Paris Disneyland Hot Tips
During our trip to Paris, Kacey and I took the Metro to Disneyland which is about 45 minutes outside of Paris. You could totally take a day trip out there and back if you didn’t want to change hotels in the process. We chose to stay on-site for two days. There are two main parks; Disneyland Park (think Magic Kingdom) and Studios Park (think Hollywood Studios), and Disney Village which is the equivalent to Disney Springs. It is quite small and way more manageable than Disney World. Also, every store, structure, and ride is also a walk-through attraction; pay close attention to the details. We had the privilege of visiting during their 25th anniversary which meant one of a kind merchandise and an even cooler illuminations show. Fun fact, Disneyland Paris, formerly known as Euro Disneyland, has never turned a profit in their 25 years of being open. On a side note, you can drink at either park as long as you buy food with your drink.
During our trip to Paris, Kacey and I took the Metro to Disneyland which is about 45 minutes outside of Paris. You could totally take a day trip out there and back if you didn’t want to change hotels in the process. We chose to stay on-site for two days. There are two main parks; Disneyland Park (think Magic Kingdom) and Studios Park (think Hollywood Studios), and Disney Village which is the equivalent to Disney Springs. It is quite small and way more manageable than Disney World. Also, every store, structure, and ride is also a walk-through attraction; pay close attention to the details. We had the privilege of visiting during their 25th anniversary which meant one of a kind merchandise and an even cooler illuminations show. Fun fact, Disneyland Paris, formerly known as Euro Disneyland, has never turned a profit in their 25 years of being open. On a side note, you can drink at either park as long as you buy food with your drink.
- Pay extra for the Park Hopper. You can do Studios Park in half a day and they closed at 7:00 when we were there, so we hopped over to Disneyland Park around 5:00 for the second time (we were there the day before) and went on some more rides.
- Eat in Disney Village vs. in the parks. The food is way better, especially Earl of Sandwich (we ate there three times in one day).
- Many of the rides in imagination land close early for the Illuminations show. The park is open until 11, but many of those rides close between (8pm-10pm), so be mindful of your time as Illuminations gets closer.
- It isn't worth stopping the fun 1-2 hours early to get a good spot for Illuminations. You may think you get a good spot until late comers come and stand in front of you when you planned on sitting for the show. Everyone ends up standing, and in the end, you can see it from many places in the park.
- My favorite rides were: Rockin Roller Coaster (Aerosmith theme), Hollywood Tower of Terror, the Fairy Tale boat ride, It’s a Small World, and the Snow White ride (Kacey’s favorite). We both had some motion sickness on the Ratatouille ride, but it has some major hype over there and families LOVE that ride. The Rockin Roller Coaster was actually in a dark garage which made it that much cooler.
- Do the hot air balloon ride in Disney Village; you will see views of both parks, Disney Village, and surrounding hotels while you are in the air.
- The Mickey and Minnie ears are different over there vs. in Orlando. Buy some there and wear them in Orlando. I purchased a gold/black pair that I am still in love with. I regret not getting the Alice in Wonderland ears that I saw there.
- We didn’t need any fast passes. Their fast pass Kiosks are next to each ride, and you insert your ticket to get a paper fast pass since there are no magic bands. We never waited more than 30 minutes for a ride which is why we didn't even try. Plus, these tend to run out a few hours after opening. Someone suggested that you split up right when you get to the park and each attempt to get as many fast passes as you can. This seemed like a time waster to me and a guarantee that someone would get lost.
- There are many inexpensive hotels within a 5-10 minutes walk to Disneyland., We stayed at HiPark Design Suites for 65 Euros a night and it was great! If I went back, I would stay there again with the kids. It had an outdoor pool and was steps away from Val d’Europe which is like visiting Mall of America with Sea Life and everything. We went grocery shopping there one night and it was an event. We bought a super nice hard cover suitcase (yes, a suitcase) at this grocery store that is super cute and durable. I also brought home some yummy chocolate for the kiddos. The seven hotels on property are: Disneyland Hotel (outrageously expensive, but awesome and actually located inside the main park), Hotel New York (my pick if I stayed on property), New Port Bay Club, Sequoia Lodge, Hotel Cheyenne, Hotel Santa Fe, and Davy Crockett Ranch. Western seems to be the theme here and I don't understand why. Not every hotel has a pool by the way, so plan carefully. There are no water parks either.
- We slept in and took our time getting to the parks. That is how we do it in Orlando too. We all end up needing our rest on vacation. Disneyland Paris is so laid back that sleeping in was worth it since you can visit both parks in 1-2 days and we gave ourselves two full days.
Sleeping Beauty Castle. Most people think it is the Beauty and the Beast Castle because the movie Beauty and the Beast was set in France. You can actually walk through the castle and see the scenes of the movie Sleeping Beauty (see pic below).
Hot air balloon ride in Disney Village.
Disney Studio Park
Illuminations.
This was the view walking out of our hotel. Val d'Europe on one end and Disneyland on the other. There were many fun outdoor places to eat here as well.
Welcome show to the right of the castle.
My favorite scene from It's a Small World ride.
Fairy Tale ride on a boat.
Hotel Pool at HiPark
Grocery store I was referencing above. It was like a Costco times five.
Best vending machine I've ever seen:) Earbuds, voltage adapters, fidget spinners, sun block, pregnancy tests, condoms, snacks, ponchos, etc.
The dog and cat we passed every day on the way to the parks. They hung out like this all day every day unless it was feeding time.