Adventures by Disney- London/Paris with DLP add on? About This Page:

[MyRapunzal]

Has anyone ever done this adventure?

We saw it on the exit magical express video when we were leaving WDW a few weeks ago and I fell in love with the idea of a London/Paris honeymoon. I thought, how great would that be- and on the website it says you can add on an optional excursion to DLP. That would be a whole new kind of Disneymoon if you asked me!

Just hoping someone on hear had done this and had some input!

Thanks,
Melissa

[marisag]

I have never personally done it - but I have heard WONDERFUL things about it!!

Actually, I have heard great things about all Adventures By Disney trips.

If you can swing it I would definitely do it. Paris and London would be great places to spend your honeymoon

[chezp]

I've also heard wonderful things about the London / Paris Adventure by Disney. You really couldn't find two more wonderful cities for your honeymoon.

[Disneybine]

I haven't done the Adventures by Disney thing but I've been to both cities and DLP. I love London - soooo much to do, very cool places for shopping, lots of nightime entertainment. Great! Paris is supposed to be the "city of love" and lots of people think it's perfect for a honeymoon, too. Personally, I think Paris is dirty, loud and crowded but that's just me. The Eiffel Tower is beautiful, though.

Now DLP is a whole other story It's the first Disney park I've went to so I might be a tad biased. I think DLP is a very different experience from WDW and DL Anaheim. It feels like it's geared more towards a younger crowd. I love Space Mountain: Mission 2 (totally different from the Space Mountains in the U.S.), Big Thunder Mountain is better, too, and they just opened a few new attractions that can't be found at any other Disney resort. However, DLP is a lot smaller than WDW. It focuses more on the theme parks than on the resorts. While at WDW, you can easily spend two weeks (and spend a good amount of time outside the theme parks), DLP can be done in 2 to 5 days. I like the resort hotels at DLP, too, but I have to admit that the ones at WDW are way better. Although Sequoia Lodge at DLP comes close.

Hope this helps!

[MyRapunzal]

Originally Posted by Disneybine

I haven't done the Adventures by Disney thing but I've been to both cities and DLP. I love London - soooo much to do, very cool places for shopping, lots of nightime entertainment. Great! Paris is supposed to be the "city of love" and lots of people think it's perfect for a honeymoon, too. Personally, I think Paris is dirty, loud and crowded but that's just me. The Eiffel Tower is beautiful, though.

Now DLP is a whole other story It's the first Disney park I've went to so I might be a tad biased. I think DLP is a very different experience from WDW and DL Anaheim. It feels like it's geared more towards a younger crowd. I love Space Mountain: Mission 2 (totally different from the Space Mountains in the U.S.), Big Thunder Mountain is better, too, and they just opened a few new attractions that can't be found at any other Disney resort. However, DLP is a lot smaller than WDW. It focuses more on the theme parks than on the resorts. While at WDW, you can easily spend two weeks (and spend a good amount of time outside the theme parks), DLP can be done in 2 to 5 days. I like the resort hotels at DLP, too, but I have to admit that the ones at WDW are way better. Although Sequoia Lodge at DLP comes close.

Hope this helps!

Since you have been to both cities... here is the itinerary as posted on the website...
What do you think? Am I seeing the best stuff? Would we be missing anything? Anyone else who has input would be greatly appreciated also!

Day 1
Arrive in London
After you pass through customs, meet an Adventures by Disney representative who will assist with your luggage. Relax as a driver whisks your family away to the hotel.
Renaissance Chancery Court London
Unwind from your flight as your Adventure Guides handle your hotel check-in. Just relax and take it all in! This glamorous, award-winning hotel with regal decor is your home in the heart of the city.
Welcome Reception
Meet the other families that will share the adventure! After a festive cocktail reception, gather 'round for an authentic British feast that will kick off a week touring two truly magical cities!
Meal Included: Dinner

Day 2
Double Decker Bus Tour
Climb onboard our own classic motor coach and see the city from a rooftop view. This is a traffic-stopping city tour you will never forget!
Westminster Abbey
See the stage of coronations, royal weddings and countless historical events. This cathedral is more than an architectural masterpiece — it also tells a thousand tales.
Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guards
Secured by stoic guards in crisp red coats and towering fur hats, this palace is home to the most fascinating families in history. Revel in the splendid tradition of the changing of the guards, a spectacle your family will never forget.
English Tea Luncheon
Share a British tradition that has lasted for generations: a proper English tea. Sample fine delicacies, sip steaming cups of tea and relax with your family at a civilized and enchanting meal.
Pre-Theater Dinner at SoHo House
The theater district, busting with trendy restaurants and street performers, is the perfect setting for a pre-show meal.
See Disney / Mackintosh Theatrical Production "Mary Poppins"
This high-flying, Broadway-style musical extravaganza has been a smash West End hit — and Adventures by Disney has the best seats in the house!
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3
Tower of London Tour
Discover the riddled past of this foreboding fortress! Over the ages, this tower has been guardian of the Crown Jewels, home to ravens and beasts, prison to the famous and infamous, and an execution stage for fallen leaders.
Lunch at New Armories Restaurant
Dine with your family and fellow adventurers within the Tower's inner sanctum.
Afternoon in London
Today, take your pick of afternoon activities, like shopping at Harrods, discovering the treasures of the magnificent British Museum or riding the British Airways sky-scraping London Eye! You can even take the kids to visit the famous statue of Peter Pan!
Dinner in London
From exotic ethnic cuisine to fine dining, the city has something to offer everyone. Your Adventure Guides will be happy to help you find the perfect meal!
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4
Walk in Lincoln's Inn Fields
Start a day full of history and intrigue with a guided tour of the most legendary public square in London. From public beheadings to scenes from Dickens' novels, there's many a story to tell!
First-class Eurostar Train Ride from London to Paris
Country-hop on a speedy and modern train that shoots under the English Channel through the Chunnel! A mere three hours later, your family will emerge in the magnificent City of Lights. Bonjour!
Arrive at Hilton Arc de Triomphe
Steps away from the Champs Elyseés, this magnificent hotel has enchanting Art Deco décor and modern amenities. Make yourself at home in the cradle of the arts!
Parisian Walking Tour
Take in some of Paris' most famous sites and watch the magical City of Lights unfold before your very eyes!
Welcome Dinner in Paris
There's a reason that the French are so famous for their delectable cuisine! Tonight, gather together with your fellow adventurers for a gourmet meal.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5
Nôtre Dame Cathedral
Begin your visit of Paris at this mythical cathedral with flying buttresses, soaring spires and lots of gargoyles! Our adventure tells the stories of this architectural masterpiece — including the tale of the legendary hunchback, Quasimodo!
Lunch in the Eiffel Tower
Soar up towards the stars for a sky-high dining experience your family will never forget! Today, float over the city and share the meal of a lifetime inside the Eiffel Tower!
Afternoon in Paris
Whether you choose to explore the bohemia of Montmartre, exquisite Parisian boutiques, magical parks or treasure-laden museums, there are countless adventures to explore in this enchanting city.
Family Dinner in Paris
From gourmet dining rooms to charming cafés, crépe stands to bistros, the perfect family meal awaits in Paris. Your Adventure Guides can assist you in choosing the perfect venue for a family meal to remember.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6
Early Bird City Walk
Take a leisurely stroll with an Adventure Guide as the City of Lights awakes. What stories and legends will be learned today?
Adults' Guided Tour / Jr. Adventurers' Play Art Detective at the Louvre
It would take more than a lifetime to experience this museum! So, follow an expert art historian as he or she illuminates the world's greatest masterpieces — including the enigmatic Mona Lisa. Meanwhile, kids will love discovering famous art works on an interactive scavenger hunt through the museum.
Afternoon in Paris
Take your free time this afternoon to shop in chic boutiques, meander though marvelous museums or ride on one of the city's charming carousels. Your Adventure Guides can help you plan your perfect family afternoon in the city!
Dinner on Your Own
Now is the chance to venture out and enjoy life like the locals do! Your Adventure Guides will help you find a wonderful restaurant for a special family dinner.
Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 7
A Day at the Sun Kings' Chateau — Versailles
Spend a day in the lap of luxury! Travel to Versailles to see how the infamous Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette lived in spectacular grandeur!
Chateau de Versailles
Dazzle your senses in this fairytale palace, with gilt ceilings, crystal chandeliers, ornate furniture and the famous Hall of Mirrors.
Lunch at La Flotille
This casual restaurant lies in the heart of the dramatic Formal Gardens. Grab a bite and explore the Garden's famous fountains of Neptune and Apollo.
Bike Around Versailles
Ride across the winding paths of the palace grounds and discover sweeping vistas, twinkling fountains and trees pruned into elaborate sculptures.
Farewell Dinner
Celebrate at your own private Parisian feast with some surprise entertainment! This extravagant dinner party will cap off a week of adventures to remember!
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8
Breakfast at the Hotel
Bid farewell to all of your fellow adventurers, and enjoy one last meal in Paris.
Transfer to Airport
Board private, pre-arranged transportation to the airport and say "au revoir" until you return again!
Meal Included: Breakfast

Day 9 & 10
Continue to Disneyland® Resort Paris
You have the option to extend your trip for a day or two and visit the enchanting Theme Park, Disneyland® Resort Paris! (Not included in trip price.)

[chezp]

Let me see if I can help, as I'm pretty familiar with both London and Paris - especially London, as it's right on my doorstep!

I think they've fitted in as much as they can in what is a very limited time in London. It's probably a good idea, if you go for this, to think very carefully about how you'd like to spend your spare afternoon - I can recommend the London Eye and also you want to allow some shopping time! I'm not sure you'll get to see Mary Poppins though, as I've heard the West End show is closing soon.

As for Paris, I love that itinerary! Versailles is absolutely stunning and it's good to see that in there. You've got everything in there that I'd plan to see in a few days and again, if you give some thought to what you want to do during your free time (I would personally suggest a boat trip down the Seine, so romantic! ) then I think you can see a couple of other things along the way.

All in all, I don't think you'll be disappointed with that itinerary.

[Disneybine]

Double Decker Bus Tour - You just HAVE to do that while you're in London!

I love Buckingham Palace and it was fun watching the changing of the guards.

I'd definitely spend the free afternoon shopping! Make sure you check out Harrods and Trafalgar Square.

I think Disney covers the most important sights in London. Since you only have so little time there, that's really all you can do. And it's all pre-arranged so you won't have to worry about getting around.

Also VERY cool that you get to go through the Eurotunnel!

The Hilton hotel is right "in the middle of the action" so that's a plus. Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower (worth going up to the top, IMO) - sounds good. Montmartre (as suggested) would be a nice choice for your free afternoon. Or you could spend some time strolling along the Champs d'Elisee. Also, you wanna spend some time shopping in Paris. The Louvre - worth checking out (if only from the outside for those - like me - who are not into art that much). We had breakfast at Centre Pompidou (right beside the Louvre) once which we enjoyed.

I've never been to Versailles myself but I've heard it's one of if not THE most beautiful castle in all of Europe. That's one place I wanna go sometime, too.

Finally, DLP: Is it worth staying the extra two days? DEFINITELY! Especially since you've flown all the way from the U.S. to Europe anyways and one week is awefully short...

[Politzania]

Hmm.. DH and I are in the preliminary stages of planning a London/Paris/DLP trip next year - probably in the Sept/Oct timeframe. We've looked at the Adventures by Disney offerings, but there's also things we want to do on our own, such as visit Normandy, do a day trip from London out to the countryside and spend 3 days at DLP -- plus I'm not 100% convinced the Disney touch is worth the extra $$$.

I've also looked at the Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door tours - any experience with those? We'd still have to plan day trips & DLP part separately.

Hotels are one big concern of ours - where should we be looking (and how much should we plan to spend) if we want the equivalent of a WDW value resort room or Holiday Inn/Hampton Inn type room? Is the Ibis chain more or less equivalent?

[chezp]

Having stayed in an Ibis, I'd say they're pretty similar to Hampton Inns. We enjoyed our stay in one in Brussels.

[MyRapunzal]

Originally Posted by Politzania

Hmm.. DH and I are in the preliminary stages of planning a London/Paris/DLP trip next year - probably in the Sept/Oct timeframe. We've looked at the Adventures by Disney offerings, but there's also things we want to do on our own, such as visit Normandy, do a day trip from London out to the countryside and spend 3 days at DLP -- plus I'm not 100% convinced the Disney touch is worth the extra $$$.

I've also looked at the Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door tours - any experience with those? We'd still have to plan day trips & DLP part separately.

Hotels are one big concern of ours - where should we be looking (and how much should we plan to spend) if we want the equivalent of a WDW value resort room or Holiday Inn/Hampton Inn type room? Is the Ibis chain more or less equivalent?

I know how you feel about the Disney touch... is it worth the money? I haven't done that much pricing since we have a couple years to go BUT I know the all inclusive WDW packages are worth the extra money to me everytime. A lot of meals are included and I don't have to deal with finding a descent hotel and comparing prices-- I would just be able to go to a hotel that I know in advance is great. Its worth the money for me but to each his own.

Originally Posted by Disneybine

Double Decker Bus Tour - You just HAVE to do that while you're in London!

I love Buckingham Palace and it was fun watching the changing of the guards.

I'd definitely spend the free afternoon shopping! Make sure you check out Harrods and Trafalgar Square.

I think Disney covers the most important sights in London. Since you only have so little time there, that's really all you can do. And it's all pre-arranged so you won't have to worry about getting around.

Also VERY cool that you get to go through the Eurotunnel!

The Hilton hotel is right "in the middle of the action" so that's a plus. Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower (worth going up to the top, IMO) - sounds good. Montmartre (as suggested) would be a nice choice for your free afternoon. Or you could spend some time strolling along the Champs d'Elisee. Also, you wanna spend some time shopping in Paris. The Louvre - worth checking out (if only from the outside for those - like me - who are not into art that much). We had breakfast at Centre Pompidou (right beside the Louvre) once which we enjoyed.

I've never been to Versailles myself but I've heard it's one of if not THE most beautiful castle in all of Europe. That's one place I wanna go sometime, too.

Finally, DLP: Is it worth staying the extra two days? DEFINITELY! Especially since you've flown all the way from the U.S. to Europe anyways and one week is awefully short...

Is DLP doable in two days? I don't want to jip myself but a 10 day vacation seems
like its not to short and not to long. I am so glad the itinerary looks so good.

Originally Posted by chezp

Let me see if I can help, as I'm pretty familiar with both London and Paris - especially London, as it's right on my doorstep!

I think they've fitted in as much as they can in what is a very limited time in London. It's probably a good idea, if you go for this, to think very carefully about how you'd like to spend your spare afternoon - I can recommend the London Eye and also you want to allow some shopping time! I'm not sure you'll get to see Mary Poppins though, as I've heard the West End show is closing soon.

As for Paris, I love that itinerary! Versailles is absolutely stunning and it's good to see that in there. You've got everything in there that I'd plan to see in a few days and again, if you give some thought to what you want to do during your free time (I would personally suggest a boat trip down the Seine, so romantic! ) then I think you can see a couple of other things along the way.

All in all, I don't think you'll be disappointed with that itinerary.

I wasn't all that excited about Mary Poppins since she is currently on Broadway here in New York and I may see it this winter here. Thanks for the heads up though. And I am sure that would change by the time we would go anyhow. What is the London Eye? A friend mentioned that to me when I asked her about this trip and I felt like too much of a newb to ask her what it was! lol!

[Disneybine]

Well, I'm sure you could do DLP in two days. I have to say, though, that my "rule of thumb" for vacations that involve a long-distance flight is to never go for less than two weeks. I don't know how well you cope with the jet lag but I'm always a little off the first two days so that really only leaves 12 days of "good" vacation time anyways then.

BTW, due to the time difference and the looooooong flight , you loose a day (so to speak) when you fly to Europe (like, you'll leave on a Saturday morning and arrive on Sunday morning, for example). When flying from Europe to the States, it's like departing in the morning and arriving (late) in the evening on the same day. Depends on where in the U.S. you're flying from, of course. Anyways, that means you spend pretty much two full days just travelling. Just something to keep in mind. If it weren't for that stupid time difference and the endless hours on the plane, I'd be travelling to the States a lot more often!

[MyRapunzal]

I thought London was only a 5 hour time difference from NY? I though it would take us about 6 hours plus the 5 hour time difference so it would only be a half day? Eek!

[Disneybine]

Hm, well, I didn't realize you're in NY. You're right about the 5 hours time difference (I live in Germany, so that's +6 hours) and if you take a direct flight, yeah, the flight will probably only take 6 hours. But you have to factor in those 2 to 3 hours you have to be at the airport before the plane leaves, then it takes another 1/2 to 1 hour to get your luggage and everything in London.

In my calculation, I was referring to our last trip to WDW. We had a lay-over in Atlanta and Orlando is further away than NY. Did I mention that I hate to be on a plane for 9 hours straight???

BUT, don't let all of this discourage you from traveling to Europe!!! The trip itself makes the suffering worth while. I mean, after all, I keep coming back to the States, too Still, if at all possible, I'd try to make it two weeks total. You won't regret it!

[chezp]

Originally Posted by MyRapunzal

And I am sure that would change by the time we would go anyhow. What is the London Eye? A friend mentioned that to me when I asked her about this trip and I felt like too much of a newb to ask her what it was! lol!

The London Eye is essentially a huge wheel with capsules on it. It's right by the Thames, near Westminster and offers some stunning views over London. Amongst the places you can see are the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and the river and the bridges over - depending how clear the day is you go up. It's a unique perspective over a beautiful city.

[MyRapunzal]

Originally Posted by Disneybine

Hm, well, I didn't realize you're in NY. You're right about the 5 hours time difference (I live in Germany, so that's +6 hours) and if you take a direct flight, yeah, the flight will probably only take 6 hours. But you have to factor in those 2 to 3 hours you have to be at the airport before the plane leaves, then it takes another 1/2 to 1 hour to get your luggage and everything in London.

In my calculation, I was referring to our last trip to WDW. We had a lay-over in Atlanta and Orlando is further away than NY. Did I mention that I hate to be on a plane for 9 hours straight???

BUT, don't let all of this discourage you from traveling to Europe!!! The trip itself makes the suffering worth while. I mean, after all, I keep coming back to the States, too Still, if at all possible, I'd try to make it two weeks total. You won't regret it!

Well, that makes me feel much better. Plus I have a couple years to prepare and brace myself! Luckily, since I live in NY we have easy access to alot of airports and can usually find a direct flight whereever we want to go, even if that means driving the hour it takes to get to NYC. Thanks for all the info... I may not have factored that in later if I didn't know ahead of time.

Originally Posted by chezp

The London Eye is essentially a huge wheel with capsules on it. It's right by the Thames, near Westminster and offers some stunning views over London. Amongst the places you can see are the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and the river and the bridges over - depending how clear the day is you go up. It's a unique perspective over a beautiful city.

That is really awesome! I just looked at your link and want to go right now! lol!