Back from Disneyland Paris! Heres what I got :D *pics inside*

Hi guys so from 8th March to the 14th I went to Disneyland Paris. I had the most amazing time! My hotel was Sequioa Lodge and was set in beautiful grounds.
Between me and my boyfriend we spent mainly on food and merch more than 1,640 Euros lol It was my birthday on the 13th so that was my excuse hehe.

I have pins that I bought to keep and got some booster sets and traded away. And the most amazing thing was....my boyfriend got into pin trading!! he bought lanyards, keepers, traders and was loving trading with the cast members! I never thought he would be into it but he was loving it! It was his idea to have just a day of trading!

We had some good experiences and only 2-3 bad experiences with cast members. One was in main street and had a lovely Stitch pin, so I asked to trade and she said that her lanyard was LE pins only and unless I had a LE pin then she will not trade. And I didnt want to buy a LE just to trade for a random one on her lanyard so I just let the trade go. Another time my boyfriend traded with a cast member in disney village for 2011 Hidden Mickey Simba S alphabet. The lady was really hesitant to give it up and my boyfriend even let her choose what one she wanted from his lanyard. After the trade we walked away and about 3 seconds later the cast member who was next to her walk past us and said do you want to trade? It was weird as not many cast members approached us first to ask. So my boyfriend was like yeah sure and choose one from her lanyard, without him choosing or even asking her what pin she wanted from him she pointed to Simba and was like I would like this one. They traded. Then we watched her walk off and she went straight back to the other cast member and gave her the simba pin back. My bf felt a little sad as he never felt like he could say no to a trade and felt used that she only wanted to trade so they would get the simba pin back.
Other than that the pin trading experience was really fun

These are the pins I traded from Cast Lanyards:



These are the pins that I bought for keepers:


and my new pin bag!! good timing as my 2008 one is now full up this was one of my birthday presents from my boyfriend.


I love the Chip and Dale 20th Anniversary pin the whole look of the 20th looks so cool!
I got some other 20th anniv merch like postcards, tote bag, photo album (that lights up!) key ring ...if anyone wants to see it I will happily take a pic

I also managed to get a nice Sequioa lodge, Star Wars and 2012 lanyard.

I will also get pics of the pins my bf traded for as there were some really nice ones and his ones are 100% different to mine.

We had the extra magic hours so we could get to the park for 8am! As they was celebrating the Welsh Festival, one of the nights instead of closing at 7, it was open until after 10pm as there was a firework show. It was so lovely ^__^

As you can see we had a great time


In cafe mickey...with Chip that night we also had pics with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto.


and Gary trading with Dale


on the night of the fireworks, it looks so pretty

Sounds like you had an amazing time! Fab pins I go to DLRP early June and can't wait - it will be my first trip since starting pin collecting and I'm hoping to do a few trades.

Did you go to the official pin trading place in Frontierland? I can't remember it's name but apparently it is only open funny hours.

PS - Can I ask how much your pin bag was - I'd really like to get one of those (issue is my two DDs are collecting too but I'd have to buy 3 - yikes, good job we bought APs this year as we get 20% in the shops!)

the pin bag was 32.99 .. I thought that was pretty reasonable

I dont remember seeing one in frontierland. There was a couple of carts instead of merch they had pins and that was at end of main street but more towards Discoveryland.

Sounds awesome except for your two negative experiences with those cast members. :-(

I have a question because I have never been, and probably never will have the opportunity, to go to D-Land Paris, but cast members do not Have To trade with you, like here in the States??

Just curious is all. Kind of disappointed that you did not get the LE pin you wanted off the lanyard. :-(

Glad you took it all in stride though and had a great time.

Enjoyed the pictures too!!!!

Vicki

Fantastic post!! I loved reading about your trip and seeing the pictures. Really makes me want to get out to DLP!

Jealous...i especially love the pic of the castle ! Isnt it weird that they didnt make the casle Beast's castle????

Hay Becky!
Am very Pleased you had a great time! and you got some great pins by the looks of it! will look forward to seeing what your BF got too!!! I love your lion king one. Im hoping to get back to DLRP for a day trip soon (I got the sky rewards free day tickets! ;-)

Thanks Becky - yikes 3 bags at £33 each!! Hmmm, might just get one for now and share a few pages each. I need to get us all lanyards too - loving the new 20th anniversary starter set We do have lanyards but they are second hand, old ones as you can't buy them here in the UK. I think I need to be saving more for our trip

Dying to see the new Dreams spectacular at DLRP - it looks truly amazing and a first for Disney too!

I think the pin trading place is near Pocahontas play area in Frontierland, but as I say, it is rarely open from what I gather. Apparently on an evening they sometimes have a LE board they bring out, outside of Harringtons as well - again, this is all just stuff I've been told/read.

Vicki - yes, CMs are meant to trade with you like US, however they are a different breed at DLRP and I have heard some awful stories about CMs not trading at DRLP - one point blankly refused as they said they just didn't like anything on the poor traders lanyard!! There are obviously rules like the US but on the whole I think the rules are similar. Some CMs at DRLP seem to think the lanyard belongs to them and not Disney sadly.... On another board I even heard a story about a poor guy being sworn at (in French) when trading, the CM thought the trader did not understand as he was English. The CM swore while all the time keeping his smile on his face - I was horrified.

Having said all that, on the whole I believe pin trading is becoming more popular at DLRP (long way to go before US standards) and is a mostly positive experience from what I gather. I would love for them to have green (children's traders) lanyards there but they don't at the moment.

Oh wow, great pics and pins! Its been five years since I went to DLP, on the 15th anniversary (had my 21st birthday there)... as its the 20th anniversary this year I'd love to visit again. I'm still wondering if they'll be doing anything for the rides that share their 20th with the park; I at least want some Phantom Manor pins or something. Anyhow; glad you had a great time!

Awesome trip report ! Thanks for sharing ! You got some really nice pins . Sorry you and your bf had a couple bad experiences with the CM's .

Looks like a lot of fun! I love your angel shirt lol

jlynn6 said:

Looks like a lot of fun! I love your angel shirt lol

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hehe thanks I saw it and thought it was just too cute not to buy. Also I can fit into kids size clothing so it makes it cheaper I got a Mickey hooded jacket, adults price was 39.99 ...but I can fit in kids so I got it for 29.99 ... I was well chuffed

DLPDreams said:

Thanks Becky - yikes 3 bags at £33 each!! Hmmm, might just get one for now and share a few pages each. I need to get us all lanyards too - loving the new 20th anniversary starter set We do have lanyards but they are second hand, old ones as you can't buy them here in the UK. I think I need to be saving more for our trip

Dying to see the new Dreams spectacular at DLRP - it looks truly amazing and a first for Disney too!

I think the pin trading place is near Pocahontas play area in Frontierland, but as I say, it is rarely open from what I gather. Apparently on an evening they sometimes have a LE board they bring out, outside of Harringtons as well - again, this is all just stuff I've been told/read.

Vicki - yes, CMs are meant to trade with you like US, however they are a different breed at DLRP and I have heard some awful stories about CMs not trading at DRLP - one point blankly refused as they said they just didn't like anything on the poor traders lanyard!! There are obviously rules like the US but on the whole I think the rules are similar. Some CMs at DRLP seem to think the lanyard belongs to them and not Disney sadly.... On another board I even heard a story about a poor guy being sworn at (in French) when trading, the CM thought the trader did not understand as he was English. The CM swore while all the time keeping his smile on his face - I was horrified.

Having said all that, on the whole I believe pin trading is becoming more popular at DLRP (long way to go before US standards) and is a mostly positive experience from what I gather. I would love for them to have green (children's traders) lanyards there but they don't at the moment.

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hmmm yeah when you put it that way at £33 x 3 it does add up abit! theres about 5 pages in the book. its very good quality. on each page is a mesh zip page too, where as on my 2008 WDW bag there was only one of them pages and that was on the back. theres a huge shoulder strap that comes with it too. so even if you get one you should be very pleased

Whoa how the Cast Member can get away with swearing is beyond me! even if the trader was english there was bound to be people around who would have understood.

Overall I had good experiences with Cast Members. Most of them wanted to choose the pin for themselves off our lanyards, but I wasnt too much into this idea. So once I chose a pin I was already with the pin I wanted to trade away.

I would kill to go again! I could not afford to go Florida. My job doesnt pay too good but we are looking at going to DLRP again though the boyfriend wants to go for Halloween...he misses pin trading already!

Not sure i can count that first one as a negative.

The Disneyland Paris has long maintained a policy of not trading LE pins without recieving an LE pin in return.

JKrolak said:

Not sure i can count that first one as a negative.

The Disneyland Paris has long maintained a policy of not trading LE pins without recieving an LE pin in return.

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See I didnt know that, I thought it was just generally a pin for a pin

From what I have been told about their events/park trading at DLP, the general rules are

From you --> in return

LE pin --> any pin
open edition pins --> any open edition / hidden mickey pins
Hidden mickey / gift (free or token $1 cost) pins --> hidden mickey/gift pins

The children's lanyard is restricted to younger traders
And while I had seen earlier reports of LE lanyards on some cast members, you're the first I recall to tell of encountering one outside of a pin trading event.

JKrolak said:

And while I had seen earlier reports of LE lanyards on some cast members, you're the first I recall to tell of encountering one outside of a pin trading event.

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I can not remember the name of the shop, but it was a gift shop along main street. if you was walking towards the castle the shop would be on the left

It will be Harringtons I think? They have an LE board from what I can gather - only information I've been told though so can't guarantee. Apparently it is hit and miss when it is out though?

I also had heard the LE pin for LE pin on trades

Halloween used to be a fab time to go to DLRP but last year they dumbed down a lot of the celebrations apparently and those I know who go every Halloween were not impressed at all. Not sure what it will be like this year with it being part of the 20th year celebrations? We were there at the beginning of Halloween 2008 and the park looked amazing!

PS - I've asked on several forums and been told that there are no children's (green I think?) trading lanyards in DLRP? Is this not the case? This would be of interest to me for my daughters.

looks like a good time :d

DLPDreams said:

It will be Harringtons I think? They have an LE board from what I can gather - only information I've been told though so can't guarantee. Apparently it is hit and miss when it is out though?

I also had heard the LE pin for LE pin on trades

Halloween used to be a fab time to go to DLRP but last year they dumbed down a lot of the celebrations apparently and those I know who go every Halloween were not impressed at all. Not sure what it will be like this year with it being part of the 20th year celebrations? We were there at the beginning of Halloween 2008 and the park looked amazing!

PS - I've asked on several forums and been told that there are no children's (green I think?) trading lanyards in DLRP? Is this not the case? This would be of interest to me for my daughters.

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Yeah there are no green children's lanyards hope your daughters have a good time trading still and the cast members are nice

Whoa just looked at the prices for Halloween, and unless I'm doing it wrong the same
holiday and days will be an extra 550£ to what I paid last time o__O

Yes Becky, hoping they enjoy trading a few pins

And yes, sadly DLRP has increased hugely in cost. We last went in 2009 and the price for same holiday this year was double what we paid then. It's a case of waiting for a 30-40% off offer if you are lucky to get one. Of course, Halloween is always a busy time as the French children are off too, DLRP aren't silly and tend not to discount so heavily at this time.

You do know you can use the French site to book (or Irish) if they have a better offer don't you? Just input your address details as normal as everything comes in a confirmation email so you don't need a French address or anything. We bought APs this year as we are going twice in 2012 and felt the AP room only rate was a better deal than a package with tickets. At least with the AP we get discount on meals and shopping too ...

no there are not any green lanyards in paris, just lanyards for anyone to trade with. I traded off a few lanywards that had LE pins which were LE for LE in afew stores when I stayed there last year.

Harringtons has an open edition pin board thats run my some guy (dnt know his name) and then you have the LE board thats run by Patrick.

When we was looking to book our first trip we was looking at 2 adults for end on feb and it was looking at 888 euro but for the same time in January it was 400 euro cheaper so we took that. We were going to go in the end of June this year but at nearly 1000euro for 3 adults not including travel etc then it was out of our budget.

me and a friend are looking to go for halloween for a few days but we have not looked at prices.

All this talk of DLP is making me miss the park so much... five years is far too long in between visits... and I doubt I'll get there this year. Even though this would be a great time to go as its another anniversary... and its been even longer since I went to WDW... over ten years. Though what I try to tell myself is that it would be best to wait to go to DLP; as there are rumors of updates to the Phantom Manor, and I'd like to see those.

I'm rambling; sorry about that. Anyhow I'm excited to find out what all the 20th anniversary stuff will be... mostly the pins of course.

Wow, great pins!! Love the cupcakes ones, looks like you had a great time, well done you

Love the pins! This is making me super excited as I go in just 9 days! I've not been in 3 years now and barely got a moment to trade at all last time I was there (was with friends who were more interested in doing just rides as much as possible).

I'll definitely be posting what I got here when I return .

I know what you mean about prices! Me and my bf are both students so we really can't afford much but we figured we had enough for 2 days in Disney. We looked at going this time next week and it was expensive as the 40% off deal hadn't started. So I looked at June and it was marginally cheaper but still a lot as we wouldn't go long enough to qualify for full discount. In the end after looking at three times this year (early Easter, June before schools breakup and September after they go back) and I managed to just about catch a good deal.

We're leaving on the 29th which is both a Thursday on the "green" cheapest rate and is also the day the 40% off starts! So we have been able to get 4 nights, 5days in the Sequoia for cheaper than two days one night at other times! Came to about £450 each including all park tickets, hotels and travel

Bit late for people to take up this offer now but its the thing to watch for in future .