idratherbeinwdw
12-04-2005, 01:17 AM
We wanted to be at the MK when it opened at 10AM on Thursday, November 17. Or 17 November as they say in Europe. Anyway it was November and it was the seventeenth day of the month. We left our hotel in Paris at 8AM. Will had gone home the night before, but he met us at 8 and Elaine, Will and I took a cab to Disneyland Paris. The trip was uneventful, we didn't hit much traffic, and we arrived at the Disneyland Hotel at around 9AM. It was a really nice hotel, reminded me a little of the GF, but what was really cool, and what I was looking forward to most, is that it overlooks the MK in DLP. Literally. You walk out the door of the resort and the turnstyle into the MK is right there.
We were greeted by the bellman, and because Elaine had booked a suite we bypassed the regular check in line and a cm took us up to the Castle Club to get our room assignments and an overview of the hotel. The Castle Club is reserved only for people with suites, and you get similar privileges (though not as much food) as if you were going concierge at WDW. Lots of individual attention, afternoon tea, a private elevator that leads right to the park, and although all rooms come with breakfast the castle club breakfast room is separate and the food served there is better. Since my room was a lock off adjacent to Elaine's they treated it like one big suite and I was alloted the same privileges she was. Oh I almost forgot the best perk of all--a fast pass that is good all day long for any ride that takes fast pass. How cool is THAT?? And even though it was early the rooms were (faint!) ready!! So we went to see our rooms, which as you can see in the pics I linked in the first part of this, were really quite nice. Elaine's suite combined with my room was about the same size as a 2 BR DVC room, no kitchen of course, but there was a mini bar. Her bathroom was huge with a separate stall shower and a tub, and there was a big walk in closet in the hallway outside the bathroom. Both of our rooms came with nice plush robes. I really liked the decor, understated but still very disney. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago the bedspread had a flower pattern with a hidden mickey, but you really had to look hard to find it, I didn't notice it the first day at all, very subtle. Our rooms overlooked the MK, and we could see the Sleeping Beauty Castle from our windows. There were no balconies unfortunately, but the view was terrific.
We still had time for a quick bite to eat, and breakfast was being served, so we went down and had a tasty buffet breakfast. Fresh pastries, bacon, cheeses, eggs, muffins, rolls/criossants. bread. fresh oj, and aj were the choices. We sat at a table overlooking the MK, and I marveled again at how close we were to the actual park. We finished eating and walked downstairs and out and it was about 20 feet to the entrance of the MK. Like in WDW they let you in and up to the end of main street before the actual park opening, and then at opening they drop the rope to let you in to the rest of the park, but it was exactly ten so by the time we got there everything was open already.
The MK itself is almost a carbon copy of the one in FL, right down to the Emporium being on the left side of Main Street. The firehouse, for some reason, is on the right instead of the left, , but it's there and it looks the same. City hall is on the left, in the same spot it is in the MK. The train station is exactly where you'd expect it to be, and you walk under it just like in the MK when you first enter the park. There is no Tonys (or any full service restaurant) at the beginning on the right the way it is in FL, that's where the firehouse is. The candy store is there on same spot on the right as you start up main street, same as FL, and Casey's corner is in the same place, as are the bakery and the ice cream place. So it looks very familiar, but there a few different shops, so it's similar with a twist.
The sleeping beauty castle is very impressive, about the same size as the Cinderella castle, but the colors are more like the castle in CA.
Off we trekked to fantasyland, first stop Peter Pan. Elaine had told me it was more elaborate than the one in the MK, and I read that it was a popular attraction (sound familiar?), so I wanted to go there before the line got too long. Well as it turned out I needn't have worried one iota. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE PARK!! I mean obviously there were a few other people, but my goodness, I have never ever been to the MK in FL with so few guests in attendance, except if I get there when the park opens, and that only lasts about 15 minutes. (and I've been to WDW every single time of the year, including the so called "slow" times). The entire day we waited not one second for any ride. (so while the unlimited FP was a great bonus, there was absolutely no need for it that day). There were plenty of great spots for the parade, not only right before it began, but all during it! You could walk right up to the front at any time. I must have said it a hundred times "I can't believe how empty this place is!". What a pleasure, and probably the main thing I liked best about being there. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time, and it was awesome seeing the European version of Disney. But there is no way DLP can measure up to WDW (not that I expected it to). Obviously in sheer size and things to do WDW wind hands down. But I really liked the feeling of virtually having the place to ourselves, I couldn't get over it.
So back to the story: We did Peter, which was longer than in FL, and the ride was set up so you rarely saw the boat in front of you, which added to the fantasy aspect. It was easier to imagine it was just you up there. Many of the scenes were the same as in FL, but a few new ones were added as well. And for some reason the mermaids on the rock are at the end of the ride on the outside where you disembark.
Continued in next post
We were greeted by the bellman, and because Elaine had booked a suite we bypassed the regular check in line and a cm took us up to the Castle Club to get our room assignments and an overview of the hotel. The Castle Club is reserved only for people with suites, and you get similar privileges (though not as much food) as if you were going concierge at WDW. Lots of individual attention, afternoon tea, a private elevator that leads right to the park, and although all rooms come with breakfast the castle club breakfast room is separate and the food served there is better. Since my room was a lock off adjacent to Elaine's they treated it like one big suite and I was alloted the same privileges she was. Oh I almost forgot the best perk of all--a fast pass that is good all day long for any ride that takes fast pass. How cool is THAT?? And even though it was early the rooms were (faint!) ready!! So we went to see our rooms, which as you can see in the pics I linked in the first part of this, were really quite nice. Elaine's suite combined with my room was about the same size as a 2 BR DVC room, no kitchen of course, but there was a mini bar. Her bathroom was huge with a separate stall shower and a tub, and there was a big walk in closet in the hallway outside the bathroom. Both of our rooms came with nice plush robes. I really liked the decor, understated but still very disney. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago the bedspread had a flower pattern with a hidden mickey, but you really had to look hard to find it, I didn't notice it the first day at all, very subtle. Our rooms overlooked the MK, and we could see the Sleeping Beauty Castle from our windows. There were no balconies unfortunately, but the view was terrific.
We still had time for a quick bite to eat, and breakfast was being served, so we went down and had a tasty buffet breakfast. Fresh pastries, bacon, cheeses, eggs, muffins, rolls/criossants. bread. fresh oj, and aj were the choices. We sat at a table overlooking the MK, and I marveled again at how close we were to the actual park. We finished eating and walked downstairs and out and it was about 20 feet to the entrance of the MK. Like in WDW they let you in and up to the end of main street before the actual park opening, and then at opening they drop the rope to let you in to the rest of the park, but it was exactly ten so by the time we got there everything was open already.
The MK itself is almost a carbon copy of the one in FL, right down to the Emporium being on the left side of Main Street. The firehouse, for some reason, is on the right instead of the left, , but it's there and it looks the same. City hall is on the left, in the same spot it is in the MK. The train station is exactly where you'd expect it to be, and you walk under it just like in the MK when you first enter the park. There is no Tonys (or any full service restaurant) at the beginning on the right the way it is in FL, that's where the firehouse is. The candy store is there on same spot on the right as you start up main street, same as FL, and Casey's corner is in the same place, as are the bakery and the ice cream place. So it looks very familiar, but there a few different shops, so it's similar with a twist.
The sleeping beauty castle is very impressive, about the same size as the Cinderella castle, but the colors are more like the castle in CA.
Off we trekked to fantasyland, first stop Peter Pan. Elaine had told me it was more elaborate than the one in the MK, and I read that it was a popular attraction (sound familiar?), so I wanted to go there before the line got too long. Well as it turned out I needn't have worried one iota. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE PARK!! I mean obviously there were a few other people, but my goodness, I have never ever been to the MK in FL with so few guests in attendance, except if I get there when the park opens, and that only lasts about 15 minutes. (and I've been to WDW every single time of the year, including the so called "slow" times). The entire day we waited not one second for any ride. (so while the unlimited FP was a great bonus, there was absolutely no need for it that day). There were plenty of great spots for the parade, not only right before it began, but all during it! You could walk right up to the front at any time. I must have said it a hundred times "I can't believe how empty this place is!". What a pleasure, and probably the main thing I liked best about being there. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time, and it was awesome seeing the European version of Disney. But there is no way DLP can measure up to WDW (not that I expected it to). Obviously in sheer size and things to do WDW wind hands down. But I really liked the feeling of virtually having the place to ourselves, I couldn't get over it.
So back to the story: We did Peter, which was longer than in FL, and the ride was set up so you rarely saw the boat in front of you, which added to the fantasy aspect. It was easier to imagine it was just you up there. Many of the scenes were the same as in FL, but a few new ones were added as well. And for some reason the mermaids on the rock are at the end of the ride on the outside where you disembark.
Continued in next post