Discovering Disneyland

After months and months of the girls begging to go there every time they watched a film and saw Sleeping Beauty's castle on the opening credits, we decided to do EuroDisney. We went with one of the Disney Hotels – Sequoia Lodge – set on the shores of Lake Disney and within walking distance of the parks. And we decided to travel by train... as EuroStar takes you directly to the gate of the parks. Perfect.

So despite the early start from St Pancras, and the hour's change at Lille (there's only one direct train a day), we made it to Disneyland by lunchtime and the weather was scorching and the atmosphere buzzing. First on the to-do list was the palace. Of course. Sleeping Beauty is a hot favourite in our house. And it is truly magical. It depicts the story of the princess who is cursed by the evil Maleficent as you walk through the rooms – and you can even visit the dragon in the cave below if you dare. That certainly set the bar high for the rest of the day.

The queues for the rides weren't too bad, always moving – we queued just five minutes for It's a Small World and the longest was an hour for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and there's always things to see and keep you amused while you wait. However, I did wish I'd packed a picnic as the queues for chicken and chips for lunch were very slow. It wasn't exactly 'fast food'. Take heed... stock up at breakfast or grab something from a kiosk rather than the eat-in restaurants.

People start getting their places for the parade early, so make sure you pick a spot at least half an hour before the start. There's a parade every evening at 5.30pm. And it was the highlight of our trip. Feel-good music pumping out, all your favourite characters floating by on sedgeways (I think, unless they were actually flying!) and floats. It can't fail to bring a smile to everyone's faces – big and small kids alike! The girls were over the moon to see all the princesses, Peter Pan and Captain Hook, Alice in Wonderland, the characters from the Lion King, Toy Story and Pinocchio, many others, but, of course, Minnie and Mickey mouse and co.

To make sure we actually got to meet Mickey, we had reserved a table for dinner at the Mickey Mouse Cafe in the Disney Village. It's best to book your evening meals in advance (and many are included in your hotel rate if you're half-board, meaning you can have your meals at your hotel or in the parks)... if you don't, you'll have a long wait. Meeting Mickey was another amazing moment. He came to our table, engaged with the girls and posed for a photo. It made our evening.

Back at the hotel, we found our luggage. Now this is a huge plus point of staying at a Disney Hotel – you can check in your luggage on arrival at Marne La Vallee Eurostar train station at Disneyland, and it is shipped across to your hotel and there waiting for you when you come out of the parks at the end of the day. Another bonus is you can even enjoy up to two extra hours in Disneyland before the the masses arrive.

Sequoia Lodge is a relaxed hotel with a cosy mountain lodge theme. We had a family room with two double beds and lovely ensuite. Other amenities include an indoor and outdoor pool, a sauna, a steam room and gym, plus a kids' play area – but we didn't have chance to use any of them, we were too busy having fun in the parks. The international buffet the next morning was tasty but despite being given a time slot, you may still have to queue to get a table!

Saturday morning we headed back to the parks. Big decision - Walt Disney Studios or Disneyland Park. There's so much to do, it's hard to choose. We headed back to Disneyland to see the bits we hadn't discovered the day before. The Haunted House ride is a must (maybe not for your three-year-old, oops!), the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is one for all, and the Alice in Wonderland maze and Dumbo Flying Elephants both a hit. We queued for lunch again... but we were soon wandering over to the Walt Disney Studios Park to see what was on offer there. One thing we were missing was our double buggy. I'd umm-ed and ahh-ed over bringing it, and at the last moment when hopping in the taxi, I'd decided on the single stroller. Big mistake. There's a lot of ground to cover in the parks and my five-year-old's little legs needed a rest. So we hired one instead – 15 euros a day isn't bad. But if you're thinking of going between parks, make sure you hire it for two days and pay the deposit, else you'll have to queue to return it before leaving one park and hire a second one in the other park!

We loved the Walt Disney Studios Park, with it's Tower of Terror, Toy Story area and many, many kids' rides, just as much the the Disneyland Park, known more for the palace and Space Mountain. The Studio Tram Tour is brilliant and such a shock, and the Slinky Dog ride, Cars ride and Aladdin's Flying Carpet was a big success.

We had booked dinner at the Ratatouille Restaurant, as the girls are massive fans of the film. You are basically as small as a rat when inside, and all the decor is enormous! Guess what I had for dinner? Yes! Ratatouille! And I would give it as good a review as Anton Ego does in the film. After our meal, we headed out to go on the Ratatouille ride. And it was my favourite of all. We all screamed in delight and surprise!

By the time it was over, the girls were ready for bed. There is a fireworks and laser display over the palace every night, but unfortunately at 11pm! It was a shame, as the girls would have loved to have seen it, but they were just too tired. And it would have ruined their mood for the next day, when we had arranged to 'meet' the princesses. We agreed it was something for another time – an excuse to come back again!

Sunday was our final day, so we were up and out and back in the parks as soon as possible. We hit the rides, got the girls' faces painted and then headed to the palace to meet the princesses for lunch. The girls were awestruck. Meeting Cinderella was a dream come true for Ayda. I thought Prince Eric was rather nice... and Chris managed to insult Ariel by thinking she was Merida. Can't take him anywhere.... The princesses were perfect – they spoke to the girls, signed their autograph books and posed for pictures, and they even danced with their princes while we ate pumpkin (how apt!) soup, roast chicken and a white chocolate slipper for dessert. I think Mya was holding out to meet Sleeping Beauty, but she must have been detained. Another one to add to the 'next time' list. And it gave us the excuse to hang around and watch the parade again later – so we could see her before we left. And Mya was beside herself when Aurora came past in her carriage. It was the perfect end to a wonderfully magic, if a little manic, weekend!