Mr and Mrs Mouse, I'm coming home!
When I booked my solo trip on New Year's Day, I had a number of things to contemplate. Firstly, when to go and where to stay, which funnily enough were both questions Rachael H. asked me. Hotel-wise, I wanted to stay at one of the Disney properties I hadn't stayed at previously, and that left me with three options, the Disneyland Hotel, Hotel Cheyenne, or Davy Crockett Ranch. It was a no brainer for me, it had to be Disney's Hotel Cheyenne. Since the end of last year, I have really gotten into Western films, so I thought to myself, what could be better than staying at a Wild Western-themed hotel! As grand and stunning as the Disneyland Hotel is, it has just never appealed to me. Davy Crockett Ranch is also a property that doesn't appeal to me, so Hotel Cheyenne was the winner! I then quickly debated about how long I should stay for. I thought to myself that 5 days would be a perfect amount of time in the parks and elsewhere. When to go though was the big question. I decided on Monday to Friday, June 5th to 9th. It just missed the school holidays, meaning that it would be a much more quiet time to go, especially during the week. I'd also like to add that Rachael said "You should so go at Halloween!" Well I have actually visited Disneyland Paris during the Halloween season but never on Halloween itself. I'd love to go though, especially to experience the Halloween Soiree Party! I'm quite tempted to do it next year actually!
I'm sure I'll be making some purchases at the Hotel Cheyenne's General Store!
Me and my Halloween pals!
So that was settled. Hotel... check! Holiday dates... check! So what else did I have to contemplate when booking my trip, well, none other than a favourite topic for many, food! I knew before booking the trip that I would include the Half Board Meal Plan, as I had loved using this option on my last trip in 2015. This brilliant option meant that it would give me the choice of breakfast and lunch or dinner at a number of restaurants in the parks, at the hotels, or at Disney Village.
Breakfast at La Cantina, Hotel Santa Fe.
Now speaking of food, two of my members asked me questions in regards to the food at Disneyland Paris. The first question came from Immy C. who asked "What's going on with breakfast while you're out there?" Now what Immy is referring to is that the Chuck Wagon Cafe, Hotel Cheyenne's restaurant, is closed for refurbishment during my stay. After a bit of research online, I found out that guests staying at the Hotel Cheyenne will be given vouchers to eat breakfast in the Disneyland Park at either Au Chalet de la Marionnette or Agrabah Cafe. Although I was initially disappointed that I wouldn't be able to dine at the Chuck Wagon Cafe for the first time, I was rather excited at the prospect of eating breakfast in the parks and also the idea of being in the Disneyland Park so early, meaning more park time! Ooh how exciting!
No breakfast for me at the Hotel Cheyenne sadly!
My second question regarding food came from Jenni D. who asked me "Do you have to book places to eat before you go or can you do that when there?" Jenni also added "If so, what are the best times to book places to eat?" Well Jenni, you don't have to book places to eat but I would highly recommend it. Even if you visit Disneyland Paris during the quieter seasons, a majority of the dining establishments are still very busy, especially during the evenings. Luckily, you can book most restaurants apart from the table service restaurants in the parks or Planet Hollywood and Rainforest Cafe in Disney Village. Disney also offer their own dining reservations system, which gives you the chance to book your restaurant times over the phone before you go. It's a great system. I actually used this for the first time this year. In regards to the best times to book restaurants, I always go for opening times in the evening, so 6pm.
Now early Disney dining reservations at Planet Hollywood I'm afraid!
So with my holiday all booked, that now meant that I had to prepare for my trip! That meant that many things needed to be brought, such as clothing and other amenities. The most important thing I needed to buy was a new camera. My previous camera actually started to slowly die while I was away in Disneyland Paris back in 2015. I had so many different options when it came to cameras. One thing was certain though, I needed a camera that not only took great photos but also crystal clear videos. Since the beginning of the year, I have become a bit of a vlogger, so I thought a new camera would be perfect for that, especially for videos in Disneyland Paris. So which camera did I go for in the end? I opted for the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS. After buying it I played around with it, filming some test footage at my local park and I also recorded my first ever vlog with it, which you can see down below if you click the link. It's just perfect for me. Crystal clear photos and videos. I couldn't ask for anymore!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjeKLKle-Kg&index=8&list=FLk1NoNpn3QQIdf6NIM5sQAQ
That was my camera sorted. Another important thing to buy was new clothes. Now all of my t-shirts for the trip were already sorted. I brought lots of t-shirts in Disneyland Paris in 2015, so they were going to be making a return appearance on my solo trip, that was a certainty. I did have to buy some new shoes however. I wanted something comfortable to wear, so I ended up buying a pair of Vans-style shoes and also some sandals. Oh, and I also brought a new trilby hat for the trip. Anyone that knows me will know that I love my trilby hats! I'm sure I'll even end up buying a new one on my solo trip. World Of Disney Store, I hear you calling my name!
Planet Hollywood sunglasses? Check! Phantom Manor t-shirt? Check!
Talking of clothes, Dawn C. asked me "What type of clothes do you take?" Well as I mentioned above, I always take t-shirts, which are mostly Disney-themed of course. I always take a pair of jeans with me but on this occasion I'm going to be taking some shorts as the weather is supposed to be quite hot while I'm there. I'll also be taking my Vans-style shoes and sandals. I'll also take a little waterproof jacket, just to be safe! My new trilby hat will also be making the trip with me, which I'm sure you're more than likely to see in my many upcoming blogs.
"Your room is ready" I do love a good 'ol Tower Of Terror t-shirt!
Dawn C. also asked me "What other things do you have to take with you each time you go?" Well there's three essentials for me. A camera, wallet, and bag. I use my camera for a majority of the day, taking photos of literally everything but on this trip, I'll be filming everything! A wallet is of course essential, as it carries all of my important bits like my hotel keycard, euros and park tickets. A bag as well because I can carry around any of my purchases of the day and also put my camera in it if need be. It may seem silly to some but they're just the most essential things for me.
Something I did want to talk about was my actual plans for the trip itself. One of the most important things I've always said I wanted to do since booking the trip is experience every single attraction at least once. Believe it or not, there are still some attractions I'm yet to experience at the both of the parks, Casey Jr and Stitch Live being two examples. I just thought with so much time to myself, it should give me more than enough time to do everything on offer at least once. I will be keeping count of how many times I experience the attractions, so no excuses for me!
Believe it or not but I've never actually explored the Skull Rock caves!
Another thing I've said I've wanted to do for ages is have a drink at each and every one of the Disney hotel bars. Though not all in one night of course! Although come to think of it, that could be quite a fun challenge one day! Seriously though, there are so many wonderfully themed bars at the Disney hotels that it would be a waste to not experience them all. I've drunk at some in the past, my favourite being the Redwood Bar at Sequoia Lodge, which is also my favourite Disneyland Paris hotel. I just love it there! I may also finally try one of the famous Glowtini's!
The Redwood Bar at Sequoia Lodge. Even more stunning during the Christmas season!
Being the 25th Anniversary celebrations, they're obviously something I'm really looking forward to experiencing. I can't wait to see the new parades and shows. I'm also really looking forward to seeing all of the new beautiful theming throughout the Disneyland Park.
Attraction wise, I'm very excited to be experiencing the new Star Tours as well as Hyperspace Mountain. Being Star Wars mad, I honestly can't wait to ride both of those attractions. I'm also looking forward to meeting Darth Vader for the first time. He should go easy on me though as I will be carrying a Stormtrooper bag, so I am on his side after all!
I'm looking forward to going on new adventures at Star Tours!
Talking of attractions, I'm looking forward to going back to some of my favourites, like the Rock N' Roller Coaster and Phantom Manor. I am quite sad in knowing that I won't be able to experience Cinemagique on the trip as it closed earlier this year. I'm also gutted that the updated Pirates of the Caribbean wont be opening until after I come back from my forthcoming trip. Still though, there's so many attractions I love that I probably wont even think about the other ones not being open.
It kills me to think that my all-time favourite attraction at Disneyland Paris is closed for good!
I can't wait to rock it out with Steve Tyler and co.!
Before I finish this blog, I've got one really good question to end with from Rachael H. Rachael asked me "What advice would you give to any newbies going to Disneyland Paris for the first time?" Now that is one very good question. I've got quite a lot of friendly advice when it comes to Disneyland Paris. One of the most important things I would say is don't rush around. So many people try to rush around and cram in as much as they can that they actually miss out on a lot of things. Disneyland Paris is full of so many little details that a lot of people actually miss. So many times I've heard people say "Oh I didn't know there was a dragon in the castle!" Well there most certainly is, and it's one amazing sight. It is also sadly one of many incredible sights that many people miss. Other similar attractions which a lot of people miss out on include Les Mysteres du Nautilus and Le Pays des Contes de Fees. These really are worth a look. Now don't get me wrong, if you're only there for a couple of days, then understandably you're going to miss out on the smaller and less 'in your face' attractions. However, if you're staying for longer, like five days for example, then I recommend that you try and sample everything in, it is just so worth it. It will also make you appreciate even more how much detail has gone into everything in the parks.
Yes there is a dragon inside the castle! Go and check it out for yourself!
You won't believe the incredible amount of detail inside the Nautilus!
Now this is going to be one very biased piece of advice (because it's a favourite of mine) but don't miss out Disney Village! There is so much to see and do there! You have so many wonderful restaurants to dine in, or quite simply just relax and have a drink. You also have the amazing shops, like the fabulous World Of Disney Store for example. I guarantee you won't find a better shop than that in the whole of the Disneyland Paris resort!
"And just to your right, the 'wonderful' World Of Disney!"
Well I think that just about wraps things up nicely. I'm gonna have to say goodbye for now. This is going to be my last blog for quite some time now as I've got the solo trip and then will be editing (what I can imagine) will be hours of video. It's been very exciting writing this blog, especially with the thought that this time next week I'll actually be in Disneyland Paris! Awesome isn't it!
I've got to go soon. Disney Village is calling my name!
So it's goodbye for now and I'll speak to you all hopefully very soon!
Much love to you all!
Michael x
