When you’re planning a Disneyland Paris trip there’s a lot of key dates you need to remember, and basic questions you might have. When can I book? When do I need to pay it off by? How long can I add extras for, and what about dining? In this blog we aim to offer an overview of all the information you need to know, to save the stress!

When can I book a Disneyland Paris trip?

If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland Paris, it can be tempting to want to get things booked ASAP. And the good news is, you can book as soon as Disney themselves open dates for booking!

Generally speaking, Disneyland Paris packages are released in September, to cover April – March the following year. So as I’m writing this (August 2025) you can book a Disneyland Paris stay up until March 2026. In September 2025, I expect them to release dates to book from April 2026 – March 2027.

Of course when any booking dates are released are subject to change depending on Disney themselves, but this has been the pattern for a while now and I don’t expect things to change at this point.

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How far in advance do I need to book a Disneyland Paris trip?

As long as the dates you want are open for booking, then this one is typically up to you! Because of Disneyland Paris’ typical date release schedule though, the farthest in advance you can book a Disneyland Paris trip is around 1 year and 6 months (say if you booked in September 2025 for March 2027).

Often, booking as far out as you can means you can get a cheaper price. As hotels book up and the parks get busier, Disney packages will get more expensive based on demand. (And of course packages covering expected busy periods will be more expensive anyway). Sometimes Disney will release special offers, but if you already have a trip booked and then a special offer opens that would apply to your dates, ring Disney (or whoever you booked through if you didn’t book direct) to see if you can apply the special offer to your trip. Often you can!

I will say that if you want to book a super-peak time – notably Christmas and New Year period, I’d recommend getting that booked super early because packages can and will sell out! Also dates around French bank holidays can also be super popular, I find this website helpful for checking the dates.

Of course last minute breaks can and do get booked all the time, so there’s no harm in checking to see if you can book your preferred date, whenever it is!

How much do I need to pay up front for a Disneyland Paris package?

This will depend on who you’ve booked with, but for booking with Disneyland Paris themselves you will be asked to pay 15% of the cost of your package at the time of booking. However, if you book travel with flights as part of your package your deposit will be 15% of the holiday AND the FULL cost of the flights. (Presumably this is so Disney can pay the airline).

You can of course pay the full balance at the time of booking if you wish. If you’re able to do this I recommend it as it prevents any later problems stopping you paying off the holiday. However I know the Disney packages are pricey and that’s not an option for everyone!

Can I pay for my Disneyland Paris package in installments?

Yes! Once you’ve paid your deposit, you have the freedom to pay installments towards your holiday up until the date it needs to be paid off.

It’s worth noting though that these payments are not automatic or set up by Disney in any way, so it’s up to you to remember to log in and make the payments! If you have a set schedule you’re planning to pay from (say after payday each month) I recommend setting a calendar reminder to log on and pay off the next installment.

When do I need to pay off my Disneyland Paris trip?

Final payment date for Disneyland Paris packages will depend on who you’ve booked with. If you book direct with Disney themselves final payment needs to be paid 70 days before departure.

If you’re choosing to pay it off in installments definitely set a reminder in your calendar (or wherever) for the last payment date so you don’t miss it. If you miss the final payment and haven’t spoken to Disney beforehand, your holiday will automatically be cancelled and you’ll lose the deposit.

What happens if I can’t make the final payment for my Disneyland Paris package?

If you miss the final payment without speaking to anyone at Disney then your package is automatically cancelled, and you’ll lose the deposit amount. (Any other amount you’ve paid over the deposit amount should automatically get refunded).

However if you know that you’re not going to be able to meet that last payment date in advance I strongly recommend you ring up and speak to someone at Disney. While they may not be able to help, I’ve heard that they can be a little more flexible in exceptional circumstances by offering payment extensions (this is very much cast member discretion though and isn’t guaranteed). They might also be able to suggest alternatives such as moving the holiday to a later date – you will need to pay the extra if the new dates cost more and there may be alteration fees, but it means you’ll have extra time before that last payment is due.

What if I need to cancel my Disneyland Paris trip?

First of all, if that’s the case, then I’m so sorry – that really sucks! As with many things, if you wish to cancel a booking then you need to inform who you booked with as soon as you can.

For bookings direct with Disney that are cancelled 60 days or more before your trip you’ll lose just the cost of the deposit (15%, or 15% plus the cost of the flights if you had a package with flights included). How much of the cost you’ll need to pay then depends on if you have a package with transport of not.

For packages without transport:

• Packages cancelled 60 to 8 days in advance of the trip: 25% of the package cost will need to be paid
• Packages cancelled 7 to 3 days in advance will need to pay 75% of the cost
• Packages cancelled 2 to 0 days in advance then 100% of the cost will need to be paid

For packages with transport (including flights, Eurostar, or self-drive with ferries):

• For packages cancelled 60 to 14 days in advance of the trip: 50% of the package cost (and 100% of the flights cost if included) will need to be paid
• For packages cancelled 13-0 days in advance: 100% of the package will need to be paid.

What you can see here is there’s more leeway on packages without transport – but of course if you book packages and transport separately then you’ll need to talk to your transport provider about your cancellation too, and their terms are likely to vary.

As I said in the previous point, if you need to cancel talk to Disney as soon as you can – especially if the cancellation is due to exceptional circumstances like illness etc. They may be able to help you rearrange the trip or similar to help prevent you losing the cost of the holiday. However, this isn’t guranteed so I also strongly suggest getting travel insurance to help cover you in case of the unexpected.

What if I’m buying just park tickets?

If you buy just Disneyland Paris park tickets through Disney then you need to pay the full cost at the time of booking, and tickets are non-refundable.

If you need to shift the date of your tickets, we’d suggest ringing Disney and speaking to them and you may be able to change the dates (you’ll need to pay any costs if the new dates are more expensive though).

You can buy Disney park tickets through other companies, and payment methods may mean you can pay back in installments, like PayPal pay in 3. This is still a credit product so best not to use it if you can cover the cost of the park tickets up front. (Although again, I know how expensive they are so understand if you’d rather be able to pay installments!) If you do decide to buy tickets elsewhere than Disney themselves please do your due diligence and research to make sure they’re a proper ticket seller, and never buy tickets from somewhere like eBay. Sadly there’s a lot of fraudsters out there.

What happens if I just need to make an alteration to my Disneyland Paris package?

People amend Disneyland Paris packages all the time! If you do need to make changes the lead passenger (so the person who made the booking) needs to ring Disney to make the changes. The number from the UK is 0800 169 0737.

Just bear in mind that making changes might lead to a change in package cost, and of course you’ll need to pay the extra if it’s more than your original booking.

What’s the cut off for adding extras to my booking like Meal Plans, PhotoPass or character dining?

If you think you want to have extras on your package that you didn’t add at the time of booking, then you can add them on up to 7 days before your departure date. You’ll need to ring Disney to do so. (And of course you’ll need to pay the extra cost!)

If you think you might want these extras we recommend if possible adding them at the time of booking, because then they’re part of your overall package cost and you know what you’re paying up front.

If you’re not sure what Disneyland Paris package extras are worth it for your group, check out our previous blog on the subject to help you decide!

What do I need to do to book an accessible hotel room or other facilities for the differently-abled?

All the Disney hotels have accessible rooms, and there’s a variety of other items that Disneyland Paris offers to help the differently-abled on their stays. To book an accessible room you need to ring Disney to do so.

For details on what support Disneyland Paris can offer, and what you may want to enquire about, see our previous blog on all the support Disney offers to guests who are differently-abled.

How far in advance can I make restaurant bookings?

If you haven’t booked at a Disneyland Paris hotel, restaurant bookings open 60 days in advance. If you are staying in a Disney hotel, then you can start making reservations once your holiday is booked and linked in the Disneyland Paris app, up to a year (yes a year!) in advance.

For character dining bookings, if you’re a Disney resort guest you won’t be able to add these through the app until 60 days in advance. Instead you’ll need to add them as part of your Disney travel package – you can do this at the time of booking, or add them on later by ringing Disney.

Because of the vast booking time difference between resort and non-resort guests, it does mean that by the time the 60 day booking window rolls around that the options for off-site guests are limited. Expect very popular restaurants to be booked up. Restaurants like Downtown in Hotel New York book up nearly a year in advance! Eek.

As such for Disney and non-Disney resort guests we recommend making your restaurant bookings as soon as you can – especially if you have one of the Meal Plans and therefore eating at a Disney table-service restaurants is an expected part of your trip!

If you have missed out on a booking at your Disneyland Paris restaurant of choice, don’t give up! Cancellations can and do happen all the time, so keep checking to see if what you want has become available. There are also apps that will regularly check reservations for you and alert you when one becomes available. Disney do also say that they may hold back some tables to release closer to the day, another reason to keep checking!

If your chosen restaurant wasn’t available at all in advance and you’re staying at a Disney hotel, try checking in at the restaurant itself, or with your hotel concierge. They can sometimes find bookings not available to everyone else.

Is there a forfeit for cancelling Disneyland Paris dining reservations?

At the present there isn’t a cost to cancelling most dining reservations, or not showing up. If it’s something you’ve pre-paid for in advance like character dining, you’ll lose the cost of the meal unless you inform Disney within a set period of time. (Normally up to a couple of days before – check the terms and conditions when you book because it can vary).

If you do need to cancel a table reservation it’s pretty easy to do so through the Disneyland Paris app. Please do cancel instead of just not turning up – your cancellation might make someone else’s day when they snap up that slot!

For a pre-paid meal, if the reason you couldn’t make it was due to something like a medical emergency or delayed travel that you couldn’t control, try speaking to someone at Disney. There’s no guarantee but they may be able to help with a refund or finding you an alternative reservation.

Note that La Foret Secrete does have different terms and conditions – if you cancel over 3 days in advance you’ll receive a refund for your booking, but under 3 days and the cost of the meal is forfeit. Also La Table de Lumiere asks for at least 24 hours notice of cancellations so ensure you don’t get charged.

When can I book My Royal Dream?

My Royal Dream is Disneyland Paris’ version of Bibbiti-Bobbidi-Boutique, where folks can get transformed Prince and Princess style. Disney hotel guests can book from the time they make their hotel booking. Off-site guests can typically book slots about 30 days in advance.

As you’d probably guess My Royal Dream is extremely popular and slots can be hard to come by, particularly for off-site guests when the on-site hotel guests have such an advantage for dates. However Disney do sometimes release extra times nearer to the date, and sometimes even on the day before. It may also be worth trying at My Royal Dream on the day of if you haven’t been able to get a reservation, just in case there was a cancellation.

Anything else to book in advance?

There are some extra things that you may like to book in advance too! Here’s a run down:

• Reserved spots for Tales of Magic, the Parade or theatre shows – Disney resort guests can book these up to 3 months in advance, and off-site guests up to 7 days in advance. The reserved viewing for Tales of Magic in particular is very popular and often sells out so it’s worth buying as soon as you can! In all cases you can watch the performances with a standard park ticket, it might just take a bit more planning.
• Disney Express service or Airport transfers – These add ons that make your life easier if you’re travelling to Disneyland Paris by train or plan respectively can be added to your booking at the time of making it, or up to 7 days in advance of your arrival day.
• PhotoPass+ – in theory you can add this to your booking if you’ve booked through Disney in advance, either at the time of booking or any time up to 7 days before your arrival day. Practically though the only advantage to buying in advance is that you’ve pre-paid as part of your package, and PhotoPass+ is typically available to buy on the day.
• Birthday cakes – If you want to add a birthday cake to a dining reservation it’s best to do this either when you book your package, or when you make your dining reservation. If you ask on the day there might not be a cake available.
• Premier Access Ultimate – This is the ultimate skip the line service at Disneyland Paris, and it comes at a cost! You can add this at the time of booking your Disney package, or you can add it once you’ve purchased tickets by buying it through the Disneyland Paris app. The main advantage of pre-purchasing is that you know the cost and have paid for it in advance. In theory there are only a limited number of Ultimate Premier Access passes available each day, but in our experience it’s rare for it to run out.
• Excursions to Paris – Disneyland Paris offer a number of excursions into Paris itself and the local area in France. For Disney guests these are typically bookable 3 days before you arrive at the resort. You can also enquire about them when you arrive in Disneyland Paris.
• VIP tours – well someone’s feeling bougie! VIP tours are available for up to 10 guests, for a minimun duration of 6 hours. Costs can vary depending on when you go. Disney don’t actually state how far in advance you can book the tours on their website (helpful) but do state that you should make an enquiry as soon as possible as the tours do get booked up. You do need to have park tickets so best to ensure you’ve got them first (either on their own or as part of a package!) before making a booking.

Hopefully this one stop shop of key dates and advice for planning your Disneyland Paris trip will help someone! For tips and tricks for all things Disneyland Paris please do subscribe to this blog at the top of the page, and if you wish to support our work you can do so by leaving us a tip – we appreciate any support you can give. Thank you!