Disneyland Paris - a Family Guide

Marne la Vallée, France

How do I get to Disneyland Paris?

From the A4, take exit 14 and follow the signs. Or take the RER line A to the Marne la Valle / Chessy station. If coming by Eurostar, there is a direct stop in the resort.

When is the best time to visit?

If at all possible, attempt to visit the park at one of the three slowest periods:

Jan to late March
April to mid - July
Mid - September to early December

If for some reason you absolutely have to visit at one of the busier times, make sure you go in with a game plan, otherwise you'll likely end up missing out on some attractions.

How do I get tickets to Disneyland Paris?

Nowadays, with two parks, it's usually a good idea to get a Park Hopper pass, allowing you to jump between the Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios parks whenever you want. This is a good idea for anyone who only plans to spend one day on-resort, as the best of both parks can be sampled.  

Many nearby hotels also sell park tickets, often cheaper than they are sold at the park. Whatever you do, though, buy your tickets before you get to the park. No sense wasting the first couple hours of your day's visit waiting in line at the ticket booths.

Plan your day at Disneyland Paris

Firstly, you'll want to get Space Mountain: Mission 2 and Star Tours done in Discoveryland, then head over to Frontierland and grab a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain. Also, make sure you don't miss out on the Legend of the Lion King show, which is regularly full.

Ride and restaurant reservations at Disneyland Paris

Reservations for many of the park's table service restaurants can be made in the Town Hall, located at the base of Main Street USA. To save the hassle of queuing, make sure to use FastPass - Disney's ride reservation system. It's available only on the more popular rides, and allows visitors to reserve a ride time later in the day. You can send one person in your party ahead to the ride with everyone's park admission tickets to get FastPasses for your group, you don't all have to go together to get them. Once you get a FastPass, you may not use your admission ticket to get another for a different ride until either the return time for the first ride has passed or two hours have gone by, whichever comes first. You can't pick a reservation time, the system assigns one for you.

What's coming next to Disneyland Paris?

Disney will likely want to focus their efforts on the dismal Walt Disney Studios Park. Nothing has been confirmed for the Disneyland Park, so it's anyone's guess. There's still talk of Splash Mountain from the Stateside Disney parks, and diehards continue to long for Geyser Mountain, but it's unlikely either of these will see their way to Paris.

LIST ONE

Here are  suggestions for a touring plan for those guests without younger children:

1st/   Space Mountain: Mission Two 
2nd/  Star Tours
3rd/   Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril
4th/   Big Thunder Mountain
5th/   Peter Pan's Flight ('like it or love it')

6th/  Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.  

Things to do later in the afternoon or when lines are long

Pirates of the Caribbean, Legend of the Lion King, Le Visionarium, It's a Small World, Phantom Manor

Things you can skip if you have to  

Disneyland Railroad, Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains, Les Voyages de Pinocchio, Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant.

Anything else isn't worth doing unless you have more than a day in the park, and even then reconsider some of them. And if you plan to see the Legend of the Lion King live show and don’t forget to check which time you want. The shows alternate between English and French languages, and you can find out what times they are on in the park map. Tickets are available at various times throughout the day, so check when you are in the area.

Best FastPasses

Space Mountain, Star Tours, Peter Pan, Indy *(FastPass is Disney's ride reservation system. It's available only on the more popular rides, and allows visitors to reserve a ride time later in the day. You can send one person in your party ahead to the ride with everyone's park admission tickets to get FastPasses for your group -- you don't all have to go together to get them. Once you get a FastPass, you may not use your admission ticket to get another for a different ride until either the return time for the first ride has passed or two hours have gone by, whichever comes first. You can't pic a reservation time – the system assigns one for you.)

LIST TWO

For those guests with younger children:

1st/    Orbitron
2nd/   Autopia 
3rd/    Dumbo
4th/    Le Carrousel de Lancelot
5th/    Get a FastPass for Peter Pan's Flight and return later.

After doing a few of the below listed rides, grab a quick bite to eat in one of the counter service eateries, and then let the kids loose in Adventure Isle or Pocahontas Indian Village. Finish the rest of the list off, and then do a few of the major FastPass attractions if you have time, or feel you have any energy left.

Things to do later in the afternoon or when lines are long

Legend of the Lion King (see List One for the info about times), Le Visionarium, Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant, It's a Small World, Le Pays des Contes de Fees.

Things you can skip if you have to

Disneyland Railroad, Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains, Les Voyages de Pinocchio, Alice's Curious Labyrinth, Les Pirouettes du Vieux Moulin, Casey Jr. Le Petit Train du Cirque.