The Do’s & Don’ts of Disneyland Paris

We were lucky to be able to take a trip to Disneyland Paris last week with most of my extended family. There were 14 of us altogether, including 6 kids under the age of 5. It was a fun time for the kids – they love being with all of their cousins. It was a fun time for me too – I pretty much love anything Disney related. I forget just how much I love it all until I’m there.

If you are planning a trip to Disneyland Paris, here are my do’s and don’ts for while you are there:

Do: get the Eurostar straight there. If you are planning to travel by the train that is! There is a Eurostar train from London St. Pancras or Ashford International that goes straight to the station at Disney. It is a little more expensive than getting the train to Paris Gare du Nord but it is so much less hassle. Gare du Nord is a super busy station, and it requires two trains (one on the metro, one on the RER) to get to Disney. If you’ve got young children, especially if you have a pushchair, then get the train direct. It will save you some stress.

Don’t: queue for more than 20 minutes for any ride. That was the longest we queued for anything and ridiculously it was for the carousel (it had a few issues). Fast Passes all the way!

Do: get plenty of fast passes! We got a lot of fast passes and I think they are a must. You just scan your park entrance ticket on the booths and get a time card for when you need to return. they you pretty much go straight on. Get the passes first thing. The rides that are the most likely to need a fast pass are the Rock n Rollercoaster, Buzz Lightyear, Crush’s Coaster, Ratatouille and Tower of Terror.

 Do: get a baby pass for the bigger rides, if there are only two of you adults and small children. One of you go on the ride and then the other parent can get on straight afterwards.

Do: get meal plan vouchers, if you are staying at a Disney hotel. You don’t pay face value for the set menus and the food is way better than just having burgers and chips or other fast food all week. I would certainly do this again.

Don’t: wait to go and get a princess pass, if your little ones want to meet the princesses. The tickets go quickly, so head there first thing.

Do: be prepared to push in bus queues. There are plenty of shuttle bus hotels to the hotels close by. On the first day we were all stood in an orderly queue waiting for it to arrive. As soon as it did, the line just becomes a mass of people. It seems the French don’t care for queuing and just pile in. It is very un-British but needs must!

Do: wrap up warm. It will depend on the time of year but it can get quite cold and you are out all day. Plenty of layers is a must.

Do: wear comfy shoes! This probably goes without saying but make sure you are comfy. There is a lot of being on your feet all day.

Don’t: leave until you have seen the parade and the fireworks that are each evening. It really is magical with little ones as they get to see their favourite characters and who doesn’t love the fireworks?

Do: repeatably go on the ‘Its a Small World’ ride. Enough said.

Don’t: plan a trip to Disney without booking a meal at Cafe Mickey. All of the characters are there so you get a few come round and visit you as you eat – the kids loved it!

Have you been to Disneyland Paris? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I know it’s not quite a city but linking up to city tripping.