6 Reasons to Visit Disneyland Paris
1. Visiting Disneyland Paris is an easily manageable day trip from Paris.
Although Disneyland Paris is technically larger than the original Disneyland, it has fewer lands and fewer rides than the original theme park, making it seem easier to visit everywhere you want to in a single day.
We took the RER train in from Paris Opera metro station, and it was an easy and pleasant 50-minute ride to Marnee-la-Vallee. (And P.S., there is a designer outlet mall out there too — I haven’t been, but I’ve heard good things).
It was quite rainy when we arrived at Disneyland Paris, but the sky was gorgeous by the afternoon. This is Main Street, all decked out for Halloween.
2. There is a dragon living under Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.
And it is awesome.
Sleeping Beauty’s castle at Paris Disneyland. By mid-day the morning rain had cleared and the skies were absolutely gorgeous!
Paris’s version of Sleeping Beauty’s castle is larger, pinker, and prettier than the one in Anaheim — but the best part is what’s waiting underneath.
When you’re facing the castle from the Park entrance, skip the crowded bridge over the moat and veer left. You’ll find a sign with a dragon on it, and that is where Maleficent lives (in dragon form). It was a bit too scary for my 2.5 year old toddler, but very exciting for her mom.
SIgn marking the entry to Maleficent’s lair (la taniere du dragon)
3. Some rides are bigger and better than the originals.
Thrill seekers, rejoice!
As of right now, Disneyland Paris only has four lands: Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Discoveryland. (A fifth land with a Frozen theme is due to open in 2020).
But even though Disneyland Paris has fewer lands, it manages to make the most of what it has: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is faster and bigger, as is “Hyperspace Mountain” — a more thrilling version of the original Space Mountain that actually turns riders upside-down during the roller-coaster ride. Plus, even its versions of the Haunted Mansion (“Haunted Manor”) and It’s a Small World (Jules’s favorite ride everrrrr) have more surprises.
Entry to Frontierland, Disneyland Paris (with a bigger Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the distance)
4. Fewer crowds mean lower wait times.
Both park entry and ride lines are shorter.
Granted, we went in the low season (October), but the crowds were so minimal compared to Disneyland that it was like a pleasant surprise.
We bought our tickets beforehand using Viator to save both time and a few dollars, and we were able to easily exchange our vouchers at the front gate within minutes.
For rides, the maximum wait time we saw was 55 minutes, and fast passes were generally available within 2 hours, even in the later parts of the day.
King Arthur’s Carousel in Fantasyland, Disneyland Paris
5. Two words: adult beverages.
Disneyland Paris serves beer and wine.
Okay, I know that California Adventure and the new tavern in Star Wars Land also serve wine and beer, but in Disneyland Paris you’re able to drink French wine for $6. (I’m pretty sure California Adventure serves some pretty terrible wines for twice the price, and I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Star Wars Land yet!). Plus, it’s also nice that most Europeans know how to drink moderately without being total drunk a-holes.
We had lunch at the Lucky Nugget Saloon.
6. Tickets to Disneyland Paris are relatively cheap.
While Disneyland tickets can cost an arm and a leg, you can get tickets to Disneyland Paris for a lot less.
The cheapest tickets are in low season during the middle of the week, and can cost as low as $64 each for a single park ticket. Tickets are more expensive on the weekends and during high season (i.e., the summer), but are still cheaper than visiting the original Disneyland.
Click here to visit my Viator travel agent link to pre-purchase your Disneyland Paris vouchers.
This post is part of the #KidCultureBlogger Link-Up hosted by Jana at mypiccoloitaliano.com the last Saturday of every month where bloggers share their passion for exposing kids to culture through travel, cooking, events, art, crafts, theatre, and other unplugged learning experiences.
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