It feels as though I've said this on all of my most recent blog posts, but this year has been absolutely crazy and I haven't yet had time to edit all of my photos and put into words just how wonderful Disneyland Paris was when I visited during the Easter break this year. This was my second visit to Disneyland (you can read about my 2014 trip to Disneyland Paris here.) and it amazed me how much things had changed! Depending on the time of year you visit, the parks feel completely different - the Swing into Spring decorations were beautiful, and there was a huge range of shows and parades to watch and experience that I missed out on last time as we visited in winter.
Fantasyland remains my favourite place in Disneyland Paris, and I feel like it has the most 'Disney-esque' atmosphere, but this time I was blown away by the exquisite flower characters dotted around the parks; as with all of Disneyland, the photos really do not do it justice!
It was also amazing to be able to see the castle surrounded by a backdrop of clear blue skies as opposed to the black rainclouds that fill the majority of the skylines of my photographs from my previous visit! As with most things, Disneyland looks even more beautiful in the sun.
Anyone who has visited Disneyland Paris will hopefully appreciate the efforts I went through to capture this dragon - the dungeon is wonderfully atmospheric, but appalling for taking photos as the flash completely ruins the effect, however it is devoid of all natural lighting!
One thing that I wished I had made the most of on my previous visit was the character meet and greets, especially with such short wait times, so I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss out this time! If you are planning to meet the characters, plan your time wisely and follow the weekly program of events so that you know exactly who you are planning to meet and when - especially if you're travelling with little ones, as the wait times in peak seasons are often upwards of an hour. As always, I couldn't fault the Cast Members, both the face and fur characters were wonderfully friendly, and add so much magic to the experience.
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| Miss Bunny stole my ears! |
Another thing both Mum and I wished we had done last time was a character dining experience, so this time we booked two meals, the first of which was at the French restaurant Auberge de Cendrillon. The high price tag on this meal was absolutely justified - as a vegetarian, I found the options to be excellent, and the actual quality of the food was a cut above anything else we had eaten on the trip. However, the main advantage of the character dining experiences is the uninterrupted time with the characters. In the one meal, we managed to meet Suzy and Perla, Snow White and her Prince, Aurora and Prince Phillip, and Cinderella and Prince Charming, so if you are looking to meet characters without having to queue for hours, this is a perfect opportunity!
We also chose to eat dinner in Cafe Mickey - you can eat breakfast, lunch or dinner here, and it is a much more affordable option that is available on the Plus meal plan as one of your half board options if you decide to stay for lunch or dinner. In terms of food, both the quality and choice (for an awkward veggie) was definitely not up to the standard of the previous restaurant, but we didn't leave hungry, and the experience as a whole is definitely worth it. Again, I would 100% recommend this if you are travelling with young children who want to meet the characters but do not want to queue for the meet and greets. The characters come round individually while you eat, and stop for hugs, autographs and pictures. Here, we got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Tigger, Pluto and Goofy.
The Swing into Spring parade was absolutely wonderful, and as it's on several times a day, it is much easier to get a good viewing spot than it is for the evening parade. However, if you are more of a fan of the rides, this is the time to go, as the wait times were significantly shorter while the parades were on!
Disney magic on parade never changes, and it also never fails to make me feel emotional! It is truly magical, and hearing the first bars of the song will always put a smile on my face. Of everything I've experienced at Disney, this is the thing that I'm most excited to visit in the future if I'm lucky enough to have little ones of my own to bring and share this wonderful thing with.
This time we stayed in the stunning Sequoia Lodge and I couldn't recommend enough. Significantly cheaper than the New York, it is only 7 minutes further away from the park, and the hotel itself is gorgeous - I can imagine it being even more lovely in the winter, surrounded by the sequoia trees and the huge burning fires! The rooms were almost identical in terms of size and facilities to those in the New York, and yet again, we were lucky enough to have a room with a wonderful view over Lake Disney.
Once again, I had the most magical experience at Disney, and I'm already counting down the days until I can justify booking another trip - it is without a doubt my favourite place on Earth. I hope you've enjoyed reading about my holiday and looking at just a small selection of the photos I took while I was there!
Love,
Tilly.
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