Hands up if you love Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Goofy and co. Hands up if you think Disney is the ultimate in magic and fun. And Hands up who wants to journey to Disneyland® Paris to experience the magic? Well, if you raised your hand to all of these and you’re about to head to the resort – read on. With a handful of pixie dust and a hairband with big ears, let’s go to the park for 3 days of fun.
Disneyland® Paris can be found on the outskirts of Paris, easily accessible from its all major airports and within three hour’s journey time of most of Europe. Eurostar can take you there, with a change at Lille, meaning you’ll be delivered right to the door.
You’re there for 3 days. Where should you stay? What should you see and do? How can you get the best out of the resort? Let’s delve into the world of wonder.
Where should you stay?
Disneyland Paris is made up of two parks – Walt Disney Studios and Disneyland Park. Add in the Disney Village and the surrounding lakes and hotel complexes, you start to build a picture that more than one day is required to fully appreciate the resort. I’d say a minimum of three days should mean you get to experience it fully.
The Disneyland Paris complex has several hotel options from budget-friendly to top-end. Among the themed hotel options include, Disney Hotel New York (Marvel-themed), Disney Newport Bay Club (maritime-themed), Disney Hotel Cheyenne (Wild West) and Disney Hotel Sante Fe (Pixar’s Car themed).
Whatever your budget you will find choices to suit. And with the Villages Nature (a collaboration with Centre Parcs as a totally different alternative) a few km outside the resort, then you really have all bases covered.
Two parks, three days
Ok, three days – two main parks. Add in evening shows, daytime shows and parades. You’re not going to find yourself short of things to do! Personally, I’d probably start with Disneyland Park. Home to famous attractions like the castle and rides like Thunder Mountain and Hyperspace Mountain. Not forgetting the thrilling Buzz Lightyear ride! It’s also where the parade takes place, and the spectacular show projected onto the castle in the late evening.
Walt Disney Studios Park offers movie-themed shows and rides. There’s the Tower of Terror and Ratatouille – based on the Pixar film. There’s Marvel’s Avengers Campus for all you comic book fans, and the world of Pixar. Add in themed events and plenty of other rides, cafes and restaurants, and you have Day 2 sorted.
What of day three? Well, make sure you get a ticket so that you can skip between both parks. That way if you missed anything on the other days or just want to ride your favourite again, you can.
How can you get the best out of your time?
Finally, follow these top tips and you will be set for your 3 days at Disneyland® Paris.
- Well, picking up a Fastpass® may well do the trick. Beat the queues, and that gives you more time to catch other shows and rides. Really, it’s worth your investment, they really do speed you through the lines.
- Plan – no harm in deciding which rides you want to do first or the shows you want to see. With a little bit of planning and you can really get to enjoy the whole experience.
- During the summer months the park is open until late, so if you want nothing more than to get the complete experience, then stay until the end.
There are many other tricks and hints and, we’ll be giving you those in a forthcoming article. With three days in Disneyland® Paris, you are guaranteed to have a magical time. There’s no time to waste – have fun!