Disneyland Paris tips: a practical guide for families

Disneyland Paris is one of those trips that many families spend months looking forward to, but it is also a destination where good planning can make a real difference. There is plenty to decide before you travel: when to go, where to stay, how to organise your days, where to eat, how to avoid queues — or cope with them — and which services are really worth paying for.

At Turisme Petit, we have visited Disneyland Paris several times. Over the years, we have gathered tips and little details we wish we had known before our first trip. Some save time or money; others simply help you enjoy the experience more with your children.

This guide brings together our main tips for visiting Disneyland Paris, reviewed periodically to keep up with changes at the resort. It was written especially for families travelling from Spain who want to organise their own trip or understand what to consider before booking.

Information reviewed and updated for the 2026–2027 season.

Before planning your trip to Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris changes its offers and booking conditions frequently, so it is worth checking the promotions available for your travel dates before booking. You may find special deals on stays, tickets or meal plans.

Travel agents have their own promotions, but we recommend checking the Disneyland Paris website directly, which also offers payment by instalments.

[Check the offers available for Disneyland Paris]

Is Disneyland Paris easy to visit with children?

Visiting Disneyland Paris with children is fairly straightforward once you are there, but organising the trip well takes a little more planning than you might expect. Distances, opening hours, meals, bookings and queues all matter, especially when planning each day so children can enjoy themselves without becoming exhausted.

We recommend making a checklist of everything you need to consider and ticking things off as you go. This article may look long — and it is — but it contains useful information to help you plan your trip.

The good news is that you do not need to control every detail. Knowing a few tips beforehand can save time, avoid unnecessary spending and help you make much better use of your days in the parks.

After several visits to Disneyland Paris, these are the tips we think will help families most when preparing their trip.

Before travelling to Disneyland Paris

1. When should you book Disneyland Paris?

Disneyland Paris offers change frequently throughout the year, so there is no single booking date that is always best. Compare the conditions available for your intended dates and check what each offer actually includes.

One of the best places to book is the Disneyland Paris website itself, where you can book Hotel + Tickets packages with flexible conditions and, in certain circumstances, pay in instalments. The exact conditions depend on your booking and how far ahead you book.

Remember that the cheapest-looking offer is not always the best fit for a family. Before deciding, check the package contents, chosen hotel, ticket type, meals, and amendment or cancellation conditions.

Tip: look beyond the large headline price. Compare the final cost of your stay and, above all, what each option includes. A slightly more expensive offer may work out better if it includes services you would have paid for at the parks anyway.

2. How many days do you need at Disneyland Paris?

Disneyland Paris has two parks and plenty to do beyond the rides: shows, parades, character encounters, restaurants and other experiences. For a first visit, three full days in the parks is a good starting point if you want to enjoy yourselves without constantly rushing.

If you also want to explore Paris, I would add at least one more day. Some families prefer to focus entirely on Disneyland Paris and take things more slowly. There is no perfect formula: it depends on your children’s ages, your pace and how often you want to repeat your favourites.

What we do recommend is not trying to see absolutely everything. Disneyland Paris can be tiring with children, and leaving a few things for another trip is better than turning every day into an exhausting race.

Two things are worth knowing: the park entrances are close together, but walking between attractions in different parks can take time, so we prefer to focus on one park first. And if you want to visit Paris, you can do so independently: there is a station with direct trains to the city.

3. A Disney Hotel or accommodation outside the resort?

Staying at a Disney Hotel is not necessarily the cheapest option, but it can make things easier and save time, especially with children. Disney Hotel guests can enjoy Extra Magic Time, allowing entry to one or both parks before normal opening time, although the hours and parks included can vary by day.

What is Extra Magic Time? Guests staying at a Disney Hotel or Les Villages Nature Paris, and Disneyland Pass Gold holders, can enter one or both Disney Parks before normal opening time. You may be among the first to greet favourite characters or enjoy selected attractions before the parks open to other visitors.

Important: do not expect every attraction to be open, or necessarily the most famous ones. Early entry covers selected areas and experiences, but it can still be a good opportunity to start the day with fewer people around.

There are also partner hotels nearby, some with free transport to the parks. Compare the total accommodation cost with the time you will spend travelling back and forth.

We have tried different hotels at the resort, and one thing is clear to us: rest matters more than you might think. After a whole day walking around the parks, a comfortable room and an easy journey back can make a real difference when travelling with children.

Another bonus is that, at some hotels, you may be lucky enough to meet a Disney character and take the obligatory photo.

Do the hotels have air conditioning?

An important detail for summer visitors: not every hotel has air conditioning. Disney Hotel Cheyenne currently has air-conditioned rooms, while Disney Hotel Santa Fe has ceiling fans rather than air conditioning. We did not find the fans particularly powerful. It is something to bear in mind if you travel during a heatwave.

We experienced this ourselves during a summer stay at Disney Hotel Santa Fe. Our room became very hot, and we had to insist on getting an extra fan. With high temperatures becoming more frequent in Europe, we would not choose a hotel for July or August on price alone without checking how the room is cooled.

If sleeping in the heat is a problem for you, I would pay the difference for an air-conditioned hotel before spending on other park extras.

4. Where to eat at Disneyland Paris: plan your meals before travelling

Meals are one aspect worth organising before your trip. Disneyland Paris has many restaurants and quick-service outlets, but table-service restaurants and certain dining experiences are in high demand, especially in peak season.

If you know you want lunch or dinner at a particular restaurant, book ahead through the official app or website. Reservations can currently be made up to two months before your visit, and Disney Hotel guests can book once their stay is confirmed, although some restaurants release reservations later.

What if you have a Meal Plan?

There is an important detail to understand before buying one. Meal vouchers have a set value and can be used at restaurants covered by your plan, but you do not always have to choose the cheapest option. Buying a Meal Plan does not reserve your restaurant tables: you still need to book ahead.

If the restaurant you want costs more than the voucher value, you can use the voucher and pay the difference. If it costs less, Disneyland Paris does not refund the difference.

This can be useful if you have a particular Meal Plan but want to try a restaurant that costs more or is not covered in quite the same way. Before booking, check which restaurants accept your vouchers and their value.

You do not necessarily have to use every voucher exactly as originally planned: Disneyland Paris explains that certain vouchers can be used on different days during your stay, and lunch or dinner vouchers can be used at their monetary value in eligible restaurants.

Some breakfast vouchers can be used at eligible locations outside your hotel, depending on their conditions. Check which restaurants accept yours before planning to have breakfast elsewhere in the resort :).

Character dining

If your children would love to eat with Disney characters, I would not leave the decision until you arrive. Character breakfasts, lunches and dinners are available and can be very popular, so booking ahead is recommended.

You do not necessarily need a Meal Plan that includes them. Some experiences can be added separately, and depending on your plan, you may be able to use a voucher and pay a supplement. Character breakfasts, for example, are not included in Meal Plans and can be booked as an extra; they are also the least expensive of the three options.

Tip: be patient with the characters. During some character meals, they move from table to table while children wait to meet them and take photos. Our experience is that being patient and letting them do their job calmly can work in your favour. If we keep getting up, trying to attract their attention or becoming impatient because they have not reached our table, we may end up waiting even longer.

Instead, greeting them calmly, politely and with a smile makes the encounter much more enjoyable. The characters follow their route, and when they reach your table, it is worth enjoying those few minutes without rushing.

You do not always have to eat at your usual times

If you do not have a reservation, eating a little earlier or later can save time. Quick-service restaurants tend to be busiest around the middle of the day.

There is no need to turn every meal into a military operation. If there is a huge queue at 12.30 pm and the children are not hungry yet, it may be worth waiting a little. But if everyone is starving at 2 pm, that is probably not the best moment to start looking for a table.

Service is usually quick because of the type of food served. Do not expect anything elaborate: it is essentially fast food.

One last thing

Do not expect eating inside Disneyland Paris to be cheap. There are options for different budgets, but food is an expense worth planning for from the outset.

If you are travelling on a tight budget, you do not have to buy a Meal Plan or always eat at table-service restaurants. Quick-service restaurants and other options are available.

Can I bring my own food into the Disney Parks?

There is a picnic area between the Disney Parks car park and the park entrances. Large coolers, tables and bulky containers are not allowed inside Disneyland Park or Disney Adventure World. Alcoholic drinks are not permitted either.

Can I bring water bottles into the Disney Parks?

The drinking water in the parks is safe. There are fountains outside toilets and at other locations where you can refill empty bottles. You can bring plastic water bottles and refill them, rather than paying the high prices inside.

The tap water in the toilets is also drinking water, the same supply as the outdoor fountains. You may even find queues there too, haha.

5. Buy your tickets in advance

Once you know your travel dates, we recommend buying tickets in advance rather than waiting until you arrive at Disneyland Paris. As well as avoiding surprises, it gives you time to compare the different ticket types and conditions.

Dated tickets let you choose your visit date and, except for Basic tickets, can be cancelled up to three days before arrival. Undated one-day tickets offer more flexibility, but you must register your visit date beforehand, subject to availability.

For a longer visit, two-, three- or four-day tickets give access to both Disney Parks on consecutive days. With a one-day ticket, you can choose one park or both. Switching parks requires the appropriate ticket, and walking between different areas of the parks takes time.

Should you buy a ticket for one park or both?

I would not automatically choose the two-park option.

If you only have one day, visiting both parks is possible, but you will need to prioritise carefully. For a first visit at a relaxed pace, focusing on one park may make more sense.

With two or more days, access to both parks makes it easier to spread out your time and enjoy experiences in each.

One important change in 2026 is that Disney Adventure World has expanded considerably with the opening of World of Frozen. It is no longer a second park you can simply ‘see quickly’, as might have seemed reasonable years ago.

Tip: do not automatically buy the most comprehensive ticket because it looks like the best option. First think about how many days you have and what you actually want to do.

If you are spending three days at Disneyland Paris, saving money with a one-park ticket makes little sense if it means missing part of the experience. But if you only have a few hours on a day trip from Paris, paying for two parks may not be worthwhile.

As always, compare the final ticket price with Hotel + Tickets offers before booking separately. A package can sometimes work out better, especially if you plan to stay within the resort.

6. The official app: essential before you travel

Download the official Disneyland Paris app before travelling. Do not wait until you reach the parks to discover it.

During your stay, it will help you check waiting times, find attractions and restaurants, look up opening hours, manage bookings and buy Disney Premier Access if you need it. It is also useful for organising meals and checking which experiences are available during your visit.

We recommend spending a few minutes getting familiar with it before your trip. On arrival day, you will have better things to do than learn how to use the app.

7. Think carefully about what to take into the parks

A day at Disneyland Paris means hours of walking, waiting and changing temperatures. What goes into your bag may seem like a minor detail beforehand, but you will appreciate having the right things after several hours in the park.

Comfortable footwear is essential. This is not the time to break in new shoes or choose them only because they look good in photos. You will walk many kilometres during the day, and comfortable trainers can make all the difference.

Bring sun protection, a cap or hat and a water bottle, particularly in warmer months. You can refill water at designated points, so there is no need to carry large quantities from the start.

With young children, a light bag containing a change of clothes can be very useful. We also recommend something to keep the rain off, even if the forecast looks good: the weather around Paris can change quickly.

Tip: do not fill your bag with things ‘just in case’. It may sound obvious, but after hours of walking, every gram counts. Take what you will actually need and use the park services when necessary.

It is useful to know that you can hire a pushchair for the day inside the parks, making your visit easier and saving you from bringing your own. These are basic pushchairs, and there is a hire charge.

And of course, remember the children’s princess, prince or pirate costume, so they can wear it alongside their favourite characters for at least one day.

Before travelling, check opening hours and the calendar for your visit

One thing we recommend before travelling is checking the official Disneyland Paris calendar for your exact dates. Opening hours vary by season, as can the shows, parades and experiences available.

Look beyond opening and closing times. Check which shows are scheduled, when they take place and whether any attractions will be closed for maintenance during your stay. Disneyland Paris publishes details of attractions undergoing work or temporarily closed.

This is particularly important if a specific ride or show is a must-do for your family. Few things are more frustrating than travelling thousands of kilometres to Disneyland Paris and discovering that the experience you were most looking forward to is closed.

Show and parade times are also available in the official app. Some may be changed or cancelled because of weather, technical issues or programme changes.

Tip: do not create a minute-by-minute schedule before leaving home. Use the official information to identify what you want to see and what you do not want to miss, but leave room for spontaneity.

Knowing that you want to see a show is one thing; organising an entire day in a spreadsheet is quite another, especially with the long queues you may find at the most popular attractions.

Once you are at Disneyland Paris

1. How is Disneyland Paris laid out?

Before discussing queues, opening hours and ways to make the most of your day, one thing needs to be clear: Disneyland Paris is not a single park.

The resort currently has two Disney Parks. The first is Disneyland Park, the classic and most recognisable one, built around Sleeping Beauty Castle and divided into five main lands: Main Street, U.S.A., Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland.

The second is Disney Adventure World, formerly Walt Disney Studios Park, which has undergone a major transformation. It now includes World of Frozen, Marvel Avengers Campus and Worlds of Pixar, as well as Adventure Way and World Premiere Plaza.

Near the park entrances is Disney Village, a separate leisure area with shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment. You do not need a Disney Park ticket to enter, making it an option for a stroll, dinner or a change of scene without using a park admission day.

Why does this matter before you arrive?

Because one of our main tips is not to keep crossing between the two parks throughout the day. They cover large areas, and some attractions are far apart. Going back and forth can waste time and become tiring, especially with children.

Whenever the length of your stay allows it, we recommend focusing on one park first and then the other, planning each day around the rides, shows and experiences you most want to enjoy.

An old-school tip: pick up a map

Although the official Disneyland Paris app now provides almost everything you need — maps, show and parade times, waiting times, restaurants and characters — we still recommend looking for a park map on your first visit. It makes a lovely souvenir too. You can ask about available maps and information at the ticket desks or City Hall.

It may seem unnecessary when you have a phone, but a map is very helpful for getting your bearings. With children, it can be easier to get an overview without constantly looking at a screen.

For show and parade times, however, the app is the better option: they can vary by day, and some shows are seasonal or subject to changes.

Tip: use the map to get your bearings and the app to make decisions. You can combine rides, characters and shows without following a rigid timetable all day.

2. Do not fear queues, but learn how to judge them

Queues are part of Disneyland Paris and, unfortunately, part of the trip. At certain times of year and on some rides, waits can be long, but not every 60-minute queue means the same thing, and not every wait can be avoided.

Remember that queues are not limited to rides. You may also queue for character photos, certain restaurants, a good seat at a show, park entry at busy times and even the free hotel shuttles at the end of the day. Other services and experiences can involve waits too.

So making the most of your time at Disneyland Paris is about more than ride queues. Walking between places, meals, character encounters and leaving the park also take time that needs to fit into your day.

This was one of the things that surprised us most on our first visit. Disneyland Paris involves much more than moving from one ride to the next. The sooner you understand how everything fits together, the easier it is to organise your visit.

How long are you willing to wait?

Another thing we learnt early on is that it is not worth spending the day running between attractions just to find the shortest queue. The official app lets you check waiting times and decide as you go, which is far more useful than trying to design the perfect route at home.

One of our personal rules is that a wait of 20 or 30 minutes seems perfectly reasonable for something we really want to ride. If the wait is 70 or 80 minutes, we think about whether it is worth spending such a large part of the day on it, or whether we might find a shorter queue later. We share a few tips below.

Remember that the queue is not the only time a ride takes: you need to get there, wait, enjoy the attraction and then decide what comes next.

That is why we recommend checking the app, watching how waits change and making flexible decisions.

Take the opportunity when it comes

As well as checking the app, look at the waiting-time displays outside the attractions. They are particularly useful when you happen to pass something you had not planned to ride: if the queue is short and you fancy it, it can be a great chance to improvise without changing your route too much.

That said, do not keep changing plans in pursuit of the shortest queue. Keep your must-do attractions as priorities and use the short waits you come across to fill out the day or repeat a favourite.

Some rides are what we call reliable fallbacks: they can handle lots of people while keeping the queue moving. ‘it’s a small world’, for example, runs many boats at once and carries large numbers of visitors. Even if the area looks busy, the wait may be surprisingly reasonable — and you get to sit down for a while.

With young children, these rides are ideal when queues are short. And why not repeat them if they have become favourites? Parents sometimes have a very different idea of which rides children consider essential.

Tip: do not chase the lowest number. If something you want to ride has a 35-minute wait and something you are less interested in has a ten-minute queue, changing plans just to save 25 minutes is not necessarily worthwhile.

Equally, if your favourite ride currently has a manageable queue, take the opportunity. Times change constantly, and waiting for the queue to shrink may mean finding an even longer one later.

Make use of the later hours too

The first hours are valuable, but do not write off the end of the day. As time passes, many visitors gather around restaurants, shows and exits, and some attractions may have better waiting times than they did earlier.

This does not happen every day or on every ride, so there is no magic hour when queues disappear. Check the app and the displays outside attractions, and use the opportunities that arise.

This can be particularly helpful for repeating favourite rides. If you waited a long time in the morning and the same ride has a reasonable queue later, it could be a good moment for another go.

While some visitors wait for evening shows or prepare to leave, demand at certain attractions can change. But do not abandon a show you want to see just to chase a shorter queue: waiting times change all the time.

On our trips, we have found the late afternoon and evening — from around 6 pm as a rough guide — can be a particularly good time to repeat some favourites.

3. Make the most of the first hours of the day

The first hours are often among the best for making the most of Disneyland Paris. Even if you have Extra Magic Time, not every attraction will be open, and you cannot necessarily walk straight onto any ride. Check the app to see what is available and start with the experiences that matter most to you.

When the parks open to everyone else, visitor numbers gradually increase and some rides begin to build up long queues. Early hours are especially valuable for popular attractions, provided they are open.

But we do not recommend running off as soon as you enter without knowing where you are going. Choose two or three priorities for the day beforehand, then use the app to adapt your route to waiting times.

Tip: do not spend the first hour shopping or having a leisurely breakfast if your aim is to enjoy the rides. Shops and many shopping areas will still be there later, while a manageable early queue can grow considerably during the day.

Something else we learnt after several visits: not everyone needs to do the same thing on arrival. With young children, perhaps one adult can deal with practical matters while the others start with a suitable ride.

4. One park at a time

Even with tickets for both parks, we do not recommend constantly going in and out of each. Distances can look small on a map, but walking between attractions and passing through entry checks can mean spending a substantial part of the day simply switching parks.

If you have several days, we suggest spending one mainly in Disneyland Park and another in Disney Adventure World, adjusting your route around the rides and shows you most want to enjoy.

You do not have to follow the plan rigidly. If you fancy crossing to the other park one afternoon for a short queue or a particular experience, that is fine. The idea is simply not to make constant park-hopping your routine.

Having one park as your main focus also makes it much easier to organise the early hours, set ride priorities and work around the queues you find during the day.

Tip: do not try to complete both parks simultaneously. If you have several days, think of them as two separate visits and switch parks when there is a real reason to do so.

There is another advantage for families: if your children are enjoying a particular area, you do not need to abandon it just because the other park has something else on your list. Disneyland Paris works much better when you leave room to enjoy the moment.

5. Disney Premier Access: is it worth paying for shorter queues?

Disney Premier Access gives access to a faster lane at selected attractions. There are currently two options: Premier Access One, for a specific ride, and Premier Access Ultimate, giving one use of the fast lane at each included, available attraction. Prices and the attractions covered can vary by date and availability.

Here is the important part: paying for Premier Access does not mean boarding immediately or eliminating the wait completely. It gives access to a separate lane that is generally faster than the standard queue.

When might it be worthwhile?

We do not think you should buy it automatically.

If you visit during a busy period, have limited time and consider several rides essential, it can help you make better use of the day. But if queues are reasonable, you may prefer to save the money for something else.

Disney Premier Access products are limited and subject to availability. If you know you want one, do not leave it too late. Availability can run out early, so think about it the day before.

Premier Access Ultimate can be bought ahead or during your visit. Premier Access One is bought on the day, once you are inside the parks, through the official app.

If you are unsure whether you need it, you can wait to see how busy the parks are, but do not assume it will remain available all day.

Premier Access One or Ultimate?

Premier Access One can make sense if you only want to avoid one particular queue. You buy access for a specific attraction and use the fast lane under the conditions shown for that purchase.

Premier Access Ultimate costs considerably more but gives greater flexibility, letting you use it once at each included, available attraction that day.

Before choosing, consider how much time you want to save and how many of the included rides you actually want to experience.

Tip: do not buy Premier Access simply because you are afraid of queues. If a ride you want has a 20- or 30-minute wait, we would queue. If the wait is 80 minutes and it is a priority, then it is worth considering paying to save some of that time.

Before spending anything, remember there are free alternatives such as Single Rider, where available.

Premier Access can be useful, but it is not essential for enjoying Disneyland Paris. Whether it suits you depends on your budget, travel dates, length of stay and priority attractions.

6. Single Rider: save time without paying

Some Disneyland Paris attractions have a Single Rider queue for visitors willing to ride alone and fill empty seats. It is free and can substantially reduce your wait. Disneyland Paris states that it does not guarantee immediate boarding or let you choose your seat or ride vehicle.

This can be particularly useful for families with older children, or adults who want another go on a ride. One adult can wait with the children while the other uses Single Rider, then they can swap.

It does not mean the whole family can board together through this lane. The system fills empty seats, so people using it may be separated.

If older children are allowed to ride independently under the attraction’s rules, agree beforehand where to meet afterwards. Do not rely on an adult boarding first, then the children, then the other adult: Single Rider does not guarantee that boarding order.

Tip: with two adults, one of whom can stay with the children, Single Rider can be a great alternative to paying for faster access. It is not always quicker — that depends on the ride and the moment — but it is worth checking before buying Premier Access.

Not all attractions have Single Rider. Availability can change, so check the official app or the attraction information during your visit. Frozen Ever After is one of the rides currently listed by Disneyland Paris as offering Single Rider.

7. Do not try to see everything

One of the best ways to enjoy Disneyland Paris is to accept from the start that you will not do everything. There are many rides, shows, characters and corners to discover, and trying to complete an endless list can turn the day into a race.

Before going in, choose the attractions and experiences that matter most to your family. Then use waiting times in the app and around the parks to fit in the rest.

You do not need a fixed route for the whole day. In our experience, a few clear priorities and plenty of room to improvise work much better.

Tip: do not judge a day’s success by the number of rides you managed. If your children had fun, repeated a favourite and enjoyed a show or encounter you will remember for years, it was probably a day well spent.

8. Do not forget the shows and parades

Rides are not the only thing to consider when planning a day at Disneyland Paris. Shows, parades and special encounters are part of the experience too. Some have set times, and the quality can be impressive.

Before starting your day, check the app for scheduled shows and parades, then decide which ones you want to see. You do not need to organise everything around them, but keep your family’s must-sees in mind. Timetables can change, and some shows depend on conditions that day.

Do you need to queue to see them?

It depends on the show. Sometimes you only need to arrive early and find a good spot, while certain experiences have their own admission arrangements or designated viewing areas.

For parades, remember that the best spots start filling well before the parade begins. If a particular viewing position matters to you, do not leave it until the last minute.

But we do not think you need to stand in one place for an entire hour to secure the perfect spot. There is a middle ground between doing no planning and sacrificing a huge part of the day for the front row.

There are several live shows, and the programme changes over time, but they are high quality and well worth seeing. Find out the times when you arrive and allow time to choose a good seat. It is also a welcome chance to sit down :).

Check parade and show times and plan around them. Several take place throughout the day, and we have found them very good.

Tip: combine shows with rides. While many visitors are waiting for a parade or performance, some attractions may be less busy.

The closing nighttime show

A day at Disneyland Paris can be long, so think about the evening when planning. The closing nighttime show is worth seeing at least once, particularly on a first visit. It is one of those moments that make the day’s effort feel worthwhile.

You do not need to stay until closing every night. If you have several days, seeing it once may be enough, leaving you free to head back earlier on other evenings, especially with young children.

The closing show also brings large numbers of people to the exits at once. If you need the free shuttle back to your hotel, you may find a long queue and have to wait for more than one bus.

If you want to stay until the end, plan your children’s rest around that final part of the day. There is little sense in squeezing in every minute from opening time and reaching the evening show completely exhausted.

Our advice, if you have several days, is to choose one night to stay until the end and enjoy it without rushing. Plan meals and breaks that day to help everyone last until the evening. On other days, allow yourselves to leave earlier and rest.

9. Rest is part of the trip too

A full day at Disneyland Paris can be exhausting. There is lots of walking, waiting and standing, meals at unusual times and a pace that can take its toll, particularly on younger children.

Do not be afraid to stop. Sitting down, having a drink, finding a quiet area or even returning to the hotel for a rest can make the rest of your day much more enjoyable.

If you are staying at a nearby Disney Hotel, this is one of the benefits: you can return to your room for a few hours and come back later. It is particularly helpful with young children who still need a nap or simply a break. Most Disney Hotels have free shuttles to the parks; Disney Davy Crockett Ranch is an exception.

You do not necessarily need to leave the park when the children are tired. Sometimes changing pace is enough: take a break from the more intense rides, sit down for an unhurried meal or find a less busy area.

Tip: do not wait until the children are completely exhausted before stopping. By then it may be too late, and the rest of the day can become a cycle of tiredness, hunger and bad moods.

Disneyland Paris is much more enjoyable when you do not feel obliged to make every minute count.

You do not need to be doing something constantly. Sometimes sitting and watching people pass, enjoying a particular area or simply having an ice cream together is part of the trip too — and an unexpected surprise might happen just then.

10. Characters: you cannot plan everything

Character encounters are one of the things children look forward to most, but they do not all work the same way. Some have fixed times and places; others can happen unexpectedly around the parks.

If there is a character your children absolutely want to meet, check the app for where and when the encounter takes place and how admission works. Some use a regular queue, while others have a Virtual Queue.

Character encounters

Character encounters let you meet some of the best-known Disney, Pixar, MARVEL and Star Wars characters in person. They take place around the Disney Parks, usually in themed spaces where you can interact, take photographs and ask for an autograph.

With children, we recommend bringing a small notebook or an autograph book you have personalised yourselves. It is cheaper than buying one in the parks and a lovely way to prepare for the trip. It can become a more special keepsake than a photo alone, while giving children a little mission: collecting their favourite characters’ signatures.

We did this on our trips, and it became a small family adventure. Every character brought another autograph and some very funny moments. Even characters whose costumes make signing difficult may have their own solutions: Sulley, for example, could not hold a pen like other characters, and on our visits he used stickers as souvenirs.

Encounters do not all operate in the same way. As mentioned, some have regular queues, while others require you to join a Virtual Queue in the official app on the day. Places are limited, and for certain encounters you can only join after entering the park.

You can also meet characters during selected dining experiences and, occasionally, at Disney Hotels.

Character dining

If you would like your children to meet several characters over a meal, this is another option. As explained in the restaurant section, book ahead, particularly if it is one of your trip’s must-do experiences.

During some meals, characters move from table to table at their own pace. It can be tempting to get up, attract their attention or try to bring them over sooner, but patience is usually best. Let them follow their route.

We also recommend not becoming obsessed with collecting every possible photo. A spontaneous picture with a character you have just come across may end up meaning more than a carefully planned one.

A tip for younger children: do not assume everything is scheduled to the minute. Characters can make unexpected appearances as you walk around the parks. If you meet one who is available to greet visitors and take photos, enjoy the opportunity. It can be much simpler than waiting specifically to meet them elsewhere, and it is part of the fun of Disneyland Paris.

If the children have their little autograph books, each unexpected encounter can become another chance to collect a signature.

Disney PhotoPass

At some character encounters and selected rides, Disney photographers or automatic cameras capture the experience. You can view and buy these images later, or use a Disney PhotoPass service to access high-resolution photos from photographers and participating rides. This is a paid service, and prices and conditions can vary.

Is it worth it? That depends on how much photographs matter to your family. If you want good souvenir photos of your children with characters or on particular rides, it may be worthwhile. If you bring your own camera or phone and are happy taking your own photos, it is probably not essential.

There is another point to know: not every photo taken in the parks is necessarily covered by every PhotoPass option, so check exactly what the available version includes before buying it.

If you do buy it, make use of the automatic ride photos too: these are the shots you would find hardest to take with your own phone or camera.

Although we have often seen people take a phone photo of the picture on the screen at the ride exit… just do not get caught.

11. Disney Village: a change of scene outside the parks

Near the two Disney Parks and Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy station, where you can catch a train to Paris, is Disney Village: a leisure area with restaurants, shops and entertainment. You do not need park admission to enter, so you can visit even on a day when you are not going into the parks.

It can be especially useful after a day in the parks, when you still want some Disney atmosphere but have had enough rides. It is also an option for dinner or a stroll before returning to your hotel.

The area has been redeveloped over the years and has a variety of restaurants and shops, from fast food to themed dining and more special options.

There is no need to set aside a whole day for Disney Village. We would treat it as a flexible extra: dinner after the parks, a stroll if you arrive early at the hotel, or a change of scene when the children have had enough rides.

One useful detail for guests at Disney Hotels or partner hotels: the station is right beside Disney Village, making it an easy landmark for finding your way around.

12. Watch the little extras

Once travel, hotel and tickets are booked, it is easy to feel that the budget is under control. But many small extra expenses can crop up during a Disneyland Paris stay, and together they can add up to a substantial amount.

Photos, souvenirs, drinks, a treat for the children, a special meal, paid services or simply a souvenir you had not planned to buy… Disneyland Paris is full of temptations, and it is easy to keep adding little extras throughout the day.

This is not about avoiding every extra expense. Some souvenirs are part of the experience, and your children will probably want to take something home. Decide before travelling which extras matter to your family and set aside part of your budget for them.

Giving children a small shopping budget can work very well. They can choose the souvenir they want while learning that they cannot buy everything they see. It always works for us.

Adults are not immune either. Going into a Disneyland Paris shop ‘just to look’ is a high-risk activity. Not recommended for geeky parents.

Bonus: what if something goes wrong?

When everything goes well, it is easy to get caught up in the Disneyland Paris atmosphere. Characters smile, staff are extremely friendly and everything is designed to feel special. The service is usually part of that experience.

After several trips, however, we have also learnt that things are not always perfect. A room that is not what you expected, a booking problem, a closed ride, a service that fails or another incident can completely change the experience.

This is where what we call ‘Disney syndrome’ appears: when everything goes well, it is all smiles and friendliness; when a problem needs solving, things can become rather more complicated.

We are not saying you should expect problems. Most visits go smoothly, and there is no point travelling with the assumption that something will go wrong. But magic does not always resolve an issue, and getting a solution can sometimes take patience and, above all, persistence.

If something goes wrong, do not settle for ‘we are sorry’ if you believe the problem needs a solution. Explain clearly what happened and what you need. Where possible, keep bookings, receipts, photographs and any other relevant documentation.

If you need to make a formal complaint, use the appropriate channels and keep a record of the communication.

We have experienced situations like this ourselves, which is why we prefer to mention them. Disneyland Paris can offer extraordinary moments, but that does not mean accepting every problem during a stay we have paid a great deal of money for.

The best approach is to prepare for a wonderful trip, while also knowing what to do if something goes wrong.

If these tips have helped…

If you are planning Disneyland Paris and found any of these tips useful, share them with friends or relatives considering a trip. They will appreciate it… and so will we.

What if you also want to visit Paris?

If you want to use your Disneyland Paris trip to explore the French capital, organised excursions are available with transport and a guided visit. They are a convenient option if you prefer everything arranged for you.

We prefer doing it independently. From Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy station, beside Disneyland Paris and Disney Village, you can take the RER A directly into Paris and explore at your own pace.

That is the main advantage: you are not tied to an organised excursion’s timetable. You can choose how long to spend in each place and when to return to Disneyland Paris.

If you want to explore Paris with children, we have a separate guide explaining how to organise your visit:

👉 Paris with kids: our guide to exploring the city as a family

Looking for a Disneyland Paris offer?

If reading about our experience has inspired you to plan a trip, you can check the available offers and options here:

Take a look here: Current offers for visiting Disneyland Paris