Warwick Castle vs. Disneyland Paris
 

Just stumbled across Warwick Castle in my research... I currently have Disneyland Paris on the itinerary but am wondering if this is a better option.

Background:

Trip Participants:
Me (F, 30's, love history and the British isles in particular),
Friend (F, mid-30's, loves Disney and anything to do with it along with fashion and general history),
Friend's Husband (M, late-30's, likes cars, war stuff, films, etc)

My friend heard there was a Disneyland in Paris and was super excited about going. I'm apathetic about going, I have no idea if her husband is at all keen.

Has anyone been to either site or both and what is your opinion? Also, how accessible is Warwick Castle from London by train? Is it a Day Trip like DL Paris is?

Thanks for the feedback.

I wouldn't consider DL Paris a day trip from London. First you have to get to Paris and then to DL. The train to Paris is 2.5 hours each way. You have to get to the train station in London about 30 minutes before your train and then there is the time getting to the train station. Then in Paris you have to get from the train station to the RER A for a 35 minute ride. Repeat the process in reverse will give you about 8 to 9 hours of traveling.

You can google all the information.

Your friend can go to Disney World or Disney Land in the US.

You can't go to Warwick or Hampton Court Palace or Bath or Versailles in the US.

Even if she goes to Disney in Paris, you could do something else, and I sure would. You fly all that way and spend all that money. Why not take the opportunity to see authentic historic buildings and places?

It is a longish trip, but people do go to Warwick as a day trip from London. Have you considered Hampton Court?

Are you Americans? If so, why would you ever waste time in the UK going to Disneyland? If Europeans, perhaps.. Your friend's husband might enjoy the Churchill War Rooms in London, you too.

>> First you have to get to Paris and then to DL. The train to Paris is 2.5 hours each way<<

Actually - one can take the Eurostar directly to DL Paris w/o going into central Paris. Takes about 2.75 hrs.

Be that as it may . . . the two are totally apples and oranges. Are you visiting London? If so, just let your friend do her day trip to DL and if he <i>must</i>, the friend's hubby can go w/ her.

And even for you - whether you go to Warwick or not depends on a lot of things - including how many days total you have.

>>My friend heard there was a Disneyland in Paris <<

Maybe it is just the way that is worded, but IMO/IME anyone who <i>loves</i> anything Disney wouldn't have just <i>heard</i> about DL Paris. That is something EVERY Disney fanatic knows.

I don't know why but I find it a bit pathetic for a 30 something to still be obsessed with all things Disney. Adrienne is right, that's not a day trip. Hampton court is a good day trip, as is Windsor palace.

Went to Disney Paris several years ago because DS (13 at the time) wanted to go when we visited Paris. I grew up near Anaheim and visited D-land almost every weekend during High School. DH and I commented while we were at Disney Paris that Walt would be turning over in his grave if he visited Disney Paris. The park was dirty, crew members (employees) were rude and lines were chaotic. What a waste of money.

So many cool places to visit in London, I would not waste my time going to Disney Paris.

<< Actually - one can take the Eurostar directly to DL Paris w/o going into central Paris. Takes about 2.75 hrs. >>

Thanks janisj. So that means only about 7 hours of traveling.

@ Sassafras - Trust me she's been to both. Disney World for her honeymoon, Disneyland every year or two. We are going in Oct this year.

Additional info...

The DT to DL isn't from London it would be from Paris. We plan to spend about 6 days each in both locations.

@ janisj - She probably had heard about DL Paris but having never been to Europe when it was mentioned by someone else she turned to me and said, "That has got to be part of our trip."

@ cathies - Probably has something to do with our line of work... we are costume designers who frequently get asked to make princesses by character performers. We have 3 custom Cinderella styles on order for next month and summer is just heating up. Oddly enough Sophia the First is also really popular at the moment and I am going to be Purple and Blue'd out very soon.

@ BarbAnn - I just saw pictures of their Rapunzel costume and I swear it looked like the poor girl was wearing Rapunzel over Mary Poppins over Sleeping Beauty. I was speechless at the horror done in the designing.

To summarize... DL is pretty much like DL in the states and if going to a "theme park" Warwick Castle is more unique to the area.

Either way if a choice was made you'd skip both and put Hampton Court at the top of the list. Did I get that right?

>>To summarize... DL is pretty much like DL in the states and if going to a "theme park" Warwick Castle is more unique to the area.<<

DL Paris is DL lite. But if you are going to be IN Paris anyway - why not. It is an easy train ride from the center of Paris. However, there is no reason all 3 of you need to be stuck at the hip 24/7. Your friend can easily do it on her own (or w/ her DH).

As for Warwick Castle -- it is not a 'theme park'. Yes, there <i>are</i> some touristy bits . . . but Warwick Castle is one of the finest medieval castles in Europe. However you only have 6 days in London so having time for a day trip to Warwick is not very likely.

(BTW - to have 6 full days in London really requires 8 nights - so how many days do you actually have in each city? )

I went to Warwick Castle during my first trip to England, back in '99...my vote is for Warwick, hands-down, no contest.

IMHO Disney Paris is a total waste for anyone except a very small child who has never been to any Disney. It is NOT a reasonable day trip from London, but a total waste. If you friend insists on going I would let her go alone.

Warwick Castle is a real caste - not an amusement park - although there are some shows, displays etc that make for a midieval fair sort of atmosphere. But the base is all real.

With so little time in London I wouldn't do i t but would do Hampton Court instead - but it depends on what you like. It is a long day from London and do NOT do a bus tour - which will waste a lot of your time.

>>it is NOT a reasonable day trip from London,<<

Just to clarify . . . from a later post it appears they are staying a few days in both Paris and London so it wouldn't be a day trip across the channel.

>>IMHO Disney Paris is a total waste for anyone except a very small child who has never been to any Disney.<<

Different strokes. There are a LOT of adults who enjoy Disney (w/ or w/o kids) and true Disney-ites would enjoy DL Paris if just to check it off the list.

I personally would never go to DL Paris on a first (or 2nd) visit - but can 100% understand someone who does. As long as they are staying in Paris, and as long as they don't miss some of their other 'musts', and as long as they don't feel forced to all do the same excursion . . . Why not?

If I wanted theme park from Paris I would choose Parc Astérix

Me too - but we're not 'Disney-ites'

If you want to think about Disneyland Paris, just head over to the tripadvisor travel forum. There are so many posts on DLP that the site really ought to have a separate section just for those.

Warwick Castle is a real part of history. Go there. Be sure to memorize the six wives of Henry VIII in case the guide says "But of course you Americans wouldn't know them."

After The Tudors series who couldn't keep them straight?

And every teacher has an easy memory aid:

divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded survived

And he kept blaming them for not giving him sons when he was he was the one shooting blanks.

Thanks god Elizabeth had a long enough reign to solve all the problems he caused and bring England to the fore as a world power.

That memory aid is very useful, but one does need to know the names attached to each! And which Catherine goes with which, too.

<<Be sure to memorize the six wives of Henry VIII in case the guide says "But of course you Americans wouldn't know them.">>

I'm such a fan of British history I actually corrected a college history teacher on that specific point. I can't name his wives in order but I can tell you each of their fates in order.

Guess I'll need to brush up on my Henry History.

<<And he kept blaming them for not giving him sons when he was he was the one shooting blanks.>>

My brother was really rooting for a boy this summer and when they found out it's a girl I told him it was all his fault as the man determines gender after all we women can only contribute the x. He was not amused.

In our next planning pow-wow I'll suggest Hampton Court over anything and caution against the DL trip in favor of some of the other things that could be done in Paris and if nothing else that can be their day on their own. I'll go see things like the Arc de Triomphe, the Fragonard Museum and the Yves St Laurent museum. All places I've been but really want to go to again.