robbalvey Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 (edited) Part 1 - Disneyland Paris Part 2 - Paris Sightseeing Part 3 - More Disneyland Paris Part 4 - Bobbejaanland Part 5 - Walibi Belgium Part 6 - Toverland Part 7 - Efteling Part 8 - Slagharen Part 9 - Walibi Holland Part 10 - Potts Park Part 11 - Heide Park Part 12 - Hansa Park Part 13 - Movie Park Germany Part 14 - Phantasialand Part 15 - Holiday Park Part 16 - Europa Park Day 1 Part 17 - Europa Park Day 2 Part 18 - Europa Park Day 3 Part 19 - Grona Lund Part 20 - Kolmarden & Wildfire Part 21 - Final Report! Cruise, Greece, Rome, Rainbow Magicland & Cinecitta World! BONUS REPORT! Visiting Venice, Italy So at the moment we are in Europe doing random stuff. I'll post a few things here and there but not sure if I'll have time for a full-blown trip report while we are on the trip. We are live tweeting every day so to follow along, click: Anyway, let me get you all caught up over the past two days... Next stop... Paris! The first leg of our summer TPR adventures begin! Almost there! ...and now on the other side of the world, we are at #DisneylandParis! Space Mountain: Mission 2 continues to be the best looking but worst riding of all the SM versions. On the plus side, #DisneylandParis probably had the best version of Pirates! (Although it was sort of disappointing to see lots of the effects not working: no more swordfight scene, lots of audio not triggering or just missing, etc...) 9:18pm and the sun is just starting to set at #DisneylandParis! Another reason why I love European summers! I will never understand how such rampant line jumping is not just allowed but almost encouraged in this culture. We also saw smoking & selfie sticks everywhere at DLP even though there are signs saying not to use them. #DisneylandParis looks freakin' incredible at night! Disney Dreams at #DisneylandParis is by far the best "castle projection" show (yes, better than Tokyo's, IMO) & in my top 3 Disney night shows! There is one part of Disney Dreams where it actually looks like the #DisneylandParis castle is on fire! lol Next day... It's going to be a #Disney + @Starbucks morning! First stop this morning? Crush's Coaster! Thankfully it opened early, the line is not too bad! Was awesome to meet TPR fans on the other side of the world! Tower of Terror is always impressive no matter what language you ride it in! If you miss the Studio Tour @WDWToday it's still here at #DisneylandParis but personally, I don't miss it! Not sure why these old @WDWToday #Epcot Horizons props are on the #DisneylandParis studio tour, but there they are! Ratatouille was "ok" and it's not a bad ride, I just wish it wasn't what it was. Someone described it as "Disney does a Universal ride" complete with 3-D glasses, a bunch of movie screens, motion based vehicle and water that sprays on you! lol That about sums it up! Interesting to see how much better Disney Studios #DisneylandParis has gotten since our 1st visit opening year. The girls got these awesome cute yet terrifying @McDonalds Happy Meal boxes for #Euro2016 OFF WITH THIER HEADS!!! [twitter] /status/741347334924042240[/twitter] I really prefer the Buzz Lightyear rides that have different shapes for targets. Hit the triangles! I sort of like that Casey Jr's Circus Train is a powered roller coaster @DisneylandParis! I'll be honest... I sort of have a love/hate thing going on with Disneyland Paris. This is so much of this park that I love: the look of and feel of many of their themed areas (Discoveryland is just beautiful and you could drop it right into DisneySea and it would fit right in), they have some of the best versions of some Disney attractions (Pirates, Mansion, Thunder, etc...) and the castle is just breathtaking! but I *HATE* that the park seems to be neglected by it's clientele who don't seem to care or respect the park. The amount of line jumping, smoking, overall just annoying people just really grates on me. And while I realize that's part of the European Culture and I should accept it, which I do, I also don't have to like it. The staff of the park have at least been wonderful and we are having a good time here, it's just hard to not walk away from the park feeling like "Wow, I really want to *LOVE* this place...I really want to... but I just can't." We are live tweeting every day so to follow along, click: Edited February 10, 2017 by ernierocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 ^ Sad to read that the stuff in Pirates still isn't working. When we were there, (Sept!) not only no sword fighting figures, but no dog-with-key either! Pirates in jail with the bone were still there though, which made it look really bizarre. Yes, we saw and smelled smoking all over the place, too. I'm so glad I quit over a year ago! But, for some reason we actually didn't run into any line jumpers. Our luck, I guess. Glad you still enjoyed a lot of what the resort does have to offer. And respected it, unlike a lot of the locals there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 This wall of text is going to be a rant... Today we took a wonderful private group tour of the Paris Catacombs with a very informative Italian tour guide. He was awesome! However, this small 18 person tour reminded me of exactly why I can never be a tour guide again and had to stop doing our public tours before I would go legit insane from my pure hatred of most people. We saw just about every example of terrible behavior represented in this small group that I can easily cross reference to our own TPR tour groups that we have encountered over the years. For example... Self-entitled people not following directions and doing whatever the hell they felt like, people touching things when they were just told not to, people taking flash pictures when it clearly says no flash, assburgers people who can't sit still and ask a million questions and keep talking and talking and talking, people asking just insanely stupid questions that make everyone around them dumber for listening, people who would interrupt and blurt stuff out over what the guide would say to show everyone how smart they were, people questioning the guide on minor details as though their information was more important or more accurate or somehow mattered, obnoxious kids who were fucking CLIMBING on ancient ruins and falling off them annoying the rest of the group, people trying so hard to impress everyone else with all the French they knew as if the next person actually gives half a shit, and of course people leaving the tour and not tipping the guide after he just put up with their shit for over two hours. And then there was us. The four of us who quietly kept to ourselves enjoying the tour, listened to what the guide had to say, respected all the rules and our surroundings and didn't try to go out of our way to impress total strangers with whatever pointless comments we would have made. Is it really too much to ask for people to just be like us? And what we've realized over the years is that it is. People just can't quietly enjoy something without having to feel so important and blurt out factoids, corrections, organize their own personal agenda around ours, brag about their personal coaster counts, and other pointless inane crap that they think everyone cares about but nobody does. And after ten years of putting up with that crap, I just couldn't take it anymore and only want to travel with people more like us. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. At the end of the tour we thanked our guide, gave him a nice tip, and wished we could tell him that I fully respect him for having more patience with people than I ever had, but I'm not sure he would quite understand. Anyway, it was a great tour. Looking forward to our next one that is a private personal tour without any other idiot people because I'm pretty sure if our tour went any longer we would have been adding more bones to the catacombs. Thanks for reading. /end rant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 (edited) The next time I'm in Paris, I'll definitely check out the Catacombs. Say hello to the gargoyles at Notre Dame for me (they are pretty cool). Edited June 11, 2016 by cfc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Married a Canadian Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 How is the security over there right now with the Euros going on? Has it been noticable..especially getting into the park? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 How is the security over there right now with the Euros going on? Has it been noticable..especially getting into the park? Not anything that bad. I mean there is extra security and metal detectors but it's still gone more smoothly than let's say getting through Universal security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garet Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 I feel like entitlement in general is a big issue. The amount of times I see both from students (whose parents complain when teachers tell them off for breaking rules) or people in the apartment blocks or on the road who seem to think the rules are for everyone but them has increased so much recently compared to just a few years ago. It went from every few days or so 6 years ago to every day to now when I literally see about 8 things that make me shake my head in despair and just hate the world in just 1 trip to the local supermarket and back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 While thankfully I've never worked in the tourism / service industry, it always amazes me how the vast majority of those people can put on a patient, happy front while dealing with some of the dumbest people planet earth has to offer. I'm glad you're having fun though despite being surrounded by pure idiocy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKI Jizzman Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 DLP is a park that I never really hear about or see many pictures of. Is it bad I didn't know they had a Tower of Terror? Space Mountain 2 looks gorgeous, appreciate the reviews and photos! Tip - the only French I know is "beau twah" (eff you) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBrylczyk Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Say hello to the gargoyles at Notre Dame for me (they are pretty cool). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDG Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Is that their prediction for the Euro 2016 final? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaellynn4 Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 On our way home from Dollywood, Rikki and I stopped at the Shenandoah caves in Virginia for a tour of the caverns. By the end of the tour, my hatred for humanity had been reaffirmed as we experienced pretty much everything Robb talked about earlier: - People running ahead or staying far behind of the tour group (a bigger problem in the caverns because the tour guide has to turn lights on and off in the various sections to minimize the harm they do to the formations). - Parents and grandparents not controlling their unruly kids. - Everyone touching the rocks when they were CLEARLY told not to do so. - People hold their own (very loud) conversations while the tour guide is trying to give information. - MOTHERFEFFING SELFIE STICKS. - Barely half of the group tipped. Rikki had a good time and we got some great pictures out of the experience, but I had to seriously stifle my desire to go Judge Dredd on people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 (edited) Dear stupid people of TPR, If you think that coming on OUR PAGE and challenging my rant with uneducated factoids trying to "prove us wrong" about the international tour business we ran for over ten years is going to be met with a positive response from me, that's where you are VERY wrong. Your posts have been deleted and your accounts have been banned and you are just another reminder of why we stopped doing tours and why I posted the rant in the first place. Thank you for helping us justify our decisions. Edited June 11, 2016 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genx24 Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 DLP is a park that I never really hear about or see many pictures of. Likewise. This thread has the most pictures of DLP that I've ever seen in all the years I've known about the resort. It looks very nice, shame most of the park goers don't respect the rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHLFANJAN Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 As a German who lives close to the French border I can say: All those bad attitudes are more of a French thing instead of a European one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBrylczyk Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 As a German who lives close to the French border I can say: All those bad attitudes are more of a French thing instead of a European one. I'm pretty sure that's a well-known factoid, but to clarify in my experience it's more of a Parisian thing than a French/European thing. Outside of Paris I had a wonderful time in France and met extremely kind, welcoming people. Parisians are just horrible, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBpony414 Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 It's nice to see pictures of DLP as I haven't seen much of anything from the park before. However, it's sad to hear your review of it and how visitors disregard rules, cut lines, etc. That kind of thing and stupid a$$hole tourists on tours makes me absolutely crazy. KT looks great in her glasses! Is the 4th person with you another friend or family member? I must have missed her name somewhere but she looks familiar. Her hair color screams "summer's here so let's have some fun!" A friend of mine just dyed her hair a similar color and it looks great also! Often my parents and I will travel with my aunt, who I am very close with, and from my perspective it's more enjoyable to have an even number of people to do things with. Looking forward to seeing more of your adventures in Europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Lamsbergen Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Dear robb alvey, I'm not sure where to post this but I just want to say something. You have done hundreds of coasters around the world but you've not even ridden the thunderloop at slagharen and Baron 1898 at efteling? I really think baron1898 is the best B&M coaster out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Dear robb alvey, I'm not sure where to post this but I just want to say something. You have done hundreds of coasters around the world but you've not even ridden the thunderloop at slagharen and Baron 1898 at efteling? I really think baron1898 is the best B&M coaster out there. OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imagineer Josh Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 I like the Trip Report, the park looks so fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peptoabysmal Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Parisian here, http://www.bouillon-chartier.com/en/ is good for dinner and family friendly. - Hope the rest of the trip goes well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 KT looks great in her glasses! Is the 4th person with you another friend or family member? I must have missed her name somewhere but she looks familiar. Her hair color screams "summer's here so let's have some fun!" KT does look really good in glasses The fourth person is a family friend from Florida; she has been in quite a few trip reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Kane Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 This wall of text is going to be a rant... Today we took a wonderful private group tour of the Paris Catacombs with a very informative Italian tour guide. He was awesome! However, this small 18 person tour reminded me of exactly why I can never be a tour guide again and had to stop doing our public tours before I would go legit insane from my pure hatred of most people. Many years ago, my twin sister and my mother did a tour of the Paris Catacombs, and they arrived so early that they were the only two people on the tour. They had a wonderful opportunity to see this eerie attraction in such an atmospheric 'silence.' I remember them saying that the chilling 'quiet' of the historic tombs totally enhanced their experience. So...I totally empathize with how a rowdy crowd could detract from your enjoyment of your tour there. By the way, one thing they ALSO experienced was the fun of a tour guide who was enjoying his favorite 'tipple' when they arrived. (And it wasn't a Starbucks!) He was in a GREAT mood and gave them a tour 'extraordinaire!") Enjoy the rest of your trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 So some culture from today... Today we are doing "Paris Stuff." So follow along for some random culture credits! We are about to head into the Paris Catacombs to see the REAL haunted mansion! Paris catacombs are pretty darn cool! Reminds me of the old Dueling Dragons queue! It was cool being in a place where one of the rules is "don't touch the skulls!" lol Had our first legit European pizza of the trip! Delicious! Next stop... Quite possibly the most famous museum in the world! Anyone know where we are? Yup, we are at Le Louvre today checking out all kinds of cool art stuff! That's right, we are partying it up with this pretty famous Italian chick at Le Louvre! Chloe Martin was a fantastic Louvre guide! Kristen had the best time! We highly recommend @parismusetours! Thank you! Culture credit goal completed! Achievement unlocked! Tomorrow we are back at Disneyland Paris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbatboy Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Really love the aesthetic of DLP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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