Paris is known as the city of love, and nowadays couples seem just as likely to pay a visit to Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris as they are to the Eiffel Tower! With Valentine’s Day just gone by, we’re sharing some romantic spots at Disneyland Paris – and some reality checks too!

Reality check time!

So, before you plan to get all lovey-dovey at Disneyland Paris, I feel obliged to share a bit of a reality check. Disneyland Paris is a place for families to visit. As such, there are a lot of other people – including a lot of kids! If you’re looking for secluded adult-only spaces to spend your time at the resort then just be aware that you’re likely to come across other people, including children, everywhere you go!

Does that mean you can’t have a romantic time at Disneyland Paris? Of course not! But it does mean you have to have realistic expectations of what you’re going to encounter.

The other thing I do want to mention is that romance is different things to different people. While some folks might want luxury multi-course dinners for two to celebrate with their partner, personally I’d rather take a ride on a doom-buggy through Phantom Manor, or go to see some swashbuckling pirates on Pirates of the Caribbean, any day. Different strokes for different folks and all that. So while we’re sharing some ideas here, don’t be afraid to go and find your own romantic spots!

Spot 1: Around and in Sleeping Beauty Castle

When you ask most people to picture Disneyland Paris, the first thing that’ll spring to mind are the dreaming spires of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Park. And that’s not really a surprise because she is GORGEOUS!

Of course, being smack in the middle of Disneyland Park she is also busy a lot of the time. But for more secluded views around the castle, try the little side paths that wrap around from Fantasyland towards Main Street USA. And definitely make sure you explore the Sleeping Beauty walk through attraction on the first floor. Gorgeous tapestries and stained glass windows tell the story of the film, with soft romantic music and gentle lighting in the scene. Don’t miss the stone trees twinkling with lights! This walkthrough is overlooked by many and can be pretty quiet on slow park days. And it also has an outdoor balcony that overlooks Fantasyland, with little corners to tuck away on. I happen to think this balcony is very romantic – but then I’m a bit biased because I got engaged there!

Of course you’ll still likely come across people all around the castle, but there are some opportunities to tuck away and enjoy the view if you look.

Spot 2: Captain Jack’s Restaurant

While on the face of it a pirates’ themed restaurant doesn’t sound the most romantic, Captain Jack’s somehow manages to buck the trend! The setting of this restaurant is a Caribbean terrace at night – dim lighting, coloured lanterns and thatched rooves set the scene.

Possibly the most romantic spot in this restaurant is getting a table next to the water, where you can watch boats drift past of people enjoying the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Although expect a few shouts of ‘Bon Appetite’ from the riders as you dine! Here’s a top tip – in our experience if you have a booking for near when they start serving (typically around 11-11.30am) you’re more likely to get seated near the water. You can always request a waterside table at other times – there may be a bit of an extra wait though. Unusually for a Disney restaurant a lot of the tables near the water are for two as opposed to four or more, so couples might have a bit of the edge here!

A couple things to note about this spot though – being pirate themed of course families want to eat here too, so there’ll probably be kids around. Also the menu is very seafood focussed, possibly not to everyone’s taste. But Captain Jack’s is our favourite restaurant we’ve tried at Disneyland Paris!

Spot 3: The paths around Adventureland and Frontierland

Around Frontierland and, especially, Adventureland there are a lot of little paths that really just seem a more scenic way to get from A to B.

In Adventureland in particular, a wander around Adventure Isle can bring to light lots of less trodden paths, and even around the sides of places like Restaurant Hakuna Matata we still sometimes come across little paths and seating areas we never discovered before! Because they’re off the beaten path you are more likely to be able to catch a little more seclusion. And the lighting at night can make them quite romantic! (Just be prepared that chunks of Adventure Isle might close earlier when it gets dark!)

As a side note these paths can also be a great place to snag photos, and a possible escape if you’re not a fan of crowds and just want to escape somewhere a bit less people-y! Also, Boot Hill Cemetery as you leave Phantom Manor is also missed by the vast majority of people, although as it’s full of fake grave stones I’ll leave it to you to decide if it’s romantic or not!

Spot 4: Take a boat ride!

While other couples sail down the Seine nearby, why not take your boat trip through Disney stories, or a trip around the world?

Okay, so Les Pays de Comte des Fees and It’s a Small World may not be the most romantic places on the face of it, but sitting in the back row (where they tend to sits groups of 2 or 3 because it can be narrower than the other rows) can be a great way to spend some time with your partner while taking in some of Disney’s cutest attractions!

Spot 5: Say hello to Wall-e and Eve

Okay these guys are smack in the middle of Discoveryland which possibly isn’t the most romantic place on earth! (Especially when there are folks flooding past to hit up Star Tours), but is seems remiss to visit the park without saying hello to one of Disney’s most underrated couples!

Top tip: visit these guys by night as well as day, you’ll get the full effect of Eve’s eyes when the light is lower!

Spot 6: Disneyland Hotel

Even before its recent refurb, the Disneyland Hotel (aka the Pink Palace) oozed romance with its dreamy designs and fairy-tale theming. Since its refurbishment this romance has been dialled up by a factor of 10, with the hotel going all in on a Princess and royal theme.

The result is somewhere that celebrates romance, starting with the chandelier in the new lobby and moving to the bedrooms themed after Disney Princesses. There are two dining opportunities at the Disneyland Hotel (both character dining), plus the Fleur de Lys bar that serves snacks alongside a range of cocktails and coffees.

Now, as home to two character meals and My Royal Dream (where people can be made over as princesses) the Disneyland Hotel is certainly no stranger to children! But it’s fairy-tale romance vibe is undoubtedly romantic. And the bar is open until 1pm, so visiting later at night will mean less chance of being around little ones if that’s what you’re looking for. Just be warned you do need deep pockets to enjoy the Disneyland Hotel – its rooms, restaurants and bar are certainly not cheap! (You can just wander in and appreciate the lobby though if you like!)

Spot 7: Lake Disney

On the other side of Disney Village from the parks sits Lake Disney. This Lake is actually flanked by three of the Disneyland Paris hotels – Hotel New York: Art of Marvel, Newport Bay Club, and Sequoia Lodge. While most people’s experience of Lake Disney is speed-walking past it to get to the parks, during the day is can make a nice spot to stop and appreciate the view, or sit on the benches that surround it.

Also on part of the lake is Panoramagique – a tethered air balloon that when it’s running provides flights high about the Disneyland Paris site. Apparently on clear days you can see Paris itself! As someone scared of heights this doesn’t scream romance to me but your mileage may vary!

Side note, while strolling around Lake Disney, keep an eye out for the sheep between Newport Bay and the entrance of Disney village. They’re there to help manage the land!

Spot 8: Paths and bars at the other Disney hotels

All the Disney hotels can be busy and stressful places to be, there’s no doubt! However, a lot of the resorts have in their grounds little paths between the buildings which during the day can be near deserted and can be very pretty (we spent a couple of hours one morning wandering around Santa Fe to Hotel Cheyenne and we saw next to no one!).

Also, each of the hotels have a bar that are open quite late, so a night-cap might be a good way to experience them at a quieter time. I really like the bar at Sequoia Lodge which has a super cosy vibe!

Notable omissions

The observant of you may have noticed I haven’t included anywhere from Walt Disney Studios Park or Disney Village in this list – and that was deliberate. And the simple answer to why at the moment is… construction.

Both the Studios Park and the Village are kind of in a state of flux with a large amount of construction going on. As such it’s hard to recommend romantic places here without seeing how they end up looking! As it stands I wouldn’t really say there’s romantic spots in the Studios although happy to hear suggestions. And I’ve head folks say Rosalie is a nice spot if you like French Cuisine in Disney Village but I haven’t tried it myself so don’t really want to recommend it without first hand experience (plus I’m still salty they closed down Café Mickey for it but that’s another story…).

Fingers crossed both locations will offer a mix of family-friendly and more romantic spots when the dust settles – we’ll have to see.

So what did you think of our list? Anywhere you’d include? Let us know!