Bottled Water Or Tap Water At Disneyland Paris

Packing for my next Disneyland Paris trip, I couldn't decide how much bottled water to bring with me. And then it hit; why not drink tap water instead.

Being chronically ill, I try to travel as light as I can. Any extra weight or bulk consumes energy I would rather spend enjoying my vacation. As I was stuffing bottles of water into my suitcase, occasionally lifting it to check the weight, I thought of how ridiculous it was that I was packing more water than clothes.

So I decided to check online if the tap water at Disneyland hotels is drinkable. If it was, I could take one or two bottles with me, and simply refill them as needed. I didn't expect to find a lot of info, but apparently I wasn't the first person unwilling to travel with a suitcase full of bottles of water (or too much of a scrooge to buy bottles locally).

Within seconds of entering my search in Google, I learned that not only is the tap water at DLRP and France in general drinkable, many people seem to agree it tastes better than the water in their home town (must be the Disney magic).

There are drinking fountains in the parks where you can fill an empty bottle, so you could get by with just one half liter bottle all day. I have to admit, though, I'm a little concerned about hygiene when it comes to drinking fountains. Probably unjustified, and a result of having never used them (they only started popping up in Belgium a couple of years ago). Note; the drinking fountains are turned off during the winter months to prevent the lines from freezing.

If you're dining out, you can order free tap water and save quite a bit, assuming you're okay with drinking plain old H2O. During my last trip, my friends and I ordered 2 bottles of water instead of separate glasses each during our buffet dinner, making the drinks no more expensive than at a Belgian restaurant. To save even more, ask for "une carafe d'eau" and you'll get a jug of tap water for free. You can watch a short video of the Sequoia Lodge buffet here.

People with a highly sensitive stomach may experience some discomfort the first day or so, because the composition is different to what they're used to. Everyone else should be fine, though.

A few people commented on the water tasting like chlorine. If you can leave the freshly filled bottles open for a while, that should get rid of the worst of the chlorine taste/smell. Alternatively, you can bring some squash (flavoured syrup) to change the taste to your liking.

Budget tip: if you prefer bottled water, it's supposedly cheaper at the train station and at the petrol station near Santa Fe. If you're staying outside of the resort, or don't mind leaving the magic for a bit, you could also go to the supermarket at Val-d'Europe (the Auchan supermarket has a budget section).

Conclusion; all tap water at Disneyland Paris and surrounding area, unless clearly marked otherwise, is safe to drink. Whether it tastes good, well, as they say in French; des goûts et des couleurs, on ne discute pas.

Chip and Dale at Disneyland Paris 2015

Chip and Dale at Disneyland Paris, November 2015 

Update On Disneyland Paris Park Opening

Seeing as I'm leaving for Disneyland Paris next week, I'm keeping a close eye on what's been happening the past couple of days.

Security measures have increased significantly:

• military presence (including at the train station)
• more police
• more canine units
• security personnel at entrance increased
• cast members also get checked

If I remember correctly, everyone entering the park is now checked with a metal detector and has to open their coats.

I'm sure there's been an increase to invisible security as well (security agents in the park wearing regular clothing, for example). And there's no doubt in my mind that all cast members have been prepped on what to do when they notice something suspicious.

Was reading this blog post, and apparently the hotel security has also increased (10 security agents).
The post also has some interesting updates/pictures on the refurbishments.

Even though there was a dark cloud hanging over me whenever I thought of my upcoming trip ever since Friday - not out of fear, but sadness for all the people who've lost lives/loved ones in terrorist attacks, and concern for what these events will do to our society - today, that magical feeling is back.

I'll finish packing my bag today (I've been occasionally dumping stuff in there for a week now). I prepared a list, but most likely I'll have forgotten to add something due to brain fog, this way I'll have a couple of extra days for my brain to catch up and remember to, I don't know, pack my tickets...

Disneyland Paris Closure Update

According to the official Disneyland Paris website, the parks will be closed for an extra 3 days.

A small, rather paranoid, part of me can't help but wonder whether this national 3-day mourning period doesn't have something to do with intelligence organisations suspecting more attacks. I mean, the whole of France is pretty much on lock-down. Apparently, businesses are officially advised to remain closed.

Paranoia aside, you should've seen me during my X-files binge-watch, I do think the people staying at DLP are pretty safe. There's no doubt in my mind that they have significantly increased security (perhaps undercover) at the hotels and Disney Village. And probably around the train station and bus stops as well.

I should've posted these yesterday, but I think I was still a little shocked at what had happened; links to several helplines:

List of embassy contact information.
English speaking helpline if you want to talk about what happened.
And if you're unaware, there's the #porteouverte #opendoor hashtags on social media from people willing to offer a safe place to stay in case of emergency.

It saddens me to see the death toll has gone up since yesterday. Though, that was to be expected given the magnitude of the attacks and many victims being in critical condition.

I can only hope the survivors can find a way to get through this and find some sense of happiness and security again in the future.

Disneyland Paris Closed Saturday 14th November 2015

Most of you have probably heard of the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris on the 13th. Out of respect for all the victims, Disneyland Paris has decided to remain closed today.

Official notice Disneyland Paris website

I will never understand how people can commit such heinous crimes against so many innocents. And not just in Paris, but in Beirut and Baghdad as well.

Remember that these attacks had absolutely nothing to do with religion. This is all about a few people who want to gather as much power and wealth as they can by brainwashing people and destroying lives.

I'm certain the upcoming weeks, months and even years will be incredibly hard for the surviving victims and the loved ones of all those who lost their life last night.

My heart goes out to all of you, wherever you may live.

DLP Restaurant Opening Hours

I'm in the middle of planning my DLP getaway. Created a short long list of restaurants I wanted to eat, read a bunch of reviews and was now looking into the opening hours.

Came across an interesting site here that has the opening hours listed in a way that's easy to search; by month (through the menu) and then by land.

I really like the table overview they created. It's very clear to read, in my opinion anyway.

Best check the official site for any last minute changes though (I thought Café des Cascadeurs was closed during my trip, I'll have to double check).

I should probably plan a trip to Disneyland Paris where I do nothing but eat all day...

Welcome To DLPZest

Who is DLPZest?

I believe a short introduction is in order with this brand new blog. As an extreme introvert I'm not very good at this, but here goes.

My name is Nadia and I will be your host on this website, providing you with all the flavours Disneyland Paris has to offer. My native language is Dutch, so if you find any mistakes feel free to point them out so I can improve your reading enjoyment and my English in one fell swoop.

Even though I live near Antwerp (Belgium), only about a 2 hour train ride from Paris, I may as well be living in a different galaxy. No really, how awesome would it be to live in Paris or Val d'Europe?Would you think me obsessed if I moved there? Just for the park?

My first trip to DLP was in 2012. Being in my early thirties at the time, I guess that makes me a bit of a late-bloomer. But hey, nobody's too old for Disney, right? I'll write more on that first trip in another post.

Due to some health issues, including CFS/ME, my trips to Marne-la-Vallée are becoming increasingly more challenging. They're still worth it, though. I just need to accept my limitations and make some preparations that will make things easier for me during my stay. And I thank my lucky stars for still being able to go on a short vacation like this. I'm well aware not everybody's that lucky.

Why did I start DLPZest?

My goal for this website is to share my new-found obsession. Not everyone has the opportunity to visit DLP as often as they'd like - once a week sounds heavenly, unfortunately I'm limited to yearly visits. Scouring the web for blogs to keep the magic alive is what keeps me sane (or is it insane? we're all mad here) those other 360 odd days a year. Hopefully others in the same boat will find some of the magic right here.

And yes, even though my first trip was in 2012, my true obsession began only a couple of months ago, after booking my November trip. Because I wanted to be prepared, unlike last year, I started looking for tips from other disabled travelers, and well, one thing led to another...including the launching of this blog.

What will I be blogging about?

This is probably a bit redundant by now; Disneyland Paris. Occasionally I'll also blog about the other parks or perhaps Disney movies or history. I'm a bit of geek and have a tendency to share every tid bit of information I find interesting. At least online you can scroll past it, unlike my friends and relatives offline.

I'll also be providing travel tips specifically for spoonies like me.

Photography is something I've always been interested in. So I'll be sharing my own pictures here. Spending the last couple of months watching Youtube channels, I'm now keen to give video a go as well. Don't really have the right equipment for it, though, so we'll see how that goes.

Do you want to get in touch?

You so totally rock!

Whether it's to ask advice, give me tips to improve this blog or send flames (which will be used to save on my energy bill), you'll find the contact form at the bottom of the screen.

Please be patient with me; depending on my flare-ups I'm sometimes unable to work the computer for days. In those cases you may have to wait a while for a reply.

Where else can you find me?

Below you'll find the social media accounts where I'll also be active. Keep in mind that at the time of writing, these are brand new accounts. For the time being, you're more likely to see tumbleweed roll past than anything interesting.

twitter: @DLP_Zest
tumblr: dlpzest.tumblr.com
youtube: coming soon (slightly embarrassed to admit my age is showing and I have no idea what I'm doing there)
facebook: coming soon...maybe...I dunno...leave feedback if you prefer a fanpage to stay up to date
pinterest: coming sometime in the most likely very distant future...I like pinterest, not too sure I'll have enough energy to update so many accounts, though. Again, leave feedback if this is something you'd like to see.