Guest Post: Disneyland Paris Planning with Nine, Part 1: Questions

So, as some of you may have gathered by now, my family and I holiday in France each year. We are lucky enough to own an old farmhouse in a quaint little hamlet called Doussac, right in the middle of the rural countryside. We love this family time and you can read more about my previous experiences of French travel with a baby/toddler here...

But next year we are going to add some something extra to our time in the farmhouse. Back in 2007 we went to Paris and although I enjoyed seeing the Eiffel Tower and The Louvre, like any Disney nut, I wanted to go to Disneyland, Paris (DLP). As we were only in France for a few days we just did not have time, so I consoled myself with a visit to The Disney Store.

However, my in-laws have suggested that in 2012, we have a dry run for our WDW trip in 2014, the first with Tink who will be 2.5 years when we go to DLP and just over 4 when we go to WDW. So, we'll be spending some time at DLP during our annual trip across The Channel.

Although the planning will not be quite as intrinsic as a Trans-Atlantic jaunt, there are still many things to look into and decisions to be made, as although Euro Disney, now known as DLP has been around for over 15 years, I have yet to visit. As you may have realised from former posts, I don't just love Disney, I ADORE the USA. Therefore I'd much rather get my Mickey fix by travelling to Florida. However, finances again have reared their ugly head, meaning that belts must be tightened and the almost yearly trip across the pond will be on a hiatus until 2014.

Anyway, back to DLP. When should we go? We usually take our family holiday the 2nd week of July to coincide with Bastille Day on July 14th, known as Fete National in France. But when should we fit our "vacation within a vacation" in? Because it takes over 4 hours to travel to Paris from the farmhouse in Doussac, it would need to be at either the beginning or end of the trip.
How long do we stay? It's too far to do as just a day trip, but would two days and one night be enough with travelling too?

Where should we stay? I'd love to stay on-site, but the hotels are quite expensive and the rest of the family won't be too bothered by the theming. I'm hoping to persuade them about the location, and therefore show time saving and less walking/driving to and from.

Where will we eat? The French don't have a lot of choice for a veggie usually.

Is it worth doing both Parks with a toddler? DLP has Disneyland Park which is similar to the Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney Studios, like Hollywood Studios.

Be sure to check in as I work through these choices and progress with my planning in greater detail. I will be sharing my thoughts and taking you through my decision making process. I hope that you'll enjoy learning about DLP as much as I will, and please feel free to leave any comments or advice on the blog.

See ya real soon!!!


Contributed by Janine P. of Swindon, England. She is a proud wife, mommy to Felicity and one of our Minnie Moms.

Guest Post: Toddler Travel Isn't Easy

This year saw our second trip to stay with my husband's aunt in an old farmhouse in the middle of rural France with Tink in tow. She is now 18 months and loves being outdoors. She can be something of a handful. It was a completely different type of holiday from last year. Then she was only 6 months old, still nursing full time and sleeping every couple of hours. So everything we did revolved around nap times and feed times and because of her age everyone was extremely accommodating.

This year she is a toddler. She still nurses and she still doesn't sleep too well. But at 18 months, I found this was not tolerated quite as well and we were expected to fit in more around everyone else's schedule. I found this quite difficult. At home I pander to her every need. Maybe I shouldn't, but I do. Especially during the week when daddy is at work, our schedule is based on what Tink wants. If I'm meant to be meeting a friend for coffee, and she hasn't had her nap and is playing up i.e. won't sit in her buggy or high chair, then I cancel. For the sake of her happiness for such a short time of her life, I'm ok with this.

But spending a lot of money on a holiday with grandparents and a great-aunt meant it was much harder for me to say, "No thanks, we'll just stay in today, you guys go without us."

I can't be the only person who has been through this.

Lots of families holiday together.

And if you've spent a fortune on it, e.g. a trip to somewhere like WDW, especially if you've been treated to it by a family member, it can make for difficult decisions.

Do you risk angering your relatives and missing out on things, so that your toddler sticks to their routine? Or do you keep the peace and go out for longer, miss nap times, usual meal times etc. at the expense of a unhappy child?

What is the right thing to do?

I ended up doing a mixture of both.

Tink had been quite unwell just a couple of days before we went away, so for the first few days I insisted she stuck to her usual nap times and routine as much as possible, to suit her. We did take her out one afternoon after her nap on the first day, which was incredibly hot and humid, in the 30's so hot enough to rival WDW, and it was a nightmare. We went to my favourite town (Mont Morillon) and to my favourite tea room. But it did not go well. She screamed in the car, she cried in her pushchair (so much so that a couple of people left the tea room), she wailed all the way home. She wanted mummy and mummy only. She wanted to be held and to nurse and nothing else.

So we stayed in the house and its huge gardens for the next few days.

But by the following weekend, the rest of the family were getting restless and wanted to venture out, and for it to be family day trips.

Tink did really well on these outings. She loved going to the traditional markets and smiling/waving at everyone. She does not often sleep well in the car in the UK but on these long days she did us proud by having a peaceful nap in her carseat. She also walked about on her reins or sat in her pushchair when she was tired enough quite happily. Was I pleased with this though? Did I relax and enjoy myself? Of course not. Every time she missed her usual nap time, meal time I fretted and worried that she would have an episode. I got so upset one day that I burst into tears in the middle of lunch.

Luckily this passed and by almost the end of the stay I was able to do something that I hadn't done in the entire 18 months since we had Tink. I let the grandparents take her out for a couple of hours. To put this into context, I have left her before, for a few hours here and there, either with daddy one of our parents, but it's always been at home. They've never 'gone off' with her before. Did she enjoy it? She loved it and was good as gold for them, even making a little friend in the coffee shop they visited. Did I enjoy it? I think I cried for about half an hour, and then I did some washing up. And some laundry. DH kept telling me to sit down and read but I just couldn't sit still!!! I guess when you're used to being on the go all the time with a toddler, resting doesn't come easily.

I do wonder what other people do. Do you fit your child around your holiday or your holiday around your child?

Are there ways around it with a toddler? I did consider a sling and wearing Tink like a baby but she is a bit too heavy now and not used to it. It also would have been very hot and sticky.

I'm hoping next year will be different. I'll have stopped nursing, she may have stopped napping. At 2 and a half she should be more settled and a tweak to her routine will not be as disruptive.

Besides, next year, it'll be me that will be over excited, not being able to sleep or sit still because ....

We're going to Disneyland Paris!!!

Check back for my monthly series as I discover more about DLP and start to plan for Tink’s first trip to meet The Mouse!

Contributed by Janine P. of Swindon, England. She is a proud wife, mommy to Felicity and one of our Minnie Moms.

Guest Post--Travel Tips from Nine, Part 2

First Family Vacation with Teeny Tiny Tinkerbell, Part 2

This is part 2 of Janine's lessons learned traveling from England to France with her 6 month-old daughter, Felicity.  Click here for part 1.

4.  Feeding your baby on holiday is obviously a very important issue.  Amy has written a comprehensive article regarding formula versus milk but I’d like to touch on nursing (breastfeeding) versus introducing formula.  I have nursed F since day one and it has been a very rewarding but very time consuming activity.  As she would be 6 months when we took our first trip, it gave me the chance to consider switching her over to formula or at least combine, to make it easier when going out and enabling others to feed her.  As it stood F never really liked the bottle that much and her evening formula became a bit of a battle.  Add her first tooth into the mix and I decided the best way forward would be to resume to exclusive nursing.  This actually worked out really well for us.  The French are a baby loving nation and no one blinks an eye at a nursing mother.  I was able to do it everywhere, in restaurants, cafes, park benches and had no issues (asides from F being very nosey!)  I am very discreet and always wear a nursing cover to hide my modesty and it doubles up as an extra sun cover for F!  I also found in a lot of places that there would not have been the facilities to heat up a bottle either so it really did seem the best way for us.  I would also have done this is if we had have gone to WDW.  There are plenty of mother and baby places in Disney for both nursing mothers and places to warm bottles and food.


5.  I would also like in include a small bit on changing stations.  I am certain that the previously mentioned mother and baby areas in WDW are fantastic and that there are plenty of restrooms to do an emergency diaper change.  However, I can not say the same for France.  So please make sure wherever you go somewhere new, you have plenty of disposal changing mats in your diaper bag!  Thank goodness I did as F is now at the rolling about on the floor instead of cooperating stage.  I changed her in the car a few times but on the occasion I had to change her in the restroom, I was mightily grateful for the soft Pampers pads.  One time however I refused to change her on the floor as there was just not enough room.  Of course changing her stood up whilst my mother-in-law changed her would have always ended up with the same outcome … yes, she peed on me.

6.  So just to round things up, what has this vacation taught me to take with you on a day trip?  As mentioned, make sure you have a fully stocked diaper bag (again, Amy has already written an excellent blog regarding this) which is extra especially important when abroad.  I have no doubt I could get the Pampers diapers and wipes I use in the UK in the US but I was unsure about France.  Turns out I could get them, for literally double the price!  Definitely make sure you have any preferred or prescription creams (F has a special cream for her bottom as she is prone to nappy rash) and as number 1 states, any sunscreen and hat/rain cover/poncho/sweater etc.  I tend to use a backpack as a change bag when we’re out for the whole day so that anyone can carry it and any purchases can go in the bottom of the buggy. That reminds me, consider your buggy carefully too. We have a huge Graco travel system for use at home, but we ended up buying a second more lightweight stroller to take away with us.  It folded up much smaller in the car and was lighter to carry.  Make sure you have a favourite toy/book and for goodness sake make sure it is tied onto the buggy!!!  I take a whole load of cleaning wipes with me too in case a toy does fall on the floor, these also are used to wipe off any table I sit at before Fs hands are all over it.  I know some germs are good for kids but hey I like to be careful.  A must have for me was my nursing shawl, but equally ensure you have the correct bottles/formula/food.  And bear in mind if you’re abroad, it may not always be as easy to warm it, maybe a thermos flask of hot water could be the answer?  And of course, you’re bound to have your trusty iPhone/iPod with you anyways for some travelling entertainment.  That and babies favourite Playhouse Disney CD of course!!!

Contributed by Janine Pipe from Swindon, England.  She is a proud wife and mommy to almost 7 month old Felicity.  You can follow her on Twitter, @Disneynine.

Guest Post--Travel Tips from Nine, Part 1

First Family Vacation with Teeny Tiny Tinkerbell, Part 1

I haven’t always been obsessed with Disney.  In fact I didn’t go to Walt Disney World until I was 21 years old.  I realise this would be unheard of for some people, even with the excuse of living in the UK.

I won’t be making the same mistake with my daughter, Felicity (F), whom we are hoping to take to WDW by the time she is 4.  I tend to call her Tink but that would just cause confusion with the original Tink on this page!!!  She is now almost 7 months and something of a handful.  However she is already a big fan of all things Disney I am pleased to say.

Although we won’t be taking her to WDW for a few years yet, we have just returned from our first family vacation to France.

Here are some of my observations and tips from Felicity’s first trip abroad (and may be relevant for anyone wishing to go to Disneyland Paris!)

1.  Work out exactly which clothes you wish to take for your child and bear in mind whether you have laundry facilities or not and then … half it!!!  I was warned that I would take too much especially as we were staying with family and therefore could wash anything that was dirty but I still packed a whole case just for Felicity!  And of course as it was her first trip, we ended up buying stuff for her too so there really was not the need for a lot of what I took.  However, I would always recommend an item of warmer/cooler clothing.  Although it was forecast for 30 degrees in France I still took a sweater and waterproof for Felicity and was glad I did as the evenings could be a little cool and it certainly rained a couple of days.  Always make sure you have plenty of sunscreen, hats and a parasol too.  F was roasting in the midday sun on the days we ventured out and she was always smothered in sunscreen.  I'd recommend bringing it with you as you don’t always know if you can get the same make abroad.  If your child’s skin is used to a certain make, then I wouldn’t want to try out a new one on holiday! This is all applicable to a trip to Disney, that’s for sure! The boiling midday sun, the rain and the cool evenings are typical of Florida, not just Europe! And for UK travelers I would still advise taking skin care products just in case.

2.  Make sure you have plenty of entertainment if you have a long drive/plane ride.  I had already read a blog post by Amy suggesting iPhone/iPod applications so I decided to download some for the almost 12 hour drive across to France.  Typing babies into the app store search engine threw up a load of lite options which mean that they are free.  Since I didn’t know whether F would be interested I decided to get these options.  I installed Play Phone, Baby Piano, Toddler Counting and Baby Flashcards.  I should have also considered the fact I wouldn’t have access to cable or wifi for 2 weeks and bought an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse from iTunes.  For our next trip this will be a must have item as well as a Playhouse Disney DVD!  We are also hoping to have an iPad for the journey next year which will keep F entertained as she’ll be 18 months by then.  Anyway back to the apps.  F loves the phone and the piano. They’re fairly easy to use and would suit from a young baby just becoming interested in things up to toddlers who like to grab things for themselves.  The phone app tended to freeze when F tried to push too many buttons at once but the piano was great fun.  The baby counting was ok but the flash cards were great and the noises kept F entertained for ages!  Just for fun I also downloaded the Disney Fairies Tinker bell game, which F is far too young to play with, but she enjoys watching me play and seeing Tink flying about.  Again I just got the lite free version.

3.  Always make sure you have plenty of toys.  We have a huge play box full of toys but chose just to take Fs favourites with us due to space.  We brought – plush Minnie and teddy who sleep in her cot, Emily doll, singing Fisher Price teapot and a soft book.  She barely looked at the teapot though as the grandparents had brought a ton of stuff for her and bought her goodness knows how much new stuff while we were there.  Her complete and utter favourite by a long shot was Sophie the teething giraffe.  I was recommended this by Amy and when I googled it before we went on holiday I discovered that it was French.  So we bought F a whole set of Sophi toys and a spare one while we were there and she absolutely loves it!  3 weeks later with her second tooth coming through it barely leaves her mouth.  I realise that it can be very expensive treating your children to new toys just to add to the hundreds of ones they already have.  It would be even worse going to WDW and being surrounded by all those plushes!  However if they do find something they love i.e. Sophie, definitely buy 2 just in case one goes missing.

Check back this afternoon for part 2 of this article and more great tips from Janine.

Contributed by Janine Pipe from Swindon, England.  She is a proud wife and mommy to almost 7 month old Felicity.  You can follow her on Twitter, @Disneynine.

Team Favorites - Epcot Counter Service Meals & Snacks

We all know the great food at Walt Disney World is one of the major things that keeps us all coming back over and over (and over and over....)  Today the Growing Up Disney team discusses our favorite options for a quick meal or snack at Epcot.


(By the way, we don't discuss these topics before we write, nor do we see each other's answers before we write our own.  We just usually eat together.)

DisneyDad: FOOD! Let's eat! There are so many good quick service restaurants in EPCOT. My favorite place for a quick meal is Sunshine Season Food Fair at The Land pavilion. They have an almost unlimited selection of different foods. From sandwiches to sushi, tabouli to tuna, soups to salads, they have just about anything you may want. It can be busy and a little noisy so you may need to get one person to get the food another to find a table.

My favorite place for a meal (have I said that already?) is Yorkshire County Fish Shop at the United Kingdom pavilion. They serve fish and chips or fish and chips but the food has always been hot and fresh and quick (this is a quick service restaurant after all). The fish and chips are the same as served in the Rose and Crown so they are good. Tables are to the right of the restaurant and overlook the World Showcase Lagoon.

My favorite place for quick service dessert is Kringla Bakeri og Cafe in the Norway pavilion. Their Sweet Pretzel with Almonds one of my favorites and is large and enough to share for a snack (or to save room to share a School Bread, a Cloudberry Horn, a tart, or Danish too!)


Ridge: I think my favorite counter service spot is the Tangierine Cafe in Morocco. The rustic old world styling, the sights and smells from Morocco are unlike that of any other pavilion. The menu is Mediterranean, serving lamb, chicken and falafel. I enjoy the shawarma platter with lamb.  Each platter comes with hummus, tabouleh and tangerine couscous and fresh Moroccan bread.  The wraps also come with the same sides. If you want a combo you can get the Mediterranean sliders combo that has three pita pockets with lamb, chicken and falafel. For the non-adventurous kids, burgers and chicken tenders are available. The seating area is outside and shaded and has a nice view of the lagoon. Its a nice place to stop and people watch for a while. If you are looking for just a quick sweet treat, I think my family would all agree with going over to Norway to the Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe. Everything is good here but the Kringla Sweet Pretzel is supreme. Then for something sweet with a little bite there is always the caramel ginger ice cream in China at Lotus Blossom Cafe.      


Amy:  My favorite place for a quick lunch is Sunshine Seasons, located in The Land pavilion.  This food court has hot options ranging from soup and sandwich to Asian fare.  I tend to prefer the cold grab and go selections, such as sushi, fruit and cheese, and yummy specialty salads.  We usually get a few items and share them.  The downside of this restaurant: it's a little loud, almost always busy, and strollers are not allowed.  I guess that last item is a plus for some.  

A new favorite is Tangierine Cafe at the Morocco Pavilion.  On our trip in April, Ridge and my husband and I had dinner here one evening.  We ordered a Shawarma Platter, a Mediterranean Sliders Combo, and a Vegetable Platter to share.  They were all essentially the same items presented in different ways: lamb/chicken, falafel, tabouleh, couscous, hummus, lentils and bread.  We all enjoyed them thoroughly and left stuffed.  It's a little more expensive for counter service here.  The plates we had were in the $10-$15 range.


Of course, you can't beat the fish and chips available in the Yorkshire County Fish Shop in the United Kingdom Pavilion.  Pop into the tea store for some great treats.  I love Digestive Biscuits and Penguins.  With apologies to my British friends, the names of some of your items don't translate well to American English, but oh, they are so delicious!


Many years ago, I used to like to get pastries in the France Pavilion.  Not a fan of the long lines, I discovered Norway's delicacies and won't turn back.  Just go in and pick out several things that look delightful and rest with friends in the cool, if cramped, outdoor seating area.


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What is your favorite place to grab a meal or snack in Epcot?  Defend your favorite!