We are going back to the magic of Disneyland Paris!
While we always had an idea that we would go back to Disneyland Paris next year, we’d never actually got to the point of making it a definite plan. Now we have got to that point and at the moment June 2012 is when we are thinking of going for our 11th visit to Disneyland Paris. Last time we went in September and loved that time of year due to the nice weather and low crowds, but my son starts school next year so September is out of the question. We’d like to avoid summer if possible as the parks are really busy and with a 4 year old, the late opening hours are not so much of a concern. So, June it is!
Our last trip was 3 nights and 4 days, which is the standard length of our trips to Disneyland Paris. my son was a bit thrown out by all the travel and was a bit subdued for the first 24 hours in the park, and even though we think he’ll be fine 2 years on and 2 years older, we have decided to go for 5 nights and 6 days. We’d already decided to extend the trip by one day but on a whim a few days ago we decided to add another day and got for 6 days. This will be our longest stay in Disneyland Paris since we had our honeymoon there in 2003.
At the moment the accommodation is looking to cost about £580, with Eurostar adding between £130-200 depending on what price we can get when we book. We usually leave from Ashford on a Monday and to avoid rush hour traffic we stay in a local hotel in Ashford the night before. This time we plan to leave on a Sunday and drive directly to Ashford station on Sunday morning. Sunday morning traffic will be so much less frantic than a Monday morning and we can offset the amount it will cost for that extra 5th night with money saved by not staying in Ashford the night before. The quote for the accomodation and park tickets actually comes not from disneylandparis.com but from Leisure Direction who I booked our first holiday to Disneyland Paris with back in 2002, and our subsequent trip later on that year. They are £50+ cheaper but before I book anything I need to explore the shareholder discount options with Disneyland Paris direct and also wait for any offers which at the moment don’t extend to June 2012. It’s always a dilemma for me; book early and have peace of mind that is everything is in place, or wait for an offer that may never come and also may lead to seats on Eurostar not being available.
I had considered staying off site, but when I priced up somewhere like the Kyriad and added on the cost of tickets, it actually came out to more than if we stay on site. That came as a bit of a relief to be honest, as the thought of not staying on the resort sent a shiver down my spine – how could I not stay close to the magic?
Add in a budget of £100 a day for food and souvenirs and the total cost is looking at around £1,300 – £1,400, which for a 6 day holiday seems a lot of money. I have to admit I did question the sense in booking a holiday for that much money for under a week, but for someone who doesn’t fly, that would be me, options are limited. I discussed it with my wife and we both agreed that the memories we have of holidays in Disneyland Paris are some of the best of our life and our son absolutely loved it. On the surface it may seem like a lot but we get 6 days of the best entertainment, atmosphere and enjoyment available on this planet!
This may shock you but we aren’t planning on going back to our beloved Hotel Cheyenne! No, in fact we will be going to the cheaper Hotel Santa Fe. The reason for this is 1) It’s cheaper, and 2) It’s had a Cars makeover which my son will absolutely love. We sleep and shower in the hotel so as long as it’s clean that’s all we need. Seeing the look on his face as we approach the hotel and he sees this above it will be priceless:
So, that’s where we are at. We are looking at the beginning of June so at the moment that’s just over 9 months away, and counting! I’ll keep you updated as we know more, and if anyone has any recommendations or advice then please do leave a comment, especially is you have been in early June and can tell me about the weather and crowds.
