Top tips for planning your Disneyland Paris trip

A family trip to Disneyland Paris can be totally magical. If you’re planning a visit over the school holidays, we’ve got the lowdown on when to go, where to stay, the best places to eat and drink and how to beat the queues. We’ve even got some insider tips to help you make the most out of your trip.

Planning is everything when it comes to getting the most out of your trip. So, before you go, or even book your trip, here are some key things to consider, followed by our top tips to having the best time when you actually get there!

There are two separate theme parks at Disneyland Paris: Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. There is also Disney Village, which has restaurants, bars, cinemas and shops.

Disneyland Paris is located at Marne-la-Vallée, about 15 miles from central Paris.

Travel connections between the resort and Paris are quick, so you could easily combine your trip with a day or two exploring the city.

As with any holiday destinations, the summer is always pretty busy. If you have pre-school children, try and go outside of UK - and French - school holidays.

There are special offers available throughout the year, so it's worth checking the Disneyland Paris website.

As a rule, weekends are more expensive than midweek - and busier - and queuing times for attractions will be longer.

Think about when you go. Many of the attractions are outdoors and the weather in northern France is similar to the UK.

Wandering around outside may be less appealing in the depths of winter, especially with little ones.

There’s a huge variety of accommodation and it’s worth hunting around for the best deal.

If you want to stay on-site there are seven themed hotels. There are also nearby partner hotels, connected to the parks by a free shuttle bus.

Lots of our Netmums members recommend the Santa Fe hotel or the Sequoia Lodge, which has an indoor and outdoor pool.

If you're visiting in the summer you could consider camping – Eurocamp's La Croix Du Vieux Pont is an hour's drive from the resort.

You can book your trip direct through the Disneyland Paris website, which offers park and accommodation packages. As with any holiday, you'll need to shop around to find the best deal.

You can also buy park tickets then sort out accommodation separately. Lots of tour operators offer deals to the Disneyland resort but be sure to book with a reputable firm that's ABTA and/or IATA registered, so you'll have the necessary protection for your booking.

Larger operators who visit Disneyland Paris include First Choice and the The Co-operative Travel. Online travel specialists such as Expedia and Lastminute also cover the resort, and allow you to tailor-make your package.

There are three main choices when it comes to getting across the Channel:

By car

By plane

Or, by train ...

If you’re planning on driving, it’s a good idea to use Tesco Clubcard vouchers if you have them. With every £5 in Clubcard vouchers you’ll get £15 Eurotunnel token codes towards the cost of your trip.

With costs from £30 return, this is a nice little saving.

The journey from Calais - both if you use the Eurotunnel, Le Shuttle or catch a ferry - to the resort takes around three hours. There is free car parking at all Disney hotels but you’ll have to pay to park at the theme park.

If you'd prefer to travel on the Eurostar you can pick it up at either London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International in Kent – the journey takes just over three hours.

The big bonus of travelling on the train is there's no additional transfer hassle - it runs from UK stations straight to the Disney resort.

These direct Disney trains run once a day on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. During the school holidays the service runs every day of the week.

The main airport in Paris is Charles De Gaulle and plenty of airlines offer flights from airports across the UK.

From Charles De Gaulle it's pretty straightforward to travel to the resort. You can catch the handy Magic Shuttle, a scheduled shuttle-bus service that leaves approximately every 15 minutes, seven days a week.

The journey to Disneyland takes around 45 minutes and costs 20 euros for adults and 16 euros for children aged 3 to 11 (under 3s travel free). Tickets can be purchased on board.

Alternatively you can catch a train – check the Disneyland Paris website for details.

Other than the rides and magical shows, there are plenty of seasonal attractions to see while you're there.

Some are only around for a limited time so make sure you check online to see exactly what's happening during your stay.

This summer brings The Lion King and Jungle Festival, which kicks off from 20 June and runs until 13 September 2020.

The festival sees the opening of the Djembe Joy village, where fans can meet characters from both The Lion King and The Jungle Book.

The festival also brings new shows including The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands and The Jungle Book Jive.

The best way to make the most of being at Disneyland Paris is to ask people who've been for their top tips.

In the meantime, we've got some great insider info that'll save you time, and money ...

This is in the Disney Village and, if you eat there, you’ll get to meet loads of the Disney characters. They come and spend time at each table so it’s a great way for your kids to meet their favourites!

To beat the queues on the busiest of rides, book free FASTPASS tickets. These tell you the time to go to the ride for you turn.

If you’re taking a baby, the baby switch service means you can hold your baby while your partner goes on the ride. Once they've finished you can swap, so your partner takes the baby and you get on … without having to queue again.

Look online for the best viewing spots for the shows. You can find pictures that people have colour coded to show the best place to stand.

Always aim to watch near the start of the parade. Get there 45-minutes to an hour early to bag a great spot, then when the parade has gone past, you can hot foot it to the rides while everyone else is still watching the procession.

Drinks inside the park can be expensive. Instead, take water bottles. You can refill them from the water fountains in the park - and do your bit for the planet at the same time.

Find the best water bottles that don't leak right here.

One big plus of staying at a Disney hotel is that you get 'Extra Magic Hours'. These allow hotel guests to enter the park a couple of hours ahead of the general public - a great way to explore the park before it gets busier.

This is only available on certain dates and not all the rides will be open, so check before you book.

Even if your kids are four or five and haven’t used a buggy in years, you might want to take an old one. The park is huge and by the end of the day, little legs can be pretty exhausted and tempers frayed.

Lots of our Netmums members also recommend taking a bike lock to secure your buggy in the park.

One of best things for kids to do is get the autographs of all their favourite Disney characters.
Buy an autograph book at home so they can collect signatures.

Most people naturally go clockwise. By going the opposite way, the queues should – in theory – be shorter.

Download the official Disneyland Paris app. This tells you where everything is – from character meeting points and where the shows are to waiting times for rides and where to get on/off the little train that takes you around the park.

The breakfast buffets can get incredibly busy so if you want to get out into the park and enjoy it before the crowds descend, you might like to book as early a slot as possible for breakfast.

If you book for 7-7.30am, you'll miss the breakfast hordes and be able to make the most of the Magic Hours.

If any of your party is disabled you should ask for an Easy Access Card on arrival. It allows you to get into certain attractions via disabled access entrances.

While you can hire a wheelchair at the park, these are offered on a first-come, first-served basis so it's advisable to travel with your own if it's essential.

If you're pregnant you can also get an Easy Access Card if you need assistance, but you'll need a medical certificate to get one.

Costumes are generally expensive to buy inside the park so grab yours from a supermarket or buy online before you go.

According to Netmums members, kids who've dressed up seem to get lots more attention from Disney characters - a result if they want to get more autographs!

Also, if your child dresses up as a Disney character they could jump the queue. Dressing up as Snow White, for example, can sometimes - but not always – mean they’ll be let on the Snow White ride without queueing.