nadroJ
CF Legend
I just got back last night from 2 days at Disneyland Paris to celebrate Sam's niece Kitty's 7th birthday, and also to go and see Disney Dreams! We stayed for two nights, travelling by Eurostar on the Sunday night and departing on the Tuesday night. It rained, but we still had a brilliant time!
Sunday Night
After a really easy journey from London St.Pancras, we arrived exactly on time to the minute at Marne la Vallee. As we'd been travelling ALL day, food was the one thing on our minds, so we headed towards the neon lights of the Disney Village and Annette's Diner. I haven't been since 2008, and a fair bit seemed to have changed. Firstly, there was a big ugly green wall surrounded the entrance to Disney Village, with an inspection tent as entry point where we had to put our bags through a scanner. I understand this is all for security, but come on Disney you could at least TRY and make it look pretty!
Once we were inside the mini shopping and restaurant complex, we joined the back of what looked like a pretty vile queue for Annette's Diner. I'd been dreaming of eating on of their hotdogs again for far too long, so was really excited to be eating here again. But because we were queuing outside and it was raining, the queue just didn't seem worth it and wasn't appearing to be moving at all. It also appeared that there was nobody seeing to the guests queueing inside, like you would usually find in a restaurant. After waiting ten minutes with the queue at a standstill and nobody even acknowledging the people at the front of the queue inside, we sent Sam off to scout out the other restaurants and soon discovered that Planet Hollywood only had a 25 minute wait, which we could spend inside, in the warm, at the bar. Now THIS is more like it! So we made our way into the always crowded bar area and ordered ourselves some cocktails (I had a Pineapple Express which is some kind of Malibu and pineapple concoction) whilst the birthday girl enjoyed a lemonade with a sparkly straw ;] After what seemed like no time our names were being called and we were sat right in the centre of the downstairs part of the restaurant. Overall, the food was more than satisfying, the service was superb and the atmosphere just added to our excitement for what lay ahead! The only annoying thing was that our bill came to about €100 (for 4 adults and a child) which isn't bad in my opinion, but at our hotel we found some 15% off vouchers! A tad annoying, but what are you going to do!
After our meal we headed into the Disney Store which was absolutely rammed and stocked up on Disneyland essentials like Minnie ears, autograph books and pens. We then headed to our hotel, the Etap at Val d'Europe, which was a ridiculously easy 1 stop train journey away. The rooms are incredibly basic, but you get what you pay for and it's not as if you actually spend any time at the hotel, so it does the job perfectly.
Disneyland Parc
The next morning the plan was to get inside the park and head over to Frontierland ready for the rope drop at ten o'clock. However, on our way into the park we bumped into Mickey so had to have a few photos taken =]. We then made our way down the Liberty Arcade, something I always love seeing at DLP. For those who don't know, this is a covered walkway to the left of Mainstreet and features concept art, photography and a diorama of the conception, construction and celebration of the Statue of Liberty. As with everything on Mainstreet, the architecture and attention to detail is gorgeous and it also means you don't have to battle your way through the crowds on Mainstreet.
At ten o'clock, we laughed as people sprinted into Frontierland as the rest of us meandered along behind, all clearly with the same destination in mind: Big Thunder Mountain. Annoyingly, when we got over there it wasn't quite ready for us yet, so we decided to cut our losses and jump in the queue for Phantom Manor before everybody else decided to do the same thing. After just ten minutes of queuing in the awesomely themed front porch we were inside the creepy manor.
Phantom Manor
Seeing as I only went to Florida last January and hadn't been to DLP since 2008, the Haunted Mansion in all it's awesome glory was still fresh in my mind, which unfortunately lead to some disappointment with reagards to Phantom Manor. Yes the ride is incredibly detailed and I love the stylisation of the thing (the wallpaper! <3) it just doesn't have the same effect that the Haunted Mansion does. I just feel the storyline isn't as strong in Phantom Manor, although I do appreciate the attempt to tie the attraction in with the other theming and storylines throughout Frontierland. Another disappointment was the fact that some effects weren't working, most frustratingly the hitchhiking ghost finale. I've always felt this to be a most memorable part of the attraction and for it, along with some of the other animatronics within the ride, not working it really did detract from the experience for me =[
After our first taste of Disney fun on Phantom Manor we were desperate to get on Big Thunder, and as we exited the ride we saw the train rush past and splash down in the river, albeit with Disneyland employees occupying the seats. So we figured it might be a good idea to head back over as the ride could very well be opening soon. Annoyingly we stood for another 15 minutes with the rest of the eager crowd before deciding to try again later and head onwards towards Adventureland.
I adore Adventureland at DLP! We were headed towards Pirates of the Carribean but decided en route to stop off at Indiana Jones, which was boasting a 20 minute wait. Unfortunately, Kitty was too small so we decided to grab some fast passes for me, Sam and his aunt and uncle Dan and Julie, and make our way over to PotC. We wandered over the rickety bridges and dripping caves towards the pirate fort and were pleasantly surprised to be faced with a 5 minutes queue, most of which was taken up through walking the bloody thing!
Pirates of the Carribean
The Paris version is my favourite of the two I've been on. Despite the addition of Jack Sparrow, the Florida version always seems a bit lackluster to me. However, the Paris version combines all the best scenes for the Florida (and I assume California) version but heightens the fun with a few high speed drops. And they really do make a world of difference! Instead of coming off and thinking "was that it?" a la the Florida version, we all came off wanting more! I also like the fact that Captain Jack Sparrow has yet to invade this version of the attraction, and I hope they intend to keep it this way as I feel it doesn't really add anything to the story or fun of the ride.
With our fast passes now activated, we doubled back on ourselves and Sam and I joined the queue for Indiana Jones whilst the others waited with Kitty for their turn.
Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril
Despite some fairly impressive (but not overly) theming, I've never really much enjoyed the ride. The enthusiast in me sees it for what it really is, but seeing as I'm at Disneyland it has to be done. I found it hilarious that Dan and Julie got off of the ride really impressed and going on about how intense and fast it was! Meh, I wouldn't even queue 20 minutes for it so I was glad of the fast passes to be honest.
After this we decided it might be a good idea, whilst we were still fairly close by, to go back and check on Big Thunder to see what was happening. On our way back over me and Kitty quickly walked through Le Passage Enchanté d'Aladdin, a small walkthrough with scenes from the film accompanied by music and murals on the walls telling the story of Aladdin. It's a neat little attraction and I think it is worth the five minutes you have to spend to experience the thing.
Once we arrived back at Big Thunder we were faced with 100 minute queue. Ah. Fast passes it is then! Sam and I grabbed some for the five of us where we headed back to Colonel Haiti's Pizza Outpost to have a quick snack and a mid-morning break. I'd never been in here before and it was pretty cool. Inside the ceilings are decorated to look like a forest and all around the walls are painted with murals of old-style holiday tours around the world. Luckily, we arrived just as an African drum band were beginning their set, which was really awesome and added to the authenticity of the attraction. Very cool. I do have a beef with the food at DLP. It's all overpriced, fast-food style crap, with slow moving queue style service. Not impressive for a brand that prides itself on being the best =/.
After we'd had a quick rest we still had a little time to kill before our fast passes were ready, so we did another attraction that was new to me, the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. It's a pretty boring attraction to be honest, but it gave us something to do and look at for 15 minutes and offered amazing views of the park once we'd reached the top, so it did have its good points too.
Finally it was time to ride Big Thunder! We excitedly joined the fast pass queue and within five minutes we were closing our restraints. There's something delightful as well about passing by all those fools who have queued an hour or more to ride <3.
Big Thunder Mountain
The best runaway train in the world! My favourite out of the two I've been on. The theming is exciting, the storyline of the attraction flows perfectly and the tunnel sections are breathtaking and enjoyable. I could literally sit on this coaster and ride it all day, it's absolutely perfect. My enjoyment of it this time around was increased by riding with Kitty, so quickly came to the conclusion that this was the best thing in the world XD.
Big Thunder concluded all of the attractions in this corner of the park, so with Frontierland and Adventureland conquered before 2pm, we excitedly headed towards Fantasyland. Secretly, I was quite nervous of going in. With it being Easter weekend I had envisioned a park rammed with guests, but so far the only crowd we had experienced was understandably for Big Thunder. Everything else had been really quiet so I had come to the conclusion that everybody had decided to mob Fantasyland, and so I held my breath.
With Kitty having just turned 7, she is getting to the stage where things are a bit babyish in her eyes, and for this reason Peter Pan's Flight was completely disregarded. Luckily for us, because it had a 45 minute wait (f course it did ;]). Wandering around Fantasyland and taking in all the amazing architecture, music and gardening we found ourselves stumbling into Alice in Wonderland's maze, where antics ensued. It was quite crowded in here but I think that added to the fun. We spent about 20 minutes wandering around the labyrinth, hiding around corners and scaring each other, splashing water at everyone and taking silly photos. Loads of fun =D
Heading out of the maze we turned a corner and headed to the back part of Fantasyland to ride Casey Jr.
Casey Jr.
What is usually a fun and gorgeous ride to ride was spoiled by the fact that the storyboat ride was drained of all of its water, leaving our train to encircle a dirty cement pit filled with cables. Not so magical. The ride alone was still quite enjoyable and me and Sam were goons and rode in the front seat bobbing along to the happy theme song =]
I was really disappointed that the storyboat ride was shut too because I quite enjoy miniature village style attractions =[ It was still included on the map as an existing attraction so god knows what they're doing to it. Anybody?
After Casey Jr. Sam and I decided that it was time to brace ourselves and head for It's A Small World. Dan, Julie and Kitty had absolutely no idea what this attraction was so I was quite intrigued to see what they would make of it. Again, we were pleasantly surprised to be confronted with just a 10 minute queue for a ride that has been known to draw hour plus queues! We sighed with relief as we passed rows and rows of empty cattlepens and before we knew it we were at the loading bay, where our boarding was delayed by a family who wouldn't get off of the ride (is it really that good?).
It's a Small World
An absolutely bizarre attraction but definitely a guilty pleasure. Again, the attention to detail is thrilling and spotting all the little characteristics of each country's representations throughout the ride is tons of fun! Similarly to Phantom Manor, however, a fair few of the animatronics appeared broken or in a state of disrepair, definitely not standards one has come to expect from Disney. Also, the awnings hanging in the station were saying something about celebrating the season and had snowflakes on? I don't know if this is permanent theming but it seems like they've just left Christmas theming hanging up, which is a bit crap too.km
Anyway, Kitty thoroughly enjoyed it and with Dan and Julie successfully scarred for life we headed towards the castle itself. On our way over Kitty indulged in a candy apple and Dan spotted Cinderella's glass carriage so we headed into the miniature square and took some photos, admiring the cute paintings on the walls of Cinderella's friends. Just across the way from this sat Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which only had a 15 minutes queue, so we decided to jump on the back of it, as I thought it would be a shame for Kitty to miss ALL of the standard Fantasyland attractions, despite starting to grow out of them.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
For a happy, Disney ride in Fantasyland, this thing is actually pretty terrifying. The sets are truly creepy and the witch is really despicable and scary. I especially liked the part where she transforms into the old, ugly hag and the animatronic swings round grotesquely to reveal her hideous form. The forest scene is something from a nightmare and even the 'happy ending' is slightly wrong, with weird, emotionless figurines representing Snow White and her prince, waving goodbye eerily. Quite fun though (through the horror) and quite fast paced, though I can imagine more kids being traumatised than delighted by this attraction.
After Snow White we walked into the castle and had a look in the Christmas shop before moving swiftly onwards to the final land of the day, Discoveryland.
We made a beeline for Space Mountain where we were surprised and relieved to see Kitty was big enough to ride, yay! However, the smiles were promptly wiped from our faces as we realised she was stood on her tiptoes and was millimetres too short =[. Oh well, maybe next time! Taking advantage of the child swap, Sam and I joined the back of the 25 minute queue whilst the other waited to swap with us at the ride exit.
Space Mountain: Mission 2
I've always adored the theming in the queue and station of this ride, so Victorian <3 The 25 minute queue actually turned out to be only 15 and before we knew it we were waiting to launch. I'm always disappointed with the launch, it loses most of its speed as it crests the top of the hill. I think it's a fun enough ride, but it was be quite cheesy at times and from what I remember I actually prefer the original theming. The soundtrack is rather cool though.
When we got off Julie told us she didn't really want to ride, so Sam went on again with Dan, who came off loving it and making Julie regret her decision. We rounded the corner towards Captain EO, which was closed, sadly for us because Kitty is a massive MJ fan and it would have been awesome for her to see (even though it's dated as hell). So we swiftly moved on to the next attraction, Star Tours. Because both this and Buzz Lightyear had a 45 minute queue, we nabbed some fast passes for Star Tours and joined the end of the long queue for Buzz, just as it began to rain. This was the longest queue of the whole day, luckily for us, but the fact that they hold you to queue outside is rather uninspiring and boring, especially in the damp.
Buzz Lightyear's Laser Blast
I always think these rides are a ton of fun, but the 45 minutes queue just isn't justified in my opinion. And yet again we were let down. Some of the theming was broken and Sam's gun didn't work, so the long queue for him was even more annoying! Dan, Julie and Kitty got off having thoroughly enjoyed it so that made it more worthwhile.
When we got off the ride it was pouring with rain and because the queue had been so long we were now 5 minutes late for out Star Tours fast pass! We decided to chance it anyway and the ride op was kind enough to let it slide. Dan has always been a massive Star Wars fan and grew up with the films in the 80s and so was particularly excited to ride.
Star Tours
Despite its age and the fact that I'm not actually a Star Wars fan in any way, shape or form, I always really love Star Tours. It's just an exciting ride and because I've been on it so many times throughout my childhood it now has a kind of nostalgia value. I'm looking forward to see how the updated version rides too, because if it's anywhere as near as good as the original it will be awesome.
By now it was pouring with rain and we were all pretty wiped out, so we decided to head out of the park and grab some dinner. On our way out we were lucky enough to catch the parade and had some awesome spots! Kitty really enjoyed seeing all the characters, especially the princesses in their costumes and beautiful floats, but honestly I've seen better Disney parades. This one seemed to have no particular theme, just floats themed to the most popular Disney films with the relevant characters. It was actually kind of cheesy, and not in a good Disney kind of way either. But the kids seemed to enjoy it and I applaud them for carrying on even in the pouring rain! The pirates and their awful singing of the parade song was a particular highlight <3
So we tried our luck again with Annette's Diner, and within 10 minutes we were sat down. All I can say is that I definitely will not be eating there again. Every time I've been to DLP I've eaten here and always had a fantastic time. The food has been great and affordable, the staff have been attentive and fun and the place always had a real vibe about it. On this occassion we were sat for 20 minutes until the waiter came and hurriedly took our order, hardly stopping to help me when I asked him what the alternative to french fries were because I'm allergic (turns out the alternative is a bowl of limp lettuce =[). He looked confused when I asked if I could have onions on my hotdog (for which I as charged an extra 75cents), they didn't have any milkshakes much to Sam's horror and the worst part was when we asked if they could do anything for Kitty as we were here celebrating her birthday we were informed that they could, but it would set us back €25. I was appalled with the service and the way it has gone so downhill, it was actually quite upsetting considering I have such a fond memory of the place =[. End to end we were sat in there for 2 hours, so much for a quick sit down dinner then!
At 7.30pm we braced ourselves to re-enter the park for some night riding and Disney Dreams! Dan and Julie were reluctant as we were all cold and wet, but once we were back in the park we all had a second wind and enjoyed some browsing in the shops on Mainstreet and fantastic night rides on Big Thunder! The queue by now was just ten minutes so we just kept going round and round. At 8.55pm we went and grabbed a spot right in front of the castle and enjoyed some hot drinks and popcorn as we waited for the show to begin.
Disney Dreams
I had watched the show on the internet already, so knew what to expect, but the reality of the thing really blew me away! Disney are the masters at this sort of thing and Dreams really doesn't disappoint. Everything is so extravagant and wonderful that by the end Kitty was literally screaming with joy =]. I do admit though that the 3D mapping on the castle alone would have been a bit lackluster, because of the shapes and textures of the castle I found the effect a lot less convincing in real life. However, accompanied with the water fountains, fireworks, water projections and music it was a perfect package, each effect complimenting the other with expert precision. I think they could have done with the laser effects as I feel they cheapened the thing a bit (and lasers and so 90s) but people were literally crying as we applauded. Very, very impressive show and definitely worth enduring the rain for another few hours for! It's still no Fantasmic, but it's the most impressive show I've ever seen at DLP!
Day 2 at the studios to follow.
Sunday Night
After a really easy journey from London St.Pancras, we arrived exactly on time to the minute at Marne la Vallee. As we'd been travelling ALL day, food was the one thing on our minds, so we headed towards the neon lights of the Disney Village and Annette's Diner. I haven't been since 2008, and a fair bit seemed to have changed. Firstly, there was a big ugly green wall surrounded the entrance to Disney Village, with an inspection tent as entry point where we had to put our bags through a scanner. I understand this is all for security, but come on Disney you could at least TRY and make it look pretty!
Once we were inside the mini shopping and restaurant complex, we joined the back of what looked like a pretty vile queue for Annette's Diner. I'd been dreaming of eating on of their hotdogs again for far too long, so was really excited to be eating here again. But because we were queuing outside and it was raining, the queue just didn't seem worth it and wasn't appearing to be moving at all. It also appeared that there was nobody seeing to the guests queueing inside, like you would usually find in a restaurant. After waiting ten minutes with the queue at a standstill and nobody even acknowledging the people at the front of the queue inside, we sent Sam off to scout out the other restaurants and soon discovered that Planet Hollywood only had a 25 minute wait, which we could spend inside, in the warm, at the bar. Now THIS is more like it! So we made our way into the always crowded bar area and ordered ourselves some cocktails (I had a Pineapple Express which is some kind of Malibu and pineapple concoction) whilst the birthday girl enjoyed a lemonade with a sparkly straw ;] After what seemed like no time our names were being called and we were sat right in the centre of the downstairs part of the restaurant. Overall, the food was more than satisfying, the service was superb and the atmosphere just added to our excitement for what lay ahead! The only annoying thing was that our bill came to about €100 (for 4 adults and a child) which isn't bad in my opinion, but at our hotel we found some 15% off vouchers! A tad annoying, but what are you going to do!
After our meal we headed into the Disney Store which was absolutely rammed and stocked up on Disneyland essentials like Minnie ears, autograph books and pens. We then headed to our hotel, the Etap at Val d'Europe, which was a ridiculously easy 1 stop train journey away. The rooms are incredibly basic, but you get what you pay for and it's not as if you actually spend any time at the hotel, so it does the job perfectly.
Disneyland Parc
The next morning the plan was to get inside the park and head over to Frontierland ready for the rope drop at ten o'clock. However, on our way into the park we bumped into Mickey so had to have a few photos taken =]. We then made our way down the Liberty Arcade, something I always love seeing at DLP. For those who don't know, this is a covered walkway to the left of Mainstreet and features concept art, photography and a diorama of the conception, construction and celebration of the Statue of Liberty. As with everything on Mainstreet, the architecture and attention to detail is gorgeous and it also means you don't have to battle your way through the crowds on Mainstreet.
At ten o'clock, we laughed as people sprinted into Frontierland as the rest of us meandered along behind, all clearly with the same destination in mind: Big Thunder Mountain. Annoyingly, when we got over there it wasn't quite ready for us yet, so we decided to cut our losses and jump in the queue for Phantom Manor before everybody else decided to do the same thing. After just ten minutes of queuing in the awesomely themed front porch we were inside the creepy manor.
Phantom Manor
Seeing as I only went to Florida last January and hadn't been to DLP since 2008, the Haunted Mansion in all it's awesome glory was still fresh in my mind, which unfortunately lead to some disappointment with reagards to Phantom Manor. Yes the ride is incredibly detailed and I love the stylisation of the thing (the wallpaper! <3) it just doesn't have the same effect that the Haunted Mansion does. I just feel the storyline isn't as strong in Phantom Manor, although I do appreciate the attempt to tie the attraction in with the other theming and storylines throughout Frontierland. Another disappointment was the fact that some effects weren't working, most frustratingly the hitchhiking ghost finale. I've always felt this to be a most memorable part of the attraction and for it, along with some of the other animatronics within the ride, not working it really did detract from the experience for me =[
After our first taste of Disney fun on Phantom Manor we were desperate to get on Big Thunder, and as we exited the ride we saw the train rush past and splash down in the river, albeit with Disneyland employees occupying the seats. So we figured it might be a good idea to head back over as the ride could very well be opening soon. Annoyingly we stood for another 15 minutes with the rest of the eager crowd before deciding to try again later and head onwards towards Adventureland.
I adore Adventureland at DLP! We were headed towards Pirates of the Carribean but decided en route to stop off at Indiana Jones, which was boasting a 20 minute wait. Unfortunately, Kitty was too small so we decided to grab some fast passes for me, Sam and his aunt and uncle Dan and Julie, and make our way over to PotC. We wandered over the rickety bridges and dripping caves towards the pirate fort and were pleasantly surprised to be faced with a 5 minutes queue, most of which was taken up through walking the bloody thing!
Pirates of the Carribean
The Paris version is my favourite of the two I've been on. Despite the addition of Jack Sparrow, the Florida version always seems a bit lackluster to me. However, the Paris version combines all the best scenes for the Florida (and I assume California) version but heightens the fun with a few high speed drops. And they really do make a world of difference! Instead of coming off and thinking "was that it?" a la the Florida version, we all came off wanting more! I also like the fact that Captain Jack Sparrow has yet to invade this version of the attraction, and I hope they intend to keep it this way as I feel it doesn't really add anything to the story or fun of the ride.
With our fast passes now activated, we doubled back on ourselves and Sam and I joined the queue for Indiana Jones whilst the others waited with Kitty for their turn.
Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril
Despite some fairly impressive (but not overly) theming, I've never really much enjoyed the ride. The enthusiast in me sees it for what it really is, but seeing as I'm at Disneyland it has to be done. I found it hilarious that Dan and Julie got off of the ride really impressed and going on about how intense and fast it was! Meh, I wouldn't even queue 20 minutes for it so I was glad of the fast passes to be honest.
After this we decided it might be a good idea, whilst we were still fairly close by, to go back and check on Big Thunder to see what was happening. On our way back over me and Kitty quickly walked through Le Passage Enchanté d'Aladdin, a small walkthrough with scenes from the film accompanied by music and murals on the walls telling the story of Aladdin. It's a neat little attraction and I think it is worth the five minutes you have to spend to experience the thing.
Once we arrived back at Big Thunder we were faced with 100 minute queue. Ah. Fast passes it is then! Sam and I grabbed some for the five of us where we headed back to Colonel Haiti's Pizza Outpost to have a quick snack and a mid-morning break. I'd never been in here before and it was pretty cool. Inside the ceilings are decorated to look like a forest and all around the walls are painted with murals of old-style holiday tours around the world. Luckily, we arrived just as an African drum band were beginning their set, which was really awesome and added to the authenticity of the attraction. Very cool. I do have a beef with the food at DLP. It's all overpriced, fast-food style crap, with slow moving queue style service. Not impressive for a brand that prides itself on being the best =/.
After we'd had a quick rest we still had a little time to kill before our fast passes were ready, so we did another attraction that was new to me, the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. It's a pretty boring attraction to be honest, but it gave us something to do and look at for 15 minutes and offered amazing views of the park once we'd reached the top, so it did have its good points too.
Finally it was time to ride Big Thunder! We excitedly joined the fast pass queue and within five minutes we were closing our restraints. There's something delightful as well about passing by all those fools who have queued an hour or more to ride <3.
Big Thunder Mountain
The best runaway train in the world! My favourite out of the two I've been on. The theming is exciting, the storyline of the attraction flows perfectly and the tunnel sections are breathtaking and enjoyable. I could literally sit on this coaster and ride it all day, it's absolutely perfect. My enjoyment of it this time around was increased by riding with Kitty, so quickly came to the conclusion that this was the best thing in the world XD.
Big Thunder concluded all of the attractions in this corner of the park, so with Frontierland and Adventureland conquered before 2pm, we excitedly headed towards Fantasyland. Secretly, I was quite nervous of going in. With it being Easter weekend I had envisioned a park rammed with guests, but so far the only crowd we had experienced was understandably for Big Thunder. Everything else had been really quiet so I had come to the conclusion that everybody had decided to mob Fantasyland, and so I held my breath.
With Kitty having just turned 7, she is getting to the stage where things are a bit babyish in her eyes, and for this reason Peter Pan's Flight was completely disregarded. Luckily for us, because it had a 45 minute wait (f course it did ;]). Wandering around Fantasyland and taking in all the amazing architecture, music and gardening we found ourselves stumbling into Alice in Wonderland's maze, where antics ensued. It was quite crowded in here but I think that added to the fun. We spent about 20 minutes wandering around the labyrinth, hiding around corners and scaring each other, splashing water at everyone and taking silly photos. Loads of fun =D
Heading out of the maze we turned a corner and headed to the back part of Fantasyland to ride Casey Jr.
Casey Jr.
What is usually a fun and gorgeous ride to ride was spoiled by the fact that the storyboat ride was drained of all of its water, leaving our train to encircle a dirty cement pit filled with cables. Not so magical. The ride alone was still quite enjoyable and me and Sam were goons and rode in the front seat bobbing along to the happy theme song =]
I was really disappointed that the storyboat ride was shut too because I quite enjoy miniature village style attractions =[ It was still included on the map as an existing attraction so god knows what they're doing to it. Anybody?
After Casey Jr. Sam and I decided that it was time to brace ourselves and head for It's A Small World. Dan, Julie and Kitty had absolutely no idea what this attraction was so I was quite intrigued to see what they would make of it. Again, we were pleasantly surprised to be confronted with just a 10 minute queue for a ride that has been known to draw hour plus queues! We sighed with relief as we passed rows and rows of empty cattlepens and before we knew it we were at the loading bay, where our boarding was delayed by a family who wouldn't get off of the ride (is it really that good?).
It's a Small World
An absolutely bizarre attraction but definitely a guilty pleasure. Again, the attention to detail is thrilling and spotting all the little characteristics of each country's representations throughout the ride is tons of fun! Similarly to Phantom Manor, however, a fair few of the animatronics appeared broken or in a state of disrepair, definitely not standards one has come to expect from Disney. Also, the awnings hanging in the station were saying something about celebrating the season and had snowflakes on? I don't know if this is permanent theming but it seems like they've just left Christmas theming hanging up, which is a bit crap too.km
Anyway, Kitty thoroughly enjoyed it and with Dan and Julie successfully scarred for life we headed towards the castle itself. On our way over Kitty indulged in a candy apple and Dan spotted Cinderella's glass carriage so we headed into the miniature square and took some photos, admiring the cute paintings on the walls of Cinderella's friends. Just across the way from this sat Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which only had a 15 minutes queue, so we decided to jump on the back of it, as I thought it would be a shame for Kitty to miss ALL of the standard Fantasyland attractions, despite starting to grow out of them.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
For a happy, Disney ride in Fantasyland, this thing is actually pretty terrifying. The sets are truly creepy and the witch is really despicable and scary. I especially liked the part where she transforms into the old, ugly hag and the animatronic swings round grotesquely to reveal her hideous form. The forest scene is something from a nightmare and even the 'happy ending' is slightly wrong, with weird, emotionless figurines representing Snow White and her prince, waving goodbye eerily. Quite fun though (through the horror) and quite fast paced, though I can imagine more kids being traumatised than delighted by this attraction.
After Snow White we walked into the castle and had a look in the Christmas shop before moving swiftly onwards to the final land of the day, Discoveryland.
We made a beeline for Space Mountain where we were surprised and relieved to see Kitty was big enough to ride, yay! However, the smiles were promptly wiped from our faces as we realised she was stood on her tiptoes and was millimetres too short =[. Oh well, maybe next time! Taking advantage of the child swap, Sam and I joined the back of the 25 minute queue whilst the other waited to swap with us at the ride exit.
Space Mountain: Mission 2
I've always adored the theming in the queue and station of this ride, so Victorian <3 The 25 minute queue actually turned out to be only 15 and before we knew it we were waiting to launch. I'm always disappointed with the launch, it loses most of its speed as it crests the top of the hill. I think it's a fun enough ride, but it was be quite cheesy at times and from what I remember I actually prefer the original theming. The soundtrack is rather cool though.
When we got off Julie told us she didn't really want to ride, so Sam went on again with Dan, who came off loving it and making Julie regret her decision. We rounded the corner towards Captain EO, which was closed, sadly for us because Kitty is a massive MJ fan and it would have been awesome for her to see (even though it's dated as hell). So we swiftly moved on to the next attraction, Star Tours. Because both this and Buzz Lightyear had a 45 minute queue, we nabbed some fast passes for Star Tours and joined the end of the long queue for Buzz, just as it began to rain. This was the longest queue of the whole day, luckily for us, but the fact that they hold you to queue outside is rather uninspiring and boring, especially in the damp.
Buzz Lightyear's Laser Blast
I always think these rides are a ton of fun, but the 45 minutes queue just isn't justified in my opinion. And yet again we were let down. Some of the theming was broken and Sam's gun didn't work, so the long queue for him was even more annoying! Dan, Julie and Kitty got off having thoroughly enjoyed it so that made it more worthwhile.
When we got off the ride it was pouring with rain and because the queue had been so long we were now 5 minutes late for out Star Tours fast pass! We decided to chance it anyway and the ride op was kind enough to let it slide. Dan has always been a massive Star Wars fan and grew up with the films in the 80s and so was particularly excited to ride.
Star Tours
Despite its age and the fact that I'm not actually a Star Wars fan in any way, shape or form, I always really love Star Tours. It's just an exciting ride and because I've been on it so many times throughout my childhood it now has a kind of nostalgia value. I'm looking forward to see how the updated version rides too, because if it's anywhere as near as good as the original it will be awesome.
By now it was pouring with rain and we were all pretty wiped out, so we decided to head out of the park and grab some dinner. On our way out we were lucky enough to catch the parade and had some awesome spots! Kitty really enjoyed seeing all the characters, especially the princesses in their costumes and beautiful floats, but honestly I've seen better Disney parades. This one seemed to have no particular theme, just floats themed to the most popular Disney films with the relevant characters. It was actually kind of cheesy, and not in a good Disney kind of way either. But the kids seemed to enjoy it and I applaud them for carrying on even in the pouring rain! The pirates and their awful singing of the parade song was a particular highlight <3
So we tried our luck again with Annette's Diner, and within 10 minutes we were sat down. All I can say is that I definitely will not be eating there again. Every time I've been to DLP I've eaten here and always had a fantastic time. The food has been great and affordable, the staff have been attentive and fun and the place always had a real vibe about it. On this occassion we were sat for 20 minutes until the waiter came and hurriedly took our order, hardly stopping to help me when I asked him what the alternative to french fries were because I'm allergic (turns out the alternative is a bowl of limp lettuce =[). He looked confused when I asked if I could have onions on my hotdog (for which I as charged an extra 75cents), they didn't have any milkshakes much to Sam's horror and the worst part was when we asked if they could do anything for Kitty as we were here celebrating her birthday we were informed that they could, but it would set us back €25. I was appalled with the service and the way it has gone so downhill, it was actually quite upsetting considering I have such a fond memory of the place =[. End to end we were sat in there for 2 hours, so much for a quick sit down dinner then!
At 7.30pm we braced ourselves to re-enter the park for some night riding and Disney Dreams! Dan and Julie were reluctant as we were all cold and wet, but once we were back in the park we all had a second wind and enjoyed some browsing in the shops on Mainstreet and fantastic night rides on Big Thunder! The queue by now was just ten minutes so we just kept going round and round. At 8.55pm we went and grabbed a spot right in front of the castle and enjoyed some hot drinks and popcorn as we waited for the show to begin.
Disney Dreams
I had watched the show on the internet already, so knew what to expect, but the reality of the thing really blew me away! Disney are the masters at this sort of thing and Dreams really doesn't disappoint. Everything is so extravagant and wonderful that by the end Kitty was literally screaming with joy =]. I do admit though that the 3D mapping on the castle alone would have been a bit lackluster, because of the shapes and textures of the castle I found the effect a lot less convincing in real life. However, accompanied with the water fountains, fireworks, water projections and music it was a perfect package, each effect complimenting the other with expert precision. I think they could have done with the laser effects as I feel they cheapened the thing a bit (and lasers and so 90s) but people were literally crying as we applauded. Very, very impressive show and definitely worth enduring the rain for another few hours for! It's still no Fantasmic, but it's the most impressive show I've ever seen at DLP!
Day 2 at the studios to follow.
