What to do in Disneyland Paris, France

I love Disney – just throwing it out there!  Always have, always will.  I love the magic, the songs, and the characters, and have definitely passed this on to my children! I had been toying with the idea of a trip to Disneyland Paris for a while, but I wasn’t sure what ages would be best to take our girls.  I feared that at 2 years old, Lottie might be a bit young, but after talking to friends with similar-aged children, I just decided to go for it. My eldest, Nellie, is 4 and at the perfect age (I think), but if I waited until Lottie was 4, then I was worried Nellie might be a little bit past the magic stage.

My girls are Disney crazy! They’re at the perfect age where everything is magical, the characters are real to them, and we are definitely in our full-blown Disney Princess era.  It’s all ballgowns, tiaras, and sparkles in our household.  Nellie (4) loves Belle and Encanto, whereas Lottie (2) is obsessed with Moana and now also Cinderella (after meeting her at the Princess Breakfast at Disneyland Paris).

So buckle up and read on for a review of What to do in Disneyland Paris – and a warning – it’s quite an exhaustive list but it’s everything I wish I’d known before we went!!

How to get to Disneyland Paris

Coming from the UK, I had a few travel options open to me.  We chose to travel on the Eurostar to Lille and then switch trains, arriving at Marne-La-Valée Chessy, which is the stop right next to Disneyland Paris.  The train station is literally outside the entrance to the park, making it a great option for a day trip too, if you happen to be staying in Paris.

I had pre-paid for our baggage to be taken straight to our hotel, so on arrival, we headed to the top floor of the station to drop it off.  This meant we could head straight into the park to enjoy a bit of Disney time without having to check into our hotel straight away.  It was €17 a person for the return service (our luggage was waiting for us at the station when it was time to get the train home, so we could spend our last day in the park unencumbered).  I think it’s only available if you’re staying at one of the on-site Disney hotels and needs to be booked in advance via the app or the website.

You can also fly to either Charles de Gaulle Airport or Beauvais airports.  Once at these airports, you can decide whether to get a train to Marne-La-Valée Chessy or a taxi.  There are also Disneyland-specific transfers that you can opt for.  Some of these have twinkly lights and TVs in the back so you can watch your favourite Disney movie on the journey.

The third option is driving down to Dover in the UK and then across the Channel on either Le Shuttle or a ferry.  It’s then another 3 and a half hour drive to Disneyland Paris when you arrive in France.

Where to stay in Disneyland Paris

You can either stay on-site in one of the Disney Hotels – Disneyland Hotel (5*), Hotel New York – Art of Marvel (4*), Newport Bay Club (4*), Sequoia Lodge (3*), Hotel Cheyenne (3*), Hotel Santa Fe (2*) or Davy Crockett Ranch or you can stay in other accommodation.  There are plenty of hotels and Airbnb’s one stop away on the train at Val d’Europe or in Marne La Vallée or the nearby Center Parcs, Les Villages Nature is also a great option – two holidays for the price of one, and it is affiliated with Disney, so you get the benefits of Magic Hour, etc.  Some of the nearby hotels at Val d’Europe are partner hotels of Disney and offer perks, like shuttles to the parks and more.

We chose to stay on site for many reasons, but the main one was the fact that our kids were so young and Disney is so full-on that they would probably want a nap in the middle of the day.  We were able to walk back to our hotel, take a little afternoon siesta, and head back to the parks for the late afternoon and evening entertainment.  Also, if you stay on site, you can take advantage of Magic Hour – this means you get into the parks a full hour before they open to the general public.  The queueing times are shorter, and you can go for early character breakfasts, which are not otherwise available.  To be honest, we didn’t really end up doing this as our kids are not such early risers, but it’s a great way to get on some of the more popular rides before the parks fill up.  Staying on-site also means you can walk to the parks without having to get a taxi or drive in – and if you’re not a fan of walking (you’ll be doing plenty of it all day when you’re inside Disneyland anyway), each hotel puts on shuttle buses to the park so you can hop on and off according to the timetable.  They also have character meet and greets in the hotels every morning, and the characters vary depending on the hotel you choose.  We had Minnie, Goofy & Max at Sequoia Lodge while we were there, and it’s a great way to see some characters without having to wait in line at the official park meet and greets.

Another reason was that if you stay in one of the Disney Hotels, you get early access to book up all of the events that you want to do and see in the parks.  Character breakfasts, restaurant reservations, parade and fireworks access, and shows can all be booked months in advance instead of having to wait until a few days before travel, when the general public can access these booking opportunities.  The last perk was that you get free park tickets (kind of – it’s obviously factored into the price) when you book one of the Disney Hotels, and it includes the day you arrive and the day you leave, so, for example, if you book 3 nights, you get 4 days in the parks.

So, which of the Disney Hotels should you choose? All (except Davy Crockett Ranch) are within walking distance of the park.  (Davy Crockett Ranch is a self-catering kind of caravan park with lodges or camping available). All the hotels also have their own theme.  The Disney Hotel is opulent – think chandeliers and lots of velvet and sparkles – it’s very princess-themed.

The Marvel Hotel is obviously New York and superhero-themed.  Newport Bay is a bit like a sailing club, quite nautical, and Sequoia Lodge is a woodland retreat.  Cheyenne is Toy Story-themed, and Santa Fe is Cars-themed.  This should give you an idea of the kind of characters you can expect to see at each hotel.  We eventually chose Sequoia Lodge for a few reasons – it was mid-range (we didn’t want to stay in the Disney Hotel and go all out on our first trip, as being new and 5*, it is much pricier than the others, and my kids aren’t into Marvel, so Hotel New York didn’t really appeal. It was a toss-up between Newport Bay and Sequoia Lodge, so I chose the cheaper option – plus it had a pool! It was about a 10-minute walk from the parks, similar to Marvel and Newport Bay.  The Disney Hotel is right next to the park entrance, and Cheyenne and Santa Fe are around a 15-20 minute walk away.  Each hotel has various room styles and upgrades, and our room had two double beds – perfect for us, but you can reserve single rooms, twin rooms, and even suites at most of the hotels.

We loved the relaxed feel of Sequoia Lodge – when you returned, you really felt like you were leaving all of the hustle and bustle behind.  It was calm, in the middle of a forest, so you felt like you were among nature, and although the rooms were a bit tired, they were absolutely fine and perfectly clean.  (I’ve since heard it is being renovated soon, so watch this space.)

If you choose to stay outside the Disney Parks, then accommodation is much cheaper, but you will need to purchase your tickets separately.  Hotels such as Dream Castle Hotel Marne La Vallée and the Radisson Blu, Marne La Vallée, offer a free shuttle to the Disney Parks, while hotels such as L’Elysée Val D’Europe or Adagio Serris Val D’Europe are very close to the big Val D’Europe shopping centre, so make sure you choose the option that best suits your needs.

Of course, you could always stay in Paris and catch the train out to the parks for a day trip or two. It’s a quick hop (40 minutes) on the RER A train from the centre of Paris.

What to Pre-Book for Disneyland Paris

There are entire blogs dedicated to maximizing your Disney stay, and to be honest, when I booked, I felt a bit intimidated by all the things I was supposed to pre-book and organize.  I’d heard stories that if you didn’t get your reservations months in advance, then you wouldn’t get into anything, so here are my top tips:

If you’re staying in a Disney Hotel on-site, you get early access to book things in advance.  Otherwise, access is open to everyone, either a month or a few days before travel, for different experiences.  I would recommend booking up the things you know you want to do well in advance.  To do this, you need to download the Disneyland app, and once you book, it will show your reservation. It works seamlessly if you book your accommodation through Disney Holidays, not always the cheapest option, but if you use a third-party provider, you sometimes have to get a special code from them in order to link your booking to the app.  You can then look for restaurant reservations and make some bookings via the app, but for many special events, it’s worth booking over the phone with a Disneyland advisor, as they aren’t available on the app. (I managed to book restaurants and parade/fireworks access on the app, but I had to call up for Character Dining.)

We found the app most useful once we were in the park for checking ride times – it shows the waiting time for each ride, so you can head to the less busy ones.  It also shows you what is on every day, from parades to shows, to character meet and greets, and special events.  You can log on anytime, and it will show you what is coming up next and later on in the day.  While we were there, a special Disney Music Extravaganza was on with lots of small musical shows set all around the park. The app showed you what was coming up next, and because of this, we got to see Minnie’s Marching Band on Main Street, Timon & Pumbaa singing some Lion King favourites, and Miguel dancing with skeletons – all of which we were not really aware were going on until we checked the app.

If you know you want to do the ‘Royal Dream Makeover’, then get it booked up as soon as possible, as slots are literally like gold dust.  This is the princess makeover experience where your little ones get to dress up and have their hair and makeup done like a princess, complete with a royal photo shoot afterward. We didn’t actually do this – maybe next time – but I have heard that availability is very hard to come by.  Don’t be disheartened if you can’t get a booking, though, as I’ve heard that there are a lot of cancellations, so if you keep checking back, you might just get lucky.

You can also pre-book your Disney food package on the app. These are dining plans that allow you to include meals in your booking.  You can choose from breakfast only, half-board, full-board, or extra (drinks and a snack included), depending on your preferences and budget.  These meals can be taken at your hotel or at up to 35 different restaurants around the park (there may be a supplement to pay if you choose a more expensive restaurant or character dining).

We didn’t choose a dining plan as we preferred to make our own food choices depending on our moods and didn’t want to be tied to lots of meal plans (or have to eat if we weren’t hungry to get our money’s worth!). We chose to grab a breakfast from Pret A Manger or Starbucks on the way into the park, usually a pastry and a coffee.  We then snacked our way around the park, trying a few different things, from doughnuts to ice creams, to pretzels, to loaded fries – just be aware there is very little that is healthy!  We then had a nice restaurant meal in the evenings to sit down, decompress, and chat about our day.

There are some very popular restaurants too, and reservations for those go very quickly!  Downtown at the Marvel Hotel, as well as Bistrot Chez Remy and PYM Kitchen, are the hottest reservations in town.  Snap one up quickly if you want to be sure to get a spot, or again, you can check for cancellations closer to your trip.  I’ve also heard that quite a few people have lucked out by going to the restaurant on the day and asking if there have been any cancellations and could they be accommodated?  Worth a shot if you can’t otherwise get. a booking!  Don’t worry if you can’t get bookings though, as there are a lot of restaurants around the Disney Parks and Villages that are self-service or just for walk-ins, and there are so many food trucks and stands around the parks that you definitely won’t go hungry!

For us, we knew we wanted to do character dining as I wasn’t prepared to wait in line for hours to see characters, and I’d heard it was hard to get meet and greets on the app.  My kids would have been so upset if we didn’t get to meet any princesses, so we opted for Auberge de Cendrillon, which is the princess dining. You can opt for breakfast lunch or dinner and we chose the breakfast option – less Princesses (3 as opposed to 4) but it was cheaper (€50 per adult €40 per child 3+ as opposed to €95 per adults and €50 per child 3+ for dinner)  and the food wasn’t so fancy as I knew my kids would only eat the rolls and croissants.  There is an 8.15 am slot, which is only available to book if you are staying on-site, and there is also a 9.45 am slot, which we opted for (we’re late risers!) You get pastries, bread, and jams to share with the table, and then sausage, scrambled egg, and waffles each as a main course.  Top tip – as you walk in, there is a cereal station where you can help yourself, but we didn’t see this until we were on the way out!

You always get to meet Cinderella at your meal, as it is her restaurant, but the other princesses are a random choice depending on the day.  We got Aurora, Snow White, and Cinderella at our breakfast, but Jasmine, Merida, Ariel, Rapunzel, Cinderella’s Mice, Tiana, and Mulan have also been known to show up.  The princesses made their way around to each table to take photos and sign autographs, but the interactions felt a bit rushed, and I think my kids were a bit overwhelmed.  But at least we’d ticked meeting princesses off the list.

I also knew my kids would want to meet Mickey and Minnie so we opted to go to the Royal Banquet one evening.  This was in the Disney Hotel and the food was very good – a huge self-service buffet with fresh seafood, huge prawns, lobsters, oysters,  an antipasti /salad station, and a hot food station.  Desserts were absolutely stunning and Disney themed -think Belle’s enchanted rose made out of strawberry mousse or meringues in the shape of Tiana’s dress.  They were truly exquisite, and there was also an entire cheese trolley to choose from (well, we are in France), which Nellie devoured!  You always get Mickey and Minnie, and then, depending on your seating, you get Donald and Daisy too, or Pluto and Goofy.  We had Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy, and the character interaction was amazing.  They all came round more than once, took lots of time with the kids, signed autographs, and took endless photos. They made the kids feel really special, and we found the experience well worth the price tag (€100 for adults and €50 for kids).

Plaza Gardens is another restaurant that also hosts character dining within the park, and you get to meet some of the more traditional Disney Characters there. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto have been known to show up, along with Captain Hook, Mr Smee, Pinocchio, Gepetto, Tigger, Eeyore, and Chip & Dale. (€50 adult €40 kids for breakfast or €80 adult €40 for lunch and dinner)

The final character dining experience to pre-book is La Table de Lumiere.  We didn’t do this dinner event as it is only for guests staying at the Disney Hotel.  It’s pricey at €120 for adults and €60 for children, but it’s a full table service experience with delicious French food, fine-dining style.  The big draw for this event is that you get to meet royal couples. Think Ariel and Prince Eric, Belle and Prince Adam (The Beast), Cinderella and Prince Charming, Aurora and Prince Phillip, Snow White and Prince Florian, and Tiana and Prince Naveen.  You get to meet three royal couples at each sitting.

Pre-book Parade and fireworks reserved access. This is one I wasn’t sure whether or not to pre-book, but I’m so glad we did.  Having never been to Disneyland before, I wasn’t sure what getting a space at the Parade and the Fireworks would be like.  I decided to hedge my bets, and I booked reserved access for both and was so glad that I did.  People started finding their spots for the parade and fireworks hours before it started, and they were stuck there with people trampling on them, holding their spot for a very long time.  It was worse if you didn’t do this though, as you would have ended up with no view at all, right at the back, where you couldn’t see a thing.  I didn’t want the stress of sitting with two young kids on the ground in one spot for 2 hours (possibly in the rain), and I didn’t want to get stuck in a spot where the kids couldn’t see what was happening. In the end, all we had to do was show up 20-30 minutes before, and we were shown to a roped-off area that gave us a front row view right in front of the Disney Castle.  The kids could sit down on the floor and still see, nobody was crushed, and we all had plenty of space.   It cost us €15 per person for each event, and for me, it was worth every penny, and I would do it again.

What to do in Disneyland, Paris

To get into the parks, you have to go through security – it’s an airport-style bag check with a conveyor belt and scanner.  Then you arrive in the Disney Village – you walk through and you can see the entrance to the parks and the beautifully manicured gardens with Disney songs playing all around!  (Honestly, I felt very emotional at this point.) You get into the parks with your Magic Pass, which is contained in your app, and you just scan the QR code on your phone.  (This is also how the app determines whether you are in the park, allowing you to access features such as character meet-and-greets.)  You can get a pass for 1 or both parks – we got 4 days of park hopper passes with our hotel reservation, which meant we could hop between the parks as many times as we liked.

So there are two parks, Disneyland and Disney Studios.  Disneyland is more of what I’d call the traditional Disney vibe – Princesses, Mickey and Minnie, Peter Pan, Lion King, Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean, and it’s split into 5 areas. Main Street is the first area you come to as you step inside the gates, and it is a long street lined with shops and restaurants, which brings you out in front of the beautiful Disney Castle. From here, you can enter one of the four lands – Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Discoveryland, which are all differently themed.

Frontierland is kind of Wild West themed with cowboy cookouts, Big Thunder Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion.  Adventureland is Pirates, Indiana Jones, and Aladdin themed, with various rides and restaurants to match.  Fantasyland is everything Princess-themed, including the Sleeping Beauty Castle, which dominates the whole park.  It also has Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Dumbo themed rides.  Discoveryland is futuristic and space-themed with Space Mountain rides, Star Tours, and Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast.

Disney Studios is a bit more Pixar themed, think Cars, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Ratatouille.  What I loved about the studios was walking through the entrance, (The Front Lot), which is just like walking through a massive film premiere with red carpets and awards.  Once inside, you can enter the different studios: Toon Studio, Production Studios, Marvel Avengers Campus, and The World of Pixar.  Take a fall on the Tower of Terror, a spin on Crush’s Coaster, or watch a show in one of the theatres.  We wanted to watch the Mickey the Magician show, but it was fully booked when we tried; however, our kids loved the Slinky Dog Rollercoaster and the Magic Carpet Ride.

Disney has something for everyone, whether you’re there for the characters or the thrilling rides, you can find something you will enjoy.  To be completely honest, our children weren’t that excited about the rides.  Many had long waits, and I knew they didn’t have the patience to queue, so we only went on the ones that showed wait times of 20 minutes or less – this was things like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, Carousel, It’s A Small World, etc.  Nellie was also desperate to go to the Haunted Mansion, which proved to be a very bad idea – she came out crying – I think it’s a bit spooky for a 4-year-old.

However,  it was the character interactions that they absolutely loved.  We were there during the music fest, and they loved the impromptu performances from Minnie’s Marching Band walking down Main Street, or Timon and Pumbaa singing Hakuna Matata, or Miguel and his guitar singing and playing Spanish songs, and they were even picked out of the audience to dance with him.

They loved the Character Dining, and I think, to be honest, they were a bit overwhelmed with meeting the princesses, as it was the first thing we did, but by the time it got to the Royal Banquet, they were pros, hugging Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy, and asking for their autographs.  The characters also came around more than onc,e and I felt like they spent much more time with the children than the princesses did at breakfast, which all felt a bit rushed.

I have to say, without a doubt, the absolute best thing we did was the fireworks display.  It’s on late during the summer – at 22:40 (as it has to be dark to see the fireworks) – so it’s a tough one for the kiddies, but mine were spellbound the whole way through.  We spent a morning in the parks that day and then went back to Sequoia Lodge for a swim and a nap.  We then woke them up for dinner and headed to the fireworks after that.  There is no way they would have made it through the day, so the nap was essential.

The setting for the fireworks is the Sleeping Beauty Castle, but it’s so much more than just fireworks.  The whole castle is lit up with pictures and clips from Disney shows, and everything is set to music.  The fountains spray and the fireworks bang in the best parts, and there is even a drone show around the castle depicting things such as the petals falling off Belle’s Rose, and when Simba sees his father as the stars in the sky in The Lion King.  The illuminations were spectacular – almost every Disney ever made played a little part, and the whole show has a theme about how life is just that little bit better if you have magic in your heart.  I have to admit to being a big softie at the best of times, and I did well up many times and get goosebumps.  It really was very heart-warming, emotional, and just truly spectacular.  When my kids’ favourite songs came on (‘Beauty & The Beast’ and ‘Part of Your World’ for Nellie and ‘How far I’ll Go’ for Lottie), they were utterly transfixed, and my mama heart was full to bursting to see their little smiles.  In case you couldn’t tell, I loved it!  I would go back again just for the show; however, it was a warm summer’s evening – I might have thought differently if it was cold and raining!

The other must-see for us was the parade.  Check the app for when this is scheduled. When we were there, only one parade a day was showing.  I think this is because the Music Festival was on, and there were various little events around the park all the time.  Sometimes there is a morning and an afternoon show.  Again, we pre-booked the VIP access area like we did for the fireworks, and the whole experience was seamless.  The parade does go through a large portion of the park, so hopefully you can find a spot to see it from.  I heard horror stories of adults pushing in front of kids and little ones getting crushed, so we just didn’t want to take the risk of a bad experience.  The parade was amazing, with about 10-12 floats, each one a different theme, from Peter Pan to Nemo, to Frozen, to Princesses, to Toy Story, to Lion King; it was so well done.  There were dancers, pyrotechnics, and it was just an amazing watch.  The highlight for my kids was definitely the princess float, and when Belle waved at Nellie and Moana waved at Lottie, they were speechless.

The Lion King Show was a highlight – an absolute spectacle in the true sense of the word.  The Lion King was Nellie’s first Disney obsession, so we knew we just had to go and see it.  It was the Lion King story (with all the best songs) compressed into 40 minutes and combined with the acrobatics of Cirque du Soleil!  We ended up booking guaranteed seats to see this, as it was a rainy day and we thought it might be a popular attraction.  Having seen the queue of people just waiting to try their luck when we arrived, we were glad we did, but we didn’t bank on the size of the theatre.  It was huge, and actually, everyone waiting in line without guaranteed spaces got in, and there was still room.  We got great seats in the middle by having the guaranteed access, but I didn’t feel it was actually necessary in this case.  (I took Nellie to see the West End version of The Lion King a few months later, and she said she preferred the Disneyland one)!

Counter that with when we went to see Mickey the Magician.  With the Lion King experience the day before, we decided not to book and just show up, but when we got there, there was a lady blocking access, saying the show was full this time round! FAIL! Two very disappointed kiddies!  So yes, book that one if you want to be sure you can get in.  We never actually made it, so I didn’t get to see inside. Maybe the theatre is much smaller than the Lion King one?

Shopping.  If you’re a shopaholic, this is your dream holiday – everywhere you look in Disneyland, there is another shop selling merchandise, and Main Street is a full street dedicated to anything and everything Disney that you could ever want to buy.  From bookshops to sweet shops, silhouette picture galleries to jewellery stores, toy shops to costume shops, and anything else you could imagine, there is something for everyone.  There are also huge Disney shopping stores in the Disney Village and a giant Lego shop as well.  I had pre-bought a lot of the things I thought we’d need much cheaper online, so we didn’t actually do any shopping.  (Luckily, my kids have never been into shopping)!  In fact, we told them that they could choose one thing from the Disney Store as a treat at the end of our holiday, and they were having so much fun doing everything else that we even had to remind them of this.  They would have been happy with the experience and didn’t need the extra gift.  The things I pre-bought that made sense were the ears and the shoulder buddies.  Almost everyone in the parks was sporting a set of Mickey ears and a shoulder buddy, and I’m sure my kids would have wanted these if I hadn’t bought some before the trip on Temu for a fraction of the price.  I also bought our Princess costumes from home along with some new Disney T-shirts and Hoodies, Disney socks, and sunglasses, etc, so they were well kitted out and didn’t feel like they were missing out on anything.

The Disney Village was the place to be in the evenings with live music and people spilling out of the bars and restaurants.  My kids loved dancing to the different bands and singers on the live stage most nights.  It was very quiet during the day but very buzzy around dinner time.  It was nice to be able to have a decent meal there and a nice glass of wine.  We loved that Brasserie Rosalie actually had good high-end food, and a decent wine and cocktail list.  It was like a proper meal out as opposed to a meal at Disneyland Paris.

A recent development is that you now need the app to book into the virtual queues for character meetings.  You used to be able to stand in a queue to meet and interact with the characters, but the queuing is now all virtual and has to be done on the day via the app. The queues open on the app twice a day, and you need to be in one of the parks to be able to book.   You can’t book from your hotel, for instance, so it pays to get up early – you actually have to be inside the parks.  You choose the character you want to meet, and it gives you a time slot and a countdown clock until it is your turn.  When you have bout 20 minutes left until your appointment, you need to head to the meeting point, and once the timer hits 0 mins, you will be able to meet the character.  This is great as it means less queuing, but it isn’t without its problems.  The slots go within seconds of them opening up.  There literally won’t be anything left 1 minute after they open.  This means if you have issues connecting or can’t get online, you’ll miss out, and there are no longer options to just wait in line to see a character – so if you don’t get in the virtual queue, you won’t be able to have a meet and greet.  I’ve been told the best way to do it is to get the app up on your phone and get to the right part a few minutes before it opens, and then just keep clicking refresh until the booking opens up.  We didn’t actually do any of these – I just didn’t want the stress of maybe not getting any meetings, which is one of the main reasons I booked the character dining.  We had the Princess Breakfast and Royal Banquet planned, where we knew we would get a chance to meet lots of characters, so it removed all of the stress for me.  But if it’s your dream to meet Stitch or another specific character, then you need to be prepared.  We also saw a few characters as we were walking round the park, Woody, Jessie & Bo Peep, as well as Goofy and Max, but if they’re just moving around, they can only really wave, not interact with you or sign autographs.

Wi-Fi signal in the park varies depending on where you are, so if you are desperate to book a meet and greet, I have been told the best way to do it is to log off the Wi-Fi and find a spot with a good phone signal and just use that.  I’m reliably informed it works much better.

And don’t forget the new Frozen World opening in 2026 – from the top of the Swiss Family Treehouse, we could see it being built in the distance, and it’s rumoured to be the whole town of Arundel to experience.

Where to eat at Disneyland Paris

I was warned before going that the food in Disneyland was not going to be that great.  As someone who likes to eat healthily, I was worried that I wouldn’t see a piece of fresh fruit the whole trip.  Well, I have to say that the food in the parks is definitely not healthy, but it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting.  I managed to find something to eat most days, even if sometimes it was a charcuterie plate from a food cart.

We tended to have a larger breakfast, snack throughout the day, and then go for a proper dinner.  For breakfasts, we alternated between the Brasserie Rosalie kiosk or Pret A Manger (in the station) for pastries, fruit, yoghurt, and coffee. For lunch, the kids loved the various food carts dotted all over the parks and enjoyed pretzels, donuts, crepes, and ice creams (yes, everything is very carb, fat, and sugar-heavy, but we were on holiday, so we just went with it).  We also bought plenty of snacks with us from England, which were essential for bored kids when they were queuing for rides.  However, if bringing in snacks from the UK, there are a few important things to remember. Since Brexit, a lot of the customs rules have changed, and there are a lot of things that you can’t bring into France from the UK.  You can’t bring any meat or dairy products or anything containing them (powdered baby milk is allowed).  So no ham sandwiches, no yoghurt pouches, cheese strings, no gummy sweets as they contain gelatine, no chocolate as it contains milk, etc.  Also, at the time we went, you couldn’t bring in any fresh fruit or vegetables that weren’t grown in an EU country.  Top tip – I headed to Marks and Spencer at St Pancras before boarding the Eurostar and checked the origin of the fruits and vegetables on the packaging.  I was able to pick up peaches grown in Spain, apples grown in France, and even Italian cherry tomatoes, so that option is available; they just have to be unopened when you arrive, so you can prove they are the original item.  (I think this rule has now been relaxed, as I couldn’t find anything about it online anymore, and you can bring in a small amount of fruit and vegetables for personal consumption.)  We packed crisps, crackers, fruit pouches, raisins, and dried fruit roll-ups.

If you’re looking for a proper restaurant experience, then Disney Village is your place.  It’s the area just outside the two main parks before you get to most of the hotels.  It is a street of restaurants, bars, and a few shops, and it is here that you can find some chain restaurants such as McDonald’s, Five Guys, and Rainforest Cafe, along with a Starbucks.  There are also plenty of other restaurants, including a Mexican, a Diner, the Earl of Sandwich, a Pub, a Steakhouse, and Brasserie Rosalie.

For dinner, we went to Brasserie Rosalie on two separate occasions, as we enjoyed it so much and found it very easy to book. They had delicious French food, and I enjoyed oysters, salmon tartare, and the kids loved the moules marinières.  Steak and chips, onion soup, and snails were also on the menu.  Not at all the kind of food we expected to find at Disneyland Paris. They also had a great cocktail menu and a nice wine list.  (I enjoyed an Aperol Spritz followed by a lovely glass of white Burgundy).  The whole experience was very relaxing and much more enjoyable than a rushed fast-food meal.  It’s also very kid-friendly, as is everywhere in Disney!  If your kids aren’t adventurous eaters, there is cheesy pasta, burgers, or chicken strips with chips.  It was also very easy to book online via their own website rather than the Disney app. We tried to book some of the other restaurants in the Disney Village, and they were showing that they were closed – when they were obviously open – so we ended up sticking with Brasserie Rosalie.

If you are self-catering or want to get anything extra, you can buy food at Val d’Europe (one stop away on the train), as there is a large shopping centre there.  If you are coming by train, there is a Pret A Manger at the railway station, which offers healthy options such as fresh fruit, yoghurt, and salads.  There are no food shops within the Disney area to pick up groceries.  It is all food kiosks or restaurants serving snack foods or meals.  There are also restaurants in all of the hotels, and if you make a reservation, you can go to any of them, even if you’re not staying in that specific hotel.

If you want to book restaurants to eat while in the Parks, you can book via the app. The restaurants that get booked up way in advance are Remys, Downtown, and PYM Kitchen (and all the character dining experiences).  These can be booked up to a year in advance, so if you know what you want to do, then book early.  If you don’t manage to get the bookings that you want, then don’t worry, you can always show up and ask if there are any cancellations.  There are also plenty of self-service options that don’t require bookings throughout the parks, where you can grab a quick lunch or snack.  Some of these are quite iconic, from Bella Notte Pizzeria, where you can get Mickey-shaped Pizzas, to  Casa de Coco with its Nutella Churros, to The Last Chance Cafe with its enormous roasted turkey legs, but the place that always seemed to have the biggest queue was the loaded nachos truck.  Honestly, every time we walked past, there was a queue of about 30 people – those must be some pretty amazing nachos!

In terms of drinks, you can take a water bottle into the parks with you and fill it up at various water stations dotted about.  This will save you a lot of money as the endless bottles of water and soft drinks add up.  If beer and wine are more your thing, you can head to the food hut areas near Remy’s in Studio Park or outside It’s A Small World in Disney Park.  Here you have various huts offering food and drink from all over the world, including Bavarian Beer, and Riesling at the German ones, and even a French Wine Bar.  There is also an elusive champagne cart that appears late afternoon to early evening at the end of Main Street outside the Gibson Ice Cream Parlour. It costs €20 for a glass of champagne, but it’s served in a special souvenir flute that you get to keep, which is really lovely.  It gets very popular, so the queue can get pretty long.

Top Tips for Disneyland Paris

Book any restaurants and activities that you definitely want to visit/do as soon as possible.  Some get booked up a whole year in advance.

If you don’t want to wait in line or you can’t get a time slot on the app for character meet and greets, then there are characters in all the hotels every morning between 8.15 and 11.  There is also Princess Storytime at various times during the afternoon in the Disney Hotel, where the princesses are around, but they often don’t sign autographs or take pictures.  The Character breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are great places to ensure you see characters without having to queue, although they can be an expensive option.

Wear comfortable shoes; you can easily hit 20,000 steps a day, so you don’t want to be wearing anything that might cause you blisters. And also take a buggy!  If you have children under 6, I would say take a buggy, even if they don’t use one at home – there is a lot of walking, and if they get exhausted, they can take a nap in there too!  It’s also a great cart-horse for lugging around all the things you’ll need for the day.

This one may be controversial, but before going, I loaded up on Disney merch from Temu – I bought Mickey ears that were Encanto, Beauty and the Beast, Tinkerbell, Minnie Mouse themed, and more (about €3 each).  I also bought the kids Disney princess T-shirts, socks, jumpers, and even some shoulder buddies.  In the park, everyone is either wearing ears or shoulder buddies, and if I hadn’t pre-bought ours, the kids would have wanted to buy them, and at €30 for a pair of ears, it adds up very quickly.

Don’t forget an autograph book and a pen so you can collect autographs from every character that you meet.

I’ve also heard you can bring your own princess outfit if you are participating in the Royal Dream Makeover, which will keep costs down a lot. If you are under 12, your kids can wear costumes to the park. Over 12 is not allowed, but you can Disney Bound (wear standard clothes that give a nod to certain characters, i.e., wearing green bottoms and a purple top to emulate Ariel).  You can also wear the ears and Disney-themed clothes and merchandise as long as it is not an actual costume.

Children under 3 go free!  It really made a difference to the cost of the trip not to have to pay for Lottie.  She was free (on a lap) on the Eurostar and RER, and her park entry and all restaurants/character dining were free.  It meant she could eat for free at the Royal Banquet (and any other buffet experiences and restaurants), but she didn’t get food at any of the table service restaurants.  This wasn’t a problem as there was always plenty of food, so we all just shared ours with her. If you want an under-3 to get their own meal, you will have to pay the full child’s price.

Go to the more popular rides while the parade is on – many people will be watching the parade, so you may find queues a bit shorter at this time.

Parades and fireworks are weather-dependent.  They’ve been known to be canceled at short notice if it’s too wet or windy.  The weather also has to be pretty perfect for the drone part of the fireworks show.

Take a rucksack – you can take a rucksack with you on all the rides, and you’ll need somewhere to store your things, especially if you don’t have a buggy.  You’ll need suncream, rain ponchos, sunglasses, sun hats, water bottles, snacks, and somewhere to put anything you buy in the shops (although some shops will send your purchases directly to your hotel if staying on-site).  There are also some lockers for hire if you don’t want to carry everything around all day.

Take a water bottle – there are refillable water stations dotted around the park, so you can fill up for free rather than buying overpriced drinks all the time.

Premier Access Pass (between €90-€120 depending on time of year) – we didn’t use this but there is a pass you can buy that allows you to join the fast lane for some rides to avoid long waiting times.  You can also purchase the queue jump for individual rides on a pay-as-you-go basis. (€5-€18 per ride). You can get special discounted rates and priority access to some rides and attractions if you have a disability or are pregnant. Find out more here, including what proof you need to bring to access these tickets.

If traveling from the UK, there are new rules that have come into place about bringing food and drink into France – make sure to check these out before you travel as you don’t want to fall foul of customs laws!

Speaking of customs, if you live in the UK then the shopping you do at boutiques in the parks can all be tax free if you go about it the right way.  Downloand the skiptax app and you can upload your receipts to the app for any merchandise you buy. (Make sure to keep your receipts and any purchases you make must stay in their original packaging – no labels removed etc).  Skiptax will generate a barcode which you take to the tax free shopping kiosk at your point of departure from France (train station, airport, ferry port etc) and get a stamp and claim your tax back.  Or you can do it without the app just using your receipts and packaged purchases.

Use your phone signal and not the wifi when trying to book character meet and greets.

Beacause people have to book so far in advance there tend to be lots of cancellations.  If you can’t book the restaurant you wanted or the experience was all sold out, keep trying! Spots open up all the time.  I think people book a lot of things as soon as they can and then cancel the ones they dont want at a later date.  Keep checking on the app or go to the restaurant and check availability in person.

Unfortunately, we had a small incident that meant we needed First Aid.  Nellie fell and hurt her wrist, and I was very worried she had fractured/broken it.  We asked a cast member (that’s what anyone who works in the Parks is known as) for the First Aid and found it located behind the Park Plaza Restaurant. The doctor there was very sweet and put our minds at ease, saying it was a sprain at worst – and she even got a Certificate to say how brave she’d been.  It’s the little touches!

Phew!  If you’re still with me, Congratulations!! I think that’s everything covered.  It really is a magical place, and I personally can’t wait to go back.  And since coming back home, it’s Lottie who wakes up every morning asking if we’re going to Disneyland today – I guess I needn’t have worried that she’d be too young!

PIN WHAT TO DO IN DISNEYLAND PARIS, FRANCE FOR LATER