Disneyland and Walt Disney Park in Paris is the place every child dreams of visiting. It is a magical amusement park that will impress both parents and children.
Travel to Disneyland Paris with children – “Travel 4 kids” shares practical tips on how to plan your trip independently, what is important to know, and how to save money.
Key tips for travel to Disneyland Paris with children
- If you plan to visit both Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios, then dedicate one day to each park.
- Make sure to buy your tickets online, as it will be both faster and cheaper. Also, if you travel during the season, you will save valuable time and avoid queues. You can often find very good deals and prices for Disneyland Paris tickets on our partners’ website.
- Bring drinks and snacks for children, because prices inside the park are quite high.
- We especially recommend heading to the farthest attractions first. Most visitors start at the entrance area, so queues there become very long.
- To avoid large crowds, choose weekdays for your visit. Also, avoid weekends and school holiday periods.
- If you stay in Paris, the most convenient way to reach Disneyland is by RER A train. The best stations are Charles de Gaulle Etoile, Auber, Chatelet Les Halles, Gare de Lyon, or Nation. The train you need is Marne la Vallee/Disneyland, and the journey takes about 40 minutes.
- You can also buy a combined ticket with a bus that takes you directly to the Disney park.
- Download the Disneyland app. This way, you will see waiting times, the park map, and other important information in real time.
- It is also worth checking Disneyland hotels online. They are all themed, and their price often includes park tickets and special offers.
- Alternatively, you can look for accommodation nearby, which is often cheaper.
Travel to Disneyland Paris with children – plan and story
“The story began more than two years ago, before the pandemic, when I planned to gift my son a trip to Disneyland before first grade. However, we plan, and life adjusts those plans. So this year, the idea returned and turned into a wonderful journey,” begins our loyal follower Ineta Bukelevičė.
At first, the plan was a trip for two – mother and son. However, after several flight changes and thoughts that maybe it was a sign, a conversation with my best friend living in Germany created a perfect plan. So, we prepared, and 1, 2, 3 – my son Vilius and I flew from Lithuania, while my best friend took a train from Germany to Paris. That is where our fairytale adventure began.
Flight and journey to Paris
Travel to Disneyland Paris with children usually starts with finding a cheap and good flight. For our trip, we chose a budget airline. The flight from Vilnius to Paris Beauvais Airport takes about two and a half hours. Since the flight was in the evening, we landed quite late, around 20:30 local time.
The easiest and cheapest option is the “shuttle bus.” You can buy a round-trip ticket for 34 EUR per person, and there are no discounts for children. The journey to Paris takes about 1.5 hours outside peak times. It is convenient and simple. The stop called Porte Maillot is important, because you will need to return there for your trip back to the airport.
So, here is a tip: take a photo of the location, mark it, and remember it. Also, keep in mind that if your return flight is on a weekday, the journey from Paris to Beauvais can take 2 to 3 hours due to heavy traffic.
Now back to the trip. After arriving in Paris, we had an easy walk to our hotel, only 15 minutes. On the way, we stopped at an Italian café and enjoyed a late-night Margherita pizza.
Travel to Disneyland Paris with children
In the morning, we agreed to meet for breakfast at seven. After a filling meal with croissants, muesli, eggs, and coffee, we headed with the children to the metro and then to the train. Here is another tip: you can save a significant amount of money.
If you take the Disneyland bus, you will pay 40–50 EUR per person. However, the train to Chessy, which is only 2 km from Disneyland, costs just 6–7 EUR. Children get a 50 percent discount on public transport, so choose ticket options carefully at the machines.
The journey from Paris to Chessy took about 45 minutes. Only on this train did the children find out the true destination of our trip.
So, our 7- and 8-year-old children and we, the moms, fully prepared, were ready to enter a fairytale world. After leaving our luggage at the hotel, we walked to Disneyland. If you choose hotels near Disneyland, remember that many offer free shuttle transfers to and from the park until around 1:00 at night.
Practical information
Buy Disneyland tickets online, as prices are quite high, and weekdays are cheaper. At the entrance, everyone goes through security, similar to an airport. They scan your belongings and check both adults and children, but everything runs smoothly and politely.
Make sure to buy tickets online, as it is faster and cheaper. Also, during peak season, you will save time and avoid queues. You can often find great deals for Disneyland Paris tickets on our partners’ website.
Tip: you can bring backpacks and food into Disneyland. Therefore, prepare sandwiches, snacks, and drinks, because food prices are very high, and restaurant queues are long. Also, download the official app. It shows the full park map, real-time waiting times, and allows you to reserve restaurant spots. It is truly useful.
After passing security and ticket checks, we entered a fairytale world. The American boulevard and large buildings surrounded us. Some visitors went shopping for souvenirs, while others took photos with characters. Photos with characters are not free. They cost about 15 EUR, and you will also need to wait in line.
If you want a photo with Mickey Mouse, expect to wait up to two hours, and the price can reach around 80 EUR.
Inside Disneyland
Our first themed area was the Wild West, including Indiana Jones. We took a boat ride around the island. Braver visitors chose the mine train rides. We selected the Haunted Mansion, where the children felt a bit scared at first. However, it became so interesting that we went again.
About waiting times: around 35,000 visitors come to this park daily. Therefore, you will wait from 30 minutes to two hours at each attraction. For us, it was easy, because the children played together while we talked.
At each attraction, screens show the waiting time. In the Haunted Mansion, we met a mysterious phantom, a sinking house, dancing ghosts, witches, and tragic love stories.
We also visited the famous castle with stunning stained glass windows. We rode a train with exciting turns and beautiful views that created a special feeling – after all, we are all children at heart.
You will also find elephant carousels, boats, and Alice’s labyrinths here.
Parade
Every day, at least four times, there are impressive shows. At a set time, the parade begins. During it, all Disney characters wave to you. You dance with them and wave back. It is truly worth seeing. If possible, stay for each one. Everything takes place in the central square near the castle.
My son and I decided to try one of the more intense rides – the space flight train. We waited almost 1.5 hours. Honestly, I thought it would not be that scary. However, it became one of the most impressive and frightening rides of my life. I walked out completely calm afterward.
Our goal for the day was the evening show. At 23:00, everyone sat on the ground and waited for the magic. During the day, it was 35 degrees of heat.
When you hear songs about never stopping dreaming, smiling, flying, and loving, and at the same time watch stunning projections, installations, fountain shows, and fireworks, it becomes something impossible to describe. It was one and a half hours of pure magic, and I felt deep gratitude holding my child.
After the show, the huge crowd heads home. Stay close to each other and be careful not to get lost, because the park closes for cleaning and preparation for the next day.
Second day in Disneyland
The second day felt more difficult, as we were tired and our “backpack” of impressions was already full, but the smaller park awaited us, where movie characters dominated. Here, we decided to spend time from 09:30 (when the parks open) until 15:00. There, we entered Elsa’s world, rode the parachute carousel and Aladdin’s flying carpets, and also joined an unforgettable adventure with a mouse and the restaurant chef Gusto (one of the most impressive attractions in Disneyland). We then rode along Route 66 by train, and along the way we encountered a pipeline fire and a massive flow of water rushing to extinguish it. We screamed so loudly – the effects were amazing.
In the afternoon, we waited in line for another indoor show, where Mickey and Minnie fixed a happiness generator and sang joyful songs, while countless soap bubbles floated around and dissolved into tiny sparkles, and we simply smiled. Finally, we bought souvenirs and gifts for our loved ones and left, saying goodbye to the park until next time.
