Need advice planning trip

[juju]

Sorry, pretty general question. We would like to plan a trip this spring to London and Paris with the primary interests being theater in London and Disneyland and baked goods in Paris . I am wondering if anyone could provide their advice as to a few things:
1) Should we fly from London to Paris or take other means of transport (and if so what would that be?)
2) Can you recommend an area/hotel in London
3) We are DVC members and are considering using points at Disneyland, however I don't think we want to splurge for Disneyland Hotel. Any recommendations for a resort hotel? Any recommendations for a location/hotel in Paris?

 

[diberry]

Good choice of holiday destinations!!! We always take the Eurostar train which goes under the Channel from Waterloo station in London www.eurostar.com - one change in Lille and you are right outside DLP gates - 3 and a half hours in total. There is one direct train a day too which cuts out the half hour wait in Lille. But flying is probably a good choice too although of course you then have to get from the airport to DLP by some means.
We like the Montmartre area of Paris but it depends what sort of things you like and how much money you want to spend!
At DLP we usually stay at the Santa fe which is the least expensive Disney hotel but has everything you need. If saving money isn't a priority for you I've heard good things about the Sequoia Lodge but again it depends on your likes and available cash!! Anyway you'll have a great time!

 

[Bexx]

I haven't use the Eurostar - it's just not convenient for us, so we go by plane. But if you're already in London it's probably your best bet to get there - everyone who's used it says how good it is.

If you do fly, then you can get from the airport to DLP using the VEA shuttle

We are DVC members and are considering using points at Disneyland, however I don't think we want to splurge for Disneyland Hotel. Any recommendations for a resort hotel?

Although diberry mentioned the Santa Fe as the least expensive option at DLP, neither it nor the Cheyenne are available using DVC points. The other four, Sequoia Lodge, Newport Bay Club, Hotel New York and the Disneyland Hotel, are available through DVC. All are nice, though obviously the Disneyland is the one we all aspire too, but it also costs a LOT of points. My personal recommendation, after having tried it on our last visit, is the Hotel New York. It doesn't have the location of the Disneyland, but they both have bigger rooms and nicer bathrooms than the other resort hotels. The decor doesn't appeal to everyone, but we found the rooms to look much nicer in real life than the photos!! It's also considerably less points than the Disneyland, and not much more than Sequoia Lodge or Newport Bay. (At least, that used to be the case!)

Of course it also depends how much time you plan to spend in your room - we always go in winter, so it's great to have a really nice, plush room to go back to. But if you want to use as few points as possible, both the Sequoia Lodge and Newport Bay are perfectly nice hotels, which we have happily stayed in several times. Have a look at the hotels "IN the magic"!! on the DLP website if you haven't study them in depth already!!

 

[Cyrano]

If flying into CDG I'd think about silvershuttle as bus takes you direct from airport to hotel.

regards
Reid

 

[marlouwrig]

We used Eurostar from London to DLP this year and much prefer it to flying - you just leave your cases at the DLP station to be delivered to your hotel and hit the parks straight away.

Don't forget also that if you use DVC points instead of cash your park passes for the length of your stay are included.

We stayed at Santa Fe this year - very basic but clean and has all essentials. Have also stayed at Sequoia Lodge which I much preferred.

 

[diberry]

I think you can only use the Disneyexpress service to have luggage taken to your hotel from the station if you have booked a Disney package which includes travel.

 

[Bexx]

If flying into CDG I'd think about silvershuttle as bus takes you direct from airport to hotel.

Again, I think this depends on what time of year you're planning to go. As Jodyb found out, they don't seem to operate in January. So it's possible they won't operate during other winter months - shame!

Very glad they worked out well for you though. I'd be interested to know if you were able to find out anymore about them.

 

[juju]

Thank you for all of your advice! Good to hear from true experts, as opposed to questionable guidebooks.

 

[Cyrano]

Bexx

thanks, had forgotten about unavailability for Jody.

Based on our experience I would use them for subsequent visits, where we were flying in.

Regard
Reid

 

[mrsdrudge]

1. I would take Eurostar - especially if you are staying in central London - much easier to get to than any of the airports and just a walk from the station to any of the hotels at Disney. Plus - with this much notice you should be able to get a good deal.

2. We are too close to London to have to book hotels - so really can't recommend any one. Depends on how much you want to pay - if you want one of the big chains then
http://www.travelinn.co.uk and look at the one for London County Hall - it is about £87 a room plus breakfast - but is very convenient for both Waterloo and the theatres, and is in a listed building which used to be the Greater London Council offices.
http://www.whatsonstage.comgives good meal deals for several West End shows, and will email offers for shows if you sign up for their website.

3. We have stayed at both New York and Sequoia Lodge and would be hard put to choose between them - New York is more 'chic' , but Sequoia is cosy and brilliant in the cold weather. Have not stayed at Newport Bay but have gone there for cocktails (brilliant!) feels very big and impersonal though.
For Paris hotels try http://www.tripadvisor.com which gives reviews and ideas.

4. Have a wonderful time - how long are you staying for and where are you coming from?

Liz