An American in Disneyland Paris About This Page:

[chezp]

Originally Posted by PrincessSharon

Yes, I did notice that. It was especially difficult for me when I was alone, because it was harder to keep people from getting ahead of me. The queues are much wider (they fit 3 or 4 people across). And I learned on the Backstage Magic tour I took at WDW that Europeans don't need as much personal space as we Americans, so they stand much closer together in the queues (and consequently, when the park first opened, this caused the wait time estimates to be off by a lot!)

I didn't even attempt to get photos with characters because of the behavior I witnessed (and if I had attempted, I'm sure some random kid would be half in the frame anyway). They would take turns (though not necessarily in order of who got there first ), but they didn't go out of their way to make sure they weren't obstructing your photo.

This was something I feared not just at DLP, but in the city of Paris as well. From talking to Chez, I learned that much of London has gone smoke-free, so I knew it wouldn't be that much of an issue there (and it wasn't). Surprisingly, it was a whole lot better than I expected in Paris and DLP. I had fears of people smoking in queue lines and such, but I can say that I wasn't bothered by smoke the entire time I was there. It's possible that I was just lucky, though, and rather than smokers I ran into lots of oddballs.

I just wanted to comment on some of your comments! I'd be interested to hear from Sabine from a German point of view, but I don't buy the comment at all about Europeans needing less personal space than the Americans. : I think the British and the Americans certainly like about the same amount from all my visits across the pond over the years. And of course, the British LOVE to queue in an orderly fashion - it's what we're known for.

So sad to hear things are no better with the characters. That is such a shame. But at least your comments about the smoking were more positive than our previous experiences. I hope it wasn't just luck and that things are improving on that count there.

[Disneybine]

Well, what can I say. Personally, I like my personal space a lot - thank you very much! Also, I don't skip in line, don't smoke, and am not rude when trying to get a character's autograph. So obviously, it's hard to generalize. However, I have to agree that on average, Germans tend to behave less considerate towards others in crowds. Skipping in line is just one of those things that, unfortunately, often keep me away from amusement parks over here.

I wish Disney would take action at DLP, though. They could start by establishing orderly lines for the characters and banning smoking in the parks completely.

[karadisney]

Looking forward to another great trip report. You should be on Passporter staff. Period.[/quote]
YES! I really enjoyed reading and seeing all of the cool stuff you got to do through Disney Adventures. I loved the views from the London eye and all of the neat pins and attention to detail on everything! I look forward to reading about your next adventure. Thanks so much for sharing your vacations with us!