Over the summer, we visited London, Amsterdam, and Paris! While in France, we couldn’t pass up the chance to visit Disneyland Paris. This was our first time visiting a Disney park outside of the US, and we were excited to see how it would compare. In this guide we’re sharing 10 things you should know for visiting Disneyland Paris, AKA Europe’s most visited theme park!
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General Overview of Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is divided into 2 parks – Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. In this guide, we will just be covering Disneyland.
Disneyland has several rides and walkthrough experiences spread across 5 magical lands: Discoveryland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, and Main Street USA. Sleeping Beauty’s Castle stands proudly at the heart of it all. Like the US Disney parks, shows are performed in front of the castle each day, there are lively Disney parades that loop throughout the park, and character meet and greets are abundant.
There is a Disneyland Paris app where you can track wait times, parade and show times, etc. from your phone. However, most of the reviews we read noted that the app is glitchy and does not work well overall. We opted to not use the app during our visit.
10 Things To Know For Visiting Disneyland Paris
(We saved our favorite for last)
Getting to Disneyland Paris from Paris City Center is easy peasy.
Disneyland Paris is technically located in Chessy, France. There is a train station located at the entrance to the park, making getting there from the city center a breeze. We had never taken public transportation in Paris before, so we weren’t sure how difficult it would be to navigate. Turns out, it’s very simple!
The easiest and cheapest transportation option is the RER A Train. The RER differs from the metro in that it has less stops and is thus optimal for longer distances traveled. Simply go to one of the stations serviced by the RER A line, purchase a ticket, and take the train all the way to the stop labeled Marne-la-Vallee–Chessy. The RER A line was marked with a Mickey Mouse logo at the station we departed from, making it easy to spot. The train ride took around 45 minutes. Be sure to take the RER A line (also known as the Red Line), as the other RER lines don’t go to Disneyland Paris. The RER A runs multiple times an hour, making it even more convenient!
After you arrive at the station, follow the signs (and crowds of people) to the park entrance. It’s only a 2 minute walk away!
Check out the Disneyland Paris website for the most up to date information on transportation to the park and to see the full gambit of transportation options.
The parades and shows in front of the castle are studded with unicorn characters.
We were pleasantly surprised by how many characters were at the show that was put on at 11am in front of the castle and again in the parade later in the day. A lot of them were characters we’ve never seen in the US Parks before! We saw Miguel from Coco, the characters from Inside Out, Vanellope from Wreck it Ralph, and Judy Hops and Nick Wilde from Zootopia. In addition to these unicorn characters, there were also the core Disney characters that everyone knows and loves.
The character meet & greet opportunities are stellar.
There are SO MANY character meet and greets scattered throughout Disneyland Paris. We felt like there were way more than there usually are in the US Parks. From Rafiki, to Baloo the Bear, to the Queen of Hearts, Captain Hook, and Pinocchio – there are a ton of unique characters to meet in addition to Disney princesses and classic Disney characters! It seemed like nearly every character that was in the parades and shows was available somewhere in the park to meet at some point during the day. Disneyland Paris is definitely not shy about letting you see your favorite Disney characters up close!
Smoking is allowed inside the park.
We were completely gobsmacked to see people smoking inside the park. Smokers were in designated smoking areas, but it was such a strange sight to see since it isn’t allowed in the US parks! Where smoking culture has died out for the most part in the US, it is still going strong in Europe. The smoking sections were always filled when we passed. It didn’t negatively impact our experience in any way, but it was a surprise to see!
The food is really good!
We had read on a few blog posts before our trip that the food at Disneyland Paris wasn’t that great. We went in with low expectations. There definitely were not as many options available as there are in the US parks, where you can find a food stall or restaurant every 20 feet. But for us, that did not take away from the experience – it actually made it easier when we were trying to decide where to eat!
We were in Frontierland at lunchtime and ate at the Cowboy Cookout Barbecue. This is one of the most spacious restaurants in Disneyland Paris, so it’s perfect if you want to escape the elements, sit down, and rest for a bit. The atmosphere was calm and quiet, which allowed Kayla’s daughter to nap peacefully. The Cowboy Cookout Barbecue is a quick service restaurant, meaning you order at the counter and then carry your food to your table. We both had the half smoked chicken with barbecue sauce, and it was quite tasty!
For a quick snack, we stopped by The Old Mill in Fantasyland. It had a variety of sweet treats and drinks to choose from. We opted for the poffertjes with chocolate sauce and frozen lemonade. It took a lot of willpower to not order a second round of poffertjes, because they were so delicious!
Haunted Mansion is called “Phantom Manor”… and it’s wild west themed.
You won’t find famed fortune teller Madam Leota on Phantom Manor, but you will find a haunted wild west town, a creepy bride whose suitors have all met terrible fates, and a host of other ghostly characters. Haunted Mansion in the states is one of our favorite rides, so we could not wait to see how Phantom Manor compared! It was so much fun to see the Disneyland Paris storyline, which was a bit scarier than that of Haunted Mansion. Our only regret is that we were so amped up when we got off that we completely forgot to visit the Phantom Manor gift shop!
Keep an eye out for Mickey Mouse outside of Phantom Manor! He was dressed like the cast members from the ride the day we were there!
Space Mountain is ROUGH.
Kayla was hesitant to ride Space Mountain, knowing that the one in Florida is a little rough. Amanda rode it first and reassured her “it wasn’t too bad”. Amanda lied.
You literally feel like you have been launched out of a cannon when this ride begins. It has loops and goes so fast it feels like your brain is rattling around in your skull. Kayla’s ears literally hurt from her head banging around so much. There were some crazy people in line who had ridden multiple times in a row though, so if wild rides are your cup of tea, enjoy this blast into outer space! Don’t say we didn’t warn you though!
THERE IS A DRAGON UNDER THE CASTLE.
You read that right. Underneath Sleeping Beauty’s castle, you can enter the dragon’s lair and see the monstrous dragon chained against the rocks. He’s usually sleeping, but you may hear the animatronic dragon rumbling or see him move during your visit. This walkthrough attraction was an opening day attraction for Disneyland Paris and is a must see walkthrough experience that is unique to this location.
There are actually several walkthrough experiences.
We loved all of the walkthrough experiences at Disneyland Paris. They are a fun and leisurely way to experience the magic of Disney without being on a ride.
We really enjoyed Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, which is a whimsical hedge maze leading to the Queen of Heart’s Castle. The spooky cave system in Adventure Isle was a fun surprise as was Skull Rock and the Pirate Ship anchored beside it and the Swiss Family Treehouse. A walkthrough experience that was closed during our visit but that we would definitely want to visit next time is the attraction called The Mysteries of the Nautilus – based on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! There is also an Aladdin experience where you can stroll through the winding stone streets of Arabia and see sets made to look like scenes from the movie.
Disneyland Paris does an excellent job paying homage to older classics.
The thing we loved most about Disneyland Paris were all the nods to the older classic films that paved the way for Disney’s current success. On the Storybook Land Canal Boats, you take a gentle cruise through storybook scenes from iconic tales. There are miniature scenes from The Wizard of Oz, Peter and the Wolf, The Legends of King Arthur, and Fantasia to name a few. There is also a ride dedicated to Pinocchio, and Toad Hall Restaurant is themed after The Wind and The Willows.
While the US parks have continuously moved away from these beloved classic tales to make room for newer ones, we were filled with a wonderful sense of nostalgia when visiting Disneyland Paris because they’ve done such a great job preserving the classics in a way that doesn’t seem dated.
Is there anything else people should know for visiting Disneyland Paris? Let us know in the comments below!
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It is really nice that Disneyland Paris has kept more of the classic rides. That certainly would remind me of childhood Disneyworld US visits.
What a dream vacation! That Phantom Manor looks pretty cool!
We surprised our girls in Paris the day before going to Disneyland Paris and as teens and twenty somethings, they absolutely LOVED it.
This looks like so much fun! Its good to know that you can use public transport in Paris to get there too.
I absolutely loved Disneyland Paris. It’s been about 7 years since I’ve been, going to try and plan a trip there in 2025.
Yes, I love Disneyland Paris. Although Disney World Orlando is our favorite. I would love it when there’s even less smoking then there’s nowadays (it’s less than say 30 years ago).
I didn’t know there was a Disneyland in Paris! The dragon sounds cool. I think Space Mountain might be a little too hardcore for me. And you’re spot on about smoking in Europe. Always kind of a culture shock for me.
How fun! I’ve been to Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the US many times. But have beaver experienced Disneyland Paris. This is a perfect guide.
I think I’d have to try space mountain there at least once! Sounds like it was a fun visit (:
Love to see that it mixes old and new classic well. You’re right that it’s hard to imagine smoking at Disney! Oh, and the Haunted/Phantom manor still sounds fun, love to hear about all these Disney quirks!