# Parc Asterix vs Disneyland Paris



## Pompey Family (Aug 9, 2011)

Just got back from a day spent with our two boys (6 & 4) at Parc Asterix which is about a 40 minute drive from Marriott Village d'ile de France.

Having been to Disneyland Paris in October and April I had no intention of visiting in August as the crowds were horrendous when we went off season.

I have to say, Parc Asterix is fantastic and certainly on a par with, if not better, than DLP.

The rides were pretty much similar with the obvious exception that the PA ones were not Disneyfied.  PA also has more 'extreme' rides.

The major and most important difference were the queues.  Bearing in mind that we were going in August, the peak school summer holiday period in Europe, and the queues were extremely short.  If you have young children then you're in an even better position as the queues are even shorter or non-existent.  We went on one kiddie roller coaster and eventually asked to be let off as we stayed on four times because no-one else was waiting.  This is a massive plus against DLP.

The food is better too.  DLP tends to serve the same poor food at most of its outlets and very expensive it is too.  PA has many outlets to choose from and you can opt for the usual burger and pizza fare or have something a bit more substantial and with vegetables.

What PA lacked was the Disneyfication.  Yes DLP has that magical quality about it and it can't be beaten but if you want to enjoy the rides and have a fun, stress free day than PA wins hands down.  We're even going back in two days time!


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## Beaglemom3 (Aug 9, 2011)

Thank you Pompey. Good to know that there are other choices.

Just have to say that I was in your area of Portsmouth, England (Brittany Ferries to France) two months ago and I thought that Portsmouth was rather fantastic !  Ate here (great Fish & Chips)  http://www.gunwharf-quays.com/store_profile-4572.htm  and loved HMS Victory.

Sorry for going off on a tangent from your original post.


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## Pompey Family (Aug 9, 2011)

Thanks Beaglemom,

Glad you enjoyed Portsmouth and yes, HMS Victory is fantastic isn't it?  Sadly I think Portsmouth is often overlooked in favour of more famous sights such as Stonehenge and Bath.  There's the whole of the dockyard which houses HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and The Mary Rose.  Southsea Castle which was commissioned by Henry VIII and from where he watched The Mary Rose sink.  Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyles birthplace and also the place where the Australian convicts set sail and the D Day invasion force departed.  There's also a street in Old Portsmouth called Broad Street.  This was an area that was frequented by prostitutes and was the origin of the American term for women, Broad.

Considering it's an hour from London (train or car) and probably about 40 minutes to Stonehenge I'm surprised more people don't feature it on their visit.

Anyway, there are rumours that the recent rioting is due to spread to Portsmouth and nearby Southampton so it's a bit of a concern being away from there at the moment!


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