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Disneyland Paris is the only Disney theme park in Europe, and it can be a bit intimidating for someone who has never been to an international Disney park. You’ve never been to Disneyland Paris, so you don’t have the insider tips, tricks, and knowledge to plan the perfect trip.
Disneyland Paris features two parks: Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios. Disneyland Paris is the main park with the castle and Walt Disney Studios is a smaller park that has a similar vibe to Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World.
It also has a Downtown Disney-eqsue area called Disney Village. It is full of restaurants, shops, and a dinner show. The majority of the Disneyland Paris hotels are also located near Disney Village.
The Disneyland Paris tips provided in this post will help you navigate all Disneyland Paris has to offer. They are extremely practical tips that will help you make the most out of your Disneyland Paris trip!
PS- Be sure to check out my ultimate Disneyland Paris packing list, so you’ll have everything you need to enjoy the parks!
Table of Contents
1. Research the Rides Before You Get to the Parks
Disneyland Paris has a number of unique attractions you won’t find anywhere else. It is important you take the time to research what attractions Disneyland Paris has to offer and what you want to ride.
The most popular attractions in Disneyland Paris include:
- Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (a more intense version of Space Mountain)
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Phantom Manner
- Indiana Jones Temple of Peril
The most popular attractions in Walt Disney Studios include:
- Crush’s Coaster
- Tower of Terror
- Ratatouille: The Adventure
- Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster
You’ll want to have a plan about what park you want to visit first, what attractions you must ride, what attractions you want to ride, and have a Fastpass strategy.
You will waste a lot of time in the parks trying to figure out what you want to do if you don’t have a plan before you get there.
It would be a shame to not make the most out of your time at Disneyland Paris so be sure to have a plan.
Your plan will most likely change throughout the day as you discover what attractions you love and want to ride again, but it is important to have a general idea of what you want to do before you get to the parks.
This is one of the most important Disneyland Paris tips on this list. You’ll regret it if you won’t put a little effort in before your trip and research the different attractions.
2. It is Incredibly Easy to get to Disneyland Paris
It is incredibly easy to get to Disneyland Paris no matter where in Paris you’re staying.
There is a metro station at the entrance of Disneyland Paris, and trains run continuously throughout the day.
It takes about 30-45 minutes to get from central Paris to Disneyland Paris. You need to take the RER A train. Once you get on the RER A, you ride it all the way to the last stop: Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy.
You will be steps from Disneyland Paris once you get off the train.
If you’re visiting Disneyland Paris from somewhere else in France, there is a TGV station at Marne-la-Vallée. You can take a train directly to Marne-la-Vallée if it is available, or you can take a train to central Paris and take the metro to Disneyland Paris.
You can even get from some international destinations to Disneyland Paris quite easily.
There is a Eurostar train from Brussels to central Paris, and you would just have to take the metro to Disneyland Paris. There is even a direct Eurostar train from London to Disneyland Paris!
It is impressive how easy they’ve made it to get to Disneyland Paris.
It is definitely one of the selling features of going to Disneyland Paris. You can easily visit Disneyland Paris as a day trip from Paris without spending too much time getting to and from the parks.
3. Understand the Different Ticket Options
There are a number of different ticket options at Disneyland Paris. It is important to understand the different ticket types, so you can choose the ticket that best suits your needs.
If you’re only at Disneyland Paris for one day, it is easy to decide what ticket option is best for you. You just have to choose between a single park ticket and a park hopper ticket.
A park hopper ticket allows you to visit both theme parks in a single day, and I always recommend buying the park hopper ticket if you only have one day at Disneyland Paris. There are attractions you won’t want to miss in each park, and you can easily walk between the parks in a matter of minutes.
It becomes more difficult to pick a ticket when you’re visiting for more than one day. You essentially have to choose between a muti-day ticket and an annual pass.
In some instances it is more affordable to purchase the Discovery annual pass than it is to purchase a two-day park hopper ticket.
The Discovery annual pass is only valid certain days of the year, so the first step is to visit the Disneyland Paris website and figure out if the Discovery annual pass is valid when you plan on visiting the parks.
If the Discovery annual pass is valid when you’re visiting the parks, it is the best bang for your buck. You don’t get any special food or merchandise discounts, but you save on ticket prices.
There is one small catch with the Discovery annual pass though.
There is an automatic blackout date for the two days following the purchase of it. If you purchase the annual pass on a Monday, the Tuesday and Wednesday are blacked out, so you won’t be able to visit the parks those days.
This is a bit troublesome for people wanting to visiting Disneyland Paris multiple days in a row. Luckily there is a workaround for this problem though!
You can purchase your Discovery annual pass in advance of your trip and have it mailed to your house.
You’ll have to do the math on whether the shipping fee negates the ticket price savings, but it is often still a better deal to have your annual pass shipped to your house. This is especially true if you’re ordering annual passes for a group because you only pay the shipping once.
Disneyland Paris is one of those parks where you need to be strategic about what tickets you buy, or you could waste a lot of money.
It is easy to overpay for tickets if you don’t understand the ticketing system.
4. Make Dining Reservations in Advance
This is one of the most important Disneyland Paris tips on the list! There aren’t too many table service restaurants in the parks, and reservations are limited.
You’ll want to make a dining reservation well in advance of your trip if you want to eat at a particular restaurant.
You can making dining reservations up to 6 months in advance of your trip, and for popular dining spots like Bistro Chez Remy, you’ll want to make them as far in advance as possible.
If you book your Disneyland Paris trip less than six months in advance, book your dining as soon as you have a date. If you’re a planner and book your trip more than six months in advance, figure out the earliest day you can make reservations, put it in your calendar, and make the reservation the first day you can.
You have to call Disneyland Paris to make a dining reservation. The phone number to book dining is +33 1 60 30 40 5. International rates do, unfortunately, apply if you’re calling from outside of France.
You’ll be able to speak with an English-speaking person when you call the dining reservation number, and I’ve never been on hold for more than a few minutes.
It is definitely worth taking the effort and booking dining reservations in advance.
5. You Don’t Need to Speak French
Language isn’t a barrier at all at Disneyland Paris! You don’t need to worry about not speaking French.
All of the cast members speak English and there are English menus, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to communicate.
There are English parks maps, and all the signs are in English as well as French.
A lot of the rides with narration even have portions of it in English! It is a great way to allow everybody to get the full experience of the attraction. The safety instructions are also in English, so you don’t have to worry about not knowing the safety procedures of each ride.
It, of course, takes a little time to get used to English not being the main and only language, but it won’t impede or restrict your Disneyland Paris trip in any way!
6. Download the Official Disneyland Paris App
It is essential that you download the Disneyland Paris app onto your phone. The app will make your Disneyland Paris trip run so much smoother.
The app has everything you need to know about Disneyland Paris. It includes:
- A map of both parks and Disney Village
- Live wait times for attractions
- A list of dining locations and their menus
- Schedule of events including parade, show, and firework times
There is free WiFi in the parks, so you’re easily able to access and use the app without having to use your cellular data.
PSA: If you’re using the public wifi at Disneyland Paris, be sure to protect yourself from prying eyes with a virtual private network. You don’t want to have your data hacked while enjoying the magic of Disney!
I personally swear by Nord VPN.
You can connect up to six users with one account, so you can keep the whole family safe with one click!
The highlight of the app is undoubtably the live wait times. It is so easy to plan your next attraction when you can easily see how long the queue is without having to walk all the way to the attraction.
I highly recommend the Disneyland Paris app to anybody visiting the parks.
You may want to download it a few weeks before your trip, so you get used to using it and get a sense of what attractions have the longest wait at various points during the day.
7. Eat at Off-Peak Times
The shortage of table service restaurants inside the parks means that the quick service restaurants can get painfully busy. The best way to avoid heavy crowds at quick service restaurants is to eat at off-peak times.
Peak dining times are between 11:30am and 1:30pm and 5pm and 7pm. You want to avoid dining at these times as much as possible.
Plan to have a late lunch or early dinner.
You will waste a lot of valuable park time waiting in a long, seemingly never ending queue if you dine during peak hours. I once spent 45 minutes in a queue for pizza at a quick service restaurant, and it was not worth it.
The wait times for rides are also slightly shorter during peak dining hours because a lot of guests are at restaurants. This is a great opportunity to get on a few extra rides while the lines are shorter!
8. Take the Time to Visit Disney Village
You’ll be very busy at Disneyland Paris, and it is easy to focus all your time and attention on the parks. You’re paying a lot of money, and you want to get your money’s worth and ride everything you can.
While I understand that mentality, I also think it is a mistake.
Disney Village is well worth a visit. There are a number of shops with unique items you might not easily find inside the parks. This includes a really cool art shop that collectors will love.
Disney Village also has a lot of different dining options, and that is the biggest draw of the area. It has quite a few table service restaurants that you don’t need a reservation to eat at.
The restaurants at Disney Village are a great option for people who weren’t able to get reservations inside the parks.
Even if you’re not interested in the shopping or restaurants, it is still worthwhile to wander through Disney Village. It is a beautiful area with a scenic lake, and you’re able to get away from the hustle and bustle of the parks for a little while.
You don’t have to spend much time in Disney Village. Even just 30 to 45 minutes will be enough time to wander through the area and get a sense of the atmosphere and if you want to spend more time there.
I didn’t take the time to explore Disney Village the first time I went to Disneyland Paris and regretted it! Learn from my mistakes and be sure to visit Disney Village on your trip.
9. Take Advantage of Single Rider Queues
A few select attractions at Disneyland Paris have a single rider queue. Single rider queues are one of the best ways to make the most out of your time at Disneyland Paris.
People from the single rider queue are used to fill empty seats that aren’t filled with people from the regular queues.
For example, if the attraction seats two guests per row and there is a group of three, a person from the single rider queue will be seated next to third person in the party.
Attractions that offer a single rider queue are:
- Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
- RC Racer
- Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop
- Crush’s Coaster
- Ratatouille: The Adventure
You can easily save upwards of an hour by using the single rider queues.
I’ve had multiple instances where I only waited 5 minutes in a single rider queue when the regular standby queue was over an hour.
The downside to single rider queues is, of course, that you won’t be able to ride the attraction with your family. You don’t get to choose who you ride with or where you sit, so you have to be prepared to go wherever and whenever you’re told.
Of all the Disneyland Paris tips on this list, using the single rider queue will save you the most time and allow you to ride the most attractions.
You just have to decide whether it is important for you to ride with your group or not.
10. Bring Snacks to Save Money
Disney food is expensive, and you may not want to eat every single meal and snack in the parks. You’re able to bring your own snacks into the parks as a method to save a little bit of money.
There are some restrictions on what you can bring in like no coolers or alcohol, but most food is acceptable.
Packing a few muffins for breakfast or granola bars to stop that midday hunger is a great way to save some money. Snacks are small and easy to pack, so you don’t have to worry about them taking up too much room in your Disney bag.
With they money you’ve saved by bringing your own snacks rather than paying nearly $10 for popcorn, you’ll be able to splurge and have a nice lunch or dinner at a restaurant.
Conclusion
Disneyland Paris is one of the most beautiful and special Disney parks in the world. It has a fantastic mixture of thrill rides, nostalgia, and unique touches you won’t find anywhere in the world.
These Disneyland Paris tips are designed to help you get the most out of your Disneyland Paris trip.
They save you time, money, and some of the stress of planning a Disney trip to a park you’ve never been to before.
Disneyland Paris is on nearly every Disney fan’s bucket list and for good reason! I highly recommend a trip to Disneyland Paris next time you’re in France.
You won’t regret it- especially if you take advantage of these Disneyland Paris tips!
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