It’s finally here – July. And with it comes the summer holidays in much of Europe – and a lot of people looking forward to their Disneyland Paris trip! But the summer holidays can bring with it a lot of challenges when navigating the parks – weather, crowds, long days and more. So here’s our survival guide to Disneyland Paris for the summer holidays, so you get the most out of your trip. And look out for some tips for our differently-abled friends thrown in too!

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Some folks like to to leave summer holiday bookings until the last minute. This may be for financial reasons, or availability of time off work, or maybe you just like living dangerously. All fair enough! But if you haven’t booked your Disneyland Paris summer trip yet, it’s time to stop looking and get booking!

With the masses heading to Disneyland Paris, the parks can hit capacity. And if you find yourself without a booking in place and want to head to the parks, then sadly you’ll be out of luck! It’s also unlikely at this point that any new special offers are going to crop up to take any money off your summer trip, whether that be for Disney packages and tickets, or for travel such as flights. The more spaces that are snapped up, the more it’ll cost to get the rest of them. Don’t risk leaving it to the last minute and find your Disneyland Paris dream is over before it’s even begun!

Click on the image below to get booking your Disneyland Paris stay or tickets (this is an affiliate link – we’ll get a small commission if you make a purchase but at no cost to you!)

And for my differently-abled friends, don’t forget that you may be able to save 25% on your park tickets! Click the link below to buy now (also an affiliate link, but again there’s no extra cost to you!):

Click here to save 25% on your Disneyland Paris tickets if you’re differently-abled

And just to reinforce my point, both parks are already fully booked for Bastille Day (14th July), so please don’t wait to book! And that’s not only if you need to buy tickets – if you have undated tickets you need to make park reservations for, get those sorted ASAP.

Also on this point, if you have any dining reservations you’d like, or want to book special experiences like parade or fireworks viewing, do so ASAP as it’s not unheard of for these to sell out well in advance even in quieter seasons.

Prepare for Crowds on Bastille Day – and all summer long!

Following on from the above, 14th July marks Bastille Day in France – a major holiday here. And with tickets already sold out for both parks, you can bet that the crowds are going to be huge!

Of course the huge crowds do come with some compensations, such as a unique fireworks and drone show – last year broke records as the largest drone show in Europe, and I bet Disneyland Paris will be looking to achieve at least the same again, if not exceed it.

If you’re going to be in the parks on Bastille Day, or best advice is to take advantage of Extra Magic Hour for Disney resort guests if you qualify to get some rides in before the crowds go truly bonkers. You may want to consider Premier Pass to reduce ride times otherwise – whether the overall pass or just go for individual passes for the rides you want to ride the most (probably the cheaper option). And if you want to watch the special show in the evening, stake out a spot early! Crowds get a bit nuts for the typical evening show, so for an event that takes place once a year you can bet they’ll be mad! If your heart is set on watching from the Hub and you don’t have the reserved viewing or a Priority Pass, then you’ll probably need to get to the Hub at least 2 hours in advance to hold down a spot. I’d actually recommend probably going farther back on Main Street USA for a bit less crowds and being nearer the exit when the show ends!

Above all, be patient. There’s going to be long lines for pretty much everything. If you go in expecting that, you’ll have a much better day enjoying the festivities!

While Bastille Day is a unique case in point, it’s safe bet that the summer holidays will be bringing a lot of people all summer long, so the advice above should also be applied to your other park days in the summer too. Extra Magic Hour can really be a blessing for getting in extra rides. As for Premier Access pass, if you go for the Ultimate one you’ll get on a lot of rides, but at a lot of expense! Whether you need it or not may depend on how many days you have at the parks. If you have only one day and are determined to do as many rides as possible, then it might be worth the investment. But for multiple days and some planning, you might be able to avoid the extra cost and still get in all the rides you want.

Also as a note to our differently-abled friends, do look into if you qualify for either the Priority Pass or Easy Access Pass. (You can read more about the Priority Pass in our previous blog). Both can be a great blessing for helping to manage waits and crowds for folks who would otherwise find this very difficult.

Prioritise and prepare for ride waits

So with an expectation of a lot of people and some long waits, how do you get the most out of your park days? Our top tip for this – prioritise.

If you have only a couple of days in the park even at slower times of the year you’re going to struggle to do everything. And at busier times of year like summer? It’s going to be nigh on impossible! But then again, we’ve found that even people who say they want to do everything generally don’t actually mean that – there’s bound to be some things that appeal less to them, they just might not know that going in.

Here’s where we’d suggest everyone to do some research on the attractions (rides and shows) at Disneyland Paris. And not just the attractions, also the characters and the food! And from this research set some top priorities – perhaps 3 or so per person in your group per day (maybe less if your group is 6 or more people). Keep these must-dos in mind and focus on getting them done. Then everything you do on top of that is a bonus! If you’d like some guidance on the attractions, we’ve got a blog breaking down the ride types you can find in the parks, and another with suggestions of what you might like to prioritise. Both can help you plan what appeals to you most. Prioritising can also help you decide if something like Premier Access is worth it for your group, or even pre-booking spots at the shows.

Even with set top priorities in mind chances are you’ll have to wait a bit anyway, so go into longer queues prepared with something to keep the folks in your group occupied. This could be a game you can play together, a chat about plans for the days and must-dos, or even some toys. Fidget toys can be really good for those who get anxious in crowds or who struggle with waiting. For long waits for things like parades or shows where you’re likely to be in the same spot for a while, then something like colouring can be great to make the time go. (It’s more awkward in ride lines where you’ll need to move frequently). And of course there’s the ubiquitous bubble wands!

Be ready for whatever the weather throws at you

A lot of people worry about rain ruining their Disneyland Paris trip. But heat can cause just as much of a problem – and there’s a strong possibility you can run into either on a Disneyland Paris summer holidays trip!

As I write this Paris has just come out of a major heatwave, where temperatures got so hot that some of the outdoor entertainment in the parks had to be cancelled for the safety of the performers, and some rides even had to close because the seats were getting too hot! And such heat is becoming more common in Paris – last year at the Olympics saw a ‘heat dome’ over the city that caused a similar heatwave for days on end.

But of course, in many ways the climate of Paris is just like that of the UK, which means it can rain pretty much any time. Our trip in June was a perfect illustration of the vagaries of Paris summer weather. On our trip we had moments of sweltering heat, and moments of getting drenched in a downpour. Often on the same day!

Extreme heat or heavy rain can both cause outside entertainment to be cancelled. Outdoor rides tend to stay open in the rain unless there’s lightning or the rain is truly torrential, but riding Dumbo in a rain storm isn’t the most fun ever! So it’s best to be prepared that it might literally rain on your parade. Or maybe bake it. Fun times.

We’ve got a lot of experience dealing with dodgy weather at Paris – look at our recent blog on managing Disneyland Paris in hot weather for tips on not overheating, and our previous blog on managing bad weather can help with tips and recommendations for the rain too. Our best advice – where cool, comfortable clothing, always have a waterproof or umbrella packed, layers can be a best friend on cooler summer days, and remember – a day with rubbish weather in Disney is still better than a gorgeous day pretty much anywhere else! And if weather should impact your trip, try to roll with it. Is it ideal? No. But there’s a lot of fun to be had regardless.

Embrace rest on long park days

Summer days in Disneyland Paris can be long. Throughtout the summer the park hours for Disneyland Park are 9.30am to 10.40pm, and for the Walt Disney Studios Park 9.30am to 9pm. And of course both parks offer extra magic hour each morning for hotel guests 8.30am – 9.30am. That’s a lot of potential park time! But is it a blessing, or a curse?

Extra park time of course has its benefits. It allows you to get a lot of more done in the day – something that could be very beneficial in the large crowds, as you’re likely to be waiting longer for attractions and the like. And more Disney fun is always great – right? Well yes, but the problem is if you try to do park open to park close for multiple days with park hours that long, sooner or later your body is going to give you a not so subtle hint to slow down. Say hello to the wall. And it could manifest in many ways – crankiness, exhaustion, aches and pains, and an excessive need for caffiene and sugar to name just a few.

So we’d urge you on longer park days – take a rest. Not only will it give you a much needed break physically, but also mentally from the crowds and over-stimulation. A rest can mean different things to different people. If you’re in a hotel nearby, you might want to consider going back there for a break in the middle of the day, for a nap or maybe a swim. If you’d rather stay nearer the parks, consider booking a table service restaurant if your budget allows it for an extended sit down. Even just factoring a decent break for a quick-service lunch can help, perhaps followed with a sit-down in a show. But take the rest – your body will thank you for it. And don’t be afraid to take shorter rests elsewhere in the day too, perhaps for a drink or snack. Between mealtimes is a great time to hit up the counter-service restaurants for minimal waiting and a good chance of finding a table. And even on busier days there are quieter spots in the parks – check out our previous blog on handling sensory overload to give you an idea of where to head.

And you know what? If you have multiple park days, don’t be afraid to have a lie in. No really. They’re great. You might even plan an entire day in your resort, or just pootling around Disney Village (that’s also a lot quieter during the day!).

The other thing to consider for long days is that your feet will be throbbing after a while. Thankfully we’ve got a previous blog post that gives tips on preparing your feet for Disneyland Paris, so give that a read next to help keep your feet in top condition!

Don’t miss the special events for Summer!

Disney aren’t daft – they know the parks are going to be busy in the summer and as such they tend to add a lot of extra offerings around this time to help keep folks entertained. While the core rides and characters always tend to be the main appeal, don’t miss out on these limited time park offerings.

The big offering for this summer is of couse the Disney Music Festival at Disneyland Park. This event offers multiple performances scattered around the park each day celebrating Disney music, all culminating in a big performance at the end of the day. There’s special characters, special merch, and special food! Check out our previous blog for a complete guide to the festival, and if you’d like to see teasers of the acts watch our vlog below!

Also in Disneyland Park this summer is Lounge Lightspeed. This limited time lounge spot is in Discoveryland on top of the Darth Vader meet and greet, and is accessed towards the entrance of the old Discoveryland railroad station. Lounge Lightspeed offer speciality mocktails and Coca-Cola soft drinks in a themed(ish) setting. While there you may encounter Stormtroopers, droids, characters and more. Is it very expensive? Yup. But for Star Wars fans you may get some unique encounters while there, and it’s another chance for a rest on a long park day. But if you’re expecting Oga’s Cantina from the US parks then you will be disappointed I’m afraid.

Of course Disneyland Park also goes all in on celebrating Bastille day – see the point above for more on that!

Over in the Walt Disney Studios Park, Alice and the Queen of Hearts: Return to Wonderland is back for its summer run. This show mixes BMX stunts and live music in an Alice in Wonderland themed setting. Sadly this show does tend to get cancelled in the rain, and will close for the winter in September. So try to grab your chance to see it when you can!

Even Disney Village is getting in on the summer fun, on Friday and Saturday evenings you can find live music performers here, followed by a DJ dance party.

For knowing what shows, characters and more are available for your visit, the Disneyland Paris app is your best friend.

Don’t be caught out by construction!

Summer may be a peak season, but the Disneyland Paris parks are open every day of the year. That means that when ride renovations happen, they can happen at any time. And this summer has its share of closures to know about.

The good news is that World Premiere and World Premiere plaza in the Walt Disney Studios Park are now open after being closed for a lengthy refurbishment (see our video here for a full tour). But the Studios park still has plenty of construction going on, notably to the left of World Premiere (as you enter the park), in the Plaza there and heading towards Avengers Campus. And of course there’s the ongoing construction of Adventure Way and World of Frozen as the park makes its transition to Disney Adventure World.

Even in Disneyland Park, construction is taking place next to the castle to completely refurbish the castle stage, and construction walls have recently appeared in Fantasyland near Mickey’s Meet and Greet too (probably connected to works on the railroad). There have been works in Discoveryland taking place too, and the Riverboat has yet to reopen in Frontierland.

And of course Disney Village is still going through its massive transformation, so expect construction walls around the old Sports Bar, and the site of the former Planet Hollywood too!

As for attraction closures, here’s what we know of being closed in July and August 2025:

• Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast – now closed until the end of the year
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant – Due to reopen 5 July
• Pirates of the Caribbean – Due to reopen 12 July
• Thunder Mesa Riverboat – Due to reopen late summer (no specific date yet)
• Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure – Due to reopen 11 July
• Frozen: A Musical Invitation – Due to reopen 26 July
• Avengers Assemble: Flight force – Closing 25-29 August
• Rhythm of the Pridelands – Closed 31 August – 7 November
• Mickey and the Magician – Closed 31 August – 12 December

Do note that Disneyland Paris can announce ride closures at any time, sometimes without much warning, so check the Disneyland Paris app for details! Also rides can go down unexpectedly during the day, typically they come back up after not too long of a break but sometimes technical issues can knock a ride down for the count for longer than expected.

Make sure you’ve packed everything you need

Our most recent YouTube video was all about packing everything you need for your Disneyland Paris trip. During a busy and chaotic summer trip to the parks the last thing you need is a dash to the pharmacy at Val d’Europe, or even a clothes or electronic shop there, to pick up some needed essentials you didn’t bring!

You can watch our YouTube video below for packing ideas:

And check out our previous blogs on what to pack, what to pack in your park bag, and what not to pack for more advice and inspiration.

Bear in mind in the summer you’ll have long and hot days to deal with most likely, so remember to pack comfortable and breathable clothes, decent socks and well worn in shoes.

And for my differently-abled friends we recommend thinking in advance to what you might need to pack to help you cope with crowds, manage your conditions and still have a great time! One thing we can really recommend is that if you need joint supports, make sure you pack ones that are breathable. I had great results on a recent trip with Bearhug supports which are made with bamboo and very comfortable and breathable. Check out the image below to see what they have to offer (again, this is an affiliate link – so we earn a small commission if you make a purchase, but at no extra cost to you!)

Become best friends with the Disneyland Paris app

The Disneyland Paris app is your best friend when it comes to planning a trip to the parks at the best of times. But in the summer we’d consider this an absolute essential!

With the Disneyland Paris app you can stay up to date with ride wait times and closures, see what shows and characters are around, mobile order food or reserve table service dining, see the details of your hotel reservation and more. Don’t wait until you’re in the parks to download it (it’ll take ages over the Disneyland Paris wifi!) – instead make sure you’ve got it downloaded and set up before you go, and maybe take some time to play with its features so you’re familiar with everything it offers. That means you’ll be up and running when you’re at the parks.

One key feature to also get to know if you’re interested in characters is the virtual queue feature as this is now the only way to get meet and greets with many characters in the parks – including Mickey Mouse, Stitch, the Princesses, Darth Vader and Spiderman!

Be patient, be kind, and have fun!

This is probably our most important tip. In the parks it’ll be busy. You’ll probably get hot. You’ll almost certainly get tired. You may be in pain. You may get overstimulated. And you may get cranky. Are you having fun yet?! Despite all this, you should be – because Disneyland Paris is a magical place, as long as you go in with the right mindset!

When dealing with the parks in the summer holidays, you’ll definitely need to go in prepared to be patient. Will there be a lot of other people? Yup. Will some of them do annoying or thoughtless things? Probably, sadly. And there may well be frustrations in the parks as you go. Getting irate because of a slight delay or hiccup won’t help anyone – least of all yourself. Go in knowing you’ll be having to wait a bit, and that things might not go smoothly, and you’ll have a much better time.

And also be kind. Be kind to your fellow guests who are probably also hot, cranky, tired and overstimulated. Pushing people out the way or being rude isn’t going to improve their day, and it won’t improve yours either. Also definitely be kind to the cast members – if something has gone wrong, in the vast majority of cases it won’t be the fault of the cast member who you’re talking to, and they’ve probably also had hundreds of other people be rude to them that day. Even a smile and a ‘Bonjour’ can help. And above all, be kind to yourself. Because despite of the stress, expense and everything else, you made it to Disneyland Paris and you deserve to have a great time. Something going slightly awry in your carefully made plans is not a reason to beat yourself up. Go with the flow, take rests, hydrate, and big yourself up. You made it to Disney, and you deserve it.

So there’s our survival guide to Disneyland Paris in the peak of summer holidays. Anything you’d add? Let us know in the comments! And please do subscribe to our blog in the box at the top of the page, and give our YouTube channel a visit too. Thank you!