We had booked a cheap deal via Booking.com, so we got up at 4am (auch) on Friday, November 8, to drive to Disneyland Paris.
We were full well aware that we would have to kiss extra magic hours goodbye, but we wanted some semblance of sleep at least.
Traffic was thankfully pretty smooth, with no traffic jams to speak off, and we know where our satnav tries to make us do a horrid detour with no road signs to Disney, so we got there pretty swiftly. Bert figured we might as well park at the Santa Fe and check in, because it was still only around 9am when we got there. And I agreed with that.
Of course this time the disability check-in was rather more of a shambles than last. A kind greeter CM brought us to a check in desk, the lady there pointed us (kindly I add) to the far end, and the CM working there pretty much had a shitfit and was NOT having it. So he called his manager, thinking she’d let us have it. Sadly for him, his manager was super kind, very understanding, and brought us to another check in desk whilst grabbing our paperwork for us, so everything would go as fast as possible. The guy who didn’t want to help us threw a few stink eyes in our direction, which we ignored in favour of dealing with the guy that was actually helping us, who was also very kind and well, helpful. He said that we could either wait to get in the room ‘till 3AM, or get a 2nd story room with parking around the corner (rather than in front of the building) that we could get in right away. He did add that the building had an elevator, so I’m assuming not all of them do? So in case you have mobility issues and don’t mind being on anything other than the ground floor as long as there’s a working elevator, building 33 in the Mater section of the hotel is one of those ;).
So off to the room we went, we took the elevator up so we could take all our bags in one go, dumped our bags in the room and went back down via the outside stairs. Which had a lovely view on one of the golden ginkho trees that are all around the property (I want one to!).
We still don’t like taking a (very, very full) bus, so obviously we walked to the park. There was an immense queue at the bag check to entire Disney Village, which was so disorganised I wouldn’t have been able to use my foldable seat, so I addressed a kind security man, who immediately got us through. Shout-out to him, because he was so nice, and he said “I’m sorry, but I have to ask because some people just lie about these things, but can you please show me your green card or disability card?”. But in a really kind and respectful way. He was just doing his job, not point blank assuming because I have an invisible disability I must be making it up. Much appreciated.
Of course I couldn’t resist taking Christmas photos in Disney Village. I was pretty into it, mostly because they were still playing Halloween music, which I was totally living for.
Mandatory outfit shot.
Everyone is wearing these cute Christmas themed outfits and I’m still wandering around in casual dieselpunk outfits haha.
Glasses: Theo
Scarf: ASOS
Jacket: Pull & Bear
Cardigan: Bel&Bo
Skirt: made it myself
Petticoat: Dear Celine
Leggings: UNIQLO
Boots: Palladium
And a Christmas selfie :)
Sadly it took forever to get Bert’s carer ticket, but the CM was friendly and we got one for 2 days because we were staying on property, so that was good.
Alas, by the time we managed to get Bert’s carer ticket (for both days, as we were staying on site) and got into the park, Lineberty was being a total douche (nothing new there) so we went to the Jack Skellington meet and greet in the hope one of his attendants would be able to fit us in. Unfortunately the day was full, but luckily we were there for two days so we just figured we’d try to meet Sandy Claws the next day.
Instead we went to take HALLOWEEN photos!
Because, hell yes, half of Frontierland was still very much into the grasp of Halloween! I was well pleased.
They also still sold Halloween treats and Oogie Boogie popcorn buckets and poison apple steins, but aside from that all the Halloween merch had disappeared into storage and Christmas wall all over shops.
Instead, we wanted to head back onto Main Street to take photos and maybe grab a bite at Casey’s. The park wasn’t very crowded at all, so we figured it was as good a time as any to get some pictures.
Coming back onto Central Plaza we noticed that there was a roped off area with two CMs in it, so I went to investigate as I thought it might have been for the soft opening of the Christmas parade.
Turns out I was right, and I got the times from a friendly CM, and we just about had enough time to eat lunch (thankfully the service at Casey’s went super smoothly) and make it back to find a spot right next to the VIP section. We figured it’d be the best spot to photograph the parade, and we weren’t wrong.
Now as for the Christmas parade. Compared to Mickey’s Halloween Celebration, this is very subpar. It shows that they’ve been recycling this for ages.
Bert and I hadn’t seen this one before, but last year our friend Mauraine said “oh well, it’s the Christmas parade, same old” and we totally understand what she meant.
Whilst there is a clear autumnal story to the Halloween parade, this is just a mish mash of things that may or may not look like Christmas.
Some of the floats and costumes are lovely and very Christmassy, but most seem to represent technicolor commercialised Christmas barf.
And sure, ok, I will be the first to admit that all I want for Christmas is Halloween, but this parade is due an upgrade.
It also felt much more rushed than the Halloween parade, and frankly, it could do with an overhaul and an added Central Plaza stage show.
A lot of guys wonder why girls with a DSLR have it easier getting good shots and few performers will be posing for them. Well, this is a prime example of why.
I’m watching the parade, taking photos. Suddenly, I feel a tap on my shoulder. You know when a friend spots you and comes to tap on your shoulder? That kind of tap. So I turn, thinking I will see a familiar face. But no, instead I see this geezer that starts making demands that I move so he can take photos.
You, sir, are EXACTLY what’s wrong with hobby photographers in Disney and the reason why people tend to not want to deal with a dude with a big camera.
Note that he didn’t pipe down ‘till Bert turned around. Please also note that there was literally NO WHERE I could have gone, other than to give him my spot.
This is a massive pet peeve of mine. You want a first row parade spot, you get there in time and you wait by the curb, END OF STORY! You don’t go and DEMAND people that have been there before you will give up their spot, especially not in an overly familiar and creepy way! /end rant
Anyway, after the parade, we found out there would be another showing at 1.50PM, so we first went and took those Christmas photos we had been planning on taking
to then go to Discoveryland because I had my heart set on doing at least one steampunk double exposure shot with my SQ20 (double exposure for dummies, I do admit, but I had run out of Kodak Ektar so I couldn't do it the proper analog way, alas!),
meet Darth Vader Which is actually a really funny story!
Bert had said that he didn’t want his photo taken with Vader, and I said that it was fine by me (if he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t want to after all) and I told the kind attendant it was just me and my husband tagging along to keep me company.
She was totally fine with that, and complimented me on my outfit and my skirt especially, which was super sweet of her!
When we were waiting for our turn to meet Vader, and he walks into the waiting area to get the next person, he realised Bert was about as tall as him.
So Vader and I take photos together, and the photographer asks if Bert wants to get into a photo too. And Bert is all, “no that’s ok, thank you for asking”.
To which Vader, I am not even joking, walks up to Bert and says “I will not be denied!”
So Bert went: “ok fine”.
Vader did immediately peg us as rebel scum (well he said he could sense we were rebel supporters so he was quite polite) though, so spot on.
I’m not sure whether he has a voice changing helmet and speaks both French and English fluently, or whether he has lines he can choose from somehow to make it seem that he’s actually properly interacting, but this Vader meet and greet was the best one yet!
Of course we also went to ride Star Tours!
I did have a gander in Star Traders afterwards, but they had nothing I really wanted so I didn't buy anything.
When we got out, we figured it would be about time to go find a spot for the parade at Town Square. Only we realised that the time the CM had given us was wrong, and the parade was nearing its final bit! Oops.
We did get some photos, but not very good ones, alas.
Bert had been wanting to buy a Rapunzel painting (well a framed limited edition print of a painting), and we went to have a look at Harringtons first to see if there were different paintings in (in case there was a new one he liked better), as well as look at the other art.
We didn’t buy any art there, but I did buy him three Frozen II pins. Because aside from Rapunzel, he also collects Elsa (and by collects I mean the same way I collect things: just getting the stuff of the character he likes).
I figured that even though we’d lose some park time, we might as well just go to Disney Village, buy the painting there and carry it to the hotel room, just so he’d be sure he had it.
On the way we stopped by World of Disney first, where I got Bert an Elsa ornament. The girl at the register was very surprised that it was for Bert and not for me, but she was an absolute sweetheart and as it wasn’t busy at all we spent some time talking to her. It’s still surprising that people are so baffled finding out a guy is into princesses though. Modern Disney princesses are generally strong women, so I can totally see their appeal to any and all genders.
Let me tell you, it was lucky that we did decide to go get the painting then, because it was the last one! (There might have been on in Harington’s I didn’t look for it, but last time we were there it had fingerprints on it because its in a spot everyone can just go and touch it. This one just had a layer of dust on it, which is much less of an issue than skin grease).
So painting in hands, we brought it to the hotel.
And obviously now it’s up in our living room (meaning Bert can not protest when I bring home a Hyperion print and a Rocketeer one :D).
What I did notice is that someone of the cleaning service had come back into our room, and sadly they had turned off the heating completely (stick with this post, trust me).
We also noticed that the free tiny bottles of conditioner and shampoo had been used by previous guests. Which wasn’t an issue for us, because we bring our own skin and haircare, but I can imagine that if someone was set on those little free souvenirs, or had not brought their own (or forgotten it), they’d be much more bothered than we were.
On the way back to the Disneyland Park, Bert said we should go have a look in Hotel New Port Bay Club as neither of us had ever been on property and it could be good to take photos and just look around. So we did.
It’s pretty and all that, but it’s not convincing us to pay more for it.
There’s no need anyway as we’re only ever in our room to proverbially sleep and shower anyway. We don’t spend nearly enough time in it to justify shelling out that much more money. I am considering paying more for the Cheyenne though, because the comfort of the Santa Fe is pretty sub-par.
We made it back to the park in time to grab a croissant at Cable Car Bake Shop and then still grab a curb space for the parade. But only just!
The light was so-so, as is to be expected from this time of year.
And snowp (soap snow) is officially THE DEVIL because it just kept on staining my glasses and lens, just urgh.
It’s pretty, but also pretty annoying at the same time. I’m not much of a fan I will admit. Neither was Bert.
Seeing we had made 6.30PM reservations to go eat at Chuck Wagon in Hotel Cheyenne, we left the park after the parade and made our way there for dinner. I did try my hand at night shots, but as I still haven’t figured out the settings on my camera, so alas, no luck.
Dinner at Cheyenne was lovely, as usual.
Also: the cheesecake you can chose as a dessert at the buffet is exactly like the cheesecake from the Christmas menu they serve at Hyperion. So if you’re just in it for the cake, and you’re having the buffet, well there you go :).
Of course, because I am an idiot, clearly, and I had misread the dates of the bonfire fireworks on Lake Disney, we totally missed out.
What we also missed out on was a warm room!
Because the cleaning person that had come in at some point between bag drop off and painting drop off, had turned off the heating.
Meaning our room was effectively a FRIDGE.
It also doesn’t help that the ventilation in the bathroom is permanently set to FREEZING.
So we had an ice cold room with an even colder bathroom.
And the only bedding we had was one thin summer type duvet.
Thankfully, we know the way of the French hotel room during colder times, and we had brought two single bed duvets from home (which of course, you can only do when you’re coming in by car).
Here’s my advice: even if you were allowed onto your room in the morning, go in after 3PM and make sure you turn on the heating full force.
You’ll still have a cold bathroom, but at least you’ll have a warm room.
And if you come in by car, bring an extra duvet. I am of course fully aware that people shouldn’t be doing any of these things because you first of all pay more than enough to receive a warm room and season appropriate bedding (and a decent mattress) but Disney doesn’t care as long as the € come in, so you can either do what we do, or be cold.
Thanks to us coming back to the room in the early evening, a few hours before going to bed, and having brought extra bedding, we were at least warm enough during the night, but yeah the bathroom pretty much remained a disaster temperature wise.
But hey at least this time the water managed to leave the bath tub after a shower (it’s a combo), not like last time :).
And that was our first day in Disneyland Paris! I know it probably sounds extremely uneventful, but we have an AP, and mostly go to photograph, so to us it was a lot of fun (minus the cold room, that was not on) and that’s what counts :).
Onwards to day two of the trip! :) All my photos from the trip are here.
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