International flights are not for the faint of heart, and I feel I can call myself a bit of an expert on them now, since I’ve had the super amazing opportunity to fly to almost all the international Disney parks (with the exception of Shanghai!).
Recently, I got the chance to fly to Paris and spend an incredible week there with Fry Bucket and Emma (go check out our Doing Everything in Disney World series, if you haven’t already!), and while it was very exciting, it did mean another pretty long flight. After thinking it all over and making my list, here are the FIVE things I wish I’d known before flying to Paris — out of Orlando specifically!
Terminal C is ELITE
Starting off strong, which at the same time won’t matter much if you’re not flying out of Orlando International Airport (MCO), is that Terminal C, the newest terminal at the airport, is beyond incredible. I was expecting it to be better than Terminals A and B, sure, but to this level? It was shocked.
Typically when I’m flying out of Terminals A and B, I choose not to wait in the egregious Starbucks line and instead choose to settle for the worst Burger King breakfast ever. In this case, I dined on caprese salad and French wine at Wine Bar George with lots of seating and built-in chargers.
There was a much wider selection of dining and shopping experiences here, and I also really loved the spa-like music played throughout the terminal. The terminal is also designed to reduce noise, even when it’s busier, which is an impressive design. It was overall a much more pleasant experience even before I stepped into my gate area.
Pay Close Attention to Your Boarding App
It was my first time flying Air France through a Delta partner and I did notice some issues you will DEFINITELY want to watch out for. I had some issues with a boarding pass when I checked in the day prior. On the Delta app, it was telling me that I was checked in, but kept telling me to “tap here to complete check in” and wasn’t actually clear if I was checked in. I ended up downloading the Air France app which DID check me in, but said I’d need to go to the check-in desk for my boarding pass.
However, a few hours before my trip, my boarding pass populated in the Air France app NOT in the Delta app. So I recommend grabbing the app of the airline you are flying on even if you booked through a partner. Especially since Air France also gave me an inaccurate push notification telling me my plane was boarding, when in reality, my flight didn’t board for another hour.
Culture Shock Will Start Early
This might go without saying, but if you are flying on an international airline, be prepared for the culture shock to start early! I think it’s easy to have the mindset that things will be familiar until you hit the airport of your destination, but I’ve flown Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and the same is happening with Air France where there’s already a culture difference in how the flight is run.
Be sure to listen to terminal and gate area announcements especially when flying on an international airline. I often hear my name called to come to the gate — this is not a bad thing! They usually just need to see your passport and print you a physical boarding pass. It’s nothing to be concerned about for the most part, but you do need to listen closely to ensure you’re paying attention.
Don’t Be Too Concerned About Not Speaking The Language
I used to get nervous when going to other countries that someone would start talking to me in another language rapidly and I wouldn’t understand. Trust me, they know you’re American. I don’t know how they know all the time, but they know. If you are traveling somewhere with a secondary grasp of English (like Paris!) you’ll likely notice them switching to English automatically when speaking to you. Cultural differences are apparent, no matter how much you curated your Parisian fit.
Air France is bilingual English & French and our flight had Spanish speaking crew members as well. In Disneyland Paris, there were Cast Members speaking a number of different languages, English very much included. While I think it’s important to know some key phrases in the most common language spoken wherever you’re traveling to, if you’re heading to an international Disney park, it’s likely that you’ll find a great abundance of English.
Dining, Charging, and Sleeping on Board is Pretty Differently
I did sleep through breakfast delivery on my flight, but was grateful that they came around with additional boxes VERY quickly to catch those that had slept through it. However, they served dinner around 7 AM Paris time, but that’s 1 AM Orlando time. I appreciate this from a jet lag perspective typically but this flight is a red eye and turning the full lights on two hours into the flight is INSANE. I was expecting the meal service to be at the END of the flight, but alas, that wasn’t the case.
I also stand by my take that 6-9 hours is the worst length for a flight. It’s long enough to not go by quickly, but too short to get a lot of uninterrupted sleep/rest AND engage with all the flight announcements, food, etc. Additionally, you can’t use or charge power banks onboard, which may surprise a lot of people, so make sure you have a regular charger cord with you on board.
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What’s the longest flight you’ve ever been on? Tell me in the comments!
American (i.e. people from the USA) stand out in Paris and London and other parts of Europe mostly from the way they are dressed, that’s how we know! They can also appear “loud” in places where locals wouldn’t talk like for example public transport. Don’t worry, we will be kind to you, just please don’t shout in the tube or stand on the left on escalators 😀
I grew up in N. America but now live in the UK and travel to Disneyland Paris regularly as it has become my local park. I have also learned how to identify “Americans” out in the wild – it really is a special skill.