The magical world of Disneyland in Paris attracts not only young tourists but also their quite adult parents. This is its main charm! Today, our story is dedicated to this amazing place, which everyone visiting the French capital should see to personally confirm that the time and money spent here will be fully compensated with vivid impressions. We’ll tell you about the most interesting attractions, ticket prices, and how to get there on your own.
Best Time to Visit
Although the magical world operates year-round, the best time to visit is during the New Year holidays. During these winter days, the world is filled with Christmas spirit, and children are on vacation. Therefore, such a trip can be a great way to diversify leisure time during winter evenings. However, if you don’t like long queues for attractions and want to choose the optimal time for a trip with the least crowd, we advise planning your visit to the Parisian fairy-tale world at the end of May or the beginning of September. During these months, the main visitors of the amusement park – children – are busy with school, allowing you to fully enjoy the attractions without interruptions.
How to Get There
Since the amusement park is located outside the city, 40-45 km away, the most optimal and accessible way to get there today is by RER train or double-decker TGV express. In the first case, tourists are recommended to purchase a pass for the red line of the suburban metro and follow it to Marne-la-Vallee station.
To get on the required route, you need to board at Charles de Gaulle Etoile station (opposite the Arc de Triomphe) or transfer to the red line at Chatelet Les Halles station. Trains also depart from Auber station (near the Grand Opera), Chatelet-Les Halles, Gare de Lyon (Lyon station), and the station on National Square.
Trains run every 8-10 minutes on average. By the way, from Charles de Gaulle Airport, you need to transfer at the last mentioned metro station. This route, including the transfer, will take about 80-90 minutes, considering the walking segment. The fare on the RER train is 15 euros for adults and 9 euros for children.
If you want to shorten the travel time, we recommend using the faster TGV express, which costs 1-2 euros more. You can also independently plan your route from the center of Paris by checking the schedules and routes of buses and metro.
Operating Hours
The park operates year-round without days off. Although you can enter the park starting at 9 am, all attractions begin operating an hour later. Closing times vary depending on the season. In summer, the attractions are available until late at night, and the park closes closer to midnight. In autumn and winter, it closes between 8:30 pm and 10 pm. On holidays and weekends, the park operates a couple of hours longer than usual, while on winter weekdays, it closes even earlier – at 7 or 8 pm.
To allow visitors to celebrate the New Year with cartoon characters, enjoy the festive fireworks, and spectacular shows, the park operates until 10 pm from December 21 to 30, and until 1 am on New Year’s Eve! A more favorable operating schedule is also presented during Christmas celebrations.
Ticket Prices and How to Buy
Although you can find many “useful” tips online on purchasing tickets to the Paris amusement park, we will only share the most reliable and proven ways. The simplest and most popular method today is buying a pass through the official Disneyland website. The site offers three types of tickets differing not only in cost but also in time restrictions for visiting the amusement park.
The types of electronic passes – MINI, MAGIC, and SUPER MAGIC – provide equal access to the attractions but have date restrictions. The MINI ticket, for example, does not allow entry to the amusement park on weekends, holidays, or during New Year and Christmas celebrations. You also cannot enter the park during summer vacations.
- 1-day ticket to Disneyland Paris – 51 €
- 1-day ticket to Disneyland® and Walt Disney Studios – 87 €
- Entrance ticket to Disneyland Paris for 2, 3, or 4 days – from 169 €
The most expensive type – FASTPASS – has no restrictions. The cost of the pass also varies depending on whether you want to visit one of the two parks or access all attractions. Visiting one park costs adults between 30 to 150 euros, depending on the ticket type.
Tip: If you are visiting for the first time, it is advised to buy a comprehensive ticket that allows you to visit all corners of the park and get a complete impression of the unique fairy-tale zone.
The advantage of buying tickets through the official website is that you don’t have to wait in long lines. Just print the ticket from your printer after paying the full price. If you couldn’t order a ticket online, you can buy it at the entrance or find it in the Disneyland store on the Champs-Élysées.
Attractions
Paris Disneyland is a magical land of entertainment consisting of Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios. It captivates children with the magic of unique fairy-tale attractions and transports adults to the world of childhood. The park features five sections filled with breathtaking and imagination-stirring attractions.
Adventureland
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” attraction is hugely popular in Adventureland, inviting teenagers over 140 cm tall and adults to embark on Jack Sparrow’s adventures in search of hidden treasure amidst the decorations from the “Indiana Jones” film. The route winds through a confusing labyrinth, across a chasm via a suspension bridge, and down a winding slide.
Adventure Island is an exciting attraction that involves searching for a sunken pirate ship. The path to the goal goes over rocks, past raging waterfalls, and through mysterious caves. There are no age restrictions for this attraction, and it will be enjoyed by the whole family. The Pirate Galleon is an attraction where guests, after going through several adventures, find themselves on a colorful pirate ship, and then move on to the “Pirate Beach,” joining in an exciting game.
From Adventure Island, a dangerous smugglers’ trail leads to Robinson’s hut, hidden in the crown of a tall tree. The “Aladdin’s Passage” attraction transports you to the tales of 1001 Nights. A walk through an Eastern palace filled with wonders has no age restrictions and delights children.
Fantasyland
This picturesque corner of the fairy tale land delights young children with encounters with animated storybook characters and the opportunity to take photos with them. After visiting “Sleeping Beauty’s Castle” with its fire-breathing dragon’s lair, you can head to the “White Rabbit’s Burrow” maze. Accompanied by the Cheshire Cat’s smile and cartoon characters, you’ll pass through several doors to experience a whirlwind of emotions on the teacup carousel belonging to the Mad Hatter from Alice’s tale.
Next, the fairy tale path leads to a funicular, where you can take Peter Pan’s flight from an apartment window into the London sky past Big Ben, encountering mermaids, Indians, and pirates along the way. On the “Flying Dumbo” ride, sitting on the backs of baby elephants rotating at different speeds, a wonderful view of the entire park opens up. And what a pleasure it is to ride the “Miners’ Train” to visit Snow White and her hardworking dwarfs, encountering animated trees and cunning witches along the way!
Switching to the colorful circus “Casey Jr. Train”, children will travel through their favorite cartoons, seeing Arthur’s sword, visiting the Little Mermaid’s grotto, and meeting other cartoon characters. Those who don’t wish to use the train can take an exciting boat journey down a small river with dolls singing a cheerful song. And how many more surprises Fantasyland has in store!
Frontierland
The atmosphere of the Wild West will surround you in Frontierland. Its landscape features many roller coasters simulating high mountains. Gold miners’ cars race along them, passing hills, caves, and slopes. The most thrilling of these attractions is “Big Thunder Mountain,” with stylized mine carts rushing around the mine, through dangerous turns and tunnels, momentarily dipping underwater.
To catch your breath from the rides, board a paddle steamer docked at the pier and float down the river, admiring fantastic landscapes. If you’re craving more thrills, visit the Ghost House, built in the style of “The Addams Family” and guarded by two lions. When the butler opens the doors, you’ll enter a hall where you’ll hear scary sounds, and from the mirror in the living room, the departed owners will wink at you. You’ll get even more adrenaline by taking the elevator down to the house’s basement.
In Frontierland, you can also enjoy shooting from a cowboy’s Colt in the “Horse Thieves’ Shooting Gallery,” the Tarzan show, cartoon character performances in Pocahontas’ Garden Theater, and many other attractions.
Discoveryland
In Discoveryland, the future visions of 19th-century science fiction writer Jules Verne have come to life. For children taller than 1.30 meters, the future is unveiled in the “Autopia” attraction, featuring fantastic cars racing along rails at breathtaking speeds. For astronomy enthusiasts, welcome to the “Indiana Jones” roller coaster, where you’ll rocket through star and comet-filled labyrinths under a starry dome, soaring upwards and plunging into the abyss.
On the “Orbitron,” even a small child can control the rotation of rockets, while “Space Mountain” will provide a sea of emotions for thrill-seekers. Experience the state of an astronaut in the catapult, sharply launching into space, feeling weightlessness, and then performing 360-degree lateral loops at 40 km/h before entering a tailspin.
Equally exciting is the “Flight to the Stars,” simulating the plot of “Star Wars,” carried out by 65 passengers on a spaceship in intergalactic space. After cosmic journeys, you can take a tour through the compartments of Captain Nemo’s submarine “Nautilus,” and see the half-hour show “Legends of the Lion King” in “Videopolis.”
Main Street, USA
Main Street USA is a copy of the avenue in the Californian Disneyland. It’s a colorful promenade with numerous cafes and souvenir shops, covered on both sides by arcades that form pedestrian-covered alleys. They protect visitors from bad weather and serve as themed galleries. For instance, in Liberty Gallery, it’s interesting to trace history through photographs and see details of the Statue of Liberty’s construction, while in Discovery Gallery, you can view models of inventions made over 100 years ago.
On Main Street USA, there’s a railway station where electric trains from Paris arrive. From here, routes lead to Disneyland’s lands: Frontierland, Discoveryland, and Fantasyland. Colorful parades pass along Main Street USA daily, delighting visitors. Disneyland begins its work at 10:00 AM with a procession of Disney cartoon characters marching to music along Main Street USA.
The main parade, “Disney’s Magical World,” featuring platforms illustrating popular cartoons with their characters, begins at 5 PM in winter and 7 PM in summer. At 9:00 PM, a fireworks display lights up over Sleeping Beauty Castle, which we see in the opening credits of Disney films.
Walt Disney Studios Park
In the land of illusions – “Walt Disney Studios” – an exciting world of cinema and animation opens up, divided into 4 zones. First, you enter the Front Lot area, recreating a real Hollywood Boulevard, where you can become a spectator of film shoots. At Toon Studio, children can visit a creative workshop and see how cartoons are made. Among the abundance of attractions, the “Animagique” show is delightful, where special effects depict scenes from popular cartoons: “The Lion King,” “The Jungle Book,” and others.
An attraction of 16 flying carpets circling around Aladdin’s magic lamp and a car rally for toddlers are fascinating. Turtle-shaped slides serve as guides through the sea depths among coral reefs, predatory fish, and whirlpools depicted by holograms. The bravest visitors will be entertained by the Tower of Terror – a mysterious show with mind-blowing light and video effects. On the studio’s tour tram, you’ll ride through the Production Courtyard filming sets, learning the secrets of filmmaking and TV shows.
On the Back Lot, where stunt and special effects studios are located, you’ll experience the horrors of Armageddon with meteor showers crashing onto an orbital station, and see man-made and natural disasters. On the Back Lot stage, stunt performers put on an exciting show with motorcycles and cars. A great way to end the tour of Walt Disney Studios Park is with an thrilling descent from a rock ‘n’ roll roller coaster to the music of Aerosmith.
Disney Village
Disney Village appears as a shopping and entertainment complex equal in size to 20 football fields. It is surrounded on one side by Walt Disney Studios, and on the other by Disneyland Park. Entry to this kingdom of entertainment is free, but it’s incredibly difficult to resist the temptation to spend money here.
How can one resist the “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show” with scenes from the life of Native Americans, cowboys with bulls and bison, and Texas barbecue? Some might be captivated by a flight in the Panora Magique hot air balloon, floating a hundred meters above the ground, while others might be held by the excitement in the huge “Nex Game Arcade” with the latest video games.
Disney Village offers an abundance of unique cafes and restaurants. Even an advanced gourmet will find it difficult to choose between restaurants: the mid-20th century bistro-style “Annette’s Diner,” the Bavarian cuisine “King Ludwig’s Castle,” the past-century Chicago-style “The Steakhouse,” and “Café Mickey,” where visitors are entertained by Disney characters: Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto. Disney Village is full of shops, galleries, and boutiques where you can buy clothes, discs, and souvenirs as mementos.
How to Skip the Line
It’s not hard to guess that during summer seasons, weekends, holidays, and the New Year period, Disneyland attracts crowds of adventure lovers, thrill-seekers, and attraction enthusiasts. As a result, you have to stand in long queues everywhere. This is especially true for popular entertainment and attractions. As we’ve already mentioned, to avoid queuing at the ticket office at the entrance to Disneyland, you can purchase a ticket in advance through the official website or by finding a branded store in the center of Paris. But what about the attractions?
Even in this seemingly hopeless situation, there’s a little trick that we’re happy to share with you. So, to avoid waiting in line for popular attractions (which can take from 40 minutes to an hour and a half!), we recommend using the FAST PASS system. To do this, you need to find a special machine that looks very much like a gaming machine and is usually located near the attractions themselves.
Next, you need to scan the barcode of your printed pass at the special window (or the magnetic strip for tickets bought at the cash desk or store). In a second, you’ll be given another ticket, which will allow you to access the attraction through the FAST PASS entrance, bypassing the queue.
The only nuance is that you can’t use this right earlier than 30 minutes from the moment you receive the ticket and only at the strictly allocated time (indicated on the back). One of the “downsides” is that not all types of attractions offer this possibility. For some of them, you’ll still have to queue.
Choosing a Hotel
When choosing a hotel for temporary accommodation, each tourist should base their decision on personal preferences and their cultural and entertainment program. So, if you’re going to Paris specifically to visit Disneyland, you can stay in one of the hotels located on the park’s territory. However, if your trip isn’t limited to visiting the amusement park, and you’d like to allocate time for visiting other Paris attractions – the Louvre, cathedrals, museums, the Eiffel Tower, and so on – we advise you to find a hotel in the capital.
We think that traveling to the suburb where Disneyland is located won’t cause discomfort, as it will take no more than 1-1.5 hours and will cost only a couple of dozen euros. This option will allow you to combine several cultural programs at once, satisfying the needs of both adult and young tourists. By the way, staying on the park’s territory can sometimes be more expensive than spending several nights in hotels in the central part of the capital. For example, a 3-day, 2-night stay in the cheapest hotel.
Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe (two stars) will cost an adult guest a minimum of 259 euros. At the same time, a similar period spent in four-star hotels like Hotel New York and Disneyland Hotel will cost no less than 389-619 euros.
There are also two three-star hotels on the territory – Disney’s New Port Bay Club, which recreates the atmosphere of England in the 1920s, and Disney’s Sequoia Lodge, which will appeal to all lovers of solitude, who will be offered to spend time in forest cottages in a green park.
Just a few kilometers from Disneyland, visitors can find cheaper accommodation options. Hotels and guesthouses available to tourists include Radisson SAS, L’Elysée Val D’Europe, Magic Circus, Serris Rive Gauche, and others. Depending on the location, guests will have to get to the amusement park on foot or by train, spending no more than 10-20 minutes on the journey.
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