France

Tips for Planning Disneyland Paris

September 16, 2026 / Disney Travel, Disneyland, Europe, France, Theme Parks, Travel / 0 comment

Planning the perfect trip to Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris is located in Marne-la-Vallée, France, about 32 kilometres (20 miles) east of the city centre of Paris. It consists of two theme parks, seven Disney-owned hotels and a shopping, dining and entertainment complex.

Disneyland Paris opened in 1992 with a single theme park, Disneyland Park, which was joined by a second park, Disney Adventure World (then known as Walt Disney Studios Park), in 2002.

Disneyland Paris (also known for a time as “Euro Disney”) has a range of unique rides and attractions, making it a worth addition to a Disney park bucket list. Here are some tips to help with planning Disneyland Paris.

How many days to spend at Disneyland Paris

One huge question is always how much time to dedicate to spend at the parks. While you can definitely spend a few days visiting both parks and enjoying all of the rides and experiences, you can also compress the visit into a single day – which is what we did.

It was extremely hectic and exhausting and we did not ride everything or see everything, however it fit in best with our overall trip plan. We did purchase the Disney Premier Access Ultimate and were able to skip the queue to all rides we wanted to experience across both parks, which helped immeasurably.

When planning a Disneyland Paris trip, consider what your main goals are, how many days you want to spend at the parks vs other places in Europe, and if you’re willing and able to spend money on Premier Access Passes to help with your trip if you choose to only go for one day like we did.

Unique Attractions: Disneyland Park

Phantom Manor: A much darker, gothic take on the traditional Haunted Mansions in other Disney parks.

Big Thunder Mountain: This is a must-ride for us in every country as they are all unique. The Paris mine train is built entirely on its own island in the middle of a lake.

Alice’s Curious Labyrinth: A colorful hedge maze inspired by Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. The labyrinth features interactive elements, funny mirrors, and the Queen of Hearts’ castle in the centre.

Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain: While this ride does exist in other Disney parks, the French version is housed inside a striking steampunk-themed copper dome and features an outdoor launch.

Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant: The iconic Sleeping Beauty castle is uniquely home to La Tanière du Dragon, a 89-foot-long, breathing animatronic dragon resting in a cavern underneath. The dragon periodically wakes up, growls, and puffs smoke. The dragon extremely cool and not to be missed.

Les Mystères du Nautilus: A walk-through attraction in Discoveryland that lets you explore Captain Nemo’s submarine from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The walkthrough features a fun encounter with a giant squid.

Adventure Isle: This is a great activity for when the lines are too long and the kids want to run around. Adventure Isle is an island filled with suspension bridges, hidden caves, smuggler wrecks, and secret pathways.

Unique Attractions: Disney Adventure World

Avengers Assemble: Flight Force: Located at the Avengers Campus, this is a high-speed thrill coaster featuring an on-board appearances by F.R.I.D.A.Y., Iron Man and Captain Marvel. The ride features several inversions.

Ratatouille: The Adventure: A trackless 4D dark ride that shrinks you to the size of a rat and rushes you through Gusteau’s restaurant. This ride has since been replicated in Epcot so it’s not unique to Disneyland Paris anymore, however as this ride is actually set in and located in France, I think it still kind of counts.

Crush’s Coaster: An extremely popular spinning roller coaster themed to Finding Nemo. We absolutely loved this ride.

Cars Quatre Roues Rallye: A family-friendly spinning whip-style ride set in Radiator Springs that is identical in format to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at Disney California Adventure.

Unique experiences at Disneyland Paris

You can purchase a glass of sparking Champagne in Disneyland Paris for €20, the only Disney park where you can sip bubbly in front of the castle. The Champagne can be purchased from a cart that is located at the top right end of Main Street.

The “Fast Pass” System: Disney Premier Access

Disney Premier Access allows you to bypass regular standby lines via a dedicated fast lane. There are two variants available on the official app:

Disney Premier Access One: Buy a one-time pass for a single attraction. It gives you a 1-hour time slot and costs between €5 and €20 per person, per ride, depending on demand.

Disney Premier Access Ultimate: A comprehensive all-in pass covering all eligible attractions (roughly 15–18 total across both parks). It requires no time slots—you simply walk up whenever you like. Prices range from €90 to €190+ per person, per day, depending on how busy the park is.

How to get to Disneyland Paris

Deciding if you will stay in Paris and commute to the park or stay onsite is one of the biggest decisions you will have to make when planning Disneyland Paris.

If you decide to stay in Paris and commute, it is actually extremely easy to get to and from the park.

The fastest and easiest way to get to Disneyland Paris from the center of Paris is by taking the RER A regional train directly to the park gates. This is what we did and it was easy and also got us there before the shuttle bus.

By Train (RER A): Take the RER A line (red line) heading east. You can catch it from major central stations like Châtelet–Les Halles, Gare de Lyon, or Nation. Get off at the very last stop: Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy. Look for the Mickey Mouse ear symbol on the platform screens to ensure your specific train goes all the way to the park. Travel time is about 40 to 45 minutes and cost is about €5 each way, making it a lot cheaper than the shuttle. The station is a 2-minute walk from the park entrance.

By Shuttle Bus: The Disneyland Paris Express coach service picks up passengers from several central Paris locations (including Gare du Nord, Opéra, and the Eiffel Tower) departing Paris around 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM and leaving Disneyland at 9:00 PM. The cost varies, and you can bundle it with park tickets. The shuttle bus drops passengers off at the coach parking area, which is about a 10-minute walk via moving walkway to the gates.

Where to stay at Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris offers seven official themed accommodations ranging from budget to ultra-luxury:

Disneyland Hotel (5-star): The iconic hotel features Victorian castle architecture, princess-themed rooms, fine dining like the Royal Banquet, and has a direct private entrance into the park. It is the most conveniently located hotel for accessing the park and also the most expensive.

Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel (4-star): This hotel celebrates Marvel superhero art with modern a New York styling and is a 10-minute walk through Disney Village.

Disney Newport Bay Club (4-star): A 1900s New England maritime mansion style, it is a 15-minute walk around Lake Disney.

Disney Sequoia Lodge (3-star): A cozy, rustic national park-style lodge, which is a 15-minute walk to the park and located near Lake Disney.

Disney Hotel Cheyenne (2/3-star):Budget-friendly hotel themed around the Wild West and a 15 to 20-minute walk along the river path.

Hotel Santa Fe (2/3-star): Budget-friendly property themed around the Pixar’s Cars. This is the furthest on-site hotel, taking a 20-minute walk along the river.

Disney Davy Crockett Ranch: Woodland self-catering cabins offsite. Requires a 15-minute drive (no shuttle service provided).

Get more information about Disneyland Paris hotels.

Get more information on visiting Disneyland Paris.

Do you have any more questions about planning Disneyland Paris?

South of France, The Highlights

August 16, 2009 / France, Holidays / 1 Comment

After an amazing week in Paris, we flew south to Montpellier, picked up another hire car, and drove to Arles for a two-day stay.

Arles is famous for two things – most recently, Van Gogh lived and painted here, but a long time before that, Arles was conquered by the Romans. The remains of the Roman civilisation are still visible in Arles, including the theatre, baths and arena. We were lucky enough to see a gladiator match being put on in the arena when we visited.

Arles is a funny place – from the outside looks quite run down and old, but the narrow streets remind me a lot of Venice – a rabbit warren of streets, revealing treasures tucked into corners. The insides of the derelict buildings have all been renovated, so it’s quite the town of surprises.

The Roman arena.

From Arles we drove to Carcassonne, where we rented an apartment for four nights. Carcassonne is quite amazing to see when you approach the city. The old city is perched on a hill top and is quite majestic!

We spent a lovely day exploring the old city.

The area is rife with castles and is rich in history, particularly from the Cathar period. Many of the castles are actually more like fortresses, designed to protect the people, and the Cathars, from the religious crusades.

The castles are just amazing. Perched on the top of mountains in terrain that is so inhospitable it’s just extraordinary imagining people climbing up and down, or laying siege to, in every-day life.

One of the castles, Montsegur.

Sunflowers – everywhere!

Lastours castles.

Matchy-match at Lastours.

Final view of Carcassonne.

We ended our France leg by driving to Toulouse, spending the night, then catching a flight to London early the next morning.

Paris, France – Getting Engaged!

August 16, 2009 / Family, France / 3 Comments

The absolute highlight of both Paris and the trip was getting engaged.

Alec went to a lot of effort to create the perfect day for me, and it truly was!

First, Alec booked an amazing hotel for us to stay in for two nights, called Jays Paris. They also upgraded our room for free, which was unexpected! The hotel was made up of only six suites, all of which were individually themed, and extremely luxurious. The service is also what sets Jas apart. We found chocolates on our pillows, fresh fruit left for us in the evening, and the weather report was put under our door each morning! Our suite looked over a private garden, so we could enjoy looking at beautiful flowers every morning.

Since I had fallen sick when we drove through Giverny, we decided to take a day trip back. It was so beautiful – the most amazing day trip. The gardens are just so exquisite I can see how Monet was inspired to create his masterpieces here. Alec told me later he was planning on proposing at the gardens, but the ring was stuck in the bottom of his bag and he couldn’t get it out!

Next on my perfect day was chocolate shopping and dessert sampling at Fauchon, a Paris institution that was recommended to me by my dear friend Masa. We spend a few happy hours here buying delightful chocolate and trying more avante guard desserts, like the one below (it looks like any other tart, but believe me when I say I think I found the source of Zumbo‘s inspiration!)

We decided to go out to dinner somewhere special for our last night in Paris, and went back to the hotel to get changed. I was ready to go and waiting for the taxi in our suite when Alec came around to where I was sitting, dropped to one knee, and presented me with a Tiffany & Co box.

Even though we’d been talking about marriage for a while, nothing prepares you for the moment! I had tears in my eyes as he opened the box, took out the ring and asked me if I would marry him.

Dinner to celebrate was at L’Arpege, a three-Michelin star restaurant that focuses on vegetables. It was the perfect place to celebrate being newly engaged! The food and service was just divine, with friendly people happy to explain every detail about the food, help us chose wine, and accommodate our every eating desire. The food was just exquisite – the best meal of both our lives, with amazing wine to match, chosen by the sommelier. Four hours passed in a flash, and we have never been to a restaurant so lovely before – and doubt we might for a long time again.

This was taken at the end of dinner by our very friendly waiter.

And so it was back to the hotel! The most amazing day every was coming to an end, but the most exciting things are still to follow – planning our wedding with our family and friends, and beginning our life together as a married couple. I can’t wait!

At the hotel after dinner – totally blissed out.

My new bling, close up.

Proudly displaying my bling – loving being a newly engaged girl!

France! Parisian Highlights

August 16, 2009 / France, Holidays / 0 comment

An amazing week in Paris. Too much to go into detail about, so here is a touch of my favourite city.

Saint Chapelle is my favourite church, possibly of any I’ve ever seen. It’s just so beautiful with all of the stained glass.

Arc de Triomphe – I drove around this in peak hour traffic. Scariest driving experience of my life.

Delicious tart from Laduree – snobby evil staff, tasty pastry.

Gargoyle at Notre Dame.

The Louvre – home of fabulous art. Love the sculptures in particular.

Notre Dame in the sun – beautiful church.

Our hotel was only a five minute walk from Notre Dame. Amazing location. Amazing city!

Dinner with friends – Shelley and Eric met us for the weekend. Paris with friends is even better!

Versailles bike ride – one of the best things we did in Paris.

Eiffel Tour at night – love it when it’s all lit up.

Tour de France – what an amazing vibe and day.

Napoleon’s tomb in Hotel les Invalide. Very impressive!

Sewers tour! Made Alec happy 🙂

Sacre Coeur – prettiest situated church ever, with a great view of Paris.

France: Normandy, The Highlights

August 16, 2009 / France / 1 Comment

We arrived in France after a terrible flight, exhausted, picked up our hire car and drove to Giverny. I picked up some kind of bug and was unfortunately too sick to leave the hotel, so we missed out on seeing Monet’s gardens.

Sick, but still smiling in Giverny.

We drove onwards to Rouen, and saw the tower where Joan of Arc was held, trialled, and the area nearby where she was burned at the stake.

Next stop was Bayeux so we could drive out to Mont Saint Michel. Sadly I was still sick at this point, so we took a day of rest for me in bed, then went on a tour to the Mont the next day. It was uber-touristy sadly, and over-run with people, but still a great place to visit.

Mid-way up the Mont.