Disneyland Paris is one of Europe’s most visited theme parks, and it welcomes around 13 to 15 million visitors annually. Featuring two theme parks, Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World, this resort has 50+ attractions, rides, and on-site highlights, which makes this place a must-visit for adventure and Disney fans.
Because the majority of visitors plan their trip to Disneyland Paris for one or two days, covering every attraction, ride, event, parade, show, and festivities can become hectic. That is why considering a few tips for visiting Disneyland Paris beforehand can help you avoid long queues and not miss out on any major attractions.
In this article, you’ll know some hints and tips for visiting Disneyland Paris, ranging from choosing the correct time to visit the resort, fully using park services, and where to dine, besides ensuring that your overall experience at Disneyland Paris is fantastic.
1. Download The Disneyland Paris Application
Guests are advised to download the official Disneyland Paris application on their mobile phones to navigate through the resort premises easily. This resort is spread across two theme parks and features 50+ rides, attractions, and shows, 10+ restaurants, and entertainment venues.
The app provides live wait times, ride operating hours, show and parade schedules, attraction locations, Single Rider availability, and restaurant information. You can also reserve tables at select restaurants in advance to avoid unnecessary queues.
If you are on a time crunch, check out our quick guide on opening hours and waiting times.
2. Arrive 30 Minutes Before the Park Opens
One of the top tips for visiting Disneyland Paris is to arrive at the park premises 30 minutes before it opens. Keep mobile tickets ready, and stand in the queue, which is the least crowded during early morning hours. During the first hour of operation, crowd levels are generally lower, allowing you to head straight to popular attractions such as Crush’s Coaster, Frozen Ever After, Peter Pan’s Flight, Big Thunder Mountain, and Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain before queues build up.
You may still find some Extra Magic Time crowd inside the park premises, but this is extremely limited.
3. Book Your Disneyland Paris Tickets in Advance
Ensure you book your park tickets well in advance to skip queues and reserve your spot. Booking online before you arrive helps you skip the ticket counter queues and enter the park at rope drop.
Based on your budget and itinerary, you can choose from the following options:
- 1-day ticket (1 or 2 parks)
- Flexible ticket (1 or 2 marks)
- Multi-day ticket (2 to 4 days for 1 or 2 parks)
- Park Tickets with shuttle transport
- Disneyland Paris and other Paris attraction combo tickets
4. Dress Comfortably And Avoid Wearing Sharp Footwear
The Disneyland Paris Resort spans across 5,000 acres or 20 square kilometers. That is one-fifth the size of the entire city of Paris! This means there is a lot of walking involved.
We recommend you wear comfortable clothing and proper footwear, like shoes, as it can get really tiring, especially during the afternoon when temperatures are warmer. It is also important to stay hydrated during your visit and carry a water bottle, as sometimes you’ll have to wait longer in the queues.
4. Explore The Popular Rides And Attractions First
To explore the popular rides and attractions first is one of the most useful Disneyland Paris tips for first timers, as during the first visit, they would probably want to experience all the major highlights that Disneyland Paris is known for. Start by exploring rides, attractions, and walkthrough experiences like Crush’s Coaster, Big Thunder Mountain, Orbitron, and more.
When you explore the major highlights during the first few hours, there are short queues, and once you have covered the must-do attractions, you can spend the rest of your visit exploring the less busy rides, themed lands, shows, shops, and restaurants.
Check out the waiting time of rides at Disneyland Paris to plan what to visit first.
5. Reserve A Table For Lunch Or Dinner
It is one of the best ideas to reserve a table for breakfast/lunch/dinner at the restaurant of your choice. Reservations are essential, especially when you are traveling during peak season from June to August or during the Halloween to Christmas period.
Although the resort offers dozens of dining options across both parks and the Disney Village area, popular restaurants can fill up quickly, particularly during lunch and dinner hours. By making a reservation in advance, you can avoid waiting for a table and enjoy your meal at your preferred time.
6. Book Your Slot for the Character Encounter When You Enter the Park
Character Encounter is one of the unique experiences that gives guests an opportunity to interact with Disney characters. This is a standard meet-and-greet experience at Disneyland Paris and requires a reservation through the Disneyland Paris app. Bookings become available only after you have entered the park premises.
Slots for Character Encounter can fill up quickly, so it is best advised to check the app as soon as you enter and reserve your preferred character encounter when windows are open. Multiple character encounters can be booked throughout the day, but you can usually reserve a new slot only after completing your existing reservation; however, this is subject to availability.
7. Visit Rides during Lunch or Parade Times for the Least Queues
One of the best ways to escape long wait times for rides is to visit during lunch breaks. Rides have moderate to lower waiting times from 12:30 PM to 2.30 PM during the peak time, when most guests are grabbing their lunch.
Another good time to check the rides for lower waiting times is during the parades and fireworks. If you are visiting for two days, skip the parades on one day and hit the most popular rides. Since more guests are queuing up for parades, you will find lower waiting times.
Check out the parade and fireworks timings here.
8. Disney Adventure World Has Fewer Rides But Longer Queues
Plan your time carefully at Disney Adventure World. Unlike Disneyland Park, which has a larger number of attractions, Disney Adventure World has only around 10 rides and attractions, and many of these are the major highlights of Disneyland Paris. This includes Crush’s Coaster, Frozen Ever After, Ratatouille, Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure, and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Since there are fewer rides but high visitor demand, waiting times here are often longer than at many attractions in Disneyland Park, so plan your visit accordingly.
9. Plan to spend at least 2 Days at Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Paris is home to two theme parks: Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World. While Disneyland Park has 5 themed lands, 20+ rides, and walkthrough experiences, many of the resort’s major ride highlights are located in Disney Adventure World.
Here, waiting times are often longer due to high demand. Thus, trying to cover both parks in a single day can be tiring, and you may even miss out on many attractions. If possible, opt for a 2-day visit so you can spend enough time at both parks and cover the maximum number of rides, attractions, and experiences.
We recommend you book the 1-park 2-day Disneyland Paris tickets for the best experience.
10. Follow the 3-2-1 Rule
The 3-2-1 rule is an informal planning strategy commonly shared among Disney visitors. The rule is to focus on 3 major rides, 2 entertainment experiences, and 1 sit-down meal during your visit to any of the restaurants. For example, you can visit any three attractions/rides, such as Crush’s Coaster, Big Thunder Mountain, and Peter Pan’s Flight, then watch two experiences, like the parade, a stage show, or a character encounter, and dine at one of the on-site restaurants at Disneyland.
This helps you cover the major highlights without constantly rushing from one attraction to another. Since Disneyland Paris has two theme parks and dozens of attractions, trying to do everything in a single day can be exhausting.
11. Do Not Miss Out On The Disney Nighttime Show
Another major highlight of Disneyland Paris is the nighttime entertainment, which is hosted just before the official closing time. At Disneyland Park, guests can enjoy Disney Tales of Magic, the spectacular castle projection and fireworks show, usually scheduled between 9:30 PM and 10:30 PM depending on the season and park operating hours. At Disney Adventure World, guests can watch Disney Cascade of Lights, a nighttime spectacular staged on Adventure Bay. Since both shows run simultaneously, you will need at least two days to see both.
If you are spending a full day at Disneyland Paris, try to end your visit with one of these nighttime performances, as it is one of the most memorable experiences in the resort.
12. Plan for Parades, Shows, And Events in Advance
A majority of parades, indoor shows, outdoor events, and character meet-and-greets are hosted between 11:30 AM and 5 or 6 PM. If there are specific parades or shows you do not want to miss, it is a good idea to check the schedule on the Disneyland Paris app in advance and plan your day around them.
You’ll also have to book your slot for Character Encounters, which is subject to availability on a first-come, first-served basis. Try to cover the major rides and attractions either before these events begin or later in the evening, so you can enjoy both the entertainment and the rides.
13. Measure Your Child’s Height Before Visiting The Premises
Adults travelling with children should measure their child’s height before their visit. Many rides across Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World have minimum height requirements, so knowing your child’s height in advance can give you a clear idea of which attractions they can and cannot experience.
It can also help you plan where you may need to use Rider Switch, saving time once you are inside the park. Cast Members will check your child’s height at the attraction, but knowing prior can save time and unnecessary disappointment later.
Check out the height restrictions for all rides across the parks before your visit.
14. Try The Single Rider Line For Faster Access
Many rides at Disneyland Paris have the ‘Single Rider’ option for guests who do not mind being seated separately from their group or family. These queues are usually much shorter than the standard lines because cast members use them to fill empty seats on ride vehicles.
If your priority is to experience more attractions rather than ride together, opting for the Single Rider queue can significantly reduce your waiting time and can be the best possible option. Before you join the queue, check if a single rider option is available for the ride you want to experience.
15. Families should opt for Rider Switch for Faster Access
There may be many rides where your child would not be able to meet the minimum height requirements, so make sure to use the Rider Switch service wherever it is available. With the Rider Switch option, one adult waits with the child while the rest of the group experiences the attraction, after which the waiting adult can ride without having to join the regular queue again.
Before your visit, you can check the Disneyland Paris app to see which attractions offer Rider Switch and plan your day accordingly. Cast members always measure a child’s height at attractions where restrictions apply, so always follow the regulations and stated height requirements.
16. Plan Your Itinerary One Day In Advance
Disneyland Paris is huge, so one of the best tips for visiting Disneyland Paris is to plan your itinerary at least a day before your visit. There are two theme parks, so it can be difficult to decide what to prioritize once you are inside the resort. To avoid this, see what attractions you are willing to skip on the Disneyland Paris application and which ones are the must-do!
Planning a route and itinerary can help you move around the resort more efficiently and avoid wasting time walking back and forth between attractions.
17. Use Extra Magic Time if You Are Staying at the Disney Hotels
Not everyone is eligible for Extra Magic Time. Those who are guests of the Disney Hotels are eligible for this early access. With this option, you can enter the park premises from 8:30 AM, one hour before regular guests are allowed inside. You can explore the rides and attractions even before the standard crowds arrive and queues begin to build up. So, if you have access to Extra Magic Time, use it wisely and prioritise the major attractions first.
18. Use Disney Premier Access for the Best Value for Money
One of the best money-saving tips for Disneyland Paris is to opt for Disney Premier Access, as it gives the best value for money. It is an additional expense, but it can save you a good amount of time by giving you access to faster queues at some of the resort’s most popular attractions.
Premier access can be very useful during weekends, holidays, festivals, and seasonal celebrations when the crowds are higher and the waiting times are the highest.
19. Plan Your Return Journey In Advance
One of the most overlooked tips for visiting Disneyland Paris is to plan your return journey. Many visitors travel to the resort using the RER A train, Disney shuttle buses, or other shared transport services that operate on fixed schedules. So, if you are using these options, it is important to keep track of your departure time so you do not miss the last train or your pre-booked bus transfer.
Visitors arriving by self-driven car or private transfer can move out as per their own timings, but parking charges may apply. Also note that it is relatively very hard to get Uber during the park closing hours due to high demand.