What is it? We drove two hours to Dover where we caught a Sea France ferry to Calais, which takes 75 minutes. Then we continued on for another few hours to the outskirts of Paris, where the Magic Kingdom awaited. Duh! Disney has everything you could hope for, and our Hotel New York even had an ice skating rink (open until early spring), two swimming pools and full spa facilities, should the Mickey Mice and Pluto Puppies in the park get too much. And of course, Gay Paree is just a metro ride away…
Where? We stayed in the park until after it closed and the staff were scurrying around to kick us out. Amazingly, we ran into friends from London who were also enjoying a brief holiday there with their three young boys. All six of the kids romped and played in the hotel corridor, watching Disney cartoons and colouring in a special kids’ area, while we downed margaritas opposite them in a table outside the bar. A great time was had by all – and even though our little darlings went to bed at 1:30 (!) French time, they were none the worse for wear the following day.
Description: As a five-year-old I lived briefly near Los Angeles, and visiting the original Disneyland in Anaheim was the highlight of my short life. Lots of people are jaded about Disney and what this could mean for the Americanisation of Europe. But for me, Disney will always have a special place in my heart (soppy but true).
You can get baby-sitters at the Disney hotels if you ask. The boat had a good play area which kept the kids entertained as we made a (blissfully) smooth crossing. No pukes for us this time.
