Is a Day at Disneyland Paris Worth It?

For many hard-core Disney fans, visiting all the Disney parks around the world is a bucket list item. There are 12 Disney parks, worldwide, and Disneyland Paris (also known as Euro Disney) is the only park currently located in Europe. But is a trip to Disneyland Paris worth it? We break down all the pros and cons of Disney’s magical Parisian park.

Where is Disneyland Paris located?

Disneyland Paris is located just east of Paris, about 32 km (19 miles), in Chessy, France. From the Eiffel Tower, it’s about a 40-minute drive, depending on traffic (48 km). 

Public Transportation to Disneyland Paris

If you’re planning on renting a car and driving to Disney from the Paris area, the fastest route to take is the A4 highway. From the center of Paris, it’s about a 30-minute drive. But you can also take public transportation as well – train, bus, taxi, or Uber. 

Disneyland Paris by Train

The train is a great way to reach Disneyland Paris without spending tons of money. The RER is the line that travels from Paris to Disneyland Paris. You’ll get off at the Marne la Vallée/Chessy stop. The cost from the Eiffel Tower is 15.20€ for adults and 7.60€ for kids round trip. You can buy your tickets at the metro station – but just remember to keep them with you for any control checks during the trip. 

Duration: 1.5 hours

Disneyland Paris by Bus

Riding the bus is also an option to reach Disneyland Paris, but the price and duration really depend on where you’re coming from. More than likely, you’ll need to combine a bus ride with the train for a final destination. We camped near the park, so there was a bus we took to the park each day for only 2€ one way (our daughter rode for free), so it was a fantastic option for us.

Disneyland by Plane

If you’re flying in just to visit Disneyland Paris, you’ll either land at Paris Charles de Gaulle or Orly airport. The best way to get there from the airport is by using the magic shuttle. Always remember to book your shuttle in advance to coordinate with your airline arrival. 

Disneyland by Taxi or Uber

Taking a Taxi to Disneyland is probably the most expensive route to take, and depending on where you’re coming from, it can cost up to 100€. Ubers are also private car options that will be a bit cheaper than taxis but still more expensive than a train or bus. We took an Uber back to our campsite the last night at Disneyland, costing 16€. 

How much does Disneyland Paris cost? 

There are a few different types of tickets for Disneyland Paris: dated, undated, one park, 2 parks, and special rate tickets. Dated tickets are cheaper than undated ones – depending on the dates. The more days you stay, the lower the cost is for daily tickets. And if you combine your tickets with a Disney hotel, you will be able to get a special combination price. 

Kids under 3 are free, and kids 3-11 pay less than an adult ticket. 

We bought 2 dated tickets for the end of April – each adult cost $106.80 plus a child at $98.40. Our total ticket cost was $312.00 for one day at Disneyland Paris. 

Disneyland Paris Hotels

If you want to stay right on the Disney campus, there are many themed Disney hotels to stay at such as Disney’s Hotel New York, Newport Bay Club, Sequoia Lodge, Hotel Cheyenne, and more. They range from single rooms to bungalows, suites, and even rustic lodges for a range of prices. It’s all part of the magical Disney experience. 

Can you camp at Disneyland Paris?

There are no campgrounds directly on the Disneyland Paris site, but there is a great campground close by. We stayed at Camping L’International de Jablines campground just 20 minutes from the park. There’s a bus that takes you directly to the park for 2€ one way (our daughter was free). It’s the perfect solution for RV or vans who want the camping experience combined with the magic of Disney. 

Disneyland Paris vs Disney World

There’s really no comparison between Disneyland Paris and Disney World, except they are both Disney parks. Paris only has two parks and both on a smaller scale, whereas Disney World has four parks and two water parks on a larger scale. A benefit of visiting Disneyland Paris is that you can easily fit it all in one day. To visit everything at Disney World takes at least 4-5 days. 

Rides at Disneyland Paris

You’ll find many of the same rides at Disneyland Paris as at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando with some Parisian features sprinkled in. Just like the Magic Kingdom, the park is split into various lands: Adventureland, Discoveryland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Mainstreet USA. 

Many of the main attractions from Disney World parks can also be found at Paris: Pirates of the Caribbean, Dumbo, Indiana Jones, Big Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, Mad Hatter Tea Cups, Peter Pan’s Flight, It’s a Small World, Star Wars’ Star Tours, and more. 

And there are also some rides that are exclusively found at Euro Disney: Pinocchio, Aladdin’s Passage, The Dragon’s Dungeon, and more. 

Disneyland Ride TIP: Make sure you download the Disneyland Paris app for ride wait times. It’s a separate app from the Disney World app.  

Are the ride lines long at Disneyland Paris? 

One thing to keep in mind about a visit to Disneyland Paris is that the lines tend to be longer there than at Disney World for certain rides. For example, the Dumbo ride at Disney World is typically a very short wait time, but here, it’s one of the longest lines (over an hour at times). Because there aren’t as many rides dispersed throughout the park, wait times are a bit longer. 

Are there fast passes at Disneyland Paris?

You can purchase Disney Premier Access to certain rides in Disneyland Paris to skip the line, but it’s a little different than the fast pass system at Disney World. To access Disney Premier, you must download the Disneyland Paris app and link your tickets to your account. Then when you’re inside the park, you can choose the attraction you want the pass for and pay for it on the app. Each attraction has different prices for the fast pass – and not all attractions have the option.

Is the Disney Premier Access worth it? 

For us, it wasn’t. The longest we waited in a line was about 45 minutes (and yes, it seemed like an eternity), but I wasn’t willing to pay another $30 or so just for one ride. For some families, it is worth it – not waiting in lines at all. But for us, we just played around with the app and found shorter lines. We’ve found that lines for the rides go in cycles. If you just wait a little bit, the long lines will lessen, and that’s when you gotta grab it. Most people just don’t want to wait. 

Disneyland Paris Parade 

One of our favorite aspects of Disneyland Paris was their Disney Stars on Parade. It was, by far, the best Disney parade we’ve seen (besides the Christmas Party parade). The vibrant colors, new floats, and pretty much all the Disney characters you can think of make up this fantastic experience. It’s the best part of the park! 

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Can you meet characters at Disneyland Paris?

Yes! There are specific character meets scattered around the park, and the best way to find them is by using the Disneyland Paris app. We didn’t see any characters roaming the park, like at Disney World, but they can be found at their locations if you’re willing to wait to see them. 

Dining at Disneyland Paris

There are three different dining areas at Disneyland Paris: in the park, in Disney Village, and the hotels. Just like at Disney World, the restaurants are divided by price range and type of cuisine on the app. Some restaurants require reservations, and some do not – make sure you check in advance. We ate at Fuente del Oro, a yummy Tex-Mex restaurant in Frontierland. 

One thing we were very disappointed with was the lack of free water offered at the park. At Disney World, you can get free ice water at any food counter service during the summer months. Not at Disneyland Paris. Nothing is free, and just a bottle of water is extremely expensive! Be prepared!

WATER TIP: Bring water bottles since there is no free water offered. There are drinking fountains you can fill up with, and if you have a built-in purifying water bottle like we have, you don’t have to worry all day! We use Water-to-go bottles, and LOVE them! Water-to-Go’s unique bottles have a BUILT-IN PURIFICATION SYSTEM that allows you to drink any water safely, eliminating 99% of all contaminants. We highly recommend them to anyone traveling anywhere! And if you use our special coupon code, you can get an additional 15% OFF of any bottle.

Link: Water-to-go Purified bottles

Coupon Code: NPTrippers

Shopping at Disneyland Paris

Disney Village is their ‘“equivalent” to Disney Springs – on a very tiny scale. There is a Disney Store and a Lego Store but scaled down quite a bit. We arrived with the idea that it would be like Disney Springs, and it wasn’t even close. BUT, for our daughter, it was awesome! She loved the Disney Store, the Lego Store, and the Disney Fashion Store. 

Disney Village is located just outside the main entrance to the park, so if you’re coming by bus or train, you’ll still get off at the main station and instead of entering the park, go left to the shopping area. 

Disney Village Tip: If you’re coming from the US, get it out of your mind that it’s like Disney Springs – it’s not! Lower your expectations and just come for a quick fun shopping trip. 

So, Is Disneyland Paris Worth It?

I think the answer to this question is subjective. If you’re a true Disney fan who loves ALL things Disney, then the answer will be a definite YES. But if you’re just a go-with-the-flow type Disney fan, it might not be. Both my daughter and I are pretty much true Disney fans, so for us, it was definitely worth it. For my husband (who falls in the other category), it probably wasn’t. 

We also visited during its 30-year celebration, which was extra special. The park was decorated for this special occasion, and there were unique events at the park throughout the day.

Our Disneyland Paris PROS include:

• It’s a smaller park so you can do it all in just one day
• The park itself is GORGEOUS! They add special touches like spinning characters all over, which adds to the magic
• There are attractions that don’t exist at Disney World, which is cool to see
• The parades are FIRE! Best ones we’ve ever seen!
• Hearing all the characters sing and dance in French – loved that! 

And some Disneyland Paris CONS are:

• Long lines for simple rides like Dumbo
• Not as many rides to choose from and many were closed while we were there
• More expensive than Disney World
• Disney Village is a bit disappointing
• Not many character-meet areas

But when all is said and done, I’m glad we included a day at Disneyland Paris into our 2-week RV trip from Rome to Paris. We were fortunate to visit during the 30-year celebration, so there were extra events and parades throughout the day that made it feel even more special. It really was the most magical way to end our Europe family vacation! 

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