Day 3 at Disneyland Paris, and we are having a fantastic time despite the title of today’s blog. However, it would be inaccurate to suggest everything at Disneyland Paris is great. It isn’t, and in certain areas, Disneyland Paris is a bit rubbish! For balance in tomorrow’s post, we will discuss what is great about the resort, but we will discuss the less than satisfactory aspects for today’s review.
Yesterday was a manic day, traveling around the parks from Early Morning Magic Hours until park closing. We only had several fairly short breaks during the day, and today regretted this decision. After a crazy day, we completed today at a much slower pace due to “park burnout.” In addition, the crowds today felt much larger than yesterday.
Late October is one of the busiest times of the year at Disneyland Paris and, in regular times, is even busier than most summer weeks. Disneyland Paris has always celebrated Halloween, and 2021 is no different. All French schools are off during this period for the All Saints’ break, and in addition, other countries have school holidays, including the United Kingdom. However, The All Saints’ break has become an incredibly popular period for French families to enjoy Disneyland Paris. As social distancing measures in France have been relaxed, the popularity of visiting Disneyland Paris has returned.
During busy times at Disneyland Paris, some of the resort’s many faults become more evident to guests. These are some of the reasons we discovered today that suggest Disneyland Paris is a bit rubbish:
There are no new attractions
Apart from a few shows, there haven’t been any big new attractions in Disneyland Paris for several years. Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast was the last completely new “big” attraction at Disneyland Park in 2006. Since then, the new version of Star Tours, a “pimp up” of Space Mountain, and Mickey’s PhilharMagic has replaced a previous 4D film.
The Studios is undergoing a multi-year transformation, but the first big new attractions will not open until 2022. The plans for the transformation look superb and will make Disneyland Paris a must-do location. However, 2021’s “new attraction” Cars: Road Trip would struggle to hit anyone’s must-do list.
Fastpass has been replaced with Premier Access
Disneyland Paris, like other Disney Parks, has got rid of its version of Fastpass. In its place is Premier Access, a very expensive pay-per-ride express lane. Prices for Premier Access are ridiculously expensive, and currently, most people are ignoring its existence. However, this does mean everyone is now joining the Standby Line instead. The Standby line wasn’t designed for the number of guests now using it and is regularly extending into walkways.
Crowd management is poor
Disneyland Paris has never managed crowds well. Empty spaces on rides with long lines is sadly a regular event. Long lines at counter service restaurants are also a regular event. However, even getting into the park on a busy day can be a difficult experience. Crowd Management is something other Disney Parks do a lot better!
Waiting times are unreliable
It seems Disney puts up a random waiting time at most attractions. The times this week have been usually significantly longer than the advertised wait. In the United States, an unwritten rule is that the advertised waiting time is usually slightly exaggerated. At Disneyland Paris, it is rarely helpful.
Attractions open at random times
Park opening does not mean opening the opening of all attractions. In fact, some attractions don’t open until a couple of hours after park opening. Also, many of the smaller attractions close several hours before park closure.
Attractions regularly close down
This week many attractions have been closed at regular intervals. Buzz Lightyear and Hyperspace Mountain appear to have had terrible weeks. However, you would struggle to find an attraction that hasn’t been at least once temporarily closed. We have started to wonder whether Disneyland Paris closes attractions when the Standby Line has become too long.
The Disneyland Paris App is rubbish
Disneyland Paris IT isn’t great, and the App is fairly useless. My Disney Experience is in a different league.
Snack choices are limited
Snacks at Disneyland Paris used to be rubbish. Today, snacks are of much better quality, but there isn’t a lot of choices. However, improvement is slowly being made.
Don’t visit Disneyland Paris if you have a food allergy
Disneyland Paris isn’t great for food allergies. While Disneyland Paris has allergy-friendly menus, these are preprepared meals. I suspect any meal that does not contain 14 common food allergens is, at best, a little bland.
Make sure you check tomorrow’s point when we give an alternative opinion on why Disneyland Paris is brilliant.
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