[Towncar T]

Originally Posted by MickeyMcFizzle

Towncar T, you just made my day with that plethora of information! I thank you sooooo much!

That cruise sounds FABULOUS and I think I will definitely look at booking that. My husband would love it and it sounds so romantic.

You've given me so much info - I can't wait to get home and look at it all in mroe detail.

Thank you!!!!!

No problemo!

Here are two sites that I often use when booking hotels in Europe

Hotels, hotel reservations, from luxury to cheap hotels - venere.com

Book a hotel online with Accor Hotels

I like them both because you don't actually pay anything before you arrive, unless you get a special rate on Accor. You can generally cancel a day or so before and not pay anything. The hotel you're thinking of booking looks good though. Just thought you might like to see some more for comparison.

Let me know if you need some more info. What about getting from the airport to the park? Do you know into which airport you will be flying? Charles De Gaulle is most convenient for the parks.

[Towncar T]

Originally Posted by MickeyMcFizzle

I do speak some French - did French immersion in elementary school and some of it has stuck with me. Trsut me, I will definitely have my maple leaf sewn on somewhere.

Ok, I have 1 more question - do you have suggestions on the best way to see Paris? Is the "Paris Pass" worth it? Or the Museum Pass?

I missed that question.

We almost always do Paris on foot and only use the public transport if we are going anywhere out of the centre. Having said that, we love to just wander about for a while, take a coffee, then wander some more. We know we can hop on a one hour flight from our home city and be in Paris any time we like. You will be a bit more pressed for time than us, I imagine. Don't rush it though. Take your time and savour the sights and sounds. Make a loose plan. Detail the 'must sees' and make sure you get to them. There are still tons of things that we haven't seen/done in Paris. That's the beauty of the place. There's always something new around the corner.

Some highlights are:

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower

The river by night

Notre Dame Cathedral at any time, but particularly after 6pm when the crowds have dispersed.

The view over Paris from the steps of Sacre Coeur.

The view from the Place De La Concorde. Looking one way up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe and the other way through the Jardin Des Tuilieres to the Palais De La Louvre.

Soaking up the atmosphere in the Place De La Concorde and imagining all that has gone on right where you are standing. - The bloody scenes of execution as Madame La Guillotine went about her business during the revolution. The 1940 victory march of the German army as it strutted its vile, goose-stepping swagger while humiliated Frenchmen wept at the roadside. The 1944 liberation march of the victorious allied army as it marched, heads held high to celebrate the liberation of a nation's capital and the return of Charles De Gaulle from exile.

Sitting at a roadside cafe on the Champs Elysees, watching the world go by as you sip your coffee or Pastis, realising that you will have to re-mortgage your house when you get home in order to pay for it!

Experiencing your first Parisian 'shrug.'

Visiting the Disney store on the Champs Elysees.


These are a few of the things that spring to mind when I think about visiting Paris, although I threw in the Disney store thing just for you. Yes, it's really there! No doubt I'll think of more.

I love museums, but have visited only one, the French National Museum of Modern Art, housed in the Pompidou Centre. And that was only for my daughter's art project. Amazing building though. You can go into the lower floors to see the building without paying an entry fee. Personally, with only a couple of days or so, I wouldn't waste time on the inside of the museums, unless you are a real buff. And don't even think about the Louvre/Mona Lisa unless you want to waste a whole lot of time standing in line. These are the sort of things that you do if you have a week or more, in my view.

Your hotel is very near to the Forum Des Halles, which is one of the main shopping areas of Paris. It's an indoor mall, filled with all sorts of shops. Worth a look if you like to shop. The big department stores, or 'grands magasins' (like Galleries Lafayette) are a bit further away and are really only worth visiting if you don't have large, very expensive stores where you live.

Back later with some more.

[dixie]

Tom, you are terrific! I knew you'd help- hope you are well- Karen xx

[MickeyMcFizzle]

Towncar T, You Rock :-)

Mike and I finalized the plans last night for the most part. We may add 2 more days in, but its a maybe depending on a few factors - the main one being the amount of time we can get off work. We both work in the advertising industry, and May-June is the busiest time of the year for me work wise, with the television upfronts, etc.

Here are our plans:

Wed May 14: Depart Toronto @ 8:40 pm - overnight flight. Arrive Paris on Thu May 15 AM @ 9 am.

Here is the hotel we chose, where we will be staying for 3 nights from Thu May 15 - Sun May 18
L'EMPIRE PARIS ****

We are not making strict plans while we are in Paris, except for the romantic dinner cruise that Towncar T suggested to us. We will be doing that on Sat May 17 in the evening, and I can't wait!

We have a few "must-sees" in mind and will just play it by ear as to what we do and what our pace will be.

On Sun May 18 in the early evening, we are taking the 1 hour, 20 minute train ride to Brussels, where we will spend 2 evenings with my family,
Sun May 18 - Tues May 20.

I am sure they will be taking us around to the sights in Brussels. And I am sure we will get some delicious home cooking! One of my cousins from Belgium came to our wedding in Florida last May, so it will be great to see her again, this time on her side of the pond. We will stay at her home.

We are taking an early morning train back to Paris on the morning of Tuesday May 20, arriving in Paris at 8 am. We will head over to Disneyland Paris, and check in to our hotel.

*This is the only thing I'm not sure of yet - we cant decide on a hotel! We are going to figure it out very soon though. Its going to either be the Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Hotel New York, or Disney's Sequoia Lodge.

After arriving and dropping off baggage, we are going to go over to the Studios for the day. We hope to get there by about noon and spend the entire afternoon and early evening there.

We hope to do the Wild West Show that evening at Disney Village, and wander around the village later that evening.

On Wed May 21st, we will be officially married for 1 year!
We will spend the day at Disneyland park and hopefully book a really nice dinner to celebrate I am sure we will reminisce about a year ago that we were walking around the Boardwalk at WDW in our wedding gear

We may add a day in to the Paris part, and the Disneyland part depending on work.

But either way, it will be a great anniversary.

Now I just need to get myself ready to fly, which is always a terrible ordeal for me. But it will be worth it!

Thanks for letting me share

[Cosmicwaves]

Sounds amazing McFiz! You'll have an amazing time, and I can't wait to hear all about it!

[Towncar T]

Originally Posted by MickeyMcFizzle

Towncar T, You Rock :-)

Mike and I finalized the plans last night for the most part. We may add 2 more days in, but its a maybe depending on a few factors - the main one being the amount of time we can get off work. We both work in the advertising industry, and May-June is the busiest time of the year for me work wise, with the television upfronts, etc.

Here are our plans:

Wed May 14: Depart Toronto @ 8:40 pm - overnight flight. Arrive Paris on Thu May 15 AM @ 9 am.

Here is the hotel we chose, where we will be staying for 3 nights from Thu May 15 - Sun May 18
L'EMPIRE PARIS ****

We are not making strict plans while we are in Paris, except for the romantic dinner cruise that Towncar T suggested to us. We will be doing that on Sat May 17 in the evening, and I can't wait!

We have a few "must-sees" in mind and will just play it by ear as to what we do and what our pace will be.

On Sun May 18 in the early evening, we are taking the 1 hour, 20 minute train ride to Brussels, where we will spend 2 evenings with my family,
Sun May 18 - Tues May 20.

I am sure they will be taking us around to the sights in Brussels. And I am sure we will get some delicious home cooking! One of my cousins from Belgium came to our wedding in Florida last May, so it will be great to see her again, this time on her side of the pond. We will stay at her home.

We are taking an early morning train back to Paris on the morning of Tuesday May 20, arriving in Paris at 8 am. We will head over to Disneyland Paris, and check in to our hotel.

*This is the only thing I'm not sure of yet - we cant decide on a hotel! We are going to figure it out very soon though. Its going to either be the Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Hotel New York, or Disney's Sequoia Lodge.

After arriving and dropping off baggage, we are going to go over to the Studios for the day. We hope to get there by about noon and spend the entire afternoon and early evening there.

We hope to do the Wild West Show that evening at Disney Village, and wander around the village later that evening.

On Wed May 21st, we will be officially married for 1 year!
We will spend the day at Disneyland park and hopefully book a really nice dinner to celebrate I am sure we will reminisce about a year ago that we were walking around the Boardwalk at WDW in our wedding gear

We may add a day in to the Paris part, and the Disneyland part depending on work.

But either way, it will be a great anniversary.

Now I just need to get myself ready to fly, which is always a terrible ordeal for me. But it will be worth it!

Thanks for letting me share

Sounds fantastic. What a way to spend your first anniversary! I'm pretty sure you can get a train direct from Brussels to Disneyland Paris (Marne La Vallee-Chessy). It's either the TGV or Eurostar. Check it out. The train station at DLRP brings you out at Disney Village and is no more than a five minute walk to any of the three hotels you mention. Make sure your suitcases are the type with wheels. There are also buses to each hotel and they stop right behind the station, so you don't really have to lug your cases anywhere.

Think about the Blue Lagoon for your anniversary dinner. It is really nice, and if you are a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean then it will be right up your street. You would be able to see the restaurant when you ride 'Pirates' as it is just there on your left after the boat leaves the boarding area and comes through a short tunnel into the ride itself. There are other nice restaurants, like the walt Disney one mentioned, but the romantic ambience of the Blue Lagoon would be just right in my opinion. If you tell them in advance that it is a special anniversary, they will probably give you a nice table. The whole restaurant is themed like it is at the edge of a beautiful, moonlit lagoon. Obviously you don't need to dress up as the restaurant is in the park. But I guess you could if you wanted to.

Disney Village is fairly lively in the evening. It's a bit like Downtown Disney, but only about a fifth of the size. Plenty of bars and even a nigtclub (Hurricane's) if that's your thing. There is a Planet Hollywood restaurant and some other middle of the road eateries. We like Billy Bob's for a quick, filling meal. Definitely not for your anniversary meal though. Nowhere near swanky enough.

[MickeyMcFizzle]

I definitely think Blue Lagoon is the way to go. It sounds lovely!

The Blue Lagoon and the Paris Night Cruise will be our "anniversary" events. Yay!

Thanks for the info on the train to DLRP from Brussels. That will definitely make a difference!

[Towncar T]

Originally Posted by MickeyMcFizzle

I definitely think Blue Lagoon is the way to go. It sounds lovely!

The Blue Lagoon and the Paris Night Cruise will be our "anniversary" events. Yay!

Thanks for the info on the train to DLRP from Brussels. That will definitely make a difference!

Cool. Now that you seem sorted I'll sign off again. Au revoir!!

[unamadreditre]

Originally Posted by MickeyMcFizzle

I definitely think Blue Lagoon is the way to go. It sounds lovely!

The Blue Lagoon and the Paris Night Cruise will be our "anniversary" events. Yay!

Thanks for the info on the train to DLRP from Brussels. That will definitely make a difference!

Your trip sounds like the perfect Anniversary!! It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since you got married. It doesn't seem that long ago I was reading your wedding trip report.

I can't wait to hear all about it in your anniversary trip report.

I hope someday there will be a DLP trip in my future, but until then I will have to just live vicariously through yours.

[MickeyMcFizzle]

Originally Posted by Towncar T

Cool. Now that you seem sorted I'll sign off again. Au revoir!!

Thanks for all your help. I'll be sure to PM you if I need more info!

[MickeyMcFizzle]

Originally Posted by unamadreditre

Your trip sounds like the perfect Anniversary!! It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since you got married. It doesn't seem that long ago I was reading your wedding trip report.

I can't wait to hear all about it in your anniversary trip report.

I hope someday there will be a DLP trip in my future, but until then I will have to just live vicariously through yours.

I know. Time has flown by!
Is it silly to say I miss my wedding preparation? Getting married at Disney was one of the coolest things I could have ever imagined - it was a dream come true for me, and I'm sad that its over after all of the excitement and anticipation I felt.

Soon Michael and I want to start a family, so we are trying to take advantage of the means to do this kind of thing while we can. DLP is probably going to only be a one time thing for us, so may as well do it while we can!

Because once we have kids - I doubt it will be this carefree, or affordable for us to do, for many many years!

[unamadreditre]

Originally Posted by MickeyMcFizzle

I know. Time has flown by!
Is it silly to say I miss my wedding preparation? Getting married at Disney was one of the coolest things I could have ever imagined - it was a dream come true for me, and I'm sad that its over after all of the excitement and anticipation I felt.

Soon Michael and I want to start a family, so we are trying to take advantage of the means to do this kind of thing while we can. DLP is probably going to only be a one time thing for us, so may as well do it while we can!

Because once we have kids - I doubt it will be this carefree, or affordable for us to do, for many many years!

I'm trying to do things backwards from your plan. DH and I started our family the first year we were married. Now were are waiting for them to fly the nest so we can get all of our traveling in.

We spent our first anniversary out to dinner with a newborn on the floor next to the table.

I think I would have liked your plan better

[Ytreza]

What a great New !
I hope you'll enjoy your trip at Disneyland Resort Paris.

And If you want some help or informations about the resort and attractions, donc hesitate to ask me by PM too. I'm living next from the resort.

Special hi to Towncar T :)

A+

[Towncar T]

Originally Posted by Ytreza

What a great New !
I hope you'll enjoy your trip at Disneyland Resort Paris.

And If you want some help or informations about the resort and attractions, donc hesitate to ask me by PM too. I'm living next from the resort.

Special hi to Towncar T :)

A+

Salut, Thomas. Ca va? Pas encore en Aix en Provence? Pas du soleil a Paris? A bientot.

[unamadreditre]

Originally Posted by Towncar T

Salut, Thomas. Ca va? Pas encore en Aix en Provence? Pas du soleil a Paris? A bientot.

AWWWWWWW...............showoff!!