Happy weekend one and all. I am bringing you this post a week after getting back to blighty following a week in France and visiting the magical world that is Disneyland Paris. If you follow me on Instagram @sophiessuitcasetravel you will already know I went to Disneyland Paris last week, and my god it was wonderful.
Of course, it is not the same as visiting as a child, but then is it ever? Anyway, if you’ve accidentally on purpose booked a trip to Disneyland Paris any time soon then keep reading.
Here is my top 10 tips for visiting Disneyland Paris….
- Stay locally
We didn’t stay at Disneyland and instead opted for a week stay at a local Eurocamp site. We got a really good deal, and it was only about one hour from Disneyland. Obviously if you are only going for a few days then staying at one of the Disney hotels will be a good option to ease, but be warned they can become expensive!
- Book in advance with Attraction Tickets Direct
Do not turn up on the day looking for tickets as they are super expensive. At around £80 per adult ticket, you might as well take out a small mortgage. Instead buy your tickets from ATD Attractions for around £35 depending on when you decide to go – and they also have some great multi day ticket options, which means more days of magic!
- Take all the snacks
As I mention in #10 drinks are ridiculous prices, and this is also the same for food. Depending on what you want to eat, you could be looking at £14.99 for a meal, or £78.99 for a meal. And I was shocked to learn that a main meal at some of the restaurants is £34.99 – just for a main meal. Therefore, I’d recommend doing what we did, making up sandwiches the day before and taking a packed lunch with you, and snacks for the rest of the day. So then you’ve only got to buy dinner in the evening!
- But not too much….
There’s nothing worse than dragging a massive bag around all day, especially when you go on the rides, as you end up holding on to your bag for dear life in case your sandwiches, tampons and make up goes flying in to space! Take a shoulder bag with a zip, and just take your phone, camera, essentials and a few snacks.
- Get your spot for the parade early
As we learnt, people start camping out for the parade from around 4.30pm. We got there for around 5 and managed to find a spot, but we were peering over people’s shoulders trying to see what was going on. Either get there early, or try and find a quieter spot, such as up near the It’s a small world ride.
- Plan your route around the park
Download the app before you go, and plan your best route around the park and get everyone in your group to decide on their top 3 rides to visit. You can then work your way around the park, ensuring everyone gets to go on the rides they want, and you don’t miss anything out. It isn’t always clear where certain rides are but the app gives you exact locations, and the best bit, waiting times!
- Character meet and greets
Disneyland offer meet and greets with the characters around the park, on most days, but they cant always be guaranteed and often there’s a queue longer than sale day at Topshop Oxford Street so the best bet is to book a meal at one of the restaurants offering character dining experiences. Have a look at their website for the best place to go to meet your favourite characters. PS. They’re not cheap!
- Wear sensible clothing
Don’t be a moron, and wear both sensible clothes and shoes to Disneyland. I walked over 24,000 steps last week wearing my comfiest Converse, and even then, I had sore feet as we walked back to the car that night. Forget wearing that pretty dress (because of chafe) and those sparkly sandals (because blisters) and instead opt for whatever you feel comfiest in. There’s a lot of walking, sitting uncomfortably and if you go in summer, it is rather hot!
- Fast Pass Tickets
Now, this one is new to me, and we actually didn’t realise this till very late in the day. But on some of the bigger rides you can turn up scan your ticket, and it will give you a time to come back later on that day. Apparently everyone has access to this and you just need to have your ticket to hand. It wasn’t such a problem for us as we had Arabella and she was under the limit for a lot of the bigger rides but if you want to go on the bigger rides with the bigger queues this could be a good option.
- Take an empty water bottle
All drinks at Disneyland are ridiculously priced, as expected. You are looking at around £4 for a bottle of coke and £3 for a bottle of water. Save the environment and your wallet by taking a gym bottle with you and simply filling it up throughout the day at one of the many water fountains dotted around the park.
Have you been to Disneyland Paris? Let me know your tips for visiting Disneyland Paris in the comments.
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*This is a post in collaboration with ATD Attractions.
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Sophie X
