Disneyland Paris Question

Stacey,
I would most definately stay in Paris and just take the train to Disney for the day , or two , you choose to viist.
Keep this in mind, in Florida ( or even LA) Christmas in Disney is likely alot warmer then Christmas in EuroDisney will be. You may encounter 5 days of rain, cold, wind, etc. You may also encounter 5 days of clear but cool weather, but you will not encounter 5 days of hot, or even warm weather. Disney is a fun to wander around type place, I don't think that would be as fun in winter( real winter not Florida winter, LOL )

I am expecting cold weather, but what do you do with a 7 year old who will be tired of seeing old churches and museums? Now my question is which hotel in Paris? I have researched the Disney Property, but not so much Paris city hotels.

I take each of my kids to Europe the summer they turn 11, and Paris is always on the itenerary. There are lots of kid-friendly activities besides Disneyland Paris. We did that once as a day trip from our Paris hotel. It was easy by train. Unless you are really wild about Disney, I think one day is enough there. I will say, you might want to check opening times and transportation availability for Christmas Day. If that sounds difficult or iffy, maybe staying out there could make sense for two nights.

Obviously, go up the Eiffel Tower. It's crowded, but one of those memorable must-dos. We also like going to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, for a great view OF the Eiffel Tower. Also, climb up the towers at Notre Dame for some face to face time with the gargoyles.

If the weather's OK, spend some time outside at the Jardin du Luxembourg or any other park you see that looks fun.

Can he ride a bike OK? Do a bike tour of Paris. We have been with Fat Tire bike tours and they have kids bikes, and I just read about bikeabouttours.com and they seem to have smaller groups, or you can hire a private tour just for your family. My daughter and I loved the bike tour to Versailles, but not sure how that would be Christmas week.

Have ice cream at Berthillon - even if it's winter. Go to a pastry shop and let him pick his. Make sure to buy a crepe for lunch at a stand outside - Crepes jambon fromage (ham and cheese) or Nutella for a dessert.

Go walk through the Catacombs, or do the sewers tour or something else that you are not likely to have done elsewhere.

Go shop in the Bon Marche or another department store and let him pick out some french toys or school supplies or gifts for his best friends.

I'm sure there are more things we have done that are not the typical church and museum visit. You should have a great time.

Wow! Linda, great information! I am very worried about going in December after what Pat said. Now I may need to decide on a better time of year to go that is not during school, extremely hot or overly crowded. I just thought December would be beautiful. But the bike tour sounds great and he would love that idea. Tons of rethinking to do!

Definitely take your son to DL Paris, buy don't stay at one of the on-site hotels. They are poorly run, and in December will be very expensive, whereas hotels within Paris will be very cheap this time of year. The park is easily reached via the RER train.

Good grief, Disney would have to pay ME to entice me to waste my European vacation time in their theme park. OK, maybe for 1 day. But definitely not 5. It's Paris!

For one day, if you are taking kids, it's an interesting experience to go to Disneyland Paris. We thought their version of space mountain was better than the one in Florida, and there are definite cultural differences that are interesting to observe. I let my kids each pick one amusement park day in a 2.5 week trip. The boys both picked Legoland.

Stacey,

On the last part of my Europe trip, I stayed in the Hotel Kyriad, a just off property hotel. It's one of about four or five that are available. It was an OK hotel, there's no cultural experience at all. They can be expensive, the food is definitely expensive. Dinner buffet is 20 euros per person. Good bus service to the parks.

The on property hotels have location going for them, but that can be a drawback too, you'll be landlocked so to speak. They are more expensive than the off property hotels. If you're familiar with the hotels at FL DW, then you'll be disappointed in the Paris Disney hotels. I walked through them and found them to be lacking in their upkeep, just not up to Disney standards here in the US.

All the food within Disney is very expensive and I didn't think it was that great.

From Paris, you can get to Disney on the RER within an hour or so and the station is on Disney property, about a one minute walk to Disneyland Parc, Walt Disney Studios and Disney Village. Drawback: it's a big deal if you want to go take a nap at the hotel, especially with chidren.

Consider staying at Disney only the days you're doing Disney. For the other days stay in and experience Paris.

See my journals and pics from my time at Disney - know before you go:
Sep 13, 14, 15 – That damn song - Magne-le-Hongre, France
Sep 16, 17 – Ought to be a real page turner - Magne-le-Hongre, France
Cheers,
Maggie

Stacey - You should expect cold, possibly rainy or snowy weather in Paris over the holidays. We were there for 10 days over New Years. We were only able to go to the first level on the Eiffel Tower, as the rest was closed due to freezing temps. It was too cold for things such as bike tours, etc. I suggest going a warmer time of year to really experience the best of Paris. Maybe Spring Break would be better.