Are you headed to Europe and thinking about visiting Disneyland Paris? That’s exactly what we decided to do last October on our family vacation to Portugal and Belgium. For helpful information, check out this ultimate guide to Disneyland Paris!
**This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Privacy Policy and Disclosures Statement for more information.**
On all of our family trips, I try to plan a good amount of activities for the kids along with all of the site seeing, restaurants, and museums that we would like to do in each city. This gives the kids something to look forward to when we are wandering around for hours checking out the “boring” stuff.
On our most recent trip to Europe, we were just a short train ride away from Disneyland Paris and we decided to make a day of it. We have been to Disney World in Orlando, Florida many times and planning a trip to Disneyland Paris was really very similar.
The most important way to have great trip is to plan ahead! Transportation to get there can be confusing, ride queues can be long, there will be many options for dining, etc.. Planning ahead of time will allow you to maximize your day and ensure that you will be able to see everything that you want to.
In this post, I will give you information on both of the parks and some tips and tricks that helped us have a really special day with our kids at the park.
That being said, Disneyland Paris is comprised of two parks. Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. Disney Village is located right outside of the entrance to the parks and offers more food, entertainment and shopping options.
Click here for an interactive map of Disneyland Paris.
This park is similar to Magic Kingdom at Disney World Orlando. Many of the iconic Disney rides are located at this park and, out of the two parks located in Paris, this one has the most options of things to do and see. At the center of it all you will find Sleeping Beauty Castle.
The best part of Disneyland Park? You actually get to go inside the castle! Unlike Disney World Orlando, you can look around the inside of Sleeping Beauty Castle and also check out La Taniere du Dragon (Dragon’s Lair) which is located underneath the castle.
On the ground level you will find some shops and restrooms. The second story tells the story of Sleeping Beauty and has a large, outdoor balcony where you can take in great views of the park.
Rides include It’s a Small World, Big Thunder Mountain, Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast and many more.
Entertainment includes An Encounter with Darth Vader, Disney Stars on Parade, Frozen 2: An Enchanted Journey, The Spectacularly Sparkly Disney Illuminations Show and Meet & Greets with Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Rafiki, Pluto, Peter Pan, Aladdin and more.
There are twenty four different dining options at Disneyland Park including Captain Jack’s – Restaurant des Pirates, Cowboy Cookout Barbecue, Restaurant Agrabah Cafe, Restaurant Hakuna Matata, Silverspur Steakhouse and Toad Hall Restaurant.
I highly recommend making reservations ahead of time for any of the sit down restaurants. Many of the popular restaurants book up months in advance.
Disney Stars on Parade takes place everyday at 5:00pm. If you happen to be visiting the park during one of their holiday times you might catch one of their extra season parades like the Halloween or Christmas Parade.
Since we were visiting during their Halloween celebration, we were able to catch the Halloween parade in the morning and also see Stars on Parade in the evening.
Disney Illuminations fireworks display happens every night at closing time and is a must see!
Walt Disney World Studios is the smaller of the two parks but still has a lot to offer. If we make our way back here one day, we will visit this park and make sure to have reservations at Bistrot Chez Remy – it looks fantastic!
The rides here include Cars Quatre Roues Rallye, Crush’s Coaster (Nemo), Flying Carpets Over Agrabah (Aladdin), Ratatouille: The Adventure, Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin (Toy Story), The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop (Toy Story).
There are far less restaurants at this park but some of the options include Bistrot Chez Remy, Restaurant en Coulisse, Blockbuster Cafe and Restaurant des Stars.
This park is where you will find most of the Star Wars entertainment such as An Encounter with Chewbacca, First Order March, First Order Recruitment, Legends of a Galaxy Far, Far Away, The Imperial March and Star Wars: A Galactic Celebration.
Other entertainment includes Frozen: A Musical Invitation, Disney Junior Live on Stage, Mickey and the Magician, Stitch Live and Meet & Greets with Buzz Lightyear, Goofy, Woody and Olaf.
Just outside the gates of the parks is Disney Village – a late night hot spot for dining, entertainment and shopping. You don’t need a ticket to visit Disney Village. This is a great place to spend your evening if you are staying at one of the Disneyland Resorts.
Dining options include Annette’s Diner, Buffalo Bills Wild West Show with Mickey & Friends, Rainforest Cafe and Earl of Sandwich.
You will also find live music concerts, a movie theater, a secured hot air balloon ride and special events for most major holidays throughout the year.
1. We visited during a slower season so we had the added benefit of not having to fight the crowds. We never had to wait more than 45 minutes for a ride and finding a place to watch the parade wasn’t a problem either. The one downside was the colder weather which made it slightly less enjoyable.
2. The shortest wait times for the rides will be during the parade. I wouldn’t suggest missing the parade but if you have already seen it on a previous visit then take advantage of short wait times and hit up as many rides as you can during this time!
3. Download the Disneyland Paris app prior to your visit. This app showed all of the wait times for the rides. It helped us tremendously by being able to choose what ride we should go on next based on a shorter wait time. The parks also offer free WiFi.
4. Another great time saver for rides is the Single Rider Lane. With this option, you will be put in random, single seats that need to be filled. As long as you don’t feel the need to sit next to your friends and family, this is a great option to be able to cut down on ride wait time. Oftentimes, the Single Rider Lane might only have a ten minute wait time when the regular line for the same ride is 45 minutes or longer. The following rides offer a Single Rider Lane:
Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain (Disneyland Park)
RC Racer (Walt Disney Studios Park)
Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop (Walt Disney Studios Park)
Crush’s Coaster (Walt Disney Studios Park)
Ratatouille: The Adventure (Walt Disney Studios Park)
5. Save yourself a ton of time by taking advantage of the free FASTPASS system. Disneyland Paris still uses the paper ticket system for their FASTPASS. In order to use this, bring your ticket to the FASTPASS machine at the entrance to the ride. Insert your ticket, get your FASTPASS time slot and return to the ride at the time you are given.
You are only able to have one FASTPASS reservation at a time but as soon as you complete one you can go right to another attraction and secure another time slot. FASTPASS is offered at the following attractions:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
Big Thunder Mountain
Peter Pan’s Flight
Star Tours
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Ratatouille: The Adventure
6. If you are looking to visit both parks, I would highly recommend spending at least two days. We only had one day to spare and only visited Disneyland Park. We weren’t able to see everything in the one day so I definitely would not have wanted to split it between the two parks.
7. There are several different Disneyland owned hotels on property. If you plan visiting the parks for multiple days, splurge on one of these hotels and enjoy the convenience of staying so close to the parks. They even offer additional time at the parks each day when staying at one of their resorts.
8. If you are traveling with a baby, make sure to bring a baby carrier. Strollers aren’t allowed in the lines and your arms will get tired quickly while holding them.
9. Bring a stroller or rent one. As you can imagine, you will spend all day on your feet and the parks are really spread out. Strollers are available to rent at both parks. The cost is $15 per day for a single stroller or $35 per day for a double stroller.
10. Winter in Paris normally hovers in the 40 degree range but it can drop into the 20’s. Make sure that you dress accordingly. We visited in October and it was windy and quite cold in the morning and once the sun starting going down.
11. During the slower, colder months of the year, it isn’t uncommon for many of the restaurants and rides to be closed. Make sure you check in advance to see what is open for the day and what won’t be available for your visit. We found many of the restaurants closed the day that we visited.
So what’s next on this ultimate guide to Disneyland Paris? What to remember to bring with you, of course!
Reusable Water Bottle – Water fountains are located throughout the park. Save yourself some serious money (and the environment!) by bringing a reusable water bottle with you.
Sweater or Jacket – This is all dependent on the time of year that you visit. We went in October and it warmed up midday but the morning and evening were windy, cold and rainy.
Poncho or Rain Jacket – If rain or snow is in the forecast, you may want to plan ahead and bring either a poncho, rain jacket or umbrella with you. Ponchos start at 10 euros at the park and the umbrellas and rain jackets are much more.
Mouse Ears – If these are something that you are interested in, you can save yourself by purchasing them prior to your visit. You can easily purchase them ahead of time from stores like Amazon or Etsy.
Phone Charger/Extra Battery – Between taking pictures and using the Disneyland App, it’s easy to go through your phone battery in just a short amount of time. I would suggest bringing a portable battery bank to save you from being without your phone.
The easiest way to arrive is by train. Marne-la-Vallee/Chessy train station is located right outside the entrance of the parks. At the time of our visit, we were staying in Brussels, Belgium. I booked TGV direct tickets and it only took 1 1/2 hours to get there. Once you exit the train station, the entrance to the parks is less than a five minute walk.
From Paris you can take the RER A Train. It will take about 45 minutes. The cost is 8 euros for adults and 4 euros for children 9 and under. The train departs every 15 minutes.
Disneyland is about 17 miles from the heart of Paris. Driving will take approximately 1 hour (longer depending on the traffic). The Disney Car Park costs 30 euros per day.
Current ticket prices are $105.22 adults (12 years +) and $96.76 (3 – 11 years). Children under 3 years of age are free.
The parks offer great deals throughout the year. During our visit, we purchased MINI tickets – discounted tickets that could be used on certain days of the week. The tickets were only $67.73 per person. Discounted tickets cannot be purchased at the gate – make sure to purchase these online ahead of your visit.
I would highly recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time to save yourself time waiting at the ticket counter when you arrive at the park and also to be able to take advantage of any discounted tickets that they might be offering for the date of your visit.
Although the cost of your ticket already includes the basic FASTPASS option, you can also choose to upgrade to Super or Ultimate options. Super and Ultimate FASTPASS can be purchased at an additional cost ranging from $35.70 up to $178.51 per person depending on the time of year that you visit and what level you want. Click here to explore the different FASTPASS options.
I hope all of this information helps you plan a magical trip to Disneyland Paris! Comment below and let me know what your favorite part of your trip was!
I hope this ultimate guide to Disneyland Paris helps you plan your trip!
Choosing what shore excursion would work best for your family can feel overwhelming. After much…
Whether it's a family reunion or a Cub Scouts trip, family camping at Indian Hills…
If you are looking for a little bit of childhood nostalgia, a night out at…
This spring we set sail on the Disney Wonder for one of their Baja Mexico…
We were all about pirates & mermaids this year when it came to birthday party…
When I was little, I was obsessed with learning everything I could about ancient Egypt…