You see it on all the adverts: Disneyland Paris is the dream family holiday, where mums and dads can bask in the glow of their precious offspring while little kiddies and older siblings are enjoying themselves in perfect harmony.
Sounds great, but it doesn’t always work out like that!
While teething babies and toddler tantrums are just an accepted part of parenting life, it can be trickier to know what to do when it comes to the terrible teens. They’re not quite old enough to be left at home yet, so you drag them along on the family hols to Disneyland Paris and think, surely, you can’t go wrong. It’s the happiest place on earth, right?!
Many teenagers and adults love Disneyland Paris, but there are many elements that are, obviously, aimed at little’uns. Your teenager is probably more interested in their phone screen than anything else and would rather be watching YouTube than posing with Mickey Mouse and sailing through It’s A Small World.
But there are plenty of ways to keep teenagers entertained at Disneyland Paris without making them suffer through things that they’re simply “too old for” these days. Check out some of my top tips!
1. Bigger rides = bigger thrills
So, they might dig their heels in and refuse to be seen on the Mad Hatter’s Teacups, but I’m pretty sure most teenagers can be tempted into cracking a smile on some of the bigger attractions in the park.
Let them prove just how big and brave they are by daring them to ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Big Thunder Mountain, RC Racer and Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain while the “wimps” wait on the sidelines.
RC Racer in Toy Story Playland
2. It’s a family show
The shows put on by Disneyland Paris are, of course, suitable for children. However, just because younger audiences can enjoy them doesn’t mean they isolate the older generations.
We’ve seen some incredible shows at Disneyland Paris that, while family-friendly, aren’t at all childish. The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands during the Lion King & Jungle Festival earlier this year was simply spectacular and performed in very cool, sophisticated way that wasn’t cheesy or hammed up for the kids. The Jungle Book Jive was a highlight of this season, too. We’ve also seen seriously awesome Star Wars projections during Season of the Force, jaw-dropping stunt shows like Moteurs… Action! and, of course, the nighttime fireworks.
Jungle Book Jive
3. In a galaxy far, far away…
Alright, so we’re still waiting on Galaxy’s Edge here at Disneyland Paris (and probably will be for quite some time…) but there are some decent themes in the park that will appeal to teenagers, probably even more than they would other generations.
We’ve had Season of the Force (Star Wars, obviously) and Marvel Season of Super Heroes, which I would’ve loved as a teenager. These seasons celebrate characters and films that small children might not have even seen before, so it’s definitely something aimed at older audiences. You’ve also got rides like Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain and Star Tours The Adventures Continue, plus a whole new Marvel land with superhero attractions coming soon, to go along with these more adolescent themes.
The Incredible Hulk statue from Marvel Season of Super Heroes
4. Shop ’til you drop
There are loads, and loads, and loads, and LOADS of shops at Disneyland Paris – and they aren’t just full of stuffed Goofy toys and Elsa and Anna dressing up costumes!
You can find plenty of grown-up clothing that looks really cool, and some gorgeous women’s clothes too that would suit teenagers down to the ground. Not only clothes, but you can also pick up some great fun snacks, accessories like bags, wallets and jewellery and homeware like mugs and bedroom decorations – definitely not for kids!
Homeware merchandise
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Halloween is one of my favourite times of year, so of course I couldn’t wait to celebrate the spooky season this year by visiting Disneyland Paris.
It was my first experience of Halloween at a Disney park and, after seeing how much the Anaheim and Orlando parks go to town at this time of year, my bar was set pretty high. We all know Disneyland Paris has its fair share of hits and misses, but I was hugely impressed by how spectacular the season was this year.
If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland Paris at Halloween, check out what the park has to offer below!
Food & Drink
For the foodie in me, the most important thing about any special season at Disneyland Paris is the new snacks up for grabs.
This year at Disneyland Paris you can get your hands on a huge range of tasty treats, from full-on meals to quick bites and sugary sweets. A great spot for a blood-curdling Halloween breakfast inside the parks is Victoria’s Home-Style Restaurant – we all know this spot at the top of Main Street is a favourite of mine, and it’s worth a visit even more than usual this season thanks to the orange Mickey waffle and Maleficent hot chocolate on offer.
Maleficent hot chocolate at Victoria’sHalloween Mickey waffle at Victoria’s
If you’re looking for something more on the savoury side, restaurants such as Café Hyperion and Annette’s Diner are offering horrifying hamburgers (with questionably coloured buns…) and a pumpkin dessert – sadly we didn’t get to eat these because they didn’t have a veggie option, but the meals looked great fun for kids.
Halloween quick service menu
You can also pick up plenty of grab ‘n’ go snacks as you wander around, with loads of different cakes, cookies and pastries available. Keep an eye out as you stroll along Main Street for the Jack Skellington cookies and chocolate orange Mickey cake pops (Boardwalk Candy Palace), muffins and cookies sprinkled with Halloween magic (Market Street Deli) and Disney villain biscuits (Cookie Kitchen).
Jack Skellington cookieHalloween cake popHalloween cookie
And, finally, one for the adults – head over to the Sports Bar in Disney Village for some creepy cocktails and pumpkin spiced beer!
Creepy cocktail at Sports Bar in the Disney Village
Character Meets
I’m not a huge fan of interacting with characters (or anyone, really…), but I do enjoy being a bystander and watching others meet their favourite Disney characters. This Halloween season saw some very random – but pretty great – meet ‘n’ greets.
Jack Skellington is, of course, massively popular this time of year, and can only be met by booking yourself a place in line on the Lineberty app – which I think is a shame, but maybe that’s just me. Other special character meets we stumbled across included Max at the entrance of the park and Mickey and Minnie in their adorable Day of the Dead costumes over in Frontierland.
However, the character who truly stole the show was Maleficent. With her own spot in Fantasyland, just behind the castle, she played a scary, scathing and brilliantly wicked villain and a crowd gathered simply to watch her interactions.
Maleficent character meet
Shows
As with every season, Halloween at Disneyland Paris brings in some great new shows to entertain the whole family.
Are You Brave Enough? is a dastardly display of some of the best Disney villains, hosted by The Little Mermaid‘s Ursula. Taking place just to the right of the castle, it’s a short musical show which sees characters like Cruella De Ville, The Evil Queen and Gaston take to the stage. It’s pretty cheesy but good fun, and a whole host of rare characters make their way into the crowd at the end of the show, giving you a great chance to meet the likes of Governor Ratcliffe (Pocahontas), Jafar (Aladdin), The Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland) and Judge Claude Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame).
Are You Brave Enough?
The main event this season, however, is Mickey’s Halloween Celebration. It’s similar to the daily character parade and follows the same route, but is much shorter and only features Halloween themed floats. It’s got a super catchy song (seriously, I’m still singing it!) and some unique characters in their limited-edition spooky costumes, which is really exciting to see.
Decorations & themes
When you first walk into the Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris, Halloween smacks you in the face right away – in a good way, of course. From the huge banner over the entrance to the creative bandstand decor and ghosts and ghouls dotted all over the place, the park has really made an effort to get that autumnal vibe going right from the off.
Halloween entrance to Disneyland Park at Disneyland ParisHalloween bandstandDay of the Dead decorations in Frontierland
Merchandise
Disney never misses a trick when it comes to merchandise opportunities, and Halloween is certainly no different! You can barely move for Jack Skellington and Maleficent window displays, but they look so incredibly enticing that, honestly, you don’t really mind the overload.
If you know someone who is a fan of Disney villains or the more macabre side of the franchise (me, me, me!), this is the absolute perfect time to pick up some gifts – for them, or for yourself!
The Nightmare Before Christmas window displayDisney villain window display
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Despite crowds being a little quieter than expected since the opening of Galaxy’s Edge, the Disney parks are still getting busier and busier – and Disneyland Paris is no exception!
You can’t just turn up, wing it and expect to still get on all the rides you want – that’s just a recipe for disappointment! If getting on all the rides is important to you and your group then it should be just as important to do your homework – and that’s why you’re here!
Below you’ll find some advice on how to beat the queues at Disneyland Paris, let us know in the comments if you have any other top tips that could help us all out!
Fastpasses
Fastpasses are an absolute must if you want to smash out as many rides as possible at Disneyland Paris.
Free (yes, free!) and available to any guest with a valid park ticket, Fastpasses give you an allotted time slot to come back to an attraction and cut into the queue much, much closer to the front. They’re available for several big-ticket rides to help stop you wasting valuable time waiting in long lines when you just don’t need to.
Not sure how Fastpasses work? All you need to do is head over to your chosen ride, scan your park ticket at machines located nearby and wait until it spits out your Fastpass. Go away, enjoy the rest of the park, and come back during the time slot on your pass. Find the Fastpass entrance, show your pass to a cast member, and cut down your wait time.
There are a limited number of Fastpasses for each ride and some go quicker than others, so it’s important to prioritise; which rides are you okay with waiting for? Which ones aren’t that important to you? Which ones do you simply have to get on? The most important rides should jump straight to the top of your Fastpass list.
Also, it’s worth noting that you can’t get multiple Fastpasses at one time. So if you were thinking of running into the park first thing and collecting all your Fastpasses straight away, Disneyland Paris are onto you! Your Fastpass ticket will tell you when you can pick up another pass.
If you’ve ever wondered how the queues for some rides creep up so quickly right from park opening, it might have a little something to do with Extra Magic Time.
Visitors staying at a Disneyland Paris hotel, or holders of the Magic Plus or Infinity annual passes, can enter the park an hour before opening. This means you can get straight on rides like Big Thunder Mountain and Crush’s Coaster before most people are even allowed inside.
This Extra Magic Time (sometimes called Extra Magic Hours) is a real benefit of staying at a Disneyland Paris hotel or upgrading your annual pass. Making use of this time can really help you get a couple of big rides under your belt before other visitors have even made it up Main Street! Of course, it does mean getting up and out fairly early, but if you want to get on those popular attractions then it’s definitely worth doing to really make the most of your day.
Get there early, stay until late
If you’re staying offsite and your ticket doesn’t include Extra Magic Time, you can still pack in a lot of rides by turning up early. Most attractions are at their busiest in the middle of the day – from around 11am until 6pm – so being ready to go first thing can help you get head and shoulders above those guests turning up later.
Get yourself to the parks an hour or so before general admission; you won’t be able to get on anything, but you’ll be more than welcome to grab a coffee and a croissant, have a mooch around the shops and take some photos for the ‘gram while the parks are quiet. That way, when it’s time for rope drop, you can make a beeline for your favourite ride.
For those who want to catch up on their beauty sleep (or need to brace themselves before facing a full-on Disney day!), you can still avoid those long lines by sticking around until the park closes. Most families with little’uns head out around dinnertime, leaving many rides with dwindling wait times as the evening goes on. If you’re willing to skip the fireworks (only if you’ve seen them before, they’re a must-see at least once during your trip!) this is prime time to jump on some rides while everyone else is distracted by the nighttime show.
If you’re a trooper, make the absolute most of your day by turning up for rope drop and staying until park closes.
‘Tis the season
While Disneyland Paris is never going have a day off, you can be mindful of the dates you choose to and try to avoid the busiest times of year.
Some seasons, such as Christmas and Halloween, are incredibly popular among visitors and always see big crowds flock at this time, so you’re likely to see wait times skyrocket during these seasons. While it’s super fun to see the parks during the festive season, you definitely won’t be the only ones with this idea! It’s also best to avoid bank holidays, school holidays and weekends as most people plan their trips around these dates.
I know it’s not always possible to book trips in term time or weekdays, especially if your kids are in school or you’ve got to book days off work – but that’s why so many other people visit during these times! It might not be doable for you, but it’s just something to bear in mind and prepare for. During these times, Fastpasses and Extra Magic Time are even more important!
Know your rides
Do your research, guys! Decide which attractions are important to you and which ones you don’t mind skipping to help make a strategic plan of your day.
It might sound obvious, but knowing which rides are an absolute must-do for you can help you to prioritise your Fastpasses; for example, if Peter Pan’s Flight is high on your list, especially if you’ve got young kids who love Tinker Bell and Captain Hook but won’t wait in that long line, you know to head straight to Fantasyland and pick up your Fastpasses.
On the other hand, if you’d quite like to ride Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain but it’s not the most important attraction in the park to your group, you know to prioritise Fastpasses for other rides while leaving this one until the end of your day once most people have gone home.
You can’t expect to just walk into the parks, decide on the spot which rides you want to go on and then be surprised when you’re stuck in queue after queue! Start making notes now to create the best possible experience once you’re there.
After the D23 expo back in August and a few announcements direct from the parks itself since, it seems that Disneyland Paris has cemented even more plans for its future.
More news on Marvel
We’ve known a Marvel expansion is happening at Disneyland Paris for some time now, especially with the new Art of Marvel hotel due to open its doors next year. But now we finally have more details of what the actual land will involve.
Avengers Campus will take over the Walt Disney Studios Park, hopefully in 2021 – but we all know Disneyland Paris has trouble sticking to its deadlines! The land will include a new Spider-Man attraction, which should open with the first phase of the park, and will give riders “superpowers” so that they can sling webs alongside Peter Parker himself. It’s an immersive simulation experience, and we’ll get a sneak peek of the ride as it opens with the land next year in Disneyland California.
Let it go…
We’ve heard rumours that the next stages of Disneyland Paris’ expansion will involve a Frozen land, but much before that we’ll see a Frozen Celebration take place in the park from January 2020.
This latest season – running from 11th January to 3rd May 2020 – will include a new daily show based on Frozen 2 (coming out in November 2019), a new parade float, themed food, drink and merchandise, as well as a new Frozen nighttime show – but this is only taking place on 27th, 29th and 31st January.
To coincide with the film’s sequel, a new attraction will open up a little ahead of the new season to get guests in the festive mood from 17th November. Art of Frozen – or Frozen: A Musical Invitation – has replaced the Art of Animation in the Walt Disney Studios Park. Visitors will step into this interactive attraction to meet characters from the movie and play along with them across its various stages.
Run with the princesses
You might be aware of the runDisney events – races which are held within Disney parks across the world – and Disneyland Paris has announced a brand new one for 2020.
Between 8th to 10th May, guests of all ages can sign up for the Princess Run and take part in races of various lengths and stamina, all taking place throughout the parks. You’ll also get the chance to meet some Disney characters along the way and, we’re guessing from the name of this one, plenty of princesses!
‘Tis the season
Disneyland Paris have also confirmed a huge run of seasons to take place over this coming calendar year. Aside from the usual suspects – Disney’s Enchanted Christmas and New Year’s Eve Party – and the new Frozen Celebration, the park will host Electroland in summer next year and has confirmed that Legends of the Force: A Star Wars Celebration (11th January – 15th March 2020) and the Lion King & Jungle Festival (summer 2020) will both return.
There are many, many reasons to visit Disneyland Paris – unfortunately, for the most part, the food isn’t one of them.
Aside from the occasional treat that pops up, the culinary fare on offer in the parks isn’t anywhere near as imaginative or exciting as we’d expect. When it comes to food and drink, Disneyland Paris falls short compared to its American counterparts.
But there has been one seasonal event cropping up at Disneyland Paris these past few years that has become a mecca for us Disney fans who don’t want to compromise their inner foodie on every visit. If you need something other than counter service hamburgers and popcorn buckets to make your trip complete, there’s only one thing for it: Le Rendez-vous Gourmand.
Le Rendez-vous Gourmand at La Place de Rémy
Le Rendez-vous Gourmand is the Walt Disney Studios Park annual pop-up food and drink festival, with rows of wooden huts serving an awesome range of European delights.
Starting off in La Place de Rémy – the Parisian mini-land that houses Ratatouille: The Adventure – with stalls from various regions of France, serving traditional treats like pastries and wines as well as more interesting offerings like tartiflette (gooey, cheesy sliced potatoes – bloomin’ delicious) and accras de morue (cod fritters).
Tartiflette (cheesy potatoes)
This year, the festival has grown to see the rest of Europe sprawling out across the park. On the outskirts of Toy Story Playland and just past the Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic ride (not familiar with the Walt Disney Studios Park? Check out my walkthrough video to get yourself up to speed!), you’ll journey through the continent visiting the likes of Italy, Spain and Belgium.
Stop off to grab a slice of pizza and a glass of prosecco, quench your thirst with a pint from the craft beer bar, queue up with the masses for waffles and fries (the Belgium hut was always busy!), try the controversial chorizo paella, fill up on some hearty moussaka, and there’s even something for us veggies at the brand new vegan stand!
The Italian stand at Le Rendez-vous Gourmand
The portions are decent, but not too big, and quite affordable when compared with most food in the parks, which allows gluttons like us to munch on several snacks from different stands.
From what our group managed to squeeze in over one weekend – and believe me, we would’ve eaten the lot if we could! – we’d recommend starting off with a Nutella crepe for a sweet breakfast treat, reloading with some cheesy potatoes and onions for lunch, warming up with a veggie feast of lentil dahl and falafels for dinner and a decadent eclair for dessert, and, finally, grabbing a slice of three-cheese pizza for the road on your way out.
Nutella crepesLentil dahlThree-cheese pizza
But, of course, there are loads things to try, so definitely make some room in your budget and get adventurous! For once, we can safely say Disneyland Paris is really delivering good eats that has something for everyone.
Le Rendez-vous Gourmand is at Disneyland Paris from 10th July to 13th October 2019.
The Lion King & Jungle Festival landed in Disneyland Paris on 30th June 2019 and I’ve pretty much been banging on about how excited I am for the park’s latest season ever since!
I’ve been really looking forward to this one; The Lion King is my favourite animated Disney movie ever, so I’ve been practically counting down the days until I could check it out for myself.
I must start by saying how impressed I am by the effort Disneyland Paris have gone to with this festival. We all know, when compared to Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, Disneyland Paris sometimes lets us down. They’ve been known to skip over those extra magical details in the past and leave us desperately wanting more, especially when it comes to themed events.
But, this time, I think Disneyland Paris rose to the occasion.
Let’s start with the two main shows of the season – The Jungle Book Jive and The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands. Both shows are new to the park and proved a great way to divert crowds and provide entertainment for the whole family. The Jungle Book Jive takes place just in front of the castle and is one part musical, one part character parade, one part dance show. It’s bright, loud, colourful and very different to any other entertainment Disneyland Paris has to offer.
The Jungle Book Jive during The Lion King & Jungle Festival
But my favourite show of the festival is, hands down, The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Land. It’s a musical performance taking place in the newly renovated Frontierland Theatre based on – you guessed it – The Lion King. This show is plucked straight from Broadway, with top quality choreography, costumes and vocals without being kitschy or campy. It’s a must-see – but ARRIVE EARLY! The queue gets crazy long, we got there an hour before the show started and weren’t sure we’d even fit into the theatre!
The Lion King & Jungle Festival also offers a whole load of special themed snacks for the occasion, and they’re awesome! From chocolate paw prints to giant animal macaroons, new drinks like the tropical mango whip and character milkshakes at Victoria’s (if the machines are working!) and a signature character meal hosted at the Restaurant Hakuna Matata. We didn’t get round to eating every single snack in the park (we gave it our best shot, believe me!) but the ones we grabbed were pretty tasty and fun to try.
Choco-coco lollipaw in Frontierland
You can also pick up some cool merchandise themed to this season, like a limited edition Lion King & Jungle Book Festival t-shirt, souvenir cups and popcorn buckets, and some adorable Lion King ears. Your little ones are bound to beg you for something – c’mon, you’re at Disneyland!
There’s still time to visit during this incredible summer season at Disneyland Paris and I can’t recommend it highly enough – catch it while you can!
I’ve been spamming the socials with my new Disneyland Paris video for a couple of weeks now, so I guess it’s about time I started shamelessly plugging it out here in the blogosphere too.
If you’ve already taken the time to watch then thank you so much! I really appreciate it; the support I’ve been getting for the Disney content has been incredible and it means the world. 💜
Check out my ‘Disneyland Park Walkthrough’ video below, and don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe and share if you enjoy it!
This latest video takes you on a guided tour of the Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris (there are two parks at Disneyland Paris – this is the one with the castle!). It’ll hopefully give you a good overview of the park so you can have a little preview before you visit, as well as some helpful advice on to navigate the different lands and attractions.
All of our videos are here to help – we want you to have the best time possible when you visit Disneyland Paris!
You can also check out our previous video, ‘My Top 10 Rides At Disneyland Paris’, below:
Well, that’s okay. There’s no judgement here. Even though we love Disney here at ThisGirlEats (obviously!), we also know that it’s not necessarily your cup of tea and not everyone gets that magical Disney feeling.
If you aren’t really a Disney fan and yet somehow find yourself being roped into a trip to Disneyland Paris – perhaps it’s a special holiday for the kids or a loved one is begging you to go – it doesn’t have to be a total wipe-out for you.
You don’t have stand next to characters posing with a cheesy grin or wear Mickey Mouse ears around the park all day if you don’t want to. There are plenty of other ways to enjoy Disneyland Paris without feeling like you’re trapped inside the Disney bubble!
Rides and attractions
If you strip away all the characters and movie references, at heart Disneyland Paris is just like any other theme park when it comes to rides and attractions. If you’re usually a bit of a thrill-seeker then the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith are really fun, exhilarating rides involving big drops and inversions.
If you aren’t quite ready for white-knuckle rides, there are plenty of other great attractions in the parks. Many of these are Disney themed, like Peter Pan’s Flight or Ratatouille: The Adventure, but Big Thunder Mountain and Crush’s Coaster are awesome mid-level coasters that don’t rely too much on those Disney references. I’d also recommend Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, Phantom Manor, Pirates of the Caribbean, Orbitron and Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop as fun, tamer rides that aren’t too cutesy, if that’s not really your thing.
Toy Story Playland at Disneyland Paris featuring the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop ride
You can also find some walkthrough attractions like Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, La Cabane des Robinson (Swiss Family Treehouse) and Les Mysteres du Nautilis (Captain Nemo’s Nautilis) that are interesting, entertaining and can be enjoyed for what they are, with or without the Disney themes.
Maybe you think that you won’t enjoy Disneyland Paris because of the theming. It’s true that most of the parks are, obviously, full of references to Disney movies and most visitors really love that – but not everyone. However, when you get to the park you might find that some of the theming throughout Disneyland Paris is actually really cool.
So, you don’t love the classics like Beauty and the Beast or even more modern favourites like Frozen – that’s fine! But maybe you’re a fan of Star Wars, Marvel movies, the Indiana Jones franchise, old TV shows (love you Twilight Zone!), western movies or Hollywood blockbusters – the themes here go WAY beyond Disney!
And if you’ve got a keen eye you’re sure to appreciate the amount of detail that goes into every inch of the parks, from the traditional American stylings of Main Street to the pirate caves mapped out through Adventureland and the incredible nighttime show projected onto the castle. You might not be into Disney yourself, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the world they’ve created inside those gates.
Incredible Hulk statue during Marvel Summer of Super Heroes season at the Walt Disney Studios Park
Shopping
If you don’t fancy the rides and aren’t really all that excited by the decor, then retail therapy is absolutely an option at Disneyland Paris.
Of course the shops in the park sell an awful lot of Disney merchandise (and Star Wars and Marvel too!) but you’ll also find some unique shopping experiences throughout the park that could interest you. You can purchase jewellery, crystal and glass ornaments, sweets, kitchenware and even Christmas decorations – yep, that’s open all year round!
Shopping options in the World of Disney shop in Disney Village
If these stores still have too much Disney going on for you, venture out into Disney Village where you’ll find a Lego Store, an art gallery and even some of the restaurants – Rainforest Cafe and Planet Hollywood – have their own merchandise shops too.
Don’t forget that you’re in Paris (well, just outside, but you know what I mean) so much of the merchandise will be souvenirs of the city, not just Disneyland.
Shows and events
Alright, so the parade and the nighttime shows are awesome and definitely worth watching, but they are pretty Disney heavy so might not appeal to you. But that’s okay, because Disneyland Paris puts on plenty of other events in the year for everyone to enjoy.
We’ve had Season of the Force which saw an incredible Star Wars projection show, Jedi training classes and stormtroopers patrol the parks, and this year’s Marvel Season of Super Heroes put on multiple indoor and outdoor stunt shows every day. Also coming up this summer is the Lion King & Jungle Festival, which promises a musical show inspired by Broadway and outdoor African drumming sessions.
Don’t forget the holidays! Disneyland Paris really goes to town for Christmas and Halloween, so if these are your favourite times of the year then you won’t be disappointed with how the parks pull them off.
Meeting Santa Jack Skellington during the Christmas season
If you’re not visiting during any special “season”, Walt Disney Studios Park also hosts the Moteurs … Action! Stunt Show Spectacular each day, which is a great stunt show incorporating various vehicles and a few death-defying moments which would wow just about anyone!
As you might already know, earlier this year I decided that writing about one of my great loves in life (food, of course) just wasn’t enough and threw another into the mix – the wonderful world of Disney!
I wanted to give myself the opportunity to chat about the parks, engage with other Disney fans and maybe even come up with some helpful advice about Disneyland Paris, my closest Disney park.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disneyland Paris
I’m a total nerd when it comes to planning my Disney holidays – I want to know what rides to go on, how long the lines will be, where to eat and drink, which shows to catch and the absolute best way to make the most out of my trip!
I think there are some amazing videos out there chock-full of info on the American parks – Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland in California – but the same helpful resources aren’t quite so readily available for Disneyland Paris. I know it’s not the most spectacular of the Disney parks but it’s still a hugely popular destination, especially for those of us who are much closer to Paris than the States!
Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris
So… I decided to start making my own! We’re going to be filming during our trips to Disneyland Paris and creating some (hopefully!) useful, informative, interesting videos all about this park.
My first video is now LIVE (eek!) and I wanted to start off with an easy one. This first vid is a guide to my ten favourite rides at Disneyland Paris to give people a taste of what attractions to expect on their visit and because, well, it’s fun! Please be kind – I have literally ZERO experience in filming, voice overs, editing, YouTube, all that jazz. But I’m really excited to get the ball rolling on this new project and hope to improve with each video.
Check out ‘My Top 10 Rides at Disneyland Paris’ below. If you enjoy it then please, please, pretty please like, subscribe, follow, comment, anything and everything!
If you want to get ahead of the crowds during your time at Disneyland Paris and need a little help, this guide to using Fastpasses should come in handy.
What is a Fastpass?
Fastpasses are tickets available at Disneyland Paris that allow you to beat the queues on certain attractions. While you might still have to wait a few minutes to get onto the ride, the Fastpass entrance will cut out most of the queue and allow you to join at the very last minute, usually compared to much longer standby lines.
How do Fastpasses work at Disneyland Paris?
Fastpasses are free to all Disneyland Paris guests. I’ll say that again – FASTPASSES ARE FREE TO ALL DISNEYLAND PARIS GUESTS! You don’t have to be staying at a Disneyland resort hotel, you don’t have to have a multi-day ticket, you don’t have to be a special member or annual pass holder. Anyone visiting Disneyland Paris with a valid entry ticket can get their hands on a Fastpass.
All you need to do is take your park ticket to the attraction and look for the Fastpass machines – usually just to the side of the ride entrance. Scan the barcode of your park ticket at the self-service machine and it’ll print off a Fastpass ticket for you with an allotted 30 minute time slot for you to return to the ride. Show the ticket to the cast member at the Fastpass queue entrance during your time slot, they’ll let you through and you’ll join the standby line pretty much at the front of the queue.
You must return to the attraction during the time slot on your ticket. It’s also worth noting that you can only use one Fastpass at a time, so you can’t run straight to every ride and book your time slots for the day! You’ll be given a time on your Fastpass ticket from which you will be able to book your next Fastpass.
Fastpass tickets for Ratatouille: The Adventure
Which rides have Fastpass queues at Disneyland Paris?
Not every attraction at Disneyland Paris has a Fastpass queue available. The following rides are currently the only ones that allow Fastpass access:
Disneyland Park Big Thunder Mountain Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril Peter Pan’s Flight Star Tours: The Adventures Continue Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
Walt Disney Studios Park Ratatouille: The Adventure Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
What are Super and Ultimate Fastpasses?
These are paid upgrades which allow extra benefits with a Fastpass. The Super Fastpass is the cheaper option and allows one-time access to either three Family Attractions or three Big Thrill Attractions. The Ultimate Fastpass is more expensive and allows either one-time or unlimited access (depending on your budget!) to all the Fastpass rides.
While these do have their benefits, such as not being restricted by time slots or having to wait before you can get another Fastpass, they’re really pricey for what they are. With a little know-how you can easily navigate the parks and get on all these attractions using free Fastpasses.
Standing in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle
How to get the most out of Fastpasses
It depends what rides you want to get on and how important those attractions are to your day, but here are a few of my tips when it comes to making the most of those free Fastpasses.
Family rides The family attractions available on the Fastpass service – Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, Peter Pan’s Flight and Ratatouille: The Adventure – are popular rides and all worth grabbing passes for if possible.
However, if you have to pick one, go for Peter Pan’s Flight. It regularly has one of the longest queues in the park and, although it’s a fantastic, classic attraction, the ride itself is so brief you’ll likely feel short-changed if you’ve stood in line for an hour.
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast has a slow-moving queue, but towards the end of the day this will get shorter and you can probably jump in with a 15 minute wait time. As for Ratatouille: The Adventure, you’ll want to head over first thing during extra magic hours or rope drop to avoid long wait times. If you can’t get there early and do have to wait, don’t worry; this queue is fun, interactive and, basically, bearable.
Thrill rides – Disneyland Park The big thrill rides in the Disneyland Park can all experience long wait times throughout the day, but it’s not too difficult to make time for each of them.
You probably won’t be able to grab a Fastpass for all of these rides, simply because of the time you have to wait in between passes and the limited number of passes available for each ride. But the good news is, you probably won’t need them.
The first attraction I’d recommend getting a Fastpass for is Big Thunder Mountain. It’s one of the biggest rides in the park and the line is always long; on a good day you’re looking at 40 minutes, on a bad day you’re more likely to see wait times of 90 minutes. It’s definitely worth riding, but get a Fastpass early on for this one.
A view of Big Thunder Mountain from Frontierland in Disneyland Paris
The second attraction probably worth snatching a Fastpass for is Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain. It’s a really popular ride with both kids and adults, especially since its Star Wars overlay, and definitely one you won’t want to miss. You could get lucky with a short wait times cropping up occasionally but I wouldn’t count on it; there’s a good chance you could end up waiting 45 minutes in, frankly, a very boring queue. Get a Fastpass to avoid this.
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue is a tricky one; peak time (i.e. the middle of the day) can see long queues for this ride but, if you rope drop or hang around until the crowds die down, you’ll probably see wait times of 15 – 20 minutes. With this one, I’d actually suggest holding out for a shorter queue and getting in the standby line because the theming is excellent and worth checking out if you can jump in at a good time.
Do not waste a Fastpass on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril! It’s such a short coaster and honestly not that great, so you could end up throwing away a valuable time slot. It’s also not worth waiting in long lines for so, when you see a 45 minute queue time for this ride, don’t fall for it; wait until the end of the day and the line will shrink right down to around 5 – 10 minutes. At this point, it’s well worth jumping on for a fun coaster ride.
Thrill rides – Walt Disney Studios Park Fastpasses at the Walt Disney Studios Park are really easy to figure out (for now!) because there aren’t many rides in the park with the Fastpass option available.
The two big rides in this park that do offer Fastpasses – Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (soon to close for refurbishment and reopen as an Iron Man coaster) and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – are both great attractions for any thrill seeker.
The frustrating thing with these rides is that both lines are actually themed really well and it’s a shame to miss out; however, the best parts of each queue are both still included if you join at the Fastpass entrance.
To be completely honest, there’s not much difference between these rides when it comes to a Fastpass strategy. On busy days wait times can creep up on both, with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith sometimes hitting the 50 minute mark while The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror can reach wait times of 70 minutes; however, both rides are also known hover around 15 minutes all day sometimes.
If the wait times are short – anything less than 20 minutes – you might as well hop into the standby line because the theming really is worth checking out. However, if wait times are high, grab yourself some passes. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is a short ride so might not feel worthy of a long wait, whereas The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror feels like more of a complete ride experience. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror also manages to load quite a lot of guests onto the three elevators so the queue moves along quite nicely. If you can only get a Fastpass for one I’d perhaps suggest Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, but you can probably manage to grab both – and won’t struggle too much if you can’t get either.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris
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