Disneyland Paris is reopening on 15th July 2020 after closing because of the Covid-19 pandemic. And we couldn’t be more excited about the magic returning! We can’t wait to start planning our next trip, so thought for this weeks post we would share our top 12 tips for Disneyland Paris. Let’s get started…
1. Book when there’s an offer on
The best way to book Disneyland Paris is by booking a package deal including park tickets and hotel room. It is always worth waiting until Disney are offering a discount on packages. The main offers are free meal plans and free nights, and sometimes they even throw in a free gift card. If you’re about to book and there isn’t currently a discount being offered by Disney, hang fire. These discounts are offered several times throughout the year and can save you hundreds (or more!). Click here to check out the Disneyland Paris website.
2. Get the TGV train
If you’re flying into Charles de Gaulle Airport, the quickest way to get to Disneyland Paris is by train. Many people opt for the Magical Shuttle, which costs 23 euros per person each way and can take up to 60-90 minutes depending on traffic. The TGV on the other hand takes just 9 minutes, and costs slightly less than the shuttle. It can get busy, and the first time you do it it can seem a little daunting if you don’t speak French! But the speed and convenience just makes this worthwhile. Tickets can be purchased in advance but you have to book a specific time. Because of this we prefer to buy our tickets at the machines at the station in case our flight is delayed.
3. Consider buying an annual pass
This may not work out for everyone, but it’s worth looking into whether purchasing an annual pass will save you some money. If you’re likely to take more than one trip within 12 months then it is probably worth it. Or if you are staying offsite and purchasing tickets separately & not part of a package… Tickets to Disneyland Paris are expensive, so an annual pass with the added perks may be worth it. There are 4 different annual passes offered by Disney, each one offering guests different benefits. These include discounts on merchandise & restaurants, free PhotoPass+ and discounted day tickets. It may be worthwhile for just one person in a party to get an annual pass so everybody can take advantage of the discounts.
4. Avoid weekends
Unsurprisingly, weekends are the busiest time at Disneyland Paris. Locals & annual pass holders tend to visit and the crowds are noticeably heavier. When planning your trip try to make it during the week and you will benefit from a much lower crowd level (unless it’s during school holidays). If you’re only able to visit at the weekend don’t worry… even though it will be busier you’ll still have a great time!
5. Stay onsite
Although there are many offsite hotels in very close proximity to Disneyland Paris, we would always recommend staying onsite. There’s just nothing quite like being in the Disney bubble. The theming is great at all the hotels and you get the benefits that staying onsite brings. Extra Magic Hours alone are worth staying onsite for, but you also get free transport to the parks and are close enough that you can easily pop back to your room for a mid afternoon rest if needed.
6. Use Extra Magic Hours
The main perk of staying onsite in a Disney hotel is the Extra Magic Hours. All Disney hotel guests are able to enter the parks at 8:30am, before the official park opening at 10am. Although all attractions are not open during EMH, the majority are. And the wait times are significantly shorter than later in the day. So be sure to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours for most days of your trip, even if you’re not a morning person!
7. Explore the castle
In our opinion Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland Paris is one of the most beautiful of all the Disney castles. It’s definitely worth taking some time out of your day to have a proper look around. Unlike at Disney World, here you can actually walk through the castle straight to Fantasyland. There are some shops on the lower level, and you can even go upstairs. Here there are tapestries and stained glass windows telling the story of Sleeping Beauty. But the best part of all is underneath the castle where The Lair of the Dragon is located. A huge sleeping animatronic dragon lies, occasionally ‘waking up’ and growling at visitors. It’s a really cool touch, and something unique to Disneyland Paris so definitely worth a look!
8. Use FastPass
Disneyland Paris still uses the ‘old’ paper FastPass system. To get a FastPass for a ride you simply go to a machine located near the attraction, scan your park ticket and receive a paper ticket with a return time. If you use FastPass correctly you can save yourself hours of time waiting in queues. FastPasses for popular attractions run out early, so be sure to head for those first (Big Thunder Mountain, Hyperspace Mountain, Tower of Terror etc).
9. Eat in Disney Village if on a budget
Theme park food is expensive, especially at Disney. If you’re not on a meal plan the cost of food can really add up, even if you decide to eat mostly in counter service locations. For those of you on a budget, consider eating in Disney Village. Luckily the village is only a few minutes walk from either of the parks, so it’s very easy to just pop out for an hour at lunch time. With a McDonalds, Earl of Sandwich & Five Guys all located there, you will be able to enjoy some cheaper meals.
10. Walk
The great thing about Disneyland Paris is the close proximity of all the onsite hotels. Disney provides a free shuttle bus to and from the parks but in our opinion it is better to just walk. Even the budget options of Hotel Santa Fe and Hotel Cheyenne are just a 15 to 20 minute walk to either park. By the time you have waited for a bus to arrive and taken the journey, walking may actually have ended up quicker. And there’s nothing worse than having to wait for several buses at the end of the night after Illuminations. Instead of being squeezed onto a very full bus you can enjoy a stroll through Disney Village to get back to your room.
11. Use the 'Lineberty' app
If you enjoy meeting characters, the Lineberty app is a must! It’s kind of like a virtual queue… you use the app to book meet & greets with a certain character and are given a time to return. Meaning you can go off and enjoy other attractions while you’re waiting. The slots become available at 9:45am and you have to physically be in a park to reserve a slot. The more popular characters are likely to go in less than a minute, but there are often some characters available even after 15 minutes. Although you will get a notification when it is your turn you should keep checking the app often, as the times do fluctuate. So if you’re planning on meeting characters make sure you have the app installed on your smart phone prior to your trip.
12. Meet characters at the hotel
Keeping on the subject of characters, your Disneyland Paris hotel is a great place to meet some characters without a long wait. Every morning each hotel has a character out to meet guests. There will be a queue for this, but it won’t be as long as the queues in the park can get for meet and greets. This is great if you do want to meet some characters without wasting a lot of your valuable park time in queues for meet & greets.
So there are our top 12 tips for visiting Disneyland Paris!
See you real soon,
Josh & Becky
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