It's super important when you do a trip to Disneyland Paris that you are prepared. It makes the whole trip better and you don't have to worry about any unexpected fees/stress. So here is some of my all important dos and don'ts.
Technology is wonderful. It allows you to take photos and share them in about 30 seconds (a minute if the wifi is slow). Despite this, Disneyland Paris is yet to have charging points. Why? I'm going to guess that it is because the app here is an option whereas across the pond, having the Disney Experience is compulsory at this point. That or the fact that Paris, as much as I love it, always seems to be the last to get things like wifi.
Kelly
1. DO: REMEMBER THAT YOU MAY NEED TO PAY EXTRA IF YOU ARE ON THE MEAL PLANS.
 |
| Picture Source: Disneyland Paris |
Now, the meal plans are absolutely wonderful. You have your meals paid for and you don't have to have any worries. However there are a couple of things that you may need to budget for in order to make the most of your holiday. These are:
- Alcoholic Beverages: If you want a beer/wine/shot with your meal, you will have to pay for this separately when you dine on the meal plan. Unlike it's American Counterparts, which I discuss here. Therefore, you need to budget about 8-10 euro per meal if you want an alcoholic beverage. In addition, you will need to pay extra if you want a drink/snack in the hotel's bar so look to budget around 8-15 euro per drink if you want a cheeky cocktail in the evening.
- Afternoon Treat: Some of you who may have been on a meal plan before may know the phrase "Pause Gourmande" or afternoon treat to you non-French speaking folk. This is some small snack/treat (brownies, donuts, ice-cream, etc.) and a choice of either a hot drink or a cold drink. These used to be included in the Disney meal plans, however this is no longer the case. So if you fancy a coffee and a cake/ice-cream, then you need to budget 6-8 euro per person for an afternoon treat.
- Either your first/last meal: This one is the one most likely to trap people out. Let me explain how. Let's say you're staying for 2 nights and 3 days and order the full board dining plan. You would receive the following vouchers per person:
- 1 voucher for the day you arrive.
- 2 vouchers for day 2.
- 1 voucher for day 3.
For half board, you would have one meal voucher for either day 1 or day 3, and one meal voucher for day 2.
This means that if you arrive early on your first day or have a late departure on your last day, you may need to put some money aside for a meal. My advice is to either budget for a counter service restaurant such as Cowboy Cookout Barbecue or a table service restaurant that doesn't take the voucher such as Rainforest Cafe or King Ludwig's Castle depending on your restaurant preferences and/or budget.
2. DON'T: FORGET TOLL MONEY
 |
| Picture Source: How Stuff Works |
If you are driving to Disneyland Paris, please bare in mind that the French like their tolls. You need to budget around about 22 euro each way if you are travelling to Disneyland Paris from Cialis (i.e catching a ferry or tunnel from the UK) and this needs to be in cash.
3. DO: REMEMBER TO BRING PORTABLE CHARGERS IN YOUR DAY BAGS.
 |
| Picture Source: Amazon |
Technology is wonderful. It allows you to take photos and share them in about 30 seconds (a minute if the wifi is slow). Despite this, Disneyland Paris is yet to have charging points. Why? I'm going to guess that it is because the app here is an option whereas across the pond, having the Disney Experience is compulsory at this point. That or the fact that Paris, as much as I love it, always seems to be the last to get things like wifi.
Therefore it is super important that you carry some form of portable charger in your handbag/rucksack and ensure that it's charged up fully. This means that you can spend less time worrying about your phone dying and more time taking selfies by Sleepy Beauty's Castle.
4. DON'T: FORGET TO BOOK TABLES FOR YOUR BUFFET, TABLE AND CHARACTER MEALS.
 |
| Picture Source: Disneyland Paris |
You might have heard me say this numerous times on the blog now because that's because this is super important! I have read numerous of recent reviews on TripAdvisor from guests who were hacked off because they had meal vouchers that they couldn't use to lack of table. Even if you don't choose the meal plan for your trip, the character dining locations get super popular especially during peak lunch and dinner times.
So when you should book? The booking window for Disneyland Paris opens 60 days before the day you wish to book. For example if you were going on your Disney trip from the 7th-9th March 2019 and wanted to book Cafe Mickey for 6pm on the 8th March, the earliest you could book it is the 7th January 2019.
In terms of how to book, you have two options. The easiest (and cheapest if you're not French) is to book online via https://bookrestaurants.disneylandparis.com/the place you want to book. For example if you wanted to book Cafe Mickey, you would type https://bookrestaurants.disneylandparis.com/cafe-mickey. The full list of restaurants available for booking online can be found via Salon Mickey.
The way that Disneyland Paris advertise directly on their website (most likely because it gives them more money) is booking via telephone. You can do this by ringing +33 1 60 30 40 50. Note, that international callers will be charged more so bare this in mind before dialling.
5. DO: COME TO DISNEYLAND PARIS PREPARED.
 |
| Picture Source: Gifhy |
It is super important that you come to Disneyland Paris prepared. I'm talking stocking up on those Disney Plushies before you arrive (if you book via the Disneyland Paris website, you will receive a voucher for 15% off), ensuring you have ample woolies/sun cream depending on the time of year and most importantly, you've done lots of reading beforehand. Of course there is this amazing blog which you can follow on Bloglovin and like the official Facebook page, #ShamelessPlug, but I would also recommend reading reviews on TripAdvisior and joining Disneyland Paris groups and forums.
In addition, make sure that you have a small day bag ready to go when you arrive at the hotel, just in case you are unable to check in on your arrival. Ensure this bag contains a phone (preferably a smart phone so you can access dining reservations and the Disneyland Paris app), money, charger, comforters for tiddlywinks, Disney toys and things for the change in weather.
So there you have it, some of my Dos and Don'ts for making to most of Disneyland Paris. Do you guys have any tips that I failed to mention? Pop them in the comments. Don't forget to subscribe to the blog and I hope you have a wonderful day/evening.
So snuggle up by the fire, make a wish and lick your lips.
Kelly
Comments
Post a Comment