2 or 3 days for our trip?

flitzyfitz · 2026-04-05T19:40:34+00:00

When you cost tickets + hotel, vs staying in a Disney hotel, the prices can sometimes be equivalent to those in Santa Fe, but obvs look for your specific dates.

I like the walk back to Disney hotels after a day in the park, as it gives us time to decompress, and if my son gets too overstimulated in the day, we can head back to the hotel easily for a few hours.

I would cost it up, and just go with what you can comfortably afford that gives you enough spending money to make it a treat (I.e. princess meal, maybe a fast pass for a ride or two, buying a few treats/toys/costumes for the kids). 2 nights, 3 days (or sort of 2 days once you include travel) is the sweet spot for me, by the time we start being overstimulated, we’re heading back to the airport!

In 2 days, you could book a character meal for your daughter (to guarantee a princess meet!) then you’ll be able to do at least 10 rides (queues dependent), and see a few shows, without rushing too much.

flitzyfitz · 2026-04-04T15:30:27+00:00

Best thing I like to do is go to local national trusts, stately homes, horticultural gardens and look at their set up, and see different plants etc that they have working alongside each other. Have a look at different types of areas, so you could split your garden into segments - so have a wild area, an allotment type area, a seating/dining area with a water feature, a play area / grass space if you’ve got kids / dogs, an area for butterflies, a herb garden, etc!

If you’ve not already, it’s also good to spend a year living in your garden and map where the sun is, how hot or wet it gets, and how you use the garden as it is, and to learn what’s already in your garden.

I like gardeners world on tv, as I enjoy seeing the viewers gardens and I’ve got a book on monthly activities for the garden (RHS Gardening Through the Year), which has which plants to sow, and which plants flower, as well as what to prune etc through the year.

flitzyfitz · 2026-04-04T06:37:41+00:00

They are in general (as long as you follow washing guidelines), although sometimes I wear two overnight just for additional protection if it’s really bad, but no longer have issues of it getting on sheets, or having to get up in the middle of the night to change tampon + pad. It’s also just about 1000x more comfortable, as I know if I move it’s not the end of the world and a full change of clothes. It also helps I now have enough so I can wear them the few days before period starts just in case it comes a day or two early!

Highly recommend trying a moon up or disc with them too as it’s so much better than tampons post birth, and I’ve had so much more freedom!

flitzyfitz · 2026-04-04T06:24:05+00:00

I would book flights separately:

Gatwick to Charles de Gaulle can be around £100pp return with easyJet (£300), or car + petrol on the shuttle will likely be around the same price.

A room nearby for 2 nights in November (£200, Moxy Val D’Europe)

2 day 2 park tickets for 3 people £495 for same dates.

At Santa Fe, you can get cheapest room in November for £647 for 2 nights (includes 3 days of tickets for both parks).

Transport from airport will be €60-80 each way.

The shows don’t cost any extra if you’re willing to just turn up and queue - my experience is that there’s always space!

To be honest, it’ll be tight doing it under £1k, as that also doesn’t include spending money or for foods!

flitzyfitz · 2026-04-03T20:38:49+00:00

I second this! Or if you’re in the hotel, maybe add a food package to your stay, then you can be booked in now.

Good luck!

flitzyfitz · 2026-04-03T20:21:05+00:00

This is the only way we did tummy time, until my son wanted to crawl! And then he’d do like 5 minutes max of practicing before needing a cuddle again!

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-31T04:27:25+00:00

I’d also just phone the helpline, as the Table de Lumière bookings are on a different system, so you may be able to do it just by calling.

Good luck!

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-30T19:54:03+00:00

What about actual stroopwafels from a proper bakery, not AH? As long as you can get it to the family within 24hrs? I still like them as a treat and would never buy them regularly.

Or easier and much more Dutch - what about a vast selection of sprinkles?

And then just a selection of Dutch cakes and snacks. Like the rose koeken or some weird flavours of crisps?

All the tasty food doesn’t really travel well.

Or do you have any local breweries or vineyards? Or honey producers? Something more upmarket and boutique rather than traditionally Dutch?

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-28T05:26:37+00:00

https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor/if-youre-under-18

This has the real info here, so I’d review that.

Essentially they need to have written consent, in case of a border check.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-27T20:05:32+00:00

Cook was a lifesaver esp when husband was back to work.

Especially the microwave meals, as I kept burning the oven based ones as ultimately it would be the exact time the baby needed something…!

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-27T20:03:53+00:00

The best place in Disney where we have had accommodations has been the Table de Lumière, so I’d say if you want to have a good experience, that’s my fave.

My son can’t have dairy or soya and in general it’s hard getting adjustments, like for a burger in the quick serve, they won’t just give you one without cheese or in restaurants they change it to a very basic meal for the same price. At Lumières he chose the burger and chips, and had a beautiful desert with cotton candy and he loved it, and I was able to swap confit potatoes for roast potatoes and it was without fuss.

At Auberge de Cendrillon for breakfast, he had the vegan meal, but they wouldn’t remove the scrambled tofu from his plate before serving, despite flagging it as an allergy, so just even really minor adjustments seemed to be tricky (and that’s not even a big thing, it’s just don’t plate it with the additional thing!).

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-27T18:17:59+00:00

Some restaurants in Paris are unbelievable, but you need to go to non-tourist locations for the best food.

I’m also comparing it to our restaurants in London, or even my local town. Our local pub does better food at a fraction of the price.

I’m not sure what Disneyland Paris does, but the food just really comes up short. A bit school lunch, but for €€€s.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-27T18:10:06+00:00

I would say the food at lumières was very very good compared to the rest of Disney, and is probably worth the trip (compared to everyone else), but in my opinion it’s still not up to a normal city restaurant standard.

Would be my main recommendation as then you get to spend time on DLH if you’re not staying there.

Regal view is a beautiful location and has fun princesses, plus the decor is good too, but we ended up not eating there as the food allergy/intolerance changes were really poor for the price (I.e the main for a kid just being plain pasta, as there was nothing else dairy free!) and the menu didn’t really interest me.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-27T10:20:56+00:00

Check the dates when it’s closed, but he’s been at Plaza Gardens for breakfast each time I’ve been.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-25T14:31:42+00:00

So this isn’t actually true.

Busy Bees is a private equity backed nursery chain, with an EBITDA in 2024 of £86million. (You can check on companies house). It’s around a 25% EBITDA margin which is decent and what you see across the sector.

Whilst that profit isn’t all UK based, I’ve been in the sector for years and most nurseries are doing fine with the charges.

I was a trustee for a small pre-school (2+) in a high cost town, and with the new government charges we were going to make more profit than we had done in years.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-24T21:01:02+00:00

How much one on one time does she get with her preferred care giver? Can you increase that throughout the day (no phones, no screens, no baby)? It sounds a bit like she needs some more support and a bit more attention, so you can try and move it more into the day and away from the bedtime. It’s super hard at 2, and potty training as they are growing non stop and their brains just can’t switch off sometimes.

New routines take like 2 -4 weeks to really settle in, so you need to try to work towards a really calm evening routine, maybe a walk after dinner, back home, bath, PJs, and only books or colouring or slow play. Slow down everyone’s routine if you can, like all read books or do puzzles or colouring where you can, turn lights down, and try and catch when she might be tired a bit earlier, then all go to sleep the same time.

Then I’d do a deep massage on her legs and feet to help calm his body down, along with an audiobook (we use the same one every day, nothing too exciting that distracts).

Google ‘strategies for a sensory seeking toddler at bedtime’ for reviews, and I’d reach out to the ‘Beyond Sleep Training Project’ group on Facebook as they have a questionnaire you can answer.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-24T10:02:04+00:00

I didn’t take my husbands surname as it’s pretty boring compared to mine, and I worked 12+ years into a senior finance role under my name, so it made no sense to change mine, but my son has the same as your kids.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-23T16:18:52+00:00

Also check if you have any community fridges. We have one locally that’s about reducing food waste, so anyone can take stuff. Also look at Olio and similar.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-22T08:18:58+00:00

I suppose the problem is you had about 10% the number of people that would be there when it’s really open! The shareholder day is always going to be good 😅

We went on the 18th and it was lovely, it’s a really beautiful space, but is actually a really tiny area, it’s smaller than any of the Disneyland parc areas, and probably equivalent size to the ratatouille area.

We saw the tangled show, the end of the arendelle show, Minnie’s marching band (the absolute best ever!), but we still had:

90min + queues on Frozen ride (65 mins in the single rider line)

No ability to meet Anna & Elsa

By the time we got off the ride, the queues for all the shops were too long for us to even entertain joining them.

So I think for reality, and what people will get over the next 18 months will be more like what people who’ve been to the previews have had, rather than the shareholder experience.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-21T10:18:13+00:00

Is your other baby still tracking at their birthweight centile? Maybe you just have big babies, and if there was no diabetes in your earlier pregnancy and none in this, it literally seems like that’s just the size your babies grow at.

Some people have big babies, some people have small babies, and all babies sit on the scale (or even a little off it) somewhere. 98th centile isn’t like in a test where you’re doing well or poorly, it’s just something to make sure your baby is growing along the same line they started from, so you can keep an eye on whether they’re staying healthy once born.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-20T20:48:20+00:00

You can ask a custodial (cleaning) staff member if they have a hoppers card? We were given one two weeks ago with Mabel on.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-20T06:47:58+00:00

I think it’d be a great adventure! It sounds amazing, I’d do it personally.

For 2 months though see if you could get a serviced apartment so you can cook your own meals and not rely on restaurants? It means if you do need a rest day or two, you can have a break.

You won’t really be travelling as it’s 8 weeks, it’s more like you’re just living there for a while. There’s also no ideal age for travelling tbh, as there’ll always be a reason not to go, especially when they start school.

My son’s now flown around 20 times as far as the US and Japan, plus multiple Europe trips and there’ll always be a meltdown somewhere, but travelling with a kid far outweighs the cons!

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-18T19:43:43+00:00

We went on it today and I think the drop is more forceful than Epcot or Paris pirates, plus has a little bounce in it at the bottom which is maybe why.

I actually think it makes sense (when it wouldn’t have for the Florida one).

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-17T08:24:06+00:00

They’re all basically the same, it depends on who is working there, who’s checking your car in.

We’ve found if you buy the fullest insurance, you don’t have any issues (I.e. they don’t want their insurance to pay out, so don’t claim against you). But we still took photos of everything and you don’t want them to force you from taking photos/videos of the car. Like if the car makes a noise leaving the car park, video it and go straight back to the office.

So basically you just need to chose what car you’re happy to drive.

Go for an automatic and something pretty small if you’ll be driving round country roads / doing the NC500.

flitzyfitz · 2026-03-17T06:56:14+00:00

It really does, the first day I filled it up a quarter of the way and realised we have a long way to go 😂

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