Like all Disney parks, a trip to Disneyland Paris can be a magical part of your vacation, but it’s important to plan ahead to get the most out of your day. Here are our answers to your planning questions and our top Disneyland Paris tips.
Disneyland Paris is a quick 50-minute train ride from downtown Paris making it a great addition to a family trip to the City of Light. Disneyland Paris is comprised of two parks – Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park – as well as an area with shops, restaurants, and hotels between them.
Upon arrival, you will pass through security, which means that then you can move easily between parks without having to go through security again. You will need to scan your tickets to gain entry to each park, so keep them available if you are planning to switch parks mid-day.
We have gotten many questions over the years about how to make your Disney trip magical and we’ve compiled our answers to those questions at Disneyland Paris here along with our top tips to make the most of your trip.
How Many Days Do You Need?
This really depends on how much you want to do. Our family has spent nearly 40 days in Disney Parks over the years, so we easily did both parks in one day. If you want to be sure you have done everything or only spend a few hours in the parks, then you may prefer to spend two days.
Over the years I have determined that on average, without Premier Access, we can do one ride per hour. Using that as a gauge, we picked our top rides at each park and we were able to do all but one of, which closed mid-day, in both parks in one action-packed day.
In addition to rides, Disneyland offers a few shows, parades, fireworks and several non-ride attractions you can do, including a labyrinth and story town area. If you would like to get your fill and do everything in the parks, a day at each park would be best.
Are There Ways to Save Money on My Disney Trip?
Disney is an expensive proposition, but there are ways to save money. Here are our top three ways to save on your trip to Disneyland Paris.
1. Go on a Weekday and Buy Your Tickets Early
If you have any flexibility in your schedule, look online for tickets a month or more ahead of time. Disney allows you to purchase tickets for a specific date or for any date. The specific date tickets are cheaper ($74+ vs. $126) because it allows them to plan for your arrival. When you visit Disneyland’s Ticket page, they show the different ticket options for the month you are considering visiting. Weekdays are often cheaper and tickets get more expensive as they get sold off and the date gets closer. For example, tickets for May of 2022 vary from $74 per adult for one day in one park on a Friday to $112 for the same ticket on a Saturday. If you are taking a family of four, you could save $150 by simply going a day earlier.
2. Bring Lunch and Snacks with You
Disneyland Paris has some amazing restaurants, but they come with a hefty price tag. Disney allows you to bring a reasonable amount of food into the park, so pack a lunch and a few snacks to get you through the day. At $15 a piece for most counter service meals, a family of four could save $60 by bringing lunch.
3. Limit Your Souvenirs
I know that many people love to come home with a souvenir of their time at Disneyland, but hear me out. Souvenirs can be very expensive. If it is important to your family to come home with something, limit your budget. But you could also purchase Disney t-shirts ahead of time and give them to your family to wear to the parks. For younger kids, you could purchase stuffed versions of your child’s favorite Disney character and give it them after your day in the park. Or consider taking an amazing picture from that day and making it into a wall print or Christmas ornament.
Should I Buy Premier Access Passes?
If there is a ride that is super important to you it may make sense to purchase Premier Access passes ahead of time.
Premier Access is a paid timed entry pass to a specific ride and takes the place of the former Fast Pass. The cost is anywhere from 5€ to 17€ per person depending on how popular the ride is. Passes can be purchased from the Disneyland Paris app in advance or during your visit.
Since the cost for Premier Access is per person, per ride, this can add up quickly. We were able to ride all but one ride without Premier Access, but if your day will only be a success if you ride a certain ride (like Crush), then I would consider it.
What is the Best Way to Get There?
If you are not staying on site, take the metro. The RER-A line to Marne-la-Vallée brings you directly to the park. Our trip from downtown Paris took about 50 minutes and cost 5€ Per person each way. The train was direct, so once we got on we stayed seated until the train reached the end of the line. On the way back I actually caught a cat nap too!
There are private shuttle services available if the metro isn’t an option for you. They are quicker, but quite a bit more expensive. For comparison, Disney offers a shuttle from downtown Paris that is about 50€ per person.
Can I Bring a Bag or Stroller?
Absolutely! I would not arrive with a suitcase, but you can easily bring a small backpack with jackets, snacks, etc. If you enjoy riding the roller coasters, make sure your bag is small enough to fit between your feet on those rides.
If you have younger kids, bring a stroller. It will give them a break from walking (and you from carrying them) and give you a place to store a few extras like an umbrella, towel, change of clothes, etc.
Can I Bring in Food?
Yes! Although you cannot bring a huge hamper of food, you can bring a few sandwiches, bottled water and snacks. In fact, this is one of the best ways we’ve saved money on a Disney trip. Plus, if you bring your own food you do not have to wait in line and you can eat as soon as you’re hungry instead of searching for a restaurant.
There is a Pret-a-Manger in the subway station. If you didn’t pack a lunch, you can grab reasonably priced and very tasty sandwiches and snacks there and bring them into the park.
How Can I Get the Most Out of My Day?
Disneyland Paris tickets are not cheap, so here are our tips for getting the most out of your day.
1. Download the Disneyland Paris App from the App Store
The Disneyland Paris App is the key to everything you need to know for your visit. It includes maps, a list of attractions, restaurants, etc. You can create a Wishlist of attractions ahead of time, so you know what things can’t be missed.
The app also includes wait times for all rides. Although these are constantly changing, it’s helpful to know if you should walk across the park for that next ride or not. Plus, you can check the wait times a day or two ahead of time to know which rides are the most popular.
When you’re in the park, use the app to buy Premier Access, check showtimes or find the closest food or rest rooms.
2. Plan Ahead
Whether you make a mental note or use the Wishlist in the app, plan out which park you’ll start your day at and which things can’t be missed. Look at the map and plan out your day. You’ll do more rides if they are close together than if you’re cross the park all day long.
3. Arrive Early
Disney often opens the gates a few minutes early, giving unprecedented access to a lucky few. Even if you don’t get in early, there are fewer people in the park in the first half hour than the rest of the day, so try to be one of them.
Start with a can’t miss ride, a ride that normally has a huge wait (Crush) or start in the back of the park and work your way forward, while everyone else is working their way back. Try to do rides that are close together to save time.
4. Be Flexible
Even the best plans need to be modified. If a ride has a really long wait or breaks down while you’re there, move on to another ride. You can always circle back to this one next.
5. Do Rides During the Parade and/or Fireworks
If parades or fireworks aren’t your thing – that’s okay! While everyone else is busy lining up to get their spot or watching the action, you can be riding multiple rides. This is a great time to jump on a ride that normally has a long line or do a family favorite twice.
6. Go Single Rider
If your group is old enough to go it alone, this is a great way to speed through the park. Or ride a favorite over and over! Some rides offer a separate “Single Rider” line for people who are willing to ride along with another group. For example, the Ratatouille ride seats 3 people per row, but a lot of families have an even number of people. On this ride, they will add a third person from the single person line to each row. You get the same ride – you are just sitting with someone you don’t know.
When the line for Space Mountain was over 30 minutes long, we used the Single Rider line to go a second time and got on right away. And we rode Ratatouille 4 times in a row without a single wait in less time than the regular line.
7. Don’t Stop to Eat or Eat Quick
One of the best ways we’ve maximized our time in the park is to bring food and eat between rides. Disneyland has some great restaurants, but our family would rather do rides than spend an hour or two at lunch.
If you are going to eat I the park, plan for a quick bite at a counter service restaurant.
A day or two at Disneyland Paris can turn out to be the most magical of experiences. With a little planning you can have an amazing day too!
Have a tip you’d like to share – add it to our comments below.
