Thursday 15 May 2008

Ticket To...Hotels

We're almost finished our whirlwind tour of Disneyland Resort Paris - bet you're looking forward to getting into the parks and having some time to actually look around? All this 'hotel hopping' can be tiresome for a Princess!
Anyway, today's post is going to be a brief look at the other Disneyland Resort Paris hotels that exist a little further afield. While the previously mentioned hotels are within walking distance, the Resort also has 3 hotels that are accessible by shuttle bus. I have not had the chance to visit these hotels, so apologies for the lack of suitable photos, but I thought you might like to hear about them before heading to our final hotel.

Situated behind Hotel New York, the Hotel Cheyenne is themed around cowboys and the old
 American West. The hotel was designed by Robert A.M. Stern (remember him from Newport Bay Club?), and gives the impression of a stereotypical Western town as seen through the eyes of Hollywood, using facades and other styles of decoration. One of Disney's 2 key resorts, most of the rooms have bunk beds, making it a great destination for families. There is also the 'Chuck Wagon Cafe' buffet restaurant and the 'Red Garter Saloon' for some rest, food and drink!

Following on from this, the Hotel Santa Fe is another great place for families to rest their weary heads after long days at the Disneyland Paris Parks. This hotel was designed by Antointe Predock, with the theme being inspired by motels of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Southwest of USA. The hotel's decor includes a large drive-in movie theatre board showing a picture of Clint Eastwood, western style; plenty of cacti, and a large neon
 sign out front. And no doubt you want to know what there is for eating and drinking? You can stop off at 'La Cantina' for a nice Mexican buffet, or pop into 'Rio Grande Bar' for some cocktails and karaoke. Yes, I did say karaoke!

Interestingly enough, the two resorts - Cheyenne (Western Styled) and Santa Fe (Mexican Styled) - are divided by a man-made river named the Rio Grande. The actual Rio Grande separates Texas from Mexico - yet another small detail that the Imagineers paid attention to in designing the Resort.

Our final hotel we're going to look at is the Davy Crockett Ranch, which is a campground with camping spots and log cabins - similar to that of Fort Wilderness in Walt Disney World. The cabins are spread across a number of trails, and the village has all the regular amenities, such
 as swimming pool, shops, restaurants, etc. This resort is the furthest of them all, about 15 minutes drive from the parks, but that only adds to the wilderness effect.  There are also several activities you can do while at the Ranch: horse riding, swimming, archery, basketball to name but a few. While staying in a cabin, you can collect your continental breakfast and take it back to eat; and for dinner you can head to 'Crockett's Tavern' for some good ol' fashioned meat! Of course, there's also 'Crockett's Saloon' for a nice cool drink at the end of a long day.

So, hopefully that gives you an idea of all the places you can stay at when you choose to visit Disneyland Resort Paris. This is, however, our virtual journey - so why don't we stay at the best of the best? Join me again tomorrow when we'll have a look at the Disneyland Hotel - our home during the 'Ticket To' series.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

The hotels, in my opinion, are almost jarring in their modernistic interpretations.

But then again, what do I know! ;)

Can't wait for the Disneyland Hotel!

Princess Fee said...

From a personal viewpoint, I wouldn't stay in these hotels. The only one I would possibly stay in would be the Ranch, but it's too far away from the park IMO.
I wouldn't stay at the Cheyenne or the Santa Fe because they are quite tacky and I don't actually like their layouts.
As I had a friend who worked for the EuroDisney company warned me off staying at them - especially the Santa Fe - it's definitely put me off staying at any of them. I know there'll be some people who love them - and I think children would relish them as places to explore - but they are 'too much' for me, personally.
The Disneyland Hotel - now, that's a fancy piece of the pie!

Ryan P. Wilson said...

I think I am preconditioned to adore Davy Crockett's Ranch, if only for the fact that it is a campground with a restaurant called Crockett's Tavern.

Uh-oh, I've had a thought: camping around the world, Disney style!