Top 20 tips for visiting Disneyland Paris in 2024

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Top 20 tips for visiting Disneyland Paris in 2024

If you’re looking for top tips for visiting Disneyland Paris from a bonafide Disneyland Paris expert – you’ve come to the right place! I’ve been visiting Disneyland Paris for over 15 years and have learned all the secret tips and tricks that will make your trip to Disneyland memorable and magical. Let’s go!

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1) Visit out of season to get the best deals

It’s unsurprising that the best deals to be had at Disneyland Paris are out of season.

But! What many people don’t know before visiting is that Disneyland Paris always have some sort of celebration on anyway so it never feels out of season!

For example, I visited two weeks after Halloween had ended and Disneyland were still celebrating with a daily villain character parade, baddie meet and greets and a special bewitched light show on Sleeping Beauty’s Castle every night.

Plus Mickey pumpkins and Halloween decorations were everywhere! It didn’t feel like I had missed the Halloween season at all!

If you plan your visit in the week, during the colder months as well, you’ll also find better deals, fewer crowds and reduced wait time on rides – bonus!

If you don’t have kids, you’ll also find better deals when the kids go back to school, so it’s well-worth holding off!

Check out Disneyland Paris deals here.

Mel with her arms out in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle in Disneyland Paris

2) Book your trip as a package

Booking your trip as a package comes with soooo many advantages. One of the main ones being that you’ll have all your bookings for transport, hotel and park entry all in one place.

But also, booking a Disneyland Paris package holiday is usually a lot cheaper than paying for everything separately!

Check out Disneyland Paris deals here.

Disneyland Paris's Sleeping Beauty's Castle at night with a light show and fireworks in the background

3) Visit for a minimum of two days

I would recommend booking a minimum of two days in Disneyland Paris with three days being the optimal amount of time.

If you’re staying in the park for two days you’ll be able to spend one day in the studios and one day in the main park. However, by having a third buffer day, you’ll have time to revisit your favourite attractions and go back to rides you couldn’t get on because the queue times were too long.

Three days is the perfect amount of time to conquer Disneyland Paris!

Mel doing a star jump on the Disney fountain outside Walt Disney Studios in Disneyland Paris

4) Book accommodation in the park

If you’re booking a Disneyland Paris package deal then you’ll automatically be offered a choice of hotels to stay at in the park.

However, if you’ve booked your park tickets and are now looking for hotels, I would still recommend booking a hotel in the park. It’s hassle-free and will save you money on transport getting to and from the park each day.

If you book a hotel within the park, you’ll get access to character meet and greets at your hotel and free shuttle bus service to and from the park (if you don’t fancy the walk that is!).

As well as being more convenient, staying in the hotels within the park are so much more fun!

Every hotel has its own theme and you get to continue soaking up all the Disney atmosphere after leaving the park for the day.

Mel sat on her white and blue bed at Disneyland Paris's Newport Bay Club Hotel

5) Embrace your inner kid!

First stop when arriving at Disneyland Paris should be getting on theme with some Mickey Mouse ears or a Disney hat!

Albeit not a prerequisite (of course!), you’ll find that as soon as you put on those mouse ears you’ll immediately feel part of the experience.

You’re officially on holiday in the happiest place on Earth and transported right back to childhood again!

Mel stood in front of the Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue in the Disneyland Paris studios

6) Download the Disneyland App

The official Disneyland app is great for planning your trip to Disneyland Paris as well as a useful tool whilst you’re there.

Through the app you’re able to browse through attractions, restaurants and boutiques before you arrive, get personalised recommendations and create a wish list to tick off your favourites one-by-one during your visit.

You’ll also be able to book restaurant tables, buy fast access to shows and attractions and check into your hotel.

But most importantly, you’ll get in-time updates on what rides are open and what the wait times are so you can ensure you get on all your favourite rollercoasters!

Screen shot of the Disneyland Paris App with ride time screen on

7) Prioritise the most popular rides first

Speaking of rides…when visiting Disneyland Paris I would recommend prioritising the most popular rides first when you arrive in the morning.

These rides will only get busier as the day goes on and you don’t want to miss out!

Crush’s Coaster in the studios is a prime example of this! It’s a firm favourite with thrill-seeking families so no matter what time of year it is you’ll always queue.

I’ve been to Disneyland Paris at the beginning of February and managed to get on all the rides within 20 minutes or less – except this one!

I waited around 45 minutes to an hour to get on it. The reason being, it’s designed perfectly for the whole family.

It’s fast and twisty enough for older children and adults to enjoy but not too fast and twisty that younger children will get scared on it.

Starting with these rides first also means it’ll give you more time to return to rides you love later in the day.

Front of the Crush's coaster ride at Disneyland Paris with turtle and sign
Image credit

8) Conquer each land one at a time

When you arrive at Disneyland Paris, it’s tempting to jump from land to land to go on all your favourite rides first – but resist!

Conquer each land one at a time to ensure you get to experience everything that each land has to offer as well as avoid wasting precious rollercoaster time jumping between attractions.

You can use your third day in the park to cover any favourite rides in the various lands.

Mel at the top of the Queen of Hearts castle in Princess Land with Sleeping Beauty's Castle in the background

9) Queue up as a single rider to get on rides faster

Going on rollercoasters as a single rider is a game-changer. Not only does it save you time queuing up but it’ll ensure you can get on all your favourite rides multiple times!

It’s not always practical, especially if you’re visiting Disneyland Paris in a group. But if you’re visiting the park as a couple or with a friend, queueing up as single riders can save you a tonne of time!

You’ll still queue up with your companion and chat as you wait your turn but you’ll just go on the ride separately.

Keep an eye on the time boards outside each ride and if the single rider queue time is way shorter – get in that queue!

Front of hyperspace mountain in Disneyland Paris

10) get in position for the daily parade and Disney Illuminations Night Show early

The daily Disney parade is a series of awesome themed floats that feature a range of Disney stars, dancers and performers.

It’s about 20 minutes long and usually occurs a couple of times a day (depending on the time of year you go). But you can double check timings on the Disney app when you arrive.

Getting into position at the front early is essential as there are limited places to stand. You don’t want to get stuck behind a parent holding their kid on their shoulders – you won’t see a thing!

The parade makes its way from Fantasy Land, past Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and down Main Street USA.

Try to get a spot on an outer curve down Main Street. You’ll get a better view without people leaning out and blocking you as the floats arrive.

The same goes for the Disney Illuminations Night Show which takes place every evening on the front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle as the park closes.

Make sure to be in position ahead of time so you can get close to the front to ensure your view isn’t blocked by the crowds. As a short person, seeing past the crowds is always a problem for me!

Disney Parade at Disneyland Paris coming down Main Street USA

11) Prepare for all weather

It’s important to remember that the weather in Paris is just as unpredictable as it is here in the UK.

So with this in mind you need to prepare for all weather, no matter what time of year you visit Disneyland Paris!

In the colder months I recommend packing layers with a hat, gloves and scarf as well as a warm, waterproof coat with a hood.

Remember it gets colder within inland Europe during winter so it’s always safer to pack layers just in case.

In the warmer months I would pack an extra layer just in case the weather turns and always take a lightweight, waterproof jacket. I pack one that rolls up tight into my backpack so I can quickly get it out when it rains.

But whatever the weather, always pack comfortable walking shoes! I recommend waterproof boots in the winter and breathable, comfy trainers for the summer.

Either way – you’ll be walking A LOT so you need to be wearing shoes you can walk up to nine hours a day in!

Mel in front of the fountain at Disneyland Hotel at the entrance to Disneyland Paris

12) Get to the park each morning before it opens

The early bird gets the worm as they say but in this case the early bird will be first in line to enter the park!

Even if you’re staying at a hotel nearby and think you have plenty of time to get to the park entrance, always leave a little earlier so you can get to the front of the queue for when the park opens.

This way you’ll beat the crowds and be at the front of the queue for your favourite rides before anyone else!

Family entering Disneyland Paris holding hands together

13) Don’t forget to see the free shows

For their 30th anniversary festivities, Disneyland Paris are celebrating the grand return of Mickey and the Magician.

The Animagique Theatre at Disney Studios runs a few shows a day but best of all – it’s totally free!

Follow Mickey Mouse as he learns his ‘tricks’ of the trade from a colourful cast of magical characters. These include: Elsa from Frozen, Genie from Aladdin, Lumière from Beauty and the Beast, Rafiki from The Lion King and more.

The show features awesome illusions and special effects that bring some of your favourite Disney songs to life and the talented performers are an absolute knock out!

I’ve been going to Disneyland Paris since I was eighteen and this is honestly the best show Animagique has put on.

It’s one of THE best things to do in Disneyland Paris right now!

Mickey and other dancers in disney costume on a rainbow light stage taking a final bow at the Animagique show at Disneyland Paris studios

14) buy gifts at the end of the day

To avoid having to carry extra things around all day, browse Disney’s shops as you go along but only buy at the end of the day when leaving the park.

There is great shopping to be had at Disney Village which is also a great place to hang out after hours at Disneyland Paris. Especially if you fancy a little tipple at the end of a long day of roller coaster-ing!

You’ll also find a wide range of Disney shops down Main Street USA.

Fun fact: many of the shop ‘tenants’ down Main Street USA contributed to the concept and development of Disneyland Paris.

Walt Disney and his brother Roy are credited as “Founders and Partners” on one window and Walt’s long-time friend, Imagineering Executive, Martin Sklar is listed as a newspaper Editor.

Read more fun facts about Disneyland Paris.

Mel walking down Main Street in Disneyland Paris with "Flora's Boutique" in the background

15) Book your restaurant tables ahead of time

As to be expected, especially during high season, restaurants at Disneyland Paris get booked up FAST!

Where possible, make your evening meal restaurant bookings as far ahead as possible.

You can make restaurant bookings through the Disneyland Paris app before you even arrive at the park or pop into restaurants in the morning before you start your day to check availability for the evening.

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, I highly recommend Annette’s Diner. They do THE best vegan burger in all of Disneyland Paris.

They also do all your favourite American diner classics for non-vegans like hotdogs, sundaes and milkshakes. You may even get a server on roller skates, just like in the 50s!

For more on vegan food at the park check out my vegan guide to Disneyland Paris.

Mel wearing Minnie Mouse ears eating a vegan cheeseburger in Annette's Diner in Disneyland Paris

16) Take a reusable bottle to save money on water

Take my word for it, refilling a reusable water bottle whilst you’re visiting Disneyland Paris will save you a fortune!

Water retails at around €3 for a 500ml bottle at Disneyland Paris and it’s very easy to get dehydrated when you’re running around the park – even in winter! But in the hot summer months you could end up spending €15 a day just on water.

Luckily, Disney provides water fountains for you to refill your water bottles for free – you just need to know where to look! Water fountains are located down Main Street and most toilet areas in each land within the park.

I love travelling with this leak-proof reusable bottle, it’s BPA-free and has markers on it so you know how much you should be drinking by certain times of the day.

Refilling a water bottle at a water fountain in Disneyland Paris Main Street

17) Bring a portable phone charger

With the amount of photos and videos you’ll be taking during your visit, it’s well-worth taking a portable charger in your bag as your battery will be soaked by lunchtime!

I have this mini portable charger which is perfect for travelling as it’s compact and super lightweight.

Person's hands holding up an iPhone to take a picture of Sleeping Beauty's Castle

18) Plan a time to meet your Disney heroes!

It’s surprising how little you see characters in Disneyland Paris.

Outside the parade, meet and greets with characters are brief and only happen at specific times and locations. Sadly, you’ll never seen them just wandering around the park.

The best way to meet characters is to use the Disneyland Paris app to see when and where they’ll be appearing.

Alternatively, you can book a dining experience with characters where you’ll be guaranteed some one-on-one time.

Mel hugging Rex the dinosaur from Toy Story stood on some giant colourful dominoes at Toy Story Land in Disneyland Paris

19) Eat from food stands for lunch to save money on food

For lunch I recommend eating at one of the many food stands that are dotted all around the parks.

It’s far cheaper and doesn’t cut into your rollercoaster time as much as a sit-down meal at a restaurant.

The Gourmet Vegan food stand in Ratatouille Land in particular is the perfect pit stop for vegan and vegetarian visitors.

It offers light lunches and snacks including: falafel, sandwiches, poke bowls, fruit salad and even chocolate sponge cake.

Check out my reel on the Gourmet Vegan food stand for more info!

20) Factor in a day trip to Paris

And for the final tip on my “top 20 tips for visiting Disneyland Paris” post – make time to visit Paris!

It would be a shame to travel all the way to Disneyland Paris and not get to spend any time in actual Paris!

The park has a train station right outside which will take you into the city in just over an hour.

If you only have time to do Paris for a day, check out my guide to seeing the best of Paris in less than 24 hours.

Still not booked your trip to Disneyland Paris? Check out deals here.

View of the Eiffel Tower with a bright blue sky

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What tips for visiting Disneyland Paris are you going to use for your trip? Or do you have some of your own? Let me know in the comments below! 😊

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