The Log Dog Blog: Winter Trip to Europe: Disneyland Paris

I figured anyone reading this would be more interested in photos than in what I have to say about Disneyland Paris, so I thought I would briefly share my thoughts and leave you with a bunch of photos to enjoy!

We had been to Disneyland Paris once before, but only for a day when we were in Paris. This time, we wanted to stay there and spend a few days really exploring the two parks (Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios). We decided if we were going to stay, we might as well select the best hotel possible, so we chose the Disneyland Hotel.

The hotel was absolutely gorgeous. Very similar to the Grand Floridian, with one major bonus: steps from Disneyland. Seriously. STEPS. From the door to the hotel where our room was to the park entrance was about 150 feet. It makes the walk from Contemporary to MK feel like a marathon. It was only a little further to Walt Disney Studios, and about a five minute walk to Disney Village (their version of Downtown Disney/Disney Springs). So in terms of the location, the Disneyland Hotel cannot be beat.

Let me say that C found a fantastic deal on Expedia that included hotel, park tickets, three fast passes, breakfast each morning, three dinners, and three snacks for an incredible price. Without such a deal, we probably would not have stayed at the Disneyland Hotel because it is very expensive. But the second week in January is clearly the low-attendance season because not only did we get a great bargain, but the parks were relatively empty (certainly by our California/Florida standards) and we had almost no wait for any attraction.

The parks are beautiful to look at, as I hope the photos reveal. The castle is stunning. I mean, it is utter perfection. Kind of puts the WDW and DL castles to shame, even though I love both of those castles, too! It was so fun to wander through the parks and take photos – both of things that can be found in the American parks and things that are unique to Paris.

Also, I had no idea that Tinker Bell was such a popular character here! I took my Tinker Bell ears I had bought in honor of Chelsea so I could get a photo of them in front of the castle, and they led to many comments and compliments from other guests and from cast members. Tinker Bell was everywhere and I loved it!

In terms of the best highlights, the Ratatouille area in Walt Disney Studios is superbly themed, down to the last detail. The restaurant, Bistrot Chez Remy, is just about the most adorable Disney dining establishment we've ever set foot in! And the new Ratatouille attraction is awesome. Pirates of the Caribbean is different, but so good, and the same can be said for Phantom Manor (Haunted Mansion), except there was not nearly enough "Grim Grinning Ghosts" music for our liking! Finally, the fireworks show at Disneyland, Disney Dreams!, is phenomenal and better than either of the fireworks/projection shows at WDW or DL.

However, that is just about where the accolades begin to dwindle.

The cast members at the parks may as well have been working at Joe Schmoe's Roadside Midway – no evidence of the Disney Magic that is expected at the American parks. No "hello" or "have a magical day" or anything of the sort. Most barely acknowledged the guests and could often be found standing around in groups talking to one another and ignoring everything else. I was not at all impressed with them as a whole. Of course there were exceptions, but they were few and far between. The cast members at the hotel were a completely different story – exactly what you'd expect at a top-notch Disney hotel.

Smoking. Smoking EVERYWHERE. I was floored by how smoking was allowed in the parks. There seemed to be no regard for the comfort of anyone else. I inhaled more second hand smoke in those three days than I think I have in my entire life. It was gross.

Which leads me to upkeep. Severely lacking. Trash, chipped paint, old and fading signs. It turns out that the Walt Disney Company is only a minority owner here, which I was relieved to learn, because I keep thinking, "What is happening here and why is Disney allowing the parks to appear shabby and rundown?!?" Compared to the pristine nature of the American Disney parks, I was disappointed by how things looked. Too many areas and items that need to be refreshed. Maybe most guests don't notice or haven't been to other Disney parks, but for us, it was glaringly obvious that a lot of work needs to be done.

Finally, there were so many things closed for refurbishment and other things closed just because it was low season – attractions, shops, restaurants…I mentioned that we had three snacks? We never got to use any of the vouchers because nothing was ever open! Very frustrating! Peter Pan's Flight, the Railroad, Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, the Castle walk-through (which we experienced last time and it was amazing and I was highly annoyed it was closed this time!)...all closed, to name just a few! We were fortunate to ride the new Ratatouille attraction once, because it was down the rest of the time we were there!

Having said all of that, we really did thoroughly enjoy our time! It's hard to not compare Disneyland Paris with the American parks (and I am sure we will do the same when we visit the parks in Asia). Disneyland Paris is beautiful and the Disneyland Hotel is completely magical. If you ever have a chance to visit and you are a Disney fan, do so – you will not regret it!

Disneyland Hotel