hildasmuriel
<font color=magenta>I'm a really really scaredy sc
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2007
I've been thinking a lot lately about our very first trip ever to Disneyland Paris and decided to indulge myself by writing a trip report. First of all, I have to do a pre-trip report, which takes the form of a bit of a story. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin..........
Once upon a time there was a family Mum, Dad and 2 little children. They decided that what was best for their family was if Mum stayed at home with the children and Dad went to work. To have enough money to live on, Dad used to work at his proper job Monday-Friday, then on the 3 nights at the weekend he would go and stack shelves for 4 hours a night at a well known supermarket....well every little helps. Hardworking Dad did this for a number of years.
Time went on and the youngest child went off to school and Mum was offered a job each afternoon at the school, which was nice as Dad could give up his shelf-stacking. What was even nicer was when the well-known supermarket cashed in Dads Save-As-You-Earn money, there was quite a bit more than Mum and Dad expected the shares had done very well.
Dad said lets take the children to Disneyland in Paris and Mum fainted Dad was well known to hate Disney and everything connected with it and he hated holidaying anywhere other than Cornwall. Dad explained that it was now or never. Children could go for free at this time of year, but son would be 12 next year and so there was no way they could afford it then. Picking herself up again, she quickly agreed and Dad went off to Thomas Cook to book it. The price, because the kids went free, was £960 for flights from Heathrow and 2 nights at the Santa Fe. That left just enough for a bit of spending money as long as they didnt go mad.
They told the children they were getting passports because the price is going up soon and we may need them one day and then they did nothing. It was October 2003.
Christmas came and went and still Mum and Dad kept quiet. Three weeks into January, the family were sitting having lunch at the weekend when Mum said We thought we might go away at half term and both of the children looked delighted and said to Cornwall? and Mum pointed out their usual place didnt open until April. No, we thought that as we have passports now we may have a couple of days abroad Excited looks all round these children had never left the country! Where? We thought maybe Paris for 3 days Oh wow. Said the son. The daughter, even at 6 liked to push her luck: maybe we could go to Disneyland while were there Excellent idea thats what well do 3 days at Disneyland Well, once the shrieking and jumping up and down had stopped Mum and Dad confessed that this had been booked for months and that the family were indeed staying for 2 nights at the Santa Fe hotel.
The children then lapped up all the details in the brochure, until they could recite lots of it word for word! A kindly neighbour heard of the holiday and knocked to offer a loan of a book called Brits Guide to Disneyland Paris and this was read cover to cover over the next 3 weeks. He also gave the children some Euros to spend, as did their adoring aunties they felt quite rich!
Having read so much detail about DLRP, Mum and Dad knew that things were very expensive there. Dad was really keen to eat at Annettes, but other than that, they decided to play it by ear.
Dad, from hating Disney, had now become mad keen on the idea and had read all the ride descriptions and height restrictions and knew which ones would suit which family members. He knew Mum didnt like swoopy rides, but was trying to persuade her that POTC would be okay. He knew daughter would be too short for IJ, SM and RnRC but hoped she wouldnt be too scared to do PM and BTM. He knew son was keen to try everything.
Eventually half-term came along. The weekend was to be very busy a family party on Saturday night and then daughter had a 7th birthday party to go to on Sunday. Then flights early on Monday morning. The family party went well. Daughter never got to go to her party. She woke up with a raging temperature and feeling pretty unwell. She lay on the sofa drowsy and pale and Mum fretted. At last, after sponging and Calpol, the temperature came down and she started to be more herself. She was even getting excited about the following day.
The family were just like the ones in the advert very little sleep was had the night before ....everyone was just too excited. They were going somewhere that they never ever expected to be going....and the time was nearly here..
And that is where the pre-trip report will leave this family..........
Once upon a time there was a family Mum, Dad and 2 little children. They decided that what was best for their family was if Mum stayed at home with the children and Dad went to work. To have enough money to live on, Dad used to work at his proper job Monday-Friday, then on the 3 nights at the weekend he would go and stack shelves for 4 hours a night at a well known supermarket....well every little helps. Hardworking Dad did this for a number of years.
Time went on and the youngest child went off to school and Mum was offered a job each afternoon at the school, which was nice as Dad could give up his shelf-stacking. What was even nicer was when the well-known supermarket cashed in Dads Save-As-You-Earn money, there was quite a bit more than Mum and Dad expected the shares had done very well.
Dad said lets take the children to Disneyland in Paris and Mum fainted Dad was well known to hate Disney and everything connected with it and he hated holidaying anywhere other than Cornwall. Dad explained that it was now or never. Children could go for free at this time of year, but son would be 12 next year and so there was no way they could afford it then. Picking herself up again, she quickly agreed and Dad went off to Thomas Cook to book it. The price, because the kids went free, was £960 for flights from Heathrow and 2 nights at the Santa Fe. That left just enough for a bit of spending money as long as they didnt go mad.
They told the children they were getting passports because the price is going up soon and we may need them one day and then they did nothing. It was October 2003.
Christmas came and went and still Mum and Dad kept quiet. Three weeks into January, the family were sitting having lunch at the weekend when Mum said We thought we might go away at half term and both of the children looked delighted and said to Cornwall? and Mum pointed out their usual place didnt open until April. No, we thought that as we have passports now we may have a couple of days abroad Excited looks all round these children had never left the country! Where? We thought maybe Paris for 3 days Oh wow. Said the son. The daughter, even at 6 liked to push her luck: maybe we could go to Disneyland while were there Excellent idea thats what well do 3 days at Disneyland Well, once the shrieking and jumping up and down had stopped Mum and Dad confessed that this had been booked for months and that the family were indeed staying for 2 nights at the Santa Fe hotel.
The children then lapped up all the details in the brochure, until they could recite lots of it word for word! A kindly neighbour heard of the holiday and knocked to offer a loan of a book called Brits Guide to Disneyland Paris and this was read cover to cover over the next 3 weeks. He also gave the children some Euros to spend, as did their adoring aunties they felt quite rich!
Having read so much detail about DLRP, Mum and Dad knew that things were very expensive there. Dad was really keen to eat at Annettes, but other than that, they decided to play it by ear.
Dad, from hating Disney, had now become mad keen on the idea and had read all the ride descriptions and height restrictions and knew which ones would suit which family members. He knew Mum didnt like swoopy rides, but was trying to persuade her that POTC would be okay. He knew daughter would be too short for IJ, SM and RnRC but hoped she wouldnt be too scared to do PM and BTM. He knew son was keen to try everything.
Eventually half-term came along. The weekend was to be very busy a family party on Saturday night and then daughter had a 7th birthday party to go to on Sunday. Then flights early on Monday morning. The family party went well. Daughter never got to go to her party. She woke up with a raging temperature and feeling pretty unwell. She lay on the sofa drowsy and pale and Mum fretted. At last, after sponging and Calpol, the temperature came down and she started to be more herself. She was even getting excited about the following day.
The family were just like the ones in the advert very little sleep was had the night before ....everyone was just too excited. They were going somewhere that they never ever expected to be going....and the time was nearly here..
And that is where the pre-trip report will leave this family..........
you can't leave it there!!!!!
!!!
Obviously she wasnt over whatever had been wrong the day before. Still, with a queue of people who were mostly parents, we did get a lot of sympathetic looks...and a lot of space around us now!
So now, we had to figure out a way to get to Disney. We decided on TGV and could have kicked ourselves when we realised that took only 10 minutes to get to the resort.
I captured lots of this on our new camcorder (bought for the trip). As we looked round Fantasia Gardens, Son can be heard exclaiming at all the names in the stones, and then after a bit more looking around, Dtr turns to Husband and says Dad, can you show me where the rides are? She thought we were already in the Park! 
, put you off 
I bought myself a fridge magnet and some chocolate for our neighbour and for the rest of the time I just browsed.
Within minutes of leaving, both children were asleep so deeply asleep that this photo actually looks posed.
