66 THURSDAY, APRIL 5 TO WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2 012 EEX-E01-S2 www.thisisexeter.co.uk EXPRESS & ECHO

‘Can we just stay inthe hotel, please?’

S O here we are, just five minutesfrom Disneyland Paris and ourfour-year-old says, “can we just

stay in the hotel?”.It should immediately be pointed

out that this is in no way adenigration of what the Disney parkshave to offer. Far from it. The broadsmile she has been wearing amid thecolourful and imaginative rides andfamiliar characters attests to this.

It has much more to do with thelove affair she appears to haveembarked on with a 12-foot highoctopus at the heart of the ThomasCook Explorers Hotel. That and herdesire to explore the pirate ship, theswimming pool and its three slides,soft-play area, etc, etc, etc.

There are seven Disney hotels nextto the two theme parks but only alittle further afield, and linked to themain resort by regular free shuttlebuses, are seven partner hotels.

And the family experiences theyoffer are by no means diminished bynot being “directly Disney” as ourstay in Thomas Cook’s offering morethan proved.

The concept here is a hotel based onthe mansion of legendary explorerArchibald De Bacle. What this means,in actuality, is a resort designedprincipally with children in mind,with a series of features to inspire andcaptivate young minds, from theroaring dragon near reception to thewater-cannons on board the indoorheated pool’s galleon.

We were slightly spoiled with a stayin the snake and monkey-festoonedJungle Suite (a blessing, in manyrespects, as it offered the opportunityto give our infant twins their ownroom) but the more standard crewrooms will be large enough for mostf amilies.

Friendly and multi-lingual staffwere always available, with aselection of food and drink for all agesand tastes on offer at the threerestaurants and two bars. There’s alsoa Disney boutique on site, a fitnesscentre for children, free parking and alovely setting away from the hubbubof the main parks and overlooking thenearby town.

As stated, there is also a free shuttleto the Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy trainstation and the parks, which was idealas we arrived following a comfortablejourney on Eurostar (and here, itshould be noted, there was a sharpcontrast in the attitude of British andFrench immigration officers with thelatter allowing us to pass throughwith pushchair intact and the formerinsisting on frisking what had beensleeping twins – I suppose we shouldbe thankful for their thoroughness...grumble, grumble).

Disneyland Park and the Walt

Disney Studios Park were at the tail-end of the Magical Moments festivalduring our stay, but the 20thanniversary celebrations have nowbegun with new shows andattractions, including new parades.

A particular highlight was the ToyStory-themed area at the studios and,although many of the rides aredesigned with the very young inmind, with the chance to relive thetales of Pinocchio, Peter Pan andAlice In Wonderland, there are morethan enough thrills available for olderchildren and adults from the TwilightZone Tower Of Terror to SpaceMountain: Mission 2. For theFrancophobes, language is rarely abarrier, and the food is relativelystandard theme-park fare (althoughseek out the Hakuna Matatarestaurant for a slight alternative –I’ve never been so pleased to see rice).

A fast-pass system is available for a

handful of rides to avoid what wereconsiderable queues even though itwas term-time.

This is all, of course, based on theassumption that you can get out of thehotel in the first place.● Eurostar operates a daily directservice in each direction toDisneyland Resort Paris (althoughdaily direct services to the resort donot operate on Tuesdays andSaturdays, except during schoolholidays). Fares are from £69 standardclass return (adult) and £44 return (forchildren aged four to 11). StandardPremier travel, which includes a meal,is from £159 return for an adult and£94 return for a child. There is also anextra baggage allowance whencompared to flying and connectingfares are available from more than 200stations in the UK. Tickets areavailable from eurostar.com or fromE u ro s t a r ’s contact centre on 08432 186

Holiday fun: Clockwise from above, the children’s Jungle Suite was a godsend; Disneyland Paris is a free shuttle ride away; the hotel’s pool area andpirate ship; the impressive entrance hall; the Explorers Hotel is set in its own grounds

Hotels near DisneylandParis can be just asentertaining as the theme-park itself, as Richard Birchd i s c ov e r e d

186. There are up to 18 daily Eurostarservices from London to Paris Gare duNord, and passengers bound directlyfor the resort can catch the RER inF rance.● The Explorers Hotel offers anAdvance Purchase option to allowholidaymakers to benefit from adiscount on the best available rateonline. If you arrive on a Sunday andstay two nights, you will receive a 15per cent discount, while a discount of20 per cent can be had on the hotel’sbest available rate for any booking ofthree nights or more.

For more information, visitwww.explorershotels.com or visitw w w. t h o m a s c o o k . c o m● And for everything you need toknow about Disneyland Paris, visitwww.disneylandparis.co.uk or contactthe Reservation Office on 0844 8 008898. A number of offers on tickets andaccommodation are always available.

Plenty to do: The Thomas Cook Explorers Hotel had a host of entertaining options on site

My friend: Lydia and her octopus

Lots of offersthis EasterIF you still haven’t booked an Easterbreak. Here are some of the deals onof fer.● Hell Bay on the ruggedly beautifulisland of Brhyer, Isles of Scilly, iscelebrating Easter with a ‘shor tb re a k ’ saving. When staying 4-nights(from April 6 through to May 27) withdinner and breakfast included –guests save £200 per person. The hotelis perched on the shore looking overthe Atlantic. Luxury suites boastprivate patios and balconies tocapture the best Scilly views, whilethe 3 AA Rosette awarded restaurantserves the freshest seafood andhomegrown veggies from its kitchengarden. Details on: www.hellbay.co.uk● Treat yourself to an Easter break atHotel du Vin & Bistro from only £99per room. Choose from hotels inHenley, Edinburgh or one of the other12 in England and Scotland. Availableuntil April 15, excluding Saturdaynights. Subject to availability. Book onwww.hotelduvin.com or call 0845 3654438 and quote “East”.● The family owned Bedruthan Stepsis one of Cornwall’s most establishedand best located hotels. Sitting highon the cliff tops, looking over thegolden sweep of Mawgan Porth, itreally captures the magic of the northcoast.

The Easter holiday programmeincludes family egg hunts, learning tomake Easter treats with the chef, kiteflying and a circus skills workshop.Plus yoga sessions for parents and achance to have a try at clay pigeonshooting. Double Rooms at BedruthanSteps in April start from £101. Details:01637 860555.

THE triumph of the David Hockneyand Lucian Freud exhibitions inLondon has illuminated a whole newsector of holidays for tour operators –t h e re ’s huge interest in art in a well-heeled market.

Tate Travels is a new joint venturecreated by tour operator UltimateTravel and the Tate Galleries. Onethree-night short break in May (from£895) is based on the Tate Gallery inSt Ives, with visits to Grade II-listedPorthmeor Studios and the Newlynstudio of landscape artist MichaelPor ter.

Serious foodies could be interestedtoo: Hamish Anderson, the Tate’swine-buyer, will join some tours toarrange tastings at favourite suppliersas a diversion from the art andarchitecture which fills the itineraryof each journey.

A variety of different tours will runover the next 18 months. For moredetails call Tate Travels 020 7386 4630or visit: www.tatetravels.co.uk

A break inthe art scene

Rising above: Try bread-making at BedruthanSteps, Cornwall

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