In Disneyland Paris, it’s easy to get distracted by all the hustle and bustle around you – and therefore miss things like kerbs that become a trip hazard! However, if you’re a naturally clumsy person anyway, then these minor annoyances could become a lot more troublesome. Many folks have clumsiness that is caused by medical conditions and disabilities that impact spatial awareness – I know, I am one of them! And as someone who has pretty much tripped over or walked into anything you can feasibly trip over or walk into in Disneyland Paris, I’m sharing a list here for those folks who need to be a bit more careful, hopefully preventing some potential injuries and embarrassment along the way! (NB I’m not including stepping into and out of every ride because that’s always something you should do carefully, but I am pointing out some trickier examples!)

The tram lines on Main Street USA

At this point for a Disney fan, tripping over the trolly tram lines in the floor of Main Street USA is pretty much a right of passage! However, it’s worth avoiding if you can.

The tram lines are there for the horse drawn trolleys that used to make their way up and down Main Street, and are essentially a pair of grooves with metal in the middle. The grooves aren’t big, but they’re big enough and cause enough of a difference with the general paving on Main Street USA it’s incredibly easy to misstep into one and turn an ankle, or potentially trip right over if you’re very unlucky! I think the tram lines are also a particular hazard because a lot of people get so distracted by the castle ahead that they don’t stop to think about what their feet are doing! (I’m those people…)

Skipping the tram lines is tricky, but if you really want to run the risk of not stepping into them your best bet is to stick the raised pavement parts of Main Street on either side, or to use the two arcades that run down the back of the shops on each side of the street. Another trick once you’re past Town Square (the Square just past the train station as you enter the park) is to stick to the dead centre of the street, as the tram lines will then be either side of you. Just know that a lot of people might also stop here for photos. Or you could walk to one side of the street just next to the kerbs. Really I think your best bet though is to glance down now and then to see where your feet are in relation to the tram lines, and to plan steps accordingly!

As a side note, Disney recently discontinued the horse drawn trolley on Main Street, so there could be a point in the future that they get ride of the tram lines as they’re no longer needed. We’ll need to wait and see on that one though!

Kerbs

When I originally thought of this point I was thinking of Main Street USA too. Those raised pavements on each side of the street I mentioned above? Yep, there’s a kerb to those! But they appear in many other places around the theme parks too.

If you’ve spent any time in any village, town or city you’ve probably encountered pavements and kerbs, so these certainly aren’t unique to Disneyland Paris. However with everything going on round you, I think they’re easier to overlook here! I certainly have had a surprise or two in the past when I’ve stepped off a kerb that I didn’t realise was ending and therefore had a step down I wasn’t expecting. And I’ve tripped up them a couple of times too.

Rather like pavements elsewhere, the best thing you can do is look out for them. The notable spots for them in Disneyland Paris apart from Main Street is parts of Fantasyland, and Frontierland have some wooden raised boardwalks that do the same job. Again, an occasional glance down could save you some pain if it means you don’t trip up!

I will also add in here that wherever pavements and kerbs are present, there are always lowered sections to allow access to guests with pushchairs / strollers, in wheelchairs, or with other mobility limitations that mean they can’t manage steps. So if you can’t manage a kerb, do look around nearby as there should be a lowered section you can use instead.

Attractions where you enter from bright sunshine into darkness

Everyone wants sunshine on their Disneyland Paris trip. It certainly makes being outside in the two parks more enjoyable. But it has its pitfalls – notably attractions where you enter from the bright sunshine into a dark environment. As your eyes struggle to adjust, it’s very easy to accidentally walk into a wall, piece of decor, or another person!

There’s a few attractions where this seems to be particular troublesome – The Dragon’s Lair, the inside portion of the queue on Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Pirate Caves on Adventure Isle. One minute you’re in blazing sunshine, the next it’s pitch black and you’ve got no idea where you’re going! (And I’m talking as someone who has walked into walls in both the Dragon’s Lair and the Pirates queue!). Interestingly it’s not really an issue for the two spookiest attractions at Disneyland Paris – Phantom Manor and Tower of Terror. I think it’s because both have pre-shows that have enough lighting that it allows your eyes get to adjust in stages. The Dragon’s Lair, Pirates and the Caves just don’t really have that!

My advice? If this is something you’re worried about, once you step into the attraction, pull over to the side for a few seconds to give your eyes a little bit of time to adjust. It shouldn’t take long, and then you’ll be able to keep going without the fear of walking into something, or someone! And on the note of walking into someone, that’s why we recommend pulling over to the side to give your eyes time to adjust. Not only is it better for crowd flow, but it prevents other blinded guests walking straight into you too!

Stepping on and off of the conveyor at the omnimover rides

In Disney speak, an omnimover is a ride that (in theory at least) constantly stays moving, and guests board the vehicles while they’re moving. To help make the boarding process easier, there are conveyor belts that guests step on to that move at the same speed of the ride vehicle. Easy, right?

For most people, yes. But if your coordination isn’t brilliant, then it’s not so easy! Trips while stepping on and off the conveyors are common, it’s why there’s always cast members there telling you to watch your step. And in the pressure of boarding, you might feel you need to jump forward without being ready for the movement. If you can, get prepped before you need to step on the conveyor. The main two rides where these are used are Phantom Manor and Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, and in both cases you enter the loading room with time to see the belt and get ready for it. And, as the cast members say, mind your step! I’ll stare at my feet when stepping off and on to prevent trips as much possible.

If you really can’t manage the moving conveyor belt then don’t worry, cast members can and do pause the ride to allow those that need extra time to board to get on to the ride. You may need to board via the disabled entrance (even if otherwise you wouldn’t need to) – if in doubt ask a cast member at the attraction entrance and they can direct you.

The spinning turntable at the Storybook Boats

Technically, the Storybook Boats in Fantasyland are an omnimover attraction, because guests are asked to board while the boats are moving. But in this case, instead of stepping on to a conveyor belt, you need to step on a revolving turntable to then get into your boat.

I don’t know what it is about the turntable here, but it messes me up every time – I just feel very unbalanced stepping off and on. I think it may partly be because it’s outside, and because it’s a turntable it does make it seem like everything is spinning (albeit very slowly!). It actually puts me off riding the ride a little bit, which is a shame as it’s a lovely attraction past miniature scenes from Disney stories.

I rely a lot on the help of my husband when getting on and off the turntable here, holding my hand and helping me in and out of the boat to help prevent me from feeling too unbalanced. If you are riding with other members of your group, note that they can do the same for you (if they’re happy to!). It’s also worth noting there is a separate loading platform for guests who can’t do the revolving turntable so this is an option, at this loading stop boats are actually stationary. The downside though is it’s quite a big step to get in and out of the boat, so there are pros and cons to both.

I will say one plus though for the turntable here – it’s easily visible from outside the queue of the ride, so you can watch for a bit to see how other guests load and help you decide if it’s right for you!

Spiral staircases

If you’ve ever visited a historic home or castle, then you’ve probably encountered a spiral staircase. Unlike other staircases, the stairs are wide at one side and then narrow at the other. And because they tend not to be that well lit from outside, the circular motion can feel a bit disorientating. And Disneyland Paris has a couple of examples of this to be aware of!

By far the worst of the two (in my mind at least!) is the spiral staircase to exit the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough in Fantasyland. The entry staircase is wide and has just a gentle curve. However if you do the walkthrough as planned, the exit staircase is off the balcony that overlooks Fantasyland, and it is a tight spiral staircase. Thankfully they’ve recently improved the lighting in here but it’s still not that well lit, and there’s hardly any windows so it’s easy to feel disoriented here. It’s also not helped by other guests who always seem to be in a hurry behind you, which makes you want to hurry… and which could then easily lead to trip if you’re not careful!

The other spiral staircase is at the entrance of the Mysteries of the Nautilus attraction is Discoveryland, where you walk down a spiral staircase to be able to board the Nautilus submarine. This staircase feels a lot less pressured than the one in Sleeping Beauty Castle, I think because it’s wider, better lit, and tends to be a lot quieter!

In both cases my advice is to take your time, and watch your feet. If you’re worried about other people behind you making you feel like you have to rush, maybe stand to one side until there seems to be a bit of a lull in the crowd and then start walking down so you feel less pressured. But even if people are behind you, take your time! They might tut and grumble a bit, but they’re not likely to actually want someone ahead of them to trip and fall! It’s also worth noting that there are lift options for both if you can’t or don’t want to do the stairs. For the Nautilus it’s actually in the middle of said spiral staircase (ask a cast member for help), and for the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough it’s situated behind the Merlin the Enchanter shop. You need to enter and exit the attractions via the same lift so you lose a little bit of the guided tour effect, but it’s a minor inconvenience if it makes the attraction accessible to you when it wouldn’t have been otherwise.

I’m going to throw in an honorary shout out here to stair cases in the Queen of Hearts Castle in Alice’s Curious Labyrinth. While not spiral staircases some of them do curve, and these staircases can be both very busy and very slippery when wet. While you get some nice views from the castle, unless it’s quiet when you’re there we’d recommend giving the stairs inside a miss. You still get to explore the whole of the labyrinth otherwise.

Who you’re sitting next to on WEB Slingers

In the WEB Slingers ride in Avengers Campus, over in Disney Adventure World, you get to sling webs just like Spiderman. The ride uses motion capture to follow your arm movements, allowing you to shoot webs at the Spiderbots that a threatening to overrun the Campus. It’s great fun slinging webs, but it does involve a lot of arm movements. And if your spatial awareness isn’t great, then it could be easy to accidentally hit someone you’re sitting next to!

I’ve (thankfully) never done this, but it’s felt a bit close a few times! To try and prevent any mishaps, one thing you can do is to make sure you’re seated at one end of the vehicle (they sit four in a row). This way you only have one person sat next to you on one side, and then the side of the ride vehicle on the other. While hitting the ride vehicle will probably hurt, it’s better than accidentally hitting someone else! If in your row there are people outside your group (that often happens to us as a pair, we’re normally sat with another pair), then also try to put someone else in your group between you and the other folks you’re riding with. Accidentally hitting someone in your group with a flailing arm? Not great. Accidentally hitting a poor stranger? Even worse!

My other piece of advice here is that as far as possible move your arms out forwards instead of slightly to your sides – the spiderbots are on the screen in front of you anyway so this is where you need to be aiming, and only moving your arms forwards and back reduces the chance of hitting someone else! When aiming, focus on the Spiderbots on your side of the screen – there’s normally plenty to go around and you can get a good score without aiming at ones right on the other side of the screen, and it means you don’t need to move your arms to the side so much!

If you’re really worried you could of course skip the ride, but I wouldn’t recommend it if possible – WEB Slingers is great fun and worth doing if you can!

The stairs in the theatre shows

Disneyland Paris has some excellent theatre shows. And one thing that they mostly share are staircases to give access to tiered seating, without any (or many) hand rails!

If you lack spacial awareness, then staircases can be challenging anyway. But without anything to hold on to they can be extra nerve wracking! And the added element here is going up or coming down the stairs before or after a show, you often have a lot of people behind you making you feel like you need to hurry when you really don’t want to!

A few pieces of advice here. The first is to sit as close as possible to the exits of the theatre, to minimise the amount of stairs you need to negotiate. If you don’t qualify for the Priority Pass for the disabled or haven’t paid for the prime seating, I’d recommend getting to the theatre early to ensure you’re one of the first let in and therefore have a better pick of seats (typically around 30 minutes before, maybe more in peak seasons). I’d also recommend holding the hand of someone in your group if you’re up for it for extra reassurance. And when the show is over, try to let other folks around you leave first – it’ll mean you’ll be less pressured on the stairs (although bear in mind that if you stop others in your row leaving they might get annoyed instead!).

All the theatres do have seating level with the entrance, so that guests in wheelchairs or who can’t manage stairs at all can watch the show. If you have the Priority Pass for the differently-abled you’ll be the first group let into the theatre – so I’d recommend taking advantage of that to ensure you get a seat that’s truly accessible for you!

The raised boardwalks in front of the buildings at Hotel Cheyenne

Remember how earlier in the kerb section I mentioned raised boardwalks in Frontierland that can be a trip hazard? Well Frontierland shares Wild West theming with Hotel Cheyenne, and there’s wooden boardwalks here too!

Each building has a raised wooden boardwalk around it, that usually takes a step or two to get up. They do have railings on them so that makes it harder to blunder into one by accident, but it’s still pretty easy to catch a foot on them when entering or exiting a building!

The best piece of advice here is to watch your feet when you’re heading into or out of any of the buildings in Hotel Cheyenne. Thankfully it’s not something you’re likely to be doing dozens of times a day, and it’s easy to glance down when needed here – especially as pretty much every building has them!

I’ll also add here that even with the raised wooden boardwalks, each building still has a way to enter with a ramp, allowing access for wheelchairs and pushchairs / strollers. These ramps are often on the ends of the building so you might have to travel a bit further to find them than the nearest set of stairs is, but if you need that level access it’s worth it! (It’s also worth it if you’ve got a lot of luggage. We once stopped two people trying to carry a luggage cart with about 6 suitcases on it up the stairs because they didn’t realise about the ramp. This is a one way ticket to injury so please don’t do it!).

Strollers / pushchairs and wheelchairs

I’ve put this last because this is something you can run into wherever you are in Disneyland Paris. At the end of the day, Disneyland Paris is a family resort – there are a little of little ones there that require prams and pushchairs / strollers. Also as Disneyland Paris prides itself on its accessibility, you can expect to see some wheelchairs too (although they’re not as prevalent here as they in the US Disney Parks). With them around all the time, sadly people tripping over them is a pretty common occurrence!

A lot of this is due to people walking around the parks in their own little world. They’re so focused on having their own good time that they don’t take in the surroundings around them, and therefore fail to notice when there’s a pushchair / stroller or wheelchair in front of them. This goes both ways however, because you often get the people pushing said pushchairs completely oblivious of what’s around them and they end up driving it into folks! Obviously, neither of these are great. And a solution? Really, all you can do is try to be aware of your surroundings – whether you’re pushing a pushchair or wheelchair, or aren’t. Particularly watch out in areas of tight crowds, like around the parades and fireworks. Yes you want to ogle the park, but it’s not worth getting so distracted that you blunder into someone else, either receiving or causing an injury in the first place.

I’ll also say I’ve seen and heard of folks deliberately shoving strollers or wheelchairs out of their way, or climbing over them. I’ve also seen folks using pushchairs as a battering ram and deliberately running them into folks, or using them to block paths that others need to use. This one isn’t down to clumsiness, it’s just rude. I hope it goes without saying but please don’t do this. Having a wheelchair or pushchair does not entitle you to use them to push people out the way. And seeing a pushchair or wheelchair certainly does not give you the right to push, climb over or move them without permission of the owners. If everyone was just a little bit more aware of their surroundings, and little bit more understanding that other people are trying to have a great Disney day too, then it could save a lot of trouble!

While most people treat clumsiness as something amusing, I know from first hand experience that struggling with your spatial awareness can be very challenging, particularly somewhere as busy as Disneyland Paris. Hopefully this blog has given a few ideas of places to watch out to make your trip a little easier! Anything we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments! And while you’re down there why not subscribe to our blog, you’ll receive future blogs in your email inbox and a free copy of our Magically Different Guide to Disneyland Paris Attraction Accessibility – great for knowing how to board each ride so you can prepare for it! We’d also love to see on our YouTube channel for more great Disneyland Paris content. And if you’d like to support our work please do consider leaving us a tip, shopping our Amazon storefront, or using our affiliate links in header and sidebar to book your Disneyland Paris trip. Thank you!