Ana Tamez

Disneyland Paris adventure!

Oh the excitement, the anticipation, the thrill!!

This first trip we booked approximately 8 months in advance, so you can imagine how much we (especially me as someone who grew up watching, reading and listening to everything Disney back in the 80s and 90s) had been waiting for.

In this post I want to share our experience as 2 adults visiting Disneyland Paris Parks, in the hopes that it inspires you to book your own trip, as well as getting some tips and ideas on what to do and how to plan your trip.

This post includes:

When and where to book your stay
How to book your stay
How to get to the parks
What to do in the parks
Extra tips like Annual Passes, exclusive attractions that are only available in Paris parks and resources to help with your booking and planning

Disclaimer: This was my first time ever visiting any Disneyland Park and I did all the research and booking on my own with the immense support of the awesome community of r/disneylandparis on reddit, youtube and some other blog posts on the web for some specific questions that I had. It wasn’t perfect, it was a lot of planning and required tons of flexibility at the last moment; it was exhausting, but so rewarding!

So… where to start?

Planning your trip to Disneyland Paris

Planning for me is more than half the fun!
The first steps on deciding when to go and what kind of options the Parks offer for your visit are the most overwhelming. But fear not! Let's get through that in a breeze!

Answering the first questions

When should I book? When is it best to visit?

First you need to know that in Disneyland Paris you can book

Dated tickets (1-4 days, 1 or 2 parks)
1-day Undated ticket (1 or 2 parks)
Hotel + Parks tickets package

For a trip on a budget, one of the things to consider is to catch the park tickets as early as possible and as much in advance as you can.
The dated tickets are open usually 13 months in advance, tho not month by month. The tickets open in March and in September, so if your dates are not there, just wait for the next window; trust me the earlier you book them the better!

Dated park tickets are cheaper than undated ones, although it is important to note that Disneyland Paris prices vary from day to day depending on holidays, expected attendance, attendance peaks and certain seasonal festivals happening (e.g. Christmas or Halloween).

If you want to visit during low and cheaper days, you need to also take into account the French school holidays and general days off in France and overall Europe (e.g. 1st of May). You can check this with a simple Google search to give you a better idea.

For extra resources, go to the bottom of this post where I have added some links you might find useful.

Extra Tip: You can check the dates open for the bronze annual pass validity as it is a good start on picking cheaper dates initially, and then go to the Disney booking page. Given that the bronze pass is their cheaper tier and the available days for the pass are during low season and days.

For checking this, you can go to the “Pass validity calendar Disneyland Pass Bronze” link in the Disneyland Pass Programme webpage (this page also found on resources) to get the latest overview. Days that are not available for the Bronze pass are usually expected to be quite full due to festivals, holidays or special events in the parks (or weekends, which is a given in regards to park capacity).

Where should I stay?

Disneyland Paris is conveniently set around a big area full with hotels, a very big shopping mall and even a nice outlet.

You have some options for your stay, depending on your budget and what your needs are;

You can stay onsite

In one of the 6 different themed hotels inside the parks area.

Disney Hotel Santa Fe ** - with Pixar Car's theme
Disney Hotel Cheyenne *** - with Toy Story and Wild West theme
Disney Sequoia Lodge *** - with forest and Bambi theme
Disney Newport Bay Club **** - with maritime theme
Disney Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel **** - with Marvel theme
Disneyland Hotel ***** - all Disney magic and fairy tales

Each hotel is located close to the Disney Village (restaurants and shops) and depending on the distance to the parks and their category, the prices change. With the exception of "Davy Crockett Ranch" and "Les Villages Nature" that are more of a camping site and where you need to have a car to move to the parks (or count Uber/Bolt in your budgeting).

Onsite hotels can be booked via their Hotel+Tickets packages, and it is highly recommended you use that option, as the park tickets are included in the price and heavily discounted. Also it is quite advantageous; For example, for 1 night in the hotels, the package will include tickets to both parks for your arrival day and for your departure day as well as Extra Magic hour;
Which is one of the main advantages to staying onsite, as you get early access (on all the days of your stay, yes also in your arrival day) to the parks before the normal park opening hours. That way you can plan to ride those attractions that have usually long waiting lines or start the line for certain popular characters meet & greets.

Other advantages include some character encounters in the hotel areas, the shopping service from the stores in the park and the village. For all purchases over 50 Euros and before 3 pm, you can get your shopping bag sent to your hotel, without you having to carry them or having to walk back to your hotel to leave them (and it includes the shopping bag for free!).

As well as a shuttle from the hotels to the park entrance, in case you rather not walk the 10-15 minutes.
However, these hotels are usually pricey (even when the price includes the tickets to both parks) and they do not include breakfast by default. (Except certain deluxe rooms or club rooms)

You can stay in Val d’ Europe
This area, located in the south west of the parks, is where the big shopping mall and the outlets are located. It is quite convenient with different stores and restaurants around and most of the hotels offer a shuttle or some service to take you to the parks. You can also just hop on the public transport and reach the parks after a few minutes either by bus or in 1 stop by regional train.

You can stay in Val d’ France
To the east of the parks you have few other hotels as well. Depending on your budget, this area is not too far away from the parks’ entrance and also offers a free shuttle service to the parks bus station which take you there in less than 10 minutes, although the shopping options are not as varied as on the other side in Val d’ Europe.

There are of course more hotels around the area of Disneyland Paris or back in Paris city, in case you only want a 1-day adventure. What you need to consider apart from your budget is what they offer as extra to get to the parks and what your overall plan is when visiting the parks. If you want to prioritise the parks, walk around all day or also take time to rest and recharge during your visit in the middle of the day.

When booking your tickets through the official website, you have the option to pick Disney partner hotels as well as the hotels inside the parks. These partner hotels are located in the areas previously mentioned. It is recommended to use the partner hotels as these usually have shuttle services not only to the parks but also from the airport with the Magic Shuttle, but in the end it is up to you, your budget and the type of trip you want to have.

What we did
We stayed in Val d' France for our arrival day, the next day when our Disney booking started, we had breakfast in the hotel and went straight to the parks using the hotel shuttle service. On our last Disney booking day we travelled back to Paris to spend some nights enjoying the city before flying home.

Booking the trip

Disneyland Paris parks are way smaller compared to the ones in the U.S. While you can use a travel agent to book them for you, the system is incredibly simple and you can easily book everything on your own. You can find links at the bottom of this post, so you can start checking the options and booking your trip!
The only thing you need to know is your budget and start with it! If you need help or need recommendations for Disney agents that do Disneyland Paris bookings, do not hesitate to contact me using the contact form at the end of the post!

Extra Tip: You do not have to book a holiday package through Disney. You can also book your tickets and hotel separately. There are different sources to get park tickets like picniq, booking.com, attraction tickets, travel circus or viator. Just do take into account the flexibility and peace of mind that booking through the Disney website gives, the advantages previously mentioned as well as the guarantees to return your money fully or change the booking if needed without any problem thanks to Disney's awesome customer service. Always read the small print :)

Getting to Disneyland Paris

Now we know how to book it, where to stay and when. The next step is… well… getting there!

From the airport

Paris has 3 airports; Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport in Roissy at the north East of Paris, Orly Airport (ORY) in Orly at the South of Paris and Beauvais Airport (BVA) to the north of Paris.

The main and biggest is the CDG airport (Charles de Gaulle) and most of the flights and airlines (even some that also arrive in Orly) fly there. The airport is huge and once you get there you have few options to get to Disneyland Paris.

With the Magical Shuttle
This service is a bus that takes you from the bus stop in CDG to the bus stop in Disneyland Paris in 30 - 60 minutes (depending on traffic).
It is a shuttle bus where you put your luggage under it and enjoy the ride sitting comfortably watching previews of Disney shows or games on the bus TV in different languages (without sound).
It is advised to book it in advance, but you can also book it at their desk area when you get there.
One thing to note is that you need to check when your plane arrives at the airport and calculate a bit adding custom times and luggage claim as the service runs from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and before or after that, you can only book a private transfer if you wish to travel with their service. There is no seat reservation and depending on how many people are waiting they will get more than one bus if needed.
One good advantage is that this bus takes you to many other partner hotels and their service works from both Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports but from Orly it only takes you to the main train station, not to the hotels.
With the TGV trains
TGV are the super fast trains from the airport and have a direct route to Disneyland Paris. This is by far the fastest route available as in around 15 minutes you reach the train station in Disneyland Paris (Marne-la-Vallée Chessy) and from there, it is just a 3 minute walk to the entrance of the parks.
You can take this train only from CDG airport however, and it is recommended to book it early as you do need a reservation to get on the train. The tickets open between 3-4 months in advance and the prices fluctuate, but depending on the type of booking and train, it could get pricey.
With the regional RER trains
In the airport you can also jump into the Paris public transport and reach Disneyland Paris.
With this option you have to take the airport regional train RER B (baby blue color) and then change to the RER A (red color) in the Les Halles station. The RER A is the one that takes you to Disneyland Paris, to the same station Marne-la-Vallée Chessy. It takes however around 90 minutes to get there and is by far the cheapest option.
With private transfer/Uber/Taxi/Bolt
The priciest but straightest option is booking a taxi or a private transfer. This is a good option if you are traveling with kids, with a lot of luggage, in a group or your arrival time is quite late in the evening with limited public transportation. Or simply because it is easier.
The ride takes around 45 minutes and you can pick the size of your car and anything extra like baby seats depending on your needs.

From the airport, the Magical Shuttle bus station was for me the most tricky to reach, as the bus signs were a bit hidden inside the airport.

Just an extra tip, if you are taking the Magical Shuttle, go to the 2F arrival area and look for the 9a arrival door. Around there you will see the bus sign and you just follow their signs.

The bus station is in the corridor connecting terminals 2F and 2E in the arrivals floor (ground floor).

For an overview on latest prices you can visit the "Overview from the airport" link at the bottom.

From Paris

Depending on where you are located in Paris, the cheapest option is to take public transport. By reaching the RER A (red line), you will have a direct train to Disneyland. Note that the TGV trains only operate from the CDG Airport.

Paris public transport - Navigo tickets

This topic I think is so important, as there are many scams going on around some of the busiest stations in Paris and around Disneyland, more so in the ones where certain barriers are missing and we forget to check our tickets when going out. Yes, in Paris you need to validate your ticket when entering and when exiting the train/tram stations.

The public transport and stations in Paris are very old and quite outdated, as well as confusing sometimes.

So in order to make the best out of your visit, especially if you are visiting the city before or after your trip to Disneyland, here are some options to help you navigate getting the public transport tickets.

Paper tickets
These tickets are sold in the train and underground stations (not on the bus or some tram stations). And have different validity options. The machines are aqua color and they work in different languages, so it is easy to handle.
But… they are a pain… being honest. They are too delicate and as you need to put them into the machine also for getting out of the station, they sometimes get demagnetized for being close to your phone or you can confuse them with other paper tickets you might have in the pocket. All this can cause stress not only to you, since you can’t get out of the station, but also to other commuters as you will be blocking one of the exits and bumping into people when backing out. For a quick ticket and direct connection they are OK, but for more days or when you plan to use public transport more often during the day, other options are better.
Navigo easy card
This plastic card is sold in the information desks in most of the underground stations. It costs 2 Euros and you can load it right there where you buy it with the ticket you wish (either single ride or day ticket, for example).
This was by far the easiest of the options we tried. Yes, it costs extra and you might not need the card later on, but if you plan on using the public transport quite significantly, this is the best and is very practical.
Once you have your card, you can also go to the ticket machines (same aqua color ones) and just load it with the tickets that you need. When checking in and out of the train stations, it is the most reliable option to just tap with the card and go.
Navigo card app
There are actually 2 apps "IDF Mobilites" and "Bonjour RATP" but I honestly do not understand the difference and we tried it via the RATP. The only problem we had was that my partner lost the functionality of his phone and to buy the tickets, even if I loaded the cards on my phone we needed to authenticate the purchase with his card on his phone, as the app only accepts VISA and other French options and my VISA charges for international transactions. It works fine, as you tap the entrance and exit with your phone, but we didn't get to use it too much.

In Disneyland Paris

You arrived at the parks!

You have passed through security at the main gates and are ready to get through the gates at the Disneyland Hotel.

Extra tip: Do not bring a selfie stick, as it will be taken during the first security check.

How to organise your visit and make the most of it?

I have to admit, that even when we had a more or less idea on what to visit and how to tackle the parks, being there for the first time is another experience.

You can familiarise yourself with the park maps either on their website (link below) or via the official app for the parks and you can decide how to tackle the attractions; If you want to start on the left, on the right or in one park or the other.

As a first-time-goer the first day we spent walking everywhere!
With too much or no organisation whatsoever, be prepared to be flexible enough in your plan.

Why? Because there are many factors that can affect all your planning:

Waiting time in the attractions
Distance between attractions
Temporary closure on certain attractions
Tiredness
Hunger / Thirst
Bio breaks…

So the best way to plan it is being aware that you will have to modify your plan and think about the option of buying individual rides’ Premier Access.

Premier Access can be bought for 1 full day or for the ride you need. However the one for the day only lets you ride each participating attraction once. This is regularly not so necessary in Disneyland Paris, but depending on when you plan to visit and how many days you will be there, it could be worth it. Do note that not all attractions are available in the Premier Access.

Prices for individual ride access vary and you have to pick a time slot for the attraction. So for example if you arrive at 1 pm and want to avoid the 80 minute wait in line, it could be that the next Premier Access spot is for 1:15 pm or later. The only and main difference is that you can wait for your spot either visiting other rides or sitting instead of standing in line.

Extra tip: Have prepared a list of your must-do rides, shows and characters, so you can prioritise them in your visit. And be OK with probably not completing them all!

Ready? Let's go!

Hopefully by now, with this information you have many tools to book your trip to Disneyland Paris. From planning your days, to booking your package and planning your rides!

I can only hope and wish that you have a wonderful and magical time in Disneyland Paris!

If you wish to see an example of our bookings with prices and what attractions we managed to get into, you can follow the next links to separate posts on that.

2025

3 days 2 nights in "Disney Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel" during February
2 days 1 night solo trip staying in the Moxy hotel during the music festival in August
3 days 2 nights in "Disney Hotel Sequoia Lodge" during September

If you have questions or need details on some specific things in the parks, do not hesitate to send me a message! I will be very happy to help!

Happy travels!

Extra information

Exclusive attractions

What you will find in Disneyland Paris and no other park has

- Crush’s Coaster
Located in Walt Disney Studios. This is a Nemo themed roller coaster, which is so popular and also has some of the longest lines in the park but mostly because only few people per ride can go in the attraction. So if you plan to visit the parks, do it with the Extra Magic Time first thing, get a Premier Pass for the ride or prepare yourself for a long wait.

- Les Mystères du Nautilus
Located in the main park, in Adventure Land. This is quite an old attraction that is a submarine experience where you can enjoy Captn Nemo's exploits and wonders. The line is regularly fast.

- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
Located in Frontier Land. The ride is quite different from the ones in the other parks and has a 360! So do check it out!

- La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant and La Tanière du Dragon
Located in Main Street. The gallery of the Sleeping Beauty and the cave of the dragon! Disneyland Paris not only has the best castle from all of the castles in any of the parks, but also underneath there is a dragon!! You can't miss the chance to enjoy it!

- Phantom Manor
Located in Frontier Land. Is a different one from the Haunted Mansion and has a very nice ride!

Disneyland Paris Annual Pass

If you are planning a few days visit, and staying off-site it might be worth checking the validity of the annual passes and see if it makes sense to purchase one.

What to consider:

Depending on the pass, you can only access the park on certain days
You can only book the first day of your stay in the parks, once you are there you can book the rest of the days (as long as there is capacity in the parks and your annual pass allows you to enter those days)
You can book one dated ticket, get your pass that day with the ticket discounted from the pass and book the rest of your stay in the app
Staying onsite does not make much sense budget-wise and can only be done via telephone or using services like booking.com for the hotels