Disney Davy Crockett Ranch is the cheapest of the official Disney accommodations available at Disneyland Paris. Located a short drive from the rest of the resort with no transportation provided, Davy Crockett also has the unique distinction of being the only resort where a car is required. For this reason, until recently, I still had never stepped foot on the ranch. However, having finally made the trip over in a car, this bucket list resort has been ticked off! But, was it worth the stay?
The Ranch
The first thing to take me aback about Davy Crockett Ranch was its layout. The resort consists of a forest full of self-contained cabins, as well as a central hub area. All resort facilities can be found in this hub, but, like the parks, there is no transportation between here and the cabins, aside from roads, so be ready to drive yourself between!
In the centre of the ranch, you’ll find all the facilities you would usually expect at a moderate Disney hotel. There’s a bar, restaurant, swimming pool, video games arcade and gift shop, alongside some extra bits you’ll only find here!
Perhaps unsurprisingly, of all of these options, the only one we made very good use of was the gift shop. Alamo Trading Post is located in the heart of the resort and sells a very good selection of the core range of theme park items. If you’ve arrived at Disneyland Paris for the first time and want to quickly grab some ears or a t-shirt, they’ve got you covered, In fact, even if you’ve visited Disneyland Paris many, many times, stopping here first may be a very good shout. With far less foot traffic than the regular Disneyland stores, you’ll often find some items here that you might not see elsewhere. In our case, we arrived on the second day of the Halloween sales and found some bargains in our resort shop that we never saw stocked in a single other outlet. Well worth the look! Alongside the merchandise, you’ll also find a large supermarket section, with plenty of options to prepare in your cabin. Behind the tills, there is also a selection of fresh bread and pastries, cooked each morning, for sale, perfect for a speedy breakfast (plus they are still delicious when being sold at half price in the afternoon!) One thing that took me aback here was just how reasonable the pricing on a lot of this stuff is. For Disney fans like me, many of the prices were unrecognisable. Here, you’ll find cans of Coca-Cola for a little over €1, and 1.5l bottles for less than €3! With one 500ml bottle costing €4 in the parks, we made sure to stock up every day. Of course, the space is also very nicely themed, with gorgeous antler-style chandeliers lighting up the cabin and what appeared to be an entire hunter’s cabin set up on the wall!
Adjacent to the gift shop, you’ll find the resort’s food and drink options. During our visit, the Saloon was only open in the evenings from 17:00 – 22:45. With a 22:00 park close and the need to drive back to the resort afterwards, this sadly meant that we never got to experience this particular offering. For guests staying on days with an earlier park close or who just like to head back a little early, however, it looked like a small but nicely themed space. At Disneyland Paris, the bars are priced according to the hotel’s price bracket, with all the exact same drinks priced differently at each. For instance, at the time of our visit, the value resorts charged €7 for the seasonal mocktail, whereas the moderate resorts charged €10. You’ll be glad to know that Davy Crockett is firmly in the lowest price bracket available, so get your cocktails here (as long as you’re not the one who has to drive back to the cabin!)
Directly opposite, and sharing the same building are Crockett’s Tavern and Blue Springs Pool. One of these is an excellent provision for all guests of the resort, particularly young families, the other is – in my opinion – a non-sensical waste of money. No prizes for guessing which is which! Though we didn’t visit – I’ve still never allotted swimming time in any Disney trip and I’m not sure I ever will – from looking in a window, Blue Springs Pool is a seriously pretty swimming pool. Complete with a slide, this is a great way for kids to have a break away from the madness of the parks during the day!
Meanwhile, in a resort where all guests have their own cooking facilities and must travel by car, I don’t understand the market for a €35 all-you-can-eat buffet. But then, I’m not a parent. I’m sure sometimes you just want a convenient crowd-pleasing option. But when there are all sorts of great-value restaurants within a 10-minute drive, it doesn’t make much sense to me personally.
There are a few other recreation options available with a small, tired mini-golf course (that is at least only €2.50 per player), a play park and a video arcade.
Additionally, there are two separate trails available: the nature trail (followable by reading the signs around the resort) and the Discovery Quest (scan a QR code inside the gift shop) which give you a great overview of the whole place, as well as some fun facts. My favourite was definitely the Discovery Quest, as the nature trail seemed to lead us to a lot of overgrown, unloved corners of the ranch. Speaking of which…
At the very edge of the resort hub, there are some very strange places, presumably for kids to play. The main space is the ‘Indian Meadows’ (oh boy) which is basically an enormous field with a few dirty tee-pees. The tee-pees are open for exploration, with just dirt inside, but I’m sure they’d be fun for kids all the same? I’m just not really sure what we’re doing here.
There’s also an amphitheatre which would be very cute if there were any sort of entertainment, but I’m not sure that’s ever a thing here. It certainly wasn’t during our peak season break!
All in all, whilst there are certainly a handful of recreational options unless you’re someone who can spend hours in the swimming pool, don’t expect to fill hours with activities here!
The Cabins
So, what exactly is a cabin at Disney Davy Crockett Ranch? Well, it’s a static caravan nicely themed to look like a log cabin. As previously mentioned, it’s necessary to drive down to your cabin, so as expected, each cabin is furnished with its own parking space. It’s a very rare treat to park directly outside your room, and it definitely counts as a perk of staying here! Outside, you’ll find a private decking with a picnic bench, and I also noted a barbecue on the other side of the cabin.
Stepping inside – after unlocking the cabin with your real (read: metal) key – you first enter the living space. This living room/kitchen features a sofa bed, dining table (with space for six), and a small kitchen. This area is a great space to hang out and decompress after a busy day at the theme parks. We made good use of the microwave for late-night snacks, as well as storing all of our cheap drinks in the fridge! It’s worth noting, however, that there is no oven provided. Just a microwave and a hob, so don’t plan anything too adventurous! If you were planning on using the kitchen, also note that whilst a dishwasher is provided, no cleaning supplies are at all, so you’ll need your own washing-up liquid or tablets. It was such a nice change to have these facilities at our disposal throughout the stay, and it really did help keep costs down a little. The kitchen and dining table were both in good shape, but sadly, the sofa was extremely tired and sunken. It just really wasn’t comfortable to spend much time on at all, but it did the job at midnight after a fifteen-hour park day, that’s for sure! We also made good use of the provided laundry rack. Having been caught in a Parisian downpour, the ability to get all of our clothes on the line was a godsend.
One thing I did notice is that there is not a lot of Disney to be found within these cabins. Whilst the nerdier amongst us may appreciate the similarities in one particular piece of artwork to the Frontierland entrance, there are no smiling Disney characters, no figural lamps and no hidden Mickeys (that I spotted at least). For some, this is a bonus. For some, a non-issue. But for anyone looking to feel that they’re at Disney, this may leave you wanting.
On either side of the living space are the bedrooms. There are two, one features a double bed and the other contains three single beds. As a young-ish adult, the first thing that comes to mind when I see this number of single beds is how cheaply you could do a trip if you were to pack out all the beds, and yes. That is true. However, these rooms have very little space outside of the beds. So, if everyone were to have luggage, that would be a very tight squeeze indeed. On the other hand, for families – or friend groups who just don’t care that much – who could potentially store luggage in the family space, this should be a breeze. Of the two bedrooms, I slept in the double bed on my own, and even as one person, I found the space a tight squeeze. We were on a longer trip, so I had a medium-sized suitcase, and there was nowhere at all in the room I could store it, apart from wedged down the side of the bed. So I just had to hop over it to get around! However, the cupboards and shelves were great for stashing smaller items. There were also plenty of plugs located near the bed, so I never had any trouble keeping all those theme park essentials powered up. Sadly, I didn’t find the bed very comfortable. Whilst it was a step above a camp bed, it was quite thin and very creaky! I definitely found myself longing for the comfy beds of the regular hotels, though these did at least have the same lovely bedding.
The really great thing about these cabins is that they feature two bathrooms! Alongside the main bathroom with its own separate toilet, the double bedroom has its own full en-suite. This was perfect for our two-person friends stay, as we each had our own space, which greatly sped up mornings! Again, this is a caravan, so the shower was all a bit flimsy. In my shower, I could feel the tray flexing around under my feet, and the doors were flappy plastic. The sink, too, was made from a hard plasticky material, but it all did the job very well, and the heating kept the space lovely and warm. You also get the same Mickey Mouse-eared toiletries as the other hotels, which was a nice surprise! A less pleasant surprise was that, despite having many other additional home comforts, our cabin did not contain a hairdryer, so make sure to pack accordingly!
How Does It Differ From the ‘Normal’ Resorts?
Transportation
This is, of course, the big one. There is simply no way to stay at Disney Davy Crockett Ranch without a car. The drive itself is no trouble at all, taking in just easy, clear roads, though there are plenty of roundabouts which may daunt less confident drivers, it simply adds time. During our visit, Extra Magic Hours began at 08:00, and we just never made it on time for the start. You have to allot time for driving, getting through the parking barrier, parking up, and walking along the side of the broken travellators. Thankfully, not many guests are driving into Extra Magic Hours, so we were always parked pretty close by, but the time adds up quickly! We also had a few occasions where, had we been on-site, we may have nipped back to drop off purchases or change into dry clothing, this was obviously not nearly as simple at Davy Crockett! With the need to drive from any of the hotel facilities to the cabin, unless you’re having a quiet drink in the cabin, the driver can also forget about enjoying any drinks anywhere in the resort! For many, this won’t be an issue, but it’s worthy of consideration.
Comfort
This is basic accommodation. Whilst we were certainly very warm, clean, and well-fed, the beds weren’t nearly as comfortable as elsewhere, and the space in the bedrooms was minimal. However, there is more total space here than found in traditional hotel rooms and the living area was fantastic for relaxing in the evening. It’s worth noting, particularly for winter stays, that we had one night where we found sleep nigh-on impossible as the heavy rain on the caravan roof sounded something akin to a machine gun. It was deafening!
Entertainment
Whilst, to my knowledge, all other Disney resorts offer in-resort character meet and greets, they are not offered here. There was also no other entertainment available, but this is standard.
Space
The true gift of the cabin is space, at least if there aren’t too many of you. These cabins can sleep up to six people, but I really wouldn’t want to experience that, at least with adults. However, with two or three friends, these are a worthwhile value option with great facilities. It’s worth noting that though there is much space to share with friends, the fact that the cabins come with a physical metal key, and the need to drive, means that you’ll need to stick with your group at all times – at least when coming to/from the resort!
Price
As the lowest-priced of all resorts, this is a great choice for people who just want somewhere to stay that comes with access to Extra Magic Hours. Sometimes, the saving isn’t massive in comparison, though, so it’s well worth checking Santa Fe and Cheyenne before making a final decision.
Overall Thoughts
Disney Davy Crockett Ranch is an incredibly peaceful place to stay. Located in the middle of a forest, with individual accommodations, if you’re someone who just wants to get away from it all at the end of a theme park day, this might just be the perfect option for you. With low pricing, low-cost self-catering options, and the ability to never have to see another guest, this is the perfect getaway from it all – that still gets you in the parks an hour early! It’s also a great option for families with kids who are old enough not to need to pop back for a nap (that would be a bit of a hassle) but young enough to make full use of the playground and excellent swimming facilities. However, if you’re someone who loves the Disney bubble, this does feel a little out of it. In a cabin without much Disney detailing, it can be easy to lose a little of the spark that comes with staying at the other resorts. Personally, I’d rather pay the little extra for one of the on-site value resorts over staying again. That little extra comfort and the ability to walk to the parks is worth the price difference in my opinion. Of course, if the cost is significantly different, Davy Crockett still offers a great option, and in autumn especially, the grounds really were beautiful! Overall, I’m really glad I stayed here, but I’ll definitely be looking at the other options for my next trip. I’ve been missing you, Cheyenne…
Speak again soon,
Claire
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coasterclaire.co.uk 