Places to eat in Disneyland Paris

[GC++]

Planning a visit to DisneyLand Paris (=EuroDisney) next month.

Has anyone been there?

Which are the better restaurants within the resort?

[Bux]

Michelin lists six hotels in Disneyland Paris, but only mentions the restaurants in the hotels, noting prices, self service or full service, and whether they are open for dinner. I have never heard anyone say anything about the food at any of these places. I suspect American regional cooking, such as it is, tailored for French tastes. Let us know what you find.

[macrosan]

I have been twice to this culinary hell-hole in the last two years, and only very insistent and wonderfully engaging grandchildren would ever drag me there again

You have basically three choices.

First, the fast-food places in the park --- burgers, hot dogs, pizzas sandwiches and so on. American style, and the most uniformly appalling fast food I have ever found anywhere in the world. The variety is abysmal, the ingredient quality poor, preparation quality very bad and variety almost non-existent. As an example, they have sandwich bard that only sell baguettes, they have just three varieties, and they all contain ham !!!! Do you guess that I didn't like it ?

Second choice are the places just outside the main entrance to the park. Better than inside, more variety. There is a 1930s style burger place (poor) and Italian resto (didn't try this) a Southern BBQ house (not bad), a steak house (average) and The Rain Forest (excellent). There may be a couple of others I didn't try. Most of these places are packed, specially from 6pm when people come out of the park, starving because they can't eat the food inside the park. The Rain Forest is always the busiest, there is sometimes a one hour wait, and that's because it's a great setting for kids, they have a fantastic variety on the menu (exotic and plain food of all kinds) and the food is excellent, except if you're a big party some food may not be hot when it arrives.

Last choice is the hotel restos. I have stayed in two of the hotels, and they seem to be in a mold. They have a cheaper restaurant where the food is just about adequate but fairly expensive (about 40 euros for 2 courses without wine). They serve kids' specials (burgers, chicken fingers, etc) and a very limited choice of adults' dishes. Service is good, but queues are long. They also have a high-end restaurant. Again, surprizingly limited choice, food is OK but definitely not what you would call high-end anywhere else, and very expensive for what it is (about 60 euros for 2 courses without wine).

I would go for the Rain Forest every time, and maybe the steak house (can't remember the name). Try to go at off-peak times.

Do enjoy your visit. The Disney bit itself is great.

[fresh_a]

The food is terrible. The highlight is probably "Annettes" who has good burgers and shakes. Otherwise, there is the Rainforrest Cafe and Planet Hollywood. Avoid all restaurants in the park as they are disgusting. The Disneyland Hotel is the best, and most expensive hotel in the resort, and their lounge bar has some pretty good club sandwiches and fruit cocktails...

[GC++]

Thank you both.

As this visit to Disneyland is going to be the end of a small tour-de-France I think the food is not going to be the best part of it.

BTW is it possible to reserve a table at the restaurants you mention? (Annettes, Rain-forest)

[macrosan]

We asked a couple of time at Rain Forest and were told no both times. But I did observe a couple of groups who entered and were seated in a way that suggested they did have reservations. Maybe a quiet word earlier in the day ? Maybe regulars ? Maybe folding money ? I don't know, but I would suggest you try when you get there.

[peterpumkino]

I realise it doesn't help in this situation but I've always found the food at Epcot Center in Florida quite good. The Mexican restaurant is brilliant with some really authentic dishes (i.e. Mole Poblano) and Italy (much better than your 'average' Italian in the US or UK) - maybe it's something to do with the fact that they are individually run and get their staff from the country of origin on a 3-month work permit (then they go home and a new lot come out - not at once though).

Yes, I know, it's irrelevant to this thread but if they can do it in Florida you would think they could do it in, of all places, Paris.

[Bux]

As this visit to Disneyland is going to be the end of a small tour-de-France

We're all victims of our own prejudices and I understand I may be missing something, but I have a hard time understanding why anyone, parents with small kids included, would want to see Sleeping Beauty's Castle when Chenonceau is not far away. I suppose it's a cultural thing I don't get, but I march a step out of line with both the French and my fellow Americans. In Japan the Disney theme park near Tokyo is a favorite place for honeymooners--so what do I know?

[peterpumkino]

so what do I know?

You said it Bux! As I stated WDW is the most popular attraction in the World so they must be doing something right! I mean, let's be serious here, who needs Chenonceau when you can go and experience the Real Thing at Disney.

Lighten up Bux and enjoy it, it's wonderful and magical and I can certainly understand why people will honeymoon there. Almost better than going to Arzak.

Edited March 5, 2003 by peterpumkino (log)

[fresh_a]

Yeah, but the two-hour waits at Space Mountain sort of break the magic spell...

Speaking of food-it sucks. I'd stick with Annette's Diner or the McDonalds in Disney Village...

[macrosan]

As this visit to Disneyland is going to be the end of a small tour-de-France

We're all victims of our own prejudices and I understand I may be missing something, but I have a hard time understanding why anyone, parents with small kids included, would want to see Sleeping Beauty's Castle when Chenonceau is not far away. I suppose it's a cultural thing I don't get, but I march a step out of line with both the French and my fellow Americans. In Japan the Disney theme park near Tokyo is a favorite place for honeymooners--so what do I know?

Bux, he did say tour-de-France, not tour-de-force

What you don't realise is that it's not the parents with small kids who prefer Disneyland, it's the kids with big parents. I haven't been to Chenonceau, but from what I understand it to be, they just don't have Mickey Mouse greeting you at the entrance, and stuff. It may well be what every parent wishes his small kid would like, but then small kids also need a childhood

One of the enjoyable and rewarding experiences in my life was watching my own kids' faces when we took them to Disneyland Anaheim. It's a memory I shall always treasure, far more than any of the wonders of the world I have visited in my life.

By the way, what's the food like at Chenonceau ?

[peterpumkino]

Yeah, but the two-hour waits at Space Mountain sort of break the magic spell...

Iagree, but not so in Florida - all the major theme parks have a Fast Track system where you reserve your place by computer and get immediate entrance at a given time. Gone are the days of a 2 hour wait thankfully.

[Bux]

There's a one star restaurant in the town of Chenonceaux. For some reason the town name ends in "x" while the chateau's name is Chenonceau. I assume it's to trick foreigners. Chenonceau has stuff, but you're correct in noting that it doesn't have Mickey Mouse. I suppose the British need to go to France for that.

There is a one star restaurant in Chenonceau. A filet of sandre on a bed of the pig's feet there was excellent. Not many kilometers away are a couple of excellent two star restaurants in superb country inns. My kid hated clowns. I can only wonder what she would have thought about a rat taller than she was. Obviously she didn't get anywhere near Disneyworld.

[awbrig]

We had the best time at Disneyland about a year ago...the food was poor and we checked out the best places on the properties...but we were too excited about what we were going to do next or planning the next day to be too worried about food. Its For The Kids!!!

Em on Disney MonoRail

[GC++]

... but I have a hard time understanding why anyone, parents with small kids included, would want to see Sleeping Beauty's Castle when Chenonceau is not far away...

As I said we are going to have small visit through some parts of France,

and just one day before going to Disneyland Paris we will visit Le Chateau de Chenonceau.

Regarding going to one castle (true and historical) and another ("magical" and kid oriented), I would say that there are two types holidays: with the kids and without them - this one is with

[peterpumkino]

I suppose the British need to go to France for that. 

Wrong again Bux! The Brits (and thousands of other Europeans - don't forget them) would go anywhere for Disney! I had a tour business in Florida and everyone was so happy to see Disney put their EuroDisney in the one place which was so against the superfriendly Disney policy - France! Their decision was made by coming to the conclusion that Paris was an excellent catchment area (there's a lot of BIG cities within a few hours driving from Paris), furthermore tax breaks from the French government were too-good-to-ignore. Paris is really a short-stay weekend destination not a beach-type holiday where families stay for two weeks BUT if they had built EuroDisney in a warmer climate (Spain being the obvious) it would have been disasterous for Orlando. After Sept 11 there were very, very few Americans, it was the Latins and Europeans that kept the place open.

Edited March 6, 2003 by peterpumkino (log)

[Bux]

No one is more appreciative than I that a Disney destination is second only to a beachfront offering tea for the British. What I was saying is that they have to leave England to get it.

[peterpumkino]

Obscure.