Disneyland Paris Travel Guide | France
If you’re planning a trip to France, a visit to Disneyland Paris is an absolute must. I love the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios so much that I’ve visited it many times! Attractions, shows, practical tips: everything you need for a perfect day awaits you here in my Disneyland Paris Travel Guide!
If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland Paris, you’ve come to the right place! Since 1992, Disneyland Paris (then called Euro Disney) has welcomed more than 250 million guests to its magical theme parks and hotels. Made up of two parks (Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park), seven hotels, and a dining and shopping district called Disney Village, the theme park resort has grown into a full-blown vacation destination, and it’s only improving. Let’s get planning your trip to Disneyland Paris!
Disneyland Paris is a theme park resort just outside Paris, France. It has four parts:
- The castle theme park, Disneyland Park or Parc Disneyland
- A second park, Walt Disney Studios
- Disney Village, a small shopping/restaurant area akin to Downtown Disney or Disney Springs
- The hotel area is home to 6 Disney hotels. The 7th and 8th hotels, Disney’s Davy Crockett’s Ranch & Villages Nature Paris are located farther from the parks.
My recommendation for an itinerary
I recommend going for 2 days:
- Get a one park pass for the main park on day 1
- get a two-park pass for the studios & main park on day 2 as the studios close earlier than the main park.
- Skip the fireworks show on day 1 to do attractions when everyone’s watching the show. Do the show on day 2.
- Consider paying for Premier Access (for one attraction or all) if you’re going during high season
Tip: Plan to arrive at the theme parks before opening so you can run to your top-priority attractions. Before you go:
Before you go:
When To Visit Disneyland Paris?
When it comes to high and low seasons: crowds are largest during school breaks and public holidays. The summer months, long weekends, and the winter holiday season are all among the busiest times to visit Disneyland Paris, and mid-January through mid-March and mid-April through mid-May are typically less busy times to visit.
Tip: Try avoid French holidays.
Tickets?
Order your tickets for your visit to Disneyland Paris online, so you can skip the queues and be sure to get in + you can save money! Disneyland Paris sells dated and undated tickets, with several variations depending on how many days you visit and which parks you want to visit. You can buy dated tickets for 1-4 days for both parks (or a single-day, single-park dated ticket). You can also purchase a single-day undated ticket to one or both parks, but these are typically more expensive. Deeply discounted tickets are hard to come by. Book your ticket for a visit to the Disneyland Paris online here.
Price Tickets: €73-€148
Free: 0-3 years old
Ticket Fact: Disney uses dynamic ticket pricing, check out the ticket calendar to save money on admission. Cheaper days mean lower crowd levels.
Ticket Fact: The BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) can sometimes benefit from reductions. We went to Disneyland already 3 times due to a Disney Campaign at Carrefour: collect stickers while shopping and when you have a full sticker book, you can get a free ticket.
Ticket Fact: The undated tickets require you to use the reservation system to book the dates of your visit after you’ve purchased the tickets. Don’t forget to do this!
Annual Passes?
Disneyland Paris also offers three tiers of annual passes: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
- Bronze is 289 euros and allows holders to visit 170 days a year.
- The Silver Pass is 499 euros and allows guests to access the parks 300 out of 365 days each year. Silver pass holders can also enjoy 10 percent discounts at shops and restaurants.
- The Gold Pass is 699 euros, allows entry every day of the year, offers a 15 percent discount at shops and restaurants, and includes Extra Magic Time and an annual PhotoPass.
Fun Fact: An annual pass for Disneyland Paris is a good option if you visit Disneyland Paris 2-3 times a year.
Disney Premier Access (old FastPass)?
Want to skip the line for the most popular attractions? Disney Premier Access works similarly to the old FastPass or the U.S. parks’ newer Genie+. It allows you to skip the main standby line. You can buy Disney Premier Access One for individual attractions to gain a time slot for the Premier Access queue on the day you visit via the Disneyland Paris app. Or you can splurge on the Disney Premier Access Ultimate, an all-day pass that allows you to skip the line once for every participating attraction. You can buy the Ultimate pass the day of or in advance.
Fact: if you’re a single rider, you can also take advantage of the dedicated single-rider queues
Getting there: Transportation?
Car
We always come by car to have some freedom and flexibility to come and go whenever we like to. If you’re staying at a nearby hotel, you can park your car there and take a bus to the park.
Parking: €20
Train
Take the RER A (an express train line) to the Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy/Parcs Disneyland stop just a few minutes from the park gates. You can also take a TGV train from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Bus
You can also take the Disneyland Paris Express shuttle bus.
Plane
Fly to the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (10 min) and take the TGV train to Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy/Parcs Disneyland stop.
Where to stay?
We used to go to Disneyland Paris for 1 day, meaning a car ride in the morning and evening. Quite exhausting! Nowadays we book a hotel to stay at least 1 or 2 nights. We avoid traffic like that and we’re starting the day less tired. Nowadays we’re also going 2 days to Disneyland to give each park a day to be discovered!
Disneyland Paris has 9 themed hotels:
Off-site Disney Hotels: Davy Crockett Ranch and Village Nature Paris.
On-site Disney Hotels: Disneyland Hotel (at the entrance to Disneyland Park), The Lac Buena Vista Hotels, Disney’s Sequoia Lodge, Disney’s Newport Bay Club, and Disney’s Hotel New York – Art of Marvel, Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne and Hotel Santa Fe (last 2 are the lowest-priced Disney options).
All except Disney Davy Crockett Ranch offer free shuttles or are within walking distance of the parks.
Off-site hotels: We also stayed in multiple hotels in the neighborhood like the Ibis Budget Hotel. This is a good way to save money on your visit to Disneyland Paris.
Hotel Fact: My family and I used to go to the Ibis budget hotel in Marne-la-Vallée. It’s a basic hotel but what more do you need? (but I would still very like to go to a Disney Hotel one day!)
Hotel Fact: Sleeping at a Disney Hotel gives you some advantages: you can enter the park earlier, free parking, ticket for both parks included, and Disney Magic!
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris has five main lands — Discoveryland (similar to Tomorrowland in USA), Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, and Main Street, U.S.A. Don’t miss the nightly Disney Electrical Sky Parade featuring drones, projections, and fountains for a fun new take on the beloved parade.
Best Rides
Classic attractions: It’s a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan’s Flight, Snow White, and Autopia at Disneyland Park.
Different than USA: Phantom Manor, a spookier version of the Haunted Mansions in Florida and California. European take on Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (an intense outdoor roller coaster unique to this park). Take the time to tour Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Dragon’s Lair.
Thrill attractions: Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, StarsTours: The Adventures Continue, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, & Big Thunder Mountain.
Family attractions: Sleeping Beauty Castle, Phantom Manor, Peter Pan’s Flight, Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, Les Voyages de Pinocchio, Le Pays des Contes de Fées, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Blanche Neige et les Sept Nains, & It’s a Small World.
Parade: Don’t forget to see the Disney Parade in this park! Find a nice spot and wait till you see your favorite princess or prince!
Best Restaurants
Many table and quick-service restaurants are located around the park. Dine with princesses at Auberge de Cendrillon, or have dinner at Casa de Coco, Walt’s, Pizzeria Bella Notte, or Cafe de la Brousse. If you plan to eat at a table-service restaurant that accepts reservations, make reservations as soon as possible to ensure you can dine when you want.
Busy hours: Quick service lines get very long around lunch (12PM to 2PM) and dinner (6PM to 8PM).
Tip Fact: Tip is usually not included at Disneyland Paris. Tipping is not customary in France, but a 10-15% service charge is often included. Note that you cannot tip on a credit card.
Budget Fact: Want to save on money? Bring your own lunch and only have dinner at Disneyland. We then always ate in the Disney Village or at a snack bar in the evening (or let’s be honest a McDonalds on the way back to our hotel).
Walt Disney Studios Park
Walt Disney Studios Park will be transformed into Disney Adventure World including the addition of World of Frozen. The Studios is closing earlier than the Magic Kingdom, start with this park first if you want to do both parks in 1 day.
Best Rides
Family attractions: At Avengers Campus, you can sling webs at Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure (which also exists at Disney California Adventure Park). Finding Nemo-themed Crush’s Coaster is a super-popular spinning coaster mostly indoors; it’s worth purchasing Premier Access if you visit during a busy time. Also check out The original Ratatouille: The Adventure, Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop, Studio Tram Tour.
Thrill attractions: Go on a high-speed mission on the unique Avengers Assemble: Flight Force featuring Iron Man and Captain Marvel. (Fun fact: this ride used to be Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, so expect a thrilling launch start and multiple inversions.) Go on a free fall in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Children’s Attractions: Free fall Toy Story, Slingshot, etc.
Shows: This park also features several shows, including The Disney Junior Dream Factory, Stitch Live!, Mickey and the Magician, and Frozen: A Musical Invitation.
Tip: As a thrill-seeking adult, I’d recommend starting with Crush’s Coaster (the waiting lines are horrible here), Tower of Terror, Avengers Assemble, and Ratatouille: The Adventure. Reserve a spot in advance for a sit-down meal at Bistrot Chez Remy or Walt’s for lunch.
Best Restaurants
Bistrot Chez Rémy is the best restaurant in Walt Disney Studios Park. Shrink down to the size of a rat at this “Ratatouille”-themed restaurant. There are also several food trucks throughout the park and some superhero-themed eateries at Avengers Campus.
Busy hours: Quick service lines get very long around lunch (12PM to 2PM) and dinner (6PM to 8PM).
Tip Fact: Tip is usually not included at Disneyland Paris. Tipping is not customary in France, but a 10-15% service charge is often included. Note that you cannot tip on a credit card.
Budget Fact: Want to save on money? Bring your own lunch and only have dinner at Disneyland. We then always ate in the Disney Village or at a snack bar in the evening (or let’s be honest a McDonalds on the way back to our hotel).
Disney Village
Disney Village is a place with several shopping and dining outlets, including American favorites like Five Guys and Earl of Sandwich and sit-down restaurants. Stop by the Disney Store to grab some souvenirs before heading out.
Visiting Paris as Part of Your Disneyland Paris Trip
Combining Paris with Disneyland Paris is very easy because of Disneyland Paris’s proximity to Marne-la-Vallée—Chessy train station. It’s only a 45-minute ride into Paris. Paris can be seen in 2-3 days if you walk thoroughly so no shopping is included.
Read more about the must do’s in Paris in this special blog post!
» Must do’s in Paris | France «
Visiting Parc Astérix as Part of Your Disneyland Paris Trip
Combining Parc Astérix with Disneyland Paris is very easy because of Disneyland Paris’s proximity to Parc Astérix.
Read more about my Parc Astérix Travel Guide in this special blog post!
» Parc Astérix Travel Guide | France «
✨ Enjoy your visit to Disneyland Paris! ✨
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3 Comments
Willem
DISNEY LAND PARIS GUIDE
Life of a Passion
TOTALLY AGREE WILLEM! 👍
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