Disneyland Paris--Fast Pass recommended?
Apr 6th, 2006, 10:23 AM
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Disneyland Paris--Fast Pass recommended?
We'll be spending several days in Paris with my husband's brother and his wife and their 5 yo daughter at the end of the month. They plan to take their daughter to DP on Saturday, the 29th--should they go the Fast Pass route? What are the lines like at DP these days? It is a holiday week-end. They are only going to give Disney one day of their trip.
(We are not going to DP with them, but will babysit our niece that night so her parents can go out and enjoy a long romantic dinner for two, something they haven't been able to do for over a year. Figure she'll probably be zonked out, but if not, we'll take her to a casual bistro or Italian restaurant nearby. Or do room service.)
(We are not going to DP with them, but will babysit our niece that night so her parents can go out and enjoy a long romantic dinner for two, something they haven't been able to do for over a year. Figure she'll probably be zonked out, but if not, we'll take her to a casual bistro or Italian restaurant nearby. Or do room service.)
Apr 6th, 2006, 01:20 PM
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Well, then, let's pick your brain. Which rides at DP did you find to be the most crowded? At which times of day? Were they appropriate for a 5 yo? Was your trip to DP over a holiday week-end?
Apr 6th, 2006, 01:42 PM
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Haing been conned into taking a mini-vacation trip to Florida last week I will make an assumption of what BTilke is thinking: At Universal studios, they SELL a Express Plus special pass for an extra $15 that allows you to move to the front of the lines. I found that very disturbing.
Disney is more equitable: Instead of buying a pass to move ahead in line, you simply insert your regular ticket into machines installed at the busier ride attractions. The machine spits out a special ticket giving you a one hour time frame in which to return and take your place in a much shorter line. I assume Disney only issues a specific amount of these tickets per hour. When we wanted to go on the Buzz Lightyear ride, we were given a return time of only an hour later than the time we accessed the machine (it still beat the 50 minute posted waiting time for the regular line). On the otherhand, the Fastpass gave us a return time almost 4 hours later for Space Mountain.
So BTilke, it doesn't cost you a cent to use Fastpass at Disney, so by all means utilize the service. If you were concerned about incurring extra costs, that is only at Universal that they charge you for the privelige of being better than everyone else.
Disney is more equitable: Instead of buying a pass to move ahead in line, you simply insert your regular ticket into machines installed at the busier ride attractions. The machine spits out a special ticket giving you a one hour time frame in which to return and take your place in a much shorter line. I assume Disney only issues a specific amount of these tickets per hour. When we wanted to go on the Buzz Lightyear ride, we were given a return time of only an hour later than the time we accessed the machine (it still beat the 50 minute posted waiting time for the regular line). On the otherhand, the Fastpass gave us a return time almost 4 hours later for Space Mountain.
So BTilke, it doesn't cost you a cent to use Fastpass at Disney, so by all means utilize the service. If you were concerned about incurring extra costs, that is only at Universal that they charge you for the privelige of being better than everyone else.
Apr 6th, 2006, 01:53 PM
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Thanks, I will pass that on to my sister-in-law. The subject may be a no-brainer to some people, but they have not been to a Disney property in 25 years, much less DP, and the last time I was at Epcot, it was a private corporate event. They don't really want to go to DP at all, but figure it's better to take their daughter there for the day while they're in Paris than arranging a separate trip to Orlando or California (unless the weather happens to be really lousy on that Saturday).
Apr 6th, 2006, 02:13 PM
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i've only been to dland paris once (spring 2005), though we are regulars at dland in CA. here's what i can offer:
being a holiday weekend, i would advise getting to the park close to the opening time. in CA the morning is the only time for reasonable waits, easy meandering, etc. we did this at dland paris, and the park was quite empty, though we also found that some rides and shops didn't open for another hour or so.
like the others said, fast pass is the way to go if necessary. our limit is about a 20-minute wait - if it's more than that, use the fast pass or skip the ride (especially if you're only there one day). the dland paris website may list their fast pass rides.
we have recently discovered the real trick to getting on rides almost immediately (though this may apply only to the adults): the single-rider line. you get a pass at the ride entrance and walk right up to the front. i don't know how to say it in french, or if they even have them, but it's worth checking out!
the key for us is just to be very flexible, and be willing to skip (or come back later) to the more crowded areas.
hope that helps. you're very nice to babysit! she will definitely be wiped out.
being a holiday weekend, i would advise getting to the park close to the opening time. in CA the morning is the only time for reasonable waits, easy meandering, etc. we did this at dland paris, and the park was quite empty, though we also found that some rides and shops didn't open for another hour or so.
like the others said, fast pass is the way to go if necessary. our limit is about a 20-minute wait - if it's more than that, use the fast pass or skip the ride (especially if you're only there one day). the dland paris website may list their fast pass rides.
we have recently discovered the real trick to getting on rides almost immediately (though this may apply only to the adults): the single-rider line. you get a pass at the ride entrance and walk right up to the front. i don't know how to say it in french, or if they even have them, but it's worth checking out!
the key for us is just to be very flexible, and be willing to skip (or come back later) to the more crowded areas.
hope that helps. you're very nice to babysit! she will definitely be wiped out.
Apr 6th, 2006, 06:17 PM
#7
I was at DP just last week - on a decidely cold, non-holiday Monday. Fast Pass was an absolute necessity on many of the Fantasyland rides (the best ones for little kids) and on Space Mountain. Other rides (Pirates, the haunted mansion, etc) weren't busy at all. The problem w/ the fantasyland rides is that their passenger volume is lower so the queues can get really long even when there are relatively few riders.
On a holiday weekend I would use Fast Pass for every ride that offered it . . . . .
On a holiday weekend I would use Fast Pass for every ride that offered it . . . . .
