Tips for Disneyland Paris in France and the Disneyland Paris Castle
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Disneyland Paris: Our Full Review and Best Tips!

Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Kelly

If you’re a Disney fan, then visiting Disneyland Paris is a bucket list experience! If you’ve been to the Disney parks in the United States, you might be wondering what it’s like to visit Disneyland Paris. We recently spent nearly a week at Disneyland Paris, and we created this guide to Disneyland Paris to help you plan your own trip. We’re sharing our 15 best tips for visiting Disneyland Paris, the best hotels at Disneyland Paris, and our favorite rides so that you can make the most of your own magical vacation!

Millions of people visit Disneyland Paris each year. The park receives more visitors than any other attraction in France! (This includes the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, or Palace of Versailles!) With that many people visiting Disneyland Paris, it’s important to make your reservations and have a solid game plan!

About Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris consists of two theme parks: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios. The property also contains the Disney Village and the on-site Disney hotels.

Disneyland Paris was built in 1992, and it recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. (We were there for the anniversary celebration!) When the park first opened, it was named Euro Disney, but the name was changed to Disneyland Paris because it wasn’t appealing for European visitors.

Disneyland Park 

When you walk into Disneyland Park, you’ll get to explore the following lands:

  • Main Street, USA
  • Frontierland
  • Adventureland
  • Fantasyland
  • Discoveryland

Walt Disney Studios

Walt Disney Studios consists of the following components:

  • Front Lot
  • Toon Studio
  • Worlds of Pixar
  • Production Courtyard
  • Marvel Avengers Campus

We recommend making time to visit both theme parks. We also recommend staying at one of the Disney hotels. It’s so convenient to be able to walk or take the shuttle to the park entrances each day, and you won’t have to worry about expensive daily parking.

Disney Village

You can visit the Disney Village without an admission ticket, so it’s the perfect place to visit on the bookend dates of your trip. You can easily stroll around the Disney Village the day you arrive before diving into the parks the next day!

The Disney Village opens earlier than the Disney parks and it closes later than the parks, so you can easily add a trip to the Disney Village before or after your park days.

The Disney Village consists of restaurants, bars, and shops. You can easily grab a meal before hitting the parks, buy souvenirs, or stock up on some essential items. Many of the shops will also deliver your items to your hotel room if you stay on the Disney property, so you don’t have to worry about carrying bags around all day!


Map of Disneyland Paris

Here’s a link to a full map of the Disneyland Paris property.

We recommend downloading the Disneyland Paris mobile app in advance of your trip, because you’ll need to use it to access a map of the park. Inside the park, there are QR codes that will also link to the map.

Tip: When you download the Disneyland Paris mobile app in advance of your trip, you can log on and see wait times. This can be helpful information as you plan your daily park itinerary. You’ll quickly find out which attractions have the longest wait times and when they have more reasonable lines.

 

Recently Disneyland Paris removed all paper maps from the parks, so you have to use your phone. You won’t be able to grab a brochure map at the entrance. For this reason, make sure to have everything downloaded on your phone! If you look online, you might be able to find a guide book that includes park maps.


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Wifi in Disneyland Paris

There is free Wifi at Disneyland Paris, so that will help save cellular data. We had to rely on the Wifi because we were traveling from the United States without an international phone plan. We found the Wifi to be a bit spotty at times, but we were able to use it reliably for most of our time at Disneyland Paris. On the one or two occasions we weren’t able to access the Wifi all, we had to walk to Guest Services on Main Street USA. Because we had purchased Disney Premier Access, we needed the Wifi to make our ride selections. It was a bit of a pain to walk back to the park entrance to have guest services provide us paper copies of our ride reservations, but we were able to make it work. (We hate wasting time in the Disney parks, because there’s so much to see!) However, most of the time the Wifi worked perfectly for us.

There are some phone charging points in Disneyland Paris, but we recommend that you carry a portable phone charger. You’ll be using your phone constantly for maps, restaurant reservations, Disney Premier Access, and photos, so your battery will definitely need to be charged at some point during the day. Might as well do it in line for an attraction when you need it!

Earffel Tower at Walt Disney Studios in Disneyland Paris
Earffel Tower at Walt Disney Studios

Best Hotels in Disneyland Paris

As you prepare for your trip to Disneyland Paris, one of the most important decisions you will make is where to stay. We recommend staying at one of Disney’s hotel properties. The location can’t be beat!

Disneyland Paris has 7 primary hotels on property:

  • Disneyland Hotel
  • Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel
  • Disney Newport Bay Club
  • Disney Hotel Cheyenne
  • Disney Sequoia Lodge
  • Disney Hotel Santa Fe
  • Disney Davy Crockett Ranch

We wrote an in-depth post about the best hotels near Disneyland Paris. If you’re looking for accommodations, we recommend that you check out that post!

The Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris (park entrance)
The Disneyland Hotel sits on top of the entrance to Disneyland Paris

Our Stay at the Sequoia Lodge

Sequoia Lodge at Disneyland Paris

We stayed at the Disney Sequoia Lodge, and we were really happy with our choice. When we originally planned this trip, we were going to stay off-property to save money. I’m so glad we changed our minds and decided to book a Disney property! It worth budgeting just a bit more for the trip, because it made a big difference on our daily access to the parks.

The Disney Sequoia Lodge was just a short 10-minute walk to the park entrance. It was very convenient to walk to the park each day, and we didn’t feel like it was too much trouble.

One of the things that we liked best about this hotel was the fact that there were character meet-and-greets within the hotel. Instead of spending an hour to see Mickey Mouse in the park, we were able to take photos with him right in our hotel! We also took photos with Goofy and Pluto. It appeared that there was a different character every morning. It was a great start to the day, and our daughter really enjoyed seeing all of the different characters.

The hotel also had a pool, which we didn’t use because we spent every minute we could exploring the parks.

We enjoyed the breakfast buffet, and we loved the theming! Our room had photos of Bambi and friends on the wall.

Overall, we enjoyed our stay at Disney Sequoia Lodge and would recommend it to others.

Other Hotel Options

There are also options to stay off-property. Here’s a few to consider:

Campsites Near Disneyland Paris

Another option for lodging is to camp near Disneyland Paris. Although there is no official Disney campground on the property, there are a multitude of campgrounds very close to Disneyland Paris. (Some even offer shuttles to the park!)

Camping can be a great way to get some space from the crowds and save money. If you already have a camping vehicle, you’ll just need to pay the campground fee. You can also cook your own meals, which well help save money too!

Here are a few campgrounds to consider:

  • Camping International de Jablines: This campground is located about a 16 kilometer drive from Disneyland Paris. The campground offers campsites as well as mobile homes. During the summer months, the beaches are open for swimming. There is a shuttle to Disneyland Paris.
  • Le Parc de Paris: Located about a 20-minute drive from Disneyland Paris, Le Parc de Paris is a campground with small cabins and tent campsites. 
  • Camping CapFun Fredland: About a 30-minute drive south of Disneyland Paris is Camping CapFun Fredland. This campground is well-suited for families with children, as there are a number of fun kid attractions located within the campground.

Disneyland Paris Tickets

You can buy Disneyland Paris tickets directly through their Disneyland Paris website. (This is what we would recommend.)

We booked a hotel package, so our park tickets were included in our hotel stay. We stayed at the Sequoia Lodge for 4 nights, which meant we had park tickets for 5 days. We were allowed to go to both Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios during those 5 days. We didn’t think we would go to the parks on all 5 days, but we definitely did!

If you’re not staying on Disney property, you’ll need to book your Disney park tickets separately. If you buy an undated ticket, make sure to reserve your date(s) before heading to the park. 

These practices and policies may change, so always be sure to check with the official Disneyland Paris website to purchase tickets. We personally would not recommend booking park tickets through third-party websites. If Disneyland Paris tickets are sold-out, though, you might be able to find some on a third-party vendor like Viator. (It’s worth looking!)

Disneyland Paris Sleeping Beauty Castle le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant

 

 


How to Get to Disneyland Paris

 

Disneyland Paris is located about 27 miles (43 kilometers) east of central Paris. There are several ways to reach the park.

By Car

If you have your own vehicle, you can drive to Disneyland Paris. There’s parking available at the park, or at a number of the hotels. Check the parking information website for current fees.

By Taxi Service

Because we traveled to Paris with a young child, we found the easiest option to be taking a taxi to Disneyland Paris. We paid 87.40 euros for our trip from central Paris to Disneyland Paris. (Rates will likely be different for your trip, but I provide this number to provide you with an estimate of the cost.) The taxi picked us up from our hotel in central Paris and took us directly to the Sequoia Lodge. It was so easy! I recognize this isn’t the cheapest option, but if possible, I do think that it’s worth it.

By Train

You can also take the train from Paris to Disneyland Paris. This is the most affordable option, and it takes less than hour to make the commute. This website provides a really excellent overview of how to take the train. 

Nearest Airport to Disneyland Paris

The closest airport to Disneyland Paris is Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris, France. The airport is 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Disneyland Paris if you travel by car along A104. You can take the TGV train line directly from the airport to Disneyland Paris, and it’s a fairly short trip. We recommend making train reservations in advance, since popular times can sell out. 

Disneyland Paris Sleeping Beauty's Castle


15 Best Tips for Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris treats

1. Download the Mobile App 

Before you even get to Disneyland Paris, make sure you have the mobile app downloaded on your phone. You’ll use the app to check on attraction wait times, view maps, and make dining reservations. You’ll also use it for Disney Premiere Access, if you choose to make those purchases.

2. Pack a Power Bank for Your Phone

To make the most of your day at Disneyland Paris, you’ll definitely need to use your phone constantly. Make sure you bring a fully charged power bank with you so that your phone doesn’t run out of battery halfway through the day. You can rent them at Disneyland Paris, but it’s more affordable to just bring your own and charge it every night. 

3. Purchase Disney Premier Access

Disney Premier Access allows you to skip the line for select rides by paying an additional amount. The amount of extra money varies, but we found that it generally ranged from 10 to 20 euros per person. We recommend that you budget extra money for this option in advance. We think it’s totally worth the money, because it saves so much time. If this is your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disneyland Paris, absolutely buy Disney Premier Access. If you live in Europe and visit Disneyland Paris frequently, you might not feel such a need to do and see everything in a limited amount of time. We purchased Disney Premier Access, and we have absolutely no regrets. Using Disney Premier Access allowed us to see so much more of the attractions than we would have without it. We were traveling with a toddler and thought the money was well-spent. Not all the attractions have the option for Disney Premier Access, but many do.  

4. Purchase PhotoPass+

If you’d like professional photos at designated locations and you’d like to have access to your attraction photos, it’s worth buying the PhotoPass+. After we purchased the pass, we were given a card to carry with us. Anytime we saw a cast member taking photos, we waited in a short line and they would take our photo. The photographer would scan our card, and the photo would automatically be uploaded to our account. Whenever we got off an attraction that offered photos, we would simply show our PhotoPass+ card. The card is valid for 10 days. We took enough photos over our 5-day visit that we felt it was worth the cost. If you’re only going to Disneyland Paris for a single day, though, it may not be as cost effective. 

5. Bring Sunscreen

We were running low on sunscreen, and we looked in at least 10 shops in the parks and never found any. We asked multiple cast members, and the only available sunscreen we could find was from first aid. If you plan on visiting Disneyland Paris, definitely pack some sunscreen.

6. Make a Plan for WiFi

If you’re traveling from outside the country, one nice thing about the parks is that they do have public WiFi. We relied on the WiFi to use the app, so having WiFi was a crucial part of our ability to efficiently see things within the parks. However, during one of our visit days, we couldn’t connect to WiFi for whatever reason. For that day, the only way we could use the Disney Premier Access was by making individual trips to City Hall and printing out paper passes. If you can use your own personal WiFi or data plan, that would probably be ideal. 

7. Prioritize Your Favorite Rides

If there’s a ride you absolutely want to see, prioritize it early on in your trip. You don’t want to leave it for the last day, and then find out that it’s unexpectedly closed for maintenance or something. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to see your favorite attractions. There are some attractions that are only available at Disneyland Paris. Some of these include Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, the dragon under Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril. 

8. Bring Cash

While most of the stores and shops accept credit cards, I saw one ice cream cart that was cash-only. It’s always a good idea to make sure you have some cash on hand just in case.

9. Bring Ponchos

We traveled during the summer, and heavy rain appeared out of nowhere. Our jackets were stored in our stroller, and we didn’t have any ponchos on us. We were absolutely soaked! I recommend carrying ponchos and keeping them in your backpack at all times. Ponchos are more expensive in the parks, so it’s a good idea to buy them in advance. 

10. Arrive to the Park Early

They sometimes allow people into Disneyland Paris early, so it’s worth getting there prior to the official opening time. Plan on going straight to the attractions that usually have the longest wait times, so that you can knock those out. It’s definitely worth waking up early for rope-drop, because you’ll be able to knock out a ton of rides before there are long lines. If you’re tired later, you can always take a nap at your hotel in the afternoon when wait times are longest.

11. Walk Through the Arcades 

When you first enter Disneyland Paris, on either side of Main Street, there is an arcade behind all the shops. There was hardly ever any people back there, and it was a quick way to walk up and down the park. 

12. Keep Checking the App for Dining Reservations

We booked our trip to Disneyland Paris a bit last-minute, and we were disappointed we couldn’t get dining reservations at some of the most popular restaurants. However, when we checked the app on the day-of, we found that some options opened up! We were able to secure dining reservations for a character breakfast at Plaza Gardens Restaurant, dinner at Captain Jacks, and dinner at Bistrot Chez Rémy! (Be sure to see our full review of Bistrot Chez Remy!)

13. Wear Comfortable Shoes

You’ll be doing a ton of walking, so make sure you’re wearing shoes that are comfortable. These are my favorite tennis shoes, and these are my favorite sandals

14. Stay at a Disney Hotel

If you stay at a Disney hotel on the property, you’ll have a shorter commute to the parks and you’ll have access to Extra Magic Hours. Those extra hours can make a big difference on wait times, so we think it’s totally worth it!

15. Use Rider Switch if You Have Young Children

If you have young children that don’t meet the height requirement for some of the more thrilling attractions, you can use the Rider Switch option to allow, for example, both parents to experience the ride without having to wait in line twice. The first adult will go on the ride, and when they get off, they have to ask for a Rider Switch card. The first parent then gives that card to the other parent, and they can go in the Premier Access line. We used the Rider Switch option many times, and we found it to be a helpful way for us both to see the attractions efficiently, while one of us stayed with our daughter.

Ride Switch at Disneyland Paris
Rider Switch Card for Hyperspace Mountain

What to See at Disneyland Paris 

Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios have some unique attractions! Here’s some of the things we really liked!

Sleeping Beauty Castle (Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant)

Inside the Sleeping Beauty Castle (Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant)

In my opinion, Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Paris is the best castle from the three parks that I’ve visited!

This castle has 16 towers, square trees, and small snails adorning the golden towers.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland Paris

Inside the castle, on the second floor, you’ll see a stained glass depiction of Sleeping Beauty’s story. The stained glass was created by one of the same artists that had worked to restore Notre Dame.

One of the coolest things about this castle is that you can actually walk underneath it to see the dragon’s layer. Definitely don’t miss doing this!

Dragon below the Sleeping Beauty Castle (Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant)

See our full guide to the Disneyland Paris rides. We share descriptions, reviews, and photos!
 

Phantom Manor

Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris

Phantom Manor is Paris’s equivalent of the Haunted Mansion ride. We really liked the Phantom Manor version though! After we watched Disney’s Behind the Attractions show, we were “dying” to see this one in real life. One of the major differences between Phantom Manor and the Haunted Mansion is that the Phantom Manor has a theme where you ride through an old Western town. We also felt that there was more of a story with the “bride and groom” apparent throughout the ride.

Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain

While Disneyland in California has Space Mountain, Disneyland Paris has Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain. This ride feels like such an upgrade! The indoor rollercoaster will take you through outer space at lightening speed. The Star Wars theming is on-point, and it’s a lot of fun!

Alice’s Curious Labyrinth

Alice's Curious Labyrinth at Disneyland Paris (Cheshire Cat)

In the Alice’s Curious Labyrinth attraction, you’ll walk through a maze straight out of Alice in Wonderland. I really liked the dancing water fountains and cute signage. We started the maze on a bright sunny day, and then a heavy rain shower hit us out of nowhere! We all huddled in the castle for 30 minutes until it was safe to return to the park. That was an adventure!

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril

The Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland in California is one of my all-time favorite Disney attractions, so I was really looking forward to the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril rollercoaster at Disneyland Paris. It was a fun ride, but didn’t have as much theming and was a bit too bumpy for me.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Paris

The Pirates of the Caribbean ride has much more space allotted to the ride. It’s located right next to Pirates’ Beach, complete with a playground, pirate ship, and skull cave.

Gardens of Wonder

Gardens of Wonder 30th Anniversary at Disneyland Paris in France

These beautiful displays were created for the 30th Anniversary celebrations. There are 30 unique sculptures right outside the castle.

Big Thunder Mountain

I really liked the version of Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland Paris. This one is unique in that there are portions of the rollercoaster in which you’re riding through pitch-black mine caves. There’s also a cool cavern that you ride through, a large waterfall, and lots of critters.


What to See at Walt Disney Studios

Crush’s Coaster

One of our favorite attractions at Walt Disney Studios was Crush’s Coaster. This indoor rollercoaster will “spin” you around as you join Crush on an underwater adventure. Guests will hop in a turtle shell, with two guests on each side facing opposite directions. I ended up riding most of the ride backwards!

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

This was one of our must-see attractions while visiting Paris. In this ride, you “shrink down” to the size of Remy the rat. The ride uses a magnetic track and 3D glasses, and every detail was meticulously thought-out. It was fun and impressive! I got a little motion sick on this one, so you might want to take that into consideration. 

Spiderman W.E.B. Adventure

This ride was super unique, in that it uses technology to help you throw “webs” at spiderbots that are coming after you.

Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop

The Toy Story land in Walt Disney Studios is super cool. There are several rides themed to Toy Story, and there is a giant Buzz Lightyear at the entrance of this area. We really liked the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop ride. At the top, we had a nice view of the whole park!

Cars Road Trip

Cars Road Trip at Walt Disney Studios in Disneyland Paris

A good activity to do when you’re starting to get tired is to head towards Cars Road Trip. You’ll get to relax as you ride a tram on a Cars-themed road trip. We found the wait times to be pretty low, so it was a nice attraction for a midday break.

Cars Quatre Roues Rallye

Our daughter loved this ride! Each of the cars spins around.

Avengers Assemble: Flight Force

This is a new steel rollercoaster that opened in 2022. We unfortunately didn’t ride this one during our last visit, but hopefully next time!


Where to Eat in Disneyland Paris

We were excited to visit Disneyland Paris for the food! France is known for its gastronomy, and Disney knows how to provide great dining. We’ll share our experiences of some of the restaurants we got to dine at below:

Bistrot Chez Rémy

Advanced Reservations Recommended

Bistrot Chez Remy in Paris

One of the best restaurants, in our opinion, is Bistrot Chez Rémy. This new restaurant in Walt Disney Studios is inspired by the movie Ratatouille. (You can actually see the ride through glass windows in the restaurant!) The theming of this restaurant is so clever. Everything in the restaurant has been sized to make you feel like you are the size of a rat. The restaurant is decorated with giant paper umbrellas, extra-large strings of lights, and giant forks. The restaurant serves French cuisine. I ordered the steak frites with the brie sauce, and I highly recommend that sauce. (You can choose from several options.) It was one of my favorite foods of our entire trip! 

Restaurant Agrabah Café

Advanced Reservations Recommended

Restaurant Agrabah Cafe in Disneyland Paris

Restaurant Agrabah Café is located in Adventureland within the Disneyland Paris park. The restaurant specializes in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cuisine. We absolutely loved the theming at this restaurant, which is based on the movie Aladdin. We had a buffet-style dinner, and it was one of my favorite meals of the trip. There were so many dishes in the buffet, it was really fun to try all of the different offerings. (We especially liked the dessert buffet tables!)

PYM Kitchen

Advanced Reservations Recommended

PYM Kitchen at Walt Disney Studios

While we were at Walt Disney Studios, we were able to get reservations at PYM Kitchen. We really liked this restaurant a lot! The restaurant is located on the Marvel Campus, and the chefs use “Ant-Man and the Wasp’s PYM Particle Technology” to change the size of foods and ingredients. For example, we had an enormously-sized cheeseburger and teeny-tiny french fries. We even had blue wine with no artificial coloring, which was served in a beaker. We found this restaurant to be thought-provoking, amusing, and delicious.

Pizzeria Bella Note

Bella Notte at Disneyland Paris
We just happened to have a Lady and the Tramp book to read while we were eating dinner at Pizzeria Bella Notte

 

Right on the edge of Fantasyland is Pizzeria Bella Note, which is themed from the movie Lady and the Tramp. This quick-service restaurant doesn’t require reservations. We ordered the lasagna and would definitely recommend it to others. Even though this restaurant is located in Fantasyland, it’s kind of tucked away. It was very quiet in the restaurant, despite heavy crowds in Fantasyland. We thought it was the perfect place to go for a quiet lunch.

Captain Jacks’s – Restaurant Des Pirates

Advanced Reservations Recommended

Captain Jacks at Disneyland Paris
Dessert was my favorite dish!

 

We are huge fans of the Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland in California, so we were excited to get reservations at Captain Jack’s in Disneyland Paris. We very much liked the theming (it’s located within the Pirates of the Caribbean ride), but we found the food to be not as good as the food at Blue Bayou. (This could just be our opinion, but we were really hoping for more of the cajun cuisine!)

Plaza Gardens Restaurant

Advanced Reservations Recommended

During our visit at Disneyland Paris, we were able to score last-minute reservations for a character breakfast at Plaza Gardens Restaurant. There was a nice breakfast buffet, and we saw lots of different characters during our meal. During our visit, we saw Tigger, Eeyore, Pinnochio, Geppetto, Captain Hook, and Smee. The characters visited each table, and made multiple “rounds” around the restaurant.

Casey’s Corner

Casey's Corner at Disneyland Paris

Food bloggers really love Casey’s Corner in Walt Disney World, so we were excited to grab a quick lunch at Casey’s Corner in Disneyland Paris. We ordered two different hot dogs loaded with lots of toppings. We thought they were really good!

Markethouse Deli

Markethouse Deli at Disneyland Paris

We had lunch at this quick-service restaurant on our first day. The sandwiches at the Markethouse Deli were really cute because they were Mickey-shaped.

Other Restaurants

Walt's at Disneyland Paris

A lot of food bloggers highly recommended a meal at Walt’s – An American Restaurant, but unfortunately we weren’t able to get reservations. However, we have read good things about that restaurant if you are able to get a reservation. It’s one of the most popular restaurants, so try to make those reservations as soon as possible.

In the Disney Village, we also stopped by Earl of Sandwich. We found the meals to be more affordable, and it was easy to pick up a quick breakfast or lunch on our way to the parks.

There’s also a McDonald’s located in Disney Village. We like visiting McDonald’s in other countries we visit, because the menus can be so different! (For example, we ordered the Croque McDo, which is based on the French dish croque monsieur

Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris


How to Spend One Day at Disneyland Paris

If you only have one day to spend at Disneyland Paris, we recommend that you stay on Disney property so that you can have access to the Extra Magic Hours. Plan to stay at least two nights so that you will have one full day. That will help you lengthen the amount of time you can spend in the park!

We also recommend that you purchase Disney Premier Access for the attractions that have long lines. That way, you can really make the most of your day and experience the most rides.

You could easily spend the entire day at Disneyland Park. However, there are a few excellent attractions at Walt Disney Studios.

With only one day, we’d recommend seeing the following at Walt Disney Studios:

  • Ratatouille the Adventure
  • Crush’s Coaster
  • Spiderman WEB Adventure
  • Avenger’s Assemble: Flight Force

If you feel comfortable skipping the above rides, then you’ll save even more time by staying within Disneyland Park.

With only one day at Disneyland Park in Paris, we recommend prioritizing the following rides:

  • Sleeping Beauty Castle (be sure to see the dragon’s lair beneath)
  • Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
  • Big Thunder Mountain
  • Phantom Manor
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
  • Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
  • Les Voyages a Pinocchio
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains
  • Alice’s Curious Labyrinth 

Also be sure to check out the fireworks and show at the end of the day!

Is it worth it to spend one day at Disneyland Paris? We think so! We think any day at Disney is a good day. As long as it’s not too cumbersome to travel there, we think it’s worth it. If you’ll already be in Paris, it’s very easy to add a day at Disneyland Paris.


Disney Movies Set in Paris

One thing we really liked about visiting Disneyland Paris is the fact that so many Disney movies are set in Paris! These include:

  • Ratatouille (2007)
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
  • Beauty and the Beast (1991)
  • The Aristocats (1970)
  • Sleeping Beauty (1959)
  • Cinderella (1950)

We didn’t realize there were so many Disney movies that take place in France until we started counting them up! For that reason alone, you should add Disneyland Paris to your Disney bucket list!


Our Experience at Disneyland Paris

Entrance Disneyland Paris

We had the best time at Disneyland Paris. We spent 5 days exploring the two parks, and we could have easily spent more time. We really liked some of the unique twists on attractions, as well as the castle.

We also noticed some things that were very different. For example, smoking is allowed in Disneyland Paris, and we saw many people smoking outside of designated areas. It wasn’t uncommon to get a big whiff of smoke while walking along. 

Fantasyland Disneyland Paris

We also found the wait times to be shorter at Disneyland Paris in comparison to our visits to Walt Disney World. This was a nice surprise for us!

Overall, we felt that there were fewer snack options at Disneyland Paris in comparison to the parks in the United States. There weren’t as many snack carts, and there was less of an emphasis on the “Instagrammable” snacks. However, I will say that the crepes cart was absolutely delicious. Definitely make sure that you stop by that cart and get a nutella crepe!

Macaroon at Disneyland Paris
We just had to order macaroons while at Disneyland Paris!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to know French to visit Disneyland Paris?

You definitely don’t need to know French to visit Disneyland Paris. All of the menus and attractions have instructions written in French and English. We attended a couple of shows, and the characters spoke in both French and English. Of course, it’s good practice to familiarize yourself with a few phrases in French in order to be polite. However, we are not fluent in French and we had a phenomenal time at Disneyland Paris.

Is Disneyland Paris worth it?

We think that our trip to Disneyland Paris is absolutely worth it. If you’re a Disney fan at all, it’s a cool experience to see a Disney park outside of the United States.

How much time should you spend in Disneyland Paris?

We saw a lot of bloggers recommend 1 to 2 days at Disneyland Paris, but we would recommend at least 3 full days at Disneyland Paris. We ended up spending 5 days at the parks, but we were traveling with a young child so we had frequent breaks. If you want to see all the attractions, we’d recommend at least 3 days to make sure that you see it all.

Can you get your haircut at Dapper Dan’s at Disneyland Paris?

There is a barber shop on Main Street U.S.A. called Dapper Dan’s. (It’s similar to the barber shop at Walt Disney World in Florida.) We attempted to get our daughter’s hair cut there, but the barber was on medical leave. (I don’t think there was anyone else that could offer coverage.) We will have to try another time!

Should you visit Disneyland Paris or Walt Disney World in Florida?

We’ve been to both Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World, and they are both pretty different. Walt Disney World in Florida contains four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. Disneyland Paris contains two theme parks: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios. If you’re making your decision based on the sheer number of attractions, Walt Disney World in Florida is the clear winner. It’s the largest of all the Disney theme parks. If you could only visit one Disney park, our recommendation would be to visit Walt Disney World. However, we genuinely loved Disneyland Paris and we were so glad we went. Disneyland Paris has many attractions that are completely unique, and we really appreciated the opportunity to visit an international (for us) Disney park!

Disneyland Paris
The entrance to Disneyland Paris

Summary: Our Trip to Disneyland Paris

My husband and I love all things Disney, and we’ve visited Walt Disney World and Disneyland more times than I can count. (I tried to add up our visits, but quickly gave up!) Because we have family living on both coasts of the United States, we frequently add on a trip to Disney when visiting relatives. We even ran the infamous Dopey Challenge, which consisted of 4 races that totaled up to 48.6 miles through Walt Disney World. (You can read all about our Disney race experience!)

After years of visiting Walt Disney World and Disneyland, we were super excited to visit Disneyland Paris. The experience totally delivered on what we were hoping for. We hope that this post helps you to plan your own trip to Disneyland Paris!

Disneyland Paris balloon

Disney Village at Disneyland Paris
Walking through Disney Village

 

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Disclaimer: We always strive for content accuracy. Since the time of publishing, travel-related information regarding pricing, schedules, and hours may have changed. Please look up such information directly from each vendor or institution for the most current information.

Hi, I’m Kelly!

After studying abroad in Spain, I became passionate about international travel. Since then, I’ve traveled to 6 continents and 36 states within the United States. When I’m not travel blogging, you can find me hiking, reading books in Spanish, or playing cribbage. I hope my blog inspires you to see the world!