who hasn't been to Europe before. So, I booked and paid for our flights with exception of baby, who cannot be added until she is born (best not forget-lol) we fly out of Melbourne on 6th August. Kids are taking a long trip out of school, which is a bit of a worry, but they're not quite so strict in Oz as UK. Kids holidays here are unfortunately different and we can't change my sisters wedding cause she's a school teacher. Coming home to Oz on 9th September straight through again. I've done it once with kids but not straight through 35 ish hours from door to door with a baby. Not too excited about the idea. Kids will be great though cause they are so well travelled & happy to get their quicker.
I looked at off site hotels for Disneyland Paris and then discovered the 2 nights free for summer 2015 DLP hotels. Anyway, I got 4 nights in the Cheyenne from 3rd September till 7th September for €1087 which wasn't bad seen as I was looking at a lot just for 4 days park entry on top of an offsite hotel and with this we'll get a 5 day pass. I think it actually worked out slightly cheaper and we have breakfast included and character meets in the hotel. Which I will love, the kids might 2 tehehe. I booked at international.disneylandparis.com and the offer had to be booked by 15th October. I did price it on disneylandparis.co.uk but with exchange rates to Aussie $$$ it worked out cheaper on the euro costing.
I've also reserved 3 nights before hand at the Kyriad hotel room only, but this can be cancelled free of charge if plans change or I find something better. From the Kyraid we're planning on getting the RER into Paris for a day or 2. Then, we are hoping it won't be too expensive for a taxi to transfer out of Kyriad and into the Cheyenne on 3rd September which is DHs birthday. Then we will have the full day in the parks. And his birthday will be when he gets to walk down Main Street for the first time. I think (pray) he'll love it. We'll just have to come back to the hotel for check in. Has anyone ever done this before or anything similar? It seems a waste of a park day to travel in on the day and lose most of the entry and we do want to see Paris too.
Lots more to plan and I still need to arrange transport between UK and Paris. Tips on cheapest, easiest method, transfers etc welcome.
I'm also looking at restaurants and what's the best plan for DHs birthday. What would u plan for a man in his mid 30's to do on his birthday. The first ever time he'd stepped foot in Disneyland? I know the kids and baby should be easy to please.... Mind u so is he but I want it to be special for my man. After all he's married a Disneyholic
Thanks for reading and suggestions..... I promise to keep u updated and I'd love any extra tips xox
I'm actually English but I left all my family home in England and moved out to Melbourne Australia back in December 2002 when I was in my early 20's. I now have 2 beautiful (biased) kids and a baby on the way. My DD turns 10 in November 2014 and DS will turn 9 in August 2015 (while we are in UK) I am 23 weeks pregnant. My Disney Princess is due in February 2015. Yes I am expecting another little Princess. I'm so excited!!!
My awesome Hubby has yet to experience a Disney theme park for himself. So this trip I'll be introducing both him and a new princess to the wonderful world of Disney
I am very passionate about travelling and seeing the world but 'LOVE' to add a little Disney magic to my trips when and where possible. My kids have been pretty blessed so far and have already visited Disneyland CA in 2009, Disneyland Hong Kong in 2010 and 2011, Disneyland Paris in 2011. I also took my daughter to DLP in 2005 when she was just 6 months old. So 10 years later I'll be repeating history.... Yay!!!
I'm currently experiencing major Disney withdrawals. Does anyone else get these feelings???
My last Disney trip was in October 2012 to run in the Tower of Terror 10 miler RunDisney in WDW. That was an awesome 2week trip and got me through till earlier this year when the withdrawal symptoms started.
My sister who lives in England in lovely Dorset announced her wedding plans earlier this year and I was hoping and praying to come up with the funds to get all 4 of us over there. Then I got pregnant and realised there'll be 5. Yikes, that's a heap on airfares alone.
A few months ago they confirmed their wedding day scheduled for 22nd August 2015. It'll be just 2 days before DS birthday. Flights were not bookable so I had to try and wait patiently to book them from Melbourne to London before I could get too excited.
The original plan was going to be to fly out via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific Airlines or Qantas and have 4 nights in Disneyland Hong Kong. I've stayed at the Hollywood Hotel in Hong Kong Disneyland twice and it's sooooo awesome. Despite the small size of the park, it is just beautiful with its mountainous, island location by the sea. The character meets and and shows are fantastic too. I wish I knew how to share with you all some photos but Disboards is saying I can't add attachments. Does anyone know how this works???
Anyway, about 5 weeks ago my sister asked me to be a bridesmaid, my DD to be a flower girl and my DS to be a page boy.... So I knew I'd have to get there quick and be there a few weeks before the wedding for dress & suit fittings. Oh and her hen night too!!
Once available for sale we then priced our flights via Hong Kong and found that Disney's Hollywood Hotel was going to cost over $3500 for 4 nights not including tickets. Yikes!!! This was mainly because they wouldn't let us have 4 people plus a baby in the 1 room for fire regulations. So we would have to have 2 rooms
For my stop over there in December 2011 I'd paid approx $1200 for 4 nights for 1 adult & 2 kids including 2 day entry each. There had been a pay 2 nights stay 4. So it had really gone up heaps. For this reason & the need to be in the UK sooner, combined with amazing airfares released by Royal Brunei Airlines, which were $1500 cheaper than ones via HK, meant we decided to fly straight through Melbourne to LHR. My heart almost stopped at the idea of not going to Disneyland.I've been longing to take DH to Disney since we first met. For his birthday in September 2013 I surprised him with flights to Queensland and took him to Movie World on the Gold Coast for the day. This is a Warner Bros theme park in Australia which is VERY tiny even compared to HK Disneyland (& it's NOT Disney) Anyway, I needed to test the waters to gauge if I think he'd love Disneyland as much as me. I'd taken my parents here in 2004 and they had hated Movie World. They just kept comparing it to DL Paris, which is a very unfair comparison really. On the other hand DH (then just BF) loved it. He wanted pics of everything which isn't as common for him as me. And he loved the buildings and architecture as well as the rides. I even got him to have a pic with Daffy Duck and Tweetie Pie. So there's definitely hope in DL Paris. Yay
Anyway, realising we were not just saving the $1500 on flights but the cost on not stopping over each way meant I could afford to look at Disneyland Paris. The idea of Paris was much more exciting to DH who hasn't been to Europe before. So, I booked and paid for our flights with exception of baby, who cannot be added until she is born (best not forget-lol) we fly out of Melbourne on 6th August. Kids are taking a long trip out of school, which is a bit of a worry, but they're not quite so strict in Oz as UK. Kids holidays here are unfortunately different and we can't change my sisters wedding cause she's a school teacher. Coming home to Oz on 9th September straight through again. I've done it once with kids but not straight through 35 ish hours from door to door with a baby. Not too excited about the idea. Kids will be great though cause they are so well travelled & happy to get their quicker.
I looked at off site hotels for Disneyland Paris and then discovered the 2 nights free for summer 2015 DLP hotels. Anyway, I got 4 nights in the Cheyenne from 3rd September till 7th September for €1087 which wasn't bad seen as I was looking at a lot just for 4 days park entry on top of an offsite hotel and with this we'll get a 5 day pass. I think it actually worked out slightly cheaper and we have breakfast included and character meets in the hotel. Which I will love, the kids might 2 tehehe. I booked at international.disneylandparis.com and the offer had to be booked by 15th October. I did price it on disneylandparis.co.uk but with exchange rates to Aussie $$$ it worked out cheaper on the euro costing.
I've also reserved 3 nights before hand at the Kyriad hotel room only, but this can be cancelled free of charge if plans change or I find something better. From the Kyraid we're planning on getting the RER into Paris for a day or 2. Then, we are hoping it won't be too expensive for a taxi to transfer out of Kyriad and into the Cheyenne on 3rd September which is DHs birthday. Then we will have the full day in the parks. And his birthday will be when he gets to walk down Main Street for the first time. I think (pray) he'll love it. We'll just have to come back to the hotel for check in. Has anyone ever done this before or anything similar? It seems a waste of a park day to travel in on the day and lose most of the entry and we do want to see Paris too.
Lots more to plan and I still need to arrange transport between UK and Paris. Tips on cheapest, easiest method, transfers etc welcome.
I'm also looking at restaurants and what's the best plan for DHs birthday. What would u plan for a man in his mid 30's to do on his birthday. The first ever time he'd stepped foot in Disneyland? I know the kids and baby should be easy to please.... Mind u so is he but I want it to be special for my man. After all he's married a Disneyholic
Thanks for reading and suggestions..... I promise to keep u updated and I'd love any extra tips xox
I agree, Eurostar is by far the most stress free way to get to DLP. If you get the direct service all you need to worry about is getting on the train, no transfer worries or luggage weight to worry about. You can also get on at Ashford if that's easier than going into London?
