A New Adventure Calls to Us- a Disneyland Paris TR extravaganza! COMPLETED 3/15

I love the addition of the “daytime fireworks”!
I love the colors! It's so different from anything else I've seen during a castle show.

Hmm, I thought there was a lot of differences and liked it so much better than the US versions (Shanghai is a different animal altogether). The extra scene on the top level where pirates swing above you and you can see the battle below, and then the reordering of the scenes so the skeletons are at the end...
Okay I definitely should have prefaced that by saying I don't pay attention to differences very well :rotfl:

I meant more to say that it's not glaringly different- not in the way I've heard Shanghai is. So people can expect a typical Pirates experience!
 
If you’re from the States, you’re going to fly.
Crap. I'm from Canada. I have to swim???
We took a taxi into Paris since it was the fastest and most straightforward option.
We took the train... You describe it well.
If someone comes up to you who is not in an official vest and asks you if you want a taxi, DON’T GO WITH THEM. It’s a scam.
Really! Surprised they don't police that more at that location.
We purchased something called a carnet of t+ tickets.
::yes:: Did the same.
Metro stations are hot spots for pickpockets. Watch your stuff and pay attention.
Yep. DW got pickpocketed. Luckily, she didn't have anything in her back pocket, but there was an attempt made.
Scams: If you’ve done any sort of research on Paris hopefully this isn’t the first time you’ve heard about the scams.
::yes::
My fave is the "Tie a bracelet on you".
I literally just used a key ring to hold the two zippers together. It also has a front pouch with a zipper and I secured that zipper to the bag with a safety pin.
Smart.
A thief won’t want to mess with anything that will take more than a second.
Agreed. Someone tried to steal my camera bag, but... while I was almost knocked off my feet, they didn't get it.
clipboard carriers- these people ask you to sign a petition. Generally they have your attention someone else will try to steal from you.
::yes:: I saw a video once where a guy had his camera lens removed in just that manner.
What to do in Paris: This is such a big question! There’s seriously so much. I feel like we did a ton and hardly scratched the surface. But I will say that there wasn’t anything that we did in Paris that we didn’t enjoy, so I pretty much recommend everything that we did, if it fits into your timeline and interests.
::yes:: I'd agree with that!
One thing I for sure recommend for first time visitors is the Fat Bike Tour, especially if you can do it on your first day.
::yes:: We did Fat Bike, although it was the Segway tour.
Alright ladies, gentlemen, and mice. It’s now time for the part of this trip report that you actually care about- the Disney part!
Yay! But... I was probably more interested in the non-Disney part, tbh.
They needed our reservation number, which I didn’t have and the station wifi wasn’t strong enough to let me load my email. Thankfully they said an ID would work instead
Whoops! Glad it worked out, though.
Another thing I underestimated was just how close the train station is to the park gates. In mere minutes we were at the security lines
Really!
Surprised the sign says "Welcome".
Cool!
And guys. To say this show is incredible is THE worst understatement.
I don't know if I've heard a show described like that.
we ended up watching it every single day.
High praise indeed!
The singer who performed in this show was phenomenal. I don’t think it’s the same one as in the video link I posted (although she’s talented, too). I remember Jon and I looking at each other in amazement when we realized that the vocals weren’t pre-recorded- they sounded that amazing!
She sounds wonderful!
It’s a similar vibe to the castle walkthrough at Disneyland, just written in French and if feels a little bigger.
Not surprised. Pretty sure when DL castle was built,
1. The budget was much smaller (even scaled for 1955)
2. They didn't anticipate the crowds they get today, back then.
Although I did make a note that I preferred Redd’s outfit on the DLP version. But did I take a picture to back up my decision? No I did not.

Sorry guys.
Major fail! Shame on you! Shame!


;)
We stuck around the Skull Rock part, which is a walkthrough themed after Neverland.
Cool!
(no Mickey bars at DLP, sad face).
Really? I'm very surprised by that.
So we hiked back through Fantasyland to the Storybook Land Canal Boats (called Le Pays des Contes de Fees, which translates to The Land of Fairytales). It had a 10 minute wait on the app but when we got there it was up to 15 and it actually ended up taking 25.
Way too long for that "ride".
As Kansans, we had to make our stereotypical “not in Kansas anymore” joke when we saw it.
:laughing:
Following our adorable boat ride we decided to head to Walt Disney Studios. Switching parks at DLP is very similar to at Disneyland in Anaheim. The parks are pretty much next to each other and you don’t have to go through security again if you’re park hopping.
Nice and... didn't even know there was a 2nd park!
If you stay in certain room types onsite at DLP then you can get some FPs included.
Nice little perk. Too bad they don't have that in WDW.
And OMG guys this place is the cutest. The theming is incredible and it looks so much like the movie.
:goodvibes
[Naturally I needed to Disneybound as Remy]
Naturally. Cute outfit, too. :)
(because French wine. Have I mentioned that I love it?)
No? I don't think so?


:rolleyes:
Holy bread!
Both our mains were great! At least, I think they were. I didn’t actually write notes about the quality. But I distinctly remember leaving the restaurant pleased with the food.
Of course they were great. Remy is not just a regular rat, you know!
Seems out of place, doesn't it?
I like that!
 
I have to swim???
Well I figured you could teach your moose to swim and just ride on its back.

Surprised they don't police that more at that location.
They do a pretty good job but there are still some sneaks who will pounce when the officials aren't looking.

Someone tried to steal my camera bag, but... while I was almost knocked off my feet, they didn't get it.
Whoa really?? As far as I'm aware, no one attempted anything with us. Certainly nothing was taken if they did.

I was probably more interested in the non-Disney part, tbh.
Well then you can feel free to ignore the next several updates.

Surprised the sign says "Welcome".
I think the other side says bienvenue, but I was so excited to get into the park that I didn't take time to actually compose a quality photograph.

I'm very surprised by that.
They have the Magnum bars instead. And ALSO Kinder ice cream, which is phenomenal. Absolutely amazing.

No? I don't think so?
Oh my bad. I flippin love French wine.

Holy bread!
:rotfl:

I like that!
It was actually tough to get a decent photo of. You can see the very top of the construction wall/netting there at the bottom edge. The whole thing was surrounded by it. I think they're building up some kind of mini Cars Land right there.
 
Well I figured you could teach your moose to swim and just ride on its back.
Good idea!
He's strong enough that he can tow his food behind him too!
Usually I just go across lakes, so don't think about bringing that too.
They do a pretty good job but there are still some sneaks who will pounce when the officials aren't looking.
Surprised... and yet, not surprised.
Whoa really?? As far as I'm aware, no one attempted anything with us. Certainly nothing was taken if they did.
I had a camera bag that had a single shoulder strap. You know how they tell you to wear a purse strap cross body? This one wasn't. But when the thief grabbed it and pulled (HARD!!), that was when he found out that it was also buckled around my waist (hip bag). I was pulled backwards and almost off my feet! When I turned around to see who was trying to steal it... he (or she?) had already melted into the crowd and I didn't see who it was.
Well then you can feel free to ignore the next several updates.
Sorry. That was poorly worded. I am interested in the Disney part... but I was more interested in the Paris part. It's like... on a scale of 1-10, I was at 10 on Paris (and surroundings) and a 9 on Disney.
Maybe 9.5...
I think the other side says bienvenue, but I was so excited to get into the park that I didn't take time to actually compose a quality photograph.
Ah. :)
They have the Magnum bars instead. And ALSO Kinder ice cream, which is phenomenal. Absolutely amazing.
Anything with "Kinder" in the name has to be good!
Oh my bad. I flippin love French wine.
:laughing:
 


I didn't do any quotes because I was so busy enjoying the pictures of everything!

I love the addition of skull rock! I remember seeing it in Lesley's pictures from her TR and just loving it! I did notice in May when we rode POTC at WDW, there was a newish stack of rocks right before the mermaid scene that when viewed from the right angle looks like skull rock! I thought maybe I imagined it LOL but did see it again in December.

Gusteau's looks simply adorable! I love the Christmas lights hanging overhead. And of course your Disneybound was spot on for the evening!
 
Sorry. That was poorly worded. I am interested in the Disney part... but I was more interested in the Paris part. It's like... on a scale of 1-10, I was at 10 on Paris (and surroundings) and a 9 on Disney.
Maybe 9.5...
Hmph. Fine. You can stay.

I love the addition of skull rock! I remember seeing it in Lesley's pictures from her TR and just loving it!
It's so cool! And a fun place to explore. I can only imagine being a 6-8 year old in there!

Gusteau's looks simply adorable! I love the Christmas lights hanging overhead
It's the cutest, and I'm glad we were there at the end of the day so we got photos of it without creeping on people eating hahaha
 


Wow amazing pics . Also , Paris is on my bucket list so I greatly appreciate all of your travel tips !!!
I'm glad I could help! As always if you have any specific questions, just let me know :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: DLo
I have no idea when that trip will happen but I will take you up on your offer when it does I think the Cali ABD will be before that ; j
 
The train station is so close to the parks! It made going back forth to Paris really easy when we stayed at the DL Hotel.

I heard nothing but amazing things about the Jungle Cruise/Lion King seasonal entertainment. It looked incredible!

Glad you were able to try Chez Remy's. I wish they were including the restaurant in Walt Disney World. In my mind, seeing parts of the place from the ride adds to the fun.
 
The train station is so close to the parks! It made going back forth to Paris really easy when we stayed at the DL Hotel.

I heard nothing but amazing things about the Jungle Cruise/Lion King seasonal entertainment. It looked incredible!

Glad you were able to try Chez Remy's. I wish they were including the restaurant in Walt Disney World. In my mind, seeing parts of the place from the ride adds to the fun.
It would be amazing if they included the restaurant! Imagine how hard those reservations would be to get. Oof.
 
FInally caught up! I finally feel like I have my head above water in TRs! lol got so off my game for a bit but I'm back!

That is so funny that you literally just said "english?" when checking in! lol Its scary to try out another language! When we visited France I did not brush up on mine and was like I guess I'll see what I remember from high school and I was pleasantly surprised how much I was able to recall!

I loveddd the Palais Garnier too! That was actually one of my Dad's must dos that I was like yeah okay hopefully we make it there and I am so glad we did! Scenes from one of the 50 Shades was also filmed there haha

The Eiffel Tower security IS super slow. We waited FOREVER to get in. It almost made me wish we hadn't bothered! Glad your experience wasn't that bad though!

Your Paris recountings are making me itch to go back!! So beautiful!

DLP! Yay!! I was also surprised by how close the train station is to DLP. My Mom called it the polar express to DLP! lol I'm surprised you weren't more impressed by POTC! My family thought it was leaps and bounds better than WDWs haha

Chez Remy looked so cute! I definitely want to eat there if I ever make it back!
 
I finally feel like I have my head above water in TRs! lol got so off my game for a bit but I'm back!
It's crazy how fast they all pile up!

The Eiffel Tower security IS super slow. We waited FOREVER to get in. It almost made me wish we hadn't bothered! Glad your experience wasn't that bad though!
Yeah other than the slow security line the rest of the lines weren't that bad. I've seen pictures of the switchbacks full and overflowing and our experience was thankfully nothing like that!

Your Paris recountings are making me itch to go back!! So beautiful!
Oh trust me I have the same itch!

My Mom called it the polar express to DLP!
That's amazing 😂

I'm surprised you weren't more impressed by POTC! My family thought it was leaps and bounds better than WDWs haha
Okay so apparently I just don't pay attention on rides. @Lesley Wake also called me out on some pretty major differences :rotfl:
It was definitely a fun ride, though!

Chez Remy looked so cute! I definitely want to eat there if I ever make it back!
So adorable, and the food was really good. Some people say the food isn't that great but Jon and I have really low standards so to us it was awesome.
 
Phantom Manor is dope, guys- our first DLP evening






Our first stop was to see if the dungeon was open and it actually was! I tried to get a photo of the sign but this child was very involved in feeling every square centimeter (look how metric I am now) of it so it’s not great.


Finally- the dragon.




Why doesn’t every castle have a dragon? When I get my castle, it will have a dragon.


This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I could have stayed to watch forever, except there were some super annoying Spanish kids yelling hola at it over and over. Eventually we got bored and tired of the yelling and said farewell to our scaly friend.

Next up was another walkthrough- Alice’s Curious Labyrinth.

But first, castle photos.





One thing that’s different about DLP is how many things there are to do that involve looking around. Lots of walkthroughs and lookouts and the like. I really appreciated it because it gives you something to do when lines for rides are really long.


Alice’s Labyrinth is super cute. It’s surprisingly long and so elaborate (and curious, I guess). I really enjoyed taking photos here and checking out all the details.






[The view from the top of the castle is pretty great]

We did another DLP-specific attraction next- Le Passage Enchate d’Aladdin, which is a walkthrough Aladdin attraction. It’s exactly what you expect- just a walkthrough with different scenes from the movie set up. It’s not terribly elaborate and it’s really short, but the scenes are cute.




There was a shop near the exit and we stopped for a little bit to look around and check out the merch. I fell in love with a Rajah plush (that I sadly never actually purchased). They also had a lot of Lion King stuff. Sooo much Lion King stuff.













We both wanted to ride another ride so we pulled up the app and saw that Phantom Manor was only a 5 minute wait!


Phantom Manor is DLP’s Haunted Mansion-type ride and it’s so amazing. Maybe my second favorite attraction at DLP. It’s in Frontierland so the setting is like a western gold rush town. I knew the setting was different but what I didn’t realize was that the story was so different!


Side note: Phantom Manor went through a major refurbishment in 2019. I’m not sure what changed during the refurb but I’ve heard that the newest version is a little different than the original.

In Phantom Manor, there’s still kind of a wedding theme, but this time the bride isn’t killing her husbands. Her suitors all met violent and mysterious deaths. Eventually an earthquake killed her parents and she got engaged again but a Phantom took her intended to the attic and hanged him. The bride went crazy waiting for her fiancé and eventually the Phantom brought his undead friends into the mansion and the crazy lonely bride lives there with the Phantom and his demon pals. Sounds like a blast, TBH.

Some of the scenes are familiar, like the stretching room, the long hallway, the ballroom, etc, but they all have a twist that fits with the specific backstory. Then there’s a whole section unique to Phantom Manor- Phantom Canyon. The earthquake that killed the bride’s parents also opened up a canyon and killed a lot of people in the nearby town. It’s a literal ghost town and it such a fun scene. The voice of the Ghost Host from Haunted Mansion also makes an appearance in the form of the Mayor.


The ride was so incredible and was the perfect way to end our first day at DLP. We walked toward the park exit and stopped at the sweet shop on Main Street for some goodies to take back to the room. We got some candy, cookies, and marshmallows. There weren’t as many things to choose from compared to the Confectionary back in the US, but we had was good. The candy was our favorite part!






We walked to our hotel, which was about 15 minutes from the park gates. The park entrance of the hotel is on the opposite end from check in so we had to walk around (lost, very lost) for a while before we found the right place. The Golden Forest check in area was open and empty and a really nice and helpful CM checked us in.


Another perk of the Golden Forest room is a separate check in area. It’s not such a big deal when you’re checking in at 9pm and there’s no one else there, but I bet it’s really handy when you’re there at a busy time.

There was a lot of paperwork to fill out and we actually had chairs to sit in while we did! Pretty soon we had our keys and were on our way up to the room!

And oh my goodness this room was MASSIVE. I don’t think it’s normal for rooms to be as big as ours was. It was almost too big. The TV was so far away from the bed that you could hardly see it (not that we watched a lot of TV, it was just funny to see how much space there was).



[This was probably just a little over half the room. Seriously so big]


But while there was an excess of space, there was an extreme lack of outlets. There were two outlets in this entire room, and they by the bed or in the bathroom (except for one dedicated for shavers). We had to plug our adaptor in around the corner from the bed, which was crazy inconvenient, given the size of the room.


[I brought home so many of these]

Once we found the outlets and came up with a plan for how to charge our phones we got ready for bed. We wanted to be nice and rested for our first full DLP day!
 
Finally- the dragon.


I’m so bummed I never saw the dragon 😭

Why doesn’t every castle have a dragon? When I get my castle, it will have a dragon.

Obvs


Phantom Manor is DLP’s Haunted Mansion-type ride and it’s so amazing. Maybe my second favorite attraction at DLP.


Love phantom manor! The new story line sounds different but still spooky and spectacular!


[I brought home so many of these]


My DH would be so proud of you! LOL!​
 
I tried to get a photo of the sign but this child was very involved in feeling every square centimeter
Actually, I kinda think it's a cute pic with the kid in it. :)
(look how metric I am now)
Ooohhh… you'd fit in up here. Just say "eh" a lot and apologize for everything and anything.
Why doesn’t every castle have a dragon? When I get my castle, it will have a dragon.
:lmao: Of course!!
I could have stayed to watch forever, except there were some super annoying Spanish kids yelling hola at it over and over.
:sad2:
One thing that’s different about DLP is how many things there are to do that involve looking around. Lots of walkthroughs and lookouts and the like. I really appreciated it because it gives you something to do when lines for rides are really long.
Interesting comment, that. I find there's so much to look at in both DL and WDW...
a walkthrough Aladdin attraction.
Interesting. HM in DL was originally designed as a walkthrough, so interesting that they made one.
I fell in love with a Rajah plush (that I sadly never actually purchased).
This is tragic.
Phantom Manor is DLP’s Haunted Mansion-type ride and it’s so amazing. Maybe my second favorite attraction at DLP.
So what's your first?
In Phantom Manor, there’s still kind of a wedding theme, but
That was interesting. I'd love to see it. :)
We walked toward the park exit and stopped at the sweet shop on Main Street for some goodies to take back to the room.
That shop is great! Beautifully designed.
we had to walk around (lost, very lost) for a while before we found the right place.
:laughing:
And oh my goodness this room was MASSIVE.
And you didn't invite the rest of us?
But while there was an excess of space, there was an extreme lack of outlets.
Ah. That's why.
I've noticed that about Europe. It's like they didn't have plugs before electricity, so they're grudgingly putting a few in against their will.
 
Ooohhh… you'd fit in up here. Just say "eh" a lot and apologize for everything and anything.
I'm so close!!

I find there's so much to look at in both DL and WDW...
It's not that there isn't stuff to look at in the US parks, it's just that in DLP there are so many things where the whole point of the attraction is looking at stuff or just exploring. And they're generally really well done, like the labyrinth and Adventure Isle caves.

So what's your first?
You'll find out in the next chapter!

That shop is great! Beautifully designed.
Most of the shops are super well-themed!

It's like they didn't have plugs before electricity, so they're grudgingly putting a few in against their will.
And at least in France most of the outlets are circular and recessed into the wall (I don't remember them like this in the UK). Which doesn't work so well with my square adapters. Thankfully we have one big adapter that fit and we just had to plug everything into it. But it did mean I couldn't ever use my curling iron, because it's dual voltage and I didn't want it to fry our big adaptor.
467347
 

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