The Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Basics of Disneyland Paris

If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland Paris, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s get planning your trip to Disneyland Paris!

Disneyland Paris resort is just outside Paris, France. The resort is made up of five parts:

• Parc Disneyland or Disneyland Park - The whimsical place!
• Walt Disney Studios Park- Home of The NEW Avengers Campus!
• Disney Village, A shopping and dining area where there is live music and a Starbucks!
• Disney Lake - Where you can take a ride on PanoraMagique
• The hotel area is home to six Disney hotels; a seventh hotel, Disney's Davy Crockett's Ranch, is located slightly farther from the property and a new eighth hotel, Villages Nature Paris.

With the exception of the two off-site hotels, the entire resort is walkable. (Comfy shoes are a must) It is about 20 minutes from one end to the other. The parks are about 5 minutes walk from each other. There are shuttle buses that also connect the hotels with the on-site hotels. 

Next to Disneyland Paris is the Marne-la-Vallée—Chessy train station. That station provides access to central Paris (about 45 minutes by train) and Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport (10 minutes by train).

Disneyland Park is the traditional castle park. It is one of our favourite castle parks because the attractions are more advanced, the attention to detail, and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle: Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant.

Take a walk down Mainstreet and you will be welcomed by the sweet smell of Disney snacks and the first sight of the castle. Be sure to look for Disney official photographers who will take that magic shot in front of the castle. 

Walt Disney Studios Park is a smaller version of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In 2022, the park got a “new” Avengers coaster (When you ride it you will feel all the exhilaration of the Aerosmith Coaster) and a Spider-Man ride (also found in Disney California Adventure), The new Frozenland is set to open in the next couple of years, and I can say from the top of  ‘Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop’ that Arendelle is definitely in the making!

In choosing when to visit Disneyland Paris, you’ll likely want to balance crowds, events, prices, and weather. Let’s first talk about some upcoming changes to the resort.

Disneyland Paris is celebrating its 30th Anniversary through September 30, 2023 This event includes special merchandise and entertainment, including a new nighttime drone show.

The big change on the horizon—Arendelle. No opening date has been announced, but we expect 2024.

Disneyland Paris celebrates the Halloween Festival from the 1st October to the 5th November and Enchanted Christmas from the 11th December to the 7th January 2024.

Disneyland Paris also hosts other events throughout the year that you may want to consider visiting. Historically, these included things like Disney FanDaze, Pride, and Season of the Force: Star Wars in Disneyland Paris.

They say Paris experiences four seasons according to roughly the same pattern though snow is not especially common in the winter. A few rides may close due to snow, ice, and freezing on some days in the winter. For this reason, you may wish to avoid December through February.

Disneyland Paris, including both parks, can be enjoyed in two days. We recommend two nights and three days for fans to fully experience Disneyland Paris. Three FULL days. The basic thing to know is that Disneyland Park requires at least one full day, and Walt Disney Studios Park requires at least half a day. To do all the rides at Walt Disney Studios Park, you’ll probably need a full day (depending on park hours, you might have time left over for Disneyland Park, too, though). You can Turbo-charge your day with Disney Premier Access AKA Fast passes, you can access this on the App and buy for the most popular attractions… even shows!

The resort is conveniently located coming from CDG airport (10 min) and from central Paris (35 min).

You can take the RER trains between CDG and Disneyland Paris.

If you’re coming from Paris, take the RER A, it’s a 40-ish minute journey that drops you right outside the parks. A Pret A Manger has just recently opened there! Perfect for a quick coffee and freshly baked croissant.

Two Disney hotels, Davy Crockett Ranch and Village Nature Paris, are off-site. These are perfect if you self-drive. If you don’t then it's roughly a 20-25 minute walk. No transport covers these hotels.

Disneyland Hotel is at the entrance to Disneyland Park and is the flagship hotel of the resort. It is currently being renovated to make it more magical than ever! The royal reopening is happening in 2024.

The Disney Lake Hotels, Disney’s Sequoia Lodge, Disney’s Newport Bay Club, and Disney’s Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel, are the mid-tier hotels, about seven to 10-15 minutes walking from the parks.

Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne and Hotel Santa Fe are the lowest-priced Disney options, about 15 to 20 minutes walking from the parks.

Calories do not count at any Disneyland. If you are looking for some Mickey-shaped snacks, you will not be disappointed. Disneyland Paris has more than 50 dining options. There are around 31 options at Disneyland Park, 10 at Walt Disney Studios Park 16 in Disney Village, and 18 at the hotels. Most of those are quick service, but around 20 accept reservations.

If Disneyland Paris is calling you, let's maximise the magic for you…