With Disneyland Paris, it's a little more complicated. There are two ways to book "direct". First, there's the Disneyland Paris arm of DisneyHolidays.co.uk, but there's also DisneylandParis.com. What's the difference? Having two active bookings to Disneyland Paris booked through each of these direct options, here's what the differences are that I've learned and researched.
UK Team vs French Team
DisneyHolidays.co.uk is managed by the English Disney team in London, UK. DisneylandParis.com is managed by the French Disney team in Chessy, France. As far as your booking is concerned, it doesn't make any difference in this regard with who you choose, as both websites and customer support are in English.
About The Companies
DisneylandParis.com is owned and managed by Euro Disney Associés S.A.S., a company registered under the laws of France. DisneyHolidays.co.uk is owned by the Walt Disney Travel Company, and acts as agent for Euro Disney Vacances S.A.S. However, both are divisions of The Walt Disney Company Limited (registered in London, UK), which is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California, USA). Aren't corporate structures fun?
Some people like to book their Disneyland Paris holiday as a package, others like to do it separately for full control. For those who like to book as a package, DisneyHolidays.co.uk is your only option. DisneylandParis.com does not offer transport packages, only hotel + ticket packages.
Extras, Options & Addons
When you book with DisneyHolidays.co.uk, you're given a 15% off shopDisney voucher. Something you do not get when booking with DisneylandParis.com. Both options allow you to add Photopass, meal plans, and celebration treats at the time of booking, but DisneylandParis.com gives you the options to add Paris excursions if that's something you want to do and don't want to book separately. Also with DisneylandParis.com you can add room requests when booking online (for example, a cot) which you cannot do on DisneyHolidays.co.uk online, you'll have to call up after to make those requests. However, that leads me to...
Customer Service Costs
DisneyHolidays.co.uk call centre is located in Orlando, Florida. When you call the team, you usually get a delightful American - which is always a joy. There's no need to worry though, the number is a 0800 freephone number from the UK. It costs nothing to call. DisneyHolidays.co.uk also have an email address (disneytraveluk@disneyonline.com) you can use for requests and questions. DisneylandParis.com do not offer an email address contact on their website, and to call them is quite expensive. When I made one of my bookings through DisneylandParis.com, the confirmation got stuck and the website didn't fully load after payment. I waited about 10 minutes as the Mickey pattern kept going around and around. I checked my bank and the payment was taken, but I had not received any email confirmation yet. So while the page was still spinning I gave them a call. When you call their number, an automated message tells you that the service will cost 7p a minute. 6 minutes into the call (while I was on waiting to be put through) the website finally stopped spinning and my booking was complete, so I hung up. The next day I got a text from O2 about usage outside of my minute allowance. Now, I can't speak for other networks - or if this applies to landlines ( I ditched my landline some years ago) - but for the 6-minute call I was charged £3.45 - or 62.5p a minute - as that number was a premium rate number. Something to keep in mind on the rare occasion you ever need to call. DisneylandParis.com do have a web chat option, but it seems to be quite rare when it's available for use.
Disneyland Paris App
The Disneyland Paris app isn't quite as advanced as the My Disney Experience app for Walt Disney World, but you can still add your hotel and ticket package onto the app. If you book through DisneylandParis.com, you simply put your reference number and surname into the app and your booking gets added. If you booked through DisneyHolidays.co.uk, your reference number is not the same one you need for the app. You have to get in contact with the DisneyHolidays.co.uk support to get the correct number. I simply sent them an email and got my number the next day. It would be good if they issued that number with their documentation, but it's only an email away if you want to add your booking to your Disneyland Paris app.
Which To Choose?
I've listed all the differences between the two options. You can't go wrong with either - you're booking direct with Disney either way. If you know what dates you want to go, it's worth checking both DisneyHolidays.co.uk and DisneylandParis.com to see which has the availability you want. If you're not sure what dates you want to go, I find the best place to start is to use the pricing pricing estimate calculator on DisneylandParis.com and then check both DisneyHolidays.co.uk and DisneylandParis.com to see which has the availability. Who you decide to book with will be determined by the conclusion you've made from the differences laid out above, and which best suits you.
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