Is Disneyland Paris Worth the Visit?
Are you considering a visit to Disneyland Paris but aren’t sure if it’s worth it? You are not alone.
We also questioned if the time and money was worth it. Disneyland Paris (originally Euro Disneyland Park) is not cheap for a family of four (or more). And you only have so many days to spend in Paris – do you really want to use that time exploring an American-owned theme park?
Let me start by sharing that we are not huge Disney fans.
Sure, we like Disney movies and we enjoy visiting the occasional theme park. But I would not put us in the Mickey Mouse ears category.
However, we did visit Tokyo Disneyland (read about that experience here ) and Disney World in Orlando (more on that here ). So this trip to Paris Disneyland means we have now visited a Disney park in Asia , North America and Europe .
Because of this, I think we have a good perspective about the differences between these Disney parks. Which Disney park do we like best? Scroll down to the FAQ section to find out.
Table of contents – Disneyland Paris
This is a very long post. Skip ahead using the links above.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland Paris
Disney Parks at Paris Disneyland
Disneyland Paris consists of two parks – Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park.
It also has a shopping area called Disney Village . The two Paris Disney parks are located beside each other and do not require additional transportation – it’s only a few minutes’ walk between the two parks.
Disneyland Park is the main theme park. This is where you will find the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (pictured above).
Walt Disney Studios Park (Parc Walt Disney Studios) is a smaller park with less rides. The main attractions here are Ratatouille: The Adventure (this was being renovated during our visit), Crush’s Coaster, Tower of Terror, Marvel Avengers Campus, and Toy Story Playland.
Both parks offer parades and shows throughout the day, including the Disney Stars on Parade and Disney Illuminations night time spectacular.
View the Disneyland Paris map here .
A rainy start to our day at Disneyland Paris
Rain, Rain, go away…!
Our morning at Paris Disneyland began with a torrential downpour. The kind of heavy rain that forces you to run for cover.
Fortunately, the big rain drops didn’t last long. However, the cold and damp weather did stick around for a few hours.
We stayed at a Disney hotel (more on that below). Disney hotel guests have the opportunity to enter Disney parks one hour before the general public. I believe they call it Extra Magic Time . It’s a nice perk that allows you to visit rides that typically has long wait times.
We failed to take advantage of this perk at Disney World in Orlando ( read about that here ).
Unfortunately, because of the heavy rain that morning, our early entry advantage was basically wiped away. We didn’t want to stand in the pouring rain, so we ended up taking shelter in the Disney stores instead.
We purchased the 2-park pass with Disney Premier Access.
Disney Premier Access pass allows you to skip the line on most rides. Because we had Premier Access, we didn’t feel the need to rush to certain rides and attractions. So, we weren’t too upset that the rain got in the way of our early entry.
If you add Premier Access, we recommend you get the 2-park pass . The parks are located directly beside each other, so it makes sense to do both.
Read more about Disney Premier Access in the Disneyland FAQ section below (keep scrolling!).
Wet morning inside Walt Disney Studios Park
Below, we will share a photo journey from our day at Disneyland Paris.
We also respond to frequently asked questions and we share some Disneyland Paris tips. Scroll to the bottom of the post.
Also, we stayed at a Disney hotel . We share photos and thoughts about this Disney hotel experience after the photos.
Keep scrolling down. There’s a lot of photos!
Entrance to Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris
Famous statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in front of the Hollywood Tower
We begin our day at Walt Disney Studios Park
Almost every Disney blog post will advise you to strategize your day. Have a plan. Don’t just wing it. Look at the maps, decide what you want to do, then build your plan of attack.
We know this. We’ve been to Disney parks before.
But, did we take this advice and come with a plan? Nope.
Now, before you shake your head in disbelief, we have an explanation for this lack of planning. Because we have Disney Premier Access, we can skip the line for most rides. Therefore, we didn’t feel the need to rush from one ride to the next.
This pass allows you to go with the flow, which is our preference.
We started at Walt Disney Studios Park because it’s the closest gate entrance to Disney Village. It was still raining, so this decision was based purely on where we could find shelter.
The entrance to Walt Disney Studios is inside a large building with shops and a restaurant; the perfect place to wait out the rain. After the rain subsided, we made our way to Toy Story Playland .
Taking shelter inside Walt Disney Studios while we wait for the rain to stop.
Why did we start at Toy Story Playland, you ask?
Well, the short answer is because we made the mistake of thinking that Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin is the same as Slinky Dog Dash (roller coaster at Disney World Orlando).
We did not get to ride the Slinky Dog Coaster in Orlando because the wait time was too long during our visit. It was a disappointment for our boys.
So, when we saw “Slinky Dog” on the map, we raced to this ride thinking it was a same coaster as Orlando.
Spoiler – the Slinky Dog Spin at Paris Disneyland is most certainly is NOT a coaster. It’s a little kids ride that slowly goes around in circles. Whomp, whomp!
Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin at Toy Story Playland. Not a coaster!
Selfie in the rain with Buzz Lightyear at Toy Story Playland
If you’re wondering why a couple of these photos at Toy Story Playland have blue skies and sunshine, it’s because we came back an hour later after the rain stopped.
After spending about 45 minutes at Toy Story Playland, we made our way to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror . This is Nicole and Braydon’s favourite ride at Walt Disney Studios Park.
We won’t give away the magic of this ride. You should do it. It’s really fun.
Avengers Campus
We used our Disney Premier Access to skip the line for the Avengers Assemble: Flight Force . This indoor coaster is super fast.
It’s a Disney PhotoPass attraction, which means you can purchase photos of yourself on the ride. Our family photo was hilarious! Braydon’s mouth was wide open and his eyes were popping out of his head. While Connor’s eyes were closed tight and he was holding his breath with puffy checks.
Above is the coaster on Avengers Assemble Flight Force. It’s really fast!
Entrance to Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure . This is another fun ride. I won’t give away any spoilers but kids of all ages will like it. It’s fun for adults, too.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
We made our way to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure after Avengers Campus. However, we learned that the Ratatouille ride at Disneyland Paris is closed for renovations.
This was a disappointment because it’s one of the rides that feels most suited for Paris Disneyland.
The Ratatouille section has a row of vendors that serve a variety of food and drinks.
Most of the items are small handheld treats, including sweet and savory crepes, warm pretzels, fried potatoes, raclette on a bun, roasted chestnuts, and wine, of course.
The Ratatouille area has the most Parisian vibe inside the two Disney parks.
I enjoyed this ham and raclette cheese bun. The raclette cheese is heated under a lamp and the melted part is scraped off and put on top of the ham. It’s a delicious snack. I believe it was 6 Euros.
I also enjoyed these tasty fried potatoes with bacon and cheese. The perfect snack between rides.
Connor is happy with a fluffy Belgian waffle.
Entrance to Crush’s Coaster. This is one of the more popular rides at Walt Disney Studios Park. It typically has a long wait time. We used the Premier Access to skip the queue.
The best rides at Walt Disney Studios Park
So, what did we think about the rides at Walt Disney Studios Park?
Nicole’s favourite ride – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Cameron’s favourite ride – Avengers Assemble: Flight Force
Braydon’s favourite ride – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Connor’s favourite ride – Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop
Most unexpectedly good rides at Walt Disney Studios?
There are two rides that we agree were unexpectedly good – (1) Cars ROAD TRIP (specifically, Cars-tastrophe Canyon), and (2) RC Racer in Toy Story Playland.
See Disneyland Paris map of Walt Disney Studios rides here .
Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris
After spending about 3 hours at Walt Disney Studios Park, we exited the park and walked 5 minutes to the entrance of Disneyland Park.
Having visited Disney World Orlando last year, our boys were expecting to board a bus or train to visit the next Disney Park. They were pleasantly surprised when they learned it was just across the Fantasia Gardens. It’s very convenient.
Although, Disney could also combine the two parks because they’re so close together.
Family selfie in front of the entrance to Disneyland Park.
The pink building is the Disneyland Hotel (expected to open in 2024), located at the entrance to Disneyland Paris.
Disneyland Paris celebrates its 30th Anniversary in 2023.
Walking down Main Street with the Disney Castle in the distance is a fun experience. Dare I say, magical ? The architecture is similar to Main Street in Disney World Orlando.
Notice the Halloween decorations.
Fun fact – all 3 of our Disney experiences have happened during the Halloween season. Both Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris happened in late September because we were attending Japan and France for the Rugby World Cup .
Related post – 100 Photos of Tokyo Disneyland
Yes, we are the people who take goofy staged photos
We arrived at Main Street USA just in time for the afternoon Disney parade.
Disney characters on a float during the Disneyland Parade
Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Paris
We’re told the Disneyland Castle was recently renovated to coincide with Paris Disneyland’s 30th anniversary celebrations. It’s a nice looking castle.
Fortunately, the sun came out in the afternoon, so we got a few family selfies in front of the castle.
The iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Paris
You’ll notice a theme with these Disneyland photos. We experienced strange weather, from torrential rain to wind to sunshine to clouds and rain again.
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast is a fun family ride
Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain was temporarily closed multiple times throughout the day. We noticed it re-opened when we were on the opposite side of the park. By the time we got back there, it had broken down again.
Unfortunately, we did not get to ride this one. Disappointing, but it happens.
The Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain coaster shoots out of this tube. It’s really fast and looks super fun.
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
This classic Star Wars ride is similar to the one found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland.
It’s a 3D ride where you sit in a motion simulator that moves to the on-screen video.
It’s a Small World – Disneyland Paris
You can’t got to Disneyland and not ride on ‘It’s a Small World”, right?
In the event that you have no idea what I’m talking about, It’s a Small World is a water-based boat ride located in the Fantasyland area at various Disney theme parks around the world, including Disneyland Park in California, Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland.
Family selfie on the boat before the ride starts
Sailing past the North America section on the ‘It’s a Small World’ ride
Outside view of the It’s a Small World ride in Fantasyland.
Food at Disneyland Park
There are several restaurants inside Disneyland Paris. If you’re looking for table service or all-you-can-eat buffet dining, you must make reservations ahead of time. It’s wise to book reservations before you enter the parks on the Disneyland Paris APP.
Otherwise, there are several quick service restaurants with counter service. Once you get your food, you cross your fingers and hope you can find seating. These restaurants get very busy during peak hours.
Disney likes to get creative with its food options, which can be hit or miss. Our boys are not adventurous eaters, so they’re often unimpressed by the food creativity.
Here’s a list of restaurants and dining at Disneyland Paris.
