Disneyland Paris might be home to a dragon under the castle (yes, really!), but there are some commonly held myths about the parks that people believe. And this can lead them not enjoying their trip as much as they could! So we’re aiming to bust some of those myths today! If there’s a Disney myth, in your neighbourhood, who you gonna call? (Sadly Magically Different Mouse doesn’t quite fit in the tune but still…)

Myth 1: You will bump into characters to meet around the parks

This is one that I sadly see a lot online, where people have this misconception that they’re likely to just bump into characters all around the parks, and be able to get autographs, photos and more spontaneously. And Disney doesn’t really help themselves here by marketing that normally depicts someone strolling happily along with Mickey Mouse! But the reality is that spontaneous pop up meet and greets are rare. Most characters have set meeting places and schedules, and you’ll need to line up to meet them. And those longs can be massive!

So why is this? In a nutshell – crowd management. Roaming characters tend to get mobbed by people, and given the tendencies in Paris for people pushing and shoving to get places it’s a nightmare for the cast members to handle. That’s not to say you can’t see the characters around the park – they appear in parades and shows, and you might see them walking to and from their meeting spots. You won’t be able to get a photo or autograph, but at least will be able to get to see them and to wave.

To avoid getting caught out by this myth, plan which characters you want to see and make a game plan for meeting them if you can! It’s probably best to prepare little ones too that if they see a character walking through the park they’re not likely going to be able to stop for long. A way to get to meet characters without the park lines otherwise is to book a character meal! You can find out more about character meet and greets in our previous blog.

Myth 2: Disneyland Paris is a one day park

This one always makes me chuckle. For some reason, some folks seem to believe that they’ll be able to ‘do’ Disneyland Paris in one day! But unless your idea of ‘doing’ these parks is to just get on a few rides then this isn’t really likely.

For starters Disneyland Paris is two theme parks not one – the original Disneyland Parc and the Walt Disney Studios Park (soon to be Disney Adventure World). Between the two of them there are dozens of attractions ranging from short 1 to 2 minute rides to half an hour long stage shows! Throw into the mix characters, parades, night time shows, restaurants and snacks, plus the attractions of the hotels and the Disney Village, and there’s simply no way to get it all done in one day.

Realistically to try and hit every ride and show in the parks you’d probably need around 3 park days if you were happy to do a lot of walking, standing, and yomping between attractions! And that will partly be dependent on crowds too. And again, this is leaving the hotels and Disney Village out of the mix.

We like relaxed trips and we tend to go for 4 or 5 nights, with 5 or 6 park days, and find that a nice way to hit what we want, repeat some favourites, and factor in breaks to rest aching backs and feet! Of course how long you can spend in Disneyland Paris will vary a lot depending on the time you have available, budget and more. But don’t expect to do ‘it all’ in one day. If you do only have one day at Disneyland Paris, we’d recommending researching the attractions and getting folks in the group to pick one or two must dos and concentrating on getting them done. Then anything on top of that is a bonus!

Myth 3: It’s not worth going to Disneyland Paris if you’ve been to Walt Disney World

Admittedly this is slightly subjective, but as folks who love both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris we think this myth is false! While it’s certainly smaller in scale that Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris has a lot of unique offerings, and is a different Disney experience.

For instance the beauty of Disneyland Parc in Paris way outshines the Magic Kingdom (no offence MK, we love you but it’s true!.) Paris also offers unique versions of classic Disney rides many of which are better than their US cousins (such as Pirate of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and Phantom Manor (the Paris version of Haunted Mansion)). It also has unique attractions too, particularly the shows – and the shows in Disneyland Paris are wonderful.

I’m not saying everything in Paris is better of course – Walt Disney World is certainly the larger of the two, and is way better at things like restroom cleanliness and that Disney customer service! But Disneyland Paris is a shining example of an European theme park, and that’s a bit of a different context to a US theme park. And remembering that important difference is something we think a lot of visitors miss. But from our point of view both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris are wonderful experiences, if somewhat different ones – and if you bear that in mind then they are both definitely worth visiting if you can.

Myth 4: It’s not worth visiting the Walt Disney Studios Park at present due to construction work

Okay this is a bit of a time-based myth but as I write here in February 2025, the Walt Disney Studios Park is undergoing a lot of construction preparing for its ultimate metamorphosis in Disney Adventure World. Let’s call this its ‘ugly duckling’ phase as it prepares to morph into a gorgeous theme park swan! But with the construction we’ve heard a lot of folks saying it’s not worth a visit at the moment – I don’t think that’s true.

One of the problems with the current construction work in the Studios is that it is very front and centre; with the former Studio 1 entrance building closed off, and construction taking place all around it. But once you’re past that the bulk of the rest of the park is actually very much open and ready to welcome guests! You can unleash your inner super-hero in Avengers Campus, shrink down to the size of the toy in Toy Story Playland, and stay miniaturised as you scamper through Gusteau’s restaurant with Remy from Ratatouille! Plus there’s the ever popular Crush’s Coaster, and the numerous shows to enjoy too (and that’s not everything). It’s worth bearing in mind with the shows that they do sometimes close for a cast hiatus, but that’s not to do with the building work, it’s just something that happens in the Paris parks.

So do we think that it’s worth planning a day out to just Walt Disney Studios Park and not the rest of Disneyland Paris? Probably not, but if you’re planning a multi-day trip then it’s definitely worth a visit. Just bear in mind that you’ll spot a fair bit of construction, and this has had some rubbish knock on effects including limited toilets and counter service restaurants! But this should be a temporary pain leading to a beautiful transformation. We can hope!

Myth 5: I’ll be able to pick up any medicines and toiletries I need in a Disneyland Paris resort shop

This myth is I think spread by folks used to the shops in the resorts at the US Disney Parks. In these shops there’s always a sundries wall featuring toiletries and medication for folks to stock up on what they might have forgotten. But in Disneyland Paris that isn’t really the case. There might be a very small selection of toiletries available in the resort shops but they’re not likely to be on display, and you won’t find any medication at all.

And it’s worth noting that’s not Disneyland Paris’ fault! In France the rules are that any form of medication, even something simple like Paracetamol or Calpol, can only be sold in a pharmacy – not in a supermarket, not in a convenience store, not even in a Disney gift shop! We’ve seen a lot of people caught out by this online, wondering why they can’t find meds onsite.

To avoid falling into the pitfalls of this myth, make sure you take any medication you might need with you! Even stuff you might not take regularly but think you could possibly need at Disneyland Paris such as painkillers, cold remedies and indigestion medicine. It’s better to be over-prepared than under. If you’re really in a pinch then you can pop into First Aid in the parks where you can get a single dose of some medicines. But they’ll take your details so don’t think you can just keep wandering in there!

Thankfully if all else fails, there is a pharmacy at Val d’Europe, just a short 5 minute hop on public transport.

Myth 6: It’s impossible to do Disneyland Paris on a budget!

It’s no myth that going to Disneyland Paris can be very expensive! (Sadly, we wish it was). But that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily out of reach for folks with tighter budgets.

There are ways of being able to visit Disneyland Paris for cheaper. You can either stay in a resort off-site, or stay at one of the value resorts that Disney owns. You can use the calendar on the Disneyland Paris website to check prices and choose the cheapest arrival day if your dates are flexible. You could bring in your own snacks and food. You might even be able to choose a cheaper form of transport depending on where you’re travelling from. And while Disney likes to pile on the potential extras you can buy such as line-skipping or reserved spots in shows, with some careful planning and expectation setting you might be able to find you can do without them!

I hesitate to say that Disneyland Paris can be done ‘cheap’, because it’s not a very cheap place to go. But you might be surprised how far your budget could take you. Have a look at our previous blog post on budgeting to learn more.

So there are just some Disneyland Paris myths we felt needed busting! Can you think of any more? Let us know in the comments!