In an uncanny twist of fate after cancelling our weekend trip last Saturday for Prague, my friend decided to follow my suggestion and went to Prague last Wendesday while I went to her preferred destination (Disneyland Paris) on Saturday, October 17. I originally planned to explore the city before heading back but was distracted by the rides particularly at Hollywood Tower so I didn’t have enough time left.

Why?

Mainly a change of perspective. After her trip in Prag she requested dinner together and gave me a Czech Gold Coin token from the Czech National Bank. She has no vacation leaves left and she wanted to see Disneyland Paris so I gave it a shot. I’ve never been to Paris or Disneyland so I wasn’t certain how it will work out.

How?

After checking flight, train, and bus options I found that the roundtrip offered by Flixbus from Chemnitz to Paris direct fit my quick weekend getaway schedule and Disneyland Saturday Pass. I did the preplan on Thursday night then booked both Bus and Disneyland Tickets Friday morning.

There was only 1 remaining Flixbus ticket forth and back on Thursday night so I did a quick if then stress test. If this trip was really meant for me then it will still be available on Friday morning. It was and I had very spacious seats too with a huge table panorama view on both.

On the return trip the driver instructed me to occupy the lower deck panorama seat. Four young ladies sat on the right wing while I sat on the left wing alongside the Flixbus driver. Literally the passenger opposite me is also Flixbus driver on duty as he was chatting with the driver about work.

Both rides were very smooth and safe. The staff and passengers were friendly. The bathroom was clean, had water and soap for washing hands and toilet paper. The initial trip was delayed for 10 minutes while the return trip arrived 10 minutes early and took off on time.

What happened in Paris?

The bus arrived on Bercy Seine Paris Bus Station at 9 AM. Disneyland is around 40 km away from it so I had to book either a bus or train ticket. There were Flixbus and Blablacar Ticket Boots on site. Flixbus no longer offers direct rides to Paris while Blabla Car offers it at 10 AM.

Taking the bus was the easy and direct route but curiosity led me to learn how to use their Public Transportation so I checked Google Maps for connections. It suggested either taking the Metro Rail combo or Rail directly at Gare de Leon Station to Marne la Vallée Chessy the direct rail Stop at Disney.

I initially entered a Metro Underground beside Garce de Leon but found the ticket Booths only sell Metro and not rail Tickets. It won’t sell directly to Marne la Vallée Chessy Chassey so I asked AI which confirmed the problem. I rechecked Google Maps and followed the directions.

I reached Garce de Leon at around 9:41 AM. I tried booking tickets but it said there was no connection possible using their Machine Terminal and I can’t find Ticket booths or help desk. I asked AI if it was possible buy tickets online and it suggested Bonjour RATP. It requires an NFC Smartphone which will interact and open the gates instead of a Navigo Physical Card which cost an extra €2 and require you to find the right machine to add balance to it. Installation and purchase of the Ticket covering Zone 1-5 unlimited covering Paris and Disney took a few minutes for €12.

After trying it on a gate which showed an X and won’t open, I asked a train staff and showed him the App. He intially spoke in French then switched to English when he saw the App Language. He said go left and up. I can’t find the option to go up only to go down and I remembered that AI and Google Map showed me an A inside a Red Circle respresting the Rain Line so I folowed the signs and sure enough I found it with a Train arriving in 5 Minutes. The Bonjour App showed it registered but the doors won’t open. I tried to join a long line on the help desk but noticed people in uniform so I approached a lady and showed her the Bonjour App. She tried reading my phone itself and it showed activated but the gates stayed shot so she did a manual override with her card and ever since my phone Bonjour App can open the gates after.

Did I get to Disneyland Paris?

Yes. I downloaded the Disneyland App prior, logged in, and checked that the ticket purchased online automatically appears on the App. I bought 2 Park Tickets and started at Disneyland Park. To get in you’ll have to let you bag pass thru their X-Ray machine and you’ll go thru a metal detector similar to an Airport.

After I got it in, I immediately notice how beautiful the scenery is with music, water fountains, Disneyland Hotel at a distance, and happy people taking pictures and videos. I also took some. After passing thru the Hotel, you’ll need the Disneyland Park Pass to get thru their gated Terminals. I used the Disneyland App that stored my digital tickets and clicked on show Barcode for scanning.

The park theme was Fall with a huge Halloween Festival Title at the gates. The Mickeymouse Pumpkin Heads look cute.

Walking thru I immediately looked for a comfort room and asked the ground staff where it was. It was beside the town Hall and by the entrance they have an AED. So if anyone on the grounds suffer a heart attack and needs a shock, I know where to grab one.

When I got out, I noticed people lining up the sidewalks anticipating an event. There were also ground staff directing people to clear the street. It turned out that there was an upcoming Parade with massive floats, dancing characters, and lively music. I didn’t know where it will start or end so I just walked further towards the Cinderella castle as I was asked by my supervisor to take a Photo of it as evidence.

When I was near the castle, I noticed from a distance the first float emerging from the right side. So I grabbed my Oppo X9 Find Ultra to zoom and take shots. It was very lively and people especially children were ecstatic seeing their favorite characters dancing and greeting everyone.

After the parade, I was finally able to reach the Cinderalla castle and take some pictures. I noticed the roads were lined similar to trams then realized that’s why the float movement was so smooth and fluid like. The grounds near the front of the castle were under construction. So I took a quick lunch break there while observing the groundwork and the fountain foundations.

I noticed people entering the right side of the castle so I got curious and followed them. It turned it out to be the entrance to a Dragon Cave where a moving Dragon is chained. It was a bit dark and you’ll have to watch your steps but the contrast was really effective. It adds an extra thrill when you finally see and hear the hidden massive Dragon inside.

Afterwards, I took the stairs upwards that led to a shop inside the Castle selling Tiaras and other Cinderella related items. The castle exit opens to a sprawling array of shops, restaurants, and rides. People and children were lining up to ride a massive carousel while others enter the Jack and Beanstalk store. There was also a cute Cinderalla fountain on the side.

Walking further I went to Adventureland and immediately saw the top of a Wooden Ship. I suddenly remembered that a coworker told me to check out the Pirates. When I got near, I saw a huge Skull water fall beside the ship. Then I crossed a stone bridge beside it and saw Pirates of Caribbean on a Mast.

I just followed the crowd then found myself in line to my first Pirates of the Carribean ride. I suddenly remembered the 35 Minute sign on the entrance which I thought was the countdown to a Pirate Theather Performance. It turned out to be an actual boat ride. There were warning signs telling people that they could get wet.

It was dark, eerie, and exhilirating. That’s it for now. I’ll add more of my adventures and experiences in Disneyland Paris soon.

Update on My Birthday

At work, colleagues greeted and congratulated me warmly. After work, a friend and her son came to celebrate with me at Nam Restaurant. It was cold outside and we even missed out on our meeting point and travelled separately to the location. She said her boss called her earlier asking her to cover an afternoon shift which she refused as she will definitely not miss my invitation. She lives on a neighbor city which meant she has to travel far just to reach me. She also handpicked a beatiful plant for me as a gift. Earlier this week, she sponsored a pair of S3 workshoes I will need for my praktikum and gave me a golden coin from the Czech National Bank. I gave them the gold coins I got from Pirates of the Carribean in Disneyland Paris and offered to assist them if they plan to visit there.

That gave me an idea for my next book: a practical guide on how to book tickets, use public transportation, which trains or stops to use and where to buy souvenirs. I noticed how I seemlessly use technology on the fly like in Paris, Disneyland, Rome, and Milan to get to places I needed to be. I remembered a grandpa who wanted to ride a bus in Germany but only had coins for payment. The bus driver refused it, saying he can only accept card payments and asked the grandpa to look for a ticket machine that accepted coins. He got out before I can offer to buy the ticket using my DB App. I motioned for him to get back in but the bus driver shut the door and took off so we both just shrugged and waved goodbye. I can just imagine how many people are cut off from essential services because of this and other people can’t even help because they don’t know how.