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Curator’s statement
Planning on traveling to the most magical place on Earth? Let’s make sure that you are all set for your big plans and that all of your stressors stay at home! Disneyland Paris offers an incredible experience just outside of the city that is fun for Disney fans of all ages! In recent years, Disneyland Paris has undergone big renovations with the addition of the Avengers Campus, and will continue these works into 2025 when creating the Frozen Kingdom of Arendelle. With giving a lot of attention to newer works, and still maintaining their classic attractions, Disneyland Paris is truly a great place for any and everyone. Follow along with this guide to planning Disneyland Paris to ensure that you and your traveling party are all set to take on this wonderful experience!
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Insider knowledge
Expert advice from people who’ve actually been there
Where to stay in Paris
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris, where magic knows no bounds and fairy tales come to life under the Parisian sky.
Disney Sequoia Lodge
Embrace nature's tranquility in the heart of Disney magic at Disney's Sequoia Lodge.
Disneyland Hotel
Located at the Disneyland Resort, this modern hotel features fun Disney-themed beds, a steakhouse, a tiki bar and three themed pools.
Disney's Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel
New York-themed hotel in France with art-deco style rooms and suites.
Unlock perks by contacting Devon to book your trip.
Things to do in Paris
When To Go:
Disneyland Paris offers magic year-round, but sometimes are better than others for your trip. Want shorter lines? Aim for weekdays in the shoulder seasons (January to March or April to May). Be aware that there might be fewer shows and events then.
If you prefer more entertainment and longer park hours, target weekends, holidays, summer and special events. Just expect bigger crowds during these times. Also, there are seasonal special themes for Halloween and Christmas!
Disney Halloween Festival takes place in October each year with colorful pumpkins, spooktacular decorations and adorable ghosts.
Disney Enchanted Christmas takes place in November and December each year where Disneyland Park magically transforms into a spectacular winter wonderland.
You can do Disneyland Paris in just a long weekend, but I would suggest four-to-five days to really experience everything you want and have time to relax at the hotels and Disney village.
Hotels:
The first thing to do when booking your stay will be to choose your hotel! Disneyland Paris offers seven on-property hotels. Some of the benefits of staying on property include being able to walk to the parks in just a few minutes, entering the parks before official opening time, meeting Disney characters before everyone else and enjoying one of the many restaurants and bars directly there! The hotels include:
Disneyland Hotel
Disney Newport Bay Club
Disney Hotel New York:
Disney Sequoia Lodge
Disney's Hotel Cheyenne
Disney Hotel Santa Fe
Disney Davy Crockett Ranch
Also, parents can enjoy their stay in comfort and without stress as Disneyland hotels and parks offer babysitting services, baby essentials, special kid's menus and cocktails. They also have free of charge bottle warmers, highchairs in restaurants, baby cots, bed rails and more.
Day Trips:
Disneyland Paris is less than an hour from downtown Paris by train. You will use the RER A train to get from a central station in Paris (i.e. Châtelet les Halles) to Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy station that will set you up directly in front of the parks and Disney Village. This means that it is also super easy to get to Paris from Disneyland Paris.
When planning for Disneyland, I would highly recommend planning to spend time in both Disneyland and Paris as there are so many great restaurants, museums and attractions that everyone should see in their lifetime; plus, Disneyland Paris is smaller than Disney World in Florida, so you do not need as many days to experience all that Disneyland Paris has to offer.
Places to eat & drink in Paris
Restaurant Options & Reservations:
When planning for Disneyland Paris or other Disney trips you will find that there are different types of restaurants as follows:
Table-Service Restaurants: Immerse yourself in a more formal dining experience with attentive table service. Menus here boast a wider selection of dishes, from classic French cuisine to international flavors. Theming adds another layer of fun, with restaurants like Bistrot Chez Rémy transporting you into Remy's world.
All-You-Can-Eat Buffets: Indulge in a delightful spread at Disneyland Paris' all-you-can-eat buffets. These restaurants, like PYM Kitchen, offer a diverse selection of cuisines at a fixed price, perfect for adventurous eaters. Typically all hotel breakfast restaurants also fall into this category like Hunter’s Grill in the Sequoia Lodge.
Quick-Service Restaurants: For a convenient refuel or a fast sit-down option, you can head to the park's quick-service restaurants. These offer a variety of familiar favorites like pizzas and burgers, perfect for grabbing a bite on the go. Popular choices include Stark Factory and Cowboy Cookout Barbecue.
Character Dining: Create unforgettable memories with character dining! Enjoy a meal in the company of your favorite Disney characters at select restaurants. This unique experience is a highlight for many families and is at Plaza Gardens or Auberge de Cendrillon.
During the booking process, you will be faced with the question of meal plans and dining options, but they are not necessary to enjoy your stay. Dining plans can help you budget out your meals each day and make dining less stressful during your visit, your options are detailed below:
Breakfast-Only: All of the Disneyland Paris hotels offer a breakfast-only meal plan option, which entitles your party to a buffet breakfast for every morning of your trip at your hotel.
Standard Meal Plan (Hotel Santa Fe and Davy Crockett Ranch): Choose Half-Board (breakfast + one lunch or dinner) or Full-Board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with some meals at convenient quick-service restaurants.
Plus Meal Plan - (Hotel Cheyenne, Sequoia Lodge, Newport Bay Club, and Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel): Enjoy Half-Board (breakfast and one any-restaurant meal) or Full-Board (breakfast, lunch and dinner at any restaurant). While character dining experiences are not included in the base Plus Meal Plan, you can add them on separately if you wish.
Premium Meal Plan (Disneyland Hotel): Indulge in Half-Board (breakfast and one any-restaurant meal including character dining) or Full-Board (breakfast, lunch and dinner at any restaurant, including unlimited character dining experiences). Plus, a special meal on your last day at a restaurant of your choice. (Premium Meal Plan)
For any character dining at Auberge de Cendrillon or Plaza Gardens Restaurant it is important to book well in advance!
For all dining options, even if you don’t book a plan, make sure to consider booking table reservations ahead of time. On the app, you can book reservations for table service restaurants up to two months in advance, and they definitely fill up!!
As for recommendations for where to eat, these are recommended:
Annette’s Diner - Disney Village: Step back in time for an American diner experience with classic dishes and milkshakes.
McDonald’s - Disney Village: Enjoy a familiar taste of home with a McDonald's featuring some menu items unique to Disneyland Paris, plus this is a very affordable option compared to most other restaurants in Disneyland Paris.
Brasserie Rosalie - Disney Village: Savor French brasserie fare in a charming Parisian setting.
Downtown Restaurant - Disney’s New York Hotel: Indulge in classic New York-style cuisine amid the Marvel universe.
Manhattan Restaurant - Disney’s New York Hotel: Experience upscale dining with a focus on modern American cuisine.
Skyline Bar - Disney’s New York Hotel: Take in stunning views while enjoying innovative cocktails and light bites.
Cookie Kitchen - Main Street U.S.A.: Treat yourself to freshly baked cookies. Mickey beignets and other delectable, sweet treats.
The Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlour - Main Street U.S.A.: Cool down with a scoop of classic ice cream or a refreshing sundae.
Overland Trail Cafe - Frontierland: Embark on a culinary journey through the Wild West with hearty American fare.
Last Chance Cafe - Frontierland: Refuel with a quick service meal of burgers, fries and other casual favorites.
Cowboy Cookout Barbecue - Frontierland: Savor smoky barbecue dishes cooked over an open fire.
Cafe de la Brousse - Adventureland: Explore the flavors of Africa and the South Pacific with exotic dishes including the best chicken bites in the parks that are juicy, tasty and are above par for theme park food.
Captain Jack’s - Restaurant des Pirates - Adventureland: Dine in a pirate atmosphere and enjoy a menu inspired by the high seas.
Cool Station - Discoveryland: Blast off on a futuristic adventure with space-aged snacks and drinks like a Grogu biscuit.
Pizzeria Bella Notte - Fantasyland: Enjoy a slice of Italy with delicious pizzas and pastas in the restaurant where Lady & the Tramp shared a piece of spaghetti.
Toad Hall - Fantasyland: Enjoy fish and chips at this small quick-service restaurant cutely themed.
Auberge de Cendrillon - Fantasyland: Dine like royalty in a fairytale castle setting with a menu featuring French cuisine, as well as getting to meet the princesses.
PYM Kitchen - Avengers Campus: Fuel up on a buffet of inventive dishes inspired by Pym Technologies' size-altering technology.
Stark Factory - Avengers Campus: Enjoy a quick service meal in a Tony Stark-themed industrial setting.
FAN-tastic Food Truck - Avengers Campus: Grab a bite on the go with creative superhero-themed snacks, especially the chocolate covered cheesecake.
Laugh and Go - Worlds of Pixar: Take a break with a selection of light bites and refreshing drinks including the Cars themed Croque McQueen (Croque Monsieur).
Bistro Chez Remy - Worlds of Pixar: Shrink down to Remy's size and experience a gourmet French meal from a rat's perspective.
Need to know
Parks & Tickets:
When thinking about planning for Disneyland, you will see that Disneyland Paris has two theme parks, Disneyland Park and Walt Disney World Studios (soon to be renamed to Disney Adventure World), along with Disney Village.
Disneyland Park is the biggest of the two parks with Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora’s Castle at the center of it all. This park features five main sections similar to Walt Disney World: Frontierland (with Big Thunder Mountain and Phantom Manor), Adventureland (with Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones Temple of Peril), Fantasyland (with Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, It’s a Small World and Dumbo the Flying Elephant), Discoveryland (with Hyperspace Mountain and Star Tours), and Main Street U.S.A. (where the parades take place). This park has the most to offer with tons of rides, character meetups and great food options, so make sure to spend a lot of time here. Also, this park is where the Electrical Sky Parade (a new drone light show only at Disneyland Paris) and the amazing Fireworks shows take place each night just after closing.
Walt Disney World Studios (soon-to-be Disney Adventure World) is the smaller of the two parks, but still features a lot of attractions and shows. This park features three main sections: Production Courtyard and Toon Studio (with the Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror and Pixar Musical Adventure shows), Worlds of Pixar (with Cars: Road Trip and Ratatouille: The Adventure) and Avengers Campus (with Avengers Assemble: Flight Force and Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure). This park has had the most recent work done with the Avengers campus being such a cool and futuristic Disney addition. Make sure to plan accordingly when coming to this park as the shows here are incredible and are a nice break from all the walking around between attractions.
Disney Village is the area of shops and restaurants in between the parks and Disneyland Paris hotels (with the exception of Disneyland Hotel and Davy Crockett Ranch). This area is great for having more dining options at better prices (like Annette’s Diner and McDonald’s), as well as places to shop past the closing times of the parks. This area also features a beautiful lake between the village and hotels where you can take some time to relax and enjoy the area.
When it comes to planning for Disneyland parks, every guest fortunately has tickets that are the equivalent of Park Hopper tickets. These tickets allow you to go between parks as much as you want each day and are all connected to your ticket or Magic Pass, so you can explore Walt Disney World Studios and then have dinner in Disneyland Park before the fireworks if you would like. Also, when booking through Disneyland Paris directly, the hotel package includes tickets for the day of arrival. This means that you can get to Disneyland Paris early in the morning, check-in and get your Magic Pass, drop off your luggage in their secure storage area at each hotel, and then immediately enjoy the parks. You can then pick up your items later when your room is ready after check-in.
What You Need for Disneyland:
If you just go to Disneyland Paris for a day, with no other planning, you are sure to have a wonderful time. However, to get the most out of your magical experience, here are some things you will want to prepare for before your trip.
The Disneyland Paris App: If you have plans to go to Disneyland Paris, make sure this app is on your phone now. This app allows you to get into the parks by connecting to your Magic Pass so you don’t need to show the physical card each time. This also allows you to book dining reservations and order pickup at quick service restaurants so you are all set when it comes to food. The app also lets you see both parks in a map view with real-time wait times at all the attractions, as well as showtimes, and if any attractions are temporarily closed or under construction. Lastly, the app is where you can get Disney Premier Access for rides (like Lightning Lane) if you would like to bypass the lines on your favorite rides.
Comfortable Shoes: As with most European destinations, you will want to bring comfortable shoes as you will be walking… a lot. You will likely want to bring two pairs of shoes in case one pair gets ruined, smelly or wet. It is super important that the shoes you get can last the entirety of your trip as your feet and back will thank you after spending roughly 10+ hours solely walking around. It could also be nice to have shoes that are waterproof as it can get rainy, which leads me to the next point.
Coats, Ponchos, & Umbrellas: Unlike Florida where it is warm and often sunny, Paris has seasons. This means that you will want to bring a raincoat, poncho, or umbrella with you to the parks. Make sure it is light as the weather can change, so you don’t want to carry around a bulky coat or umbrella, but just a small one you can tuck in a bag or backpack is perfect. Also, if you go in the winter, pack accordingly as it will be cold or snowy!
Clothing: In addition to having a jacket with you for the rain or cool weather, you also want to plan accordingly for the time of year you are going. As previously mentioned, France experiences seasons, so you will want shorts, t-shirts, baseball hats, sunglasses and sundresses for the spring and summer months. For fall and winter, you will want to pack some jeans, pants, long-sleeved shirts, hats, gloves and sweaters. Also, don’t forget your bathing suit if you are staying on property for the pools!
Small Items to Pack: Here are some items you will want to bring just in case you need them: hand sanitizer, sunscreen, first aid items, lip balm/chapstick, reusable water bottle and external batteries for your phones!
Novelties: Don’t forget to consider bringing an autograph book, pins to trade, a lanyard, a sharpie or pen and anything you would like to have signed by your favorite characters in the parks! Of course you can always buy these items at the parks too!
Planning Your Days: Disney creates such a magical experience at their parks, so take time to decide how you enjoy traveling and ask yourself what are the most important things for you to do. How much can you do in one day? You can average over 20,000 steps a day in the parks, so if this is too much, make sure to take breaks and rest either at restaurants or back at your hotel, as well as taking your time to soak in the magical atmosphere. Are there certain rides you need to go on? Check the app for live wait times and if the lines are too long, then get the Premier Access to bypass the wait. Are you a foodie? Make sure to make reservations at restaurants of choice, as well as check below for some recommendations to get an idea of what you may want to try from Mickey beignets to character dining with the princesses. Are you there for the shows? Plan which parks you go to for the day by looking at the times of the shows and making sure you are there at least 15 minutes before they start, and also make sure you get a good spot near the castle for the end of the night fireworks show (I would suggest getting a spot around 10:20 pm to 10:30 pm for the 11:00 pm show).
Travel Advisor
Devon Forsythe
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This guide is a part of our ongoing series on travel to Paris. Looking for more travel inspiration? Check out Fora Advisor Gillian Spatz's guide, Discover Magical Adventures at Disney World Japan: Your Ultimate Guide!