Halloween 2018 - Soiree time!

susannah365

Mouseketeer
Joined
May 20, 2009
This was our seventh trip to the magic and it was just as wonderful as always - me dh, dd (13) and ds(10). This time we stayed at hotel Cheyenne - because my kids don't want to share a double bed any more and the pull out bed is two singles!

I'm afraid there are no photos to my report, sorry, hope you stick with me!

Saturday 27th October

Set off from home by 8am and got to Eurotunnel at Folkestone by 10.20, got the 11.20 train, which was delayed to 11.50.

Drove to hotel near DLP, Novotel Marne La Vallee Collegien, arrived 4.30pm

Had Inventions booked for 6pm (booked two months before on the Freephone number). The security let us through to park at the Disneyland Hotel valet parking, where you were allowed 3 hours free to go to dinner. Inventions opened at 6pm for dinner. It was amazing! Our table was in the room to the right with a view over the park entrance. The characters came out immediately; we had trouble finding time to get to the buffet! Saw Eeyore, Tigger, Pluto, Mickey, Goofy – they stayed to interact for ages and came round twice in the time we were there. We left at 7.45pm, paid (using shareholders discount), and bought some jewellery and a photopass in the gift shop.


Sunday 28th October

Enjoyed our free breakfast before leaving at 8amish to drive to hotel Cheyenne to check-in. There was almost no queue so we quickly got our magic passes, moved the car and walked into the park. 9.30am we decided that Pirates of the Caribbean should be our first ride (5min Q). we then went to Fantasyland and did it’s a small world, Le pays des Contes de fees, casey jr all as walk-ons.

As it was now 11.20 we headed to Salon Mickey and enjoyed our hot chocolates, muffins and cookies.

12.10 we found a spot to watch the “Mickeys Halloween Celebration” parade. Short but very enjoyable. By this time the lines were very long so after a bit of a wander we watched Mickeys Philharmagique which was really nice.

1.30pm and since the lines were all long, we decided to shop our way back to the hotel to get our room sorted. First stop was Harringtons where we had great fun with the kids blowing glass pumpkins. (E10 each, including names being engraved for free). After a bit more shopping we arrived back at the check-in desk at 3pm and our magic passes were activated for our room – 1135 (block 11 running bear). We had requested the block nearest to the park as we knew we would always be walking in.

after a rest in the room we left for the park at 4.30pm. we found a spot for the parade opposite the castle which was such a pretty backdrop. 5.15 the cupcake celebration parade started then at 5.30pm the main parade was on. We loved the parades as always!

I had booked Café Agrabah at 6pm for dinner, which was perfect timing. We all found food to eat, although the options of non-spicy food for kids were limited and the desserts were disappointing.

7.20pm We went to say hi to the dragon on our way to fantasyland. The rides looked so magical lit up in the dark and the lines were surprisingly short so we did the teacups, dumbo (15min Q!), star tours, space mountain (using the FP we picked up earlier).

8.45pm orbitron, autopia. Headed for big thunder mountain but it was closed due to technical issues. Explored frontierland – we loved the coco decorations, especially Dante.

10pm time for illuminations but unfortunately no fireworks due to weather.


Monday 29thOctober:

We had decided to spend the day in the studios.

We got to the main gates at 8.01am and they were already open. We turned left and went passed the barrier for hotel guests, we were 2nd in line at the ticket barriers. At 8.30 they were opened and we all walked swiftly to crushes coaster, only to find it closed due to technical issues, boohoo!

Instead we did Ratatouille, RC racer, Parachute drop, slinky dog all as walk ons!

9.05 one more go on RC racer as it was only 5min wait. We went back to crushes coaster which was now open, but said 70minute wait! No thanks!!instead, 9.30 rock n rollercoaster. 9.45 We split up the group - two to go to the single rider line at crushes coaster which would open at 10am and the other two to pick up breakfast at En Couillise. This was the ‘free counter service breakfast’ which included a croissant, hot chocolate and water or orange juice. While at breakfast we went on the Lineberty app and booked a ticket for us all to do the Minnie loves Paris meet and greet – about 3hr wait time.

Next up Art of Annimation, stitch live, Tower of Terror fastpass line, flying carpets walk on. 1pm our ticket to meet Minnie turned green so we joined the short line, about 4 families in front of us.

1.30pm lunch at En Couillise. Crazy long lines, long wait for food and so difficult to find a table – people sitting on the floor all over the place! Burger, fries, ice cream, drink each (no shareholder discount) not exactly gourmet but filled a hole.

3pm Studio tram tour walk on, then Armageddon, then rock n rollercoaster (20 min Q) . by now the lines were long for the rides in the studios, but the app said they were short in the main park so we went over, however, it was clear when we got there the app was very long and lines were huge!! From this point on the app didn’t work for wait times which was really annoying. 5pm dinner at Annettes, using our free half board vouchers at face value (E28 per adult and E16 per child). 7.15pm back to the room and an early night.


Tuesday 30thOctober

Out of the room by 8am eating a cereal bar on the way. We walked through the gates, passed the ticket barriers and were at the virtual rope drop at the castle at 8.25am, perfect timing for the opening at 8.30.

8.30am – GO straight to Peter Pan, a walk on, then over to Buzz lightyear lazer blast. Then hyperspace mountain twice as it was a walk on. The lines were getting long so 9.30am breakfast at Café Hyperion. Free counter breakfast was a choice of sweet (pain au chocolat, bread roll with butter and jam) or savoury(croissant, omelette burger) plus a hot and cold drink.

10am star tours, hyperspace mountain.

11.15 Salon Mickey to get out of the rain!

12.00 shopping and Halloween parade then more shopping.

1.25 Big thunder mountain using fastpasses collected at 10am.

Explore coco decorations in Frontierland, Pocahontas village, pick up another FP for BTM. Wander around swiss family treehouse, then the caves and davey jones locker.

2.20 pirates of the carribean then over to Fantasyland where the lines were long so we walked around the top of the tower (sleeping beauty stories) then went back to the hotel for a rest (collect BBWWS tickets and some more shopping)

5.15pm go to Buffallo Bills Wild West Show – red section, row S4. Saw mickey wandering around the bar area, watched the pre-show of a juggling man, music and a dancing goofy. 6.30 time for the show! Tortilla chips, cornbread, chilli, chicken, sausage, potatoes, ribs and a drink (beer, coke or water), apple crumble and ice-cream. Kids got cornbread, chicken, sausage, potatoes, a soft drink, and a rocket lolly. The show was fun with lots of horse riding skills, some cows with big horns, some shooting, and Mickey, Minnie, and friends.


Wednesday 31stOctober


Up and out by 8am, eating a cereal bar on the way to the studios. 8.25am the ticket gates were opened, straight to crushes coaster – got on at 8.50am. when we got out the line was 50mins long already!

9.00 Cars rally walk on, ratatoillie (20mins)

9.35am We split up and 2 did Tower of Terror while other two did rock n rollercoaster.

10.25am En coulisse breakfast

10.30am split up again for Tower of Terror and rock n rollercoaster (13 year old loved TOT, but 10 year old refused to do it!)

11.15 Salon Mickey. collected FP for big thunder mountain, collected Halloween Soiree tickets from under the train station, no line.

Back to the hotel for a long rest ready for the late night.

2.15pm paid for halloween facepainting – E13.80 each. dd got maleficent while I got Dia des Mortes. they were amazing! Line was shorter than expected, and the face painters worked fast. We were done by 3.25pm. very worth it and really pleased we did it!

we then joined the line to meet maleficent in front of the castle where they had ‘grown’ lots of scary brambles so it looked really cool (where the sword in the stone is normally) By 4.10 we had met her, taken lots of photos and were ordered to ‘GET OUT!’ by her!

It started to rain so an indoor ride was in order – pirates of the carribean out just in time for our dinner reservation at 5pm at Plaza Gardens. Seated by 5.12pm. we loved this restaurant and will definitely eat there again. Probably our favourite buffet – we took a handful of sweets and were away by 6.30pm. we went straight to big thunder mountain to use our fastpasses. Then we did Buzz lightyear as a walk-on. The lines had all suddenly got huge so at 7.30 we joined a group lined up along the rope infront of the palace stage. Turned out to be the parade route so we stood and chatted to the others waiting until the Villains parade at 8.30pm followed by the Villains show at 9.05pm. both parade and show were spectacular and fun! We went straight to Fantasyland where the lines were really short! We did it’s a small world, snow white, carousel, snow white, Pinocchio. Then we walked through skull rock where there were lots of scary pirates and people on stilts which was great fun, but a bit scary for my 10 year old.

Next stop was the coco decorated area where the googy skeleton dance party was going on. The music was a bit loud for us and the meet and greet line for mickey and Minnie was over an hour long so we didn’t join it.

We headed over to discoveryland as we wanted to watch the 11.30pm Big Hero 6 show. We arrived at 11pm to find you had to join a queue at the far side of videopolis. It was full before we even got in line. The stage over in this area was so loud you couldn’t hear yourself think. By now the lines were long 50+ mins (BTM 85mins!) so we left and got back to the room by 11.45pm


Thursday 1stNovember


Up at 8.30am, daddy collected breakfast from New York Sandwiches in the village and we ate in the hotel room. We got all packed up and out of the room by 10.45am. we walked into the park to find the ticket barriers were crazy busy! We avoided the crush by going straight into salon mickey.

12 noon we left salon mickey, collected fastpasses for hyperspace mountain wandered around Fantasyland – saw the Cheshire cat, did Alices maze, explored the caves in adventureland, saw the mariachi band in frontierland. !.30 used our FP for hyperspace mountain. All the lines for rides were huge now so we left the park and did some shopping in the village on the way back to the hotel.

That was the end of our Disneyland Paris section of our holiday. we spent the next three days winding our way back to calais via Reimes (France), Luxembourg City, Trier (Germany), Maastricht (holland), Brugge (Belgium) and home!

Already looking at the calendar to figure out when we can go back!!
 

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