allie5
<font color=blue>WARNING! DHL men should be cautio
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2002
Cast Members:
Allie (me!) - 37, Disney fan and shopaholic
Neil, DH, 31, A very generous soul who finances my Disney Plans and Schemes!
Jessamy, DD aged 4. Fantasyland is her second home! Peter Pan her fave film, ride and character!
Daniel-Noah, DS aged 2. Character junkie. Loves anything tall and furry.
Pre-Trip info:
This trip was a surprise treat booked by Neil (all by himself, which is most unlike him!!) for my 37th birthday in August. He came home one night and announced he had booked 4 nights at the Newport Bay for Sept 17th - 21st!! He even apologised for not being able to get the Disneyland hotel (the one I have often longed to stay in!!) as they were fully booked. I was so amazed that he had actually booked ANYTHING on his own, I wasnt disappointed at all, just very happy! The trip would also coincide with our little boys second birthday on the 20th September.
Sadly, 2 weeks before we were due to travel, I lost our 3rd baby when I had a miscarriage. Obviously, this was an upsetting time for all of us, but the planned trip to DLP was something to look forward to and focus on. We did consider cancelling, but in the end decided to go as it would help us all forget about the bad times we had been through.
Both Neil and I had been to DLP once before on a day trip from a stay in Paris several years ago. We had no children then, so only really did the big rides and avoided anything that had unbelievable annoying songs or more small children in the queue than adults!! That trip we went on the Eurostar, but for this one we decided to drive ourselves as we thought it would give us a bit more flexibility.
Day One. Friday September 17th 2004
I have recently realised that for a man to be ready to leave at a required time, you need to state a false time, as they always seem to run at least half an hour behind a woman! Hence, when Neil asked what time we should leave, I had stated "6.30am AT THE LATEST" knowingly realising that if we were away by 7am, then that would be just about perfect.....!! My mum was house sitting so she got the kids up and dressed whilst Neil packed the car with precision and skill that no woman (apparantly) can match. All was done by 6.30 and Neil smugly climbed into the drivers seat...however, the fine art of "jamming everything in the boot" had not included the buggy, left in the hallway, so everything had to come out and be repacked! How one small family needed QUITE so much for 5 days in France Im not too sure about, but boy, if we got lost and ended up in the rainforests of the Amazon, then I think we would survive for a month!! Neil had several "gadgets" like an electronic cool box that had to be tested out and took up half the boot!
Anyway, at precisely 7am
we set off. Weather was lovely and bright and the traffic was clear, kids were happy, Mummy & Daddy were happy...we were all looking forward to our trip! We stopped at Ashford for fuel at the Tesco and pretended to Jessie that we had changed our minds about Disney and were just going to go shopping instead....(we are really cruel and heartless parents with twisted senses of humour)..this didnt go down well, but the situation was diffused with an offering from my secret toy stash (bag of small goodies designed to keep nuclear war from breaking out in the backseats). Car refuelled and one ham and cheese sarnie for the kids to devour and we were on our way again. Arrived at Dover in good time for our ferry at 9.15. Some confusion at the ticket booth as the travel agent hadnt put Daniel down as a passenger (being under 2, he was classed as an infant). P&O lady kindly waived the £3 charge that her computer insisted we should pay for him. Ferry wasnt due to board for 30 mins so we ducked into the Burger King for bacon rolls. Then had to dash like Kelly Holmes back to the car as they started boarding early. Tomato sauce flying in all directions and we did Starsky & Hutch style dives into the car and screeched away just as the car in front was called!!
Once on board we took the lift up to the main decks and then proceeded on deck so the children could see the boat move out of the dock. Daniel was well impressed as he has recently learnt the word boat, which he was able to use at least 100 times as assorted nautical craft sailed by. Things got a bit chilly on deck so we moved inside and got some seats by the window where Daniel could say "boat" every 10 seconds and Jessie would correct him with her wider knowledge of all things marine. Tankers, sailboats, ferries, fishing boats, there is no end to her repotoire. Daddy is left to supervise whilst Mummy attends to more important matters....picking out some new perfume in the Duty Free shop!
Crossing passes quickly and we are soon back in the car ready to set off on the main leg of the journey. We have Simon's Brits Guide to DLP ready with the driving directions plus a giant map of France so we shouldnt get lost..(though Neil had been considering installing a SatNav system especially for the journey...decided against at the last minute!). We regularly cross the channel for shopping trips, so are familiar with the roads in Calais and find the A26 to Paris OK. We reach the tolls after about 20 mins and collect a ticket. Proceed at a fair whack (speed limit is 130Kph) towards Paris. Jessie wants the toilet after about 2 miles, so we stop at a service area. I go in armed with disinfectant wipes and expecting a toilet area like in the film Trainspotting, but in fact, its spotless and much better than most public loos in the UK.
Next leg sees us onto the A1 towards Charles de Gaulle airport where Daniel uses another recently learnt word "Plane" to full capacity. This is where the road network gets tricky. Traffic has increased tenfold and the signs are rubbish. Simon's book is spot on and we make all the funny manoevres despite the efforts of an army of badly driven Renault Clios and Citroen Saxos. This is the worst part of the trip and we are glad there are two of us who drive in the car as I had to be a second pair of eyes as the traffic was erratic and heavy. Eventually we get on the A104 which is the road which will take us to Disneyland!
We see the exit and turn off relieved that we had made it! A few minutes later and we pull into the car park of the Newport Bay Club. We decide to check in first and collect the luggage later. We have decided to try and upgrade to the Admirals Floor so off I go to check in. Test out one of my 3 words of French and give a cheery "Bonjour" to the girl on check in. Hand over my ressie and ask if there are any family rooms available on the Admirals floor. This begins a lengthy "discussion" where check in girls insists they dont have ANY family rooms, no superior rooms and definately no suites. I try gallantly to argue that she is wrong but she wont have it so I admit defeat and accept our allocated room - 4128. Next, I say I want to book Cafe Mickey for my sons birthday and the Fantasyland breakfast. She can do neither, as the first has to be booked the day before (it doesnt, but was I going to argue?) and the latter was fully booked (it wasnt, but more of that later). So, off we all set to room 4128. TIP: wear your hiking boots, take supplies and possibly a sleeping bag, as the walk to your room at the Newport Bay can take a looooong time! The corridors were spooky, like the one that kid rides his tricycle round in "The Shining" and it was an endless walk to our room. Got there eventually and was a little disappointed that it wasnt Disney Themed. It was nautical with blue, white and red stripes. Simon made the comment in the Brits guide that some of the rooms here needed a "spruce up" and this was spot on. Although clean, there was wallpaper ripped and the shower area had black grout. The floors were peeling and some of the bedding was worn. I didnt expect this from a Disney Hotel.
Kids loved the room and charged about. Neil went to fetch the luggage and we made plans to go to the park for a few hours.
Part 2: Disneyland Park, first taste.
Allie (me!) - 37, Disney fan and shopaholic
Neil, DH, 31, A very generous soul who finances my Disney Plans and Schemes!
Jessamy, DD aged 4. Fantasyland is her second home! Peter Pan her fave film, ride and character!
Daniel-Noah, DS aged 2. Character junkie. Loves anything tall and furry.
Pre-Trip info:
This trip was a surprise treat booked by Neil (all by himself, which is most unlike him!!) for my 37th birthday in August. He came home one night and announced he had booked 4 nights at the Newport Bay for Sept 17th - 21st!! He even apologised for not being able to get the Disneyland hotel (the one I have often longed to stay in!!) as they were fully booked. I was so amazed that he had actually booked ANYTHING on his own, I wasnt disappointed at all, just very happy! The trip would also coincide with our little boys second birthday on the 20th September.
Sadly, 2 weeks before we were due to travel, I lost our 3rd baby when I had a miscarriage. Obviously, this was an upsetting time for all of us, but the planned trip to DLP was something to look forward to and focus on. We did consider cancelling, but in the end decided to go as it would help us all forget about the bad times we had been through.
Both Neil and I had been to DLP once before on a day trip from a stay in Paris several years ago. We had no children then, so only really did the big rides and avoided anything that had unbelievable annoying songs or more small children in the queue than adults!! That trip we went on the Eurostar, but for this one we decided to drive ourselves as we thought it would give us a bit more flexibility.
Day One. Friday September 17th 2004
I have recently realised that for a man to be ready to leave at a required time, you need to state a false time, as they always seem to run at least half an hour behind a woman! Hence, when Neil asked what time we should leave, I had stated "6.30am AT THE LATEST" knowingly realising that if we were away by 7am, then that would be just about perfect.....!! My mum was house sitting so she got the kids up and dressed whilst Neil packed the car with precision and skill that no woman (apparantly) can match. All was done by 6.30 and Neil smugly climbed into the drivers seat...however, the fine art of "jamming everything in the boot" had not included the buggy, left in the hallway, so everything had to come out and be repacked! How one small family needed QUITE so much for 5 days in France Im not too sure about, but boy, if we got lost and ended up in the rainforests of the Amazon, then I think we would survive for a month!! Neil had several "gadgets" like an electronic cool box that had to be tested out and took up half the boot!
Anyway, at precisely 7am
we set off. Weather was lovely and bright and the traffic was clear, kids were happy, Mummy & Daddy were happy...we were all looking forward to our trip! We stopped at Ashford for fuel at the Tesco and pretended to Jessie that we had changed our minds about Disney and were just going to go shopping instead....(we are really cruel and heartless parents with twisted senses of humour)..this didnt go down well, but the situation was diffused with an offering from my secret toy stash (bag of small goodies designed to keep nuclear war from breaking out in the backseats). Car refuelled and one ham and cheese sarnie for the kids to devour and we were on our way again. Arrived at Dover in good time for our ferry at 9.15. Some confusion at the ticket booth as the travel agent hadnt put Daniel down as a passenger (being under 2, he was classed as an infant). P&O lady kindly waived the £3 charge that her computer insisted we should pay for him. Ferry wasnt due to board for 30 mins so we ducked into the Burger King for bacon rolls. Then had to dash like Kelly Holmes back to the car as they started boarding early. Tomato sauce flying in all directions and we did Starsky & Hutch style dives into the car and screeched away just as the car in front was called!! Once on board we took the lift up to the main decks and then proceeded on deck so the children could see the boat move out of the dock. Daniel was well impressed as he has recently learnt the word boat, which he was able to use at least 100 times as assorted nautical craft sailed by. Things got a bit chilly on deck so we moved inside and got some seats by the window where Daniel could say "boat" every 10 seconds and Jessie would correct him with her wider knowledge of all things marine. Tankers, sailboats, ferries, fishing boats, there is no end to her repotoire. Daddy is left to supervise whilst Mummy attends to more important matters....picking out some new perfume in the Duty Free shop!
Crossing passes quickly and we are soon back in the car ready to set off on the main leg of the journey. We have Simon's Brits Guide to DLP ready with the driving directions plus a giant map of France so we shouldnt get lost..(though Neil had been considering installing a SatNav system especially for the journey...decided against at the last minute!). We regularly cross the channel for shopping trips, so are familiar with the roads in Calais and find the A26 to Paris OK. We reach the tolls after about 20 mins and collect a ticket. Proceed at a fair whack (speed limit is 130Kph) towards Paris. Jessie wants the toilet after about 2 miles, so we stop at a service area. I go in armed with disinfectant wipes and expecting a toilet area like in the film Trainspotting, but in fact, its spotless and much better than most public loos in the UK.
Next leg sees us onto the A1 towards Charles de Gaulle airport where Daniel uses another recently learnt word "Plane" to full capacity. This is where the road network gets tricky. Traffic has increased tenfold and the signs are rubbish. Simon's book is spot on and we make all the funny manoevres despite the efforts of an army of badly driven Renault Clios and Citroen Saxos. This is the worst part of the trip and we are glad there are two of us who drive in the car as I had to be a second pair of eyes as the traffic was erratic and heavy. Eventually we get on the A104 which is the road which will take us to Disneyland!
We see the exit and turn off relieved that we had made it! A few minutes later and we pull into the car park of the Newport Bay Club. We decide to check in first and collect the luggage later. We have decided to try and upgrade to the Admirals Floor so off I go to check in. Test out one of my 3 words of French and give a cheery "Bonjour" to the girl on check in. Hand over my ressie and ask if there are any family rooms available on the Admirals floor. This begins a lengthy "discussion" where check in girls insists they dont have ANY family rooms, no superior rooms and definately no suites. I try gallantly to argue that she is wrong but she wont have it so I admit defeat and accept our allocated room - 4128. Next, I say I want to book Cafe Mickey for my sons birthday and the Fantasyland breakfast. She can do neither, as the first has to be booked the day before (it doesnt, but was I going to argue?) and the latter was fully booked (it wasnt, but more of that later). So, off we all set to room 4128. TIP: wear your hiking boots, take supplies and possibly a sleeping bag, as the walk to your room at the Newport Bay can take a looooong time! The corridors were spooky, like the one that kid rides his tricycle round in "The Shining" and it was an endless walk to our room. Got there eventually and was a little disappointed that it wasnt Disney Themed. It was nautical with blue, white and red stripes. Simon made the comment in the Brits guide that some of the rooms here needed a "spruce up" and this was spot on. Although clean, there was wallpaper ripped and the shower area had black grout. The floors were peeling and some of the bedding was worn. I didnt expect this from a Disney Hotel.
Kids loved the room and charged about. Neil went to fetch the luggage and we made plans to go to the park for a few hours.
Part 2: Disneyland Park, first taste.
