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

The Disney races are really geared to all abilities. The 5Ks, in particular, are meant to be "fun runs" and don't have any pressure.
My mother did a Disney 5K about 7 years ago, and she walked the entire course! Another walker found her and they decided to finish the course together. She absolutely hates running and cardio-like exercises, but she had an absolute blast at this 5K.
So I say if you can walk 3 miles, then you can absolutely do a Disney race!

I walk about 5k each day Monday-Friday ( on Saturday I’m sloth-like as I sit with my mum and she is now housebound thanks to Alzheimer’s disease) so maybe a Disney race is in my future after all!:yay:
Ok, now I don’t want you to be jealous, I’m only telling you because I feel guilty keeping it a secret from you, we own a Simba plush!!!! :scared1:Well actually my almost 30 year old daughter does:rotfl:And she has a large Pumba with attached bugs in his mouth from when she was totally besotted with the original Lion King movie way back then :simba: Hopefully we can still be friends :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
 
I walk about 5k each day Monday-Friday ( on Saturday I’m sloth-like as I sit with my mum and she is now housebound thanks to Alzheimer’s disease) so maybe a Disney race is in my future after all!:yay:
Ok, now I don’t want you to be jealous, I’m only telling you because I feel guilty keeping it a secret from you, we own a Simba plush!!!! :scared1:Well actually my almost 30 year old daughter does:rotfl:And she has a large Pumba with attached bugs in his mouth from when she was totally besotted with the original Lion King movie way back then :simba: Hopefully we can still be friends :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

If you're already walking that distance in your day to day life, then you can absolutely handle a Disney 5K. There's the one this September in Disneyland Paris...:rolleyes1:goodvibes
I'm sorry to hear your mom is housebound, but it's always good to have a day where you slow down. Sundays have become a food prep/house cleaning day for my family and usually from mid-afternoon to dinner, we're all just sitting around playing board games or reading books. There's a lot of benefits to resting.

A Pumba with attached bugs?!?! That sounds amazing! I'm very jealous.:rotfl::rotfl:Whether my kids want the stuffed animals or not, we're coming home with those Lion King ones in September.:rotfl2:




Oh no!


:laughing: Oh Landon! What a guy!

Judging by your latest trip update, I know you can feel my pain about the cold!
 
I've finally gotten all caught up on your TR! I've read a couple of your other reports and love your writing style and your family is so cute! I'm glad that Evie found a couple of rides that she really liked while you guys were there. And that's good to know that there's nothing but Starbucks open for breakfast early in the mornings. I'm a morning person and also someone who eats first thing after I get up, so valuable info there!

I will be traveling to Paris this August for a conference and am planning to go to DLP the final two days of the trip. I've read that crowds drop off once you get into September - do you know if that's true? My conference is in late August and I was thinking of spending a few days afterward checking out other areas (maybe even taking a train to Bern!) and then doing DLP on Labor Day (the U.S. one) if the crowds will be significantly lower. I definitely want to stay at the DL Hotel there! That's amazing how close you are to the entrance of the park when you stay there.

Looking forward to reading more about your race weekend! I can't even imagine trying to run with a cold. You are a tough cookie!
 


And that's good to know that there's nothing but Starbucks open for breakfast early in the mornings. I'm a morning person and also someone who eats first thing after I get up, so valuable info there!

I think there is a breakfast package option available at the resorts, but if you don't have that then you're on your own! As of last summer, Starbucks opened at 7:30 and Earl and McDonald's at 8:30. That was about it...


I will be traveling to Paris this August for a conference and am planning to go to DLP the final two days of the trip. I've read that crowds drop off once you get into September - do you know if that's true? My conference is in late August and I was thinking of spending a few days afterward checking out other areas (maybe even taking a train to Bern!) and then doing DLP on Labor Day (the U.S. one) if the crowds will be significantly lower. I definitely want to stay at the DL Hotel there! That's amazing how close you are to the entrance of the park when you stay there.

I did some digging to see if I could find an answer to the crowd levels. It looks like late August wouldn't be too bad in terms of crowds. From what I read, there is a French holiday August 15th that you will want to avoid because that'll make the parks busier.
It does look like the park empties a lot in September, so if your goal is to go when it's the least busy, then the beginning of September will probably be your best bet. However, if you don't want to shift your entire trip around to fit that adjustment then I don't think you'll be unhappy with late August.

Most European schools return around America's Labor Day, so I would assume by the end of August/beginning of Sept. parents would want to be finished with their holidays and prepping for a new school term. :confused3
Now, if you go over Labor Day you have a better chance of running into more Americans and English speaking guests. I know that a lot of American families living in Europe, like me, take those three day weekends to go to DLP. :rotfl:

But, I can't be absolutely sure on any of this so by no means should my opinion be taken as a guarantee.:rotfl2:
 
Now, if you go over Labor Day you have a better chance of running into more Americans and English speaking guests. I know that a lot of American families living in Europe, like me, take those three day weekends to go to DLP. :rotfl:

All good info and this in particular was something I hadn't thought of - thanks! My conference ends on the 26th of August and I'd love to hop over to Switzerland as well since that's on my bucket list. Decisions, decisions!
 
Happy Monday, friends!

Just wanted to pop in here and post a link to a PTR I have started:
Nine Nights: Filling 2019 with Disney Adventures Around the World

I really needed a place to sort through my plans, and I realized this report will most likely be finished before my next trip. So if you want to read about my upcoming plans as well as my past ones, then please join along.
 


Just caught up on your TR, and yay to the extra bonus report on your half-marathon trip! When I did my one and only half I was so paranoid about getting sick or injured, so fingers crossed that your cold didn't affect you too much. Landon is so funny -- between his reaction to your offer of a mother-son trip, to his wanting to go to school instead of Disney. Kids are so unpredictable! But how awesome that he loves school so much.
 
All good info and this in particular was something I hadn't thought of - thanks! My conference ends on the 26th of August and I'd love to hop over to Switzerland as well since that's on my bucket list. Decisions, decisions!

I've been to Switzerland twice. It's a beautiful country with really good food and lovely sights. I found it to be less hustle and bustle than other European cities, and every place was clean and safe. If it wasn't insanely expensive in Switzerland I probably would have visited more often...
You mentioned Bern in a previous post, and I have to say, I enjoyed that place more than I thought I would! You've got to experience the Gurtenbahn if you're there, unbelievable views.



Just caught up on your TR, and yay to the extra bonus report on your half-marathon trip! When I did my one and only half I was so paranoid about getting sick or injured, so fingers crossed that your cold didn't affect you too much. Landon is so funny -- between his reaction to your offer of a mother-son trip, to his wanting to go to school instead of Disney. Kids are so unpredictable! But how awesome that he loves school so much.

There's a lot of stress that goes into races, some of which you can control and some of which you can't! Who can guess when an illness or injury is going to strike? It's a very expensive gamble.
We suspected Landon wasn't going to be happy missing a day, but we certainly didn't expect that kind of reaction. I think he loves his schedule more than anything else, and so by switching it we were throwing his entire day off.
 
You mentioned Bern in a previous post, and I have to say, I enjoyed that place more than I thought I would! You've got to experience the Gurtenbahn if you're there, unbelievable views.

Yeah, I think I need to go to Bern! I also have a Bernese Mountain Dog which would add another interesting angle to visiting the area. I can see where her breed originated! :laughing:
 
Yeah, I think I need to go to Bern! I also have a Bernese Mountain Dog which would add another interesting angle to visiting the area. I can see where her breed originated! :laughing:

:eek: Do you really?!? Oh my goodness. I first discovered the breed when one of my former neighbors moved in next door. He had a mountain dog named Base Camp, and he was the sweetest guy. He was scared of walking on linoleum so his owner was forever picking up this massive dog and carrying him to his carpeted living room.:rotfl: When I was in Bern, I was always seeing people walk around with that breed and they looked adorable.
 
If you're already walking that distance in your day to day life, then you can absolutely handle a Disney 5K. There's the one this September in Disneyland Paris...:rolleyes1:goodvibes
I'm sorry to hear your mom is housebound, but it's always good to have a day where you slow down. Sundays have become a food prep/house cleaning day for my family and usually from mid-afternoon to dinner, we're all just sitting around playing board games or reading books. There's a lot of benefits to resting.

A Pumba with attached bugs?!?! That sounds amazing! I'm very jealous.:rotfl::rotfl:Whether my kids want the stuffed animals or not, we're coming home with those Lion King ones in September.:rotfl2:

Don't think I'd have any problem walking the 5k distance though I don't do it all in 1 go inn my daily life. I walk 2 miles round trip to pick up a little guy I look after from school but frequently walk 2-4 miles pushing buggy with Grandson in it or 2 miles round trip to play park (sometimes all 3 in a day depending on weather , my mood or kids moods lol). Seriously going to look into it and see what pace I'd need to be keeping then work on other half to join me (which might be trickier than actual race:sad2:).

I should try and find photos of Pumba. I know we have plenty because Santa brought him but they're from pre-digital days:scared1:
 
Seriously going to look into it and see what pace I'd need to be keeping then work on other half to join me (which might be trickier than actual race:sad2:).

The official pace for Disney races is a 16 minute mile from the time the last runner crosses the starting line. So about a 48 minute 5K time. However, most of the 5Ks are considered fun runs, and I know a few people who finished the race in 53 and 55 minutes. It seemed like since the DLP race was a night race, the officials weren't as worried about clearing the roads for incoming guests like they do for morning races.
If you are at the front of the last corral or in an earlier corral, then you gain some extra time due to the "clock" not starting until after the last runner begins.


I should try and find photos of Pumba. I know we have plenty because Santa brought him but they're from pre-digital days

Please share it with me if you find a photo! I'd love to see it.
 
FINALLY caught up! Loved meeting you guys so much! Hoping to see you out here one day soon. I also have the cruising bug and definitely want to do a Northern Europe one, so may make a pit stop to DLP and England to visit family (and you guys, if you are still around)

I was really proud of him for overcoming the obstacle and giving it his best effort. A lot of things come easy to Landon, and so when he’s faced with a challenge, he tends to back off too easy. So it made my heart sing to see him persevere. One of those not-really-Disney-related memories that you remember from your trips.
I'm sure it helped having an awesome friend who could do it too!

Here lately, this resonates well with her. She is all about the villains. Yesterday, she put on a dress and jewelry and gathered all her plush dogs and put them in our dog’s crate because she was Cruella de Vil.

For the moment, princesses are out and villains are in.

Which I can live with. So long as it means we get to buy that Scar plush next fall…:rotfl2:
Haha! Whatever works!

We scampered inside and received a lot of weird looks from people wondering why we weren’t ordering food. Clearly, checking out the theming is not a thing in the Paris parks like it is in the states.:confused3
Me too! Do they not understand TRs!

Tinker Bell waved some massive pixie dust on our foreheads that day, because as soon as we walked up to the Fastpass line to check on the attraction, the Cast Members opened the lines. The ride was back up and running!

Hooray!

I used two hotel Fastpasses and led Landon through the empty line. We were probably the fifth or sixth family to go through the line, and I don’t think they opened the standby as early as ours because we were encountering no waits.
Yay! That is always the best! Except for line cutters, which was just weird.

Yes, you read that right. Landon threw a massive fit when we told him the news. He screamed, hollered, told us he was going to the bus stop by himself, kept whining, “Nuh uh, I am NOT going to Disney” whenever his sister goaded him with “You’re not going to school today.”:sad2:
OMG, hilarious! And Evie goading him on!

With the biggest downfall being the lack of outlets. This is pretty common among SL guests, and I have since learned people bring surge protectors with them when they stay here. Definitely stealing that idea for next fall!
Yup, I always like to travel with at least something for extra outlets.

I loved that it had the race course on the back in pink and lime green colors:
08-jpg.383561


For less than 20 Euros, it was a great purchase. I wear it on days when I’m feeling a little glum and need to remind myself of how much I’m capable of so long as I have the right mindset.:goodvibes
Thats a pretty cute shirt concept too!
 
Looks like once again I stopped getting notifications for your TR updates!

The joke was on us, though, because as soon as everybody made it into the queue the wait time jumped to 45 minutes
Ah that's just the worst! Glad everyone was okay with the playground instead.

Kind of funny to see them in one picture when in Florida they are located far away from one another.
Whoa that is really strange...

He stuck with it, though, and eventually conquered his fear
WAY TO GO!!

I also completely missed her posing in the Hook cutout
Oh man that's adorable.

I can’t speak for Dugette, but I know what started as a great online friendship evolved into a genuine one that I want to keep going for years to come.
Ah I love stories like these!!

Near the end of the line, though, some kids jumped the fence and got ahead of us. It made absolutely no sense to me, though, because we all made it onto the first train that was loaded.

AND! The rest of their party chose not to cut us, so when they got to the end, they were separated from their group. It was two behind me and Landon and two in front.



What did jumping two people really gain them?:confused3

No clue, but I know that’s pretty common in the Paris park
So, so weird. Glad to know to expect those kinds of shenanigans.

Imagine that there’s a door behind that tree and right behind where I’m standing is the park exit. That was how close we were to getting into our resort after leaving the park. Looking back, it’s insane to think how close we were. Literally around the corner from Main Street.
Oh goodness that's so close!

how happy I was that I lived in Europe and didn’t have to deal with the iceburg lettuce scare that was currently happening in the U.S. at the time
It was a rough time, truly. You don't realize how much lettuce you eat until you can't eat it anymore.

Combined together, it made for a wonderful trip that I am overjoyed to have taken.
Seems like a truly wonderful trip!

Now I'll move on to your race weekend recaps!
 
Little things like deploying husbands, birthing babies
Oh you know just the small stuff :rotfl:

A week earlier, Landon had given me his back-to-school head cold so I had spent the last few days curled on the couch with Dayquil and tissues
Oh no! Those colds are the worst, especially when it's right before travel.

Landon threw a massive fit when we told him the news. He screamed, hollered, told us he was going to the bus stop by himself, kept whining, “Nuh uh, I am NOT going to Disney” whenever his sister goaded him with “You’re not going to school today.
Oh wow this is funny!

With the biggest downfall being the lack of outlets. This is pretty common among SL guests, and I have since learned people bring surge protectors with them when they stay here. Definitely stealing that idea for next fall!
Hmm I will also be stealing that idea...

I wear it on days when I’m feeling a little glum and need to remind myself of how much I’m capable of so long as I have the right mindset
Alright this is amazing. I love this idea!

the gigantic wall of every racers’ names
Wow so cool!
 
FINALLY caught up! Loved meeting you guys so much! Hoping to see you out here one day soon. I also have the cruising bug and definitely want to do a Northern Europe one, so may make a pit stop to DLP and England to visit family (and you guys, if you are still around)

I've been eyeing the northern Europe ones for a few years now. Alex and I are hoping to be able to go on the Norweign Fjords one eventually. If you do head back to Europe, please let me know!! I'd love another meetup. And California will happen for us, eventually. It might be a ways away, now, but it will happen. My brother and his family might be moving to Hawaii later this year, and if they do we would try and visit them once. And if we do we'd make a stop in CA along the way.


Looks like once again I stopped getting notifications for your TR updates!

It's okay, I feel like I'm out in left field with this TR. It seems so far away from the regular trip reports.:rotfl2::rotfl:

Ah I love stories like these!!

I used to be terrified of meeting DISers in the parks, now I get extra excited when I realize a meet is possible. I guess after 8 years on the board I've become used to it.


Hmm I will also be stealing that idea...

Definitely bring something that can accommodate multiple cords! The rooms are severely lacking. We have a little box that hold about 6 USB cords and can detect amps needed, so we travel with that and it is enough to charge our 2 phones, 2 watches, and 2 Ipads. Plus, it's dual voltage so we can use it anywhere.
 
:eek: Do you really?!? Oh my goodness. I first discovered the breed when one of my former neighbors moved in next door. He had a mountain dog named Base Camp, and he was the sweetest guy. He was scared of walking on linoleum so his owner was forever picking up this massive dog and carrying him to his carpeted living room.:rotfl: When I was in Bern, I was always seeing people walk around with that breed and they looked adorable.

That's too funny! There's no way I could pick up my pup to do that since she weighs about 100 pounds! You have just cemented my decision to visit there by saying you saw people walking Berners all the time there! Gah!!

And, I also now feel like I need to force you to see a pic of my girl:

Zoe.jpg
 

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