1. Getting Your Tickets
The first step to starting your Disney experience is buying your tickets. With several different kinds, it’s important to choose the right ones for your trip.
There are two types of passes to choose from, with benefits and drawbacks to both. Either buy a pass that allows you into both parks on the same day, or only one of the parks. The cheaper, one park passes will save you money, but won’t allow you to split your time between parks, making them better if you want to devote full days to the parks and don’t plan on moving between the two.
2. Disneyland Must-Sees
Now you have your tickets, you need to decide what it is you want to see!
Disneyland is more than just rollercoasters. From character meet-and-greets to parades and the famous Sleeping Beauty castle, there’s something for fans of all ages to enjoy.
To make the most of your visit, pick out four or five attractions that are your must-sees before you go. Mark them on your free park map and make sure you tick them off during you visit.
The best, most thrilling rides you shouldn’t miss are:
Parc Disney
• Big Thunder Mountain• Space Mountain• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril• Peter Pan’s Flight• Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
Walt Disney Studios
• Rock and Roller Coaster• Crush’s Coaster• Tower of Terror• RC Racer
There are several non-ride attractions that can also add to your magical experience. Alice’s Curious Labyrinth is a walk-through attraction featuring favourite Alice in Wonderland characters, water jets, and curving hedges in the tricky Queen of Hearts maze.
The most famous of the all is ‘Le Chateau de La Belle au Bois Dormant’ or Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in English. Guests of the park love this walk-through attraction, as it retells the story of Sleeping Beauty and even has an animatronic Dragon!
3. Queues
Queues are an unavoidable part of Disney, but there are ways to minimise their impact on your day. Firstly, make good use of the Fastpass tickets. Available for selected rides, pick up a ticket in front of the attraction and receive your time slot. Return in that time slot to ride wait-free!
You should also make use of the final hour. Crowds tend to significantly die down towards the end of the day, so use this time to take some queue-free rides on your favourite attractions.
4. Food and Drink
Factoring your meals into your daily plan will make all the difference to your trip. A top tip for tackling meals at Disneyland is to bring in your own food for lunch. While Disney doesn’t allow picnics and doesn’t have any designated areas for you to eat, you can bring in your own food and eat it during the day. This will help you avoid the heavy lunch time queues, and classic Disney prices!
If you do plan to eat in the park, there are some restaurants that you shouldn’t miss:
• Agrabah Cafe
This Aladdin themed restaurant offers great Moroccan cuisine and is the best restaurant in Disney for Vegetarians.
• Captain Jack's
A fun, heavily themed restaurant where guests can enjoy the excitement of Pirates of the Caribbean as they eat.
• Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show with Mickey & Friends
This fun restaurant combines a "wild west" show with dinner. Eat while you’re entertained!
• Bistrot Chez Rémy
Bistrot Chez Rémy is the Ratatouille-inspired restaurant in Walt Disney Studios. Feel yourself shrink down to Remy’s size as you sit amongst huge plates, wine bottles, and other oversized objects.
4. Where to Stay
If you don’t wish to stay inside the Disney resort, there are lots of hotels near Disneyland Paris that suit any needs
For a comfy hotel five minutes’ drive form the entrance gates, try ibis Marne la Vallée Val d'Europe. This Hotel offers a calming place to relax after a day of Disney excitement. A mere one hour from Paris’ airports, this is the perfect location for your trip.
For a cheap hotel near Disneyland Paris, ibis budget Marne la Vallée Val d'Europe is a cheap alternative that’ll save you money but not compromise the quality of your holiday. Not only is it just five minutes away from Disneyland (one stop on the RER), it is also a short ten minute-walk from the Sea Life Paris aquarium and La Vallée Village outlet shopping centre.
For more great places to stay close to Disneyland and in Paris itself, check one of our other Ibis hotels in Paris.
