Chuckers
Missing My Disneyland Day Trips :(
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2010
Okay, just got back from France yesterday and I am awake enough to write my trip report. Please understand that I am basing my observations on having MANY trips to both parks in the U.S.
To start with, I had an amazing time. DLP was a lot of fun with some bad notes thrown in to the mix. I'll start with the cons because I want to end on a good note.
Bad parts:
To start with, I had an amazing time. DLP was a lot of fun with some bad notes thrown in to the mix. I'll start with the cons because I want to end on a good note.
Bad parts:
1. I decided to buy the Express Check In package because we were coming in from Paris via the RER Early in the morning and our room wouldn't be ready until 3. We got to the Express check in desk and the CM was surprised to see me. According to her records, we were supposed to be on the Eurostar.. which I specifically told the CM when I called that we were not using the Eurostar. So, it turns out that the envelope containing all of our tickets and vouchers were at the Eurostar stations waiting for the train I was supposed to be riding. The CM printed out a one day park ticket for us and explained that we could either come back at 2 and pick up the envelope at the express counter OR it would be delivered to our room at 3pm. We chose the in room option.
We went to the parks and then went to check in at the Sierra Lodge. I went to the Golden Forest Concierge to check in and she asked me if we filled out a form on the train (Eurostar). I told her we did not take the Eurostar and explained the situation with our express check in. Turns out the CM at the Express check in desk was really wrong. There was no way we could have gotten the envelope at 2 and it was not going to be delivered to our room. We couldn't get the envelope until at least 5 pm.. considering we had a 5 pm reservation at Bistrot Chez Remy, this was not a viable option. The concierge ended up reprinting all of our vouchers and tickets. It was a fiasco and not a good start to my DLP vacation.
2. The Hotel. The Sierra Lodge is a beautiful hotel. The room and view were beautiful as well. The problems? A/C, outlets, and bed sheets. I really think A/C and bed sheets are a cultural thing. I set the A/C to 18.5 C and it barely took the hot edge off the room. We couldn't open the windows at night because the room would have been filled with bugs. It cooled the room enough to sleep, however, the bed was made with a bottom sheet and a QUILT! There was no top sheet.. we asked for one for each bed, but the concept of a top sheet was not understood. I finally got extra sheets and had to hide them in the drawers so the maids wouldn't take them. The worst part of the room was the fact that there were only 2 usable outlets available. One was on the dresser and the other was at the entrance to the room. I sleep with a cpap machine and I had to have an outlet by my bed. The dresser outlet was too far and not usable with an adapter. I had to leave a 20 euro deposit for 2 extension cords so I could run something from the front door to under the bed. It was the only way we could use the adapters for my cpap and to charge things.
3. We did the character breakfast at Chez Mickey. The food was passable, but the character experience was pretty poor. The characters at breakfast (and in the parks from what I saw) didn't have handlers. There were 4 characters and, at one point, 3 of them hit our table at the same time. I got a picture with Eeyore, but it was so busy with all 3 that he left the table before he took a picture with my partner - I know it wasn't on purpose, but it was a mess.
4. The parks... More plus than minus, but on the whole, the parks truly need a patch and paint. There are so many cracks and small missing pieces in the facades, I was amazed that they let it get this way. The Space Mountain sign had ripped plastic hanging from it. You would NEVER see that in DW or DL. It felt like the parks were very understaffed. Restaurant service was horrendous. (Except at Remy's). I had the WORST birthday dinner at Silver Spur. The server was handling tables in two sections as far away from each other as possible and the food was inedible. The floor had garbage through out the place and several tables were just piled with dirty dishes. It was an hour and a half of bad.
Next post... the good! And there was Good!
We went to the parks and then went to check in at the Sierra Lodge. I went to the Golden Forest Concierge to check in and she asked me if we filled out a form on the train (Eurostar). I told her we did not take the Eurostar and explained the situation with our express check in. Turns out the CM at the Express check in desk was really wrong. There was no way we could have gotten the envelope at 2 and it was not going to be delivered to our room. We couldn't get the envelope until at least 5 pm.. considering we had a 5 pm reservation at Bistrot Chez Remy, this was not a viable option. The concierge ended up reprinting all of our vouchers and tickets. It was a fiasco and not a good start to my DLP vacation.
2. The Hotel. The Sierra Lodge is a beautiful hotel. The room and view were beautiful as well. The problems? A/C, outlets, and bed sheets. I really think A/C and bed sheets are a cultural thing. I set the A/C to 18.5 C and it barely took the hot edge off the room. We couldn't open the windows at night because the room would have been filled with bugs. It cooled the room enough to sleep, however, the bed was made with a bottom sheet and a QUILT! There was no top sheet.. we asked for one for each bed, but the concept of a top sheet was not understood. I finally got extra sheets and had to hide them in the drawers so the maids wouldn't take them. The worst part of the room was the fact that there were only 2 usable outlets available. One was on the dresser and the other was at the entrance to the room. I sleep with a cpap machine and I had to have an outlet by my bed. The dresser outlet was too far and not usable with an adapter. I had to leave a 20 euro deposit for 2 extension cords so I could run something from the front door to under the bed. It was the only way we could use the adapters for my cpap and to charge things.
3. We did the character breakfast at Chez Mickey. The food was passable, but the character experience was pretty poor. The characters at breakfast (and in the parks from what I saw) didn't have handlers. There were 4 characters and, at one point, 3 of them hit our table at the same time. I got a picture with Eeyore, but it was so busy with all 3 that he left the table before he took a picture with my partner - I know it wasn't on purpose, but it was a mess.
4. The parks... More plus than minus, but on the whole, the parks truly need a patch and paint. There are so many cracks and small missing pieces in the facades, I was amazed that they let it get this way. The Space Mountain sign had ripped plastic hanging from it. You would NEVER see that in DW or DL. It felt like the parks were very understaffed. Restaurant service was horrendous. (Except at Remy's). I had the WORST birthday dinner at Silver Spur. The server was handling tables in two sections as far away from each other as possible and the food was inedible. The floor had garbage through out the place and several tables were just piled with dirty dishes. It was an hour and a half of bad.
Next post... the good! And there was Good!
Last edited: