Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings
• Things you need

As you probably know, Disneyland Paris is a large amusement park in Marne la Vallée, near Paris. This article will give you tips on how to have a great day at Disneyland Park, reducing waiting times and doubling your fun!

To step

1. Buy your tickets in advance. Rather than having to queue at the park ticket office, buy them online from the official website. If you order early enough, you can still have your tickets delivered to your home before you leave. Or you can download the tickets and print them directly from your email.
   • Keep your eyes open for good offers. Disney regularly has offers where, for example, you get a day free entrance if you buy a multi-day ticket.
   • If you plan to park at Disneyland, you can also buy your parking ticket online.
2. Get to the park early. The early morning is the perfect time of the day in the park; it is mostly empty, in the summer it is not yet too hot and the children are still happy. You can get fast passes and do some of the popular attractions before it gets busy. People queue up about an hour before the park opens.
   • If you'd like to get into the Fantasyland rides, it's best to do so in the morning before the families arrive - the lines are shortest then.
3. Use fastpasses! The system may seem a bit complicated at first, but it's easier than it looks - and it's worth avoiding the queues. Here's a quick walkthrough of how the system works:
   • Insert your Park admission ticket into the fastpass machine at the entrance of the attraction.
   • Receive your fastpass ticket indicating when you can report back to the attraction. Now first enjoy the other attractions in the Park.
   • Get to the attraction within the specified time and access the attraction in minutes via the fastpass line.
   • You can always use one fastpass at a time. If you want to reserve a new ticket, you must have used the previous ticket first.
   • Attractions with the fastpass service include: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril in Adventureland, Space Mountain: Mission 2 in Discoveryland, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast in Discoveryland, Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland, Peter Pan's Flight in Fantasyland and Star Tours in Discoveryland.
   • Fastpasses are subject to availability and at some popular attractions such as Space Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Haunted Mansion (around Halloween / Christmas) they run out quickly. Get it early in the day.
4. Eat sensibly and well. Food in the park can be very expensive, especially if you are with a whole family. There are also sometimes long lines. Here is a list of what can work out well:
   • Eat earlier than usual, or after the lunch peak between 11am and 2pm, and after the evening peak between 6.30pm and 8pm. This way you can enter attractions while everyone is eating and avoid a lot of queues while you eat.
   • Be warned that the restaurants on Main Street U.S.A. often have the largest rows. For example, go to Frontierland if you want a shorter line.
   • If you want to eat cheaply: Bring your own lunch and dinner and put them in a locker (at the entrance). There are enough tables and benches to sit. If you do have to buy food in the park, fruit is reasonably cheap, and you may also be able to share a portion from a fast food restaurant.
   • Book in advance if you want to eat in a real restaurant. There are only a few table service restaurants within the park: Blue Lagoon in Adventureland, Auberge de Cendrillon in Fantasyland, Silver Spur Steakhouse in Frontierland and Walt's on Main Street, but they fill up quickly. If you want to eat there, it is better to book in advance, the telephone number on which you can do this is +33 (0) 1 60 30 40 50.
   • If you want a meal with Disney characters you need to plan in advance. In the park, this is possible at Auberge de Cendrillon, where the Disney characters walk around while you eat, so that you can take pictures. This is nice if you are with children so that they can see a lot of figures at once, but the restaurant fills up quickly. Here too it is better to book: +33 (0) 1 60 30 40 50.
5. Decide when to buy souvenirs. As with food, there are several ways to arrange souvenir shopping, depending on your preferences. Here are a few possible plans:
   • If you want to buy the famous Mickey ears (or other headgear), consider getting them early so they are in all of your photos.
   • If you're not sure what you want, pop into a few souvenir shops first if you want a break from the attractions. If you have your eye on something, buy it at the end of the day when you go out of the park so you don't have to wear it all day.
   • If you have small children and are afraid of nagging for souvenirs, try this trick: Buy cheaper Disney souvenirs online and bring them with you. The night before you go to the park, arrange the presents so that it looks like Mickey left them there, just like with Santa Claus. This way they have fun new things to play with and you don't have to worry about shopping in the park. Problem solved!
6. Know where to find the figures. If you have kids, meeting Disney characters is probably high on your list. Although the figures used to walk freely through the park, there are now some designated places:
   • Between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. you will find some figures on Main Street.
   • On the Disneyland Railroad, there are figures on the 11am, noon and 1pm trains.
   • You'll find Winnie the Pooh and friends on Main Street between 11am and 1pm.
   • Mickey can be found in Fantasyland between 10.30 am and 5 pm, at the Fantasy Festival Stage.
   • You can meet the Disney princesses for lunch and dinner at the Auberge de Cendrillon, or near It’s a Small World in Fantasyland between 10:30 am and 3:00 pm.
   • Meet Jack Sparrow at 11.30am, 12.30pm and 3pm, 4pm and 5pm near Chalet de la Marionette, in Adventureland.
   • All figures can be admired during the Magic parade from 5 p.m.
   • Check the website for current information.
7. Find good spots for shows and parades. There are a few parades and shows every day, depending on the season, as well as an evening show and fireworks. (Check out the schedules to see what's going to happen when you get there). Most of the shows are very busy, but you can get good seats if you plan a little smart.
   • Most people want to see the parade on Main Street or near the castle. Usually it is quieter in Fantasyland, especially at the place where the parade starts (at the pink doors next to It's a Small World).
   • Fireworks: Many people want to watch this from Main Street, too, so you can see it with the castle in the background. If you want this, try to get a bench in the square.
   • Alternative Fireworks: If you don't mind missing out on the castle panorama, you can also look elsewhere in the park.
   • If you don't need to see the shows, these are great times to go on an attraction. Attractions like Space Mountain are a lot quieter during parades and shows.
8. Know when certain pieces are closing. The park is open longer in the summer than in the winter, and they also stay open longer on the weekend than during the week.
   • Fantasyland usually closes first, so don't save those attractions until the very last.
   • The specific closing times are indicated for most attractions.
9. Go wisely to the exit. There will be a mass exodus after the fireworks (or an hour before closing if there are no fireworks). You can only walk very slowly and there will be lines for the shuttle buses. If you want to avoid the crowds, leave halfway through the fireworks, or stay a little longer after the fireworks.

Tips

• Avoid going to Disneyland Paris on weekends, holidays and during the hottest summer days. Most visitors are from the area, so it will always be busy on those days. The best times to visit Disneyland Paris are from mid-January to the end of March, from mid-April to mid-July, and from mid-September to early December. These are the quietest periods in the park, although weekends and Wednesdays can still be quite busy.
• One of the overpriced things in Disneyland is a bottle of water. Bring your own bottle and always refill it.
• If you've already bought Mickey ears last time, bring them with you! Your child definitely wants them when he sees them with another child. Just put them in your backpack and your child will be happy.
• A train ride is a great way to give your feet a rest and take a break.
• All employees, from cleaners to managers, have a name tag on them (except the Disney characters). Remember, they all work there because they enjoy helping people, so feel free to ask them questions!
• Before going there, check the Disneyland Paris website for opening times, show schedules, special events, attractions that are closed for maintenance and the weather forecast.
• Tell your kids to see a co-worker (with a name tag) if they get lost. There is also a lost and found section at the entrance.
• Maps are available in most languages. Take one, this is very helpful in planning your day.
• Keep in mind that Disneyland is a place of many families, so enjoy yourself and be considerate of others in the park.

Warnings

• If you are afraid of an attraction, or have a medical condition, don't enter it. Always look for the warning signs.
• It is easy to forget that the attraction you enter is high-tech equipment that can cause serious injury or even death. Therefore, always follow the instructions of the employees, for your own safety.

Things you need

• If you are going out with a whole family you need:
  • A backpack
  • Sunburn
  • Water bottles
  • (Rain) coats
  • Sunglasses
  • A blanket when you go to a show in the evening (optional)
  • An app that gives the waiting times (optional). Check your app store for options.