MICKEY'S DREAMERS
WDW or Hawaii? This is the question!
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2002
CAST: I (Laura) and DGH (Disney Grumpy Husband)
IN: Jan 2nd, 2005 (Sequoia Lodge)
OUT: Jan 6th, 2005
PRE-TRIP
We had a few "frequent flyers miles" expiring soon, so we decided to redeem two free tickets from Milan to Paris and to spend a few days of the New Year break at DisneyLand Paris (DLP). We also got a nice Special Offer with four nights for the price of three at Sequoia Lodge.
We decided to use Silvershuttle www.silvershuttle.biz buses to/ from CDG (Charles de Gaulle, Paris Airport) to SL (Sequoia Lodge); we made two Internet reservations and we got two email confirmations, but without any confirmation number on them. The day after we received ONE email saying that there was no shuttle available for that day, without specifying WHICH day! So we had to discover which reservation we still had.
FRIDAY 31st of December
Two days before leaving home there was still no answer from Silvershuttle to our previous English message. DGH used all his best (?) French to ask again (grumping) Silvershuttle. So he wrote an email in Franglais.
Franglais is a strange language quite usual around Disneyland Paris, with some English words in French sentences, or with some French words in English sentences: something like "Let's go to see Mickey et ses amis" (et ses amis = and his friends).
In the mean time we were checking Paris weather forecast. CNN weather.cnn.com was forecasting snow for the arrival day while partially clouded for the rest of the time, while LYCOS weather.lycos.com forecast was rain for the day of arrival and sun for the other days. Let's hope Lycos has better weather-men
The temperature was in both forecasts very cold, around 0 Celsius (32 Fahrenheit), but not so different from Italy, so we were ready to bundle up quite a lot.
SATURDAY 1st of January
The day before leaving home.
* MORNING forecasts are the following:
CNN: snow the arrival day, cloudy all the remaining days.
Lycos: Cloudy the arrival day and rain for all the remaining days.
While CNN forecast are almost unchanged, Lycos's are completely different ... this time I hope that CNN is right
But there will be a further check in the evening ... No Silvershuttle message yet.
* EVENING forecasts
CNN: showers the arrival day, partially cloudy all the remaining days.
Lycos: showers the arrival day, partially cloudy all the remaining days.
Well! The two forecasts now agree each other and I agree with them!
No more weather check! I like this forecast!
Still nothing from Silvershuttle; so we decided a very pragmatic approach: if we see a Silvershuttle bus, then we will catch it; otherwise we will use the "VEA navette" (shuttle) www.vea.fr which doesn't need reservation.
SUNDAY 2nd of January
Departure day! Wake up at 4.30 AM, while DGH was grumping that vacation should mean sleep and relax, not forced work
Quick look outside the window: OK, no snow (at least here)! This means a safe and quick trip to the airport.
While driving towards the airport I asked DGH: "Do you know the address of the low cost parking we booked?" ... DGH grumped back "YOU were supposed to know!" ... well, after a few wandering and grumping around the airport, we found the parking ... OK, first problem solved
Check-in and boarding was normal. When the plane was ready for departure there was an announcement in Italian: "Due to congestion of air traffic our flight has three hours of delay"; while DGH was starting to grump, there was the usual English translation, which was "In a few moments we will depart". In the middle of a standing ovation the pilot explained that there was now a free slot and we were allowed to leave!
The plane landed at CDG almost on schedule; we picked up our luggage and looked for the Silverhuttle. NOTHING !!! so we boarded the VEA shuttle.
HINT: VEA stops from/ to CDG and DLP are in this order: Terminal 3, 1, 2B/D, 2A/C, 2 E/F, Newport Bay, Sequoia Lodge, Santa Fe, Cheyenne, New York, DisneyLand Hotel; there are about 30/40 minutes from CDG to/from DLP, plus 5/10 minutes for each stop. So if your trip is from/to Newport Bay to/from Terminal 2E/F expect less than 45 minutes, while from/to Disneyland Hotel to/from Terminal 3 you will spend the double of the time!
The trip was fast and check-in was smooth. Sequoia Lodge was a nice surprise. We love the "Lodge style" resorts (Wilderness Lodge at WDW is our preferred resort), but we read some reports not so enthusiastic about the resort, mainly due to room maintenance. But our wing / room (1144) looked just renewed and were wonderful. And the hotel itself, with thousands of lights and Christmas decorations, was wonderful.
Sequoia Lodge by Night
The fireplace
A view of the reception
While unpacking DGH went to the Concierge to make dinner reservations
HINT: From the Concierge of your hotel you can make Dinner Reservations for all Disney Restaurants and also for non-Disney Restaurants at Disney Village
We were quite hungry and we found something to eat
HINT: If you are hungry during the day, while at the SL, you can have sandwiches at the Redwood Lounge
HINT: Moreover the shop of the Resort sells sandwiches too
While eating our sandwiches, DGH tasted an Oregon Coffee (coffee + hazelnut syrup and whipped cream). Delicious! Oregon people, do you always drink coffee like that?
... To be continued
DISCLAIMER: Hints are accurate when written. There is a chance that they will be no more valid when you will need them!
IN: Jan 2nd, 2005 (Sequoia Lodge)
OUT: Jan 6th, 2005
PRE-TRIP
We had a few "frequent flyers miles" expiring soon, so we decided to redeem two free tickets from Milan to Paris and to spend a few days of the New Year break at DisneyLand Paris (DLP). We also got a nice Special Offer with four nights for the price of three at Sequoia Lodge.
We decided to use Silvershuttle www.silvershuttle.biz buses to/ from CDG (Charles de Gaulle, Paris Airport) to SL (Sequoia Lodge); we made two Internet reservations and we got two email confirmations, but without any confirmation number on them. The day after we received ONE email saying that there was no shuttle available for that day, without specifying WHICH day! So we had to discover which reservation we still had.
FRIDAY 31st of December
Two days before leaving home there was still no answer from Silvershuttle to our previous English message. DGH used all his best (?) French to ask again (grumping) Silvershuttle. So he wrote an email in Franglais.
Franglais is a strange language quite usual around Disneyland Paris, with some English words in French sentences, or with some French words in English sentences: something like "Let's go to see Mickey et ses amis" (et ses amis = and his friends).
In the mean time we were checking Paris weather forecast. CNN weather.cnn.com was forecasting snow for the arrival day while partially clouded for the rest of the time, while LYCOS weather.lycos.com forecast was rain for the day of arrival and sun for the other days. Let's hope Lycos has better weather-men
The temperature was in both forecasts very cold, around 0 Celsius (32 Fahrenheit), but not so different from Italy, so we were ready to bundle up quite a lot.
SATURDAY 1st of January
The day before leaving home.
* MORNING forecasts are the following:
CNN: snow the arrival day, cloudy all the remaining days.
Lycos: Cloudy the arrival day and rain for all the remaining days.
While CNN forecast are almost unchanged, Lycos's are completely different ... this time I hope that CNN is right
But there will be a further check in the evening ... No Silvershuttle message yet.
* EVENING forecasts
CNN: showers the arrival day, partially cloudy all the remaining days.
Lycos: showers the arrival day, partially cloudy all the remaining days.
Well! The two forecasts now agree each other and I agree with them!
No more weather check! I like this forecast!
Still nothing from Silvershuttle; so we decided a very pragmatic approach: if we see a Silvershuttle bus, then we will catch it; otherwise we will use the "VEA navette" (shuttle) www.vea.fr which doesn't need reservation.
SUNDAY 2nd of January
Departure day! Wake up at 4.30 AM, while DGH was grumping that vacation should mean sleep and relax, not forced work
Quick look outside the window: OK, no snow (at least here)! This means a safe and quick trip to the airport.
While driving towards the airport I asked DGH: "Do you know the address of the low cost parking we booked?" ... DGH grumped back "YOU were supposed to know!" ... well, after a few wandering and grumping around the airport, we found the parking ... OK, first problem solved
Check-in and boarding was normal. When the plane was ready for departure there was an announcement in Italian: "Due to congestion of air traffic our flight has three hours of delay"; while DGH was starting to grump, there was the usual English translation, which was "In a few moments we will depart". In the middle of a standing ovation the pilot explained that there was now a free slot and we were allowed to leave!
The plane landed at CDG almost on schedule; we picked up our luggage and looked for the Silverhuttle. NOTHING !!! so we boarded the VEA shuttle.
HINT: VEA stops from/ to CDG and DLP are in this order: Terminal 3, 1, 2B/D, 2A/C, 2 E/F, Newport Bay, Sequoia Lodge, Santa Fe, Cheyenne, New York, DisneyLand Hotel; there are about 30/40 minutes from CDG to/from DLP, plus 5/10 minutes for each stop. So if your trip is from/to Newport Bay to/from Terminal 2E/F expect less than 45 minutes, while from/to Disneyland Hotel to/from Terminal 3 you will spend the double of the time!
The trip was fast and check-in was smooth. Sequoia Lodge was a nice surprise. We love the "Lodge style" resorts (Wilderness Lodge at WDW is our preferred resort), but we read some reports not so enthusiastic about the resort, mainly due to room maintenance. But our wing / room (1144) looked just renewed and were wonderful. And the hotel itself, with thousands of lights and Christmas decorations, was wonderful.
Sequoia Lodge by Night
The fireplace
A view of the reception
While unpacking DGH went to the Concierge to make dinner reservations
HINT: From the Concierge of your hotel you can make Dinner Reservations for all Disney Restaurants and also for non-Disney Restaurants at Disney Village
We were quite hungry and we found something to eat
HINT: If you are hungry during the day, while at the SL, you can have sandwiches at the Redwood Lounge
HINT: Moreover the shop of the Resort sells sandwiches too
While eating our sandwiches, DGH tasted an Oregon Coffee (coffee + hazelnut syrup and whipped cream). Delicious! Oregon people, do you always drink coffee like that?
... To be continued
DISCLAIMER: Hints are accurate when written. There is a chance that they will be no more valid when you will need them!
