Is DLP Paris worth it for an American?

[Ware Bears]

Current thinking is if we do go to Paris and France that it might be a good way to spend a day. As many of the attractions are "duplicates" of US rides, we don;t have to do every attraction then.
We have been to all 6 US parks and the 2 FL waterparks and we have found something to like in all the Disney parks. Our least favorite of the US parks is the Hollywood studios as much is being renovated there now.
In my mind, the Paris parks don;t have to be as good as the US parks- hopefully they'd be different and enjoyable in their own ways.

p.a.dad - this is it exactly! Go with this attitude, enjoy DLP for itself, don't make comparisons and you'll have a great time.

 

[CluelessDisFan]

My dh and I loved DLP! Dreams night show is my favorite even over WOC. We thoroughly enjoyed ratatouille. The price was unbeatable compared to US prices we paid half. Also bought through fnac, there was an awesome summer deal last year it was like $50/pp for a 1 day park hopper. Although be warned the food is terrible, it was pretty good at chez Remys but other than that it was terrible. There's so much to enjoy and appreciate at DLP! We stayed in Paris, and rode the rer train in its only a 45 min ride in.
Their castle is also my favorite, it's so interactive and beautiful! Have a great trip!

 

[adr2.8i]

We have been to WDW twice and DLP 4 times, 5th visit due at Christmas. My kids are 6 and 10 and they actually prefer Paris to Florida! Although i think the 9hr flight is a major reason for that! Paris is just the right size for my kids and their little legs. 5 days there and they are whacked.

For dad though, WDW and the other parks in Orlando are just unbeatable. but i get out voted 3-1 every year on where we should go :-(

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We are from the UK and live near London. We have been to California DL , DLP and WDW so far. We are now DVC owners because we love WDW and come at least once a year and adore the weather and DCL being close by. Problem is there is so much there anything else is a let down. It's got bigger parks, more parks, weather etc, better eating etc, cheaper.

We have enjoyed DLP , the parks are both together and you can walk between them, if you go with a Disney hotel the quality compared to WDW is not comparable and the price holy moly. So althought the parks themselves are nice the value for money is not worth it for us. We prefer to save our money for WDW. Paris is nice. Worth a visit!

 

[pa. dad]

We are from the UK and live near London. We have been to California DL , DLP and WDW so far. We are now DVC owners because we love WDW and come at least once a year and adore the weather and DCL being close by. Problem is there is so much there anything else is a let down. It's got bigger parks, more parks, weather etc, better eating etc, cheaper.

We have enjoyed DLP , the parks are both together and you can walk between them, if you go with a Disney hotel the quality compared to WDW is not comparable and the price holy moly. So althought the parks themselves are nice the value for money is not worth it for us. We prefer to save our money for WDW. Paris is nice. Worth a visit!

We are a 2 hr. flight to FL. a 6 hr flight to Ca and maybe a 9 hr flight to Paris. So we have been to disney world in FL like 9 times, we have been to Ca two times and not yet to DL paris. Having had family in FL also made FL something we could do and combine the trip with a little family visiting too. So I know what you are saying that the length of the flight factors in a LOT.
One thing we liked about DL Ca. is that the 2 parks are right next to each other and that made travelling between them easy. So that is a plus for paris then too.

 

[MVC1225]

My GF and I just got back from DLP. We are annual passholders in Florida and have also visited the CA parks a few times. We only had one day so we had a one day park hopper and spent time in both parks doing the different rides.

In Studios, we did Crush's Coaster (liked it), Ratatouille (LOVED LOVED) and Tower of Terror (favorite ride in US parks so couldn't skip it). As we didn't have kids we walked through the Toy Story area but didn't ride anything.

In Disneyland, we rode Phantom Manor (very dark and story is super difficult to follow), Pirates (longer than WDW so more like DL in CA), Small World (very interesting seeing the differences), and Space Mountain (HATED IT). I am a coaster fan (been on about 100 different coasters) and Space Mountain was the most painful coaster I've ever been on. I'm short so the shoulder harness landed on my upper ears/temple area and it banged my head the entire ride. I've never been so glad that a ride finished. We were planning to do Indiana Jones but ended up skipping it. The rest of the rides are pretty repetitive especially with CA (Peter Pan and Thunder Mountain were both closed by the way) and it was raining so we left around 9 and had dinner in Downtown Disney.

Like others have said, I felt the parks were a little run down, the cast members while nice were definitely not "in character" as much as in the US (really noticeable on Tower of Terror), and people smoked everywhere. On the plus side, the parks were basically empty (this was Friday 4/22) and other than Crush and Ratatouille (each about 45 minutes) most likes were non-existent or under 15 minutes, it is super easy to park hop since parks are next to each other, the theming in Discoveryland (Tomorrowland) I really liked since very cohesive, and there are details in their Fantasyland that were beautiful (roof on Tea Party for example).

Overall, while I'm glad we went, I would not return to DLP.

 

[scoobydooby2016]

My GF and I just got back from DLP. We are annual passholders in Florida and have also visited the CA parks a few times. We only had one day so we had a one day park hopper and spent time in both parks doing the different rides.

In Studios, we did Crush's Coaster (liked it), Ratatouille (LOVED LOVED) and Tower of Terror (favorite ride in US parks so couldn't skip it). As we didn't have kids we walked through the Toy Story area but didn't ride anything.

In Disneyland, we rode Phantom Manor (very dark and story is super difficult to follow), Pirates (longer than WDW so more like DL in CA), Small World (very interesting seeing the differences), and Space Mountain (HATED IT). I am a coaster fan (been on about 100 different coasters) and Space Mountain was the most painful coaster I've ever been on. I'm short so the shoulder harness landed on my upper ears/temple area and it banged my head the entire ride. I've never been so glad that a ride finished. We were planning to do Indiana Jones but ended up skipping it. The rest of the rides are pretty repetitive especially with CA (Peter Pan and Thunder Mountain were both closed by the way) and it was raining so we left around 9 and had dinner in Downtown Disney.

Like others have said, I felt the parks were a little run down, the cast members while nice were definitely not "in character" as much as in the US (really noticeable on Tower of Terror), and people smoked everywhere. On the plus side, the parks were basically empty (this was Friday 4/22) and other than Crush and Ratatouille (each about 45 minutes) most likes were non-existent or under 15 minutes, it is super easy to park hop since parks are next to each other, the theming in Discoveryland (Tomorrowland) I really liked since very cohesive, and there are details in their Fantasyland that were beautiful (roof on Tea Party for example).

Overall, while I'm glad we went, I would not return to DLP.

Sums it up pretty well. I don't think your Space Mountain experience was about being short. I am 5 foot 5.5 and DD taller and we both felt as though our heads were been battered!! Rough ride.

 

[pa. dad]

My GF and I just got back from DLP. We are annual passholders in Florida and have also visited the CA parks a few times. We only had one day so we had a one day park hopper and spent time in both parks doing the different rides.

In Studios, we did Crush's Coaster (liked it), Ratatouille (LOVED LOVED) and Tower of Terror (favorite ride in US parks so couldn't skip it). As we didn't have kids we walked through the Toy Story area but didn't ride anything.

In Disneyland, we rode Phantom Manor (very dark and story is super difficult to follow), Pirates (longer than WDW so more like DL in CA), Small World (very interesting seeing the differences), and Space Mountain (HATED IT). I am a coaster fan (been on about 100 different coasters) and Space Mountain was the most painful coaster I've ever been on. I'm short so the shoulder harness landed on my upper ears/temple area and it banged my head the entire ride. I've never been so glad that a ride finished. We were planning to do Indiana Jones but ended up skipping it. The rest of the rides are pretty repetitive especially with CA (Peter Pan and Thunder Mountain were both closed by the way) and it was raining so we left around 9 and had dinner in Downtown Disney.

Like others have said, I felt the parks were a little run down, the cast members while nice were definitely not "in character" as much as in the US (really noticeable on Tower of Terror), and people smoked everywhere. On the plus side, the parks were basically empty (this was Friday 4/22) and other than Crush and Ratatouille (each about 45 minutes) most likes were non-existent or under 15 minutes, it is super easy to park hop since parks are next to each other, the theming in Discoveryland (Tomorrowland) I really liked since very cohesive, and there are details in their Fantasyland that were beautiful (roof on Tea Party for example).

Overall, while I'm glad we went, I would not return to DLP.

So how is the Downtown Disney area compared to the US versions?

 

[BadPinkTink]

So how is the Downtown Disney area compared to the US versions?

I have only been to Disneyland California but its about half the size of that.

Shops
Lego Store
World of Disney

Restaurants and Bars
Annettes Diner
Starbucks
Planet Hollywood
Rainforest Cafe
King Ludwicks (a German style bar and restaurant)
Steakhouse Resturant
Sports Bar
Earl of Sandwich
McDonalds
Cafe Mickey
Billy Bobs Country Western Bar

Show
Buffalo Bills Wild West Show

 

[scoobydooby2016]

It's basically one street with the above shops so it's a couple of hours distraction at best. The food options are therefore much more limited and they weren't fine dining at all. There is a nice art shop and I found the Planet Hollywood to be a good one comparatively.

 

[cdsmiler81]

I have only been to Disneyland California but its about half the size of that.

Shops
Lego Store
World of Disney

Restaurants and Bars
Annettes Diner
Starbucks
Planet Hollywood
Rainforest Cafe
King Ludwicks (a German style bar and restaurant)
Steakhouse Resturant
Sports Bar
Earl of Sandwich
McDonalds
Cafe Mickey
Billy Bobs Country Western Bar

Show
Buffalo Bills Wild West Show

There's actually 9 shops! lol http://www.dlpguide.com/guidebook/disney-village/map/

C x

 

[DLPDreams]

No comparison so honestly, don't even try and compare. The Village is just a distraction for an afternoon shop or a meal - it's tiny in comparison. It is no way anything like Downtown Disney which you can literally spend hours/days at! They are working on it, but it takes time and money - like everything! On the plus, I much preferred WoD at the Village to the one at DTD - the latter was just so big and busy, I found it hard to find anything! I think I felt like that about most of WDW though, it was much bigger than I prepared myself for, and to me, honestly, that was it's downside - probably sounds crazy I know! I clearly like more compact!! One day we'll do CA - I can't wait to visit DL!

There is a nice fashion shop in the Village (can't recall the name but you can't miss it) which has unusual clothing which you can't get elsewhere in the parks. Unfortunately, the shopping in the parks is limited to replication - a lot! With the exception of a few shops. The Curious Giraffe sometimes has some nice unusual things, and the boutique at the DLH does too.

I'd have a trip to Earl of Sandwich for a snack, and of course Buffalo Bills Wild West Show is in the Village too - might be fun to do one evening. Annettes American diner (retro style with waiters on rollerskates) is unusual too.

Don't get me wrong, there is stuff to do, just don't think it's huge like DTD.

 

[Bunless]

We go to Downtown Disney in WDW a lot, since my parents live in Orlando. We also live on the west coast, so we've been to the one in DL, a lot. In our one visit to DLP (we stayed three nights, during the middle of a longer holiday in France), I developed strong opinions toward Disney Village. The strong opinions are 1) it's great to have an extended area to walk through with a covered walkway while you go from your hotel to the parks. 2)The snack stands are great to stop at on your way back to the hotel. 3) Expect nothing from the restaurants other than to provide you with calories.

 

[chelynnah]

We go to Downtown Disney in WDW a lot, since my parents live in Orlando. We also live on the west coast, so we've been to the one in DL, a lot. In our one visit to DLP (we stayed three nights, during the middle of a longer holiday in France), I developed strong opinions toward Disney Village. The strong opinions are 1) it's great to have an extended area to walk through with a covered walkway while you go from your hotel to the parks. 2)The snack stands are great to stop at on your way back to the hotel. 3) Expect nothing from the restaurants other than to provide you with calories.

Disney Village is covered now? It wasn't on my last visit in 2008. So much has changed in 8 years

 

[Bunless]

Disney Village is covered now? It wasn't on my last visit in 2008. So much has changed in 8 years

Well, that one area on the one side, but that's it. It's the most excitement I can muster for Disney Village.

 

[chelynnah]

Well, that one area on the one side, but that's it. It's the most excitement I can muster for Disney Village.

Ahhh.

 

[DLPDreams]

Lol at the covering - it's enough to shelter under in the rain but it wouldn't get you all the way round without getting wet (we had that at DTD in WDW - our last day and the heavens opened and I mean for hours - we sat under a cover on a bench for what felt like hours - I swear it was the only cover in the vicinity which was odd considering the rain they have - there were about 20 people under this tiny thing!).

Disney Village is not THAT bad, but it's not that great either. It isn't even called 'Downtown Disney' as I don't think that title would really fit the purpose at all. It's just basically a handful of shops and restos along a street (well, kind of a street area). I agree that the little snack carts can be nice but tend to be themed i.e. Christmas selling Christmas warming snacks etc. As I said previously, I also quite like their WoD and prefer it to the WDW one which imo was too big - I felt overwhelmed!

OP - the local French tend to use the area a bit as there is a cinema there (mainly films in French but sometimes in English), a nightclub and various bars (sports bar showing sport etc)/restos as well as the train station for travel into Paris/other areas, so I guess it's like going to a small shopping/entertainment area back home. Obviously you don't need tickets or anything.

 

[TACK]

I am going for 3 days to Disneyland Paris on my way to Barcelona to return via the Disney Transatlantic Cruise in September. I am excited to go and have learned a long time ago not to compare parks (i.e. Florida vs. California). I have no expectations. I wanted to go last year but was unable to due to circumstances. I only wish that I was able to go with my daughter, but unfortunately she cannot take the time off. I'm at the age that I don't want to wait to experience travel, I just want to do it.

 

[DLPDreams]

I am going for 3 days to Disneyland Paris on my way to Barcelona to return via the Disney Transatlantic Cruise in September. I am excited to go and have learned a long time ago not to compare parks (i.e. Florida vs. California). I have no expectations. I wanted to go last year but was unable to due to circumstances. I only wish that I was able to go with my daughter, but unfortunately she cannot take the time off. I'm at the age that I don't want to wait to experience travel, I just want to do it.

I hope you enjoy it TACK. The Transatlantic cruise looks fun! I'm sure you'll have a great adventure. I haven't been to Barcelona but it's on my 'to visit' list - shouldn't be an issue as it's not that far to fly but it just never seems to happen as the family want to do other things. My travel wishlist seems to get longer every week . When do you actually visit? I think 3 days is a great amount of time to see the place .

 

[Jkpark]

This thread has been great to help me set my expectations. We are heading there June 2017 for 2 nights as part of a 2 week trip to Europe. We have been DL APs for years and visit WDW every 18 months or so. We are DVC so we are hoping to use points for our stay (which is why we need to stay 2 nights even though I'm thinking 1 day will be sufficient in the parks now). When does the 25th celebration kick off? Did I read April? Are there any unique characters? I'm expecting to see Marie - any chance Berlioz or Toulouse are around?