best way to visit disneyland paris from uk

Country and language

United Kingdom

United States

Deutschland

@media (max-width: 37.5rem){.css-vo707v{font-size:1.5rem;}} Log in

Verify it's you, @media (max-width: 52.5rem){.css-1qvpg8e{font-size:1.375rem;}} no account.

Join Club Eurostar for FREE

• Travelling with Eurostar
• Frequent travellers
• Manage your booking

Frequent or Premium Pass

Please log in to use your subscription pass.

Didn't get the code? Send again

London to Disneyland® Paris trains

Take a Eurostar direct train from London to Lille Europe, then change onto a local TGV train.

Free travel

for kids under four

Comfortable

Make the most of your time on board

Generous luggage allowance

Our tickets are now more flexible than ever before. And from 4 November, you’ll be travelling in our new travel classes Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus, or Eurostar Premier.

Go from London to Disneyland® Paris with a quick change

Travelling to Disneyland® Paris with us is simple, smart, and speedy. After a quick change at Lille Europe onto a TGV train you’ll be there in no time. Eurostar is the most comfortable way to get to the park and to make sure the magic begins right at the start of your journey. Read on to discover why taking Eurostar from London to Disneyland® Paris is the only way to travel.

Departing from London St Pancras

To start your journey, get to London St Pancras International at our recommended arrival time to allow plenty of time to go through border controls and security. Before you jump on one of our Eurostar trains you can indulge in some boutique shopping, experience fine dining at a world-class brasserie or enjoy a glass of bubbly at the longest champagne bar in Europe.

What’s on board?

On our London to Lille train you can bring two bags and one piece of hand luggage for no extra charge. There are no weight limits, but please ensure you can carry all items of luggage safely. Find out more about our luggage allowances . Wherever you sit, you can email, tweet and post all the way with our free onboard wi-fi. You’ll find power sockets at your seat, so you can stay charged up while you relax. If you find yourself feeling peckish, you can enjoy a range of hot and cold drinks and sweet and savoury snacks at Eurostar Café . And if you’re travelling in Standard Premier or Business Premier , you’ll be served a three-course meal at your seat. Find out more about our food on board .

Connecting in Lille Europe

When you get to Lille Europe, head up to the main floor and check the departures board. When you’ve found your platform, head back down to platform level and hop on your connecting TGV train to Marne-la Vallée - Chessy (which is the station opposite the Disneyland® Paris park gates). On your way home, just do the trip in reverse. But be sure to jump on your TGV train from Marne-la-Vallée - Chessy at least 2 minutes before departure. You’ll then need to go through border control and security before you board your Eurostar train at Lille Europe. Fancy a city escape before heading to Disneyland® Paris? Take Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord and then grab a local train to the park. If you need more info, just take a look at our handy FAQ section .

Frequently asked questions

.css-5vuhm9{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;max-width:100%;border:none;text-align:left;width:100%;background:none;cursor:pointer;position:relative;padding:1.5rem 1rem;}.css-5vuhm9:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#00286a;}.css-5vuhm9:focus-visible{border-radius:1px;outline:2px solid #00286a;outline-offset:2px;}@media (min-width: 37.5rem){.css-5vuhm9{padding:1.5rem;}} .css-4ujqbu{height:0.188rem;display:block;position:absolute;left:0;right:0;top:0;margin:-2px 0 0;opacity:0.4;border-bottom:2px solid #00286a;border-radius:60%;} .css-1ro6ief{--grid-columns:12;--grid-columnspacing:0rem;--grid-rowspacing:0rem;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;min-width:0;box-sizing:border-box;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;margin:calc(var(--grid-rowspacing) / -2) calc(var(--grid-columnspacing) / -2);-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;width:100%;padding:0rem;} .css-1fiqx1u{--grid-columns:12;--grid-columnspacing:0rem;--grid-rowspacing:0rem;-webkit-box-flex:0;-webkit-flex-grow:0;-ms-flex-positive:0;flex-grow:0;-webkit-flex-basis:auto;-ms-flex-preferred-size:auto;flex-basis:auto;width:calc(100% * 10 / var(--grid-columns));-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;min-width:0;box-sizing:border-box;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;margin:calc(var(--grid-rowspacing) / -2) calc(var(--grid-columnspacing) / -2);-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}@media (min-width:37.5rem){.css-1fiqx1u{-webkit-box-flex:0;-webkit-flex-grow:0;-ms-flex-positive:0;flex-grow:0;-webkit-flex-basis:auto;-ms-flex-preferred-size:auto;flex-basis:auto;width:calc(100% * 12 / var(--grid-columns));}} .css-2pnwxm{--grid-columns:12;--grid-columnspacing:0rem;--grid-rowspacing:0rem;-webkit-box-flex:0;-webkit-flex-grow:0;-ms-flex-positive:0;flex-grow:0;-webkit-flex-basis:auto;-ms-flex-preferred-size:auto;flex-basis:auto;width:calc(100% * 12 / var(--grid-columns));-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;min-width:0;box-sizing:border-box;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;margin:calc(var(--grid-rowspacing) / -2) calc(var(--grid-columnspacing) / -2);-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}@media (min-width:37.5rem){.css-2pnwxm{-webkit-box-flex:0;-webkit-flex-grow:0;-ms-flex-positive:0;flex-grow:0;-webkit-flex-basis:auto;-ms-flex-preferred-size:auto;flex-basis:auto;width:calc(100% * 10 / var(--grid-columns));}} .css-11yytic{font-family:'abc social bold','arial','sans-serif';font-weight:normal;color:#00286a;text-align:left;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:1rem;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.5rem;color:#00286aimportant;margin:0remimportant;display:blockimportant;}@media (min-width: 52.5rem){.css-11yytic{font-size:1.375rem;}} are there additional fees when travelling with the eurostar .css-1k89mew{--grid-columns:12;--grid-columnspacing:0rem;--grid-rowspacing:0rem;-webkit-box-flex:0;-webkit-flex-grow:0;-ms-flex-positive:0;flex-grow:0;-webkit-flex-basis:auto;-ms-flex-preferred-size:auto;flex-basis:auto;width:calc(100% * 12 / var(--grid-columns));-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;min-width:0;box-sizing:border-box;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;margin:calc(var(--grid-rowspacing) / -2) calc(var(--grid-columnspacing) / -2);-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}@media (min-width:37.5rem){.css-1k89mew{-webkit-box-flex:0;-webkit-flex-grow:0;-ms-flex-positive:0;flex-grow:0;-webkit-flex-basis:auto;-ms-flex-preferred-size:auto;flex-basis:auto;width:calc(100% * 1 / var(--grid-columns));}}@media (min-width:0rem){.css-1k89mew{-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;}}@media (min-width:37.5rem){.css-1k89mew{-webkit-box-pack:end;-ms-flex-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;justify-content:flex-end;}} .css-h58ukj{--grid-columns:12;--grid-columnspacing:0rem;--grid-rowspacing:0rem;-webkit-box-flex:0;-webkit-flex-grow:0;-ms-flex-positive:0;flex-grow:0;-webkit-flex-basis:auto;-ms-flex-preferred-size:auto;flex-basis:auto;width:calc(100% * 2 / var(--grid-columns));-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;min-width:0;box-sizing:border-box;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;margin:calc(var(--grid-rowspacing) / -2) calc(var(--grid-columnspacing) / -2);-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:end;-ms-flex-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;justify-content:flex-end;} .css-19f252s{-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;padding-top:2px;} .css-16gm2n{margin:0rem 0rem 0rem 1remimportant;width:1.5remimportant;height:1.5remimportant;display:inline-block;background-color:#00286a;-webkit-mask:url(https://static.eurostar.com/ui/design-system/icons/chevronbrandeddown.svg);mask:url(https://static.eurostar.com/ui/design-system/icons/chevronbrandeddown.svg);-webkit-mask-size:contain;mask-size:contain;-webkit-mask-repeat:no-repeat;mask-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-mask-position:center;mask-position:center;-webkit-mask-size:contain;-webkit-mask-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-mask-position:center;}@media (forced-colors: active){.css-16gm2n{background-color:buttontext;}.css-16gm2n:hover{background-color:buttontext;}}.

Unlike airlines, there are no hidden costs when travelling by Eurostar. Once you have picked your train tickets ( Standard , Standard Premier or Business Premier ), there will be no additional fees for seat selection, advanced booking, or luggage allowance .

How long is the Eurostar journey from London to Disneyland® Paris?

The fastest train journey time between London and Disneyland® Paris is 2 hours and 59 minutes. Take a direct Eurostar London to Lille train in 1 hour 22 minutes and change onto a local TGV train for the rest of the journey to Disneyland® Paris which takes just over an hour.

How far in advance can you book your Eurostar train ticket for Disneyland® Paris?

Eurostar tickets from London to Disneyland® Paris can be booked up to 180 days before your return travel date, however, there are a few exceptions depending on engineering work or when you book. Have a look at our booking calendar and available days will show in black while the greyed-out dates are not available for sale just yet.

Can you take liquids on the Eurostar London to the Disneyland® Paris trains?

You can take liquids on the Eurostar and there is no volume limit, so you can bring all your toiletries and even a bottle of bubbly!

How fast does the Eurostar go between London and Disneyland® Paris?

Between London and Disneyland® Paris, the high-speed lines allow our trains to drive at a maximum speed of 186 miles per hour (300 km/h).

How much luggage can I bring with me on the Eurostar?

Standard adult tickets allow you to bring two pieces of luggage that are up to 85cm long, and one small piece of hand luggage such as a handbag or briefcase. Find out more information about luggage allowances.

You may also like

London to Lille trains

At under 1 hour 30 minutes from London, Lille is the perfect place to go for a day trip, especially as the station is just a short walk from the main square and shops.

Disneyland® Paris holidays

We all need a little magic in our lives and where better to rediscover your inner child?

All Eurostar trains

Discover Europe’s best destinations with Eurostar across France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK.

• Disney.co.uk
• Manage My Booking
• When to Visit
• Sign Up for Offers

Getting to Disneyland ® Paris

Whether it's for a family holiday or as part of a city break, it's easy to get to Disneyland Paris by car, plane or train.

Disneyland Paris Via Le Shuttle

Get to Disneyland Paris in the comfort of your own car! Travelling from Folkestone to Calais via Le Shuttle (previously known as Eurotunnel) is quick and easy.

It takes 35 minutes to get to France, then join the motorway for the 3-hour trip to the heart of the magic!

Driving to Disneyland Paris with Le Shuttle

Disneyland Paris Via P&O Ferries

Cruise over to Calais from Dover onboard P&O Ferries, where you can enjoy great dining, shopping and entertainment options, as well as sea views from the deck.

There are around 20 crossings a day and the trip takes 90 minutes to reach Calais, then a 3-hour drive to your Disney destination.

Travelling to Disneyland Paris with P&O Ferries

Disneyland Paris by Eurostar

Get to Disneyland Paris on the train from London, via the Eurostar! It's quick and easy to travel with a simple change at Lille. This takes around 3 hours , depending on your connection.

The Disney Express service takes luggage to your Disney and Partner Hotel, so you can focus on the fun on arrival. Please call our Disney Experts to add this service to your booking (at an extra cost) on 0800 169 0737 .

Getting the Eurostar to Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris by Plane

It's never been easier to fly low-cost to Disneyland Paris. There’s a variety of UK airports to fly from, and airlines including Air France, easyJet, British Airways and CityJet.

When you land in Paris, hop on to the Magic Shuttle (available at an extra cost) and arrive at your hotel in no time.

Flying to Disneyland Paris

1 Disney Hotel benefits are not available at Partner Hotels. 2 Extra Magic Time: conditions are subject to those at the time of publishing. Extra Magic Time is subject to availability and may vary across Disney ® Parks. Please visit www.disneylandparis.co.uk or call 0800 169 0737 for more information. 3 Excludes Disney Davy Crockett Ranch which is a 15 minute drive away.

Bookings are subject to availability and our booking conditions . For the sale of Disneyland Paris hotel and ticket packages, Walt Disney Travel Company acts as agent for Euro Disney Vacances S.A.S. Prices do not include insurance.

Close Window

Disney Halloween Festival

A season full of wickedly wonderful surprises:

• Spine-chilling Atmosphere: Get ready to feel the spooky Halloween chills in the air.
• Eeerie Entertainment: Discover Mickey's Magnificent Halloween Parade.
• Marvellous Meets & Greets: Experience encounters with Disney Villains and Disney Characters.
• Ghoulish Treats: Enjoy exclusive seasonal snacks and ghoulish gifts

Explore the Celebrations

Disney Enchanted Christmas

A season full of magical celebrations and fairy-tale moments:

• Festive Atmosphere: Feel the wonder and joy of Christmas all around.
• Dazzling Entertainment: Discover a sparkling parade and a festive musical show.
• Merry Meets & Greets: Encounters with Disney Characters and Santa Claus.
• Holly Jolly Treats: Enjoy Christmas themed dishes and glorious gifts.

Explore the Festivities

Guide to Disneyland Paris: Tips and tricks to know before you go

Paris has something for everyone—from history buffs and culture vultures to families and couples seeking out the magic of the City of Lights. And it doesn’t get more magical than Disneyland Paris, Europe’s only Disney theme park .

With two full theme parks (Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park), seven themed hotels, a Disney Village and a treasure trove of hidden secrets, where do you even begin? Here’s all you need to know about visiting Disneyland Paris, from where to stay and ticket bundles, to the best rides and restaurants to visit. It doesn’t matter how old you are, magic awaits in the wondrous world of Disneyland Paris.

Where to stay when visiting Disneyland Paris?

While Disneyland Paris can be explored within a day, you need at least two days to fully experience everything that Disneyland Paris has to offer. Not sure whether to stay within or outside the Disney compounds? Here’s what you need to know.

Hotels in Disneyland Paris

You’ll find seven themed Disney hotels within the park: The Disneyland Hotel , Disney’s Hotel New York , Disney’s Newport Bay Club , Disney’s Sequoia Lodge , Hotel Cheyenne , Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe and Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch . A majority of them are situated around Lake Disney near the shopping and entertainment district—Disney Village—and most offer free shuttle services between the park and hotels. While staying within Disneyland Paris can be more pricey (with nightly rates ranging from $100 to $500 and up), staying within the themed hotels in the Disney “bubble” adds to the magical Disney experience.

Apart from the convenience of staying 5 minutes away from the park, a big perk of staying within Disneyland is Extra Magic Time , where you can enter the park up to 90 mins before public guests. Zip to the front of the lines for attractions, meet your favorite characters—they even pop by the hotels—and maximize photo ops all around.

Hotels around Disneyland Paris

If you’re looking for more budget-friendly accommodation options, suss out hotels and vacation rentals off-site. That’s great savings that you can use to snag some limited edition Disney merch. Here are our recommendations:

1) Adagio Marne la Vallée Val d'Europe

The urban apartments of Adagio Marne la Vallée Val d'Europe are comfortable and spacious, great for those traveling with family and larger groups. It’s also located next to one of Europe's largest shopping centers, Val d'Europe .

2) Holiday Inn Marne la Vallée

Holiday Inn Marne la Vallée is a great family-friendly hotel near Disneyland Paris. With plush and contemporary rooms, rest comfortably before you embark on a whirlwind of fun with the kiddos.

3) Radisson Blu Hotel Paris, Marne-La-Vallee

Tucked within an oasis of lush nature, the four-star Radisson Blu Hotel Paris is just a 7-minute ride away from Disneyland Paris. It’s located on the grounds of Golf Disneyland® so the adults can tee off while the kids explore.

Best rides in Disneyland Paris

Best rides in Disneyland Park

At Disneyland Park, there are five "lands": Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland and Discoveryland. It’s the larger park of the two, so you might not be able to cover all of its 50 over different attractions.

Make the most of your time there and sign up for Disneyland Premier Access , the new program that has replaced the Disneyland Paris FastPass. This magic ticket (from USD5.60) allows you to skip lines at some of the most popular rides.

Here are some of the not-to-be-missed rides in Disneyland Park:

• Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain* (Discoveryland)
• Star Tours* (Discoveryland)
• Big Thunder Mountain* (Frontierland)
• Phantom Manor* (Frontierland)
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril* (Adventureland)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland)
• It’s A Small World (Fantasyland, family-friendly)
• Mad Hatter’s Teacups (Fantasyland, family-friendly)
• The Carousel (Fantasyland, family-friendly)

*Eligible for Disney Premier Access.

Best rides in Walt Disney Studios Park

Walt Disney Studios Park has 15 immersive attractions, centered around the world of cinema, animation and television.

Don’t know where to begin? Here are the best rides to try in Walt Disney Studios Park:

• Ratatouille: The Adventure*
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror*
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith
• Crush’s Coaster
• Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic

Best restaurants in Disneyland Paris

There are over 70 restaurants and bars within Disneyland Paris, serving up different Disney themes and international cuisines. Here are some of the best restaurants in each zone at Disneyland Paris:

Restaurants in Adventureland

The ambiance at Captain Jack's - Restaurant des Pirates is one-of-a-kind. Built inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, this cozy restaurant in its tropical lagoon setting offers great seafood dishes and French Creole-style favorites.

Restaurants along Main Street USA

A restaurant steeped in Disney history, Walt’s is a lovely nod to both Disneyland’s past and present. Relish good ol’ American cuisine with their classic three-course meal.

The intimate Cable Car Bake Shop is great for those with a sweet tooth, concocting delicious treats ranging from muffins and donuts, to cookies and buttery croissants.

Restaurants in Fantasyland

Pizzeria Bella Notte serves up hearty Italian fare like pizzas, lasagna, pasta and comforting sides to go along. The meatballs are a definite hit with the kids.

Restaurants in Frontierland

Located in a spacious barn, treat yourself to Tex-Mex specialties at Cowboy Cookout Barbecue . Chow down on their lip-smacking ribs to the tunes of live Country music.

Restaurants in Disney Village

If you need a break from the burgers and fries, fuel up on warm made-to-order subs, salads and wraps at Earl of Sandwich .

Tips for viewing the Disneyland Paris Castle

With its pastel pink façade, gorgeous glasswork and regal blue spires, the Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant or Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is a sight to behold.

Situated at the end of Main Street USA, the Gothic-inspired castle at Disneyland Paris is the glorious gateway to Fantasyworld. Walk around the circumference of the castle and capture unique perspectives from different vantage points. But the best way to experience the castle is at the Disney Illuminations night-time extravaganza, where the castle is lit up with projections of your favorite Disney characters, to the tunes of Disney soundtracks and explosive fireworks.

Pro-tip: Stay on after the show, when most guests are trying to make a beeline for the park’s exit. Once the crowds have dissipated, you can snap the perfect shot with the Disneyland Paris castle to immortalize a magical and memorable trip.

Other Disneyland Paris tips and tricks

• Ditch the paper maps and download the Disneyland Paris app —over the park’s free WiFi, of course. Get live waiting times, dining locations and menus, and the schedule of parades and fireworks in the palm of your hand.
• Pack a jacket. Even when you’re visiting in summer, it can get chilly in the mornings and evenings. There may be sporadic rain, especially between September to May, so it doesn't hurt to pack a waterproof parka, poncho or umbrella.
• Take advantage of the Disneyland Paris single rider lines , especially if you don’t mind sitting alone. Cut to the front of the line, much to the envy of fellow park goers.
• The peak dining hours are between 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. While most of the crowds are grabbing lunch or dinner, whizz to the attractions to score a few extra rides.

Getting from Paris to Disneyland

Getting to disneyland paris from the airport.

If you’re going directly from Charles De Gaulle Airport , it’s a 10-minute journey to Disneyland Paris by high-speed TGV train from Terminal 2. Tickets are about €17.50 (USD19.70) per person, depending on the time and date of your departure.

Staying at one of the hotels in Disneyland Paris? Hop on the Magical Shuttle and arrive in Disneyland Paris in about 50 minutes. The bus will stop at every on-site Disney hotel and other partner hotels.

Getting to Disneyland Paris from central Paris

The train journey from central Paris to Disneyland Paris is about 35 minutes. Buy a ticket and hop on the RER A train from Paris-Gare de Lyon. Alight at the final stop, Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy—it’s a two-minute stroll to the entrance.

Coming from someplace else in Europe? The Eurostar train is your best. If you’re in London, there’s a 3-hour Eurostar train direct to Disneyland Paris from St. Pancras Station.

How much are the tickets to Disneyland Paris?

Disneyland Paris tickets can be purchased at their official website or other trusted booking platforms.

If you know your dates, the 1-day dated tickets are the cheapest:

• One park from €56 (USD63)/adult and €52 (USD58)/child*
• Two parks from €77 (USD87)/adult and €73 (USD82)/child*

The 1-day undated tickets are more expensive but are valid for one year from purchase:

• One park from €103 (USD116)/adult and €95 (USD107)/child*
• Two parks from €124 (USD140)/adult and €116 (USD131)/child*

*Children under 3 enjoy free admission.

If you’re staying within the park grounds, there are also hotel and ticket packages that can be bundled with meal plans, shuttles and luggage drops.

Add a Disneyland Paris trip to your Paris travel itinerary with value-for-money packages that include Disneyland Paris admission tickets and round-trip trains from central Paris, or Disneyland Paris Express Shuttle pick-ups from major spots in Paris including the Eiffel Tower.

Recommended tours and activities

More like this:

• 12 hotels in Paris with the best Eiffel Tower views
• Your guide to visiting Disneyland Paris at Christmas
• Your Guide to Black Paris
• 9 best arrondissements to stay in Paris for any kind of traveler

Table of Contents

This post focuses on how to travel to Disneyland Paris from the UK. I believe everyone should visit Disneyland Paris either as a child or an adult.

With just under three and a half drive to Disneyland Paris from Calais, Disneyland Paris is conveniently placed for an adventurous weekend away trip,  a February half-term school holiday, an Easter school holiday break or even better a Summer holiday.

How to travel to Disneyland Paris

There are at least 1o ways to travel to Disneyland Paris from London. If you are planning your travel to Disneyland Paris from other parts of the UK, your best bet is to fly to Paris, Easy Jet offers daily flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris. If you plan to drive from any part of the UK, getting down to the South East will help break your travel time. Here are 10 ways to travel to Disneyland Paris from London.

How to travel to Disneyland Paris from London in 10 Ways.

• Flights from London Southend to Charles-de-Gaulle airport Paris
• Flights from London Stansted Airport to Charles-de-Gaulle airport Paris
• Flights from London Luton to Charles-de-Gaulle airport Paris
• Flights from London Heathrow to Charles-de-Gaulle airport Paris
• Flights from London Gatwick to Charles-de-Gaulle airports Paris
• Eurostar from London to Disneyland Paris (Marne-la-Vallée)
• Eurostar from London to Paris centre (Gare du Nord)
• Eurolines (National Express Coach)  from London Victoria to Disneyland Paris
• Driving privately from Folkestone through Eurotunnel Le Shuttle to Calais
• Ferry from Dover to Calais

I explained how to travel to Disneyland Paris from London in four keys ways:

• The best value way to travel to Disneyland from London
• The cheapest way to travel to Disneyland from London
• The quickest way to travel to Disneyland from London
• The easiest way to travel to Disneyland Paris from London

The best value way on how to travel to Disneyland, Paris

Choosing the most friendly family way to travel to Disneyland Paris will come down to your preference. After trying the 10 ways to travel to Disneyland, Paris, the best value way to travel from London to Disneyland Paris as a family is by flying from any of the London Airports. I particularly enjoyed flying from London Heathrow to Charles de Gaulle Airport using points to get Business Class seats for the family on British Airways flights.

Flying with British Airways comes with class and just for the 55 minutes’ flight, they will serve you with great attention and detail. I also enjoyed flying with Easy-Jet from London Southend during the Summer for our all-inclusive holidays in Disneyland Paris. London Southend Airport was less busy, and it is a brilliant choice for families.

When you arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris, you have the option to rent a car or use the RER trains to head to Disneyland. If you rent a car, depending on the hotel or resort you have booked, you will need an additional 40 minutes to drive from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Disneyland. This will not be a problem if you have young children with you. You really don’t want to be struggling with your kids and luggage on the train.

If you are spending 3 days or fewer, I will recommend travelling light and using the RER trains to get to Disneyland Paris. However, there is free parking at the hotels and resorts if you rent a car.

• Family-friendly options – quick flight times, frequent and more convenient for the family.
• Cheap flight tickets  – Flying from London to Disneyland Paris will give you the best value if you use points to buy your tickets and use the RER trains to get to your resort.
• Additional costs if you need to rent a car

£55 per person return.

The Cheapest way on how to travel to Disneyland, Paris

The cheapest way on how to travel to Disneyland Paris is by using the National Express Coach sister -Eurolines. This service departs in the morning from London Central Victoria Coach Station and Folkestone and through overnight service from London Central, Victoria. From your departure at either London Victoria or Folkestone, they take you directly to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. They then transfer you to another carrier called a VEA Transdev service, which then takes you directly to Disneyland Paris Resorts in 45 minutes.

The departure at London Victoria station is at 8 am. You will arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at around 4:15 pm, get transferred to the VEA Transdev service which departs at around 4:45 pm and takes you straight to your Disneyland Resort in about 45 minutes.

• Budget-friendly
• Young children might not like long Coach trips. Overnight service might work best for kids.
• £96 return for adults and £50 return for children.

The quickest way on how to travel to Disneyland, Paris

The quickest way to travel from London to Disneyland Paris is through Eurostar from London to Disneyland Paris (Marne-la-Vallée). It offers a direct service which allows you to be at Disneyland Paris park at exactly 2 hours 45 minutes. The Eurostar trains depart from London St Pancras Station and stop at Disneyland Paris Marne-la-Vallee. This is the best option for your best all-inclusive holidays in Disneyland Paris . The train takes you straight to the park.

• Direct service to Disneyland Park.
• A comfortable journey – You can walk around the train.
• Best for family travellers, solo travellers and couples.
• Less frequent train service from London
• Limited options for choice of resorts  – You cannot stay at Davy Crochet Resort.
• The cost can rise quickly if you don’t book your tickets for at least 3 months in advance.
• Starts from £95 per person

The easier way on how to travel to Disneyland Paris.

The easier way to travel from London to Disneyland Paris is by driving through the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle from Folkstone to Calais. You need to drive down to Folkstone Kent. Join the Eurotunnel, which takes about 35 minutes to Calais. When you get to Calais, you have just under 4 hours drive to Disneyland Paris. Obviously, this is not the best option for those who dread driving in Paris or getting their cars Europe road-worthy but it is a great option for you if you want to go at your own pace, have a few stops and save money for your all-inclusive holidays Disneyland Paris. Free parking is available at all Disneyland Paris hotels and resorts.

• Great for large families and Multi-generational families
• Get for the road-trippers
• More convenient for sightings than the other areas around Disneyland Paris.
• Time-consuming – It will take about 6 hours in total to get to Disneyland Paris from London.

How to travel to Disneyland Paris: Why Drive to Disneyland Paris?

Driving to Disneyland Paris from London starts at Dover. The service that we use is the Eurotunnel. You can book your train slots and dates online. When booking your ticket, they ask you for your car registration number, which then provides an automated reading for when you need to board your train.

When you arrive at Dover, you need to proceed to the entrance where your vehicle gets recognised and you get a printout which shows the time of your train, an alphabetical letter for boarding. The hanging ticket should stay on your dash mirror because the traffic warden will use it for boarding at Eurotunnel.

When the time for boarding starts, the traffic warden will direct you to where you will park and instruct you to apply your handbrake. The journey on Eurotunnel to Calais is around 30 minutes.

Driving from Calais to Disneyland Paris

The drive from Calais to Disneyland Paris takes under 4 hours, once you leave the train terminal, head to A26 to Arras/Paris and then take the A1 heading South towards Paris. Leave at exit 6 after Charles de Gaulle Airport and head towards A104 and finally A4. The roads leading to Disneyland Paris have tolls, which will cost about £25 in total.

Essentials for driving to Disneyland Paris from London

If you love road trips, it must also prepare you for driving safely in Europe. To drive from London to Disneyland, they require you to be legal and have essential items for your safety.

The essential items include:

• A valid UK driving licence.
• Your motor insurance certificate and V5 registration document or hire paperwork.
• A GB sticker  on the back of your car – unless your car has ‘Euro-plates’ (number-plates that show a circle of 12 stars on a blue background).
• Headlamp converters (stickers you put on your headlights when you’re driving on the right, so your lights don’t dazzle motorists coming the other way)
• Driving kit
• Spare bulbs for your car’s external lights.
• A fire extinguisher .
• A first aid kit

Alternatively, you can decide to go for a complete Euro Travel Kit which contains all you will need for your road trip.

Possible Cost : 

Eurotunnel: £87.

 Fuel: £60. 

Total cost: £147

How to travel to Disneyland Paris: Final Thoughts

In summary,.

This post has provided helpful tips and explanation for the 4 best ways on how to travel to Disneyland Paris using a flight, an Eurostar train,  the National Express Coach and a private car.

Which of the ways of travelling from London to Disneyland Paris would you consider?

Will you like the quickest way or the cheapest way, or are you willing to rest up and take the Eurostar train?

Please let me know which way you prefer the most in the comments.

36 thoughts on “How to Travel to Disneyland Paris”

I would have loved to visit there when we were in Paris, but we didn’t have a lot of days so we didn’t. Disney is fun anywhere!

Absolutely, Disney is fun anywhere but Disneyland Paris has that extra edge because French is used for the singing and all.

That would be an incredibly trip. Disney goes all out with their destinations.

Absolutely. We love Disney too.

I would love to go there someday. I’ve never been to anything Disney yet. I have always wanted to go with my family though.

I hope you visit Disneyland Paris one day.

I am definitely going if I ever make a trip to England, since it’s so close!

Yes, it is very close to England. A 45 minutes train will get you there from London.

I am a Disney fan and would love to visit Disneyland Paris someday. You can’t beat a 55-minute flight to the happiest place on earth! Thanks for all the helpful info!

Thanks Nancy, yes, 55 minutes on the plane is super convenient for regular visits.

I would love to visit Disney in Paris. I have never been to the Disney in Paris. I know my kids would have a blast there.

Oh yes, they will. They will enjoy the mixtures of languages particularly.

Very helpful and detailed guide to Disneyland. I haven’t been to Disney yet but it’s in my bucketlist. I hope i get to bring my family to Disney someday but for now it’s better to be safe.

Thank you Ruth. I certainly hope you can have visit Disneyland Paris with your kids.

I love how detailed this guide is. I can’t wait to enjoy such places again with my nephew.

Thank you, Nikki. Disneyland Paris will be great fun for your nephew.

I’m glad that Disney theme parks are not just limited to the United States. I have heard that Disneyland in Paris is very fun!

Oh yes. there are five Disney Parks around the world as well. Disneyland Paris is compact and great to explore.

I have always wanted to visit Disneyland in Paris! I bet it’s amazing!

Oh yes, it is amazing.

Thanks for sharing this information. I would love to visit Disney in Paris.

Yes Tasheena. I hope you get to visit soon.

Definitely want to visit Disney Paris one day. My kids are at the perfect age to travel, so I hope it will be safe in a couple of years.

It’s great to have kids at that perfect age where they are ready to explore the world. I hope you get to take them soon.

Disneyland Paris in on our travel bucket list, this is such a great resource of information for when we are able to travel again

Thank you. I hope you are able to tick Disneyland Paris off your bucket list soon.

I have to admit I would quite like to visit Disneyland Paris, I won’t make it back to Disney World so it seems like it might be a nice adventure. Perhaps one day.

Sure Sarah, it will be a lovely adventure to visit Disneyland Paris.

This is really cool. I’ve always wanted to visit Disney parks in other countries. They always had a unique spin on the park.

Oh yes Ben. They do have a different feel particularly when listening to the songs in different language.

How fun. I’d love to go back. I actually went when it first opened. I remember liking it. But I am all about Disney, so I hope to get back there. For now I go to Disney World.

Disneyland Paris is full of fun.

I hope the Disney Land experience is still a great idea during this pandemic. I know young kids love Disney but adults would enjoy it too.

Absolutely, we all love Disneyland here. We can’t get enough of it.

Very detailed guide, thanks. I hope that in 2021 we can get to Paris and visit Disneyland.

Absolutely. I would love to visit Disneyland as well.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Overview

Tips for Visiting Disneyland Paris with Kids: The Ultimate How To Guide

We went to Disneyland Paris as a family for the first time in December 2017, although my husband and I had been before. And it’s fair to say I did A LOT of planning before we went, getting the help of the blogging community with things like how to plan Disneyland Paris, the best places to eat in Disneyland Paris and the best rides for under 5’s at Disneyland Paris. I can also tell you I learned a lot during both the planning stages and while we were there. So, I thought I would share with you all the knowledge we gained with our top Tips for Visiting Disneyland Paris with Kids ; tricks, hints and other secrets.

Post Updated June 202 1

*This post contains affiliate links, incuding Amazon affiliate links. To learn more about affiliate links, please read my Disclosure Policy .

Disneyland Paris France, or Eurodisney as Disney Paris was once called, is located in a relatively new town 32km or 20 miles east of the centre of Paris. The Disneyland Resort encompasses two theme parks, Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park.

The Disneyland Paris opened in April 1992 (and my hubby was part of the opening crew) with the Disneyland Park, while Walt Disney Studios was opened in 2002. It receives just under 15 million visitors every year and is the largest Disney resort outside of the USA. If you are wondering just how big is Disneyland Paris, it spans 4800 acres.

Alongside the theme parks there are Disney hotels and associated hotels, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, Disney Natures Resort and a golf course.

Eurodisney Paris is now Europe’s most visited theme park and often out does the Louvre and Eiffel Tower as Europe’s number one tourist destination.

In this post you will find a wealth of information for your visit, including tips for booking Disneyland Paris, where to find the best Disneyland Paris hotel and tickets deals, and lots of tips for helping with your Disneyland Paris planning, among other Disneyland tips and tricks.

How to Get to Disneyland Paris from the Airport

Should you stay in an on-site disney hotel, booking meals in advance – booking a specific restaurant, disneyland paris, additional tips before visiting disneyland paris with kids, try catch the parades, disney castle lights show and a few studios shows, tips for planning your trip to disneyland paris with kids.

When it comes to deciding how to visit Disneyland Paris, people are often met with a veritable minefield. Questions like “when is the best time to visit Disneyland Paris?”, “what are the best days to visit Disneyland Paris?” and “which is the best place to book Disneyland Paris?” can often leave people feeling overwhelmed.

How to plan a trip to Disneyland shouldn’t be a cause of worry. In this section you’ll find Disneyland Paris booking tips, ways to travel to Disneyland Paris and a quick run down of the Disney Paris hotels so you can decide on the best place for your family to stay at during your visit to Disney Paris.

COVID- 19: Disneyland Paris phased reopening and important information

Disneyland Paris are pleased to announce that  Disneyland Paris will reopen on 17 June 2021  with Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park, Disney’s Newport Bay Club and Disney Village. Their reopening will follow enhanced  health and safety measures . The long-awaited  Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel  will open on 21 June 2021. If you have already booked for an arrival prior to 17 June 2021? Click here to consult our latest  commercial policy.

Full details of all the protective measures, social distancing, and other safety conditions can be found HERE .

Last updated (24/05/2021; 02:00 PM)

Before You Go: Research & Planning

I cannot stress enough that in order to get the most out of your time at Disneyland Paris, I highly recommend that you do your research. Everything from where to stay when visiting Disneyland Paris, to where you’d like to eat, to the rides best suited to your kids; research it .

This will help you plan not only your trip, but also your time in Disneyland Paris so you can get the most out of your trip. I have a few blog posts I wrote during my research and planning which you might find helpful.

• Planning Our First Family Visit to Disneyland Paris
• Best Rides for Under 5’s at Disneyland Paris
• Best Restaurants at Disneyland Paris
• Best Pictures to Get in Disneyland Paris with Kids
• Essential Items You Need to Pack in Your Disneyland Paris Backpack- Day Bag

Once you’ve done your research it’s time to start your Disneyland Paris trip planning. My husband only half-jokingly said I put as much planning effort into this trip as Disney does to make things look easy. High praise indeed, but well worth it! It can be a logistical nightmare and a huge undertaking, but with the right research and planning, you can take most of the stress out of a trip like this.

And just because it’s Disneyland, don’t let it fool you. People everywhere, stressed adults, over-excited kids – minimise all of that by getting your research and planning right and let them freak themselves out while you have a great time. Let’s look at some of the things to look out for. And if you’d like a copy of our Disneyland Paris Day Planner with an easy how-to-use-it guide (which includes a copy of our daily plan), scroll to the bottom of this page to find out more. With full instructions on how to fill it out, it’s an awesome Disneyland Paris itinerary planner.

How to Get to Disneyland Paris – Tips for Booking your Disneyland Paris Holiday

There are many companies who will do an all-in-one service for Disneyland Paris holidays with hotel, transport and Disneyland tickets included in the Disneyland packages. These include Magic Breaks, TUI and even EuroStar. However, we booked our stay through the Disneyland Paris Official website . We then booked our flights separately as we were travelling to Paris from Portugal.

Note that with new regulations due to Covid-19 and the need to limit the number of people in the park, all tickets bought through third-parties (not direct through the Disneyland Paris website), non-dated tickets AND all Annual Pass holders MUST be registered on the Disneyland Paris website to guarantee your entry . If you do not register your third-party tickets, non-dated tickets AND Annual Pass tickets prior to your arrival you will likely be refused entry. Click THIS LINK to find out more about how to register your tickets. Anyone who has purchased a dated ticket direct through the Disneyland Paris website DOES NOT need to register their tickets. This includes those who have purchased a Disneyland Paris package. No tickets will be available to purchase on site.

If travelling from the UK, you have a few options for the best way to get to Disneyland Paris. You can travel to Disneyland Paris by plane, by car or by train.

Whether you are coming from the UK, Ireland, Europe or further afield, the best way to visit Disneyland Paris is via plane. From the UK and Ireland you can reach Paris using any number of airlines including Ryanair, EasyJet, Air France, Aer Lingus and Transavia, to name but a few. Compare prices through sites such as Skyscanner.

Click HERE to start searching for your flights to Paris.

Most European national and low-cost airlines will fly to Paris and further afield, most national airlines will fly into one of the Paris airports, namely Charles de Gaulle.

You can get a train to Disneyland Paris from London via the EuroStar as either a food passenger, going all the way to Disneyland direct or via Gare du Nord. Or by car, disembarking when you arrive in Calais and driving to Disneyland Paris.

If you are travelling by train from within Europe, you can reach Disneyland by getting a train to Chatelet des Halles and then catching the RER A. Marne-la-Vallee – Chessy, the station to disembark for Disney Paris, is served directly by Eurostar from London as mentioned, as well as from Belgium with Thalys and TGV Brussels-France and from all throughout France by TGV.

If you are travelling by the EuroStar consider availing of the Disneyland Paris Express Luggage Service. Read this post to find out more about the Express Luggage Service for Disneyland Paris . It’s a perfect way to check in to your DLP hotel and get to the parks quickly without worrying about your luggage.

Check prices and availability for travelling to Disneyland Paris by train HERE .

By Car/Ferry

As mentioned, it is possible to reach Disneyland Paris by car via the EuroStar and disembarking at Calais after you exit the Channel Tunnel. You could also reach France via ferry from Ireland or the United Kingdom.

From Ireland, there are 3 ferry routes operating a combined total of 9 sailings per week. Irish Ferries operates 1 route, Dublin to Cherbourg which runs 4 times weekly. Brittany Ferries operates 1 route, Cork to Roscoff which runs 2 times weekly. Stena Line operates 1 route, Rosslare to Cherbourg which runs 3 times weekly.

For latest prices and availability with Stena Line, click HERE .

From the UK, there are numerous ferry crossings operating from France to England. Ferries currently connect 8 ports in France with 5 ports in England. There are a combined number of 63 ferry crossings each day across a selection of 10 Ferry Routes which are operated by 3 ferry companies including DFDS Seaways , Brittany Ferries & P&O Ferries with the shortest crossing taking around 1 hour 30 minutes (Calais to Dover).

For routes, latest prices and availability with DFDS, click HERE .

Once you reach France, you will head towards Paris before circumventing the city. UK ferries, generally, arrive into Caen, Le Harve, Calais or Dieppe with travel time to the Disneyland Paris Resort of between 2HR30 from Dieppe and Le Harve to 3HR from Calais. Irish routes arrive generally into Cherbourg and Roscoff with travel times of 4HR and almost 6HR respectively.

Keri over on Our Globe Trotters has a great post full of information about driving from the UK to France which you’ll get driving to Disneyland Paris tips, if you are electing to take your own car. And Luschka from Giving Up Normal has a brilliant checklist for driving in France , which you really should read if you’re taking your own car.

How to Get to Disneyland Paris from Paris

If you are wondering how far is Disneyland Paris from Paris city centre, it is 40km with a travel time of approximately 35 minutes by car, depending on traffic. Once you leave the very centre, you join the A4 and drive all the way to Disneyland. On occasion you will hit roadworks, so allow extra time for this.

Alternatively, you can reach the Disneyland Paris Resort from Paris via train, as mentioned above. If you are staying within Paris, the best route is to get the Metro to Chatelet des Halles or Gare de Lyon and change onto the RER A for Marne-la-Vallee – Chessy. This is the option my hubby and I took when we were visiting Paris and decided to do a day trip to Disneyland Paris. The station is just a few minutes walk from the entrance to the parks.

If you arriving into Paris by airport, you will arrive into one of three airports. Charles de Gaulle is the main international airport and has a direct TGV link to Marne-la-Vallee which takes just 15 minutes. Alternatively you can get an RER B into the centre and change onto the RER A. However, if you’ve got a lot of luggage and/or strollers, a train might not be the best option.

Orly is the other main airport, located south of Paris. From there, you can get a train to Antony where you will change onto the RER B for Chatelet des Halles. From there you change onto the RER A. This route takes approximately one and a half hours.

Be careful if choosing a Ryanair flight. Ryanair fly into Paris Beauvais, which is located 85km north west of Paris but it is 123km from Disney and there are no direct train links between the airport and the Disneyland Paris theme park. Public transport will take you around two and a half hours with multiple changes.

By taxi, Charles de Gaulle is approximately 34 to 47km from Disney Paris, depending on the route you take, and will take around 45 minutes. Orly is 48km from Disney and will take you around an hour, depending on traffic and road works along the A4. Beauvais is 123km as mentioned and may take up to 2 hours at a considerable cost. So, really consider which airport you arrive into when booking Disneyland Paris.

You can also book the Magic Shuttle transfer bus from the airport to Disneyland. We booked the Magic Shuttle to and from Orly, but I never checked the times before we went. Do this BEFORE you book it. I thought it would be a regular 15 to 30-minute bus but not so. It has a specific timetable. When we landed and cleared customs in Orly, we had just missed the 17.50 bus and the next wasn’t until 19.00 (also the last one of the day).

Book your Magic Shuttle tickets HERE .

We didn’t fancy waiting around for 50 minutes in the cold with a toddler, so we took a taxi. Which cost us 125EUR, due to the awful rush hour traffic through road works. Be warned! We did get it back to the airport but had to forgo breakfast in order to get one which would leave us at the airport well in time for our flight.

You could book a private transfer, and this may be the best option overall. Had I known about the Magic Shuttle timetable before booking it, I’d have opted for a private booking. Information on these can be found via the Disneyland Paris Advice Facebook group too.

Personally, I will always book separately as that’s my preference but by all means you can choose to book via an all-in-one package travel agent such as TUI or Magic Breaks. The choice really is yours, but you’ve got limited options to make savings if you do an all-in-one trip so bear that in mind.

The best place to book Disneyland Paris when booking separately is the official websites. When booking your trip, I recommend you check out the Disneyland Paris UK site, the Disneyland Paris French site and Disneyland Paris German site , and compare the prices. There is also a Dutch site and Spanish site , which should be checked as well. The main reason for this is there are different Disneyland Paris deals on at different times for each of the country websites.

Sometimes you’ll find one is doing great Disneyland Paris package deals where the others aren’t. And don’t worry about the language. Just use the Google translate button on the web page and you’ll be fine.

Check HERE for the latest Disneyland Paris Deals, Prices and Availability

One final tip before booking Eurodisney is check out whether there are any European school holidays on while you plan to visit, particularly if you are visiting Disneyland Paris outside of UK and Irish school breaks. Just Google “school holidays (country name) (year)” and you should find pages giving this information.

Be especially aware of booking your visit while there are French school holidays as the parks have the potential to be incredibly busy during this time.

Where to Stay When Visiting Disneyland Paris

Whether you are planning to book one of the Disneyland Paris packages with a travel agency operator like Magic Breaks, or you plan to book Disneyland Paris separately, you are probably wondering which is the best hotel to stay in Disneyland Paris.

This is very much dependent on your budget and whether there are any Disneyland Paris offers on at the time of booking your stay. For the best Disneyland Paris deals, check all the country-specific websites and compare to a package holiday if you are looking to include flights or EuroStar tickets.

Disneyland Paris Hotel Guide

Disneyland Paris has six hotels in total, ranging from 2* to 5*. The hotels are, in descending order:

Disneyland Hotel – 5* – A Victorian-style luxury hotel right at the entrance to the Disneyland Park. Facilities include a gift shop, Inventions restaurant, Cafe Fantasia and the California Grill restaurant. There is also an indoor pool, spa, Minnie club playroom, Mad Hatter’s Arcade and special kids’ menus. NOTE: this hotel will be closing for refurbishment, most likely in 2020 once the Disney Hotel New York reopens. For latest prices and availability, click here .

Disney’s Hotel New York – 4* – Currently undergoing refurbishment, this hotel is busy being transformed into an homage to Marvel Super Heroes in the style of a New York art gallery. It will reopen in Summer 2020. This hotel is a 10-minute walk from the entrance and there is a free shuttle bus for guests. Prior to closing for refurbishment, the Hotel New York has two restaurants and a bar, indoor and outdoors swimming pools, outdoor tennis courts, a times Square Arcade and special kids’ menus. Check latest prices and availability here .

Disney’s Newport Bay Club – 4* – Just a 15-minute walk from the park entrance or 8 minutes by free shuttle, this hotel has a nautical theme. The Newport Bay Club is a Cape Cod-style mansion set by the peaceful waters of Lake Disney and even has its own lighthouse. This hotel was completely renovated by Spring 2016 and among its facilities are an indoor and outdoor pool, two restaurants and a bar, a kids corner near the bar, Sea Horse Club Game Arcade and special kids’ buffet. For prices and availability for this hotel, click here.

To learn more about this hotel, read this Disney’s Newport Bay Club review from The Life of Spicers.

Disney’s Sequoia Lodge – 3* – Set surrounded by lush pines and on the edge of Lake Disney, this hotel is just a 15 minute walk through the Disney Village to park entrance or 8 minutes on the free shuttle. A homely retreat at the heart of nature with lodge-style rooms, the Sequoia Lodge has two restaurants and a bar/lounge, a swimming pool, outdoor play areas and special kids’ menus. To check prices and availability for this hotel, click here.

Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne – 2* – Hotel Cheyenne offers you a chance to step back in time to the Old West with rooms decorated in wild west-style, and a frontier village complete with a saloon, shop, restaurant and outdoor areas. This hotel is a 20-minute walk to the park entrance or 8 minutes by shuttle. Facilities include the saloon, Chuck Wagon Cafe and kids play areas with TV/games, outdoor play area with teepees, pony rides and games arcade. To check latest prices and availability, click here.

Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe – 2* – If you’ve got a Lightening McQueen fan on your hands, this is the hotel for you. With a car-theme running through the hotel, immerse yourself in Pixar’s Cars. The hotel has a bar and tex-mex restaurant, a pow wow kids arcade games room, kids corner, special kids’ menus and is a 20-minute walk from the park entrances or 8 minutes by shuttle. For latest prices and availability, click here.

The hotels at Disney Land each have their own theme, facilities and all have a regular free shuttle service to the parks, apart from the Disneyland Hotel which is located right at the entrance to the Disneyland Hotel. The Sequoia Lodge, Hotel Cheyenne and the New York (reopening soon) can cater for up to 4 people in rooms. The Disneyland Hotel has rooms catering for up to 5 people, although most will hold 4. The Newport Bay Club and Hotel Santa Fe cab cater for families of up to 6 people. Note that most standard rooms in the hotels will cater for families of 4.

To check availability and latest prices for all the Disneyland Paris hotels, click HERE .

Other Disneyland Paris Accommodation Options

There are self-catering options for families at Disneyland Paris in the form of the Davy Crockett Ranch and Les Villages Nature.

• Davy Crockett Ranch – Has an American colonial feel with cabins set in the woods which are self-catering, allowing families to visit Disneyland Paris on a budget by saving money on meals. The Ranch is located 15 minutes by car from the Disneyland parks. There is no shuttle service so if you elect to stay here you will need your own transport or rely on taxis. Facilities at the Davy Crockett Ranch include a tavern, saloon, shop, game arcade, outdoor playground and an indoor themed pool.
• Les Villages Natures – 4* – This Disney Nature Resort has five immersive worlds to explore with the Aqualagon, the BelleVie Farm, the Extraordinary Gardens, the Forest of Legends, and the Lakeside Promenade. This resort is located 15 minutes drive from the Disneyland Resort and there is a paying public shuttle available which takes 25 minutes. Note that Les Villages Natures is not easily accessible for those arriving by train or air with transfer. However, if arriving by car, either your own or a hire car, it could be the perfect Disney accommodation. Rooms are one- or two-bedroom apartments, have a charming rural retreat feel to them and have self-catering facilities.

Check availability and latest prices for these hotels HERE .

These two options allow families to go self-catering and have parking on-site. They also allow you to bring all your own food and necessary items you might need if you are arriving to Disneyland from a ferry crossing. Dogs are welcome at the Davy Crockett Ranch and you get free parking at the Disneyland Paris Resort. Rooms at both can cater for families up to 6 people, meaning if you have a large family you don’t have fork out for two hotel rooms. Just note that there is no free shuttle bus from here as mentioned. All the Disney hotels, the Ranch and Villages Natures can be found, and prices compared, on the relevant Disneyland Paris website, or here with booking.com .

There are quite a few advantages to staying in one of the Disney hotels over any of the non-Disney Hotels located near Disneyland Paris. I was actually surprised at what was included such as:

• Park tickets for each day of your stay including the day of your arrival and departure. Note with Les Village Natures you get Disneyland Paris Park tickets for two days over your entire stay.
• Hotel Fast Pass (only available with certain hotels).
• Extra Magic Time included (more on this later) but times may vary.
• Character meet and greets in the hotels (not at the Villages or Davy Crockett Ranch).
• Free shuttle bus to the parks from your hotel (not needed for the Disneyland Hotel and not available for the Davy Crockett Ranch/Les Villages Natures). That said some of the non-Disney hotels run their own shuttle buses to the parks but check this out before booking.
• Sometimes you can get free breakfast or half board deals when booking a Disney hotel, or extra days free. Please note that bed and breakfast is no longer a guaranteed deal, this stopped early in 2017. Also, your breakfast included in your deal may be within the parks themselves at one of the fast-counter restaurants.

You might ask which is the best Disneyland Paris Hotel. Truthfully, we have only stayed in the Disneyland Paris Hotel itself, and while it was amazing, so too was the price. I would advise you to read reviews of the hotels within your price range and decide from there. Realistically you won’t be spending all that much time at your hotel unless the weather is particularly dreadful. I would also suggest reading this post from The Life of Spicers who details all the hotel options to help you discover which Disneyland Paris hotel is the best one to stay in.

To read reviews of all the Disneyland Paris hotels, visit TripAdvisor HERE .

My best advice for Disneyland Paris hotels is watch out for deals for Disneyland Paris hotels with park tickets. These are often included and will save you money in the long run if your park tickets are included. And if you are still wondering how much is Disneyland Paris going to cost, well that’s the 64 million dollar question. Set a realistic budget and go from there.

Dining at Disneyland Paris

You have many options for dining while visiting Disneyland Paris, whether you have a meal plan or not. There are fast-food restaurants, table service restaurants and also character dining experiences. Full information about all the places to eat at Disneyland Paris can be found on the website here .

For Full Details About Meal Plans, Click Here

The other minefield when it comes to visiting Disneyland Paris is whether or not to get a meal plan if staying in one of the Disney hotels. Food can become very expensive if you are eating on the fly in Disney Paris, and the other thing you’ll find difficult is securing a table, particularly in the popular Disneyland Paris restaurants or during busy times. So, considering your food options is a must.

Decide Whether You Want a Meal Plan or Not

Breakfast used to be included in your hotel booking but it was changed early in 2017 and it is now an add-on option, unless part of a special deal. At the time of our original booking, we added it on. However, we later changed it to a Full Board Plus Meal Plan.

I could remember wandering around for ages at lunchtime with my husband during our pre-kid trips, trying to find somewhere to have lunch. We ended up in Toad Hall, eating awful over-priced fish and chips, and I didn’t want history repeating itself with a toddler in tow.

There are different levels of meal plans from Standard to Plus to Premium, and which one you choose will depend on both your budget and where you want to eat. We chose the Plus as we could eat in places like Captain Jack’s and Bistro Chez Remy without having to budget additional money for them. If you choose Standard and want to eat there, you will need to top-up on your meal vouchers.

Also, I would recommend thinking long and hard about your Disneyland Paris dining plan, and whether you need Full Board or could manage with Half Board. We chose full board and I ended up giving away three sets of meal plans vouchers because we didn’t use all ours. We could have easily managed with just Half Board and perhaps paying for an extra meal or two, if necessary.

Next time we go to Disneyland Paris, I think we’ll go Half Board. The food is plentiful and good quality, but we didn’t need a large breakfast then a three-course meal at lunch time and a three-course meal at dinner time. It was just a bit too much for us.

*Update Jan 2018

We paid for breakfast at the time of making our booking with Disneyland Paris, as there were no meal plan deals on offer, and we received vouchers for the buffet breakfast in our hotel upon our arrival. Our friends also received hotel buffet breakfast vouchers, although they had to eat in one of the Studios restaurants as the restaurant in their hotel was undergoing refurbishment.

It was also brought to my attention by one of my readers that with some “Free Half Board” deals, you may not get a buffet breakfast in your hotel, that you may instead receive vouchers for breakfast in one of the Quick Counter Service outlets in the park instead. I have also read that this is where the “free” included breakfasts often take place and become very busy.

There also seems to be a rotation on which country deals include a hotel breakfast buffet and which will be the quick counter service breakfast.

Please make sure to check exactly what is on offer when you book, and if you really want the buffet breakfast, and not a counter service breakfast, I’d suggest ringing the Disneyland Paris customer service telephone number to see if you can “top up” for the buffet breakfast.

Disneyland Paris Meal Plans Advice

If you have a meal plan, you get one voucher per meal per person. For half board you will get a breakfast and one meal voucher per day, full board is one breakfast and two meal vouchers per day. Each meal plan voucher has a nominal monetary value (not shown on the voucher), and these can be used towards a meal if you want to eat away from the menu your voucher is for.

For example, we had Plus meal vouchers, so were able to eat at most restaurants from the Plus menu. However, my husband fancied the Premium meal at Captain Jack’s so he ordered from that menu and we paid the difference (although the difference turned out to be more than the advertised price difference between the Plus and Premium menus so be sure to ask). We paid 20EUR instead of the advertised 6EUR difference. Not a problem, but if you’re on a strict budget be aware of these little surprises.

On the Disneyland Paris Advice Facebook Group , there is a file containing full information about each meal plan, the restaurants included in it and where you might need to top up. Be aware that there are certain restaurants in the Disney Village that DO NOT accept meal vouchers including Planet Hollywood, Vapianos, King Ludwigs Castle, Rainforest Cafe, McDonalds and 5 Guys.

Character Dining at Disneyland Paris

With character dining, where you get to meet characters while you eat, there are a few options. The first is a character breakfast in Plaza Gardens within the park, which we did. I’ve written about that in my Disneyland Paris Holiday Diaries . Please note, there are no longer characters present in Cafe Mickey before lunchtime. There are two time slots for the Character dining breakfast, one at 8.15am and one at 9.45am. We attended both and much preferred the atmosphere at the 8.15am slot, but it did mean we missed out on some valuable EMT time.

You can also do character dining at Inventions in the Disneyland Hotel, Cafe Mickey or Princess Character dining at Auberge de Cendrillon, within the Disney castle. Both of these options are significantly pricier than the character breakfast, although I’ve heard are a more relaxed affair than the breakfast experience. There are both lunch and dinner options for these. For full details on character dining at Disneyland Paris, click this link .

One thing I cannot stress enough is to book your meals 60 days in advance. My husband and I never did in previous years, and as mentioned, ate over-priced awful fish and chips for lunch in the only restaurant we could find with space in it. For our family visit to Disneyland Paris, I rang 55 days in advance and booked our table for Bistro Chez Remy, Steakhouse, Captain Jack’s and the California Grill, ensuring we had nice meals planned.

If you want to eat at the best Disneyland Paris restaurants while there, you can book these 60 days in advance. DO IT . Call the reservations number (+33 1 60 30 40 50) and make all your bookings in one go. I have read there is a UK freephone number for restaurant bookings, but have also read of people not being able to get through or being kept on the line for hours. My recommendation is to ring the direct French reservations number very early in the morning. I rang at 7.15am UK time and was answered immediately. The French number is open 24/7 so avoid calling at peak times.

However, once we were there, we discovered our Bistro Chez Remy meal was mixed up and we had to go to a later sitting than planned, screwing up our planned day in Studios. So, my advice is to confirm your Disneyland Paris restaurant booking BEFORE you go , just in case. I confirmed our time for Captain Jacks early in the morning on the day we would be eating there just to be certain there was no further mix ups.

Whether you have a meal plan or not, or whether you are just visiting Disneyland Paris for the day, I cannot stress enough that you must book your restaurant table in advance, particularly for popular restaurants like Captain Jack’s and Bistro Chez Remy. Same goes for your character dining experiences.

Tips For Preparing to Visit Disneyland Paris

So, you’ve booked your hotel and Disney Paris park tickets, decided on a meal plan or not, now what other tips for going to Disneyland Paris do you need to remember before you actually arrive. Well, there’s a few more things you need to consider before you go, and a few to prepare the kids for going to Disneyland Paris.

In this section you’ll find some Disneyland Paris tips and hints for preparing yourself and the family for your visit.

Decide Whether You Want to Buy the Photo Pass

This pass can prove very useful if you plan on doing quite a few meet and greets, but less so if you are not. I knew we were going to try get to a few meet and greets, so added it to our original booking (costing 45GBP in June 2017). If you don’t buy before you go, you can still get it in the parks or your hotel boutique (if staying in a Disney hotel), and in December 2017, it cost 70EUR when bought at Disney itself. Current prices for the Photo Pass within the parks is 75EUR.

In the end it proved very useful for us. Not all the meet and greets we did had official photographers at them, but those that did resulted in at least three pictures or more. Between rides and meet and greets we came away with 43 photos. Those from the meet and greets were worth buying it for alone. I’ve heard of some people coming away with 100+ photos, so consider whether you want it or not. And if you do, buy before you go so it works out more cost-effective.

Watch Disney Films

Disney films are part and parcel of growing up, but that said, the films are always changing, and classics are being replaced in the eyes of our children by newer, shinier films.

Before visiting Disneyland Paris, we made sure to watch a few of the classics with our son so he would at least be aware of the characters before going on certain rides. We had never watched Peter Pan with him but knew we wanted to go on the ride, so we watched it with him in the weeks before our trip. We watched the following films:

• Jungle Book
• Ratatouille (a first for us adults as well)
• Toy Story 1 and 2
• Cars (a regular in our house).

We also watched a few episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so the characters were fresh in our son’s mind should we meet them at the character’s breakfasts we had booked. This was one of the Disneyland Paris top tips I’m glad we heeded before our trip.

Why not make it even more exciting by using my Disney Movie Checklist to tick off the films as you watch them before your trip. Get my printable checklist for Disney Movies here.

Prepare Your Snack Bags

One thing I can remember from our previous visits to Disneyland Paris was the cost of food and drink in the parks. And one of the best tips for Disneyland Paris preparations I received was to bring snack bags to keep hunger at bay with little ones, especially in between meals, or for use in queues.

So, I packed two snack bags per day for our son, which was overkill but better to be safe than sorry. I found it quite hard to fill them here in Portugal as we don’t have kids treats and snacks such as the Kiddylicious range or the Organix range.

In our snack bags, which were Ziploc bags, I packed the following:

• Two small Kinder chocolate bars (from a multipack)
• A packet of apple crisps
• Oaty Biscuit bar
• One fruit/yogurt pouch
• One small chocolate bar
• A few jelly teddy bears.

However, to be more environmentally-friendly, I suggest you get some silicone food bags like THESE to use in place of Ziploc bags.

Anything that doesn’t need refrigerating, could melt, or go off quickly, will be ideal, especially individually wrapped items. I also brought apples and grapes in our luggage, as well as a knife (in our hold luggage), so I could bring a small lunch box with fruit into the park each day.

Pack Your Refillable Drinks Bottles

Remember your drinks bottles when packing. We brought Disney-themed drinks bottles in our luggage which doubled up as drinks bottles for the plane trip. Always remember drinks and snacks when flying with kids.

Browse the full range of Disney-themed drinks bottles HERE on Amazon.

Although there are numerous drinking fountains throughout Disneyland Paris, we found none working during our trip in December 2017. None! Whether this was due to the cold weather or not, I don’t know. So, we had to buy some water in our hotel and fill our drinks bottles from those (and from the bottles at breakfast, but this can be frowned upon). But if they are working they will be a godsend.

Also, get yourself a bottle or two of concentrated squeezy juice to make flavoured drinks for your kids if they’re not big on simple water. Grab them in Boots or a newsagents through security in the airport if going to Disneyland Paris by plane.

Prepare Your Kids for the Crowds by Watching Some Youtube Vlogs

One of the very handy Disney Paris tips and tricks given to us before we went was to watch some YouTube videos with your kids to prepare them for how crowded and busy Disney might be. Although I did this with our son, I don’t think he quite got it at his age (almost 4), so I think this would be better for slightly older kids who might be going for the first time.

One thing to note, don’t watch vlogs from the year you are going, especially if it is one of the anniversary years. I started to watch the Illuminations 25 th anniversary video and stopped a minute in as I didn’t want the fireworks show ruined for our visit.

Visitors With Disabilities Or Special Needs

There is a plenty of information on the website with regards to those visiting Disneyland Paris who might have disabilities or special needs. From whether you can get priority passes, to the documentation you’ll need to get these, I suggest you check out the website. If your answer cannot be found, ring the Disneyland Paris number (UK – 08448 008 111 , Paris – +33 160 306 053).

For more information for guests with disabilities or special needs, click HERE .

One of the Facebook groups I joined prior to our visit, which has so much useful information, is the Disneyland Paris Advice Group . You can search for relevant threads, or ask your question. They are really helpful and willingly give advice to those who need it. This is your best bet for specific questions about visiting DLP with disabilities or special needs. I did join another Facebook group which I won’t name, but found it less friendly than the Daniel Potter one!

One of the top tips for Disneyland Paris I must stress again is to ensure you book your meals for the most popular restaurants as soon as the reservations open, which is 60 days prior to your visit. Please don’t leave it too late or you might find yourself disappointed.

Also, buy your children’s autograph books and costumes before you go as they are more expensive to buy in the Disney parks. There are some great ones on Amazon .

If you don’t already have waterproofs for the family, buy them before you go, particularly if you are visiting outside of summer. All-in-one’s for kids and waterproof over-trousers for adults would be a must in my opinion. Although we didn’t need them in December, the French weather is an unpredictable as the UK or Irish weather so it’s best to be prepared. Why bring waterproof over-trousers for adults? Who wants to sit on a wet seat on a ride and have wet pants for the rest of the day!

Before you go, or as soon as you arrive, get yourself a lanyard for your park tickets, at the very least. This will save you so much time when entering the parks or going between the two. I also had my hotel charge card, hotel room card and my driving licence (more on this later) in my lanyard, along with our park tickets. Saves you rummaging through your bag to find them. Again, you buy Disney lanyards on Amazon .

If you can find the Disneyland Paris timetable prior to your visit, download a copy. When it comes to how to plan a trip to Disneyland Paris, this will become invaluable. It will contain all the Disneyland Paris information, including times for the Disney Parade, the Disneyland Paris meet and greet times, and the Disneyland Paris shows.

My biggest piece advice for for visiting Disneyland Paris, plan your visit! Find the Disneyland Paris opening hours on the website and start from there. I wasn’t going to do this until I read about it on the Disneyland Paris Advice Facebook group and was glad I did it in the end. We fitted in so much more than if we had just gone there to ‘wing it’. I am planning another post about what we fitted in, so watch out for that. For now, get our DLP itinerary planner and guide at the bottom.

I would also suggest learning a few phrases in French. They can go a long way, especially when checking into your hotel or making purchases both inside and outside the park. This post from Adventure Out There details 10 French phrases everyone should know .

Disneyland Paris Hints and Tips – At the Parks

Whether you are spending 3 days in Disneyland Paris like us, have a Disneyland Paris weekend booked, or are visiting with just Disneyland Paris day tickets, the following tips may come in useful.

Getting into the Parks and Planning Your Day

If you are arriving for one day at Disneyland Paris, you will either need to show your pre-paid tickets, or pay your Disneyland Paris entry fee at the gates. Details of Disneyland Paris entrance fee prices for single and multi-day tickets are available on the Disneyland Paris website .

Get your Disneyland Paris one-day tickets HERE . Or get your multi-day tickets HERE .

Arriving by car, you will need to park your car and walk to the entrance. Arrival by train will also involve a short walk. You will also need to pass through security before you reach the entrance gates to the parks.

If you are staying in the Disneyland Hotel, you have the shortest distance to travel to the parks as you are right at the Disney park entrance. Walking times from other hotels range from 10-20 minutes.

You can either walk to the parks from Disney hotels, or get the free shuttle buses. Be warned that these get very busy at peak times, so you might have to wait on the next bus. And you will have to collapse buggies.

If you haven’t already done so, pick up a Disneyland Paris Schedule leaflet in the park for the most up-to-date times and programme. This will also tell you what meet and greets are taking place, where and when, and whether there will be an official photographer there (handy for those with the photo pass). Then plan out your day if you haven’t already done so. They will also give you up-to-date times for any Disneyland Paris parade times and shows being held during your visit.

There are two parks and we spent more time in the Disney park than the Walt Disney Studios park. We had three days so spent two in Disney. When my husband and I visited for one day, we did Disney in the morning and finished off in Studios. But this meant we missed the castle lights show as we had to travel back into Paris each time.

Disneyland Paris Extra Magic Time – EMT Disneyland Paris

If you are staying in a Disneyland Paris hotel, you get additional time in the parks called Extra Magic Time ( EMT ) – formerly Extra Magic Hours. The length of this time will depend on the time of year you are visiting but is typically from 8.30-9.30. And don’t worry about that missing half hour. You remain in the park, and can keep enjoying this quieter time before the parks open to the public.

And if you have EMT, USE IT . We entered the parks just before this time and enjoyed rides which normally have long wait times, as well as did one or two meet and greets. We enjoyed EMT in the Disney park one morning and ticked off all but one of the rides we wanted to do in Fantasyland with our son, which freed up more time in our day. At the time of our visit, only rides in Fantasyland in the Disney park were open during EMT.

*UPDATE JULY 2019

A reader (thanks for the update Simone) who visited in July 2019 has informed me that additional rides are now open during Extra Magic Time and they are as follows:

Disneyland Park:

• Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing (Frontierland, FRL)
• Big Thunder Mountain (FRL)
• Peter Pan’s Flight (Fantasyland, FL)
• Les Voyages Pinocchio (FL)
• Le Carrousel de Lancelot (FL)
• Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups (FL)
• Princess Pavilion (FL)
• Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (Discoveryland, DL)
• Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (DL)
• Orbitron (DL)
• Star Wars: L’Avetnure Continue (DL)

Walt Disney Studios:

• Crush’s Coaster
• Flying Carpets Over Agrabah
• Ratatouille
• Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop
• Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Rock’n’Roller Coaster staring Aerosmith

For rides or areas that are not available during EMT, you can queue at the entrance to other areas/rides and be one of the first to arrive at your ride of choice. My husband went to do Indiana Jones at 9.45am and was first on at 10am.

Getting into the Disney park before EMT will also give you a chance to get a picture of the castle with no one in front of it as they have a rope across the entrance until the official EMT opening hours. For example, we got to the castle at 8.20am one morning and that is how I got my castle picture as used in my graphics for this post.

I would recommend doing the Peter Pan ride in Disney and the Ratatouille ride in Studios during this time. This will leave your hotel Fast Pass (if you get them) free to use for other rides during your visit. These were two rides recommended to us as ones not to be missed.

Disneyland Paris Fast Pass Tips

As mentioned, if you stay in certain Disney hotels you will receive one Fast Pass per person, per day of your stay. These can be used on certain rides to beat the queues. You simply scan your ticket at the Fast Pass machine at the entrance to the ride. You will receive a ticket with a return time, enabling you to continue to enjoy the rest of the park without queuing for that ride.

There are now different levels of Fast Pass tickets when staying in the Disneyland Hotel. Standard rooms give you standard Fast Passes, which you use in the manner described above. Suites in the Disneyland Hotel give you hotel Fast Passes which you can use to access a Fast Pass ride at anytime except between 1 and 4pm.

However, you can only use one Fast Pass at a time or when 2 hours has elapsed. I’ll be honest and say that although we had Fast Pass tickets, we didn’t use any of them as we managed to get the rides we wanted to do done either in EMT or without queuing because the wait times were incredibly short. Rides which have Fast Pass can be found here .

Photo Pass and How to Use It

As mentioned, the Photo Pass can be purchased before your visit or while you are at the parks. This gives you digital copies of all your photos from rides, and meet and greets as high-resolution copies, which you can access on line for one year from first use. Note, not all rides have photos, nor do all character meet and greets. Those that do are clearly marked by a symbol on the park’s timetable and Disneyland Paris map on the app or online.

Before you go, create a photo pass account on the Disneyland Photo Pass website, and download the Photo Pass app too. Once you get your photo pass at the parks, insert the code into your account and start collecting your photos.

You will receive one main photo pass card, and two smaller fobs. These are handy if your party wants to split up for any reason.

On rides, you can either use your QR scanner on your phone to add your photo to your account. Or, each photo has a code associated with it in the format A1234. Simply add this to your account and hey presto, ride photo will be added.

As for meet and greets with official photographer’s present, simply hand them your photo pass card when it’s your turn and they will do the rest. Alternatively, if you haven’t got a photo pass, they often hand you a card which you can bring to a booth to get your photos, or which you can add to a photo pass account later. But be aware there is a time limit on this, and you cannot put them onto a photo pass account after you’ve left Disney.

As already mentioned, it can work out cheaper to buy before you go. The Photo Pass lasts for 10 days from first use, but you can access and download your photos for 1 year. And you do get a warning email when your Photo Pass is about to expire.

Shopping While Visiting Disneyland Paris

If you are staying in a Disney hotel, you can shop until 4pm and avail of the free delivery service to your hotel, meaning you can remain bag free. And whatever you do, DO NOT leave shopping bags on strollers or in the basket underneath. You run the risk of your bag being stolen.

Kids will be tempted by EVERYTHING they see, so why not give them a spending limit and once it’s gone, it’s gone. Our son had his own spending money from us and his grandparents, and apart from his Buzz Lightyear action figure, he paid for everything else he wanted. He even came home with some money left.

My advice is leave your shopping until the end of the day. We waited until after the Illuminations to visit the shops along Main Street. This was for two reasons; one, we didn’t plan to shop during the day, and two, we wanted to kill time before attempting to get “The Picture” (see below).

We also did most of our shopping after our day in the Studios in the World of Disney shop in the Disneyland Paris Disney Village. While it was busy, we were heading for our hotel straight afterwards, so this was the best time for us to get it done.

A word of warning: If you are going to use a hotel charge card, like the one we got in the Disneyland Hotel, please make sure you have ID with you at all times , corresponding to the person whose name is on the card. We had used the card for small charges without needing it.

However, in the World of Disney, our total was well over 100EUR, and the lady on the cashier desk asked to see my ID for the card. I didn’t have any with me and as a result, my husband had to run back to our hotel with our son to get my driving licence. So, carry your ID, preferably your driving licence, in your lanyard along with your charge card. Better to have it with you, than be caught out without it like me.

Other Tips for Inside the Parks

There are a couple more tips for Disney Paris that you should be aware of and bear in mind for during your visit and time in the parks.

Download the Disneyland Paris App

This proved so useful during our time in the parks. Not only does it have approximate wait times for each ride, but also has other information along the top scroll bar such as dining, photo pass rides and also restroom locations, essential for while visiting Disneyland Paris with toddlers.

It also has details of the character meet and greets, where they take place and at what time. This feature is very hand for planning your time at Disneyland Paris, so use it when organising your itinerary.

Strollers/Buggy’s at Disneyland Paris

Do not second guess yourself on this. We nearly did, and it would have been to our detriment. Whether your child uses one at home or not, bring it with you, just in case. Our son hadn’t used one for six months prior to our trip to Disneyland Paris. Although he was fine on our first day, albeit with a little carrying, he asked for his half way through our second day. And we were glad we had it in our room to grab! You other option is to hire one in the park.

Bring your Character Costumes From Home

I’ve mentioned this already but it’s really important. Make sure to buy your children’s costumes outside of the parks as the costumes in Disney shops within the parks are a lot more expensive. I wasn’t convinced of this, but bought our son’s costumes before we went. However, I was soon convinced when I saw the cost of the Buzz Lightyear costume within the park.

I paid 30.99GBP for the costume including gloves from the UK Disney Store online. The same costume, without gloves, was priced at 59.99EUR, and you had to pay for the glove separately! Why bring costumes? Not only will your kids get more interaction with cast members and characters but you could be allowed to skip the queue if your children are dressed as the character such as the Buzz Lightyear ride.

Get your kids Disney character costumes HERE .

Buy Your Autograph Books Before You Go

These too cost more inside the parks. And also bring pens with you into the park. No one wants to get caught short at a character meet and greet without a pen. And the characters and their minders will not have any! Check out the range of Disney-themed autograph books on Amazon here .

Eat at Unusual Times

If you’re planning to wing it when it comes to meals, if you are prepared to eat at unusual times, then your wait will be shorter than at peak times. For example, we strolled over to Annette’s in the Disney Village at 4.00pm one afternoon and were seated straight away as a party of 7. This is the time most people were headed to the Disney park for the Parade at 5pm. The evening before we’d been in the village from 8.30pm and the queue for Annette’s was out the door and extremely long.

Our friends had also visited the Village at 7.15pm and managed to get a table at Cafe Mickey within in a few minutes as people were watching the Illuminations in the Disney Park. So, if you can time your meal at those unusual times you can get lucky.

Queue to the Left

If there is an option, queue to left for a ride (e.g. at the turnstiles in Pirates of the Caribbean just before the boats). These always move quicker than right hand queues, most likely because most people are right-handed so naturally gravitate to the right.

Single Riders

Many of the rides have a line for single riders, meaning if only one of you wants to do a ride, you can get onto the ride quicker by being a single rider, willing to fill up empty seats. My husband went on both the Tower of Terror and Indiana Jones as a single rider and didn’t have to wait more than a few minutes for a seat. One of our friends went on Ratatouille and was on within 5 mins while the larger queue was 45 mins.

Use the Baby Switch Facility

I wasn’t aware of this before, but this facility enables parents to enjoy the rides, one after the other, if they are with a child who cannot or doesn’t want to go on the ride. One parent rides first, while the other waits with the child. Then when the ride returns, they swap without having to queue again. Just mention it to the crew member when you reach the top of the queue.

Bring Spare Batteries and Memory Cards

Ensure you have at least one extra battery and one extra memory card for your camera. You will need them. I can highly recommend the Canon G7X Mark ii digital camera . And also bring a portable charger for your phone with you. This can come in handy if you are using your phone to keep kids entertained in ride queues.

Leave the Selfie Sticks at Home

Selfie sticks are banned in Disneyland Paris, as are camera tripods with extendable legs. You can bring Gorilla pod type tripods into the park if you really want to. I brought one with me but didn’t use it at all. My advice, leave it at home, it’s one less thing to carry.

These are three events you really don’t want to miss. We caught the Christmas parade but missed the main one. That said, the Christmas one was at a perfect time and was a perfect length for keeping our son’s attention. He even got good interactions from some characters as he was dressed as Kylo Ren.

The Castle lights show, called Illuminations for the 25 th anniversary, was amazing . And we managed to see both the Moteurs Action Show (a big hit with our bike-and-car-mad son) and Mickey and the Magician . The shows in Studios could be a good option too if the rain is particularly heavy during your visit.

Disneyland Paris Tips and Tricks – Other Things to Watch Out For

You might find some people advising you to take a bike lock for your buggy/stroller, as it has been known for them to go missing from the entrance to rides, in order to lock your buggy to the railings at the entrance to rides.

However, during my final check of hints and tips for Disneyland Paris I discovered it is NOT allowed to lock buggies to railings. The best you can do is put the lock through your buggy wheels (if you have one that allows this), to deter it being stolen. Otherwise you just need to take a chance if you are all going on the same rides.

I have a long Velcro strap for our buggy (the folding catch doesn’t work great) and when we were with our friends, I strapped the two buggies together. Also, never ever leave anything on or in your buggy while it is unattended.

I advise you to get an ID bracelet for each of your children and put your contact details on it, just in case you should get separated. I found some on Amazon called IdME . Our son wore them everyday in the park and after the first few hours didn’t notice it at all.

Watch out for families placing a ‘seed ‘ in the queue in front of you. What do I mean by that? I took our son on the Dumbo ride while my husband went to do the Indiana Jones ride himself. We had one girl of about 10 years of age in front of us in the queue. It turned out that her siblings and mother were behind us. As we got nearer the front, she dragged her siblings through to her. I turned a blind eye to this. As the ride was a two-person ride, I allowed the mother to join her three children. It just made sense for them to take two elephants rather than three.

And as we got to the entrance, this mother then called forward SIX more adults to join them! Six adults! For the Dumbo ride! I was furious and let them know, but they just pretended they didn’t understand English (they were Spanish). My warning is do not be polite unless you know exactly who and how many may join this ‘seed’ person in front of you.

Adults, please can I ask you to look down when rushing about the place. Our son was nearly knocked over three times by adults in a hurry who didn’t look down and check for a child in their way. You cannot avoid children of any ages when you visit Disneyland Paris. Each time our son was only saved from a nasty fall by my husband grabbing hold of the person before they knocked him down. None had bothered to look down.

If you are planning to watch the parade I would advise you to stake your spot at least 20 to 30 minutes before the start and guard it with your life. We found a great spot to the left of the castle if you’re facing it from Main Street, with our backs to Discoveryland. We also chose to stand beside a rubbish bin and we put one of the buggies at the other end of our line to avoid people trying to push through. On the other side of the buggy (not in our line) I saw a family push their kids through at the last minute in front of people who had been waiting as long as we had. It’s the height of rudeness and is no example for your children. Get there early and wait your turn.

And for those of you planning to watch the lights show (Illuminations), please do not sit children on your shoulders right in front of people who have been waiting 20 minutes already. You obscure their view, especially if they want to capture pictures or videos, and you force them to move. We had this happen to us and it is infuriating.

For shows , I’d advise arriving 20 minutes before the show in order to get a good seat. We arrived about 15 minutes before Mickey and the Magician was due to start and there were already two massive queues to get in. We ended up with seats to the side of the stage. Now our view wasn’t bad, but if you want the prime seats, arrive extra early.

Most importantly, enjoy yourself. Visiting Disneyland Paris with kids can be a magical experience and you should still take time to just enjoy yourself and soak up the atmosphere. If you want to get the most out of your visit, make sure to plan your time there . But be prepared to deviate from your plan, as we had to on two days. This was due to a mix up with one of our restaurant bookings and also due to one meal over-running quite a bit.

I hope you have found this guide to Disneyland Paris useful and that the hints and tips included within prove helpful. While I’ve tried to cover as much as I can, there may be one or two items I have missed or not covered. If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments below and I will do my best to answer them, or update this post accordingly.

If you fancy getting out of Disneyland Paris and seeing some Paris sights, then why not pay a visit to Versailles with kids a place Kirsty from Travel With Meraki has featured on her blog.

And last but not least, you could also head into Paris itself with the kids if you fancied a change of scenery.

Are you planning a trip to Disneyland Paris soon? Have you got any further Disneyland Paris tips to share?

Other information:

For full details on Disneyland Paris tickets, please visit the Disneyland Paris website for full details. Here you’ll find information about prices of tickets. Be aware you can buy Disneyland Paris tickets at the gate, as my husband and I did on our two previous day trips.

Up-to-date Disneyland Paris Park Opening Times can also be found on the Disneyland Paris website here . The website also has a full list of things to do in Disneyland Paris and there is a Disneyland Paris Rides list too.

Passports and Adventures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. To learn more about affiliate links, read my  Disclosure Policy here .

Join the Wanderlust World of Passports and Adventures

Join my mailing list for regular blog updates, hints and tips about travelling with a young child, and get your welcome gift in the form of an awesome Disneyland Paris Daily Planner .

Marketing Permissions

The information you provide on this form will only be used to provide you with updates and personalised marketing. Your privacy is important to us! You are able to opt-out at any time. Please let me know how you would like to keep in touch: 

We use MailerLite as our marketing automation platform. By clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be transferred to MailerLite for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms of Service .

Opt in to receive news and updates via my newsletter.

You have successfully joined my newsletter mailing list. Your Disneyland Paris Daily Planner should be winging it’s way to your inbox!

If the form for the planner is not visible, or if you are on mobile, please use this link to sign up and get your planner: Disneyland Paris Planner Form .

Related Posts

Sharing is caring!

80 thoughts on “Tips for Visiting Disneyland Paris with Kids: The Ultimate How To Guide”

So glad I have read this post. We’re due to go Disneyland Paris just before Christmas this year. I now have lots of helpful tips, to make our trip less stressful. Will bookmark this page so I can return closer to our departure date.

Oh wow you are going to have an amazing time! Disney is just magical at Christmas and I’m glad we chose to go in December for the anniversary rather than any other time of the year x

Oh, how amazing is this post? I would really like to go but I am a bit of a planning freak too (not saying you are a freak, but you know what I mean! haha) and the logistics of it all really put me off. Bookmarking this to come back and have a look – such useful information!

Thanks Tracy. It’s definitely somewhere that needs planning but it’s worth it in the end x

I would love to take my three here, and I will certainly bear all your great advice in mind when we hopefully do

Best of luck if you do go, it’s a magical but manic place x

This is an incredible guide! Filled with so much useful information. Your hotel looked so amazing as did the entire trip. Loved the picture of your wee man with Darth Vadar too – his face!!

Thanks hun, his face is hilarious! x

Wow, this is actually so in-depth all that’s left is to book. Maybe when Isla is 4 in June. I can wait, haha. x

Haha, thanks. Yes it’s a long one but hopefully covers everything anyone needs to know x

We love staying on site too, the Disneyland Hotel is expensive you are right but really is the most magical place to be.

I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like after the refurbishment! Definitely want to stay there again.

I love Disney and fortunate enough to have parents who adored it, too. Now when I look back, I appreciate how much they’ve planned so much taking us kids – there’s quite a lot to plan!

This is amazing! It may well be the most comprehensive guide to Disney I have ever read! I love all of your tips and tricks, we are hoping to go back this summer!

Thanks so much Laura x

Wow, so much information in this post! I do want to go to Disney so I’ve bookmarked this to make sure I get the best out of my trip.

Thank you. I hope it comes in useful when the time comes to plan your trip x

Wow you did do a lot of planning. I’ve been to Disney Paris twice but just for a day each time and one year I’m keen to stay on site at one of their hotels and go for a few days x

Rhian, if you enjoyed your day trips (as we did) then you’ll thoroughly enjoy a few days there x

This is fantastic and making me want to book a Disney adventure for the little ones! My plan is to wait until they are a little older and then go as a family but I loved it when I was younger (actually I loved it when I was a teenager too :p )

Oh you’ll have so much fun as a family x

Your tips are spot on and super handy. I need to visit Disneyland Paris with the kids soon.

Thanks Stella, I’m sure you’ll have a fab trip when you eventually go x

I have saved this post. What fabulous tips! I’m going to need them when planning my trip to Disney later in the year.

I have to say I’m jealous. I thoroughly enjoyed our trip and am already wondering when we can return x

I am seriously thinking of booking for Christmas this year. Its something I have always wanted to do all I need to do is to convince the husband. Thanks for tips I will be book marking this in case I get my way!! x

Best of luck in convincing the hubby. Christmas really is the best time to visit in my opinion. We go every 5 years to celebrate the Disney (and my hubby’s) anniversary but after having such a good trip this time round, I don’t want to wait 5 years. So I may have some convincing of my own to do x

These are some awesome and very practical tips! The Disneyland Hotel seems astonishing I would definitely love to stay there!

It really was an amazing hotel to stay in and so convenient for the parks too. Worth the money x

Great tips, will definitely bookmark. I’m thinking of taking the kids this year it’s been on our bucketlist for long enough.

I do hope you make it, it’s so much more fun with kids x

Great post. Would love to go there with kiddies and if we ever do I will use these tips.

Thanks so much!

Brilliant post, very informative. I have never been, one day we will go maybe.

The last time I went to Disneyland Paris, it was called EuroDisney and I don’t think we even had Internet! It was so overwhelming when we got there, I think we would have got a lot more out of the visit with a useful resource like this!

Lucy, thank you for your comment, I really appreciate. I do hope people will find it useful when they start planning their trips there x

That is a very comprehensive list. I was frustrated by the lack of healthy snacks available so the ziplock bag is a great idea. I am glad they have started doing the photopass too, they didn’t have it last time we went

What a fantastic post, full of information for people looking at visiting. I really want to go here one day too, I love Disney films and everything would be so magical

Thanks very much x

Thank you for an excellent and very informative post. One question please: with the Full Board Plus Meal Plan, is breakfast in the hotel (at a buffet) or is it a voucher for a Counter Service Breakfast in the Park please? Many thanks, g.

Hi Graham, ours was for the buffet in our hotel. Our friends who we went with had to eat in studios as the restaurant in their hotel was being refurbished. Hope this helps. And I’m glad you’ve found this post helpful.

Thanks BattleMum. Today, I received the invoice from Walt Disney Travel Company that reads “If your Disneyland Paris package is benefiting from the Free Half Board offer for arrivals between 15 January 2018 & 20 March 2018, please note that the breakfast which is included with this offer will be a counter service breakfast at an outlet in the Parks.”

Best wishes, g.

Thanks for letting me know Graham. We were on a Full Board Basis (no deal) so perhaps it’s different for Half Board. I’ll put this into the post so others are aware of it. Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it.

I’m hoping to convince my other half that a family trip to Disneyland would be a good idea…I suspect that I will end up taking my little one on my own! #wanderlustkids

Our son has asked to go back. I’d go in a heartbeat but I’m not so sure hubby would!

Wow, this is so incredibly comprehensive. I’ve saved it on Pinterest as no doubt a lot of parents will do! Thanks for so saving us all a lot of time. #wanderlustkids

Thanks, I really appreciate it x

Ah great tips. I went before having my baby and I must say I loved being able to enjoy it all by myself. 🙂

This is an epic guide to Disney land Paris. we have done the Asian parks but Paris is on our list. I know now I need to read nothing else! #fearlessfamtrav

Thank Leona, I really appreciate that. We’d love to visit some of the Asian parks in the future.

This is an amazing post, so much helpful info! We haven’t been there with the kids yet although I absolutely loved Disney World in Florida when I went as a student. I’m hoping my kids will take themselves when they are big enough but I know it would be a memorable experience going together. #wanderlustkids

What a brilliant informative post, we went to Disneyland Paris in 2011 for Christmas and it was amazing! I’d love to go back. Thanks so much for linking up to #ThePlacesWeWillGoLinky x

Thanks hun, glad you think it’s informative x

Such detailed disney tips here! I love DLP and have also wrote my top ten tips over on my blog from when we visited in October 2017. We love it and can’t wait to go again this year. I totally agree on preparing by watching disney films and vlogs -we get obsessed (more me and hubby than the kids!). #wanderlustkids

Thanks so much! Haha, you and your hubby sound like mine. I think we were more excited by our visit than he was!

Gosh this is such an amazing post and so comprehensive! I had to read it twice just to take it all in and will definitely come back to it when we take the kids to DLP. #wanderlustkids

Thanks Emma, it was a long one indeed but I’m hoping you and many others will find it useful when planning your own trips x

Wow, Cath, this is a mammoth post but oh so helpful! We’re planning to go to Disneyland Paris this year for my daughter’s 10th birthday, and you have put together all the information I need to make it a trip to remember. Thank you so much! #FarawayFiles

Thanks Annette, I’m so glad you’ve found it helpful x

Popping back from #WanderlustKids to say that I bookmarked your post and got started with the planning. Thanks again!

My pleasure Annette, hope it goes well x

So much detail! You’ve done last the planning for me. Brilliant! We’re yet to take the boys to Disney, but I reckon it’ll be on the cards in the not so distant future… #WanderlustKids

Thanks Jenny. I’m sure you’ll all enjoy it when you go x

So much info here! We’re definitely going to go in a couple of years, when my youngest is better able and I can’t WAIT! #wanderlustkids

This is a fab guide, thanks! However, I can’t seem to see the free daily planner link anywhere – think I’m being blind!

We go at the end of July (the joys of being a teacher) and I am already bursting with excitement!x

Charlotte, my apologies. I was working on the link on my end. You should find the sign-up box available now x

Brilliant post, thank you so much. We have been a few times but it’s our first time taking our 10 month old daughter and 5 year old nephew so this has been such a helpful tool. Really appreciate it 😊

Thanks so much for your comment. I’m glad you’ve found this helpful x

Wow, what a fantastic guide! Some great tips here that I think can apply to visiting any park with children. It’s so comprehensive, definitely a must read before booking a trip to Disneyland Paris. Bookmarking this in case I am lucky enough to go someday!

Thank you so much for your feedback Rhiannon. I really appreciate it when readers let me know when they have found one of my posts helpful. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Popping in again Cath, as we’re just back from a 3 day stay in Disneyland Paris, and your post was invaluable in helping us book and enjoy our time there! As a family of six, we stayed at the Davy Crockett Ranch and it allowed us to save a significant amount of money on food. We also made sure to bring lots of snacks with us and mostly ate on the go while in the parks. And because the Ranch’s fab swimming pool was closed, we got instead a day pass to Villages Nature, and had the best of time at the incredible Aqualagon. Thanks again for putting this super helpful post! Annette

Annette, thank you so much for leaving this comment for me. I really, really appreciate it. I’m glad this post was helpful and that you had a good time at Disneyland Paris. Our son keeps asking when he can go back, so I think a trip next year is probably on the cards. Also, comments like these help other readers gain some other tips and ideas I might not have included, so thank you again xx

Wow!! Seems like you have enjoyed a lot and explore the amazing destination in Paris for first time. Plan your trip with Gold Crest Holidays if you are thinking of exploring again.

It is my dream to bring the kids here!! Pinning this for later as you give so much great information!

Wow – this is incredibly thorough! I hadn’t really thought to visit Disneyland Paris, but it sounds really wonderful. Thanks for all the tips!

Hello – I can’t find the planner on this page, can anyone help please?

The form to get the planner is available when viewing on desktop. To get it on mobile, please use this link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/j6z2a3

Reading your post while in Paris, we got an annual pass a few days ago. Still figuring out everything, your postings are very useful.

One thing has changed however: during Extra Magic Time it is not only Fantasy land where you can enter attractions. Yesterday we rode on big thunder mountain, phantom manor and hyperspace mountain all before official opening. These are in frontierland and discoveryland. Kind regards, Simone

Simone, thank you for the update. I really appreciate readers letting me know so I can add it to the main post. Enjoy the rest of your time there 🙂

And for anything more than a two-day visit, annual passes for Disneyland Paris look like a good deal.  Annual passes for Disneyland Paris are as low as 149 euros ($170) and even the super-deluxe model is only 399 euros ($450). When buying your tickets in France, make sure to use a credit card with no foreign transaction fees .

Leave a comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

9 things to know about visiting Disneyland Paris if you've only been to US Disney parks

In between touring the Louvre, strolling the banks of the Seine and ascending the Eiffel Tower, many visitors to the City of Light also pay a visit to Disneyland Paris. Situated to the east of the city, the resort is home to Europe's largest (and most visited) theme park.

With China still closed to tourism and Japan only starting to reopen, Disneyland Paris is the international Disney resort that is currently the most accessible to the traveling world. Combine this with the fact that Paris is set to host the Summer Olympics in 2024 and it's safe to say that many visitors will likely soon pass through the theme park's gates.

While Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, is my family's home park, we frequently visit Disney destinations around the world. So, when we had the chance to spend several weeks in France and the United Kingdom this summer, we knew we had to set aside a little time to see what France's version of Mickey Mouse had to deliver.

Not surprisingly, we found that Disneyland Paris does a lot of things in a slightly different way. However, one detail remains a constant across all the parks, Disneyland Paris included: Guests who pre-plan, know what to expect and understand the rules will surely have a magical vacation.

Disneyland Paris basics

Before delving into all you need to know about experiencing Disneyland Paris, it's important to have a lay of the land and understand the logistics of getting to the property.

Located about 25 miles east of Paris ' city center in Chessy, France, Disneyland Paris is easy to reach by train. The Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy train station sits a few steps away from the park's entrance and is accessible via Réseau Express Régional routes departing from downtown Paris and Trains à Grande Vitesse routes that leave Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and other destinations in France.

Once at the property, you'll notice that Disneyland Paris has a similar layout to Disneyland Resort. Two theme parks — Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park — comprise the resort, with each within walking distance of the other. There is also an adjacent shopping and entertainment district known as Disney Village, as well as multiple themed hotels with additional services and dining locations.

Like all the Disney parks, Disneyland Paris is a bucket list experience for Disney fans, regardless of when you visit. However, now is an especially magical time to check out the resort, as it's celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2022, with celebrations set to continue until Sept. 30, 2023.

Related: How to do the sold-out 'Disney Parks Around the World' trip on points and miles

Essential Disneyland Paris tips

If you are considering or planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, it's vital to know about the resort's unique rules and tricks. Even as a seasoned Disneyland and Walt Disney World visitor, I had to learn a lot of new things while at Disneyland Paris. Fortunately for us, the pieces ultimately fell into place once we identified the major differences. Here's what you need to know:

Related: How to use miles to fly to Paris

Logistics are easier

Recently, Disneyland and Disney World have received a lot of negative press for their complicated post-pandemic rules and procedures. While Disneyland Paris did implement a few changes after its reopening that have stuck, nearly everything is much easier to navigate for the casual visitor.

For example, Disneyland Paris does require park reservations for some guests, but if you are booking a Disneyland vacation package for a stay at an on-property hotel, then no park reservations are required.

Ticketing options are simpler, more flexible and overall less expensive as well. Guests who purchase park tickets as part of a vacation package will find ticketing to be as easy as showing up and entering. If you are not purchasing a ticket as part of a package, it's still a fairly straightforward process. Once you know how many days you'll be visiting, all that's left to decide is whether you want a dated or an undated ticket. (Dated tickets are cheaper but require picking your entry dates when you book, whereas undated tickets are pricier but let you choose your park dates after booking.) If you pick a dated ticket, you can then opt for a park hopper or one-park option. That's about it. Should your plans change, tickets are fully refundable up until three days prior to their valid date.

Thankfully, tickets are cheaper than in the U.S. with one-day, one-park tickets starting around $70-$80, depending on the date. In the U.S., they can be roughly double that price.

Disneyland Paris also doesn't have arbitrary time limits on its park hopping hours. If you've purchased a park hopper ticket, you are free to go back and forth between the two parks at any time of day.

In short, there are fewer opportunities at Disneyland Paris to make a mistake and find that you've run afoul of some obscure new rule. We found that assurance comforting, especially when dealing with the greater logistical challenges already inherent in an international trip.

Related: The best credit cards for a theme park vacation

Ride lines are mostly manageable

The most common complaints about theme parks around the world are the crowds and long lines. Disneyland Paris certainly has its fair share of both, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that standby queues for attractions were not as painfully long as guests might fear.

My family visited during a peak time of year (the U.K.'s summer recess from school), so we experienced ride lines at close to their worst. Lines were a little longer than I like to stand in but were by no means as terrible as lines you'll find at Disneyland or Disney World on a very busy day. If you can time your visit for a weekday when kids are not on break, you'll likely have an even more manageable time at Disneyland Paris.

Of course, there are tricks to finding shorter lines, including arriving early for rope drop or staying late after many guests retire for the evening. Disneyland Paris also has single-rider lines for a number of popular attractions that can save you time. We used all of these tricks to great effect.

Additionally, Disneyland Paris has a skip-the-line FastPass-style program of its own for select rides, with two paid options available: Disney Premier Access One and Disney Premier Access Ultimate.

With the more affordable Premier Access One program, you pay between 9 and 18 euros (roughly $9-$18) per ride for expedited access at a particular time via the attraction's fast lane. Meanwhile, the Premier Access Ultimate program automatically gives you access to each ride's fast lane whenever you want for a higher price (usually well above 100 euros, or $100, per person, per day).

Since fewer guests use these pay-to-play options at Disneyland Paris, they don't have as great of an impact on standby lines for non-paying guests. As a result, my family decided to skip the high cost of the upgraded Premier Access option and instead purchase three regular Premier Access One passes during our three-day visit. We found them to be far less complex than Disney's confusing paid Genie+ and Lightning Lane systems currently in operation at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Our most valuable purchase was for Crush's Coaster, which historically has the longest line at either park.

The second park is weak

Disneyland Paris includes two parks, but guests should know before deciding how to divide their time that the parks are far from equal. Disneyland Park is the property's main draw and where most guests spend the bulk of their time. There's also Walt Disney Studios Park, which only has a couple of major attractions mixed in with a lot you can skip, making it the much weaker of the two parks.

Recognizing this lack of star power at the latter, Disney has started making incremental changes to Walt Disney Studios Park. Earlier this summer, a brand new land called Marvel Avengers Campus debuted in the park.

Like its counterpart in Anaheim, the land has a new "Spider-Man"-themed attraction and a lot of new characters and dining locations. Avengers Campus delivers a solid product just like it does in Anaheim, but it's not enough to redeem the park as a whole. Walt Disney Studios Park still has a long way to go.

Thankfully, there is more coming, with a "Frozen" land set to debut in 2024. Still, until that area opens, Walt Disney Studios Park remains a half-day park at best. If you're a frequent Disneyland visitor like me and my family, odds are you'll want to allot even less time for the park, as Paris' Avengers Campus isn't that different from what you'll find in Anaheim.

It can be done as a day trip

With so many other can't-miss attractions in the City of Light, it's understandably hard to justify spending too many days at a theme park. So, a lot of travelers visit Disneyland Paris as a day trip from the city, as it's only about a 40-minute train ride away from the city center.

If your time will be limited when you visit, know that it's still possible to get a solid overview of the parks in a single day. You'll be able to ride quite a few of the headliner attractions in that time, especially if you budget for a couple of Premier Access One passes. Since Walt Disney Studios Park lacks the same wow factor as Disneyland Park, you can easily get by with a single-park ticket instead of the park hopper upgrade.

That said, Disney fans would be remiss if they didn't set aside a little more time for the parks.

Disneyland Paris is nearly as large as Disneyland Resort, so you'll need more than a day to truly see it all, especially if you want to ride every unique attraction available. We allotted a full day and two half days (an evening on our arrival and a morning before flying elsewhere in Europe) for our Disneyland Paris visit and found it was just about the right amount of time for a family of Disney fans.

Related: Where to stay in Paris

The food is not on par with the US parks

Travelers come from around the world to experience France's magnificent food scene. Unfortunately, there is very little of that fine cuisine at Disneyland Paris.

I had heard from friends and fellow Disney experts for many years that the food in Disneyland Paris was terrible, so my family had low expectations when it was time for our visit. Much to my surprise, everything wasn't inedible slop: Every quick-service meal and buffet we had was entirely adequate. In fact, the food was pretty similar in quality to an average quick-service meal you'll get at Disneyland or Disney World. Prices weren't excessively high, either.

Where the food faltered most was in the sit-down establishments. For example, my husband and daughter ate at Captain Jack's, a fine dining restaurant overlooking the Pirates of the Caribbean ride that reminded them of Disneyland Resort's Blue Bayou. They found the meal was quite expensive, especially since both of their dishes were extremely overcooked. I've heard similar complaints from friends who've dined at Bistrot Chez Rémy in recent years as well.

We found some other food inadequacies at Disneyland Paris, too. The parks simply don't have a lot of snack options or variety, a strange state of affairs given how the U.S. parks churn out new, Instagrammable treats for every holiday or special event under the sun.

Disneyland Paris also doesn't keep all its in-park restaurants open full-time. A number of quick-service options close before the dinner hour, leaving pretty slim pickings for guests who haven't made reservations at pricier sit-down restaurants.

To avoid being disappointed during your visit, do as we did and make food as little of a focus of your trip as possible. Skip the expensive table-service restaurants and instead plan in advance to eat some utilitarian theme park basics like chicken fingers, pizza and burgers at quick-service establishments. As long as you check in advance so you know which options are open, particularly later in the day, you'll have no trouble filling empty stomachs.

Service isn't quite up to Disney standards

While I hate to be a stereotypical American complaining about French service, the reality is that there are subjective cultural differences that many visitors to Disneyland Paris will probably perceive when it comes to service. France just doesn't have the same tradition of effusive, overly friendly customer service that guests who frequent the American (or even the Asian) Disney parks are used to.

That's not to say that the customer service in Disneyland Paris is poor. We found most cast members quite courteous and even had a couple of magical moments with a select few. We were also impressed by the fact that every cast member we encountered spoke English, which we found helpful since none of us speak French.

Still, cast members were noticeably more blunt in tone and less visible everywhere in the parks. I got the distinct impression that there were fewer cast members per capita in the Paris parks than in other Disney parks I have visited. This was especially evident at the park entrances, where cast members were in short supply for morning rope drop. Clueless guests were trying to scan their tickets and passes at the turnstiles only to encounter errors and slow down the lines considerably at a pivotal time.

Ultimately, park operations felt a little more like a regional theme park in America than the gold standard of Disney efficiency and warmth.

The parks' beauty is its own attraction

What Disneyland Paris lacks in customer service it more than makes up for in beauty.

Disneyland Park is easily the most beautiful theme park I've visited. It feels like a microcosm of the well-designed city of Paris itself, with wide pathways surrounded by colorful, meticulously maintained landscaping. Many of the ride buildings have bold theming that commands your attention, such as the Jules Verne-inspired Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain.

This unique atmosphere means that guests should approach a visit to the resort a little differently. Disneyland Paris is a park that is meant to be savored. If you run from ride to ride all day, you'll miss a major part of what makes the property so special.

We slowed down during parts of our trip and made time to explore some of the non-ride attractions and specially themed play areas (which are far more ubiquitous than in the U.S. parks). We found these areas sparked the curiosity of our kids, who enjoyed wandering the meandering pathways and playing in spaces like Alice's Curious Labyrinth and Skull Rock.

Another visual delight was the arcades — enclosed pathways that run behind the shops of Main Street U.S.A. These pathways serve the practical purpose of moving big crowds but in a visually stunning setting. Of course, the awe-inspiring Disneyland Paris castle is another gorgeous feature that no guest should miss.

Many attractions are familiar — but uniquely different

A quick glance at the map of Disneyland Paris may give the impression that the park is largely a clone of the Magic Kingdom in Florida or Disneyland Park in California . Sure, quite a few attractions, such as Peter Pan's Flight and Mad Hatter's Tea Cups, are similar to what you'll find in the U.S., but a number of rides at Disneyland Paris actually have unique twists all their own despite looking like carbon copies of their American counterparts.

For example, two thrill rides, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, are far more intense than those in the U.S. As such, roller coaster lovers should make a beeline for them. Parents, on the other hand, will probably need to pause and consider whether more cautious kids in the family are ready for the more intense experience.

Additionally, spooky rides like Phantom Manor (similar to the Haunted Mansion) and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror have very different storylines than the ones in the U.S. Both have an edgier and more morbid vibe thanks to the French influence.

Even some children's rides have new angles. Casey Jr., for example, is actually a mild kiddie coaster rather than the slow-moving train that sits in Anaheim. Storybook Land Canal Boats brings guests through different fairy-tale scenes than the ones that appear at Disneyland Resort, too.

Given how many rides vary here despite their similar theming, you should err on the side of riding as much as possible while at Disneyland Paris. Though you may think you've experienced a ride before in Florida or California, chances are it will offer a very new experience.

Related: I've visited every Disney park. Here's the best of the best

On-property hotels fall short

For guests who plan to visit for more than a day trip, there are seven on-property hotels to choose from.

As you may expect, Disneyland Paris is no exception to the price premium you'll pay to stay on property when visiting Disney. Still, there are a couple of key benefits, including the proximity to the parks and the early entry benefit (known here as Extra Magic Hours), that swayed our family to stay at the on-site Disney Sequoia Lodge.

A moderately-priced hotel with national park lodge theming, the Disney Sequoia Lodge's rooms and common areas felt extremely tired and dated. In fact, the hotel was nowhere near as nice as the newly renovated value resorts at Walt Disney World such as Disney's Pop Century Resort , despite being more expensive. As a result, it didn't seem to offer as much value as what we're used to getting when staying at American Disney properties.

Other properties like the flagship Disneyland Hotel, which sits right above the Disneyland Paris park gates, may provide more value but are currently unavailable due to an extensive renovation expected to wrap up in 2024.

In the meantime, the most luxurious option is the newly renovated Disney Hotel New York — The Art of Marvel. While it is visually stunning, my family couldn't justify paying peak summer prices of more than $800 a night to stay in a small hotel room that had two double beds and was a 15-minute walk from the gates.

Given the shortcomings of these hotels, you may find it hard to stomach spending hundreds of dollars on a room that's officially on property. So, if you're on a tighter budget, you may be better served by staying off-property, especially if you wouldn't use the early entry benefit.

Bottom line

While there were a couple of ways in which the French parks underdelivered, Disneyland Paris is mostly a positive and enjoyable experience.

Disneyland Paris has a number of surprising and delightful differences that Disney fans will enjoy, from its beautiful grounds to unique attraction variations. Visiting Disneyland Paris also requires less preparation and touring the parks there feels less stressful.

In a way, we found our trip replicated the experience of visiting the U.S. parks a decade or more ago when the costs and the stakes of taking a theme park vacation weren't quite so high. Because of this, Disneyland Paris is well worth a Paris detour.

Planning a Disneyland Paris vacation? Read more about visiting Paris:

• 11 things I learned during my trip to Paris
• 15 things to see and do on your first trip to Paris
• Paris on points is possible — here's where to stay
• 8 mistakes travelers often make during their first trip to Paris
• Paris Charles de Gaulle vs. Orly: Which airport should you fly into?

• Skip to right header navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Plan Your Dream Trip To Disney!

The Ultimate Disneyland Paris Itinerary (Without Lines!)

May 20, 2020 //  by  Zahra Leggatt //   Leave a Comment

Best Time Of Year To Visit Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Park Hours

Generally, Disneyland Park opens at 10am.  When starting to plan your Disneyland Paris itinerary, you need to check the schedule for your chosen day, because – depending on the time of year you’ll be visiting – the park closure time varies from 6.30pm – 11pm.  

Walt Disney Studios Hours

How To Use Fastpass At Disneyland Paris

You walk up to the ride that you want the fastpass for and check what the ‘return time’ is.  If that time suits you, then you go to the machine, scan your park tickets (you need to scan the ticket of everyone in your party who wants to ride) and grab your Fastpass ticket. 

Don’t leave either your park ticket or your Fastpass ticket behind!  That will most definitely NOT help your Disneyland Paris itinerary! 

Once you have your Fastpass you can do other things while you wait for your time slot.   You’ll have plenty of time to grab some good food at the Disneyland Paris restaurants – we have a great guide about which ones are the best here !

When it’s your time, return to the ride and go to the designated Fastpass line. 

Don’t forget to grab another Fastpass ticket as soon as you can, afterwards!

Read our complete article on Fastpass at Disneyland Paris.

Best And Worst Disneyland Paris Fastpass Options

Arrival And Rope Drop At Disneyland Paris

One Day Disneyland Paris Itinerary Morning Plan

Start: Walt Disney Studios at park opening

Stop 1: Crush’s Coaster  This is a great fun coaster, for all ages.  It does have a single rider line, if the lines are long and you could use these, but if you’ve been in the park from opening, the line should be short.  You cannot get a FastPass for this ride.

One Day Disneyland Paris Itinerary Afternoon Plan

Disneyland paris park 2-8pm.

• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril – an exhilarating ride full of twists, turns and unexpected elements
• Big Thunder Mountain – one of our favorites and has an in ride photo, unlike the one in WDW
• Phantom Manor – a similar version of the Haunted Mansion 
• Pirates of the Caribbean – similar to the Magic Kingdom version but with some unique differences, making it worthwhile and possibly better – don’t forget to shout Bon Appetit to the diners!
• Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain – formerly just Space Mountain and streets ahead of the Magic Kingdom ride, in our opinion.  It is a lot more intense and includes inversions, but is a smoother ride.

• It’s a Small World – with a celebration of diverse languages.  The parade route starts close to this ride, so you may want to be here to catch the start of the parade and then to ride It’s a Small World!
• Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (traditional dark ride, which may be too dark for really young guests)
• Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
• Casey Jr – le Petit Train du Cirque (we took our 2 year old on this and she LOVED it – it’s such a catchy tune and joyful ride, but with a very slow moving line.   Now they’re older, I’d want this to be a walk on to prioritise this over other rides)

Disney favorites:

• Mickey’s Philharmagic
• Dumbo the flying elephant (slow loading and repetitive – if you have children, do NOT let them persuade you to queue for this early in the afternoon – this is an end of the day ride!)
• Peter Pan’s Flight – beautiful and with typically shorter wait times than the US Disney parks
• Mad Hatter Tea Cups – particularly beautiful at night
• Le Carrousel de Lancelot – another particularly slow loading ride

We think it’s really worth your time to dedicate some exploration time, as mentioned at the top of this section.  

• Alice’s Curious Labyrinth is great fun and you can climb up the Queen’s castle.
• The rope bridge in Adventure Isle is fun for all ages
• The castle interior ( La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant ) has been executed with amazing detail and you can get one member of your party to go down and take a photo of you on the balcony!
• The sleeping dragon is a fabulous touch, although my toddler found the snoring a little sinister!
• Les Mysteres du Nautilus – takes me back to when there was a Nautilus in Magic Kingdom

Dinner 

You will need a break for dinner – to sit down and rest your legs.   

Whilst there are good table service options in Disneyland Paris (we recommend Captain Jack’s Restaurant des Pirates for a great experience and atmosphere!) and you can read more about them here you will probably find the prices quite expensive and the quality not quite as good as you’re expecting.  

Given France’s culinary reputation, I have rarely been particularly impressed with the quality or value for money of meals in the Table Service restaurants in either of the parks.   

Aside from this, with your one day in Disneyland Paris, you may find that you want to go back to the Studios to catch a show or want to explore more attractions or repeat some of your favourite rides.   If doing Disneyland Paris in a day, I’d be tempted to eat again at a Quick Service location and have more time to explore the parks.

IF both parks close early on your one day in Disneyland Paris and you can cope with a snack to keep you going, then we would recommend eating dinner in Disney Village after the parks are closed.

After dinner

Once you’re happy you’ve done your essentials (particularly before Studios closes), then we recommend you mentally list your ‘top wishes’, based on the time you have left and what you’ve not achieved during the day (or things you’d like to see/experience again!).

We recommend you make time to watch Illuminations, which is a 20 minute nightly show that takes place at park closing.  You may wish to eat hot dogs while staking out your spot, or prefer to ride Hyperspace Mountain one more time and walk up minutes before it starts – the benefit of this Disneyland Paris itinerary is that you make the choices that suit your group!

After Illuminations, if you didn’t eat beforehand, make your way to Disney Village and choose where you want to eat.   If it’s a nice evening, you may wish to take out and stroll around the lake and take in the illuminated hotels and balloon.

If you did eat beforehand, and you have the energy, then shopping might be your preferred activity!  Remember, Disney Village is generally open late, so you shouldn’t need to rush!

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

How To Visit Disneyland Paris In 2024

Erica Forster Last Updated: October 26, 2023

If you’re a Disney fan, this is a no-brainer! You can expect the same attractions as other Disneyland locations plus unique Paris additions that make it extra special. In this guide, find out how to visit Disneyland Paris including how to get there, when to go, if it’s worth it, and more.

Pro Tip: Planning what to do on your trip to Paris? Bookmark this post in your browser so you can easily find it when you’re in the city. Check out our guide to Paris for more planning resources, our top Paris tours for a memorable trip, and the best things to do in Paris .

Visiting Disneyland Paris: What We’ll Cover

Officially ranked as Europe’s most popular tourist destination, Disneyland Paris is the first and only Disney park in Europe. It opened in 1992 and has been welcoming visitors of all ages from around the world ever since.

You can expect attractions similar to the original Disneyland in California, including the beloved Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and more. However, the French park definitely has its own uniqueness and isn’t identical to other Disney parks.

Before investing your time and money into a day at Disneyland, you’ll want to know what to expect and if it’s really worth taking up one of your European vacation days. In this guide, we’ll outline the main things you need to know before visiting Disneyland Paris. Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Opening hours and tickets
• How to get there
• Which park to visit
• How long to budget for your visit
• When to visit
• Do you need to plan an itinerary
• Is it worth it to visit

Disneyland Paris Hours and Tickets

At Disneyland Paris, you can visit one or both of the parks: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. You must purchase your tickets in advance.

You’ll be able to choose between dated and undated tickets for one day (including one park) or multiple days (including both parks). The longer you visit the more you save on your tickets.

There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing the right tickets for your visit. You can combine Disneyland tickets with hotel bookings, shuttles, and extra experiences.

Ticket prices range from €62 to €130 for individual tickets depending on whether you choose dated or undated tickets, how many days you’ll visit, and whether you plan to visit one or both of the parks. Check out the official website for ticket information and booking .

Opening hours:

Opening hours for the Disneyland parks are subject to change, particularly closing times. Be sure to check the website for up-to-date opening times for both parks for the day of your visit. Here is a general guide to opening hours:

Open daily, Monday to Friday from 9:30 am to 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 am to 10 pm (closing times are subject to change).

Address: Bd de Parc, 77700 Coupvray, France

How To Get To Disneyland Paris

It would have been impossible to build a Disney theme park in the center of Paris. Instead, the park is located in a city called Marne-la-Vallée, east of Paris. While there are many different ways to get to Marne-la-Vallée from Paris, the easiest option is by train.

The easiest way to get to Disneyland from Paris is by train. You’ll need to take the RER A line (on the Paris metro maps, it’s always indicated as a red line). Metro ticket prices are zone-based, and since Marne-la-Vallée is outside of Paris, using a regular metro ticket won’t work.

You’ll need to purchase a different ticket, which costs €5 one way. You can buy these at any machine in Paris metro stations, but we recommend purchasing one with the help of an employee working at one of the help counters if possible, just to avoid any mistakes.

As you’re waiting for the RER A train, you’ll notice that the RER As are labeled differently. That’s because halfway through the RER A eastern route, there’s a fork in the route. You need to make sure that you get on a train heading to Marne-la-Vallée – Chessy, otherwise you could be traveling in a different direction.

While this may sound a bit stressful, it’s easier than it sounds. When you’re on the train platform, overhead signs will indicate which directions the upcoming trains are going, and there’s even a pair of Mickey ears next to the train station name that you need to get to. When in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask a friendly-looking Parisian—they all know where Disneyland Paris is.

Once you get on the RER A, you don’t need to worry about keeping track of when to get off the train, as the Marne-la-Vallée – Chessy stop is the very last stop on the route. When you exit the station, signs will easily indicate how to get to Disneyland. It’s less than a five-minute walk from the station, so you can’t miss it!

Driving to Disneyland Paris is also possible. This might be the best option if you’re heading to Disneyland from a city other than Paris or if you’re really trying to get the most out of your rental car.

From the very heart of Paris, Disneyland is only about 25 miles away. Keep in mind, though, that traffic in the Paris city center and its suburbs can be unpredictable. Driving will definitely take you over an hour one way—likely longer, especially if you drive during rush hour. Parking at Disneyland is set at €30 for a normal-sized car, but you should always check their website for the most up-to-date fares.

If you’re staying in Paris, we still highly recommend going by train. However, we don’t recommend trying to take a taxi to Disneyland Paris. Since it’s not a flat fare, you don’t want to risk watching that meter running while you’re stuck in bad traffic. Uber is possible, but prices fluctuate. The train will likely still be quicker and cheaper in the long run.

From the Airport

If you’re staying at one of the Disney hotels or a partner hotel, there’s a Magic Shuttle Bus that transfers clients from both Parisian Airports (CDG and Orly) to the hotels. The ride takes about an hour, give or take.

Our Best Guided Tours of Paris

Likely to Sell out

Privileged Access Eiffel Tour with Champagne on the Seine

Sometimes the most amazing moments happen by chance. Other times, they are orchestrated by professionals. Our Eiffel tower tour cruises by the famed monument as it lights up and you drink champagne. After, you’ll have tickets to enter the tower and ascend to the 2nd level with an elevator. Admissions included and we’ll take care of the details… you simply pay and show up!

Top Selling

Secrets of the Louvre Museum Tour with Mona Lisa

The Louvre is the largest art museum on Earth and the crowning jewel of Paris. It embodies the French vigor for life. Join a passionate English speaking guide for a tour of the most famous artwork. Skip the line admissions included.

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our  best Paris tours to take and why .

Which Park Should I Visit?

As with some of Disney’s other locations, Disneyland Paris has two adjoining but separate parks: Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park.

Walt Disney Studios

Walt Disney Studios Park was built in 2002 and is smaller than Disneyland. It’s dedicated to movies and showbusiness, giving visitors more of a behind-the-scenes look at the film industry. There are some rides (although not nearly as many as in Disneyland) that are fun to try, such as a 3D Ratatouille adventure ride.

The Tower of Terror and a cool Crush coaster ride (from Finding Nemo) are also favorites. If you enjoy shows, Walt Disney Studios hosts a couple of fantastic events, like a stunt show and “Frozen” musical. Check the Disney calendar to find out what’s on during your visit.

Disneyland Park

Disneyland Park offers more classic rides you’ve likely encountered if you’ve visited another Disney park. Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones, and the Haunted Mansion make up the main forty attractions here. Disneyland Park has more rides and also a bit more of a classic Disney feel than its counterpart.

Tickets allowing you to visit one or both parks are available. However, if you’re only visiting for one day and none of the Walt Disney Studios Park attractions are must-dos for you, then we recommend purchasing a ticket just for Disneyland. If you’re visiting for multiple days or just absolutely want to see both parks, the park hopper ticket is the way to go. You can check out everything you need to know about current ticket pricing here .

How Long To Spend at Disneyland Paris

The number of days you spend at Disneyland Paris will depend on you and the focus of your trip. If your goal is to see every inch of both parks and attempt to go on almost every ride, we recommend three days.

We realize, however, that most visitors living outside of Europe aren’t coming to France solely for Disneyland Paris. If your main purpose is visiting the city of Paris, one day at the park is enough to give you a great taste of Disney, get your money’s worth but also not make you feel like you wasted your time.

If you do decide to visit Disneyland Paris for more than one day, you might choose to stay in one of the multiple Disney-themed hotels located within less than 10 minutes’ walking distance from the park. While our favorite is the classic Disneyland Hotel, it’s currently being renovated and isn’t expected to reopen until sometime in 2023.

When To Visit Disneyland Paris

Most visitors will likely align their Disneyland Paris visit with a European travel experience. If this is the case, you certainly shouldn’t plan what time of year to travel based solely on this guide. However, if your main reason for traveling is to visit Disneyland Paris, then there are a few prime moments to go.

March to April and September to October: these are our favorite times to visit. These months experience fewer crowds as well as usually pleasant weather.

December is also a great time to go if you want to see Disneyland decorated in peak Christmas attire. If possible, avoid July and August, as these dates are the most crowded and also sometimes experience heat waves.

Do I Need To Plan an Itinerary

Some Disney fans enjoy planning out their day at Disneyland before it even begins. While this is certainly an option, we think it’s less necessary at Disneyland Paris than at some other Disney parks. If you’re in somewhat good shape, it’s fairly easy to walk your way through Disneyland Paris. While it covers more acres than Disneyland in California, it’s significantly smaller than Disney World in Florida.

When it comes to food, many French and European visitors bring their own lunches from home. This is not at all frowned upon. A large number of restaurants in Disneyland Paris feature American food. If you’re American, be warned that this is a European view of American food and not the most delicious version.

Is It Worth It To Visit Disneyland Paris?

If this is not your first time at a Disney park, we recommend just going with the flow. Disneyland Paris is not a cookie-cutter version of the other parks and does have its differences. Some of these are positive, like the fact that their version of Thunder Mountain Railroad is much longer than the California version.

They have a cool green dragon “living” underneath Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, and the Crush Coaster ride in the Walt Disney Studios park is fantastic fun. However, there are a few things that are potential downsides. Remember, France isn’t famous for having great customer service.

The employees at Disneyland Paris might appear a tad less joyful than in other parks. There are designated outdoor smoking areas, but don’t be surprised to see some people lighting up cigarettes in non-designated areas. Their food and drink items also don’t quite live up to the expectations one might have when they think of famous French food.

If you’re a true Disney fan, though, this is a no-brainer. A day at Disneyland Paris, especially if you’re traveling with kids, is guaranteed to be a fun and unforgettable day. If you’re on the fence, try to weigh the pros and cons of visiting Disney versus what else you could see in the city of Paris.

Where To Stay in Paris

With a city as magnificent as Paris, it can be hard to find the perfect hotel at the perfect price. Explore the best hotels and places to stay in these incredible neighborhoods in Paris.

Reader Interactions

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Travel Guide
• In The Press

POLICY & TERMS

• Cancellation Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy

23 Best Disneyland Paris Tips You Should Know For An Amazing Trip

Planning a trip to Disneyland Paris and looking for practical tips to help you? This article will show you all the best Disneyland Paris tips you need to know !

There are lots of superlatives that truly describe the beauty of Disneyland Paris, but one that easily comes to the top of my head is Magical .

The minute you enter this dream world, it’s like entering your own fairytale blanketed with magic everywhere you look. I still remember my first time visiting Disneyland Paris and even now, after multiple visits, I still get that same magical feeling.

From the enchanting songs, the perfectly dressed characters, the beautiful displays, and not forgetting Mickey, everything flows well together to create a breathtaking sight!

Disclaimer:  This post might contain affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) should you choose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using one of our links. It’s okay – We love all of the products we recommend anyway, and you will too! Also, that commission helps us keep this awesome free blog up to date! You can read our  full disclosure here  for more details!

As you plan to visit the most beautiful and happy place in France, there are a few things you should know to make your visit even more enjoyable, especially if you’re visiting Disneyland Paris for the first time

As a Disney-obsessed person, I’ve picked up a number of Disneyland Paris tips over the times I’ve visited that I am sure you’ll find helpful, even when it’s not your first visit.

Ready to have a fantastic time on your visit? Here are my best tips for visiting Disneyland Paris.

Before You Go, Here’s How To Plan Your Visit To Disneyland Paris: Practical Quick Tips

• Before going to Disneyland Paris, make sure that you have already bought this 1 day Disney entry ticket to avoid wasting time in lines or this multi-day entrance ticket if you plan on visiting for more than one day. Ps. Do not buy the tickets on the day of your visit as they tend to be much more expensive.
• Take advantage of the extra magic time by staying at one of the Disneyland Paris Hotels. You can stay at Relais Spa Chessy Val d’Europe if you’re on a budget, Disney’s Newport Bay Club for a luxury mid-range stay (this is actually where I stayed when I visited Disney), or Disney’s Hotel New York® – The Art of Marvel for a luxurious stay. All these hotels offer a free shuttle to Disneyland Paris and are 10 minutes away from the park on foot.
• Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation, and more. If you’re considering travel insurance for your trip, check out World Nomads .
• You’ll also need  sunscreen , comfortable walking shoes, and a refillable  travel water bottle .

Best Disneyland Paris Tips for an Amazing Trip

Here are the best tips on Disneyland Paris that will help you enjoy your visit to the max.

1. Understand the Different types of Tickets for Disneyland Paris

First on my list of Disneyland Paris tips for first timers is to examine the different types of entry tickets.

You should know that there are various types of tickets, and understanding them and what each offers will ensure that you purchase one that is right for you. To give you an idea, below are all the options available to you.

Disneyland Paris 1-Day Ticket: This entry ticket allows you to visit Disneyland Paris for one day. When buying the ticket, you can choose whether you want to spend that one day in one park or both. Yes, Disneyland has 2 parks — Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios. >>> Click here to purchase your Disneyland Paris 1-day ticket <<<

Disneyland Paris Multi-Day Entrance Ticket: Unlike the one above, this entry ticket allows you to visit both parks for either 2, 3, or 4 days depending on how long your visit will last. Please note that these should be consecutive days from the day your trip begins. >>> Click here to purchase your Disneyland Paris multi-day ticket <<<

Disneyland Paris 1-Day Flexible Ticket: This ticket is perfect if you want to be flexible. As the name suggests, you don’t have to have a fixed date for your visit, unlike the above tickets. The ticket is valid for 1 year from the date of purchase so you can visit any time you feel like and you can have access to either 1 or 2 parks for 1 day. >>> Click here to purchase your Disneyland Paris 1-day flexible ticket <<<

Which ticket should you purchase? This entirely depends on what you want, how many days you want to visit, and if you want to visit just one park or both. So, choose one that suits your personal needs.

2. Book Your Disney Tickets Online in Advance

After knowing the exact type of ticket you need, you should book it in advance!

This might sound like a no-brainer but you’ll be surprised by how many people spend hours in queues just to buy tickets.

By buying your entry tickets online, you not only save time you would have wasted in queues but they’re also sometimes cheaper.

As an example, if you buy tickets on the day of your visit (even if you buy them online), they’ll be almost double the price you’d have bought them for, say 1 month earlier. You can purchase your Disneyland Paris ticket from here!

3. Visit both Parks

As mentioned above, Disneyland Paris has 2 parks. Disneyland Park which is all about magic and fairytales and Walt Disney Studios Park which highlights the biggest movies from Disney, Marvel, and Pixar.

While visiting both is a little more expensive than visiting one, I recommend visiting both to get a glimpse of both sides.

Before, Walt Disney Studios Park didn’t have a lot of attractions but new attractions have been added recently to make it worth your while.

However, if time and budget dictate visiting only one, then you should visit Disneyland Park and leave out Walt Disney Studios.

4. Download the Official Disneyland Paris Mobile App

As Disney says “Your mobile is your Magic Wand”, so before you visit Disneyland, make sure that you download the free Disneyland Paris app .

This app does much more than just show waiting times for attractions. You can make reservations at restaurants, see the times for parades, and get personalized recommendations for rides to go to throughout the day.

The app will also be your handy guide by showing you walking times from one attraction to another, and if you need to purchase Disney Premier Access (more on this later in the article) or order food, you can do all that at the tap of the button.

5. Expect long lines

Being a magical place as it is, you can expect long lines! Over 12 million people visit Disneyland Paris annually, meaning that over 30k people visit every day.

Of course, this depends more or less on the time of the year, but this amount of people calls for patience.

For popular rides in Disneyland Paris like Big Thunder Mountain, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, Star Tours, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, etc., you can expect waiting times of up to 1 hour.

If that happens, the only thing you can do is to be patient since you can’t visit Disney and not do those rides.

6. Take Advantage of the lunch hours to ride on popular rides

One of my best tips for Disneyland Paris is to go to popular rides during lunch hours. Between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM, the number of people at rides will reduce as they go to have lunch.

Instead of adding to the crowds at restaurants, do the opposite and go to popular attractions and you might just reduce the wait time in half.

7. Avoid visiting on the Weekend And school holidays

While still on tips for Disneyland Paris to help you avoid the crowds, another useful one is to visit during the week and not at the weekend.

This is because many people who work Monday to Friday usually take weekend trips from Paris and other nearby cities to Disneyland. This is the same for other school and bank holidays.

If you choose to visit during the week, you may want to avoid Wednesday too as most kids in France don’t go to school on Wednesday.

8. Get to the park as early as possible

Disneyland Paris will always be crowded but one tip to help you beat the crowds is to arrive as early as possible.

If you’re sleeping at one of the Disney hotels, then this shouldn’t be an issue as you’ll have the magical pass, but if you’re not a resident, arriving early is the best way to guarantee you ride on popular attractions as early as possible.

Currently, both parks open at 9:30 AM, so make sure you’re already there by at least 8:30 AM or 9 AM to be the first in the security queue.

9. Take Advantage of the Extra Magic Hours

One of the best Disney Paris tips is to take advantage of the Extra magic hours by sleeping in a Disney hotel .

While the parks open at 9:30 AM for everyone, those who stay in Disneyland Paris hotels get a magic pass that allows them to enjoy the park before the crowds arrive. Depending on the time of the year, this can be either 30 minutes or 1 hour earlier.

With the magic pass, you can easily ride the popular attractions that are usually crowded before the crowds arrive.

In the same way, magic pass holders also get to enjoy extra magic time at the end of the day. As the park closes to everyone else, people with magic cards can stay for an additional 30 minutes to enjoy a little extra magic without the crowds.

To get a magic pass, you’ll need to stay at a Disneyland Paris hotel. My 3 most recommended Disneyland Paris hotels include;

• Relais Spa Chessy Val d’Europe: This is great for budget travelers. You can check rates and availability here .
• Disney’s Newport Bay Club: This is for mid-range budget travelers. This is actually where I stayed on my last visit. You can check rates and availability here .
•   Disney’s Hotel New York® – The Art of Marvel: For a luxurious stay, you can’t go wrong with this hotel. You can check rates and availability here .

10. Make reservations at restaurants in advance

If you plan to have lunch/dinner at one of the best Disneyland Paris restaurants , especially at the table-service and all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants, then you’ll need to make reservations in advance to be guaranteed a spot.

Most of these popular restaurants book up pretty fast that sometimes you’ll need to book 2 months in advance before your visit.

You can easily make a reservation through the Disneyland Paris official app or even make adjustments to it.

11. Consider bringing Your own Food/Snacks

As you’d imagine, restaurants at Disneyland Paris are quite pricey! If you don’t want to spend on food or you just can’t justify the price tag attached to it, consider carrying your own.

The best thing is that Disney allows this so you won’t be in any trouble.

12. consider doing character dining

While still talking about food, you may want to consider character dining. If you don’t know what this is, character dining is a unique experience where different Disney Characters visit you at your dining table to have fun with you.

This is specifically fun if you’re visiting with kids as they’ll appreciate being up close and personal with their favorite Disney characters.

Character Dining is at specific restaurants so you’ll need to check the official website to see which restaurants and characters are on for the day.

13. Leave your Disney costumes at Home

One of the Paris Disneyland tips many first-time visitors don’t know is that dressing up in costumes for adults is not allowed. Children below the age of 14 years are however allowed to dress up in costumes.

This helps reduce confusion, especially with kids who may find it hard to distinguish who the real Disney cast member is and who is just playing dress-up.

However, if you have a t-shirt, cap, or bunny ears featuring Disney characters, you can wear them.

14. Find out the character meet & greet schedule At your hotel

One of the perks of staying at a Disneyland Paris hotel is getting up close and personal with Disney characters at hotels.

These hotels usually hold meet and greets at different times so if you want to be part of it, confirm with your hotel to make sure you don’t miss it. I mean it’s also part of the magic of Disney.

15. Take advantage of Disney Premier Access

Why waste hours in queues when you can just ride your favorite attraction with no lines?

Since Disneyland Paris phased out the old FastPass system, it has since introduced Disney Premier Access which allows fast entry to rides without using the general long queues.

How does the Disney Premier Access exactly work?

There are 2 types of Disney Premier Access — Disney Premier Access Ultimate and Disney Premier Access One with the former offering more perks and of course, more expensive.

With Disney Premier Access One , you get fast-track entry to only one attraction in the park and you’d need to book a time slot beforehand. When that time comes, you just walk straight to the fast lane. You can only purchase it through the app and only on the day of your visit.

On the other hand, Disney Premier Access Ultimate allows you to ride each available attraction once and you can just go the fast lane any time you want without booking a time slot. It is also purchasable through the Disney app though you can do it either in advance or on the day of your visit.

One thing you should note, however, is that you cannot use the Disney Premier Access on every ride but a few and usually the most popular ones.

Some of the eligible attractions include; Crush’s Coaster, Big Thunder Mountain, Ratatouille: The Adventure, Star Wars Hyper Space Mountain, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and more.

16. Skip the Lines By Opting for Single Rider Queues

Another one of the Disneyland Paris tips and tricks to help you save some time in a rather crowded park is to take advantage of the single-rider queues.

If you’re not familiar with it, it comes as a result of a group of people (single party in Disney language) leaving one free seat.

For example, if a ride has 4 seats and the boarding group has 3 members, the cast members will add the 4th person from the single riders queue.

This service is a great way to ride your favorite attractions fast given that you don’t mind not riding with your family or friends.

There are several attractions with single rider queues, so if you want to take advantage of it, just join the short queue with the sign single riders.

17. Make a checklist of the Rides You Don’t Want to Miss

Disney can be incredibly overwhelming especially if you don’t know where to start. It has various rides and it’s normal to want to ride them immediately but that just doesn’t happen.

In fact, chances are high that you’ll not ride all the attractions in the park! However, to make sure that you stay organized and do not forget any rides, I recommend creating a checklist.

This can be as easy as using a notepad on your phone with all the attractions you want to visit and removing any that you visit.

18. Visit Disneyland Paris at least once during the seasonal Celebrations

Disneyland Paris is incredible all year round but it takes its magic to the next level during seasonal celebrations, so if you can, be sure to visit during one.

Yes, it will be a bit more crowded than usual but in my opinion, this is one of the things you should experience at least once.

The seasonal celebrations you can look out for include;

Disney Enchanted Christmas : Starting from mid-November to early January, Disney becomes Santa’s most beautiful village. From stunning Christmas decor, Christmas trees that shimmer in beautiful lights, and Christmas-themed parades to Christmas musical shows, Christmas in Paris is not complete without experiencing the fairytale of Christmas at Disney. You can read my post on how to visit Disneyland Paris at Christmas !

Disney Halloween Festival: If you’re more into Halloween, then Halloween at Disney is one that you won’t forget. Usually from the beginning of October to the beginning of November, Disney puts on a display of chilling decorations that even non-Halloween lovers will fall in love with. You’ll also be able to attend the best Halloween parties at Disneyland Paris.

19. Plan to Visit Disneyland Paris for 2 days if Possible

I know most people treat it as a day trip from Paris which is totally doable, but if you can visit for 2 days, which means spending 1 night at one of the Disney hotels or at the campsites close to Disneyland Paris if you prefer camping, then do it.

With 2 days, you can dedicate one full day to either park which gives you a higher chance of enjoying a wide array of attractions.

If you choose to visit for 2 days, this is the Disneyland Paris entry ticket you’ll need .

20. You can get to Disneyland Paris from both CDG Airport And Orly Airport

Looking for tips for going to Disneyland Paris? Here is another one you might find useful.

One of the most frequently asked questions about visiting Disneyland Paris is which airport one should fly to.

The simple answer is any that makes sense for you depending on where you’re flying from. Both CDG and Orly airports have a direct Magical shuttle that takes you from the airport to the park.

Taking the Magical shuttle is the easiest way to get from these airports but if you intend to use trains, then CDG might make more sense.

To use the magical shuttle, you’ll have to book your spot in advance which you can book from here .

You can also check out other ways to get from CDG to Disneyland Paris . If you’re coming from Paris directly, then you can check out my article on how to get to Disneyland Paris from Paris .

21. Avoid Driving to Disneyland Paris if You Can

While still on the Disneyland Paris travel tips, one thing you should avoid is driving a car.

At first thought, this might seem like the easiest and most comfortable way to go to Disney, especially if you plan on extending your France road trip but it would be a mistake.

First of all, finding a parking spot can be a nightmare, and that coupled with the high parking fee makes it unworthy.

To give you an idea, parking a motorbike costs around €25, a car costs €30, and campervans cost €30. Of course, if you’re a guest at a Disney hotel, then parking will be free.

22. Wear Comfortable Walking Shoes

One of the best Disneyland Paris tips I can give you is to wear comfortable shoes. You’ll walk A LOT for the entire time you’ll be in Disney, so it’s paramount that you wear comfortable shoes.

This will be the wrong time to bring new shoes if you don’t know how walkable or comfortable they are.

Instead of boots, opt for sneakers, or running shoes, but definitely no heeled shoes.

23. Carry a Reusable Travel water bottle

One of the things to pack for Disneyland Paris is a reusable travel water bottle. Just like Paris itself, Disneyland has several drinkable water fountains all around the park to get free water.

Besides saving money on water, you also reduce plastic wastage which is a win-win situation in my book. This is my favorite travel water bottle that you can buy if you don’t have one already.

Final Thoughts on The Best Tips for Disney Paris

Disneyland Paris is no doubt one of the most enchanting places in France, but it can be a bit overwhelming if you don’t know what to expect.

But with these true and tried Disneyland Paris insider tips, you’ll be able to plan your trip well, right from when you start planning your trip to when you reach the park.

NEVER TRAVEL TO PARIS WITHOUT TRAVEL INSURANCE One of the biggest mistakes you’ll ever make when planning a trip to Paris is to forego Travel Insurance ! You might think that it’s expensive, but when you think of how much it will save you when you lose your valuables or even get sick, then you’ll know that it’s NOT that expensive! Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation, and more. If you’re considering travel insurance for your trip, check out World Nomads .

More articles to help you plan your trip to Paris.

• Best Things to Do in Paris in March
• How to get from CDG to Paris
• Best rooftop bars in Paris
• How to get from Paris to Versailles Palace
• Things to do in the 16th arrondissement of Paris
• Best night tours of Paris
• A complete guide to the 20 arrondissements of Paris
• Best Souvenirs from Paris
• What is Paris famous for
• Fun things to do in Paris in November

Was this post on the best Disneyland Paris tips and advice helpful? Then please consider sharing it with others.

Sharing is caring!

Esther is the face and voice behind Dreams in Paris! She has always been obsessed with Paris even before she moved there. She has lived in Paris for a couple of years, and that obsession has not changed! That love for Paris, plus her passion for writing led to the birth of Dreams in Paris! She now shares all the practical tips and guides she’s picked along the way to help you plan a memorable trip to the city of love! You can learn more about her here !

Similar Posts

10 Best Campsites Close To Disneyland Paris For An Unforgettable Vacation

Want to base yourself at a campsite while visiting Disneyland but not sure which one? This article will give you the best campsites close to Disneyland Paris! Disneyland Paris is a popular destination, especially for those with youngsters or for…

How to Get From Paris to Disneyland Paris (5 Possible Ways)

Planning your trip to Disneyland Paris but not sure how to get there? Then this post will give you various options on how to get from Paris to Disneyland Paris! As someone who lives in Paris and has visited Disneyland…

Disneyland Paris Has Introduced a New Spectacle You Won’t Want to Miss!

Disneyland Paris Has Introduced a New Spectacle Dubbed Disney Electrical Sky Parade That You Won’t Want to Miss! If you are still contemplating visiting Disneyland Paris this year, here is something that will make you book your ticket right now! Yes,…

23 Best Disneyland Paris Rides & Attractions You Shouldn’t Miss

Planning a trip to Disneyland and not sure which rides & attractions to enjoy? This article will show you the best Disneyland Paris rides not to miss! Disneyland Paris is a magical place, full of beauty and wonder! I’m sure…

17 Best Restaurants At Disneyland Paris For All Budgets

Looking for the best restaurants at Disneyland Paris to eat at? From all-you-can-eat buffets, and table service to fast food, this list has them all. If there is one place in the world where “dream” is the keyword, it is…

Christmas At Disneyland Paris (2024): Here is Everything You Need To Know Before Your Trip

Want to spend Christmas at Disneyland Paris but not sure how to plan your trip? This article will give you all the details you need to know! If you know me or are a long-time reader of this blog, you…

Thank you for the guide, we will go tomorrow at the Disneyland, and this article really gave me a clear image of the things to do and to expect. Hope my girl will like it and we will have some sunny experience in Serris.

I am so glad you found the article helpful and I am sure you and your girl will have an amazing time.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Best Time to Visit Disneyland Paris

Whether you are a die-hard Disney fan or looking for an unforgettable family adventure, picking the best time involves more than just picking a day.

This guide will be your compass, navigating you through crowd levels, weather patterns, and seasonal events. 

So, get ready to unlock shorter wait times and the sweetest deals to transform your Disneyland Paris trip into a truly unforgettable experience.

Visitors’ Guide: Who Should Visit When?

Balancing crowds and weather.

If you want short wait times and a calm atmosphere, choose days outside of high season. 

These are the best times of the year to visit Disneyland Paris:

Low Season  (Shoulder Seasons):

The shoulder seasons are mid-January to early March (excluding the tail end of winter holidays) and mid-April to mid-May.

These calmer months provide the shortest wait times for rides and entertainment. 

Remember: Some entertainment alternatives will be restricted because weather will be chilly and unpredictable, particularly between January and March.

Sunny Skies & Events: 

If sunshine and festive cheer are your priorities, September to early December (excluding school holidays) might be ideal.  

Enjoy pleasant weather and witness the park adorned in its seasonal best.

Remember: These periods can be busier, with potentially higher prices.

Summer Fun:

School’s out, and Disneyland Paris bursts with life during the summer months.

July and August are the peak Disneyland Paris visiting seasons. While the atmosphere is exciting, wait times will be lengthy. 

If you pick this season to visit the attraction, plan to arrive on weekdays and early in the morning.

Remember: There will be large crowds and increased pricing during these months.

Note: Confused about which Disneyland Paris ticket gives the most discounts in the shoulder season? We have got you covered!

Visiting During Festivities: Seasons of Excitement

While low crowds are appealing, participating in special events adds a distinct character to your trip.

Some of the best seasonal festivities at Disneyland Paris are as follows:

Halloween Season (October) 

October transforms the theme park into a hauntingly wonderful refuge.

It is the best time to visit Disneyland Paris if you like a vivacious experience with a lot more people than the off seasons. 

Expect greater crowds and significantly longer wait times than in the off-season. 

Experience Disney’s spooky side with themed decor, parades , performances, and character interactions with Disney villains.

Christmas Season (November to December)

Christmas brings magic to Disneyland Paris from November to December. 

While gorgeous decorations and holiday entertainment abound, be ready for peak season. 

Expect more people and lengthier lines for rides and attractions. 

However, the Christmas parade , unique character meet-and-greets with Santa and pals, and wonderful ambiance make it an unforgettable festive experience.

Summer Season (July and August)

Summer is a colorful combination of sunlight, longer park hours , and unique activities. 

While July and August have the longest days, be prepared for peak season crowds and higher wait times for rides and attractions . 

The Magical Night Time Ceremony brings the park to life with magnificent pyrotechnics and projections. 

At the same time, themed pool parties at Disney Hotels provide a refreshing retreat.

Visiting on weekdays

While weekends tend to attract heavier people, visiting on weekdays will be a more relaxing and delightful experience. 

Whether you’re planning a sudden trip or a long-awaited holiday, weekdays are the best time to visit Disneyland Paris.

Why weekdays?

Fewer Lines: With lower wait times for attractions , rides , and character meet-and-greets, you can make the most of your time in the park.

Less Crowded: Enjoy a more peaceful ambiance with fewer guests, giving you plenty of room to explore, dine, and snap photographs without feeling overwhelmed.

Special Offers: Take advantage of weekday savings on Disneyland tickets , hotels, and food, allowing you to save money while experiencing all that the park has to offer.

Best Time of Day to Visit

The best time of day to visit the park is when lines for attractions tend to be smaller crowds and rides have short waiting times .

Early mornings 

Arriving early, before the park opens at about 8:30 am, is preferable. 

You will get a good location in line for popular rides and escape the crowds, especially during busy seasons.

Late afternoons

After the lunch rush, lines begin to thin out again after the lunch rush, usually between 2 pm and 4 pm. 

Enjoy a leisurely lunch and return to the rides when the crowds decrease.

While closing hours can be packed, wait times for certain popular attractions may reduce as the day progresses after 7 pm 

This is an excellent choice for experiencing popular rides without waiting in big lines.

Planning your perfect trip

Now that you know the best time to visit Disneyland Paris, consider the following variables when arranging your visit:

• Check the forecast and plan appropriately to guarantee a comfortable and pleasurable vacation, especially if you’re going during the variable weather season.
• To make the most of your stay and prevent any unpleasant shocks, look into special events , holidays, and festivals that are taking place during your preferred travel dates.
• To plan your schedule and prevent disappointment, become familiar with the opening hours , including any modifications or closures.
• Download the official Disneyland Paris app to check wait times, show schedules, and parade timings.

FAQs on Best Time to Visit Disneyland Paris

What is the best time to visit disneyland paris.

From mid-January to mid-March, mid-April to mid-May, or September to early December (excluding holidays) is the best time to visit Disneyland Paris due to shorter wait times and potentially lower prices. Late August can also be a good bet after summer crowds wane.

What is the cheapest month to go to Disneyland Paris?

Generally, the cheapest months to visit Disneyland Paris are mid-January to mid-March. However, before spring break, you’ll benefit from fewer crowds and reduced ticket rates.

Is Disneyland Paris better in summer or winter?

Visiting during the summer or winter depends on your priorities. Choose summer if: Warm weather and longer park hours are a priority. You don’t mind crowds. Choose winter if:  Festive cheer, shorter lines, and lower prices are a priority. You can handle colder weather.

What is the most crowded month at Disneyland Paris?

October is the most crowded month due to the extremely popular Halloween season. Large crowds gather throughout this period to enjoy eerie décor, parades, and unique character encounters.

Are there any times of the day when lines for attractions are shorter in Disneyland Paris?

Lines are often lower at park opening, about 9:30 am, and during the afternoon slump, between lunch and supper, approximately 2 pm to 4 pm.

Featured Image: Travelandleisure.com

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Plan Your Visit

Opening Hours How to Reach? Parking Info Dining & Shopping Itinerary Waiting Time Height Restrictions Tips for Visiting

What to See?

Disneyland Park Walt Disney Studios Park Disneyland Park vs Disney Studios Disney Village Rides  Attractions Events Parade Fireworks

Buy Tickets

1-Day ticket 1-Day Flexible Ticket Ticket with Transport Multi-day Ticket Express Tickets + Shuttle Shuttle Service from Airport Private Transfer Disneyland+Seine River Cruise Paris Zoo + Disneyland

Got questions about the Disneyland Paris? Click/tap on the number below to message us on Whatsapp.

+38651715555

Everything about Disneyland Paris

This is NOT the official website of Disneyland Paris in Paris, France. Vacatis operates the website to provide the most accurate and up-to-day information for tourists and locals.

Affiliate Disclaimer Content Information Policy Sitemap Privacy Policy Terms of Service

© 2024 Vacatis

• Change website language €

Holidays, long weekends and seasonal events at Disneyland Paris

Choose the best time to visit disneyland paris.

There is always something to enjoy at Disneyland Paris! You can explore the magic throughout the year during school holidays, on long weekends or celebrating our seasonal events!

Autumn Holidays

Disneyland Paris is a breathtaking destination for the October half term with Disney Halloween Festival, bringing a special festive atmosphere like no other. Meet your favourite Disney Villains during the exceptional Halloween parade and be transformed to a scary new world with haunted shows and hellish attractions guaranteed to excite all ages!

Christmas at Disneyland Paris

Christmas comes early at Disneyland Paris! From 11 November 2023 until 7 January 2024, be immersed into Disney Enchanted Christmas. Create beautiful memories to last a lifetime and experience the Christmas parade, admire the giant decorated tree and watch the spectacular evening show. Plus, you can meet Santa Claus and keep the magic alive by staying in one of Disney's themed hotels.

Summer Holidays

Looking for an unforgettable holiday with family or friends next summer? Then Disneyland Paris is the place to visit! Spend the warmer days enjoying the thrilling rides, character experiences and variety of attractions for all ages.

Planning your trip to Disneyland Paris

Discover great prices with our magical packages!

Disney Premier Access!

Become part of the MARVEL Universe

Dazzling shows and parades

Plan your stay with our handy calendar.

Compare the different periods* and use our handy calendar to choose the ideal moment for your journey into the heart of the magic! Book your stay now and modify or cancel free of charge up to 7 days before the arrival date (excluding insurance costs).

Hotels & Resorts

Rooms and Guests

Oops! We can't show price estimates right now. Try again later or find prices here .

Disney Hotel Cheyenne

3 days - both Parks - for all Guests

undefined (You can modify your room type later.)

* Prices indicated in the calendar are estimates based on the prices recorded every morning and updated once a day. Prices are subject to change depending on the time of booking. The calendar is for information only and non-contractual. All prices are rounded up to the next euro.

A 20 min Walk

8 min by Free shuttle

‘I took the kids to Disneyland Paris and walked 20,000 steps a day’

It's a physical and emotional work out...

I was raised by (lovely) parents who spent holidays hiking the Pembrokeshire coast path while staying in an off-grid cottage way before a digital detox was even a thing, so a trip to somewhere like Disneyland was never on the cards growing up.

Fast-forward to my own parenting years (two sons aged 8 and 12) and I have a more open outlook when it comes to family travel, in that I'll go pretty much anywhere with them - the best being a trip to Petra in Jordan, the worst being a choppy ferry journey to Ireland during which they vomited on me so I arrived on the Emerald Isle covered in sick. Happy days.

So when the kids said their dream holiday was Disneyland, it wasn't an initial 'no way', though Orlando was instantly ruled out due to cost. But Disneyland Paris? The French capital's cheaper and easier to reach in a weekend and, after some excellent campaigning from the kids outlining the charms of its exciting rides, restaurants styled like Ratatouille and Sleeping Beauty’s iconic pink castle (ok the last one was me), I booked.

How do you get there?

The journey was equally as efficient, particularly the meal served at our table, aeroplane-style, with a hostess serving a choice of two meals from a trolley - I opted for beetroot salad and a glass of wine. How civilised.

A couple of hours later we glided into Gard du Nord in the heart of Paris, from where we took a 30-minute transfer to Hotel L’Elysée Val d’Europe, our base for two nights and just a (free) ten-minute shuttle ride from Disneyland Paris.

First impressions of the parks?

First surprise? it’s two parks: Disneyland Paris and the smaller (though size doesn’t matter, right?) Walt Disney Studios Park. Second surprise? It's SO. BIG.

The moment you step through the gates (there are two sets, security and then each park has its own entrance), you’re transported to another world, one where you can chat to Cinderella, have an Avenger’s burger for lunch and get lost in an Alice in Wonderland’s labyrinth.

Everywhere you look people of all ages are wearing Mickey and Minnie headbands – we even saw some excited punters dressed in head-to-toe Disney merch (yes, they were adults). When we arrived a parade along Main Street USA had just started, so we were instantly immersed in a carnival atmosphere complete with colourful floats carrying characters from Frozen, Peter Pan etc .

Okay tell me about the rides...

I’m starting with the rides my sons BOTH voted the best. Number one – the shiny new Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure in the Marvel-themed Avengers Campus (Walt Disney Studios), where we climbed aboard a W.E.B slinger vehicle and shot spider-bots with web from OUR HANDS *Spidey web hands gesture*. It’s fast, furious and, even though I caught the least bots, I get why this one was such a hit.

The rest of the Avengers Campus went down a storm, including Flight Force (warning, this twisty, turney coaster isn’t for the faint-hearted). Meeting Spider-Man in the Hero Training Centre was a great photo opp, though we left feeling like we probably didn’t have enough training to rid a city of criminals. Sadly, I couldn’t drag them into the Pixar Musical Adventure , ‘a journey through Toy Story, Monsters and Finding Nemo ‘ (too babyish, apparently),

Over in Disneyland Paris, the kids’ favourite ride was Star Tours: The Adventures Continue found in the Discoveryland area. We put on a pair of 3D specs, stepped aboard a Starspeeder 1000 and sped through a galaxy far, far away, with thrilling glimpses of the Death Star, C-3PO and underwater realms. It’s incredibly realistic and everyone wanted to go on it again (me included!).

We gave Stars Wars Hyperspace Mountain a swerve, though it did look thrilling, and headed instead for another white-knuckle coaster: Temple of Peril , a slightly terrifying Indiana Jones-style coaster where putting your hands in the air and screaming is obligatory. You can get more adrenaline rushes on Big Thunder Mountain plus Crush’s Coaster and The Twighlight Zone Tower of Terror in Walt Disney Studios.

Rides aside, the shows are not to be missed. Frozen fans will want to make a beeline for Elsa and crew at Frozen: A Musical Invitation (Walt Disney Studios) where you can belt out Let It Go . The Lion King’s equally enticing and apparently Alice in Wonderland is due to take the stage in Walt Disney Studios this spring.

All three of us thought Adventureland was excellent, a lush land of towering bamboo, spooky caves, wobbly rope bridges, an enormous (fake) tree housing the Swiss Family Robinson’s cabin, souks from Aladdin and a massive pirate galleon. Think the best play park you’ve been to on steroids.

Got younger kids? There’s loads for little ones, particularly in Fantasyland, where we saw Peter Pan’s flight (you get to fly through a virtual Never Land) and tots can spin around in the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, fly in Dumbo and ride on the gentle Le Petit Train Du Cirque .

And is the food any good?

It’s a good job you easily walk more than five miles exploring the parks, because the restaurant offering at Disney’s off the scale. Seriously, I’d be happy to just do a food tour. If your main aim is to meet Disney characters, you’re going to want to book a table at fancy French restaurant Auberge de Cendrillon in Disneyland Park, where Cinderella, Elsa and co make an appearance. Or Plaza Gardens pavilion for a chance to meet Mickey over the all you can eat buffet.

For an authentic Ratatouille vibe, it has to be Bistrot Chez Rémy – think over-sized cocktail umbrellas, cookbooks and cutlery. While Marvel fans will want to refuel at PYM Kitchen in the Avenger Camp for the novelty value – the food, zapped by PYM particles (see Ant-Man and the Wasp ) is fun-sized, from mini burgers to massive pretzels.

For snacks/pit stops, March Hare in Fantasyland is very sweet (literally, it sells lots of ice cream), and we couldn’t resist a round of Nutella-loaded waffles from one of the many food trucks. See more dining options here .

Where's the best place to stay?

We slept 10 mins (by complimentary shuttle bus) from the parks at super four-star Hotel L’Elysée Val d’Europe . If you're not a die-hard Disney fan, believe me you'll appreciate arriving back in the real world after 10 hours of fantasy.

Our spotless family room had two enormous squishy double beds, WiFi faster than a Disney ‘coaster and a tub, the perfect place to wallow in bubbles (the foamy kind) and ease tired legs. If there are more than four in your clan, book an XL Family Room which can fit up to eight people.

Although the food at Disneyland Paris is great, our favourite meal of the weekend was at Le George, the hotel’s swish restaurant. Starters of light tuna tempura and duck, followed by succulent steak frites (the kids menu is simply smaller portions of the adults, so French). Even the wine, a glass (ok two) of recommended Cote-Rotie (€12), was superb.

The boys left the table between courses to explore ‘the jungle’, a mini Kew-like double-storey glass room filled with trees, tropical ferns, banana plants and flowers. There’s a long dining table in the middle of all the foliage which you can book if you’re in a bigger party.

L’Diplomat Bar’s a cosy spot for a post-Disney cocktail - it looked like that’s exactly what many of guests were doing, though most had removed their Minnie ears - and it also serves a rich hot chocolate for kids.

Try and carve out a little free time to visit huge shopping centre Val d’Europe opposite the hotel, which is like adult Disneyland – upstairs dedicated to fashion and beauty and a lower floor full of French food. I picked up a tube of French beauty editors’ must-have secret potion A313 Pommade from the pharmacy and a pair of black ankle boots, not bad for a 25-minute dash.

Want to stay in-park? Disneyland Hotel (themed around Disney royalty) has just reopened its doors (after a two-year, multi-million pound reno) and it’s gone down a storm with reviewers. The upsides? Reception resembling Sleeping Beauty’s castle, getting to eat breakfast with Disney characters, pillow menus, five-star Clarins spa and a private entrance to the park. The downside? It’s £1,501 per night in April, though this is for a family of four and does include two-day park passes.

Download the Disneyland Paris app: BEFORE you go. Seriously, everything you could possibly ever need is on the app , from interactive maps, to opening times and the ability to book lunch. And take a phone charger, because if your phone shuts down, the magic will too.

Don’t try and cram in too much : These parks are BIG. Better to go for two days and spread it out, if you can.

Pack like you’re going on a hike: You’ll walk for miles (I’m talking 20,000 steps a day), so it’s important to be prepared. Trainers, tick. Comfy clothes, tick. Waterbottles (there are plenty of drinking fountains), tick. Snacks, tick.

Beat the queues for rides with Disney Premier Access Ultimate : If you’re not prepared to wait for up to 45 mins to get on some of the more popular rides and attractions, you can snap up premier access on the app (around €90pp per day for up to 16 rides low seasons, up to €190pp per day in peak) then simply scan the QR code at the entrance to the ride and, voila , you’re in the fast lane.

Arrive early, but not too early: The parks open at 9.30am and the queues were pretty lengthy even in low season (Feb), however by 10.30am they appeared to have eased off a little.

Take rain gear : You’re in FRANCE not FLORIDA. Rain happens, and you don’t want to spend extra money on see-through ponchos you’ll never wear again.

More family holiday ideas...

• A babymoon with a toddler in tow at Sani Resort in Greece
• All aboard a half-term family Euro cruise with Norwegian Viva
• Relive your youth on a family weekend away at Camp Bestival

Pregnancy & Baby

Joe Wicks clarifies his comments about ADHD + diet

Joe Wicks suggests UPFs + sugar link to kids' ADHD

Gemma Atkinson shares new bikini pictures

Suki Waterhouse shares postpartum body photos

It's now easier to request flexible working

Pregnant Jenna Dewan does Pilates in SKIMS unitard

‘I went into cardiac arrest during labour'

Anne Hathaway opens up about past miscarriage

Best pram fan deals to shop in 2023

The best baby changing bags to shop now

19 of the best pelvic floor trainers

Disneyland Resort's Massive Expansion Plans: What We Know About DisneylandForward

The Disneyland Resort is planning its biggest expansion in decades. Here's everything we know about what's coming to the Happiest Place on Earth.

What Is DisneylandForward?

• Construction
• Disneyland Resort
• Lands And Attractions
• Another Theme Park

Walt Disney said that Disneyland would never be completed, and almost 70 years later, his words have been born out. Over the last seven decades we’ve seen Disneyland Park continue to grow and change, eventually becoming the Disneyland Resort, housing two theme parks, three hotels, and Downtown Disney. But now, more than 20 years after the last major Disneyland expansion, we’re entering a new era of the Disneyland Resort, as it gets ready for yet another massive expansion .

On April 16, 2024, the Anaheim City Council unanimously approved DisneylandForward, a plan to massively expand the resort as we know it. While another vote will be required on May 7, that's essentially a formality at this point. So, just what is included in DisneylandForward? What is it? When is it happening? And what will Disneyland Resort look like when it’s done? Many of these questions don’t have complete answers yet, but here’s what we know right now.

First and foremost, while Disney Experiences has been using the term DisneylandForward to describe the complete project, it’s not really one thing. There’s a lot that Disneyland Resort has planned, and while we have concept art and an Environmental Impact Report that gives us a general idea of what Disneyland is thinking, it’s unlikely that even Disney has a complete plan right now. 

Some ideas are probably well thought out. Others might be more “blue sky” without specific details. What we can say is that DisneylandForward is planning for a larger Disneyland Resort that will give guests more of everything they already like. It means bigger theme parks, more hotels, and more shopping and dining options.

When Will Construction On Disneyland’s Expansion Begin?

It’s too early to tell when the first work on any DisneylandForward project will actually begin. Bob Iger and Disney Experiences have already been teasing us with a new Avatar Experience at Disney California Adventure , which since it was promoted more than a year before the Disneyland expansion was approved, clearly wasn’t part of this larger plan. We’d expect to see that before we see anything get started with the massive project, so it could still be a year or more before ground breaks on the larger expansion. 

Disneyland Resort Won’t Actually Increase In Size

While DisneylandForward is an expansion of the Disneyland Resort, one key detail is that technically, the size of the resort won’t change. Rather, the plan is to develop parts of the resort that Disney already owns and transform them into something else. We’ll see the Toy Story parking lot transformed as part of the expansion. Other parking areas around the Disneyland Hotel and the new Pixar Place Hotel will also be used as the pads for the expansion of the two theme parks.

The result will be a Disneyland Resort that will technically take up the same amount of space but will be more cohesive, with parks, hotels, and shopping and dining areas less segmented as each area blends into the next.

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

What Lands And Attractions Could Come To Disneyland And Disney California Adventure?

The big question for anybody interested in visiting the new Disneyland Resort is just what lands and attractions will we see once work is completed. What experiences will join the best Disneyland rides ? 

While nothing has been officially announced by Disney Experiences, material released by the company when DisneylandForward was first announced hints at some strong possibilities of what we might see. It’s possible that some of the newest attractions opened at other Disney Parks around the world could find homes at Disneyland Resort. For example:

Tangled & Peter Pan (Fantasy Springs)

In 2024 a brand new land will open at Tokyo DisneySea called Fantasy Springs . This new area includes lands dedicated to multiple animated Disney films, and it's been suggested that we could see some of the same attractions being built there at Disneyland.

World Of Frozen

Frozen is one of the biggest franchises that Disney has, and yet, beyond being able to meet Anna and Elsa in the parks, very little connection to Frozen has been added to Disneyland. An entire World of Frozen land opened in 2023 at Hong Kong Disneyland , and a smaller version of the land is currently under construction at Disneyland Paris. This new expansion would give Imagineerers plenty of space to bring the same land to Disneyland. 

Shanghai Disneyland is home to the first land dedicated to Zootopia , but it may not be the last. Disney’s material suggests a Zootopia land like the one in Shanghai, which includes the Zootopia: Hot Pursuit trackless dark ride, could find a home here. 

Toy Story Land

Pixar has a strong presence at Disneyland Resort already, with attractions at both parks, and the Pixar Pier land at Disney California Adventure, but Disney has suggested that Disneyland Resort could get its own Toy Story Land like the one that already exists at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.

One of the biggest new additions to Walt Disney World in the last few years has been Tron: Lightcycle Run coming to Magic Kingdom . It was the second Tron coaster, following the original being built at Shanghai Disneyland. Disneyland Resort fans would likely love to get their own version of the ride closer to home. But it's also possible that Disneyland could see not just a single Tron attraction but a larger Tron area. 

Could Disneyland Resort Get A Third Theme Park?

For years there have been rumors, or at the very least hopes, that we might get a third gate at Disneyland Resort, not simply a new land but an entirely new park. While no third park has been officially announced as part of the expansion, such a thing is at least possible.

While most of the expansion is connected to the current park and resort areas, one area set to be redeveloped in some way is the current Toy Story parking lot, which is located a couple of blocks away from the parks. Disney has indicated the lot could become home to some theme park elements, and if the spirit took them, the area is big enough that it could become another theme park. 

With the expansion now officially given the green light, there’s a lot of work to be done. Walt Disney Imagineering will likely let us in on what they’re planning a little at a time over the next several years. It’s going to be exciting, so stay with us here as we’ll continually update this piece as we learn more about just what will be coming to Disneyland in the future. 

CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.

Fans Are Unhappy After Cedar Point Released Its Newest Roller Coaster Safety Rules, And It's A Problem Theme Parks Like Universal Have Solved

Disneyland Resort’s Pixar Fest Begins This Week, But Some Fans Aren’t Thrilled About The Celebration

How To Watch UK TV Online Including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, And More While Overseas

Most Popular

• 2 WrestleMania 40 And Dynasty Showed How WWE And AEW Should Try To Succeed In Different Ways
• 3 After Tracker Became A Huge Hit, Is CBS Using Justin Hartley’s Show To Try And Save A Different Series From Cancellation?
• 4 Ken Jennings Had An A+ (And Probably Valid) Response When Asked If He'd Ever Try Out Alex Trebek's Epic Mustache
• 5 Amber Heard Came Out Of The Woodwork To Celebrate Her Birthday, And It’s All Gold And Champagne