With the time and effort we put into a Disneyland Paris trip, we like to think that everything will go super smoothly when we’re there. And hopefully it will! But… it also might not. Seemingly minor occurrences can have a surprisingly large impact on the rest of your trip. But fear not! We’re going to recommend some things to take with you to ensure you can handle some of the major hiccups that can occur on a Disneyland Paris trip, to get things back on track as soon as you can.

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My phone died while I was in the parks!

Having a mobile phone on hand in Disneyland Paris is pretty much a necessity nowadays. For many of us they hold booking details, travel and park tickets, and photos. They also can hold the Disneyland Paris app, an essential tool for keeping up to date with wait times for attractions, show times, and when characters are making their appearance. But with great phone use comes a rapidly dying battery – and a dying phone battery can majorly derail a Disneyland Paris day!

The key to avoiding this? Having a phone power bank with you! These little devices can give your phone a much needed boost at times. If your phone supports wireless charging then we recommend something like this Magsafe Power Bank from Anker: https://amzn.to/4jVpmg5 – it should be able to hold enough charge to give a phone a needed boost in the middle of the day, and you don’t need cables. If you have a lot of devices that might need a boost during the day you might want to consider something larger and more powerful like this Anker Zolo Power Bank: https://amzn.to/4rabH7o – it can fully charge 2 iPhones. We used one of these on our last trip and it was able to keep our phones and our filming camera active through very long park days!

A note if you rely on Power banks though, remember to charge them each evening – they won’t be much help if they’ve got no power themselves!

If you find yourself in the parks and don’t have a power bank with you, you can rent them from kiosks that are often found near toilets – of course this isn’t the cheapest way to do this so investing in your own is probably wiser!

We’d also recommend that if you have a lot of things like travel tickets held digitally that you screenshot everything, in case your reception goes, and don’t rely on just one device – Ken and I share any booking details etc on both our phones so if something happens to one we’ve at least got some back up! And having paper print outs of booking details as an ultimate back up can also be handy – it may be a pain to carry round but at least paper can’t run out of battery.

My feet hurt…

It’s a rare person that doesn’t come out of a Disneyland Paris theme park day without their feet hurting at least a little bit. But there’s a difference between an ache and the extreme discomfort of a blister! And blisters, relatively minor though they can seem, can do a lot to derail a Disneyland Paris trip. It’s hard to feel the magic when every step is agony!

The best thing you can do for blisters is to prevent them happening in the first place. And that means good footwear! It’s very hard for me to recommend the perfect shoe for everyone, because everyone is different – but generally speaking well-worn in (but not falling apart) sports shoes or trainers seem to be the best bet. I’ve had good results with Hokas which I know a lot of people also recommend for long theme park days. I wore the Hoka Anacapa Low GTX trainers on our last trip: https://amzn.to/46aNHbY and they worked really well. But there’s such a wide range of Hokas on Amazon it’s probably worth just reviewing the search results and seeing what takes your fancy: https://amzn.to/4qwo11L I have very wide feet and lymphoedema and find they work well for those conditions.

Aside from good shoes another tip is good socks. You really need sports socks or blister guard socks for a Disneyland Paris trip – this isn’t the time for little fashion socks! I like these ones from Dr. Scholl https://amzn.to/45WPtxi whereas Ken is a fan of Bridgedale socks like these: https://amzn.to/4rcQsBV – but if you have a preferred brand go with them!

And if a blister does strike be prepared with blister plasters, I never go to Disneyland Paris without these ones from Compeed: https://amzn.to/4bfigRm – they provide protection and cushioning for blisters meaning that you can keep going on your Disneyland Paris trip. If you know you have spots where blisters are prone to forming, or are just at the ‘hot spot’ stage then moleskin padding like this can help prevent rubbing and prevent them forming at all: https://amzn.to/3YVrc6X (note that no actual moles are hurt in the manufacture of this!). If a blister has already formed though, then skip the moleskin and break out the blister plasters instead!

I really need some painkillers…

Long days, lots of walking, overstimulation, dehydration… there’s a lot in a Disneyland Paris trip that might leave someone needing painkillers. And if you’re from somewhere like here in the UK you might think you’ll just be able to grab a pack in the parks or at your hotel if you need them. But sadly, that’s not the case.

I’ve said this a lot on this blog but I keep seeing people make this mistake so I’m going to repeat it again – you can’t buy medicines in the parks at Disneyland Paris. In France, medicines (including relatively common ones like paracetamol and ibuprofen) can only be legally sold from a pharmacy. And Disneyland Paris isn’t a pharmacy! So you won’t be able to get them onsite.

The way to prevent this becoming an issue? Take some with you! You can take something like simple Panadol: https://amzn.to/4sVkifD or if you’d like something quicker acting get something with caffeine added like Panadol Extra Advance: https://amzn.to/4pSQBcw – note though that these tablets do contain quite a lot of caffeine so possibly not a good choice if you’re very sensitive to that! You might prefer to take something like Nurofen for the Ibuprofen content instead: https://amzn.to/4qwpOnv. Obviously with any medication check in advance that it’s suitable for you and members of your group, and ask a doctor or pharmacy if in doubt.

If you’re already in the parks and find yourself needing a single dose of painkillers to see you through the day until you get back to your hotel room, pop to First Aid. They should be able to give you a single dose that you can take, and hopefully get those aches and pains in check before they get worse.

As with the blisters, prevention could be really helpful here – we find applying pain relieving gels in the morning and evening of park days can help relieve some pains. I’m a fan of Nurofen anti-inflammatory gel with Ibuprofen: https://amzn.to/4jVVArp while Ken prefers the heavy hit of Voltarol instead: https://amzn.to/46b8hJh but as with the pills, check what’s suitable for your group before getting anything. If you’d rather not go down the medication route then something like Biofreeze can be great for tackling aches and pains by providing cooling relief. If you take this roller ball it’s something easy to pop in a park bag and apply in the parks too! https://amzn.to/3LP3bvi (Obviously this isn’t a good choice if you’re sensitive to menthol – as with all things check it’s suitable for you before using).

Everything is so loud!

The Disneyland Paris parks are full of movement, colour, smells, and sounds. A lot of sounds. Background music, people chattering, people screaming on rides, and then you have even louder events like the parade or evening nighttime spectacular. Overstimulation can happen to all of us, but for folks that are particularly sensitive to sounds the amount of clamour in the parks can quickly turn a magical trip into a bit of a nightmare!

If you don’t mind the feeling of them in your ears, then earplugs could be the answer here. The Loop Quiet ear plugs receive a lot of positive feedback for this: https://amzn.to/4bbuKcJ (and are designed to be comfortable which is just as well for a long theme park day!). Ken has also had good results with the Flare Calmer here: https://amzn.to/4pXHqrn.

For folks that don’t want to or can’t wear ear plugs, then ear defenders are a good way to go. Alpine are highly recommended in this area and offer ear defenders especially for children: https://amzn.to/4r2M9c6 and also toddlers and babies: https://amzn.to/3M1F7Wb. They also have a pair for adults too: https://amzn.to/4pO5NYh.

If you don’t have any ear defenders with you and realise you or someone in your group needs them, pop to guest services. They might have a pair you can borrow.

If you know someone in your group is prone to overstimulation, the best other tip I can give is to plan breaks, either back at your hotel or at least somewhere quieter (maybe a restaurant) where they can decompress for a bit. It can be especially helpful after coming from an overstimulating environment like the parades. For this even retreating to the arcades at the back of Main Street for a little while could be a respite if needed! If someone really needs to break away from the hustle and bustle and heading back to your hotel isn’t feasible, don’t be afraid of heading to either the Baby Care Centre for children, or first aid for adults. They should be able to give you a quiet space for a breather as needed.

All the wait times are soooooo long!

All of Disney’s media for Disneyland Paris depicts people having fun on the rides and attractions. But none of it portrays the long waits that can go into getting on such rides! Ride lines can be long, and it’s easy for folks to get frustrated and bored along the way.

My first piece of advice for this is to use the Disneyland Paris app – keep an eye on the wait times for rides to help spot shorter waits. In advance of your trip maybe check what the lines are looking like at a few different spots in the day, so you have an idea how crowd flow is working and know when to target certain attractions. Generally speaking though, the earlier in the day or later in the evening you can go on a ride, the shorter the wait it likely to be as people don’t get to the park for opening, or else leave early.

If you know you have folks in your group that are likely to get bored though, then distractions can be ideal to help them push through the longer lines. Fidget toys can be a great distraction for little ones and adults alike. If you’d like a variety of styles of toys then getting a multipack like this in advance could be a great idea: https://amzn.to/3LX5Tix – you can then pack a few different ones for each day in the parks. Bubbles are also a great option – there’s a reason the bubble wands in the parks are so popular! If you’d rather not pay for the large wand though or carry it around, then maybe try packing some small tubes of Disney Bubbles that are easy to carry in the parks: https://amzn.to/4sWVaW2

Another possible distraction could be games – although they need to be small enough to carry around the park all day and easily moved with you as ride queues tend to be constantly moving (I wouldn’t try whipping out a game of Monopoly in the middle of the Crush’s Coaster queue!). Card games are ideal for this, and you can stick with the Disney theme with these Top Trumps cards: https://amzn.to/3NYPJWm or this pack of Stitch cards with 4 games in 1: https://amzn.to/4rbUTNb. Also very popular in the USA are Disney themed bicycle cards – which are just normal playing cards but with a Disney twist! Here’s a Mickey Mouse themed example: https://amzn.to/4sSYFwu but there are lots of different ones to choose from.

At the end of the day, you know your group best. If you know that the longer ride lines around the middle of the day are likely to frustrate folks in your group try to use this time instead to eat, see shows or try out some of the walkthrough attractions that rarely get a wait. You could even backtrack to your hotel for a midday break if need be! It might feel like a waste of park time, but your park day could get even more wasted if someone in the group has a meltdown through frustration or boredom.

Finally, if you have someone in your group who may struggle with waits due to neurodiversities or medical conditions, do look to see if they qualify for the Priority Pass – it can be a great blessing for cutting down long waits. See our previous blog for more details. If they don’t qualify then it may be worth considering the Premier Access Pass, at least for some of the bigger rides. Yes it’s spending more money but it might be worth it for a peaceful group if it’s within your budget.

It’s so cold / hot / wet (insert other weather here)…

The weather in Paris can be… unpredictable. It’s actually not too dissimilar to here in the UK when it can be very cold in winter, very hot in summer, very wet pretty much any time, and have bouts of unseasonal weather too (we were just in t-shirts back in October because it was so warm!). And contrary to some rumours, Disney haven’t installed a giant weather bubble to protect you. So when you head to Disneyland Paris, prepare for what the weather can throw at you.

Waterproofs or rain gear can be very helpful no matter the time of year. A lot of folks like getting multipacks of disposable ponchos like this https://amzn.to/4qUZROR because they pack down small and are light to carry. You might find something like this poncho from Trespass a bit more long-wearing though https://amzn.to/3LPLVGr (the other ponchos are quite prone to tearing!). A small travel umbrella can also be a good idea, windproof ones like this from Repel can be really helpful: https://amzn.to/4qCZPLi. Of course Disney themselves will sell ponchos and umbrellas but they can be pretty expensive, so going in prepared might save you some money!

For cold weather obviously warm coats, trousers, socks etc are a must – I’m not going to recommend particular items for those because there are so many out there and everyone will probably have their preferred brands! Scarves, hats and gloves are also really handy. One thing a lot of people swear by though are hand warmers like these: https://amzn.to/3LHjmej. These small packs can be popped in pockets or inside gloves and can really help warm up hands on a cold day, potentially really helpful for things like waiting for the parades and fireworks! And for folks prone to chilly feet you can get foot warmers too! https://amzn.to/4k1k0jA They could particularly be helpful for folks with conditions like Raynaud’s. You can now get quite a few rechargeable hand warmers, but not having used any of them I can’t comment on how good they are. If you’ve got some that you love please pop them in comments below!

If it’s going to be very warm when you visit, then a small portable fan could really help cool you down. Something like these could be really helpful, as these little fans are light, pack down really small, and can even be used as a back up battery pack or as a torch if need be! https://amzn.to/4bNzghG. A cooling towel can also be a great purchase – these can be wet in cold water and then provide some lasting coolness when wrapped around the neck. There’s a lot of different ones out there but Amazon have their own basics ones at a really great price: https://amzn.to/3ZfmEIZ

Regardless of what the weather is throwing at you, thankfully Disneyland Paris is built to help beat it. During the hottest or coldest parts of the day plan to be inside in shows, restaurants or even ride lines. There are covered paths running in various parts of the parks – notably the arcades on Main Street USA and the covered path from Frontierland to Adventureland, use them when needed. And again, if you need to don’t be afraid to take a break back at the hotel, or to curtail a day if the weather is getting too unpleasant. Yes it’s a shame, but it’s better than everyone getting too miserable!

I don’t feel well…

Nothing can derail a trip more than someone in the party getting poorly. Fortunately there are some things you can prepare for, just in case!

As mentioned in some of our other points above, prevention is often better than cure, and the Disney Parks can be a giant Petri dish of germs sadly. It’s good to have on hand some hand sanitiser to use before eating, and after getting off rides. We like the Purell hand pump sanitiser here: https://amzn.to/4ab1Msk, it’s effective and small enough to pop in a park bag. We also recommend some anti-bacterial wipes like these from Clinell: https://amzn.to/4aalEMf as they can be used to wipe surfaces in restaurants and similar as well as to clean hands.

Also referring up to the point about painkillers above, just as these aren’t available to purchase onsite neither are other common medicines like cough and cold remedies, throat sweets etc. So if there’s a type of medication you rely on when you’re feeling under the weather, then make sure you take some with you! We always have with us on our trips some antacids, Buscopan for IBS cramps, and throat sweets as a minimum. I also always pack plasters and antiseptic cream, just in case!

If you start feeling unwell while in the parks, you can always pop to the First Aid centres for advice. The staff there are trained nurses, and they’ll be able to assist you getting further help as needed. If you’re in a hotel speak to the reception staff, they can suggest places to get medical help as needed.

One thing I would recommend though is getting travel insurance, just in case the worse does happen and you need medical help. Make sure you read up to find one that suits your needs. We use StaySure because they cover pre-existing medical conditions well – click the banner below to get a quote. (And enter the code to save some money!)

Travel insurance is one of those things that you like to think you’ll never have to use, but we recommend that it’s something you consider.

If you feel really unwell we do also recommend that you don’t go into the parks. Forcing yourself to try and get through a park day will probably only make you feel a lot worse. And of course, if it’s something contagious when you’re in the parks you could be passing it to a lot of other people and ruining their trips too! Does it suck to miss park days through illness? Yes, absolutely. It’s horrible. But it’s still better to take a days rest in your hotel if needed than to force yourself through a park day and risk spreading your illness to others.

We hope that some of these recommendations help you out, and that you can add them to your Disneyland Paris emergency kit so you’re prepared for whatever the parks throw at you! If you like our content do please subscribe to our blog below, you’ll get our blogs directly into your inbox and receive a free copy of our Magically Different Guide to Disneyland Paris attraction accessibility (otherwise £3). We also share some great tips over on our YouTube channel and we’d love to see you over there! Finally, if you’d like to support our work please consider leaving us a tip, it’ll help us to keep creating content. Thank you!