Disneyland Paris - Basic Questions

[Ben Power]

Hey Everyone -

It looks like work is going to be sending me to England for 2 weeks, where I will be free to do whatever from Friday at 5pm through Monday morning. Naturally, I thought I'd take a trip down to Paris and check out Disneyland Paris.

A few basic questions that I am hoping people can help with:
1) What is the difference between the "Super Magic" and "Magic" ticket, other than the few days where it requires the Super Magic option. Is this just the tiered pricing logic at the park based on peak days or does it get you some other perk?

2) Has anyone stayed at the Radisson Blu hotel nearby? They claim to have a shuttle, and be a 7minute ride to the park. The rates for rooms are pretty cheap, and they are listed as a Partner hotel, so I assume it is a quality place to stay

3) What does the "commute" from the UK look like to the Park. I am still not 100% sure on my location within England (should know this week) and I know that will have an impact, but is taking the train from the UK a real option to get to Paris for a weekend getaway?

Thanks for the tips, and really looking forward to getting to finally see Disneyland Paris!

 

[olafLover]

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[zavandor]

The train leaves from Saint Pancras station and gets you direct to Disneyland Paris or Paris Gare du Nord. The direct train to DLP however leaves mid morning, you could take it on Saturday morning, stay in the park saturday afternoon and Sunday mornign to mid afternoon and leave Sunday at around 4pm it I remember correctly.
Or you could change at Lille or take the direct train to Paris. This way you would have more options, possibly leaving friday evening. From the Gare du Nord to DLP it's less than an hour to DLP.
Charles de Gaulle airport is quite convenient to the park, there are direct TGV trains that take less than 20 minutes I believe.

If you're looking for something cheap just to sleep in, have a look at options at Val D'Europe, Bussy Saint George and Torcy. They are the first 3 stops on the RER line and there are a few very cheap hotels a few minutes away by foot from the station. The RER is very efficient and you may be in your hotel before you'll see the first shuttle to a partner hotel arrive.

 

[Moosie3005]

Absolutely, if you are on your own, the Ibis budget by the Val d'Europe train station has the best location. It is SMALL, but clean and dirt cheap. RER (local train) is probably quicker than the shuttle busses.

You can also fly to Paris Charles de Gaul from many places in England. The easiest way from the airport to the park area is by EzyShuttle taxi. They meet you at the airport, and are about 70 Euros each way. So, not cheap BUT if you save on hotel, it is worth it - and you can fly from many regional airports in England, if you are not based in London. Try the EasyJet.co.uk websites for budget flights (that is who many people use. No frills, but your cheapest option, especially if you can book in advance. Prices WILL go up the closer you get to departure.)

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

To maximize time, I would leave Friday night fly into CDG (taking TGV high speed train to DLP - only 10 minutes) - stay onsite (includes tickets and extra magic hours benefits) and head back Sunday PM - either by flying or taking the Eurostar directly from DLP to London St. Pancras.

One main difference at DLP - I much preferred the buffet table service meals over quick service options. There will be a considerable amount of security - rightly so - so just plan for it time wise. The train direct into DLP is very convenient as are the nearby bus options for offsite stays.

 

[Moosie3005]

I would agree with ExpatDisneyLover re taking the TGV if, and only if, the times of the train match the times of your flight. When we went in May, we would have had to wait 1 1/2 hours for the next train, and still have to get a shuttle bus/RER to the hotel. The private taxi shuttle worked out quicker in the end.