A visit to Disneyland Paris: what to expect? Cheap tickets + more info

 

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Tickets for Disneyland Paris    |     The Disney Fastpass    |     The Disney Hotels    | How to reach Eurodisney    |    The best time to visit Eurodisney    |     Nice restaurants in Disneyland Paris

The best attractions and rides at Eurodisney in Paris

Firstly, you need to know that you can split up the theme park in the following “countries”:

• Discoveryland
• Fantasyland
• Adventureland
• Frontierland

Apart from them there’s Mainstreet USA where you will find all kinds of shops and Disney Village and Walt Disney Studios Park. To make it easy for you, we’ve listed the best attractions and rides.

Tickets for Disneyland by the way can be bought really easily and quickly (and often cheaper) online. Fun has never been more easy!

Main Street, USA

When getting into Disneyland Paris, this is the first country that you will set foot in. Inspiration was found in Walt Disney’s birth town Marceline (Missouri), which also was the scene of Lady and the Tramp.
It’s easy to believe you’re in the 1920s and the carefree times of those days. Besides, you can see the following places of interest here:

• The Discovery Arcade is devoted to inventors of the nineteenth century and mostly serves as a place to seek shelter from the rain. Then you have the Liberty Arcade that is a tribute to the Statue of Liberty (which as you know was a gift from the French).
  Next there’s also the first proper attraction: the Disneyland Railroad, a train that traverses a track of a little over two kilometers and drops you off at different parts of the park. Along the way you are provided with an explanation of all the things you pass.
• You can also take a ride on one of the Main Street Vehicles (a fleet of cars consisting of the most iconic vehicles of the past 100 years) or on a horse-pulled tram.
• Moreover, there’s a bunch of restaurants and shops and even a barber: Dapper Dan’s Haircuts!

Fantasyland

This part of Eurodisney has been decorated like a (huge) fairytale village so this is the place where the little ones can have a field day.

• In Alice’s Curious Labyrinth you have to make your way through a maze in which you’ll meet a great number of characters from Alice in Wonderland. If you don’t get lost, you eventually end up in the castle of the Queen of Hearts.
• Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) originally started from the perspective of Snow White, so visitors were able to experience how she felt. That’s why she didn’t use to feature in the attraction, until they made some changes and now she can be seen (just once though). Until then, many scoundrels (whether or not successfully) tried to steal the poisoned apple from the Witch, but they solved this by replacing the apple with an image of a projected one.
• In Dumbo the Flying Elephant you can see a flying elephant running around in circles. It is more entertaining than it sounds, promised!
• One of the most famous attractions of Disneyland Paris is without a single doubt It’s a small world. This is where you will find yourself in a small boat, passing more than 30 “children” (robots), dressed in traditional costumes from all over the world. While the catchy “It’s a small word after all” tune resonates. the.entire.time. It sounds horrible, but actually is pretty good fun.
  True, the song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day, but it’s definitely worth it. Because it’s a small world after all…
• If you’re looking for something more thrilling, there’s only one place to go to in Fantasyland in Eurodisney: the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups. Here every visitor takes place in a teacup that twirls (pretty) fast. This attraction has become notorious because of the many vacationers who became nauseous after all that spinning around. So if you have a sensitive stomach, it’s best to pass up on this ride.

• They are better off at Peter Pan’s Flight, where they travel in a little wagon to Neverland. This is one of the few attractions that has been captivating audiences since it’s heydays in the first theme park in Anaheim (California) back in 1955. That’s why Disneyland Paris couldn’t be bereft of this entertaining ride. Just like Snow White’s dark ride mentioned before, it originally was the intention for the visitors to experience this attraction through the perspective of the protagonist, so it seemed like the visitor was flying himself. Unfortunately, people back then didn’t really grasp this concept, that’s why they added an animatronic (the technical name for dolls which are able to move) to the dark ride.
• We end our adventures in Fantasyland with the Ace of Aces: Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant or Sleeping Beauty’s castle. This iconic keep has become the worldwide symbol of Disneyland and even Disney in general. Its design was inspired by the Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany. The attraction can be divided into two parts. The first one is the dungeon where you will find La Tanière du Dragon (The Dragon’s Lair). At the opening of the park back in April 1992, it had the largest animatronic ever made. The 27-meter dragon is still impressive by today’s standards. You can walk by this seemingly sleeping giant, who every now and then growls a bit and exhales some fume.
  Then there’s also La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant or Sleeping Beauty’s gallery, which depicts the story through all kinds of tapestries, figures and glass windows. Finally, you can get yourself some souvenirs at the Boutique du Château, which specializes in hand-made glass figures.

If you want to see the amazing Disney movies come to life, you can already purchase your tickets for Disneyland here!

Adventureland

Whereas Fantasyland is more a “country” for the little ones (although…), Adventureland is, as you might tell from its name, more focused towards the adventurous visitors. It was designed to resemble the remote jungles of Africa and Asia, far away from civilization. With the added advantage that you don’t need any vaccines for a visit! Get ready for a great deal of colorful masks, drums, totem poles and cool statues of exotic animals.

• The most famous attraction of Adventureland is without a single doubt Pirates of the Caribbean. This dark ride was the last attraction which was made under the supervision of Walt Disney himself. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to see its opening, because the legendary American passed away three months before its first visitors could enjoy the ride. 25 years later, in 1992 to be precise, they also built Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland Paris. Like many already know, the movies are based on this dark ride and the song Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me) was also used as the basis of the soundtrack. This is the place where fans of Captain Jack Sparrow can have a field day!
• In Le Passage Enchanté d’Aladdin (Aladdin’s enchanted passage), you walk past a couple of displays portraying famous scenes from the movie like One Jump Ahead, Friend Like Me and Prince Ali. It ends with the classic A Whole New World.

The most spectacular ride of Adventureland is Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril). On this exhilarating roller coaster you sit in a mine cart which takes you through the lost temple at the speed of lightning. This is where thrill-seekers can get their kicks on!

Frontierland

Your stay in Eurodisney only is getting more spectacular, because by now we’ve arrived at our next stop: Frontierland. Its theme is the American Old West of the nineteenth century, where cowboys and pioneers huddle together before succumbing to their gold fever and endlessly go look for that precious metal.

• Big Thunder Mountaintells the story of the mountain of the same name, where at the end of the nineteenth century they discovered gold. This development transformed the small town in no time into a thriving village named Thunder Mesa. Because the valuable resources needed to be transported, they constructed a network of railways. What they did not know, was that the mountain was a sacred place for the local Native Americans and thus was cursed. To avenge this desecration, the town was destroyed by an earthquake; it has been abandoned ever since. Oddly enough, the mine carts are still racing around, without a driver! By the way, they do not tell you this story when you’re in Eurodisney, but now you can mention this to your kids before you take place in this blistering mine train roller coaster. Be prepared for quite a bit of fast plunges and sharp turns, so it’s advised not to eat too much in advance.
• If you’re looking for something more quiet, head for the Thunder Mesa River Boat Landing. This ancient steam boat will take you around the Big Thunder Mountain.
• The little ones can have a blast in the Pocahontas Indian Village, where an Indian playground awaits them to scramble and horse around at will.
• Finally, Phantom Manor is more aimed at the older visitors of Eurodisney, because this haunted house isn’t suitable for small children.
• Once you’ve acquired the taste of the Wild West, you can also get in on the spectacular Buffalo Bill dinner show. For 90 minutes you can enjoy a fantastic spectacle featuring cowboys and Indians, while having dinner at the same time.

Discoveryland

Whereas Disneyland in the United States has a Tomorrowland, Eurodisney in Paris boasts Discoveryland. Both countries were meant to embody the futuristic vision of Walt Disney, but at the French location they have mainly emphasized the ideas of Jules Verne (whose house you can visit in Amiens, which isn’t that far from Disneyland Paris!).

• It mostly distinguishes itself from its American counterpart by means of the design of the incredibly popular (and fun) attraction Space Mountain.
  The Paris version of this roller coaster was decorated with quite a few steampunk elements, referring to the vision of Jules Verne. Since May 2017 this roller coaster has been renamed the Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, in which you’re spying in a reconnaissance ship on the Imperial Star Destroyer. In 1,8 seconds you are catapulted at a speed of 71 km/h into an insanely fast and spectacular adventure, full of inversions and special light effects. A good enough reason to buy Eurodisney tickets!
• Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast is a surprisingly fun attraction for both young and old. Based on the hero of the Toy Story movies, this is where the two of you take place in a vehicle, which is rotating 360°, while at the same time you’re trying to shoot as many targets as possible with your laser gun. In the end you will see your final score and who’s the winner. There’s also an unspoken rule which says the loser has to buy dinner. Just saying.
• Then there’s Autopia where you can “drive around” (the cars follow a fixed course) in toy-like automobiles. Sometimes less is more.
• If you want to have your picture taken with one of the Star Wars characters (including Darth Vader), hasten yourself to Starport where the heroes from Georges Lucas’s universe are never far away.
• Finally, there’s the Orbitron, where you can fly around in your own spacecraft, albeit in a less spectacular way than Space Mountain.

Walt Disney Studios Park

Since the 16^th of March 2002, visitors of Eurodisney can also enjoy the Walt Disney Studios Park, which is devoted to showbiz and is all about the movie industry. Where Sleeping Beauty’s Castle symbolizes Disneyland, a water tower stands for the Studios. You can find a similar one in the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank (California).

Access to this part of the park isn’t included as a standard in your entrance ticket to Eurodisney. Make sure you don’t forget to check this if you don’t want to miss out on this amazing section. Of course you have to pay a small additional cost for this extra entrance ticket.
Through GetYourGuide you can buy combined tickets so you can see both parts of the park (and it offers you the possibility to cancel them up until one day beforehand).
Through the official Disney website you can also purchase separate entrance tickets to both sections of the park.

The park has been divided into four lots, which represent the different aspects of movie production during the shooting of a Hollywood flick.

Front Lot

This is kind of the Main Street USA of this part of the park, because you’ll mainly find restaurants and shops here. Besides, there’s a big Fantasia fountain and inside of Disney Studio 1 they replicated a Hollywood street.

Toon Studio

This section was inspired by the animated characters of Disney and Pixar like Finding Nemo’s Crush, Aladdin’s Genie, Cars’s Lightning McQueen and the figurines from Toy Story.

• Flying Carpets over Agrabah is the Aladdin equivalent of Dumbo the Flying Elephant in the other park. In both carousels it’s you who decides how high you want to fly, only in this one you will find the magic lamp on top of the center instead of Timothy Mouse.
• Crush’s Coaster is an entertaining quick-turning roller coaster which is all about the turtle of Finding Nemo.
• In Cars Quattre Roues Rallye (Cars Race Rally) you have the opportunity to get into one of the automobiles of Cars, which then spins in circles for the entire time.
• If you’ve always wanted to learn more about animation, you should check out the interactive exhibition Art of Disney Animation. Here you will discover step by step how Disney animated movies are made.
• Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy (Rémy’s Ratatouille Adventure) is a dark ride where, thanks to 3D-glasses, you can see life from a rat’s perspective. You get to catch a glimpse of some of the locations from the movie, such as the kitchen of Gusteau’s restaurant.

In Toy Story Playland you will find three entertaining attractions:

• Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop takes you up and down in a vehicle attached to a so-called parachute.
• In RC Racer all of you take place in a vehicle that goes up and down a half pipe.
• Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin is a particularly slow caterpillar-style ride, which therefore is extremely suited for the little ones.

Production Courtyard

From its name you can already tell that it’s all about the production of Hollywood movies in this part, which can be split up into two sections:

• In Hollywood Boulevard you will find the renowned Tower of Terror where you’ll jump into the fourth dimension as they put it so brilliantly. You take place in an elevator which then is hit by lightning. Because of this you’re being transported to the Twilight Zone, a reference to the popular TV-show from the sixties and eighties which was all about science faction. It’s a free fall attraction, which means you’re going all the way up and then suddenly you drop down, falling almost 61 meters. Do pack some clean underwear for this one.
• Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic is way more at ease, a tram taking you past Catastrophe Canyon. Here you will witness a spectacle of several pyrotechnic effects, whereby the fire is extinguished by a flood of water. You also get to see the apocalyptic London from Reign of Fire. All of this guided by the soothing voice of Jeremy Irons, who brought Scar to life in the Lion King.
• The Place des Stars is more aimed towards the little ones, they get to enjoy the Stitch Live! show (from Lilo & Stitch) and Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage!, a puppet theater.

Backlot

A backlot is the technical term used for an area close to a film studio where they shoot outdoor scenes or where they can build temporary sets. This part of the park is meant for the older kids and adults, who can get a kick out of the following three rides:

• Armageddon – Les Effets Speciauxis all about –you guessed it- the special effects of the cult film Armageddon. However, soon (they don’t have an exact date yet, they’re gunning for 2020) this ride will close because of the Marvel Land expansion.

• Moteurs…Action! Stunt Show Spectacular or Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show is a live stunt show which takes you on a 40-minute journey of cars, fire and physical stunt work. All of this is being filmed (though some parts have been pre-recorded) and shown to the audience in the end.
• Finally, there’s the Rock ’n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith where you get to experience a top speed of 92 km/h in 2,8 seconds, as well as g-force. The combination of a spectacular roller coaster with Aerosmith’s music is truly a match made in heaven.

Timewise you can definitely spend half a day here, so a combination ticket with Disneyland Paris for one day is definitely sufficient. However, you can easily add another day to visit the other parts in Eurodisney.

Disney Village

The final major part of Eurodisney in Paris is the Disney Village, where it’s all about shopping, food and entertainment.

The big crowd puller is the previously mentioned Wild West Show of Buffalo Bill. Moreover, there are some bowling alleys and an IMAX cinema, and of course countless shops and restaurants.

Admission tickets to Disneyland Paris

There’s a great number of possibilities when you want to buy Disneyland tickets. You can buy them online through the official Disneyland website (disneylandparis.com) or through reliable websites such as GetYourGuide (for the same price). The advantage of GetYourGuide is that you can cancel your purchase up until one day before.

• A day ticket is one of the most popular options and you can order it cheaply for €53 per adult and €49 per child.
• But eventually you (and mostly your children) will definitely want to spend more than just the one day at Eurodisney. That’s why there are Disneyland tickets that will give you two, three or four days’ access to the theme park.
  These multi-day entrance tickets will also give you admission to both parks. Prices start at €159 per adult and €145 per child.

Anyway it’s best to get your Eurodisney tickets online and in advance. That way you don’t only lose any time waiting in line, but also and more importantly: you can also immediately check availabilities. Tickets to Eurodisney tend to sell out really quickly after all!

Also don’t forget to book possible extras (shows, transportation, hotels, …) beforehand. Tickets to shows or the best hotels are really in demand and therefore they easily run out of them.

Skip the line: the Disney Fastpass

If you want to avoid waiting in line at all costs, it’s possible to buy a Fastpass which allows you to skip the lines and thus entitling you to immediately hop in the attraction. Bear in mind that this is an additional cost on top of your entrance ticket to Disneyland!

Hereby we can distinguish the Super Fastpass and the Ultimate Fastpass.

• The Super Fastpass always gives you one-time access to either the family attractions (Peter Pan’s Flight, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast and Ratatouille: The Adventure) or the spectacular rides (Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, the Rock ’n Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror). Both fastpasses will set you back 30 euros in the low season and 45 euros in the high season. So basically you pay 15 euros in order to not wait in line at these three attractions.
• With The Ultimate Fastpass you can choose for either one-time fast admission to all of the six abovementioned rides (60 euros low season and 90 euros high season), or unlimited fast access (120 euros and 150 euros) where you can skip the line as often as you want.

Opening times Disneyland Paris

The opening times of Disneyland Paris differ each month, so it’s best to check them in advance.

Spending the night in Disneyland: the Eurodisney Hotels

Tip: if you stay for the night in Disneyland you can get into the park a little bit earlier and you’ll spend less time waiting in line!

There are seven official hotels in and near Disneyland.

1. Close to the entrance of the park you will find the most prestigious one of them all: the Disneyland Hotel.
   This five-star hotel in American-Victorian style is therefore the most expensive and smallest one. You can spend the night with your family here starting from €400 euros per night.

Prices and availabilities: Official Disney website – Booking.com

 

2. Around Lake Disney there’s the other five-star hotel: Disney’s Hotel New York.
   Passing the night in a family room is possible from €356 per night.

Prices and availabilities: Official Disney website  – Booking.com

 

3. Not that much further is the four-star hotel ‘Disney’s Newport Bay Club‘.
   This will set you back at least €175.

Prices and availabilities: Official Disney website  – Booking.com

 

4. Yet a little bit further lies Disney’s Sequoia Lodge.
   This is a three-star hotel with prices starting from €125 per night.

Prices and availabilities: Official Disney website – Booking.com

 

5. Not that far from here you will find the cheaper two-star hotels such as Cheyenne.
   This hotel is all about the Old West and prices start from +/- €110 per night

Prices and availabilities: Official Disney website – Booking.com

 

6. Another two-star hotel is Santa Fe.
   This time the theme is the American Southwest. Overnight stays are possible from €72.

Prices and availabilities: Official Disney website – Booking.com

 

7. Just outside the park lies Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch.
   This three-star hotel is perfectly suitable for families and costs about €100 per night.

Prices and availabilities: Official Disney website – Booking.com

Then there are also a couple of partner hotels near Disneyland that aren’t managed by Disney, and which offer free shuttle buses. Here’s an overview of all these hotels. Of course spending the night in one of the Eurodisney hotels is the most fun (and on top of that you have early access to the park), but the advantage of hotels near Disneyland (so not inside the park) is that they’re often less pricey.

Booking.com

How to reach Eurodisney?

From Paris to Eurodisney

• At the Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy train station, free shuttle buses are provided which drop off guests at every Eurodisney hotel and partner hotel, except for the Davy Crockett Ranch.
• It’s also possible to take the official shuttle bus from the French capital, giving you the possibility to visit Paris in two days and then continuing your journey to Eurodisney.

Besides, there are also quite a few options regarding private transportation, whether or not from the airport:

• You can buy an entrance ticket + private transportation online starting from €120.
• From (or to) the airport a private transfer will cost you €80 for a maximum number of three people.

Traveling by car to Paris

Of course there are plenty of parking spaces when you get here by car. If you’re spending the night at one of the Eurodisney hotels (or partner hotels), these are free. Otherwise you’ll pay 25 euros per day.

The best time to visit Disneyland Paris

In short we can assume that the best time to visit Disneyland Paris is from mid-January until mid-March and from the middle of April until the middle of May.
Obviously it’s best to visit Eurodisney during the midweek (from Tuesday to Thursday). The weather might be a little bit colder, but that’s absolutely not a problem to enjoy the park to the fullest. During this period the hotels are also (sometimes even significantly) cheaper.
The high season kicks off at around mid-May, so be prepared for a great number of waiting lines. Also during the summer months (and in particular August), it’s not the best time to buy Disneyland tickets. You’ll end up paying a lot more for your accommodation in or near Disneyland.

Five nice restaurants in Disneyland Paris

When strolling through the park, you’ll be amazed at how much attention is paid to even the smallest of details. This of course contributes to the cozy atmosphere. Also the restaurants in Eurodisney are taken care of to a tee.

Below you will find five nice restaurants in Disneyland Paris, where you can enjoy a homey meal (whether or not with your children).

The Lucky Nugget Saloon

This is the place to be for the best steak in Disneyland Paris. Its decoration truly is magnificent, to such an extent that you will believe yourself to actually be in The Far West. You should also definitely have a look at the amazing mural of Thunder Mesa.

Captain Jack’s Restaurant des Pirates

For a fun meal in the true spirit of Pirates of the Caribbean, you have to come to this place. The only thing missing is Johnny Depp, but even without him the atmosphere is excellent.

Walt’s, an American Restaurant

This restaurant just breathes an air of Disney and it is a beautiful homage to its
conceiver and inspirer Walt Disney.

Agrabah Café

Here it seems like you’re having a meal in an alley just outside of the bazar of Agrabah (from the Aladdin movie)! It’s also a buffet restaurant, so it’s perfect for big eaters.

Chez Rémy

If you’re a fan of Ratatouille, this is the food court where you need to be. It is seen from Rémy’s point of view, so objects which normally are small for us like plates, champagne corks and cutlery are monumental here. In addition, the food is of excellent quality, it’s just like Ratatouille’s master chef prepared it himself! It’s also really popular, so it is advised to book a table in advance.

Five fun facts about Disneyland Paris

1. There’s always only one Mickey Mouse present in the park, so that children are truly convinced the character exists and is unique.
2. In total 15,000 people of 100 different nationalities work at Disneyland.
3. Originally Disney wanted to build a Disneyland in a warmer climate, more similar to the one in California and Florida. For a long time, Spain was the top contender, but in the end Paris’s central location proved to be decisive.
4. Last year no fewer than 14,8 million guests (as visitors are called by Disney) paid a visit to the park. That brings the total number of people to ever buy Disneyland tickets to over 320 million.
5. Since 1995 Eurodisney is officially called Disneyland Paris, the reason for this being European visitors associated “Euro” too much with work and finances.

Whether you’re going to Paris to check out all the magnificent sights and then continue your travel to Disneyland, or are going for a holiday in this amazingly fun country; Disneyland offers endless entertainment for all ages. You’ll leave with a heavy heart and immediately you’ll be making new plans to return. The only thing left is buying your entrance ticket to Disneyland Paris so you can get ready for an exciting adventure!

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