Disneyland Paris Resort

Disneyland Paris is a must see attraction for anyone visiting Europe and 2007 sees its 15th anniversary celebrations. Sarah Yates was invited to Disneyland Paris in April to experience the Disney magic at first hand. Read Sarah’s report to find out more, or call her on 0121 250 2211 or 01543 412768 to book your holiday to Disneyland Paris.

Flight
After my easy fifty-five minute flight from Birmingham to Paris I caught the airport shuttle bus to Disneyland Paris to start my three day adventure. I had previously been to Disneyland Resort in Florida, which I loved, so I was really excited to see how the European version would measure up.

Hotels
There are 13 hotels within the Disneyland Paris resort to choose from, all with their own distinctive theme and décor.

Sequoia Lodge
I stayed in the Sequoia Lodge which is a 3 star hotel only a 5 to 10 minute walk from the Disney Parks. Its American lodge theme décor is complete with dark wood, warm colours and an open fireplace that make it very welcoming. Although the hotel has a lot of rooms to cater for, the buffet style breakfast was very well organised and had a good selection of fresh meats and cheese, rolls, croissants, pastries, cereal and fruit.

The rooms in the hotel are a good size with two double beds, making them ideal for two adults and two young children. If you require more space it is a good idea to upgrade to a suite. The hotel has a lovely indoor swimming pool, outdoor pool and a small arcade and games table.

I was invited to look around a few of the other hotels during my stay, including the elegant Disneyland Hotel, the art deco New York Hotel, the nautical themed Newport Bay Club and the Wild West themed Cheyenne Hotel. All of these hotels are child friendly and have swimming pools and games areas.

Disneyland Hotel
This is the premier hotel of the resort situated at the entrance to Disneyland Park with wonderful views. The hotel is elegant yet child friendly inside and has charming Victoriana décor, modelled on the grand railroad hotels of the 1880s. If you are celebrating a special occasion or have a bigger budget, I would recommend you book a suite in the Disneyland Hotel.

New York Hotel
With its lavish 1930s art deco style, this modern hotel has an elegant bar and restaurant, plus indoor and outdoor pools with a sauna, steam bath and a fitness room. It also has outdoor tennis courts and in the winter months there is an outside ice rink, which everyone can use.

Newport Bay Club
This attractive three star hotel is situated around the lake from Sequoia Lodge and is approximately a 10 minute walk from Disneyland. It is a beautiful hotel with a seaside ambience and a 1920s New England theme, with a Cape Cod restaurant, polished wooden floors and nautical blue and white bedrooms with two double beds. To relax, you can cool off in the indoor or outdoor pool – the water is quite deep, so it may not be as suitable for children as the other hotel pools.

This hotel has an Admiral’s Floor with extra services such as a private reception desk, room service and coffee and tea making facilities plus, there are suites available.

Hotel Cheyenne
Set in an authentic old Western town, this two star hotel’s Wild West theme comes complete with saloons and teepees. It is ideal for families with young children as the rooms have one double bed and bunk beds. The hotel is a fifteen to twenty minute walk to the Disney parks and is a good value for money choice. The extra children’s facilities include an outdoor play area, pony rides and a mechanical bull.

Hotel Santa Fe
This budget two star hotel is decorated in the style of an American Southwest hotel with bright colours, a Mexican buffet restaurant, Indian craft centre and a totem circle play area. The rooms have two double beds in each room making it ideal for a young family.

Other Hotels
There are also several good hotels just off site, about 7 – 10 minutes by regular shuttle bus. The Explores can take 6 people in one of its crew rooms and there is a self catering complex called the Davy Crockett Ranch, where you can stay in your own woodland cabin and take a dip at the tropical indoor pool complete with its own waterfall, slide and whirlpool. The complex also has a grocery shop, tavern, saloon and covered tennis area. The cabins can take up to 6 people per unit and have a convertible sofa bed, bedroom with one double bed and bunk beds, bathroom with a bath, a living room with a TV, kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave, hob, crockery and dishwasher and in addition there is a grill and picnic area outside.

Walt Disney Studios
Disneyland Paris has two theme parks; Walt Disney Studios and Disneyland. I ventured first into Walt Disney Studios, which is all about the big screen and has the atmosphere of a real film studio.

The idea is to discover the magic of cinema. I began my visit watching death defying stunts in a car and motorbike show, which was very entertaining, then joined a Studio Tram Tour which goes “behind the magic” of film sets so you can see costumes, props and vehicles from some of the famous Disney films.

For big thrills there is the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster which goes from 0 to 100 km in 2-3 seconds! Disney are currently building a Tower of Terror, which is due to open in December 2007, plus a new roller coaster, inspired by Finding Nemo, is due to open in June 2007. Although these building areas are currently screened off, everything is sleek and spotless so there is no disturbance. Once Walt Disney Studios is completed I am sure it will be a favourite with older children as the rides are more fast and furious, however, until then, if you only have time to visit one park, head to Disneyland Park instead.

Disneyland Park
When you enter the Disneyland Park you realise that this is what visiting Disneyland is all about. Main Street USA is dotted with vintage cars, horse drawn carriages and the famous Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. From here the park divides into different lands; Fantasyland, which is ideal for younger children; Frontierland, which is perfect for younger and older children as it has a mixture of rides including the Runaway Train; Adventureland, which is based on pirates and magic carpet rides and finally Discoveryland which is themed on space and science.

As well as the fantastic rides, there are shows performed throughout the day. I went to see The Lion King, which lasted for approximately thirty minutes, and was a dazzling performance. It was a compact version of the West End Musical and had many of the famous songs and amazing costumes.

Every day at 4pm, all of the favourite Disney characters come together for a parade, which is really worth watching. Plus, throughout the summer months even more characters will be joining in at sunset for the anniversary celebrations – in July and August there will be fireworks shows and parties every night!

Disney Village
In the evening after the parks closed I dined at Planet Hollywood in Disney Village, a huge complex with shops, cinemas, restaurants and bars. The choice of food is amazing, and at Café Mickey you might even be seated next to Mickey Mouse himself! For entertainment, there is a nightclub which will appeal to young couples; Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, which is performed at 6:30pm and 9:30pm. I watched horses, buffalo, cowboys and Indians and enjoyed some authentic Western-style food as Buffalo Bill told his tale of how the West was really won.

Summary
Disneyland Paris is a great fun packed break for all the family. There is a good selection of accommodation on and off site to suit all budgets and the range of rides, parades, shows and activities available will keep even the most energetic entertained until bedtime. Although the birthday celebration fireworks displays will be held during the summer, the Halloween Festival in October and November and the Christmas and New Year celebrations are also worth considering as there are always lots of special shows and events just for the season.