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Weekend Trip To Disneyland Paris With Kids

Planning a visit to Disneyland Paris with kids? This comprehensive guide can save you a lot of potential headaches! We’ve visited Disney Paris twice, and spent six days in the park with our five kids. We had a wonderful experience and want to share all of our tips so you can too!

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Why Should You Take Your Family To Disneyland Paris?

Formerly known as “Euro Disney,” Disneyland Paris is the only Disney Park in the European continent.  If that’s not a reason enough to visit, let me offer a few more:

• France is a fabulous country to visit; one that would warrant a trip, even without Disney on the itinerary.  You may have heard that the French are rude.  While this can be true, if you make an effort to be a good tourist, you’ll be treated much kinder.

• Like all Disney parks, the staff at Disneyland Paris welcome you warmly and are always ready to help.

• The food found in each Disney park is slightly different, made to reflect the local culture.  France has the best food in the world and Disneyland Paris has some yummy treats!  Pre-Covid, we visited at Christmas time and loved the Christmas food stands.

• The best rides at Disneyland Paris include: RC Racers in Toy Story Land, Tower Of Terror, Ratatouille, and the climbing course in the Disneyland Park.

• The two parks at Disneyland Paris, Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios Park, are very close together and easy to go between.  Both parks are a bit smaller than their Florida counterparts and feel more intimate.  We have also found the crowds to be smaller each time we’ve visited.

Purchasing Disneyland Paris Park Tickets for Your Family

Using the Disneyland Paris website to purchase your tickets is the best way to go.  Know that for some events like the Halloween Party, you cannot book more than six tickets at a time.  For my big family, that means two separate reservations are needed.

The website is easy to use.  Since Covid, you now need either a dated ticket or a reservation for the park AND a valid ticket.  This is similar to other Disney parks worldwide.

Currently you can book fast passes for individual rides and pay a “per person” price.  Not all rides are included and the average price is around 10-15€ per person.

Like all Disney parks, the more days you book, the more money you save per day.  Disneyland Paris also has nearly 30 associated hotels which offer various discounts.

We have stayed off-property in Chelles and in the Disneyland Paris Hotel right next to the entrance of the park.  Disneyland Paris Hotel is fabulous and you can literally walk out of the hotel into the park.

Other Tips For Booking Times At Disneyland Paris

• Buy your ticket online at least 7 days in advance to get the lowest fare advertised in Disneyland Paris website.
• You can find better deals by booking on the European version of the site vs the American site. You can use a VPN to bypass this.
• If you plan to visit for 4 or more days, you may consider it more cost effective to purchase a Disneyland Paris annual pass.
• Download the Disneyland Paris App prior to your trip to help plan your day.  You can pay for Fast Passes, view wait times, and more from the app.

Traveling to Disneyland Paris As a Family

If you are staying in Paris, taking the RER train to Disneyland Paris makes the most sense.  Plan for approximately 1-1.5 hours to get there, depending on where you depart from in Paris.  Be sure to pay attention to the time of the last train back to Paris; it might be before the park closes.

In Paris, you’ll likely need to take the Metro to a station with the RER.  Then you’ll take the large, double-decker train all the way to the entrance of the park.

I want to emphasize the importance of knowing when the last train back to Paris is scheduled. Alternatively, you may plan to take an Uber or Taxi (this can easily cost you over 100€). 

During the Disney Halloween Party, which goes until 2 am, the train station is closed even before it ends. If you plan to stay, you’ll need alternative transportation back.

If you have a car in Paris or it’s surrounding areas, we recommend parking in the Marne-la-Vallée Chessy Train Station parking garage.  We spent about 10€ to park there all day.  I believe it is open 24-hours a day.

Know that Paris is a BIG city and Disneyland Paris is right on the edge.  It can take two hours or more to cross from one side to the other.

Best Disneyland Paris Rides For Families

You’ll find lots of your classic favorites here at Disneyland Paris.  I love the classic feel of the park.

Disneyland Park

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  Basically the same as it’s California counterpart, this roller coaster allows younger kids to ride and is a great first-time roller coaster.  Our 4-year-old, Grace, was able to ride last month and loved it.
• Haunted Mansion.  Paris houses my favorite version of this ride around the world. They display a fantastic, classic presentation of this ride.
• Peter Pan.  This is our favorite of the “classic story rides” and a must-see!  Fly over London and experience the story of Peter Pan.
• Pirates Of The Caribbean.  Open to all riders; it’s fun to see this classic in French and English.

Walt Disney Studios Park

• Tower of Terror.  Similar to California Adventure’s Guardians of the Galaxy, this is my favorite ride in all of Disneyland Paris!  Ride a dropping elevator in a free fall.  Our youngest, Grace, was also able ride this one and all of our little kids love it.  However, it’s scary for sure.
• RC Racer.  Ride one of the racing cars from Toy Story in a giant half-pipe.  
• Ratatouille.  Enter the movie yourself to see, hear, and smell the set of the show as a mouse.  Everyone can ride this one.
• Frozen Show.  I always encourage people to see at least one show while at a Disney Park.  They are fantastic quality and offer a great break in your day.  Shows are presented in English and French, depending on the time.

What to Eat at Disneyland Paris With Kids

Make your reservation for the restaurants in the park as early as you can.  Reservations can also be made on the app when in the park, but usually, go quite fast.

When eating at Disney, you’ll need to decide if you are looking to take a break and indulge in a big meal or if you just want to refuel and hit more rides!  You can bring your own food and snacks into the park.  If you are planning to just refuel with snacks throughout the day, this is honestly the best method.

If you’re eating in the park, we’d recommend the following options.

Quick options:

• Disney Village: Offers many options like Earl of Sandwich and Five Guys.
• La Cantina
• McDonalds in Disney Village.   This is a good option for breakfast, especially if you are not wanting to pay for room service breakfast.
• Annette’s Diner

Longer Experiences:

• Captain Jack’s Restaurant.  The Pirates ride goes right past diners inside the restaurant. A very fun atmosphere and great food.
• California Grill (currently closed)
• Bistro Chez Remy.  Have Ratatouille cuisine in real life, along with other amazing options.

Strollers At Disneyland Paris

It’s important to know that strollers can be rented at Disneyland Paris, but they cannot be transferred from park to park.  We tried, unsuccessfully, and my husband even got in an argument with the gate attendant.

Instead, when you rent the stroller, you’ll need to pay 75 euro: 50 euro for a deposit and 25 euro for the stroller.  You’ll get a receipt, which you’ll need to keep handy.  When you are ready to switch parks, simply turn in your stroller and get a new one in the next park by showing your original receipt.

Fast Passes And Single Riders at Disneyland Paris

As stated above, fast passes at Disneyland Paris now need to be purchased.  This can be done from the app.   With our fast passes, we had wait times of around 30-60 minutes on popular rides.

Single riders are now allowed on many rides.  This is a great option for families with teenagers.

Rider Switch At Disneyland Paris

When you need a rider switch, let the attendant know at the entrance to the ride.  One parents will wait with the children that can ride and come out afterwards, where the other parent will enter through the exit of the line and ride right away. This is a life saver for families with young kids.

Other Things To Know When Visiting Disneyland Paris

• When possible, I pre-purchase shirts, Minnie ears, and other Disney accessories from Etsy prior to our visit. It’s great stuff and a lot cheaper than the souvenirs inside the park.
• Both parks at Disney Paris are relatively small compared to their US counterpart in California, but offer just as much fun.
• Make sure to pack a travel plug adapter, like this one, when traveling to Paris (and all of Europe) to power your devices.
• Dress appropriately. In the summer it can get very hot, and in the winter very cold.  Both times we visited, we went in November and it was quite cold.  The first time it did snow briefly, and we wore many layers just to stay warm.
• Disneyland Paris is absolutely beautiful during the winter time. Cold, but beautiful!
• Know if it rains, many rides will be shut down. Wait out the rain with hot chocolate or a snack.
• Staff at Disneyland Paris usually speak at least four languages, and all speak English beautifully.  Don’t have any stress about language barriers in the park.

We love Disneyland, no matter where we are at in the world. Disney Paris is no exception and you’re sure to love it too. I hope you find these tips helpful. If you’ve visited Disneyland Paris with your family and have any additional tips to offer, leave them in a comment below!

Happy travels!

Additional Reading

DISNEY WORLD VIP TOUR: WORTH THE EXTRAVAGANCE OR NOT?

TIPS FOR HARRY POTTER WORLD, ORLANDO

VISITING DISNEY WORLD DURING COVID: FINDING YOUR MAGIC IN A PANDEMIC