Are you planning a trip to Disneyland Paris and looking for travel tips?
In the very heart of Europe, you will go on a magical experience. This famous amusement park is every child’s fantasy thanks to its enchanted setting and abundance of well-known Disney characters.
However, it is crucial to get ready for your trip before you leave.
Related Read: Disneyland Paris: The Ultimate Guide To The Happiest Place On Earth
To help you get the most out of your trip to Disneyland Paris, we’ve compiled some helpful information and tips in this guide.
Learn all you need to know to have a magical time at the land of fairy tales, from how to plan your trip and save money to how to travel around the park like a pro.
Things you'll find in this article
20 Tips For Visiting Disneyland Paris
Planning your trip
1. Visit on off-peak times 0
The majority of guests visiting Disneyland Paris bring their kids, therefore off-peak and shoulder seasons are typically less busy and have shorter lines.
This does not mean though that there will not be crowded conditions and lengthy wait times. However, the crowd will be significantly lower than during the summer and school break.
2. Select a “special” month for your trip
If you plan your trip to Disneyland around “special” holidays like Halloween, Christmas, or New Year’s, you’ll get to enjoy some additional perks around the park.
Festive trimmings, such as glittering Christmas trees and spooky pumpkins, come to mind.
However, there will be more people and greater prices if you plan your trip around these events. You could save time by coming earlier in the month.
Some of their decorations may already be up in preparation for the main events, and you may get to view them for a fraction of the usual cost.
3. Avoid weekends and holidays
One further piece of advice for visiting Disneyland Paris without the crowds on the weekend is to go during the week instead.
This is because many Parisians and other city dwellers who work Monday through Friday typically visit Disneyland on the weekends. This also applies to other days off from work or school.
4. Make it a day trip
People often underestimate the viability of a day trip to Disneyland Paris from the French capital. Less than an hour on the RER C train separates you from the heart of Paris.
If you get there first thing in the morning and don’t leave until the last train leaves, you’ll have plenty of time. If your time in Paris is limited but you still want to visit Disneyland Paris, this is the way to go.
5. Carry a battery pack with you.
When you’re in the middle of snapping the best photo of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, having your phone die is one of the worst things that can happen!
If you forget your charger at home, you can avoid this problem by bringing a portable charger with you. This portable charger is a must when traveling.
6. Read Up on the Attractions in Advance
If you’ve been to Disneyland in California or Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, you might want to skip over some of the attractions that are identical there and instead focus on the ones that are exclusive to Disney Paris.
Top Paris-only attractions at Disneyland Paris include:
- Armageddon – Les Effets Speciaux
- Adventure Isle
- Avengers Assemble: Flight Force
- Crush’s Coaster
- CinéMagique
- Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril (currently closed)
- La Tanière du Dragon
- Les Mystères du Nautilus
- RC Racer
- Space Mountain: Mission 2
- Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (when Star Wars takes over Space Mountain)
Saving Time and Money
7. Book a room at an onsite hotel
On-site hotels at Disneyland Paris are an excellent addition to any trip, but their high prices are puzzling. The last RER stop before Disneyland Paris is Val d’Europe, which is where we advise you to stay.
If you prefer to stay off the resort grounds in Val d’Europe, we recommend the budget-friendly Relais Spa Chessy, which is only a 15-minute stroll from the parks.
8. Get tickets for a weekday
Disneyland Paris offers Mini, Magic, and Super Magic ticket tiers. Mini tickets, the cheapest option, are typically only available during the week. Weekends and holidays are typically when you can purchase more expensive Magic and Super Magic tickets.
Mini tickets and weekday visits can help you save money, so do everything you can to take advantage of them.
9. Compare the various online versions and their prices.
The Disneyland Paris website is available in multiple languages, including English (US and UK), French, German, and Italian.
You can save money on airline tickets by doing little research and selecting a different nation at checkout. The prices per version vary and there’s a great chance to save some cash.
10. Download an app to check wait times
If you download the Disneyland Paris app (Android, iOS), you can quickly check wait times and make plans accordingly.
It’s time to act when the wait time for a popular ride drops to 45 minutes or less. But you’ll need to act fast because many other people have probably had the same thought.
11. Please bring your snacks and refreshments.
Bring your bottles of water, sandwiches, snacks, and fruit to eat and drink to save time and money.
As long as your belongings fit in your bag, feel free to carry them into the parks and enjoy them on one of the many picnic benches.
12. Make Use Of Rider Switching And Single-Rider Lines
There are two free options for reducing your wait time at Euro Disneyland: single rider lines and rider switch (also known as a baby switch).
- Single Rider Line: Some attractions include “single rider lines” that allow visitors to bypass long wait times in exchange for being separated from their party. Using single-rider lines is a no-brainer if you are a solitary traveler.
- Rider Switch (aka Baby Switch): Disney’s “rider switch” service is a wonderful perk for families taking young children to Disneyland Paris. If one adult is behind with a child while the other goes on a ride, the person who stays behind can request a rider switch card from a cast member as they leave the attraction.
Then, a little card will be handed to them that allows them to skip the line with one parent and one additional rider. The accompanying adult can then avoid the lengthy wait by riding the attraction without having to stand in line.
Health and Safety
13. Wear Layers
In the late fall, winter, and early spring, Paris experiences all four seasons. It’s not uncommon for the weather to go from pouring rain to bright sunshine in just one hour during these times of the year.
Wearing layers allows you to adapt your clothing to the changing weather. A hat, gloves, and a tiny umbrella that can fit in your backpack are other necessities.
14. Always have a refillable water bottle on you.
You should bring a refillable water bottle to Disneyland Paris. Water fountains in Disneyland are drinkable, just as those in the streets of Paris.
You get to save money on water and help the environment by using less plastic. If you don’t already have one, this is the best portable water bottle I’ve found.
15. Bring some meds and other supplies
Access to the common medicines we all need occasionally is more difficult in France, especially within the protected environment of Disneyland Paris.
At either Disneyland or Disney Village, you won’t find any drugstores.
Bring motion sickness pills, antacids, and digestive aids for yourself and your fellow adults. The same goes for kids, but they need to be in liquid form.
You can find pharmacies in both Magny (near most partner hotels) and Val D’Europe, so don’t worry if you fail to pack anything essential. However, if you do get hurt, there are first aid stations in both parks and Disney Village that can give you bandages and some basic drugs.
Get yourself some good, all-inclusive travel insurance, too.
Exploring
16. Wear comfortable walking shoes
As we’ve just indicated, there may be significant wait times for specific attractions. You should wear your most comfortable sneakers and stay away from anything that could be painful throughout the day. Here’s one comfy and sturdy sneaker that’s best for walking.
17. See Both the Parks
Two parks are part of Disneyland Paris, as was just indicated. Magic and fairytales abound at Disneyland Park, while Disney’s biggest films are celebrated at Walt Disney Studios Park.
Though it will cost you more to see both, I think it’s worth it to get a feel for the two different cultures.
New attractions have been built to what was once a somewhat uninteresting section of Walt Disney Studios Park.
If time and money are constraints, however, Disneyland Park should be prioritized over Walt Disney Studios.
18. Experience the top adult attractions at Disneyland Paris.
Since the park’s focus is on younger visitors, several of the rides and shows may not be recommended for adults.
Here are some of the best rides that grownups love that you shouldn’t miss:
- Avengers Assemble: Flight Force (Walt Disney Studios Park)
- Big Thunder Mountain (Disneyland Park)
- Crush’s Coaster (Walt Disney Studios Park)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (Disneyland Park)
- Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (Disneyland Park)
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Walt Disney Studios Park)
And if you’re an adult wondering which Disneyland Paris park is best, I’d answer it depends on what you’re into.
If roller coasters are your sole interest, you may find a bit more to do at Walt Disney Studios Park. But if you want the real Disney experience, Disneyland Park is your best chance.
19. Make the most of your lunch break by going on some of the most visited rides.
Exploring Disneyland Paris during lunch is a great way to avoid the lines for the most popular rides. Between noon and two, attendance at rides typically drops as people leave to eat lunch.
Go to the tourist hotspots instead of the crowded eateries, and you could cut your wait time in half. This means you must eat your prepared snacks an hour before or after the lunch break.
20. Make time for the Parades
One of the highlights of a trip to Disneyland Paris is taking in the various parades and presentations. Especially if you’re taking the kids along, you should make room for them in your schedule.
Everything a child could want is here: lively tunes, bright costumes, exciting dance routines, and familiar characters from stories they’ve read.
You’ll need to wait in line (or buy a seat in advance via the Disneyland Paris app) to see a show, just as you would for any other attraction.
If you want a good view of a parade, you should get in line along the route at least half an hour before it starts. The Disneyland Paris app features a parade route map.
Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France. A self-proclaimed Francophile, I love everything France.