London/Paris questions

[ACmom]

For anyone who has done the London/Paris trip...

What kind of food is offered to the kids?
Do they go backstage after the Lion King?
Did you find it difficult to get around in Paris on your own if you didn't speak French?
Did you feel that you saw enough of Paris in the time you were there or did you wish you added days on to the end?
Did you have free time in Paris? How much?
For anyone who went with younger kids - could they keep up or were they falling apart mid-way? How did they handle the longer guided tours? (I fear jet lag coupled with long talk about buildings equal meltdowns)
Any comments about booking a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 young kids) as a quad versus 2 doubles?

Thanks for any help. We're trying to decide if this is the year.

 

[ga9497]

For anyone who has done the London/Paris trip...

What kind of food is offered to the kids?
Do they go backstage after the Lion King?
Did you find it difficult to get around in Paris on your own if you didn't speak French?
Did you feel that you saw enough of Paris in the time you were there or did you wish you added days on to the end?
Did you have free time in Paris? How much?
For anyone who went with younger kids - could they keep up or were they falling apart mid-way? How did they handle the longer guided tours? (I fear jet lag coupled with long talk about buildings equal meltdowns)
Any comments about booking a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 young kids) as a quad versus 2 doubles?

Thanks for any help. We're trying to decide if this is the year.

I can answer some of your questions -

The tourist areas of Paris are easy to get around and most everyone speaks a little English. It is always polite to learn a few phrases in French as they appreciate the gesture. Things like, please, thank you, hello, goodbye, I would like, can you help me, etc Maybe learning how to count in French. I don't speak French but do know some words and do understand some and because I speak fluent Italian I recognize a lot of written French words as some are similar and you can make them out

The ABD gives you a good highlight of Paris but if you really want to get more of a feel I would add on a few days. I wasn't sure if I would like Paris but we all fell in love with it and plan on going back in the next couple of years on our own to explore it more in depth. My kids adored France and want to spend more time there. They were 12 and 10 when we went. DD is taking French in school and wants to go back

The ABD's are really scheduled well where they don't run you into the ground. How old are your children? We saw Mary Poppins when we went and we did go back stage

You do have some time on your own but not a whole lot since you are only there for 3 nights

 

[KLondon]

Hey there ACmom - Let me see if I can help:

What kind of food is offered to the kids?
The kids have lots of options. They can choose to 'go native' with every meal or they can stick to more typical kid-friendly fare (hamburger, pasta, etc.). This was never a problem.

Do they go backstage after the Lion King?
We saw Mary Popins on our trip - but I'm going to bet that Lion King would also include a backstage tour. Lots of fun!

Did you find it difficult to get around in Paris on your own if you didn't speak French?
This was never a problem. Certainly the tourist areas are very English-friendly. Learning a few french phrases can't hurt. In my experience the French are appreciative if you attempt to speak a bit of their language.

Did you feel that you saw enough of Paris in the time you were there or did you wish you added days on to the end?
Hmmmm.... Paris is a wonderful city, so we could have spent more time there. That said, we were able to see a lot in the short time we were there.

Did you have free time in Paris? How much?
Yes - we had free time. We had an evening and the better part of a full day/evening. We managed to squeeze in a lot in that time. We also added a day to the end of the tour so we could visit Disneyland Paris.

For anyone who went with younger kids - could they keep up or were they falling apart mid-way? How did they handle the longer guided tours? (I fear jet lag coupled with long talk about buildings equal meltdowns)
My kids were 14 and 11 at the time - and they had no real issues. I think the youngest kid on the tour was, like, 7-ish. There is some walking, but the overall pace was very comfortable - and no one had any problems.

Any comments about booking a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 young kids) as a quad versus 2 doubles?
We booked as a quad. Our room in London was large enough - really a typical upscale hotel room with 2 Queen beds, etc. In Paris, it's the law that you cannot have more than 3 people in a typical hotel room (with exceptions). We were given 2 adjoining rooms - one for the kids and one for Mom and Dad. It was awesome!

Hope this helps. Feel free to puruse my (lengthy) trip report at the link below. And I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

[abbyjt]

quad versus 2 doubles?
We were given a quad in both cities, but the rooms were huge. Our Abd trips after that we have done 2 rooms, as our oldest daughter decided to join us and we needed 2 rooms for 5 of us.

We're trying to decide if this is the year.
The exchange rates are the best they have been in years. This is the time to go.

Our kids were 8 and 9. We walked the heck out of them in our free time. The kids had separate tours for most of the churches and historical sites. They always found food they liked (and one of ours is really difficult with food)

Add at least an extra day in each city. Disney has cut this trip down from 8 days and taken out a few items from the itinerary. We came into London a day early and still could have used more time.
The Paris subway is easy to navigate (London's is really easy with police everywhere to help you - the kids travel on London's subway for free).

 

[SCFamily4]

For anyone who has done the London/Paris trip...

What kind of food is offered to the kids?
Do they go backstage after the Lion King?
Did you find it difficult to get around in Paris on your own if you didn't speak French?
Did you feel that you saw enough of Paris in the time you were there or did you wish you added days on to the end?
Did you have free time in Paris? How much?
For anyone who went with younger kids - could they keep up or were they falling apart mid-way? How did they handle the longer guided tours? (I fear jet lag coupled with long talk about buildings equal meltdowns)
Any comments about booking a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 young kids) as a quad versus 2 doubles?

Thanks for any help. We're trying to decide if this is the year.

Hi there! We were on the Dec. 20-27, 2008 trip to London and Paris and had a FANTASTIC time. My children (ages 10 and 6) came along - and probably adjusted to the time difference better than my husband and I! We flew direct to London from Atlanta - and the kids slept the entire way. Our biggest challenge was coming home - it took my daughter about 5 days to readjust to Eastern Time!

On a few days of the tour there is a fair amount of walking. My 10-yr old did fine. The 6 year old got tired every once in a while - but hung in there! They certainly went to bed easily and slept well! We were booked as a quad, with one "big" room on London and two adjoining rooms in Paris. It worked very well, plenty of room.

The guides were very "in-tune" with the kids - and seemed to know when a diversion was needed to keep the kids entertained. They had their own "special" tour at the Louvre, and were wisked aways for some special kid photo ops at some of the sites. We did go backstage at the Lion King - which was neat! None of the guided tours were very long - most were in the 1-1/2 to 2 hr range ... including some "on your own time" at the sites. Time really flew by - I don't think my kids ever got bored!

We do not speak French (or very limited French!), but still found Paris pretty easy to navigate. We ate a lot of crepes from the street vendors. Yum! We even ventured out on our own in a cab and to a dinner "off tour" one night. The Metro line is also very easy to navigate. Our tour was over Christmas, and therefore our itinerary was a bit different than what had been posted. We did not have a "free afternoon" in Paris - and I am not sure how the new 7 day intinerary looks. I do wish we had spent another day in Paris -- while you hit the big landmarks, there are many that you do not see (i.e Sacre Couer, Napoleon's Tomb, other museums) and we could have spent tons more time at the Louvre.

In regards to meals - we found most to have a decent selection. My son has a food allergy, and the guides were wonderful at helping to make sure there was a "friendly" option at every meal. Breakfasts are thru the hotel - buffets, with cereals and such. I think all of the other meals were either buffets or had options to choose from (pasta was generally an option!),

We highly recommend the ABD tour - we were truly treated like VIPs, and the experience and memories are fantastic. Hope it works out for you all!!

 

[ACmom]

In regards to meals - we found most to have a decent selection. My son has a food allergy, and the guides were wonderful at helping to make sure there was a "friendly" option at every meal. Breakfasts are thru the hotel - buffets, with cereals and such. I think all of the other meals were either buffets or had options to choose from (pasta was generally an option!),

We highly recommend the ABD tour - we were truly treated like VIPs, and the experience and memories are fantastic. Hope it works out for you all!!

Thanks so much for the information- all of you!
We have a 10 yo & 6 yo so it was good to hear your perspective. Our 10yo also has a food allergy - peanuts and tree nuts and we've been hesitating booking the trip somewhat due to our concerns about what we'd be able to feed him. Any comments about how the guides handled this would be most appreciated. When you were on your own did you have difficulty from the food allergy standpoint?

 

[bavaria]

Nut allergies are far more predominant in America than in Europe; you may not find it something people are even aware of. And in France things are somewhat lax in regards to food sensitivities, etc. For instance, 'vegetarian' may include fish stock or actual fish, and still be considered 'vegetarian'.

Don't expect the same level of assistance or understanding with a nut allergy as in America - it is simply not that well known in Europe as it is not that common.

here is an example
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...ance_Italy_Peanut_Allergy_Comments-Italy.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...and_Peanut_Allergies-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

In France lupine flour or peanut flour may be mixed with wheat flour in baked goods, and not listed as an ingredient.

I would definitely have a phrase written out in the local language, but don't expect much in the way of accommodation. The general sense is that people should manage their allergies and not expect special accommodation, unlike in America. That may not be what you want to hear, but it is important to understand as it may be life threatening.

Also be aware that non-US carriers will not offer guarantees to those with nut allergies. Nor will they prevent other passengers from bringing on board nuts or consuming them.

 

[SCFamily4]

Thanks so much for the information- all of you!
We have a 10 yo & 6 yo so it was good to hear your perspective. Our 10yo also has a food allergy - peanuts and tree nuts and we've been hesitating booking the trip somewhat due to our concerns about what we'd be able to feed him. Any comments about how the guides handled this would be most appreciated. When you were on your own did you have difficulty from the food allergy standpoint?

My son (the 10 yr old) also has a severe allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. We did A LOT of advance planning for the trip - many calls to the airline (who did not serve peanut packets in the few rows around us, that was it) as well as discussions with the ABD booking office and of course the tour guides once we got there.

One thing that really helped was that we brought a bunch of snacks from the US. We had safe food for him on the plane and also brought a big bag of "peanut free" foods that we carried with us, on the plane, on tours, etc. You never know when they might get hungry and whether safe food is available! We had some granola bars (bought in Canada where the labeling is SOOO much better!), raisins, fruit cups, safe chocolates from VermontNutFree.com, etc. We also brought benadryl and 4 epi pens - just in case, along with a letter written by our allergist. No one (at the airports) ever asked any questions.

I think we did pretty well at having "safe food" at every meal. The other post is certainly accurate - the awareness of food allergies in Europe is not where the US is. We had some issues in France where the restaurant was told of a "peanut" allergy but then brought out a plate with pistachios. Easily fixed, but they just didn't realize. We just had to remind them at every meal - but it worked out OK.

I also bought some laminated cards at selectwisely.com. You can get wallet cards in French and English stating the allergy and what foods need to be avoided. These were very helpful, and I used them in France. The only challenge was when I gave the waiter the card, and they answered me in French! I can't understand much more than yes and no - so I assumed that any response other than OK or yes meant that they could not guarantee safety of the product.

My son's biggest "complaint" about the food on our trip was that he wasn't able to eat the desserts. We just couldn't guarantee safety. And the desserts are FANTASTIC - I felt bad that he couldn't try some. But - we substituted our safe sweets in its place, and things were ok.

Bottom line - we had a great time, and no issues! Whew! We are hoping to schedule a trip to Italy on ABD next year, so we will plan on using some of the same strategies then.

Hope that helps! Let me know if I can provide any additional info - and Good Luck!!

 

[cjordan08]

I'm sorry, I haven't been to Paris. Good luck and let me know how it goes...
when are you planning on going?

 

[WeLoveABD]

Hello! We were wondering if you got a survey re the Knights and Lights trip? We have not, and time is passing by--we'll soon forget the small things we wanted to comment on! (By the way--we ordered a photo album using the pictures Disney had in the PhotoPass--it looks great, very professional!)

 

[sayhello]

Hello! We were wondering if you got a survey re the Knights and Lights trip? We have not, and time is passing by--we'll soon forget the small things we wanted to comment on! (By the way--we ordered a photo album using the pictures Disney had in the PhotoPass--it looks great, very professional!)

Did you send in the letter with your email address so they could send you the survey? I didn't realize you had to do that. After I sent the letter in, I got the survey soon after for my trip.

Sayhello

 

[WeLoveABD]

We did the first trip, neglected to do it on the second and made sure we said yes to the survey for this last one...so, don't know why we didn't get a survey.

 

[SCFamily4]

Hello! We were wondering if you got a survey re the Knights and Lights trip? We have not, and time is passing by--we'll soon forget the small things we wanted to comment on! (By the way--we ordered a photo album using the pictures Disney had in the PhotoPass--it looks great, very professional!)

Hi there WeLove ABD! Good to hear from you! Hope you all enjoyed the rest of your vacation in France!

We have not received a survey. I know we provided our email address, so I am not sure why we did not receive one.

Are you planning another trip soon? We are considering Summer of 2010 -- just trying to narrrow down a destination!

Please tell your family hello!!

 

[WeLoveABD]

Hello SCFamily4! Our extended time in Paris was great--hit some of the museums (Nap Tomb, Rodin Museum Gardens, Opera House) and made it back by 7 pm for our ride to Disneyland Paris (which we took in a bit that evening and all the next day)--I think that tour, with Christmas at Disneyland Paris, worked out very well and the VIP touring covered a lot of ground. As for future tours...well, this summer we are staying in the US and doing our own driving tour, and saving up for 2010--the Disney Magic cruise in the Baltic area. I'd love to do another ADB--Alaska sounded cool, South Africa (getting there is difficult--most likely we'd have to fly from LA to London, then from London to SA). The Galopogas Island trip and the Peru trip (with Machu Pichu) are also pretty cool. Hope the weather is warming up (or thawing out?) for you!

 

[Traveling Tinkerbell]

Hello WeLoveABD,

It sounds like you and your family had a great trip on the London/Paris ABD trip. Maybe we will see you on the Disney Magic Baltic cruise in 2010. We are still looking forward to our South Africa trip this year.

Also, we met up with Dusty (our Disney China guide) at Walt Disney World over the Christmas holidays. He told us that he will be back with the ABD trips for 2009 but he did not know which destinations. It was good to see him again. Disney is still trying to work on getting Daisy a chance to visit the USA
and tour the WDW operations.

Have a wonderful time with the summer travel!

 

[WeLoveABD]

Hey Travelling Tink! What cruise date are you looking at (Baltic 2010)? We are on the first one in June--great ports! Thanks for the update on Dusty and Daisy--great guides; our DD would love to see Daisy again (maybe Disney will bring her to Disneyland, which is just two hours from us)! The blogs are full of woe re cancellations--has Disney told you how full your SA trip is? (I assume the big summer trips will all go, but this economy is dragging everything down).

 

[Traveling Tinkerbell]

WeLoveABD,

We are booked on the same Disney Baltic cruise in June 2010. So far for this year we are a go for the Costa Rica trip at Spring Break 2009. Disney is firm on that trip. The South Africa trip in July 2009 is still on. Disney will only answer the age range of the kids and whether the early booking is still available. The news about the range of kids and that the early bookings are sold out gives us the impression that there are enough people for that trip to proceed but a lot can happen over the next few months with everyone's financial situation. It has been a shock to see so many trips canceled but I hope Disney is working in the best interests of each traveling party to do the right and fair thing for all.

We know that two families (from our China trip of 2008) are going on the Ecuador and Galapagos Islands trip. Only one other family group (of the 2008 China trip) is going on the South Africa trip at the same time we will be traveling.

We have emailed Daisy from time to time and it looks like that if she comes to America for a Disney visit, she will be spending her time on the East coast. But you never know!! She might make it to the West coast.

I will let you know if anything changes as we get close to these travel dates.

 

[ACmom]

Thanks for the information and advice SCFamily4! Could your food allergic child eat crepes purchased on the street? Did you come across any problems with the whole issue of lupine being used in the flour in Paris (it cross-reacts with peanut)? Did you feel safe feeding your child bread, pasta, and other flour products?

 

[bavaria]

Tough new laws on food allergens that enter into force in Europe in November will require food manufacturers to list 12 potentially allergic ingredients, and their derivatives. Lupin flour is not included in the listing.

"At the time when consultations for the European directive began about two years ago, we at the UK-based Institute of Food Science & Technology suggested that lupin flour be included in the list," leading food technologist Prof. J Ralph Blanchfield said to FoodNavigator.com.

But in fact the suggestion was rejected, with the final list for directive 2003/89/EC (amending Directive 2000/13/EC) applying to cereals containing gluten, fish, crustaceans, eggs, peanuts, soy, milk and dairy products, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seed, and sulphites.

At an open meeting in 2002, the UK's Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) agreed that the allergenicity of lupin was an issue, but noted that "most foods are allergenic to a greater or lesser extent".

Researchers at the Australian Department of Agriculture see strong growth for lupin as a food ingredient in the near future. Sofia Sipsas, a lead researcher on the new high-protein lupin, says that because the protein can be extracted from the lupin flour, it can be used as an ingredient just the same as protein taken from milk (casein and whey), or egg-whites.

In Europe, lupin flour is already being used in bakery and pasta products because it can replace eggs and butter to enhance colour and additional potential uses of lupins are in crunchy cereals and snacks, baby formula, soups and salads. Lupin flour also allows bakers to use less oil, claims the Australian researcher.

http://www.foodnavigator.com/Financial-Industry/Growth-in-lupin-flour-hampered-by-allergen-shadow

Honestly, if I asked at my corner boulangerie if lupin flour was included, unless it was featured the cashier would most likely not know. You can ask about 'farine de lupin'. Same goes for eating at a crepe stand - the vendor may not know the actual ingredients.

I have very often been told that something does not contain an ingredient when in fact it does. If there is any doubt I would not suggest trying it.