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Quick guide to my favourite things to see and do while staying in the Vendee!
summer is here! Its official summer and its come round quicker than I can reply to cake offers! this means I definitely DO NOT have a summer-ready body we all dream of, for yourselves obviously..unless you do dream of me having a summer body in that case I'm with you on that one!
This time of year I have my planning head on, counting down the days and dragging the suitcases out of the lost preparing for days of a voyage to our favourite destination, Vendee France! With temperatures to compete with the Caribbean, Beaches that stretch for miles with their golden sands and all the tastiest food and wine you could ask for there really is nothing keeping you away!
Here a quick guide to my favourite things to see and do while staying in the Vendee!
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Apremont
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Apremont is a quaint village that houses some of the most exquisite cafes, flower shops and stores. In the heart of the town sits The Chateau d'Apremont a beautiful medieval monument that sits my a sandy lake. You can visit the Chateau itself or spend your days sunbathing by the lake. At the lake in the season there are many activities to offer such as kayaking, paddle boarding, in water obstacle courses, dedicated swimming areas, playground and is a perfect spot for fishing. The restaurant, picnic area, ice cream shop, toilets and free parking means you can stay until the sun goes down.
puy du Fou
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The Puy du Fou is a traditional theme park being voted in the top 50 theme parks of the WORLD! And why wouldn't it?? featuring like re-enactment shows throughout history such as medieval javelin contests, chariot races in a full-sized colosseum and Viking wars in the village! Everybody is in the show acting out their part to make you really believe you have travelled back in time for the Victorian shopkeepers to the blacksmith's workshop!! To finish you night after taking in all the sites stay for the nightly firework show before heading off to stay in the onsite hotel!​​
The Beaches
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a must do on any of my visits to the Vendee include as many beach visits as possible! There are a few to choose from so we're really spoilt for choice when it comes to sipping our toes into the sea while soaking in the sun! I must say my favourite has to be St Jean de Mont, the beach is clean, crisp and clear making it easy to see the views stretched out in front of you! If your not a sea and sand person but like to eat with a view taking a fancy bird's eye view on the big wheel that overlooks the beach and the main street which is packed with more restaurants than you can choose from may be your thing! The cyclist and walk friendly path make great fun the take a stroll any time of day with the pier being an excellent viewing spot to watch a mesmerising sunrise/set.​​
St Gille
St Gille is the place to go any day of the week at any time! They hold markets twice a week during the day in the main square and often hold antique markets along the boat bays where you can find all sorts of treasures, they also hold a daily night market through the small town street at the foot of the church. I always find the atmosphere in St Gille to be warm, welcoming and never fails to bring a smile of my face as I weave between the quaint shops down the main path. My favourite store being the alcohol (and no alcohol) ice cream store while my daughter loves the multi-story toy store! Each time we visit St Gilles we like to treat ourselves (it is a holiday after all) to a chichi and a ride on the incredible multi-story merry-go-round that truly looks stunning day or night.​
Top Tips for Disneyland Paris
Clothing
No clothes are not optional at Disneyland, I highly advise you never try to enter the parks without any but clothes can be a huge deal maker at Disneyland and can really help bring pixie dust and Mickey magic to your holiday. Disney bounding, themed clothing such as a Minnie mouse dress or Pluto jumper etc. can add a real focal point to character meets and makes them a little less awkward especially if you or your little ones are prone to shyness or becoming star struck! Primark has a huge range of different Disney pieces available and a very affordable prince or why not search the thousand small shops online social media such as Instagram and get a custom item like no other that is sure to get noticed! Hey if you’re crafty dabble yourself and make your own magic! Disney inspired ears, tops, shoes, bags and so much more can be found at a drop of a hat it's now easier than ever to find a statement piece that truly speaks to you and for the same if not a fraction of the price at the resorts so it’s really worth checking!
Remember to be practical and stay within Disney Parks rules with your clothing! These can be found on their website but is very reasonable requests such as no heels (who would want to walk all day in stilettos is beyond me!) and no adults to wear costume dresses other than to the Halloween soiree! Please Please, Please check you don't break any rules before you go through, it’s no fun to be sad and disappointed because the floor length gown is too similar to a certain princess and would confuse the guests!
Disneyland Paris is a magical place, the happiest place on earth! It’s a place where children can be children; enjoying the things they love most! A place that's safe to let loose your inner pirate or princess and allow children to just be children!
The reason I love Disneyland Paris is yes don't get me wrong I would not turn down the chance to go to Walt Disney World, in fact, I may rip your arms off with the tickets before you finished asking me! But for first-time travelers, small children and big families it gives just as much magic for a fraction of the price!
So here are my top tips for getting the most out of your money!
Book deals!
Search around, do a little digging between sites and compare! I always book with Disney direct or companies such as Travel Magic, Euro Disney or Magic Breaks. I do this because there is always some form of an offer on, about to come on and it’s totally worth it! When we have booked in the past we booked with 2 night’s free and free half board meal, this gave us complete security in knowing any money we took with us was for spends and food, drinks and a bed was all taken care of! The last thing you want is in World of Disney feeling sad because you have 10 Euros short of that must have merch you spotted but you haven't put meal money aside! Now with the free HB plans you cannot upgrade to premium but you can use them towards certain restaurant payments and bookings, meaning you can go ahead and book mickeys cafe breakfast or dinner with the princesses for a smaller fee than if you didn't have the plan at all!
Magic Hours
Make the most of your magic hours! The Disney parks are open from 8.30 - 9.30 for Disney resort guests only. This gives you an hour of reduced queue's and access before the general public meaning the most popular rides such as Mad Hatters Teacups, Dumbo, and Peter Pans Flight are all accessible before the mad days rush! When we went we managed to squeeze all these in before half 9 along with a few photo opportunities and a wander around the castle with plenty of time to queue at the Princess Pavilion and be second in line to meet Ariel (princesses will vary) at 10.30 after the park was open!
Staying safe
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Before we left for Disneyland Paris I ordered a few safety essentials! This included some neon wristbands and some themed lanyards with plastic wallets off eBay. They were practically perfect in every way and using the lanyards meant we were able to keep our park tickets at hand to jump between Magic Kingdom, Disney Village, and Walt Disney Studios. The plastic wallets protected these cards and our fast passes too while being seen through so it was easy to check the times we had booked for. The wristband we used on our daughter, they are similar ones you find at festivals, on the outside I wrote Info inside, and then on the inside wrote our phone number and our daughters’ name. This gave me the piece of mind that if we were to become separated our daughter could find a cast member (we pointed out uniforms and explained who was safe to approach) that all the information to get in touch with us is there available and not up for interpretation by a scared 5-year-old! Fortunately we never needed it, but on the subject of becoming separated I also took precautions to take a photo every morning as we left the hotel room, this meant I could show CM exactly what clothes our daughter was wearing and what she looked like to make sure to process of being reunited was fast as could be!
Plan your Visit
There are many things you can plan when going to Disneyland Paris, there is a lot more flexibility towards Paris than Florida but the key to success is have a rough idea what you want to do. There are apps that you can get on your phone that inform you of waiting times, park traffic expectancy, performances/parades and character meet schedules, although they are subject to change. I spent weeks looking into the best viewing spots; quieter character meets as well as meal options (book or arrive early/late to avoid queues). Meal bookings open approximately 2 months before your visit and I highly advise you book to avoid disappointment at places such as Mickeys Cafe, Auberge de Cendrillon, gardens plaza, and Inventions at Disneyland Hotel. These are amazing opportunities to meet main characters in a relaxed environment, have quality interactions and spare park time for rides and parades! There are a number of shows that change throughout the seasons and with the latest expansions being released there will only be more to come as the park grows! Best to check your season's evens on the programs for times such as Disney Dreams, Star wars show over in the studios, midday waltz, teatime parades, stars in their cars, there is always something happening somewhere! I found using our snack tokens to grab a warm drink and a cake about 40 minutes before it starts means you can rest your feet and have some chill time and ready to roll after the show. There are obviously better viewing spots than others for the Disney Dreams nighttime show, I absolutely loved this and because the ground was dry as we were there everyone sat down meaning a lot more people had a good viewing spot no matter what age. On the picture below I have coded viewing spots and where I feel is best to see the show!
Be prepared!
If you’re traveling with a small child take or borrow a buggy! It’s a lot of steps for small feet and it will drastically reduce the tantrums of tired tots! It will also assist you as it’s a place to store your layers, water bottles, backpack and such. In my Disney backpack, there are a number of items that are a must for me!
- First aid kit, while first aid cast members are available at DLP I like to keep plasters, tissues and wet wipes at hand in case those pesky trainers rub and such.
- Poncho/sun cream/layers, the weather is a fickle beast and is unpredictable at any time of year so it is always best to accommodate for as much change as possible
-Purse and travel credit card, there are many travel agents and money companies that offer you to top up debit/credit cards to use so you’re not carrying Euros around the park and some of them are controlled by apps so if you do lose if you can remove the money from the card back into your bank before it can be stolen. Just do your research and find one that fits your needs
-Glow sticks, these were a fun element while waiting for Disney Dreams and we took enough to share with other children our daughter 'made friends with' like she does everywhere she goes! It definitely brought some Mickey magic to the evening and a well needed second, third, fourth wind to the day when the tot was becoming too tired after a long day!
- Snacks, snacks, and more snacks! While Disney does not allow you to take in picnics and such I have never been stopped taking small lunch bags with mini marshmallows, grapes, chocolate buttons to occupy small fingers in long ques! God send as the hands are busy and the mouth is full! Meaning no moans and a happy daughter happy mum!
- Portable chargers, camera batteries, and tech accessories. You do not want to miss a moment of the magic because your phone died just as you reach the end of the line to meet Cinderella or post that must have picture to Instagram! Just note selfie sticks, drones and tripods are not permitted within the parks
- Autograph book and pens! Personalized books, matching characters with their favorite colored sharpie can really add another focus point and personalize your holiday!
Shopping
DLP is full to the brim with shops and stalls, cafes and restaurants! Disney Village is the main shopping area and home to the Disney store and World of Disney which is huge and well worth a visit! But keep in mind you may want to shop during the day, take an hour or two mid-afternoon or early morning if you’re not using magic hours to explore the shops because once teatime hits it is packed! Before and after Disney Dreams everyone congregates in the stores, arcades and McDonald's to grab a midnight snack! I am not one for huge crowds and I love my merch so take great joy in seeing everything and while you’re trying to navigate children and prams, bags it is a Boxing Day sales scene daily and I just can’t do that!
Disney Village has a Starbucks also which is great to grab a coffee on the way to the parks. There are stores throughout the Magic Kingdom and Disney Studios and I advise you look in each as not all stores stock the same product. I bought a photo frame that we only saw in the store outside Walt Disney Studios so check it out and have a magical time!
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