My Favourite Things/Traditions To Do In Disney Village

Disney Village from the air. Quite a sight and even better at night!

As anyone reading this will know, I'm quite a big fan of Disney Village at Disneyland Paris. Most fans of Disneyland Paris would most likely say their favourite part about the whole Paris complex is the parks themselves, and although I love the parks, I've always had extra special love for Disney Village. I'm one of them lucky people to have seen Disney Village go through all the various changes it has faced since opening in 1992 and it has always held a special place in my heart. When visiting in recent years, I have had a couple of traditions that I like to keep going when visiting Disney Village. This article is about those traditions and some of my favourite things to do while in Disney Village.

Early Morning Walk

Guests staying at any Disneyland Paris hotel, other than the Disneyland Hotel, have the daily routine of walking from their hotels, through Disney Village, then into the parks. I absolutely love this morning stroll from whichever hotel I am staying at. It's great because you get to walk past the beautiful Lake Disney then into Disney Village, which looks quite different early in the morning. I'm quite an early riser so normally get to the parks in time for Extra Magic Hours. Walking through Disney Village at this time will allow you to appreciate some of the beauty behind the architecture of the place. Of course there is a better atmosphere with the crowds later in the day but there is something quite relaxing about walking through Disney Village early in the morning, with hardly anyone in sight. It also gives me a perfect opportunity (or rather, excuse!) to take more photos of Disney Village! You could of course get a shuttle bus to the parks from the hotels but I could never miss out a walk through my beloved Disney Village!

Early morning in Disney Village and not a soul in sight!

Lunch at Earl of Sandwich

As I always stock myself up with food during breakfast, I always opt for a smaller lunch option, and Earl of Sandwich provides the best option in my opinion. The hype about this place is so justly deserved. I hadn't visited Earl of Sandwich until my trip in 2014 and I was very pleasantly surprised. After reading all the fantastic reviews beforehand I thought to myself 'Yeah right, it's only a sandwich bar!' Oh how wrong I was! The sandwiches at Earl of Sandwich are simply out of this world! I've never eaten a better toasted sandwich than the ones served here. It's safe to say that Earl of Sandwich is now the place to be for lunchtime at Disneyland Paris when I visit. I don't think any eatery in Disney Village has generated as much buzz as quickly as Earl of Sandwich has done. I recommend the 'La Frenchy' sandwich, you won't be disappointed!

Earl of Sandwich, a firm favourite of mine.

A Drink At Starbucks

I know some people may have been disappointed that a brand like Starbucks had been added to Disney Village but I was quite happy to be honest, they do serve rather good coffee after all! For years, Disney Village had been crying out for somewhere you could sit and relax with a hot drink. While yes, you could do this at some of the other establishments, a proper coffee house was needed, and Disney delivered! While I like a Costa coffee when back home in England, I do like a Starbucks on holiday, especially when in Florida. At least once on every trip to Disneyland Paris in the last 5 years or so, I have always stopped at Starbucks for a drink. My favourite time to visit Starbucks is in the afternoon once I've done my fair share of rides for the day. As I mentioned, I'm an early riser, so after being in the parks for quite a long time, it's nice to come back into Disney Village and relax in Starbucks with a nice coffee, normally a latte in my case, or even a hot chocolate if it's Winter time! It's also a nice place to sit down and have a chat with my fiancee, away from all the noise of the parks. Starbucks is also a nice place to visit during the evenings, especially after I'm tired out from as much shopping as I can take for one day! I've also visited Starbucks during the mornings in the past, before visiting the parks. As Disney don't mind you bringing in hot drinks from Starbucks, it's quite lovely to walk down Main Street USA with a nice Starbucks latte in hand!

The perfect place for a hot beverage!

A Meal at Planet Hollywood

As you may have read in some of my other blogs (like this one: http://disneyvillagefans.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/disneyland-paris-october-2015-trip_17.html) then you would know that Planet Hollywood is my favourite restaurant in all of Disneyland Paris. It simply wouldn't be a trip to Disneyland Paris without me stopping at Planet Hollywood at least once! I would probably say that the Planet Hollywood chain is my favourite restaurant chain as I love visiting the restaurant in London as well as the one at Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) in Florida. It's mixture of film props and American cuisine is a sure fire winner with me, as well as my fiancee and rest of the family. When visiting Disneyland Paris, it's become a tradition of eating my first and last meal of the trip at Planet Hollywood. I've always been a big supporter of the restaurant and will always give it the praise I think it deserves. I've honestly never had a bad meal at Planet Hollywood and have always had fantastic service as you would expect at any Disney property. Don't forget to check out the merchandise store 'Boutique Planet Hollywood' for all your Planet Hollywood clothing and other fun products, including some rather funky sunglasses, which my fiancee Laura brought a pair of!

Laura and her funky Planet Hollywood sunglasses!

Planet Hollywood looks stunning in the evening!

The Sports Bar

Another favourite establishment of mine at Disney Village, the Sports Bar has been a regular visit in recent years. This is my favourite place in all of Disneyland Paris to grab a drink, whether it be a soft or alcoholic beverage. I love the theming at the Sports Bar, including the multiple screens showing different sports, as well as sports memorabilia adorning the walls. I also love the outside seating terrace, which features a large screen, normally showing football or rugby. Being a football fan, I have casually walked past the bar before trying to catch up with some results from England. A first for me at the Sports Bar last year, I actually sat down and watched a Liverpool match, along with a couple of other fans, who I thought were French but turned out to be English when I heard them walking off and talking with a Scouse accent! The atmosphere at the Sports Bar is always very good, and never comes across as being rowdy or aggressive but just full of people sitting down and relaxing with a drink in hand while watching some sport on the telly, what could be better! This is the perfect place to end up after a long day at the parks when all you want to do is just sit down and have a drink. The Cast Members working at the Sports Bar are also really exceptional, not surprising as they're all so brilliant at Disneyland Paris.

Relaxing with a beer while watching the Liverpool match at the Sports Bar!

The Sports Bar before opening hours.

An Evening Stroll

Last but not least, I'd like to finish with my absolute favourite thing to do at Disney Village. I must say, with all these favourite things, I feel like I'm talking a bit like Sophie from the hotel rooms video '10 Thins to Know Before You Go'! Anyway, my favourite thing to do at Disney Village is a really simple one. To me, there is nothing better than taking an evening stroll through Disney Village then walking around Lake Disney. Disney Village is a wonderful sight during the evening, as is Lake Disney with the lights from the surrounding hotels reflecting onto it. One thing I do like to do on an evening stroll is to visit all the Disney hotels surrounding the lake, not forgetting Hotel Cheyenne and Hotel Santa Fe just up from the lake. I find it lovely to soak in the atmosphere of each hotel, including a walk around the lobbies as well as visiting each unique gift shop. It's such a lovely experience to do during the evening, and also a nice break away from the hustle and bustle of the parks. I'm hoping to do the same on my next trip but to also visit a different hotel bar for a drink each night. 

Newport Bay Club Hotel in the early evening.

Well that's all of my favourite things to do and traditions that I like to keep going in Disney Village. I hope you have enjoyed the article and may even consider doing some of the things I have discussed, that is if you haven't already. Like I said, I had a bit of a hotel room video guide vibe to this blog, so maybe next time I will have to write my own version of Sophie's '10 Things to Know Before You Go', I'm sure you know which video I'm referring to, if you're not, then here's a link for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJSx9R13g3U

Once again, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

The History of Disney Village (1992-2016)

Welcome to Disney Village!

Introduction

All Disney resorts around the world have their own exclusive shopping, dining, and entertainment complexes. Walt Disney World in Florida, for example, has Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) and Disneyland Resort in California has the Downtown Disney District. Disneyland Paris is no exception of course and has the rather brilliant Disney Village. The following is a little guide to the history of Disney Village and the many changes it has faced throughout it's history to date.

How It All Started

When plans were finally decided to build Euro Disneyland, it was decided that the new park would need it's own entertainment district, similar to the ones found at the other Disney parks. Canadian-born American architect, Frank Gehry, was chosen to lead the project. Disney gave Gehry almost complete control of designing the new entertainment district which would be called Festival Disney. Other than providing entertainment, shopping, and dining experiences for guests, it was also designed as a transitional space for access from the Disneyland Park and Marne-la-Vallee train station to the Disney resort hotels. Much like it's American counterparts, Festival Disney's goal was to provide exciting dining and shopping opportunities for guests to experience after a day at the Disneyland Park. Dining and shopping aside, there were also plans for concerts, shows, and it's very own nightclub.

Frank Gehry's concept for Festival Disney was based around the idea of an old abandoned American power station, which was now full of life and music. Festival Disney would be lit up from all sides with a central avenue composed of a bright starry sky. Supporting the starry sky would be columns, representing pylons of the old power station. Gehry explained in the following interview his reasons for designing Festival Disney around an old power station:

"The idea of a station in the U.S. made me think of power stations which are often found this close to a railway line. Festival Disney a bright place full of life. The power stations are illuminated at night, hence my idea of a network of 3,600 low-intensity bulbs that cover all of the structures. Naturally, the lights will be suspended between towers and, as a measure of the design process, I blew and embellished the towers that I wanted to sparkle without merely being decorative. Once the towers were imagined, I disposed of buildings and other parts of a normal avenue."

Original Concept Model of Festival Disney.

Welcome to Festival Disney!

Welcome!

On April 12th, 1992, Euro Disneyland opened it's doors for the first time, as did Frank Gehry's Festival Disney. While some of the restaurants, shops, and other features remain the same today, things were quite different on opening day.

The first thing people would see when they entered Festival Disney was Annette's Diner, situated at the front left of the site. Based on the American diners of the '50s and '60s, Annette's was an instant hit with visitors for it's delicious American fare and was especially known for its delicious burgers. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Anette's is still very much open to this day and is as popular as ever.

You'll always find a retro car outside Annette's Diner!

Annette's Diner, a firm fan favourite.

Towards the front right of Festival Disney was Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Another place still open today, Buffalo Bill's is a dinner show which lets guests experience the Wild West, including shootouts, stage coach robbery's, and even some appearances from everyone's favourite Disney characters. This family friendly show has gone on to become one of Festival Disney's signature attractions and has even broken the world-record attendance of a show with over 10 million guests experiencing the show.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show! 

Almost central to the entrance of Festival Disney was the Streets of America Shop. This shop sold merchandise themed around different states of the USA as well as products based on American culture. The shop didn't prove very popular with European guests, and closed just over a year after opening.

Walking further down Festival Disney, guests would find the following shops:

The Disney Store

Disney Fashion

Hollywood Pictures

The Surf Shop

Buffalo Trading Company

The Disney Store and Disney Fashion are both still open to this day. The Surf Shop closed in 2002, while Buffalo Trading Company and Hollywood Pictures closed more recently in 2009 and 2013.

As you would expect, The Disney Store is crammed full of Disney merchandise, almost anything you could think of. Although the shop has not changed dramatically through the years, it originally housed an indoor playground offering child minding activities for children aged three to ten. The play area was named the 'Never Land Club Children's Theatre'. Interestingly, the only way to enter this area was through a large window. Although it was popular with children and offered a much welcome break for many parents, it only stayed open for a couple of years. 

Original Exterior of The Disney Store.

The Disney Store as it looks today.

Disney Fashion is perhaps the best place to find clothing in the whole of the resort. Offering many unique Disney products not available anywhere else on site, the shop has never had any major changes since opening.

Disney Fashion.

Hollywood Pictures was a shop featuring merchandise primarily based on films, although not just Disney films. Inside, visitors would be able to buy products such as film clapperboards and director's baseball caps. Certain parts of the shop specialised in products from certain films, with large sections based on Star Wars and A Nightmare Before Christmas. 

Hollywood Pictures.

The Surf Shop was situated next to the Los Angeles Bar & Grill restaurant. As the name suggests, this sold lots of surfing goods as well as beachwear. One fun element to The Surf Shop was that visitors could try on clothes in old fashioned beach cabins. 

Concept Art for The Surf Shop.

Buffalo Trading Company was a shop selling lots of Wild West themed products. It was very popular with guests, not surprising considering the nearby Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show is so popular. The shop sold many Western themed clothing such as cowboy style hats, as well as toy rifles for children and many other similar products.

Buffalo Trading Company.

Shopping aside, there were plenty more restaurants on opening day other than Annette's Diner. These included:

Sports Bar
New York Style Sandwiches
Los Angeles Bar & Grill
Key West Seafood
The Steakhouse
Billy Bob's Country Western Saloon

The Sports Bar, just next door to the Disney Store, has been a popular place for guests to reside ever since it first opened it's doors on opening day. The popular venue has an indoor bar full of sports memorabilia as well as an outside area with a massive screen to watch live sports.

The Sports Bar terrace in 2010, decorated for the World Cup.

Next door to the Sports Bar is New York Style Sandwiches, a quick service restaurant. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating as well as a take out option.

Enjoy a quick bite to eat at New York Style Sandwiches.

Los Angeles Bar & Grill was a popular opening day restaurant, situated at the end of Festival Disney, facing Lake Disney. The restaurant was well regarded for it's steaks and served perhaps the best pizza to be found in Euro Disneyland.

Los Angeles Bar & Grill.

Right opposite the Los Angeles Bar & Grill was Key West Seafood. This restaurant was themed after Florida's Key West island and had a bright and colourful tropical atmosphere inside. Seafood was the restaurant's speciality but it was very well known for serving Florida favourite dessert, Key lime pie. 

Key West Seafood Entrance Sign.

The Steakhouse, has been Festival Disney's best venue for fine dining ever since opening day. Like the name says, this is the place for a good steak!

The Steakhouse Entrance.

Another opening day venue is Billy Bob's Country Western Saloon. At Billy Bob's, guests can grab a drink and light snack while watching live music entertainment every night. Upstairs in Billy Bob's is the popular La Grange buffet restaurant. With a cheery atmosphere and brilliant live performances, it's no surprise why Billy Bob's is still as popular today as it was in the early years.

Billy Bob's Country Western Saloon.

Much Misunderstood and In Need of Change (The '90s)

Festival Disney with much needed changes.

The 1990s saw a lot of changes for Festival Disney, one change just a year after opening. Perhaps the biggest change however was it's name. The years leading up to the new millennium saw Festival Disney welcome new restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

The first change to happen to Festival Disney occurred in June 1993. The Streets Of America Shop closed and made way for the new Rock N' Roll America, a restaurant themed around America's favourite rock n' roll artists. The new restaurant featured music memorabilia and would host live music every night. This was considered an inspired change to Festival Disney as The Streets Of America shop didn't prove to be very popular. Rock N' Roll America became a favourite destination for many guests. It's choice of American food and live rock n' roll music was a surefire hit for many.

Rock N' Roll America.

1996 was a big year for Festival Disney. The year saw the opening of Planet Hollywood with a grand opening ceremony including film stars Sylvester Stallone and Gerard Depardieu. The Planet Hollywood restaurant chain already had strong links with the Disney company as they had a restaurant based at Downtown Disney in Florida, so it was a no brainer to open one in Festival Disney. Planet Hollywood was indeed an instant winner with guests who were in awe of the amazing film memorabilia inside the restaurant as well as the fantastic food on offer. Unsurprisingly, Planet Hollywood is still open today, and is still a popular destination for many.

The instantly recognisable Planet Hollywood.

Although Planet Hollywood was a fantastic addition, it was not the biggest change to happen to Festival Disney in 1996. The year saw the entertainment district find a new name in 'Disney Village', which it is still called to this very day. Most visitors and cast members liked the name change which seemed to fit better than Festival Disney. It was thought that the name was changed to coincide with Euro Disneyland also being renamed. Euro Disneyland was renamed to Disneyland Paris.

Disney Village, a beautiful sight at night.

Frank Gehry's much misunderstood Disney Village would go through further changes in the 90s, sadly changing a lot of Gehry's original concept. The once appealing starry sky of lights was eventually taken down. The pylons supporting the starry sky were kept in place although some had metal plates removed. Inside some pylons were now statues and food kiosks. Disney Village was a great sight at night but the daytime was another story. Unfortunately, Gehry's Disney Village was beginning to look very dated during the day, not an image the Disney company wanted it's guests to see.

The original pylons with removed metal plates, now featuring statues.

One very much welcomed change to Disney Village was the addition of new shop, The Disney Gallery. Originally, the building housed a tourist information centre. With other places for tourist information, it was quickly decided that there was no need for it, so The Disney Gallery was born. The shop features beautiful Disney art, most of which is for sale. 

An example of some of the lovely artwork on offer at The Disney Gallery.

The eight screen Gaumont Multiplex Cinema opened it's doors on May 7th 1997. This was a big addition for Disney Village as it was proving to provide a lot more than just shopping and dining. The Gaumont is still open to this day and proves to be popular with guests due to the fact it shows films in not just only French but also English.

Concept Art for the Gaumont Multiplex Cinema.

In 1999, just before Disneyland Paris welcomed in the new millennium, two new dining additions were added. On the 25th January 1999, Disney Village was pleased to announce the opening of McDonald's, the world famous fast food chain. Due to there not being many fast dining options in Disney Village, it's fair to say that McDonald's was a much welcomed addition. McDonald's was an entirely new building and was built in the area just behind Hurricane's Night Club. The second addition in 1999 was the Rainforest Cafe. A very popular chain restaurant in America, the Rainforest Cafe was an instant hit with families for it's family friendly menu, not to forget the amazing interior filled with animatronic animals. The Rainforest Cafe was built in place of opening day restaurant Key West Seafood.

Mc Donald's.

Rainforest Cafe.

Throughout the late '90s, Disney Village played host to concerts, almost nightly, on it's central stage (just outside where the Sports Bar is now) and these continued into the early 2000s, although they became much less frequent.

Disney Village Central Plaza Stage.

A New Millennium and A New Lease of Life (Early 2000s)

One thing bugging a lot of guests and on the minds of Disney employees was the fact that there was not a single Disney themed restaurant to be found at Disney Village. Plans were quickly discussed to rectify this matter and the idea of Cafe Mickey was born. It wasn't until 2002 that Cafe Mickey would finally open it's doors to the public. Cafe Mickey replaced the opening day restaurant Los Angeles Bar & Grill, which closed in 2001. The Surf Shop next door also closed it's doors in 2001 and was replaced by the new World of Toys store, a smaller version of the Disney Store. Cafe Mickey was everything Disney fans had wished for. Cafe Mickey provides guests with the chance to dine with the characters as well eating lots of Disney themed food. The likes of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto are always bound to turn up at your table. Proving to be a massive hit, Cafe Mickey is still very much open today and always full with Disney diners.

Disney's World of Toys store.

Cafe Mickey. You can still see traces of the original restaurant Los Angeles Bar & Grill.

May 10th 2003 welcomed guests to dine in the new establishment, King Ludwig's Castle. Themed to Bavaria's Neuschwanstein Castle, King Ludwig's features a menu of mainly German fare but also many other options. It has a more adult feel to it but it caters for all ages, just like everywhere else in Disney Village. A lot of guests suggest this is the best place in Disney Village to get an alcoholic drink. King Ludwig's was built in place of fan favourite Rock N' Roll America but thankfully King Ludwig's has now turned into a firm fan favourite itself.

King Ludwig's Castle.

Despite the negativity about it, Disney Village became a favourite night spot for people not visiting the Disneyland Park. It was therefore decided to finally build it's own car park. On December 3rd 2004, the new art deco themed VINCI Park opened, finally providing non-Disney park guests somewhere to park.

VINCI Park car parking facilities.

2005 could have been considered as the year of change for Disney Village. With Disney Village still looking very much dated during the day, Disney resort management started on renovations which would take a few years to complete. The neon lights and large signs which were situated over most restaurants since opening day, were being removed one by one. The central stage was also removed and would only come out for very special occasions. To make Disney Village look more visually appealing, the pylons in the middle were all removed, with only a few remaining to this very day. Colourful light up balloons were added to the remaining pylons. In April of 2005, Disney Village introduced PanoraMagique, a captive hot air balloon that reaches 100 metres into the sky and can hold up to 30 guests at a time. Situated on the edge of Lake Disney, PanoraMagique boasts the world record of being the largest captive hot air balloon in the world. A 570-seat IMAX cinema was also added as part of the Gaumont Cinema Multiplex in 2005.

Original neon light signs were all removed from Disney Village.

PanoraMagique, sitting on Lake Disney.

The visual changes continued at Disney Village in the next few years. In 2008, resort management added more plants and trees to the central plaza as well as adding terraces to all of the restaurants and bars. All of the buildings were also repaired and repainted. Disney Village was finally starting to get the love that it deserved.

Buffalo Trading Company ceased operations in 2009 after 17 years of service. In July that same year, Starbucks opened in it's place. It was the first Starbucks to open on a Disney resort, and many more have now opened in the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland California.

Starbucks, sitting where Buffalo Trading Company once stood.

Things Are Looking Good! (2010 to 2016)

With Disney Village finally coming into fruition, the last 6 years have seen some big additions, perhaps paving the way for Disney Village to finally be given the glory it deserves and possibly even set Disney Village in a new direction.

March 1st 2010 saw the first change at Disney Village. The once brilliant Hurricane's Nightclub, finally closed. Although it declined in it's final years, Hurricane's Nightclub will live long in the hearts of many that experienced it. Many loved Hurricane's for it's much welcome departure from the Disney side of things, perhaps making it the most adult of places in the Disneyland Paris resort. Hurricane's does live on, although in a much different capacity. The area which once held Hurricane's is now a cast members rest area.

Hurricane's Nightclub, once party central, now a cast members rest area.

On the 15th June 2011, Disney Village was pleased to announce the opening of Earl of Sandwich, a new dining experience for visitors. Ever since opening, Earl of Sandwich has been a big big hit with guests. Many will leave the parks just to eat in Earl of Sandwich. Other than offering amazing toasted sandwiches, the restaurant provides guests with stunning views of Lake Disney.

Earl of Sandwich.

Many fans would agree that the biggest addition to Disney Village was the opening of the World of Disney Store on July 12th 2012. The art deco themed shop proved to be an instant hit with visitors and many say that this is the best addition to ever happen at Disney Village. The fantastic theming and products surely make this the best shop in all of the Disneyland Paris resort. If this is how Disney want to improve Disney Village, then this is definitely a step in the right direction.

World of Disney Concept Art.

The most recent change to Disney Village was the opening of the Lego Store in 2014. The Lego Store replaced Hollywood Pictures, an opening day shop. Hollywood Pictures closed in mid-2013. With the popularity of Lego, it was an easy choice to open a new store in Disney Village, and with no surprise, it has been a huge hit.

The Lego Store, a very welcome recent addition to Disney Village.

With all of the changes since the new millennium, it's fair to say that Disney Village has grown a lot more in popularity, especially with the people who once doubted it. Even die-hard fans of Disney Village would find it hard to argue that Disney Village now looks better than it ever has done. With the amount of changes since opening in 1992, it's hard not to feel sorry for Disney Village designer Frank Gehry. While Gehry's original designs for Disney Village certainly looked fantastic, it never really ended up looking that way. Still with all the changes, you can still see a lot of Gehry's original vision for Disney Village, and we should never forget how much of an influence he was to the Disney Village we see today. It's fair to say that there will be many more exciting changes to look forward to at Disney Village in the coming years.

Disney Village from the air.

Disneyland Paris - October 2015 - Trip Report - Food

Now it wouldn't be a trip to Disneyland Paris without trying any of the wonderful food on offer! I've already mentioned in previous articles about where we eat on our recent trip in October, so I'll be including some reviews for those places as well as telling you about some of the different places you can find food in the parks as well as in Disney Village, and also some of the places where we just enjoyed a drink. I'll also tell you a little bit about how you can use some of the food offers which may be included as part of your Disneyland Paris hotel package. I feel like I haven't written one of my trip reports for a while, so it's nice to get back into the swing of things!

Our trip this October was my first time using any of the Disney hotel food offers. When our holiday was booked we were lucky to have the Standard Half Board meal plan as part of our package. This was great because it would save us extra money on food each day. Another good thing about booking this was that we could both decide on where we would like to use the meal vouchers. I can't tell you exciting it was to look online at all the different places we could eat. Even though I've stayed at some of the hotels before and eaten breakfast in the restaurants, I had never had another meal in them. We wrote a list beforehand of where we wanted to use our meal vouchers and although I've lost that list, I'm pretty sure we eat at all the places we wanted to! We were still planning on where we wanted to eat while on the Eurostar journey to Disneyland Paris! 

La Grange at Billy Bob's Country Western Saloon, Disney Village

Our first meal was at La Grange, which is situated above Billy Bob's Country Western Saloon. Surprisingly being an avid Disney Village fan, I had never stepped foot inside Billy Bob's until this trip. The theming inside the bar downstairs was fantastic. Just like the name, Billy Bob's is themed like a saloon bar right out of the Wild West. La Grange is upstairs and features the same theming found downstairs. We presented our meal vouchers, ordered our drinks, then were shown to our table. I think it's fair to say we made a wise choice choosing this as our first food destination, because the food was delicious! There was a great mix of food, mostly barbecued meats and other Tex-Mex style food, similar to the choices at La Cantina at the Hotel Santa Fe. We were pleasantly surprised by this place, but then again, you don't expect poor food anywhere on a Disney site! My only disappointment with La Grange was the desserts on offer, I personally thought there could have been other choices. Still though, it was very enjoyable! After filling ourselves up, we left in good spirits, then headed back to the Disneyland Park to watch the first Dreams show of our trip. 

Rating: 7/10

La Grange is situated just above Billy Bob's. 

Rio Grande Bar, Hotel Santa Fe

After a very tiring first day, we just wanted to settle down after packing our bags and enjoy a nice cold drink! Instead of buying a bottle of drink in the hotel gift shop, we decided to treat ourselves and go to the Rio Grande Bar. Having never been there before, we really enjoyed it. Okay, it might not have very elaborate theming compared to some of the other Disney hotel bars, but it was still nice, and quite peaceful too. The bar was also showing the Rugby World Cup, which kept a lot of the guests occupied! We didn't visit the bar other than our first night, but we did enjoy it there, and I would definitely go back there on my next trip for a drink.

Rating: 6/10

Enjoy a peaceful drink at the Rio Grande Bar.

La Cantina, Hotel Santa Fe

Our first full day at Disneyland Paris began at our hotel's own restaurant, La Cantina. I had heard negative reviews about this place before we went, but I never really listen to them as I prefer to judge for myself, and I'm glad I did, because we loved it! The setting at La Cantina was great, it was like being in a roadside service station on Route 66, not surprising as the hotel is heavily themed after the famous Route 66 in America and the Cars films. Continental breakfast was on offer each morning, which suited me and my fiancee just fine. I've always thought that it's important to get a good breakfast at Disneyland Paris as it sets you up for the busy days ahead, so we certainly filled ourselves up each morning!

Breakfast wasn't the only times we visited La Cantina, we also eat there twice for dinner. We visited La Cantina for dinner on our second night and fourth and final night. I was interested to see what would be on choice at the buffet as it's not one of the ones that a lot of people mention when talking about the hotel buffets at Disneyland Paris. Just like in La Grange, we presented our dinner vouchers, then ordered our drinks and sat down at a table of our choice. One of the good things with La Cantina is the fact that you can choose to sit where you like. We were really pleasantly surprised with how good it was, hence why we eat there a second time! The food on offer for dinner service is a Tex-Mex style buffet, but there are plenty of other options. I enjoyed the tasty meats on offer, including spicy chicken, as well as roast gammon. As my other half would tell you, I love making wraps wherever I can, and this restaurant was no exception. I cut up a lot of the meat and put it in the wraps, as well as some grated cheese of course! Talking of cheese, one of my favourite things at La Cantina, was the fact that they offered the American style hot cheese sauce, perfect for nachos topping, and I certainly enjoyed a lot of it! The desserts on offer here were absolutely incredible! There were so many different cakes, yoghurts, mousses, fruit, just everything you could ever wish for when it comes to puddings. I honestly think that La Cantina doesn't get the credit it is definitely due. I personally think it's one of the best buffets I've ever had. After two lovely evening meals, I can honestly say that it is one of my favourite places to eat when at Disneyland Paris. Even if we don't end up staying at the Hotel Santa Fe on our next trip, we'll definitely be visiting La Cantina, that's a certainty!

Rating: 9/10

Breakfast out of a truck, quite a novelty!

Hunter's Grill, Sequoia Lodge Hotel

This was one of the hotel buffet restaurants that I had always wanted to visit. We decided to head to the Hunter's Grill at the Sequoia Lodge on our third night in Disneyland Paris. Although it wasn't listed as one of the restaurants on our meal plan, we could still eat there and use the meal vouchers to pay the difference, which wasn't that much. After enjoying another nice day in the parks, we went to change our clothes at our hotel, then headed towards the Sequoia Lodge. We had a table booked for the Hunter's Grill at 6pm when it opened. We queued up with some fellow Brits, who we had a nice chat with. After presenting our meal vouchers, we were seated by our waiter, I can't remember his name, but he was definitely one of the best waiters we had while dining anywhere on this trip. After ordering our drinks, we went up to the buffet, and stuffed ourselves silly! Okay, we weren't quite that bad! We did eat a lot of food though. Now the strange thing with Hunter's Grill is that I wasn't overly impressed with it. I liked it, but I felt it was lacking something. It was one of them sort of places where I thought to myself 'what is all the fuss about?' Don't get me wrong, the food was very lovely, and you could tell that some of the food (meats in particular) were better quality than some of the food at the other buffets. I was expecting a bigger buffet in all honesty. I actually thought it was one of the smallest buffets I'd seen at Disneyland Paris, but then again it makes up for it with the nice quality food. The theming wasn't anything special, I would even say that the theming at La Cantina and La Grange was better. This is my own personal opinion of course, and then again, the food is what matters most! At the end of the day though, we did enjoy our meal at Hunter's Grill, and would probably visit there again.

Rating: 7/10

Hunter's Grill is just inside the Sequoia Lodge on the right.

Planet Hollywood

If you have read any of my other blogs, then you will be well aware that Planet Hollywood is my favourite restaurant in Disney Village. I've always had a fondness for the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain, which stretches back to as far as I can remember. I still have fond memories of visiting Planet Hollywood at Gatwick Airport, which sadly closed quite a few years ago now. I used to love the original Planet Hollywood in London, which has now moved, and changed quite a bit. My favourite Planet Hollywood restaurant (well other than the one at Disneyland Paris) is definitely the one at Downtown Disney in Florida. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this was the first one that I ever visited. It is very similar in appearance to the Disney Village Planet Hollywood. Anyway, I should really talk about the one in Disney Village shouldn't I! Well what I love about the Disney Village Planet Hollywood is pretty much everything, and I mean everything! I love the theming, the food, the service, just everything! Being an absolute film fanatic, this is where I feel at home. I love all of the film props inside the restaurant. It's quite fun trying to guess which films they are from, although I like to think I know a lot of them! This is a great place for families to eat. The menu is primarily American style food, not surprising as it is originally an American chain, partly owned by the likes of Arnold Shwarzennegger and Sylvester Stallone. Planet Hollywood is known for it's tasty burgers. While I haven't eaten one of their burgers for years, my other half Laura has done.

On our trip this year, we decided to go here for my birthday meal, which was also our last day in Disneyland Paris. We came in for the lunch service, and it was pretty quiet, but then again, the parks were quite quiet as well. One of the things that always makes me laugh about Planet Hollywood in Disney Village is that I always get sat near other Brits. I'm not quite sure why this is but my guess would be that it's because they have waiting staff who have better English speaking skills working in that part of the restaurant. As it was my birthday, I thought I would treat myself to a white chocolate milkshake. Words cannot even describe how fantastic it tasted! I've never quite had a milkshake like it, it was just amazing! For my meal, I had the penne chicken broccoli, minus the broccoli! This has been a favourite dish of mine at Planet Hollywood restaurants for a long time now. It always tastes great, and this year was no exception. As I mentioned, Laura had one of the Planet Hollywood burgers, and as she wasn't talking, I knew she was enjoying it, because Laura doesn't tend to talk when she is enjoying her food! It was a very enjoyable meal as it always is at Planet Hollywood.

One thing that always gets to me about Planet Hollywood in Disney Village is the fact that a lot of people simply don't like it and tend to bash it a bit. I'll always defend it, but that's probably because I've been a fan for years. I cannot understand the hatred some people have for this place. Some people say it's dated, but I think the theming works, especially all the film props. The food is also very good, I've honestly never had a problem with food at any Planet Hollywood restaurant. Quite simply, I love this place, and our recent meal was very enjoyable here.

Rating: 10/10

Love Love Love this place!

The Sports Bar, Disney Village

Now we didn't eat here on our October trip or our trip last year but we did visit the bar for a couple of drinks. I personally think that the Sports Bar is a true gem in Disney Village, and not enough people visit it. Okay there may be a more adult vibe here as it is primarily a bar, but it is still very family friendly, and I've seen many families have a quiet drink here to relax after a busy day. There are many drinks on offer here, and it's probably the best place in the Disneyland Paris resort to grab a beer if that's what you fancy! As the name suggests, many live sports are shown on all the television screens inside the bar. There is also a very large screen on the wall opposite the outside seating area. This is one of the places in Disney Village where you're most likely to find fellow Brits. On our trip this year, we visited the Sports Bar twice. Both times were only for drinks, but they were at completely different times. The first time we visited was in the early afternoon, and it was very quiet inside. The bar staff were very efficient and friendly. The next day we came back here in the evening. We hadn't planned to visit again, but when I noticed one of the screens was broadcasting a Liverpool match, I couldn't resist watching my boys and having a pint of beer! I felt like a typical Brit on holiday, watching football and drinking a pint! I have to say there was a very goof atmosphere that evening. We visited during the Rugby World Cup, and the French match was on at the same time as the Liverpool game, so you can imagine how loud and passionate all the French were! It was a really good night!

Although we didn't eat on this trip or the previous trip, I have eaten here a couple of times before, and the food is very good. It's pretty much your typical American burgers and hotdogs fare, although being in Disney, it's better than average! I highly recommend a visit to the Sports Bar, whether it's to grab a quite bite to eat, or just a drink. 

8/10

Enjoy a beer while watching live sport here.

Rainforest Cafe, Disney Village

Now I just had to include this one in a Disneyland Paris food blog! We didn't actually visit the Rainforest Cafe on our October trip (although we visited the restaurant shop) but we did eat there last year, and I have on other trips too. As with Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Cafe is a worldwide food chain, and it's another one associated with Disney. Like Downtown Disney in Florida has Planet Hollywood, it also has a Rainforest Cafe. When talking about Planet Hollywood, I mentioned how they have one in London. Funnily enough, there is also a Rainforest Cafe in London, literally just a five minute walk away from each other! Anyway, enough of me rambling on about London, time to talk about the Disney Village restaurant!

The theming inside the Rainforest Cafe is just like something out of a Disney attraction! As soon as you enter through the entrance, you have animals above your head which move about. To get to the restaurant, you have to walk through the shop first, which is pretty amazing in itself. Although most of the animals inside the restaurant are animatronics, there are also some pretty big tanks with very beautiful and exotic fish. A bit like Planet Hollywood, the menu here is very American in style. My other half Laura enjoyed a burger while I enjoyed a pasta dish with a rather cool name 'Rasta Pasta!' We really enjoyed our meal here, which wasn't surprising as I've always enjoyed my meals at all of the Rainforest Cafe's I've been to. If you have the chance to dine here, then go for it, you won't be disappointed!

Rating: 9/10

Even the theming outside is impressive here!

Plaza Gardens, Disneyland Park

Plaza Gardens has got to be the best place to eat in the Disneyland Park. Other than my favourite La Cantina, I would argue that Plaza Gardens is the best buffet restaurant in the whole Disneyland Paris resort. Sadly we couldn't eat in Plaza Gardens on our October trip because it was going through a refurbishment, but we did eat there for the first time last year. This was our first time eating at a Disney buffet and I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but quite honest, I was pleasantly surprised and loved it! I couldn't believe the wide range of food on offer here. There was literally everything you could think of! Meats, pastas, salads, breads, cheeses, desserts, everything! The theming inside was quite reminiscent of the Victorian era, similar to inside the Disneyland Hotel. It was very busy when we visited last year, and it was obvious to see why, with all the wonderful food on offer.

Rating: 8/10

Casey's Corner, Disneyland Park

Casey's Corner is a favourite of many Disneyland Paris fans, and it's very clear to see why. Casey's is very popular for it's famous hot dogs, which I personally love! There are also some other options like chicken nuggets and fries. One of the best things about this place is definitely the location of it. While there is seating inside, there is also seating outside, which many people take advantage of for viewing the evening Dreams show. Casey's Corner is a great place to grab something quick to eat, or something you can enjoy while strolling around the parks. We eat at Casey's a couple of times last year, but on our October trip, we used Casey's as part of our Pause Gourmande (Tea Time Treat) deal, and enjoyed it. One thing I will say though is expect to queue here. I've never seen Casey's Corner quiet, there are always large crowds there. The seating is also very limited, so consider yourself lucky if you manage to get a seat there!

Rating: 6/10

A standard pose for me outside Casey's Corner.

Meal Vouchers/Dining Plan

To finish, I would just like to let you know about our experience with the Disney Meal Plan. When booking our trip for October this year, we were lucky to have the Meal Plan included without any extra charge. We were given the Standard Half Board meal plan, which allowed us both to enjoy one meal per a day at any of the restaurants included. As I mentioned in the little restaurant reviews above, we used the meal plan at La Cantina, La Grange, and Hunter's Grill. It really is simple to use these vouchers. All you have to do is present the vouchers when you enter the restaurants, then your free to enjoy your meal, it's really as simple as that! Like we did at the Hunter's Grill, you can also use the vouchers at other restaurants available on more expensive meal plans, and all you have to do is pay the difference.

Again, I'd like to apologise for the delay in publishing this trip report. It's been a long time, but hopefully you've enjoyed reading this and it's been worth the wait! Thank you again for taking the time to read this, really means a lot to me.

I would also like to pay my respects to all of those who sadly passed away in the Paris tragedies last Friday. It was truly horrible, and I would like to send a prayer to every one of them souls, now resting up in heaven.

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