Maestro's Europe Trip - Newbie here.. Please be Patient
Mar 22, 2012, 12:34 am
#316
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 185
Have fun in Hawaii
Mar 22, 2012, 10:31 am
#317
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That makes it sound like such a huge endeavour, I really don't envy you. I have visions of some sort of Antarctic expedition, with dogs pulling sleds laden with your belongings and the kids being carried on sedan chairs by Nubian slaves. (Yes, I know Nubians don't come from Antarctica, but you get the idea).
Have fun in Hawaii
Have fun in Hawaii
My wife is finishing up her massive packing endeavors as we speak.. I'm absolutely looking forward to this trip, as I've never been to Honolulu before.. only a stopover in which we grabbed another leg towards Asia when I was less then 5.
Mar 25, 2012, 3:06 pm
#318
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
Since you asked a question like this, it may be that you don't understand how the monetary system works in various countries? To keep it extremely simplistic, the UK, Switzerland, and Germany all use different currencies.
In the UK it is the pound or pound sterling, commonly written GBP, with the symbol of £.
In Switzerland it is the Swiss franc, commonly written CHF, with the symbol of Fr.
In Germany it is the euro, commonly written EUR, with the symbol of €.
We are thinking of Paris for a week.. but been checking out a few Fairmonts, one in Montreux, one in Monte Carlo and one in Hamburg.. in addition to the Savoy and St Andrews.. would be nice to visit some of these hotels on our trip, but will work on the Europe trip when we get back from Hawaii..
And while I am in in the area, I avoid Monaco as soon as Grand Prix barriers are errected, through to the autumn. Good luck navigating there with a stroller, let alone a minivan!
Several of those locations won't have the budget/superbudget rates you seem to be seeking either, as they will be in their peak season.
While this may be FT, planning a 7 week holiday around a midsize hotel chain without a lot of distribution seems to be a rather unique way of planning. Most people tend to plan around their interests, or their list of 'must sees'. Again, though, it's your holiday, so if that is really your primary motivation, go right ahead.
Mar 26, 2012, 2:57 am
#319
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What does a stroller and a minivan have to do with anything? Sounds condescending.. not sure what you're trying to get at. The places I listed is something I would like to eventually see, and yes, I have looked on a map and understand that to strategically navigate and see everything this trip is not possible. But, eventually I will end up seeing which places we would like to visit. So that would entail some planning, and seeing what places will and end up getting visited.
Your point about dollars vs. euros, is exactly my point about services and products. You value my plan, without knowing in full what the value paid is.. when my research is mostly in Canadian Dollars which is about 1:1.3 of what the euro is.
You have been wrong on many fronts on what I should do.. you may ask which.. in the beginning of the thread you said not to spend more than one or two days at DLP. You don't have kids, so how would you know at that point, that going to Europe with small kids would be a challenge, and perhaps staying a week which was eventually mentioned by other FTers, although not ideal would be the best way to travel. Also staying onsite DLP and what, spending 4,000 euros at the Disney hotel. I've got money, and can afford it, but do you think that I'm that gullible? Really, your answers may look expert, but imo misleading. Annual DLP your suggestion? Certainly not your latest suggestion, as you recommended the 4,000 euro disneyland hotel, just because its steps away?.. and yes that's on the free night, and kids stay free deal link that you posted.
Your point about dollars vs. euros, is exactly my point about services and products. You value my plan, without knowing in full what the value paid is.. when my research is mostly in Canadian Dollars which is about 1:1.3 of what the euro is.
You have been wrong on many fronts on what I should do.. you may ask which.. in the beginning of the thread you said not to spend more than one or two days at DLP. You don't have kids, so how would you know at that point, that going to Europe with small kids would be a challenge, and perhaps staying a week which was eventually mentioned by other FTers, although not ideal would be the best way to travel. Also staying onsite DLP and what, spending 4,000 euros at the Disney hotel. I've got money, and can afford it, but do you think that I'm that gullible? Really, your answers may look expert, but imo misleading. Annual DLP your suggestion? Certainly not your latest suggestion, as you recommended the 4,000 euro disneyland hotel, just because its steps away?.. and yes that's on the free night, and kids stay free deal link that you posted.
Mar 26, 2012, 6:07 am
#320
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Re strollers and minivans, I don't think anyone is being condescending. Monaco is a very twisty turny town and by the sounds of it (and i have no first hand experience of this) once the GP barriers go up, that is going to restrict road / path space even further, so it is going to be very hard to drive both a car (or mini van) on the roads, and a stroller on the footpaths, given restricted space, and the masses of people that head there in the summer. In Europe, a minivan is considered very large, to the point it won't fit in all parking spaces, down all alleys, won't be able to do a u or 3 point turn in it etc. You just don't find things like Ford F150s, huge GM SUVs etc, the minivans are considered huge - and roads, parking spaces, underground parking height barriers mean it is much harder to get around in one than a normal size car. Something like a golf, considered small in Canada, is considered a family car in many places.
I think, if it were me, I'd pass on Monaco, it's more of an adult playground than a place I'd head to with children. It is a very expensive place to eat and drink too (as an aside).
The $ / € thing - I don't think people are confused on exchange rates, they are confused by the terminology. $199 euro isn't clear whether is is 199 Canadian dollars, or 199 euros - as you say, they are not on a par. I don't have the € sign on my computer keyboard, so when I type on here I say 199 euro when talking about euros, GBP when talking about pounds etc. the $ is only used for dollars (Canadian, US etc).
I think, if it were me, I'd pass on Monaco, it's more of an adult playground than a place I'd head to with children. It is a very expensive place to eat and drink too (as an aside).
The $ / € thing - I don't think people are confused on exchange rates, they are confused by the terminology. $199 euro isn't clear whether is is 199 Canadian dollars, or 199 euros - as you say, they are not on a par. I don't have the € sign on my computer keyboard, so when I type on here I say 199 euro when talking about euros, GBP when talking about pounds etc. the $ is only used for dollars (Canadian, US etc).
What does a stroller and a minivan have to do with anything? Sounds condescending.. not sure what you're trying to get at. The places I listed is something I would like to eventually see, and yes, I have looked on a map and understand that to strategically navigate and see everything this trip is not possible. But, eventually I will end up seeing which places we would like to visit. So that would entail some planning, and seeing what places will and end up getting visited.
Your point about dollars vs. euros, is exactly my point about services and products. You value my plan, without knowing in full what the value paid is.. when my research is mostly in Canadian Dollars which is about 1:1.3 of what the euro is.
You have been wrong on many fronts on what I should do.. you may ask which.. in the beginning of the thread you said not to spend more than one or two days at DLP. You don't have kids, so how would you know at that point, that going to Europe with small kids would be a challenge, and perhaps staying a week which was eventually mentioned by other FTers, although not ideal would be the best way to travel. Also staying onsite DLP and what, spending 4,000 euros at the Disney hotel. I've got money, and can afford it, but do you think that I'm that gullible? Really, your answers may look expert, but imo misleading. Annual DLP your suggestion? Certainly not your latest suggestion, as you recommended the 4,000 euro disneyland hotel, just because its steps away?.. and yes that's on the free night, and kids stay free deal link that you posted.
Your point about dollars vs. euros, is exactly my point about services and products. You value my plan, without knowing in full what the value paid is.. when my research is mostly in Canadian Dollars which is about 1:1.3 of what the euro is.
You have been wrong on many fronts on what I should do.. you may ask which.. in the beginning of the thread you said not to spend more than one or two days at DLP. You don't have kids, so how would you know at that point, that going to Europe with small kids would be a challenge, and perhaps staying a week which was eventually mentioned by other FTers, although not ideal would be the best way to travel. Also staying onsite DLP and what, spending 4,000 euros at the Disney hotel. I've got money, and can afford it, but do you think that I'm that gullible? Really, your answers may look expert, but imo misleading. Annual DLP your suggestion? Certainly not your latest suggestion, as you recommended the 4,000 euro disneyland hotel, just because its steps away?.. and yes that's on the free night, and kids stay free deal link that you posted.
Mar 26, 2012, 9:43 am
#321
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
I'm glad that Emma has tried to explain it to you, but I will try again.
1) Strollers and minivans: you have said many times that you wish to rent a minivan. I have explained to you (as has Emma, and many other posters) that minivans are very rare, petrol is extremely expensive, and that many areas are far too small for such vehicles.
Take Monaco. I am extremely familiar with the roads all the way from Cannes to Monaco and beyond to Ventimiglia.
They are very narrow in many parts of the towns, and in particular in Monaco, the heart of Cannes, Antibes, Eze, and the old town area of Nice. I spent last summer with a BMW100 series which is the very smallest car they produce, and years before with a Citroën C3, which is even smaller. July and August are high season for that entire area, and it is amazing to see the difference in September for instance in the decline in traffic.
Parking is almost impossible, and even with those small cars I struggled. Take Nice as an example. If you decided to drive from Monaco to Nice, you will have great difficulty in finding parking in the centre. Your choices are on the street, in a parking house where you pay someone to park, or in a self park parking house. On the street is almost impossible to find a space, and spaces are extremely small. One often sees Smart cars parked sideways. You would be driving around and around to find a space big enough to fit a mini van, as you would most likely require two spaces instead of one. If you go to a parking house where you pay someone to park, they may tell you that the van is too big, or charge you more.
If you try self park in a parking garage, good luck. The main ones in Nice are Cours Saleya or surrounding area. Often on the weekends and in summer there is a queue to ENTER the garage, which backs onto the main road. One has to wait until a car exits before one can enter. The garage has a winding ramp downwards (and one cannot park on level 1 unless one is a long term parker). Then each level has a sign showing if there is an open space, and a green light above the open space. So you may have to drive down several levels to find that space and the green light. Then you have supports every 3 cars, so only the middle of the 3 has 'space' not next to a pillar. Virtually everyone has to back into a space, and even with a very small car and knowing that parking house very well, I struggle. It is nothing like for instance the Altstadt garage in Salzburg which has a similar setup, but has no pillars and angled parking instead of straight in parking. In Germany there are parking houses which are adding XXL parking for 'larger' vehicles ie full size, or SUVs, or even minivans, but that is still the exception, and they cost more than regular parking. I have not seen that trend in the south of France, or at least not the places I frequent. Parts of Hamburg won't be easy either; my parents had a VW Golf which the parking valet in a Hamburg hotel actually damaged as he was trying to park it in his own parking garage. And a Golf is not the smallest VW; there are smaller models in Germany which are actually the family car.
THAT is why I said that a minivan (or even a larger vehicle) is almost impossible. Monaco is even worse. The streets there circle back around each other, are more narrow, and more steep, and more congested. It's nice to have a vehicle to explore the area, but the train system supplemented by the bus system if needed is actually very good in that region and is sufficient to move about so a car isn't even absolutely necessary.
Strollers are extremely difficult on cobbled streets, or in crowds. Now combine the steep roads, cobblestones, crowds, and hills of Monaco and it will be almost impossible to manoeuver with a stroller.
Families tend to stay in the Antibes or Juan les Pins area in part due to the flat land there and ease of access. They are family-friendly locations, unlike Monaco. (And we have not even discussed attire; you will absolutely need to bring trousers with you to Monaco if you want access to certain areas. As Emma pointed out, Monaco tends to be more formal than other areas in the region. Even I often feel underdressed there)
2) Currency: As Emma has tried to explain, we don't usually see someone writing out things such as '$199 Euro' and it is confusing. Does it mean Dollar, or Euro, or something else? We don't know.
As to your other comments about me 'being wrong', I think that you need to step back and reread this thread as well as a few others. You may think that you are an experienced traveller, but reading this and several of your other posts it is clear that you are not just a novice traveller, but also lack some basic knowledge.
Most people on FT don't have much experience with DLP. That is not somewhere most FTers travel to, or if they do, they spend only a day or two. Unfortunately, I think that I may have more experience with it than the vast majority of posters, and by a unique coincidence I also have a lot of experience (with adults as well as children) with many of the other destinations you have listed.
Staying onsite at DLP doesn't mean only the Disneyland Hotel. There are 6 Disney hotels onsite, and I have said that the Cheyenne or the Sequoia would meet your needs just fine. The longest walk is 20 minutes to the Santa Fe, or 5 minutes by bus. They certainly are not €4,000 with the various offers we have suggested multiple times. It has nothing to do with being 'gullible', but about taking the advice and doing a little research (especially as Ginger and I and a few others made it easy by doing some of the research for you and pointing out the various offers)
I'm not certain how this has become another vent about the people who have actual, first hand, long term experience not knowing as much as you do about the subject. Many people have tried to help, but you may notice that not many are posting anymore. I do believe that every single one of us wants you to have the best possible holiday, but if you continue to believe that we are 'wrong' and don't want to listen to our advice and experience, we really cannot help you.
Again, I will ask you to please try and help us to help you by giving us a key piece of information which is missing (and which we have asked about several times in this thread)
What are your interests? What are your wife's interests? Do you like history, museums, hiking, fine food, etc? We've tried to establish a picture of you and your likes and dislikes in order to help you, but without really knowing we can only try and make suggestions based on the age of your children and your level of experience with travel. If you give us that kind of information, we really can try and give you specific advice for your interests. I could list 20 daytrips from Hamburg for instance, but unless I know some basics it would be a waste of my time to spend more effort doing so.
1) Strollers and minivans: you have said many times that you wish to rent a minivan. I have explained to you (as has Emma, and many other posters) that minivans are very rare, petrol is extremely expensive, and that many areas are far too small for such vehicles.
Take Monaco. I am extremely familiar with the roads all the way from Cannes to Monaco and beyond to Ventimiglia.
They are very narrow in many parts of the towns, and in particular in Monaco, the heart of Cannes, Antibes, Eze, and the old town area of Nice. I spent last summer with a BMW100 series which is the very smallest car they produce, and years before with a Citroën C3, which is even smaller. July and August are high season for that entire area, and it is amazing to see the difference in September for instance in the decline in traffic.
Parking is almost impossible, and even with those small cars I struggled. Take Nice as an example. If you decided to drive from Monaco to Nice, you will have great difficulty in finding parking in the centre. Your choices are on the street, in a parking house where you pay someone to park, or in a self park parking house. On the street is almost impossible to find a space, and spaces are extremely small. One often sees Smart cars parked sideways. You would be driving around and around to find a space big enough to fit a mini van, as you would most likely require two spaces instead of one. If you go to a parking house where you pay someone to park, they may tell you that the van is too big, or charge you more.
If you try self park in a parking garage, good luck. The main ones in Nice are Cours Saleya or surrounding area. Often on the weekends and in summer there is a queue to ENTER the garage, which backs onto the main road. One has to wait until a car exits before one can enter. The garage has a winding ramp downwards (and one cannot park on level 1 unless one is a long term parker). Then each level has a sign showing if there is an open space, and a green light above the open space. So you may have to drive down several levels to find that space and the green light. Then you have supports every 3 cars, so only the middle of the 3 has 'space' not next to a pillar. Virtually everyone has to back into a space, and even with a very small car and knowing that parking house very well, I struggle. It is nothing like for instance the Altstadt garage in Salzburg which has a similar setup, but has no pillars and angled parking instead of straight in parking. In Germany there are parking houses which are adding XXL parking for 'larger' vehicles ie full size, or SUVs, or even minivans, but that is still the exception, and they cost more than regular parking. I have not seen that trend in the south of France, or at least not the places I frequent. Parts of Hamburg won't be easy either; my parents had a VW Golf which the parking valet in a Hamburg hotel actually damaged as he was trying to park it in his own parking garage. And a Golf is not the smallest VW; there are smaller models in Germany which are actually the family car.
THAT is why I said that a minivan (or even a larger vehicle) is almost impossible. Monaco is even worse. The streets there circle back around each other, are more narrow, and more steep, and more congested. It's nice to have a vehicle to explore the area, but the train system supplemented by the bus system if needed is actually very good in that region and is sufficient to move about so a car isn't even absolutely necessary.
Strollers are extremely difficult on cobbled streets, or in crowds. Now combine the steep roads, cobblestones, crowds, and hills of Monaco and it will be almost impossible to manoeuver with a stroller.
Families tend to stay in the Antibes or Juan les Pins area in part due to the flat land there and ease of access. They are family-friendly locations, unlike Monaco. (And we have not even discussed attire; you will absolutely need to bring trousers with you to Monaco if you want access to certain areas. As Emma pointed out, Monaco tends to be more formal than other areas in the region. Even I often feel underdressed there)
2) Currency: As Emma has tried to explain, we don't usually see someone writing out things such as '$199 Euro' and it is confusing. Does it mean Dollar, or Euro, or something else? We don't know.
As to your other comments about me 'being wrong', I think that you need to step back and reread this thread as well as a few others. You may think that you are an experienced traveller, but reading this and several of your other posts it is clear that you are not just a novice traveller, but also lack some basic knowledge.
Most people on FT don't have much experience with DLP. That is not somewhere most FTers travel to, or if they do, they spend only a day or two. Unfortunately, I think that I may have more experience with it than the vast majority of posters, and by a unique coincidence I also have a lot of experience (with adults as well as children) with many of the other destinations you have listed.
Staying onsite at DLP doesn't mean only the Disneyland Hotel. There are 6 Disney hotels onsite, and I have said that the Cheyenne or the Sequoia would meet your needs just fine. The longest walk is 20 minutes to the Santa Fe, or 5 minutes by bus. They certainly are not €4,000 with the various offers we have suggested multiple times. It has nothing to do with being 'gullible', but about taking the advice and doing a little research (especially as Ginger and I and a few others made it easy by doing some of the research for you and pointing out the various offers)
I'm not certain how this has become another vent about the people who have actual, first hand, long term experience not knowing as much as you do about the subject. Many people have tried to help, but you may notice that not many are posting anymore. I do believe that every single one of us wants you to have the best possible holiday, but if you continue to believe that we are 'wrong' and don't want to listen to our advice and experience, we really cannot help you.
Again, I will ask you to please try and help us to help you by giving us a key piece of information which is missing (and which we have asked about several times in this thread)
What are your interests? What are your wife's interests? Do you like history, museums, hiking, fine food, etc? We've tried to establish a picture of you and your likes and dislikes in order to help you, but without really knowing we can only try and make suggestions based on the age of your children and your level of experience with travel. If you give us that kind of information, we really can try and give you specific advice for your interests. I could list 20 daytrips from Hamburg for instance, but unless I know some basics it would be a waste of my time to spend more effort doing so.
What does a stroller and a minivan have to do with anything? Sounds condescending.. not sure what you're trying to get at. The places I listed is something I would like to eventually see, and yes, I have looked on a map and understand that to strategically navigate and see everything this trip is not possible. But, eventually I will end up seeing which places we would like to visit. So that would entail some planning, and seeing what places will and end up getting visited.
Your point about dollars vs. euros, is exactly my point about services and products. You value my plan, without knowing in full what the value paid is.. when my research is mostly in Canadian Dollars which is about 1:1.3 of what the euro is.
You have been wrong on many fronts on what I should do.. you may ask which.. in the beginning of the thread you said not to spend more than one or two days at DLP. You don't have kids, so how would you know at that point, that going to Europe with small kids would be a challenge, and perhaps staying a week which was eventually mentioned by other FTers, although not ideal would be the best way to travel. Also staying onsite DLP and what, spending 4,000 euros at the Disney hotel. I've got money, and can afford it, but do you think that I'm that gullible? Really, your answers may look expert, but imo misleading. Annual DLP your suggestion? Certainly not your latest suggestion, as you recommended the 4,000 euro disneyland hotel, just because its steps away?.. and yes that's on the free night, and kids stay free deal link that you posted.
Your point about dollars vs. euros, is exactly my point about services and products. You value my plan, without knowing in full what the value paid is.. when my research is mostly in Canadian Dollars which is about 1:1.3 of what the euro is.
You have been wrong on many fronts on what I should do.. you may ask which.. in the beginning of the thread you said not to spend more than one or two days at DLP. You don't have kids, so how would you know at that point, that going to Europe with small kids would be a challenge, and perhaps staying a week which was eventually mentioned by other FTers, although not ideal would be the best way to travel. Also staying onsite DLP and what, spending 4,000 euros at the Disney hotel. I've got money, and can afford it, but do you think that I'm that gullible? Really, your answers may look expert, but imo misleading. Annual DLP your suggestion? Certainly not your latest suggestion, as you recommended the 4,000 euro disneyland hotel, just because its steps away?.. and yes that's on the free night, and kids stay free deal link that you posted.
Last edited by exbayern; Mar 26, 2012 at 11:05 am
Mar 26, 2012, 11:11 am
#322
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Cambridge, England
Programs: BA, VS, Le Club Accor Gold
Posts: 1,208
You have been wrong on many fronts on what I should do.. you may ask which.. in the beginning of the thread you said not to spend more than one or two days at DLP. You don't have kids, so how would you know at that point, that going to Europe with small kids would be a challenge, and perhaps staying a week which was eventually mentioned by other FTers, although not ideal would be the best way to travel. Also staying onsite DLP and what, spending 4,000 euros at the Disney hotel. I've got money, and can afford it, but do you think that I'm that gullible? Really, your answers may look expert, but imo misleading. Annual DLP your suggestion? Certainly not your latest suggestion, as you recommended the 4,000 euro disneyland hotel, just because its steps away?.. and yes that's on the free night, and kids stay free deal link that you posted.
Disneyland Hotel - 2990 EUR
Disney's Hotel New York - 1929 EUR
Disney's Newport Bay Club - 1600 EUR
Disney's Sequoia Lodge - 1418 EUR
Disney's Hotel Cheyenne - 1248 EUR
Disney's Hotel Santa Fe - 1131 EUR
all including tickets, transport to the parks and breakfast
I'm used to travelling in Europe with a small child (fair enough i only have the one but as mentioned before i travel alone with her), can't help with the driving though as i don't but vehicles do tend to be smaller
As exbayern pointed out before the Annual passes are great but the cheapest passes come with restrictions on how soon they can be used again after day of purchase and blackout dates
It's not about being gullible it's about you all being able to enjoy yourselves, yes it's different countries with unfamiliar languages but its also a holiday
Hope you're having a good time in Hawaii!
Mar 26, 2012, 1:23 pm
#323
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
Thanks for posting the prices, Ginger; they are similar to what I was seeing.
The other caution about driving to/from Monaco is the volume of traffic. It really is bad during the summer season all along the coast. To get to/from Nice or other beach towns/areas you have two options: the corniches, or the Péage.
The corniches are free of tolls, but they can be extremely backed up in summer. From Nice to Villefranche on a Saturday can take a very long time indeed for a very short distance. Last summer we drove from Cannes to Juan les Pins, which is under 10 minutes on the train, but it took 45 minutes by car.
If you choose to avoid the heaviest traffic and take the Péage, then you are paying quite a bit of money back and forth (and don't have the best, most scenic views for most of the stretches)
The other caution about driving to/from Monaco is the volume of traffic. It really is bad during the summer season all along the coast. To get to/from Nice or other beach towns/areas you have two options: the corniches, or the Péage.
The corniches are free of tolls, but they can be extremely backed up in summer. From Nice to Villefranche on a Saturday can take a very long time indeed for a very short distance. Last summer we drove from Cannes to Juan les Pins, which is under 10 minutes on the train, but it took 45 minutes by car.
If you choose to avoid the heaviest traffic and take the Péage, then you are paying quite a bit of money back and forth (and don't have the best, most scenic views for most of the stretches)
Mar 26, 2012, 1:34 pm
#324
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The prices I quoted was on a 7 night excursion 8 day ticket.. Right now with annual passes its running about the 4,000 euro mark IIRC for Disneyland hotel. As I've said, pricing out the tickets and room only with transport its running about the 1,000 euro mark for the offsite 4 star apartment condotel and annual passes for everyone.
In the past, we haven't stayed at Disney per se every time, although we've looked into and researched extensively, out of the 4 times we've visited Disney parks so far, we've only stayed there once.. WDW Fort Wilderness Cabins.
Yes we are enjoying Hawaii, and its all about family comfort. We're having a great time.. funny I should have planned the Oahu trip a little bit better. But it is what it is, and have scored some fantastic deals down here I didn't know existed. Actually renting a convertible down here, and all of the luggage fit in the trunk of a Sebring convertible including a stroller.. Got the rental for about half the going rate.
In the past, we haven't stayed at Disney per se every time, although we've looked into and researched extensively, out of the 4 times we've visited Disney parks so far, we've only stayed there once.. WDW Fort Wilderness Cabins.
Yes we are enjoying Hawaii, and its all about family comfort. We're having a great time.. funny I should have planned the Oahu trip a little bit better. But it is what it is, and have scored some fantastic deals down here I didn't know existed. Actually renting a convertible down here, and all of the luggage fit in the trunk of a Sebring convertible including a stroller.. Got the rental for about half the going rate.
Mar 26, 2012, 2:44 pm
#325
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Cambridge, England
Programs: BA, VS, Le Club Accor Gold
Posts: 1,208
I wouldn't advise using Disneyland as a base for Paris itself anymore than anyone else would, I didn't realise you'd changed from 5 nights to 7, i missed that, note that any of the onsite hotels that i listed are worth it, you don't have to stay at the Disneyland Hotel, although it's the best for meeting disney characters.
Which passes were you looking at by the way? is that for the passes where you'll get the stroller rental included or the two day blackout after first purchase? if you were looking at the passes with the two day blackout rule have you thought about having two days (and nights) in Paris itself? (as opposed to the long commute)
I love Oahu, my 21st birthday present was a trip out there with my daughter, best present i've ever had
Which passes were you looking at by the way? is that for the passes where you'll get the stroller rental included or the two day blackout after first purchase? if you were looking at the passes with the two day blackout rule have you thought about having two days (and nights) in Paris itself? (as opposed to the long commute)
I love Oahu, my 21st birthday present was a trip out there with my daughter, best present i've ever had
Mar 26, 2012, 2:46 pm
#326
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
AM - I have to say that somewhat surprises me - you said another thread back, how much you enjoy seeing the character, character meals etc - at the mid-higher end disney properties, you get all that - it's actually really cool walking into a hotel, and seeing the children's reactions to Snow White, or Goofy helping check them in! I'm not a huge Disney person, and don't really care about seeing characters etc (it's more about the rides, firework displays for me) but for someone who enjoys the character interactions it strikes me as a bit odd that you don't make the most of the extra opportunites that are afforded by the Disney properties. From what I understand the Wilderness Lodge is not really classed as a Disney hotel in terms of seeing characters etc. so maybe it is that you are not aware of those opportunities (like having your hotel breakfast with characters) that exist? I thought you had said you wanted to pay to do those meals anyway, so are those costs factored in to your 1000 euro price?
Mar 26, 2012, 3:14 pm
#327
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
Comparing the Disneyland Hotel to your offsite apartment is like comparing the Grand Floridian to Extended StayAmerica. They are very different indeed.
And like the others, I am a little puzzled at the mixed messages. You seem to have this very strong attraction to Disney and called yourselves 'Disney connoisseurs' earlier in the thread, yet you seem to be very against actually staying at a Disney hotel.
As a VWL owner, I can assure you that it is very different from the French Disney hotels. There are many character opportunities in the French hotels which one doesn't find at the American hotels, besides the breakfast. In fact, EVERY guest at the French hotels has a full breakfast hot or cold included in the price of the room, but unlike at EuropaPark the characters do not wander through the breakfast itself. The opportunities at Fort Wilderness are almost non-existent, unless one pays for a character meal.
Instead, there are character greeting areas set up in every hotel where characters go throughout the day. And there are far more impromptu character meetings in the hotels as well, such as Goofy checking in guests, etc.
I'm not certain why you keep focussing on the price of the Disneyland Hotel. I originally checked the prices for you months ago because you asked for the price, but also suggested other of the Disney hotels onsite.
Edited to add: I see that Emma too talked about Goofy at check in - once again we are on the same page here in our advice to you.... (and there are actually 3 hotels in WDW as part of the Wilderness lodge area - the lodge, which is a hotel; the villas, which is Disney Vacation Club; and the Fort, which is the campground) The Seqouia Lodge at DLP has a similar theme, but is all hotel.
It's a shame that you are disappointed in your Oahu planning. I would not have recommended where you are staying to be honest (the location and the property). And while I really like Ko Olina, I would not recommend Aulani for either dining or overnight stays.
And like the others, I am a little puzzled at the mixed messages. You seem to have this very strong attraction to Disney and called yourselves 'Disney connoisseurs' earlier in the thread, yet you seem to be very against actually staying at a Disney hotel.
As a VWL owner, I can assure you that it is very different from the French Disney hotels. There are many character opportunities in the French hotels which one doesn't find at the American hotels, besides the breakfast. In fact, EVERY guest at the French hotels has a full breakfast hot or cold included in the price of the room, but unlike at EuropaPark the characters do not wander through the breakfast itself. The opportunities at Fort Wilderness are almost non-existent, unless one pays for a character meal.
Instead, there are character greeting areas set up in every hotel where characters go throughout the day. And there are far more impromptu character meetings in the hotels as well, such as Goofy checking in guests, etc.
I'm not certain why you keep focussing on the price of the Disneyland Hotel. I originally checked the prices for you months ago because you asked for the price, but also suggested other of the Disney hotels onsite.
Edited to add: I see that Emma too talked about Goofy at check in - once again we are on the same page here in our advice to you.... (and there are actually 3 hotels in WDW as part of the Wilderness lodge area - the lodge, which is a hotel; the villas, which is Disney Vacation Club; and the Fort, which is the campground) The Seqouia Lodge at DLP has a similar theme, but is all hotel.
It's a shame that you are disappointed in your Oahu planning. I would not have recommended where you are staying to be honest (the location and the property). And while I really like Ko Olina, I would not recommend Aulani for either dining or overnight stays.
Last edited by exbayern; Mar 26, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Mar 27, 2012, 3:45 am
#328
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Fairmont Platinum, Aeroplan Diamond, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 18,686
To get to the point.. Its all about the deal.. stretching the buck so we can have a much longer vacation for the same price.
For what I spend onsite at Disney Resort at WDW for a week, I can stretch it out 3 weeks for less in a 2,100 sq ft condo, and still get free parking. We take longer vacations because we stretch out the buck, and that has been our style for quite a few years now.
Now for 4,000 euros, I can stay in Europe in the hotel I booked, and go to DLP for 4 weeks including breakfast paid, as the annual passes are paid for already. So 1 week vs 4 weeks, yes that is a difference, and we are planning to do Europe for 7 weeks.. so the bottom line is the bottom line.
In Hawaii for example, I'm booking Trump at 1/3 the going rate, have an ocean view in a one bedroom suite. On the Big Island I booked the room for 1/5th the going rate in an Ocean Front Suite 1,477 sq ft. On Maui, I booked the room for 1/3rd the going rate. Rental vehicles I booked through Costco Travel. We are doing Hawaii for 3 weeks vs the typical 1 week if we paid retail..
The exception is of course apartment type condos which are so cheap anyways, it stretches the bucks. You may add, no housekeeping, but we'll pay the $25 per day charge on a as needed basis and we're fine. We have done this for years.
For what I spend onsite at Disney Resort at WDW for a week, I can stretch it out 3 weeks for less in a 2,100 sq ft condo, and still get free parking. We take longer vacations because we stretch out the buck, and that has been our style for quite a few years now.
Now for 4,000 euros, I can stay in Europe in the hotel I booked, and go to DLP for 4 weeks including breakfast paid, as the annual passes are paid for already. So 1 week vs 4 weeks, yes that is a difference, and we are planning to do Europe for 7 weeks.. so the bottom line is the bottom line.
In Hawaii for example, I'm booking Trump at 1/3 the going rate, have an ocean view in a one bedroom suite. On the Big Island I booked the room for 1/5th the going rate in an Ocean Front Suite 1,477 sq ft. On Maui, I booked the room for 1/3rd the going rate. Rental vehicles I booked through Costco Travel. We are doing Hawaii for 3 weeks vs the typical 1 week if we paid retail..
The exception is of course apartment type condos which are so cheap anyways, it stretches the bucks. You may add, no housekeeping, but we'll pay the $25 per day charge on a as needed basis and we're fine. We have done this for years.
Mar 27, 2012, 5:16 am
#329
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,443
Mar 27, 2012, 8:55 am
#330
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
Not for the 'regular' breakfast inside the breakfast room itself at DLP (or at the regular breakfast at WDW or DL)
But if one pays for a 'character meal', then there are characters. There are also characters at the DLP resorts in the lobby and other public areas, but this is quite rate at the American Disney resort hotels.
For instance, one can pay through the nose for Chef Mickey at WDW, or pay through the nose for a breakfast with no characters at WDW. At DLP, the breakfast is included in the room rate, but there are no characters. One can pay more for a character meal of course.
(At the EuropaPark hotels breakfast is also included but there are characters as part of that breakfast...)
But if one pays for a 'character meal', then there are characters. There are also characters at the DLP resorts in the lobby and other public areas, but this is quite rate at the American Disney resort hotels.
For instance, one can pay through the nose for Chef Mickey at WDW, or pay through the nose for a breakfast with no characters at WDW. At DLP, the breakfast is included in the room rate, but there are no characters. One can pay more for a character meal of course.
(At the EuropaPark hotels breakfast is also included but there are characters as part of that breakfast...)