So you’re thinking about going to Disneyland Paris. What now?

In this blog we’re looking at the basic information you need to get acquainted with the Disneyland Paris site and what it has to offer.

Where is it?

I know what you’re thinking – ‘Duh, Paris!’ Right? Well not exactly… Disneyland Paris is in Paris in the same way that a lot of airports are in their titled cities – they’re not in the centre of the city, but lurking somewhere on the outskirts.

Dineyland Paris is actually in Marne-la-Vallee, Chessy, which is on the eastern outskirts of Paris. To get into the centre of Paris itself takes about one hour on public transport, and the same when driving. The good news about this out of town location though is that you can drive to Disneyland Paris without having to deal with the traffic in central Paris which can be, well, let’s call in interesting! And scary. Very scary.

There are a lot of different ways to commute to Disneyland Paris which we’ll go into in future blogs.

What’s there?

Disneyland Paris has two theme parks. One, Disneyland Park, is probably the park most people think of when they think Disneyland Paris. Think the castle, numerous attractions in themed lands, fantasy and princesses, and the like. It encapsulates the Disney magic, is drop dead gorgeous to look at, and is also huge and often very busy! This is also the park that has daily parades, and a night-time spectacular consisting of fireworks, fountains, projections and drones!

The other park is Walt Disney Studios. When it opened it was themed very much as a film studio. Now its theme is slowly involving into adventures based around film and TV. It’s gone through a lot of changes, and there’s a lot of construction happening. The next major happening there will be the addition of a lakefront and a World of Frozen. When this happens in 2026 the park will be renamed Disney’s Adventure World to better match its new identity. This park doesn’t have any parades (for now, who knows what may change when the building works end!), but does occasionally have night-time drone and projection shows based around the Tower of Terror.

Both parks feature an assortment of rides, shows, restaurants, shop, chances to meet Disney characters, and some wonderful theming details!

There is also a shopping district called Disney Village. This contains numerous shops (including the huge World of Disney), a number of restaurants (some unique to the location and some well known chains such as McDonalds, Five Guys and Rainforest Café) and a large AMC Movie Theatre. There is also PanoraMagique – a tethered air balloon that allows you to get scenic views of the resort and further afield, as long as you don’t mind heights! Like the Studios park, Disney Village is undergoing a lot of renovation at the moment, with shop updates and restaurants being replaced. The longstanding Cafe Mickey’s and Planet Hollywood have shut down, with new locations opening in their stead. Shop themes are also being redesigned. Don’t be surprised to see a lot of construction walls!

Disney also has seven of its own resort hotels. Six of them are onsite:

• Disneyland Hotel – princess themed and very posh!
• Hotel New York: Art of Marvel – as the name would suggest this is a Marvel themed hotel, also considered a deluxe hotel.
• Newport Bay Club – A huge resort with a US coastal theme. This sits in the moderate hotel category.
• Sequoia Lodge – Themed to US woodlands, this rustic hotel is also in the moderate category.
• Hotel Cheyenne – A value resort themed to the wild west, with a Toy Story theme.
• Hotel Santa Fe – Themed to the American south west, particularly Route 66, this hotel has a Cars theme. It’s the cheapest of the onsite hotels.

All the onsite hotels are in walking distance to the parks, and have shuttle buses. Resort guests also benefit from Magic Hour, when you get can into the parks an hour before day guests. This is a great time to visit some of the busiest rides!

Disney have another resort, called Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch, that’s not based onsite but nearby. Here you can stay in a rustic cabin. It’s worth noting that by not being onsite it doesn’t have the free shuttle bus to the parks that the other resorts have.

One thing that Disneyland Paris does have onsite is a train station! This acts as a transport hub for the site and supports easy access to Paris itself and other areas of France beyond. While the train station is on the main Disney site, the land it sits on itself isn’t technically owned by Disney because it’s a public transport location.

What’s the weather like?

Disneyland Paris is in northern France, and as such the weather can be very changeable with the seasons. In the winter it can be extremely cold, even snowy, and in the summer extremely hot. And it can rain any time of year, but especially in the autumn, winter and spring. For folks reading this in the UK, it’s very similar to the weather we have here!

As such it’ll be worth planning around the time of year you’re visiting for what to pack clothing wise, but raingear is a must at any time. Knowing what the climate is like the parks have been designed to have ample shelter and opportunities to get out of the rain, but it might well still rain on your parade – literally!

When should I visit?

This is actually a more complicated question than it seems, and one we’ll dive into on future blogs! But you’ll need to way up lots of different factors – cost, weather, and crowds being key ones. Essentially Disneyland Paris is busiest at school holidays, public holidays, and weekends. Of course the late spring and summer has the appeal of bringing warmer weather and longer days, but it also brings crowds! The Halloween and Christmas periods can also be very busy. And of course when the parks are busiest, the prices are highest! The cheapest and quietest times tend to be January and early February, but then you have cold temperatures, shorter park days, and more attractions likely to be down for refurbishment. So it’s very much balancing out your needs when planning your trip.

What currency do they use?

The currency in France, and therefore Disneyland Paris, is the Euro.

I’ve seen sometimes online people expecting the parks to take other currencies for some reason, especially the British Pound. But no, just as the US parks expect you to pay in US dollars, so in Disneyland Paris you’ll need to pay in Euros.

If you need to you can check at Guest Services in the parks to see if they can exchange currency for you, and there’s a Bureau de Change in the train station. There’s also ATMs where you can withdraw Euros in both parks and the Disney Village.

It’s also worth noting that almost everywhere at Disneyland Paris accepts card payment! Keep an eye of foreign currency fees on your card though if your travelling from outside the Euros area. There are lots of cards now you can get that offer no fees for foreign currency use.

You can also use Disney Gift cards in the shops and restaurants at Disneyland Paris, but they need to have been brought in France. (UK and US gift cards won’t work!)

When you book a trip, you can usually pay in your own currency.

What language do they speak there?

Disneyland Paris is in France, so the main language is French. Having said that announcements are in French and English, and in many shows and rides both French and English are used. It was known when creating the parks that visitors speaking many different languages would visit, which is why many of the shows and ride narration feature multiple languages. Considering the challenge I think they manage it pretty well!

Most cast members also speak French and English, with some speaking other European languages too such as Spanish, Italian and German. Note I say most – some of the less customer-facing roles, such as Housekeeping, may not speak English. In these cases you can either go to guest relations, or the hotel reception, where you’ll be able to get some help.

I’ve seen some people online complain that French is used in Disneyland Paris; but seriously folks, it’s in France, of course it’s mostly French! It’s also good manners to learn a few key French words such as “Bonjour” – Hello, “Au revoir” – Goodbye, “Merci” – thank you, and ”Pardon” – sorry (that’s a handy one if you need to move past someone blocking the way). If you have a more complicated question beginning with “Parlez-vous Anglais?” (Do you speak English?) might be helpful. Please don’t shout at someone in English in the effort to make them understand – it won’t work and it’ll make you look like a rude moron.

How long does a visit take?

How long is a piece of string?! We’ve done 6 days and had the time filled the entire holiday. I’ve also seen people have successful one day trips. Really if you want to do everything in the parks you should have at least 2 days in Disneyland Park and 1 in Walt Disney Studios, so at least 3 full days. Depending on time of year, expected crowd levels, and the stamina of your group you may want to factor in more time!

How much does it cost?

Well, it’s… not cheap. A 2 night stay with 3 park days at the Hotel Santa Fe (cheapest of the onsite hotels) can set you back around £525 (that’s around 630 euros or $704 US dollars) – and that’s for two adults at the cheapest time of year! Throw in travel costs, food and the like (or more guests) and things can get expensive. To put this in perspective, the Disneyland Hotel as the most expensive on site, for the same dates and park tickets, costs £1425!

There are ways to save money though – Disney frequently offer special offers for breaks, including included dining plans, free stays and entry for children, free extra nights and more. You can also stay at another hotel nearby – Disney has its own good neighbour hotels, and there are many others in the area. You can even camp nearby! And you are welcome to bring snacks into the park to cut down on your food budget too.

Who will enjoy a trip?

Really, Disney is for everyone. They try to make the parks as accessible as possible, and they have attractions that can be ridden by everyone from tiny babies to the elderly – plus some more adventurous rides for the thrill-seekers! So it’ll be a rare person who doesn’t find something they’ll like. And we’ll be sharing some tips and tricks on our blog and socials to help everyone have a great time!