How important is staying onsite?

closetmickey

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 2, 2009
We wanted to stay at the Disneyland Hotel but it is just crazy expensive. All the other onsite hotels seem very similar to places we have or could stay at Disney in CA or Florida (it is Disney after all!). I am leaning towards a couple of the partner hotels so it feels a little more like being in France but cannot get a feel for how important the onsite perks are. Can anyone elaborate for me, regarding early entry, dining reservations and any other perks? Thank you so much!
 
At busy times the perks are very much worth it. Extra Magic Time is great in both parks and without it there would be significant queues for those rides. All of the onsite hotels except Davy Crockett are a very manageable and pleasant walk around the lake and through the Disney Village. Bag check security is much quieter here than at the bus and train station. It means you can go back for an afternoon break very easily and it doesn't take too long to get back after the fireworks. They are usually sold as a package with park tickets included so remember to factor in the cost of tickets if considering staying offsite.
 
At busy times the perks are very much worth it. Extra Magic Time is great in both parks and without it there would be significant queues for those rides. All of the onsite hotels except Davy Crockett are a very manageable and pleasant walk around the lake and through the Disney Village. Bag check security is much quieter here than at the bus and train station. It means you can go back for an afternoon break very easily and it doesn't take too long to get back after the fireworks. They are usually sold as a package with park tickets included so remember to factor in the cost of tickets if considering staying offsite.

Thank you. Is there any way to price a 2 night package with only two day tickets? Seems like I automatically have to pay for three day tickets.
 
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Yes you will get 3 days of tickets. They are worth using even if arriving late afternoon or early evening. Only way to avoid this is to book hotel on a booking site such as expedia and tickets separately. It rarely works out cheaper though.
 


Hi ClosetMickey, I also would like to advice you to stay on property. I agree; the Disneyland Hotel is quite expensive. I can assure you that cheaper Disney hotels (like Cheyenne for instance) are comfortable and very affordable! They are all within walking distance to the Disneyland Parks. Cheyenne has had a renovation last year, so it looks very nice too.
 
Another vote for the Cheyenne. It's a value resort but much better themed than the values in Orlando (do you call giant statues theme?) and after the refurbishment the rooms are quite nice. However be prepared: by US standards, they're very tiny, but it's true of most European hotels as well. If instead you are on a budget have a look at hotels in Val d'Europe: they're 5 minutes away by train and some are walkable to DLP as well. For super budget, I suggest the Kyriad hotel in Torcy. If you're used to Deluxe hotels in Orlando, then book at least the Sequoia Lodge (a moderate), or better the Newport (Beach Club-ish feel). Also, notice they're hotels, not resorts, all the action is in the parks.
 


It depends, if you are on a once in a lifetime trip, and are only there for a day or two, I would stay onsite and make use of the extra hours. With 3 days or more or on a budget, you can look for options elsewhere.

I am also an AP holder and only stay onsite when I can get a good discount.
My new fav. place is the B&B next to the Torcy station. 3 stops by subway to the park and 50-60 euro a night, clean, new and everything you need if all you are looking for is a bed and a bathroom.
 
EMT is a great perk. If you don't have an AP that give you this advantage, I would highly recommend going onsite. It is not unusual riding 5-6 attractions while during the EMT, even on high attendance days.
 
We just stayed at Newport Bay, Compass Club level and were very happy that we could walk to the parks, it was a nice walk around lake Disney. While the hotel is very much like the Yacht and Beach club feel, its more decorated like cruise ships with port holes and such for me it reminds me of the Disney Cruise Line... very nice and we were very comfortable. Extra Magic Time in the parks is important, especially if you want to get a lot done before the crowds hit or during peak season... I would vote for staying on site.
 

Thank you. Is there any way to price a 2 night package with only two day tickets? Seems like I automatically have to pay for three day tickets.

You can book room only with a third party like Hotels.com or Expedia.com (and get the benefit of using their coupon codes) and then purchase the tickets separately. You still get all of the EMT benefits without getting tickets you don't need. I think EMT is worth it just for Crush's Coaster and maybe Peter Pan. The other rides and the Princess Pavilion at Disneyland Parc that are available for EMT are not exactly headliners
 
I would say start the EMT in WDS. Ride Ratatouille Crush Coaster then rush to Disneyland Park for Peter Pan, Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear
 
Consider one of the partner hotels; they have a frequent bus connection to the parks that takes just ten minutes. But compare the prices of the Disney hotels with the perks you get too. I have seen times when the Disney hotels where actually cheaper (because tickets and parking are included and so is diner and breakfast a lot of times) than seemingly cheaper options.
 
I think staying on site is absolutely the best way to experience Disney properly. Being able to walk back to your hotel is fantastic - remember that both parks are literally 5 minutes apart and the hotels are at the most 20 minute stroll. As others have said, you'll miss the long security check and the scrum trying to get on a bus late at night. It's worth checking out prices for the package on the other Disneyland Paris countries sites. I know the UK site is usually cheaper than the USA for example and often the French and Dutch sites have cheaper deals too. If you stay on an offsite hotel you won't get access to EMH which is fantastic at peak times.
 
With the Disneyland Hotel in France, you're paying for the location. It's literally at the entrance to the park, and no other hotel is within a 10 minute walk/ride. I wasn't willing to pay the price, so I stayed at Magic Circus and Dream Castle. They didn't have the special Disney touch, but they did include transportation to/from the parks and an extensive buffet breakfast (which normally I wouldn't value but the parks didn't even open until 10 am so I had a leisurely morning to kill).
 
Hotel New York is easily within a ten minute walk to park entrance, cheaper than DLH, avoids the busy bus/train/car park security queues and gives you EMT.

If staying off-site I think the HiPark gives best value as it is the closest off-site hotel (easy 25 minute walk to park entrance) or frequent free shuttle to Village entrance which also has a shorter security queue. It is an apparthotel so you get the option to self-cater (there is a breakfast lounge) and is very close to Val d'Europe with its supermarket, shops and restaurants. The HiPark has an outdoor pool. The only downside is expensive parking (15€ per day).
 
I love being able to just walk back to the hotel, also we often book with the free dining offers so with the tickets and food included it ends up being really good value :)
 
We will be going to DLP in November for the first time (even though we are DVC owners and very familiar with WDW). This will also be our first holiday with our daughter who will turn one while we're at DLP. We will be there for 3 nights (Sunday - Wednesday) and plan on going to the parks on Monday and Tuesday (Nov. 25/26). I don't think this would be a particular crowded week given that lack of school holidays (other than US Thanksgiving) and we've booked an apartment in Val d'Europe. This works out to be about 40% cheaper than booking the cheapest DLP package. Would you think that we need to pay the extra and stay onsite? It seems like EMH is the main perk for onsite. We are about a 5-6 hour train ride away from DLP, so this is likely to be a first trip of many more trips in the future. Anything else worth considering between on-site vs. off-site apartment? We just think that we'll get so much more room in an apartment and the ability to cook a simple dinner for the family also seems nice - so we don't have to deal with a potentially tired one-year-old in a restaurant.
 
We will be going to DLP in November for the first time (even though we are DVC owners and very familiar with WDW). This will also be our first holiday with our daughter who will turn one while we're at DLP. We will be there for 3 nights (Sunday - Wednesday) and plan on going to the parks on Monday and Tuesday (Nov. 25/26). I don't think this would be a particular crowded week given that lack of school holidays (other than US Thanksgiving) and we've booked an apartment in Val d'Europe. This works out to be about 40% cheaper than booking the cheapest DLP package. Would you think that we need to pay the extra and stay onsite? It seems like EMH is the main perk for onsite. We are about a 5-6 hour train ride away from DLP, so this is likely to be a first trip of many more trips in the future. Anything else worth considering between on-site vs. off-site apartment? We just think that we'll get so much more room in an apartment and the ability to cook a simple dinner for the family also seems nice - so we don't have to deal with a potentially tired one-year-old in a restaurant.

If you have more trips in the future planned EMH is not that important anymore. I am an AP and prefer to stay onsite, it gives us the opportunity to do rides in the morning (or get in line early for the pavillion) and do shows etc in the afternoon. I also just really like the ability to walk to the hotel instead of buses.

My main reason for your family to stay onsite is having a young child with you. When you are staying onsite, it's easier to go back to the hotel for naps or just to relax, then when staying offsite.

For booking packages, always check the DLP websites for other countries, the US website usually offers the most expensive rates. Booking via the UK or another European country is often cheaper.
 

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