Since 2020, we haven’t had the chance to visit Disneyland Paris. To mark my 30th and my daughter’s 8th birthday, we decided to purchase annual passes for a memorable return.
Opting for the gold annual passes at €699 each, which converted to £634.99 during booking, seemed a bit pricey initially. However, considering the multiple visits we plan to make, the investment made sense.
On September 21st, I made the purchase over the phone, and to my surprise, the temporary passes arrived promptly on September 30th. I had to pay £7.70 delivery charge so the total cost amounted to £1277.68.
Initially, I planned to purchase the annual passes online. However, I learned that when you buy them online, the start date is the purchase day. Since I was booking in September but visiting in November, I opted to call and get temporary passes sent to our house. This way, upon arriving at Disneyland in November, we could exchange the temporary passes for permanent ones, with the start date matching our park arrival. Booking online is straightforward, and although it’s in French, your web browser can translate it to your preferred language.
For Disneyland Paris park tickets, it’s advisable to compare prices across various platforms. Here are some websites to explore and compare prices for the best deals:
- Disneyland Paris Official Site – Typically the most expensive, booking directly with Disney.
- AttractionTix
- AttractionTickets.com
- MagicBreaks
- Picniq Tickets
- Tiqets
To plan the trip from London to Disneyland Paris, I booked flights with easyJet for a total of £133.78. Departing from Gatwick to Paris CDG and returning to Luton, this option offered a balance of cost and convenience. For airport transfers, I always prefer using National Express, as it’s an efficient and cost-effective means to reach different airports.
I spent £18.35 on a National Express coach from London Victoria to Gatwick, using TopCashback for a bit of cashback. The plane ride was speedy! I Opted for a 10-minute train to Marne-la-Vallée—Chessy, costing £26.16, purchased at the airport via Trainline.com. Ticket machines are available too. It is easy to find the train station – just follow the signs.
From the train station, we opted for a €20 taxi ride to the hotel instead of taking the bus due to our heavy bags and exhaustion. The taxi stand conveniently awaited us just outside the station.
Now, let’s discuss the regrettable experience at the Résidence du Parc Val d’Europe hotel, a place I strongly recommend you don’t ever visit. I booked it on Hotels.com, seeking an affordable, clean place for our brief stay while focusing on Disneyland. Despite its three-star rating and seemingly positive reviews, we encountered a major setback upon our arrival. To my surprise and frustration, the hotel claimed our reservation was canceled. Checking the Hotels.com app revealed no such cancellation, and neither the hotel nor the booking platform had notified me. Dealing with Hotels.com’s live chat, I discovered they cited a card issue as the reason, which I found untrue since I’ve used the card without problems before. Consequently, I had to rebook the same hotel at a higher price—£185 compared to the original £127. I tried to contact hotels.com for the reimbursement for the price difference but they refuse to acknowledge their mistake, so this incident has deterred me from considering their services in the future.
It’s interesting that our room was ready earlier than the stated 4 pm check-in time, but I won’t complain about that. My primary goal was to drop off our bags so that we could enjoy Disneyland as soon as possible. The hotel room seemed like someone started decorating it, got bored, and abandoned the effort. I wasn’t expecting luxury for a three-star place, but it was disappointingly subpar. I did a thorough check for bedbugs, finding none, thankfully. After a good wipe-down, I attempted to settle in. The room featured a double bed, TV, wardrobe, and a modest kitchenette equipped with a fridge, hob, microwave, sink, and kettle. The bathroom was nothing extraordinary, with a shower/bath and a sink, and they provided towels.
As if the hotel situation wasn’t stressful enough, I received a text from EasyJet moments later stating that our return flight was canceled due to French air control strikes . Naturally, this caused panic, but I promptly engaged in a live chat with EasyJet, and they arranged an alternative flight for the same day, alleviating the immediate concern. However, they cautioned that there’s no guarantee we’ll board that flight due to potential further cancellations. Despite this annoyance, I tried not to let it stress me out, as there’s nothing worse than holiday stress.
The only positive aspect of the hotel was its proximity to a bus stop offering a direct route to Disneyland—bus 43, with the final stop being Disneyland. Unfortunately, I can’t provide the cost details, as every attempt to pay resulted in a French explanation and a gesture to simply board the bus.
The brief 10-minute bus ride to Disneyland took us straight to the Disneyland entrance. We headed straight to the Walt Disney Studios Park entrance where we needed to collect our annual passes. The process involved exchanging our temporary passes for permanent ones, filling out some administrative forms, and having quick photos taken.
Notably, the gold annual pass includes a free PhotoPass. This service allows you to obtain high-quality pictures taken by Disney PhotoPass Photographers throughout the parks. We picked up the Disney Photopass at the shop one of the shops inside the Walt Disney Studios Park.
On day one of our Disneyland Paris adventure, we experienced two rides: Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy and RC Racer. Surprisingly, the wait times, expected to be 45 minutes each, turned out to be shorter. It was thrilling to ride attractions that our little one was too short for during our last visit in 2020. A useful tip is to download the Disneyland app for an interactive map and to check ride times.
For lunch, we dined at Restaurant en Coulisse, where I paid £11.84 for a kids’ chicken burger meal and a Mickey rocket ice cream. The food was decent but nothing extraordinary. Afterward, we joined the queue to watch Mickey and the Magician, one of my favorite shows with a magical touch, featuring characters from The Lion King, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and, of course, Mickey Mouse. Disneyland Paris offers numerous shows, and this is one you should definitely catch.
We decided not to spend the entire day there as we were exhausted from our travels.
We concluded our day with a visit to the expansive Val d’Europe shopping center. It’s fantastic because they have stores like Lidl and Primark. If you need snacks at an affordable price, Lidl is a great option, and if you forgot anything at home, whether it’s pyjamas or other essentials, Primark is your best bet.
On the second day, as gold annual pass holders, we made the most of our perks by enjoying Extra Magic Hours. This exclusive benefit, available for both Disneyland hotel guests and pass holders, granted us the opportunity to explore the park during its quieter moments and ride popular attractions with shorter queues. Starting with the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, we effortlessly walked on, avoiding later wait times of around 45 minutes.
We then delighted in one of our favorites, “It’s a Small World,” highly recommended for Disneyland Paris visitors.
Next on the agenda was Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, and much like the previous rides, we breezed through without any wait. It proved to be a blast, with my daughter even outscoring me in the game. A helpful tip for parents is to measure their kids before the Disneyland visit, check the app or website for suitable rides, and ensure a disappointment-free experience on the day.
Next on our agenda was The Spectacular Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands show, featuring iconic moments from the beloved movie. While different from the West End production, it was still fantastic, showcasing the reasons behind Disneyland’s pricing. The show, with its singers, musicians, and acrobatics, demonstrated the effort behind such a spectacular performance. It’s evident why the park comes with a hefty price tag, considering the talent and production involved.
A friendly reminder: bring your own snacks and drinks to Disneyland Paris, as their offerings are exorbitantly priced. Regrettably, I left ours at the hotel, resulting in a frustrating £8 expenditure for a packet of Doritos and sweets, even with my gold annual pass discount.
Our next stop was Phantom Manor, a fantastic Disneyland ride for those who enjoy a spooky experience. Opting for premier access at €7 each (£12.27), it seemed worth it due to the rain, but later, I’ll explain why it wasn’t.
I then made the daring choice to pay €32 (£28.05) for premier access to Peter Pan’s Flight, a popular but short ride that truly lived up to its fantastic reputation.
Celebrating little miss birthday, we decided to dine at Captain Jack’s – Restaurant des Pirates, expecting Caribbean-inspired cuisine. However, at €51.85 (£45.45), even with my gold annual pass discount, the overpriced meal was underwhelming. While the service was excellent, the food was disappointing, deterring me from considering another Disneyland restaurant in the future. If you do choose to dine at one, reservations can be made through the Disneyland app.
By 7 pm, the long queues had significantly dwindled, so here’s a tip: save anything with a lengthy wait for the end of the evening. This could have saved me a lot of money on the premier access I purchased.
Around this time, we effortlessly walked onto Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Phantom Manor once again. Premier access isn’t necessary unless you’re visiting for the day and won’t return for a long time.
Attractions like Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (Snow White ride), and the Mad Hatter’s Teacups were all easily accessible with minimal queues.
On this day, the park closed at 10 pm, coinciding with the start of Disney Dreams! nighttime extravaganza. Despite it being a super long day, we couldn’t miss it. The show brings beloved Disney stories to life with stunning fireworks and magical effects on Sleeping Beauty Castle. Watching it close to the exit is recommended to avoid the rush when the fireworks end, especially if you’re not staying at a nearby Disneyland hotel.
We managed to experience 10 rides (one twice) and catch one show, though unfortunately, no character meets. Spending a total of 14 hours in the park, we covered over 20,000 steps—a lengthy but memorable day.
On Day 3, we swiftly departed the challenging “hotel from hell” around 7 am and hopped into a taxi headed for our significantly improved next hotel. For an in-depth review of Explorers Hotel, you can find it here.
Once again, we made the most of Extra Magic Hours and practically walked onto The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a ride not for the faint-hearted due to its big drops. If you’re not a fan of such thrills, it’s best to avoid this one.
Having not visited Disneyland since 2020, it was exciting to explore what’s new. We experienced Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure for the first time, akin to the Ninjago ride at Legoland Windsor. Up next was the Flight Force Avengers ride, an absolute thrill for adrenaline enthusiasts and somewhat reminiscent of Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain but with its own unique fun.
We also had our first character meet and greet with Spider-Man, joining a virtual queue on the app only to face another queue inside, somewhat defeating the purpose. However, we eventually got to meet Spider-Man, who was incredibly friendly. A playful meet and greet with Goofy followed, both characters located at Walt Disney Studios Park.
After the disappointing dinner at Captain Jack’s restaurant the previous day, we opted for McDonald’s—a cheap and cheerful choice that we knew we would enjoy. It saved money, and McDonald’s can be found in the Disney Village.
Next on the agenda was finally meeting Santa. The queue was absolutely dreadful, lasting well over an hour, perhaps even two—I lost count. Both I and little miss were tired, and the experience was horrendous. Two hours of waiting to spend less than two minutes with Santa left me incredibly frustrated. I 100% do not recommend it.
Casey Jr. – Le Petit Train du Cirque and Le Pays des Contes de Fées were the last two rides we experienced at Disneyland Paris, perfectly suited for very little ones and conveniently located right next to each other.
Concluding our final day, we enjoyed the enchanting Christmas parade, which lived up to expectations. Given the limited character meets during our visit, it was delightful to see many in one go, from Princess Tiana to Winnie The Pooh.
This time, we chose not to spend the entire day at the parks since we had an early flight the next day. Instead, we decided to further explore our new hotel.
To wrap up this blog post, if you’re considering purchasing merchandise here, be aware that while the items are fantastic, they come with a hefty price tag, even with our discount. A pro tip: check out places like Primark for reasonably priced Disney merchandise, and discreetly bring it along to give your kids the magical Disneyland experience without breaking the bank. Just hone your hiding skills!
