Top 10 Disneyland Paris First-Timer Tips
These first-time Disneyland Paris tips are designed to help you with things you might not know about vacationing in the French parks, how they differ from their United States counterparts, and what to know when planning your first visit. Most of these are based upon what we’ve learned from our visits to Disneyland Paris (and possibly inspired by mistakes we made).
While these tips apply in general to anyone visiting Disneyland Paris, the list is oriented towards Disney fans and preconceptions they might have based upon other Disney parks. In other words, there’s a focus on how Parc Disneyland (Disneyland Paris is the name of both the park and resort as a whole, so we’ll call the main park “Parc Disneyland” to distinguish between the two) and Walt Disney Studios Park differ from other parks.
If you’re a Disneyland Paris veteran, some of these may seem obvious. However, based on comments to our posts about Disneyland Paris and our conversations with others, there are a lot of misconceptions. These misconceptions can lead to certain mental expectations, which in turn can lead to disappointment as these parks deviate from said expectations.
A European vacation might be intimidating, but fortunately, visiting Disneyland Paris is a far less complicated of experience than visiting Walt Disney World or other Disney parks. These 10 tips should set you on the right course to having a great visit to Disneyland Paris…
10. The Two Parks Couldn’t Be Any More Different.
Parc Disneyland and The Walt Disney Studios Park are the two parks at Disneyland Paris (Resort), and they are polar opposites. Our preface about expectations and misconceptions might’ve made you think we wanted to lower your expectations for Disneyland Paris, but that isn’t the case.
Rather, we think expectations should be adjusted (for reasons we’ll get to). Parc Disneyland is more lavish, beautiful, and thematically impressive than any Walt Disney World park. It’s not necessarily better (for reasons we’ll also get to), but the park is a true gem and exemplifies the “Disney Details.”
Okay…so perhaps the “lower your expectations” part was true for The Walt Disney Studios Park. There’s no way around this: that park is Disney’s worst, and does not deserve to have Walt’s name in its title. It’s a stark contrast to its neighbor, too.
While Disneyland Paris is one of the most detail-rich Disney parks, The Walt Disney Studios Park is a loose collection of rides (several of which actually are quite good) with only the new Ratatouille mini-land having any beauty and sense of place.
9. There’s a lot of Walking
This is one that Disney fans have come to expect of the parks, particularly Walt Disney World. Especially since its 4 theme parks and 24 hotels encompass 25,000 acres. Even Disney fans can be surprised by the amount of walking at Disneyland Paris. While the walking inside the 2 theme parks is roughly the same, it’s the walking outside of the parks that can surprise you.
Like Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris was masterplanned to be an all-inclusive, ‘Disney bubble’ kind of experience. Unlike Walt Disney World, the entire resort at Disneyland Paris is walkable. It’s easy to go from Hotel Santa Fe to Parc Disneyland by foot, so people (me included) are inclined to do that rather than utilizing the free transportation that the resorts offer.
Doing this a couple of times in a day, plus regular in-park walking, can be tiring. Europe, in general, requires a lot of walking, so if you’re visiting Paris (or elsewhere) as part of your Disneyland Paris vacation, make sure you’re conditioned for walking 10+ miles per day.
8. Don’t Worry if You Don’t Speak French
Disneyland Paris was originally EuroDisney, and the idea when the resort was planned was to have it be Europe’s Disneyland. To some degree, that has occurred, making Disneyland Paris more of a ‘melting pot’ park for Europeans than a locals’ park like Disneyland or Tokyo Disneyland.
Not all Europeans speak the same language. While French is certainly the dominant language (largely to avoid misplaced accusations of it being a “cultural Chernobyl” among French ‘intellectuals’) at Disneyland Paris, English is a more widely-spoken language in Europe.
This doesn’t mean that every Cast Member will be fluent in English, but most can speak a serviceable amount, all signage is in English, and many attractions are in English. (The most notable omission is Phantom Manor, but having the park’s iconic attraction in French just seems right.)
7. Hotels are Expensive (But Don’t Have to Be!)
Despite a surplus of rooms, the official Disney hotels at Disneyland Paris can be very expensive. I find this puzzling, as a few of these hotels are quite dated and have low occupancy rates. While we love Sequoia Lodge and the newly-refurbished Newport Bay Club, we feel the rest are way overpriced for what they offer. Fortunately, there are some pretty exceptional deals from time-to-time (if you know where to look), and there are also off-site hotels within walking distance.
The off-site hotels, particularly in Val d’Europe, are a 5-minute RER (train) ride away, and within walking distance; we stayed in one during our first visit to Disneyland Paris. For the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon, we found on-site hotel rates to be exorbitant, so we’re instead opting to stay in Hôtel l’Elysée Val d’Europe–which you can see on the map above–for <$100/night (prices start ~$60/night).
Contrary to what this map shows, it’s not a field consisting of two hotels and scattered clouds; rather, it’s a charming little French suburb. There are several hotels, including Hipark Serris, all of which are about a 5-10 minute walk from the front entrance to Newport Bay Club. This makes these hotels roughly the same distance as Hotel Cheyenne or Santa Fe to Disneyland Paris.
6. Dining can be Frustrating
The most frustrating aspect of our visits to Disneyland Paris has been dining. Depending upon the season, over half of the restaurants are likely to be closed on any given day, a fact which you can’t learn until you’re in the park and see a sign out front informing you that a particular restaurant is closed.
Under that closure sign, there’s a list of restaurants that are open, but often this listing is also inaccurate (and the signs themselves are inconsistent). Locating a place to eat can feel like some sort of hunger games-inspired challenge.
Plan on dining in Disneyland Paris after 6 pm? It gets even worse. At that point, your options are reduced to Casey’s Corner, Cafe Hyperion, and _________ (with this blank is either Lucky Nugget Saloon or Colonel Hathi’s Pizza Outpost—both if management is feeling super-generous). If Disneyland Paris’ main demographic were Bob Evans patrons, this wouldn’t be an issue. However, Europeans tend to eat late, which means that around 8 pm or so, the lines for restaurants are insane.
5. Everything is Getting Better
In advance of Disneyland Paris’ 25th Anniversary, Disneyland Paris undertook a multi-year plan called the “Experience Enhancement Plan” (EEP) consisting of numerous large-scale attraction refurbishments, hotel upgrades, menu updates, and other projects to improve the maintenance and quality of the resort as a whole.
This was a long time coming. While Disneyland Paris was designed beautifully from the get-go, its maintenance has lagged behind. The good news is that the park now looks better than ever, and even following the 25th Anniversary, Disneyland Paris continues to refresh older attractions and hotels. (As of 2018, Phantom Manor is receiving TLC, and Hotel New York will soon close to become Hotel New York: the Art of Marvel.)
There’s a lot of fascinating history that underscores the “why” of this (much of which is hinted at above), but suffice to say, EuroDisney was troubled from the beginning. Disneyland Paris has slowly been turning things around since its 20th Anniversary, and while it still isn’t perfect, it’s much improved. Whatever you’ve read about Disneyland Paris being a blighted place as compared to the other resorts is simply no longer true.
4. There’s a $@*#%* DRAGON!
If you’re anything like me, whenever watching House Hunters, you find yourself screaming at the television because the couples are asking inane questions about mildew damage in the bathrooms instead of important ones like whether a dragon lives below the house. If you, yourself have neglected to ask this question and consequently got stuck with a dragon-free house, fear not: all of your household dragon-dreams will be fulfilled by Disneyland Paris.
There’s a dragon Audio Animatronics figure under the castle, and it is spectacular. Seriously. This is worth mentioning because it’s a seldom-hyped thing if you look solely at planning resources that cover (proper) attractions, yet it’s one of the defining features of the park. This “hidden dragon” is the literal embodiment of what makes Disneyland Paris so special: the stunning details.
This item on the list was originally going to be “Don’t Miss Disney Dreams!” but given the top billing the nighttime spectacular receives, I don’t think it’s something many guests will overlook. (Illustrating the park’s details with a specific example is more important.)
Suffice to say, you should absolutely make a point of staying until the very end of the night and snagging a prime viewing location (here are our recommendations) for Disney Dreams. I would consider it the high-water mark for castle park shows. It’s like Disneyland Forever!, but with less pyro and more other effects.
3. Planning Isn’t Critical
While I’d say Disneyland Paris is more like Walt Disney World than it is any other worldwide resort in terms of layout, it’s more like Disneyland in terms of the necessity of planning. There’s no FastPass+ (yet), reservations aren’t necessary or possible at most restaurants, and having an efficient daily itinerary is not incredibly important.
To be sure, there are a handful of restaurants where reservations can (and should) be made a couple of days in advance, a few attractions that should be done early in the morning (or via FastPass), and other things to know, but by and large, you can wing.
This is one big reason that, outside of our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide, we don’t have a ton of articles covering Disneyland Paris. The posts we do have are more centered around our preferences, rather than strategy.
2. Cultures are Different
First I drop the bomb that not everyone in Europe speaks French, now this info that different cultures are different? You might be wondering, what will we learn next?! I can’t dispute that this blog is basically Sesame Street (and I’m Oscar). Visiting France is hardly a culture shock, but it’s worth noting that certain elements of European culture are different than American culture.
One of the biggest issues I see Disney veterans having with Disneyland Paris is the different cultures they encounter. The two most frequent complaints I see are those regarding smokers and blasé Cast Members. The first is simple: it’s Europe, more people smoke. The second concern is a little trickier. For most Cast Members, working at Disneyland Paris is just another job.
The reality, though? For most Cast Members, working at Walt Disney World is just another job. There are superlative Cast Members at both that go above and beyond, with a few at both who will actually go the extra mile to make an indelible impression on guests. The difference is in the average Cast Members who don’t go the extra mile.
At Walt Disney World, you will find a lot of Cast Members who will smile and half-heartedly recite a canned line such as, “have a magical day” as you enter an attraction. Parisians are not big on feigned enthusiasm, and this type of interaction is fairly uncommon at Disneyland Paris.
Personally, this “difference” does not matter to me. Maybe I’m jaded, but I do not view throwaway lines as a hallmark of actual guest service. When it comes to substantive customer service, I can draw virtually no distinctions among the Anaheim, Orlando, Paris, and Hong Kong parks.
This is in no way a knock on any of them. Disney parks tend to attract a lot of passionate people. I feel all offer high-level customer service on the whole, and there are about the same number of exemplary, passionate Cast Members working at each location.
1. Sip Like a Fine, French Wine
This feels cliche, but Disneyland Paris really is like a fine wine, meant to be enjoyed slowly, rather than from commando-style, racing from attraction to attraction. Along with #2 on this list, I think this is the biggest reason why so many people don’t enjoy Disneyland Paris. If you’re a ride-junkie, Parc Disneyland might do very little for you.
If you are a fan of the design, details, and ambiance that makes Disney parks a cut above the rest, Parc Disneyland will speak to you in a way that no other in the pantheon of castle parks can (not even Disneyland). This is like the Jurassic Park of castle parks, in which no expense was sparred, making the place a veritable gold mine of “hidden dragons.”
I could spend days exploring the park without doing a single attraction (Frontierland’s Thunder Mesa is particularly enchanting for me), and I view exploration of the park with utmost importance. Here’s how I described it in our 1-Day Disneyland Paris Plan & Strategy post: It truly is a treasure trove of details, and a park that is meant to be sipped like a fine wine. For all that Disneyland Paris lacks, it does not lack a wonderful sense of romanticism and design that simultaneously achieves (otherwise contradictory) feelings of grandiosity and quaintness.
Disneyland Paris is a park for wandering around, taking photos, and just generally soaking up the essence of great thematic design. Like Tokyo DisneySea, it feels like the Imagineers were given a blank check for the overall design of the park.
At the end of the day, this is what matters most about Disneyland Paris to me, and why I love the place so much.
For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Want to see more photos or read about Disneyland Paris in agonizing detail? Check out our Disneyland Paris 20th Anniversary Trip Report or our Disneyland Paris 25th Anniversary Trip Recap!
YOUR THOUGHTS…
If you’ve been, what first-timer tips do you have for Disneyland Paris? What do you like to do most at Disneyland Paris? If you’ve never been to Disneyland Paris, what questions do you have about the resort? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your questions and thoughts in the comments!
Thank you Tom for this useful post! 🙂
In a not-so-close-I-do-not-know-when-future I am planning to visit DLP for the first time, and I am reading all your posts on the park, admiring your beautiful photos and trying to keep in mind all your wise tips.
Thanks a lot for the great work you and Sarah do to keep this blog up-to-date! It is really a great source of information.
Kisses and hugs from Italy.
You must tell the first timers that 50% of the attractions wi’ll be closed tillen summer 2017.
For example now the hole frontierland is closed inc. the trainstation.
So take a look on the site of Disneyland Paris wich attractions are not closet.
I must disagree a little bit regarding dining experience. Not so many restaurants are closed and the food is far far far better thna in California for example (I was there las sumemr) where there are 2 good TS, that’s all. In France, you can find very good food at Walt restaurant, Blue Lagoon, Auberge de Cendrillon, the two restaurants of the Disneyland Hotel (almost “insinde” the park), agrabah café, bistrot chez remy or Silver Spur Steackhouse, which are all TS.
and the list of restaurants is here :
http://www.disneylandparis.fr/restaurants/
10 were closed, 57 were open
When we’ve been there, that page has been wildly inaccurate. Perhaps it’s a seasonal thing (or more restaurants are open now), but the ratio of closed restaurants is far higher than that, in our experience.
10. You’re so right. For some reason it’s always a bit of a disappointment when you enter the studios. Where DLP has too many details to process, the studios are the complete opposite. Studio Tram Tour and Armageddon special effects, are probably the worst attraction in the park.
6. Trust me, even for Europeans it’s frustrating to dine at DLP. And that goes hand in hand with point 9. Walk, walk, walk untill you do find a restaurant that’s open.
Btw, not all Europeans eat that late, upper half tends to eat between 6pm and 8pm, lower half between 8pm and 10pm. 😀
4. I can’t believe when people talk about their DLP trip, they didn’t see this little sweetheart, just cause they couldn’t find the entrance.
2. During the summer they also rely on a lot of students from all over Europe. Not saying it’s a bad thing. But DLP castmembers are indeed less jolly than the castmembers in WDW. Last year I took a picture in a shop on Main street USA of a glasblowing castmember. On the picture he gives me a look like he wants to bust a cap in …
Whilst whenever I see movies on Youtube of castmembers in WDW or TDS, they always seem so animated and friendly.
But I can’t help it, I love DLP. The hotels, Disneyland Village, the park itself all breaths that one thing that makes us all like Disney so much. I’m also looking forward to visit TDS, Epcot and WDW someday. Maybe you should write a similar article about visiting WDW for the first time, for foreigners. 😉
Walt Disney World does the same with its College Program, and the Cast Members in the CP can be very hit or miss, as well. Sarah tends to strike up conversations with random CMs in the park, and several of the CPs have flat out told her “this isn’t what I expected at all.” Some love it and are extremely energetic, and since they are only there for a few months, the chances of burning out are lower, but it’s not all rainbows, sunshine, and jolliness at Walt Disney World, either.
No exactly. I also talk to CM’s when opportunity arises. Like you said some love working there, others don’t. I do believe they get a lot of pressure, trying to satisfy all these visitors day in, day out. As much as I love Disneyland, I would nerver want to work in one of the parks. Firstly because the behind the scènes would take away a lot of the magic. And secondly, I never want to associate Disneyland with work. Cause like you said, I’m sure that behind the scènes it ain’t all sunshine and roses.
Especially that dragon underneath the castle has a hard time, entertaining people all day long without a single break. 🙂
Anyway thanks for the reply Tom and keep up these great articles.
Thanks for the tips. I’m a bit confused about dining – are the TS places also closed in the evenings, or just most of the CS? In that case, should we contradict the “planning isn’t essential” top and make a couple TS reservations for the evenings so we have something decent to eat?
I can’t think of a single table service restaurant I’ve seen open late for dinner in the park. Maybe Blue Lagoon or Walt’s?
Table service restaurants in the hotels are open much later, and I’ve never found the need for reservations at them.
That is disappointing, but good to know ahead of time as we make plans. Thanks!
Hi Kevin,
In January we could make a reservation at Bistro Chez remy in the WDS for 5:00pm when closing time was 6pm. They let in guests till 5:15pm and then closed the entrance. However, we could enjoy our dinner and could take all the time we needed. We made this late reservation so I could take pictures of an almost empty chez remy and, even better, an empty park! When we were finished (somewhere between 6:30 and 7pm) we had to wait for a CM who would bring us to the exit of the park. The walking pace was slow so I could snap some pretty neat pictures of an empty park. But as far as I know that is the only restaurant in the parks that is open late.
This was in low season though, over all I would recommend making a TS reservation just in case. And don’t forget the Disney Village restaurants. We prefer having TS there than CS in the parks and it is just a 5 minute walk (yes we Europeans love to walk).
Tom, nice to see you guys will go to the first Disneyland Paris Run too! I only participate in the 5k run, but that will be fun too. Do you have tickets for the special WDS evening prior to the runs on friday too?
My husband and I just returned from Paris and we visited DLP last Friday. I have been to WDW 76 times (I heart WDW) and DL once. I have to say- I was horribly disappointed in DLP. While I liked the semi-consistent nostalgia the park provoked, I was angered that over half of the main attractions were either closed or undergoing refurbishment. Better planning for ride closures is commonplace at WDW/DL and staggered to account for crowd flux. The food was also odd-we ate at Walt’s which was ok, but nothing to write home about. I expected more. They don’t even offer Mickey Bars. Even the resort at Hilton Head has Mickey Bars…
DLP Park aside, Walt Disney Studios Park was shocking. I couldn’t believe there was an Armageddon attraction. People, that movie was released in 1998! RNRC was closed and the only two attractions that seemed to generate any line/interest were Crush’s Coaster (IE the Crazy Mouse) and Ratatouille.
My husband and I are runners and were considering the new half marathon offered here and unfortunately this visit has made us re-think that decision.
I do appreciate the unique details- especially with SB Castle and I really wanted to like DLP but overall I was underwhelmed.
For the last year-plus, Disneyland Paris has been in the midst of its Experience Enhancement Plan, which is basically an accelerated, widescale refurbishment schedule to make up for years of neglect at certain attractions and around the park. It’s unfortunate for visitors going now, but the reality is that they would *never* be able to get on top of maintenance if they just introduced a regular refurbishment calendar. This had to be done, and the future will be better for it.
I had no idea DLP didn’t sell Mickey Bars. They do nothing for me; I find them to be just like any ordinary ole ice cream bar, ha.
Most of these refurbishments will be ongoing during the Half Marathon. I’d recommend waiting until after April 2017 before your next visit.
Another good article! I did my only DLP trip in summer 2014 right after the Ratatouille ride and area opened. Some thoughts based on your article:
We stayed at the Hotel Cheyenne (not knowing if we’d ever get back here), which I really liked (no themed hotel quite like it in WDW). We loved the ability to walk to and from the parks, but at that time were adults with no kids. Walking was fine, and the walk from Hotel Cheyenne passed by many other hotels which we explored. And walking was better than riding the bus in WDW in my opinion.
DLP is the perfect park hopper park! With the entrance to both parks a few minutes walk from each other, we park hopped 2 of the 3 days. DL is the only other place where the entrances are so close.
At least the Disney hotels included a buffet breakfast (maybe all French hotels?), and thanks to your articles and others I read, we would pack lunches to eat from the breakfast options. That saved some money and time in the parks.
Smoking: Maybe we’re the exception, but smoking wasn’t a problem for us, you would see maybe 1 out of 25 guests smoking, but it wasn’t like sitting in a bowling alley or bar back in the old days. If we got behind a smoker or two, we’d go around them etc.
We had no problems with cast members speaking limited English.
While I’ve never stayed there, I *love* Hotel Cheyenne. If I could find a good deal there, I’d choose it over one of the Val d’Europe hotels in an instant. For me, that is Value Resort theming done right (and it’s infinitely better than Hotel Santa Fe).
I always walk everywhere at DLP, but that doesn’t bother me. I will taking walking 10 times out of 10, even if someone tells me taking a bus or shuttle will probably be shorter. I prefer walking because I’m in control of my own destiny, don’t have to wait, etc. That’s just my personality, though.
I also have never had an issue with smoking in DLP, but I know it’s a common complaint. There have been a few times I’ve seen people smoking outside the designated areas, but I’ve seen the same at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, so that’s really no different.
Paris is my home park, I’ve been to WDW too, and I have to say I prefer the French customer service – I absolutely detest the overly friendly staff at WDW – I get its a cultural thing but it just rings false to me.
While the food is abysmal (I’m vegan so choice is even more limited), I think Paris has the best versions of a lot of rides (Space Mountain, Phantom Manor, Rock N Roll Rollercoaster), the best castle (I was stunned that you could only go up into the castle in WDW with restaurant ressies, I just didn’t think!) and amazing attention to detail.
Seqouia Lodge is an amazing hotel and Newport has really benefitted from a refurb (which the Disneyland needs) – the Cheyanne is one of my favourites though, the theming is perfect.
I’m not sure it’s really a cultural thing. It’s only the middle of the United States where that kind of friendliness is really a thing–you typically won’t encounter it on either coast. Even in the middle of the country, most other entry-level or low-paying jobs do *not* require that kind of feigned enthusiasm. I think it rings false for a lot of people because it is false.
Not to take away from the *ahem* magic, but there are many situations where a Cast Member saying “have a magical day” is code for a very different sentiment.
I totally agree on the customer service – I personally think the perceived rudeness from CMs is predominantly just the different between US and European culture. When I travel to the US, it’s always a bit of a culture shock getting used to the overly friendly customer service!
Reports from DLP at the moment are really encouraging, that they’re bringing in more of the small touches and updating the parks to make the experience better. For example – switching out the Ant Man ‘preview’ for a Pixar shorts festival, adding a puppet show to the Lucky Nugget restaurant, and bringing in proper celebration buttons rather than the stickers they used to give out. I think they are really trying to bring the park more up to date.
My top advice for DLP to first timers would be that Sunday in my experience is the busiest day in the park. My last trip was 2014 over a long weekend. Fri and Sat were low-mid levels of crowds (and i think the Saturday was Valentines day!). Sunday was just insane, maybe twice the number of people around.
I would also suggest not having anything but a very loose touring plan for DLP. You just can’t account for what restaurants will be open, the weather, etc. If you have 2 or more days you will have plenty of time to do everything, so just go with the flow a bit, and soak up the ambience :).
There’s a puppet show at Lucky Nugget?!? Now I have to find details of this. I already enjoyed my experience there (without entertainment), so now revisiting it has become a must-do!
Great tips on your last two points–especially the loose plan one. Having a detailed itinerary, whether it be mental or written, is a recipe for disappointment because you are likely to encounter unforeseeable obstacles.
Some more info on the puppet show – http://www.magicforum.eu/index.php?topic=20509.0
http://dlrpexpress.fr/article-WoodyetsesamisdbarquentauLuckyNuggetSaloon
Apparently there will be three rotating shows – featuring Woody, Mickey and Minnie!
Thanks for this article. Whilst I’ve visited DLP many times over the years, it’s now 4 years since I’ve been.
I’ve been planning (or at least thinking) ahead for the runDisney weekend, and had already largely decided that I’m really not that bothered about rides, and planning to spend the weekend soaking up the architecture and design.
Hope you can get the medical certificate sorted, I assume they’ll offer an extension, as I’ve heard they’re making bibs available in August, so must plan to let those folk submit certificates much nearer the time.
I’m waiting to hear back from DLP on the medical certificate issue. Turnaround time is supposed to be 5 days. I already submitted my proof of completing the Dopey Challenge, so they *know* I’m capable of doing this (I realize it’s a French law, not a decision of race officials, but I’m hoping the proof of time for the Dopey helps with them being flexible). We shall see–I’m going to be there regardless, as the rest of the trip is already booked.
Hi Tom,
Me and my wife live in Holland so the Paris park is our “home” park so to speak. It holds a special place in our hearts because it was the first Disney park we visited 20 years ago. Now that we have been to all Disney parks in the world multiple times I can safely say that the Paris Disneyland park is still the most stunning castle park in the world. WDS has a couple of our favorite rides but it severly lacks atmosphere.
I want to point out that my wife and I think that all Disney parks are designed to take in slowly like a good French wine like you say. Wether you are in Orlando or in the crazy busy Tokyo parks, we always slow down and take it in at our own pace. We never go commando because that takes away from the experience and overall feeling of your days in the parks. We rather see 3/4 of a park in a good way than chasing our tails all over the place and get exhausted by noon.
In the last 12 months we have been to WDW, DLRP, TDLR and HKDL and I must say that the castmembers in Tokyo are still the most awesome castmembers in the world. But, the castmembers in Paris were very good last December and were overall better than the ones we encountered in WDW. Hong Kong castmembers were abysmal this time around. The ones in the hotel were fantastic but the castmembers in the park……..oh my god!!! A far cry from our last visit there in 2011. Albert the monkey made up for all the ruseness in the parks. I think the Chinese and Indian people visiting Hong Kong are even worse than Europeans. Next year will be a very important year for Paris and we will definitely visit the resort a couple of times to enjoy it in it’s refreshed splendor, hope to see you there someday!
Hurray for the dragon!!!
I’ve never had an issue with Cast Members at HKDL. I think at *any* of the parks there is the possibility for having negative encounters, and a few of those unlikely encounters has a tendency to sour people on Cast Members there as a whole. I guess what I’m saying is don’t let a few bad apples spoil the entire bushel.
Outside of Tokyo (which is in an entirely different league due to Japanese standards of service), all of the other parks are more or less the same, I think.
Yay! Thanks for bringing up the dragon. She’s the best. Although I have been surprised at how many people have no idea what Disney Dreams is. Last time we saw it, we staked out a spot behind one of the flower boxes, and since we had some extra room, we invited a nice English family to come share our spot once it got closer to showtime. The poor people had been there for several days and obviously hadn’t accomplished much…and they hadn’t seen the dragon.
My tips:
13) Salted popcorn is only available on Main street. The rest of the lands have sugared popcorn (French people eat sugared popcorn in movie theaters. Crazy, I know!)
12) Space Mountain is a horrible experience. Many people are surprised by its common very low waits. Well, that’s why.
11) You have to go on Big Thunder Mountain at night. I don’t know if the other parks have this, but there’s this one moment where you go around a turn and you’re met with a beautiful view of the park and castle.
I actually think the DLP version of Space Mountain is my favourite! Maybe i’m just strange?!
Really?? The reason I bring it up is that the ride track is incredibly bumpy. Like, by the end you feel dumber because of all the brain bashing. DLR’s version is much smoother. That said, if you don’t mind the IQ decrease, maybe the loops are enjoyable?
This isn’t a common opinion, and perhaps it’s influenced by my low expectations from the overwhelmingly negative reputation it has earned on the Internet, but I enjoyed Walt Disney Studios just fine. It’s also a popular place, so the “badness” of it isn’t scaring away guests.
No, it’s not the same as Disneyland next door, but don’t expect that, and you just might like it.
I hate to mention it, but tip number six features a photo of Vidéopolis with a burnt out light on the letter E…
Tip #11 from me is to consider skipping fastpass on Big Thunder Mountain and Ratatouille. They have exquisitely detailed queue lines. That said, they are among the best uses of fastpass, so if your crunched for time, give this a miss!
Tip #12 is: don’t judge the Walt Disney Studios park until you seen it. I don’t think anyone in their right mind can dispute that it’s the worst park (even compared to DHS in its current poor state), but the worst Disney park is still a high bar and there are some great details to be seen if you give it a chance. Many people are not fans of Studio 1 (the covered entrance area), but it’s a unique entrance to a park and is filled with movie inspired details. The main problem with it is that it’s small, and there’s a great imbalance of popularity of attractions between the Production Courtyard/Backlot side and the Toon Studio/Toy Story/Place de Remy side… But there is potential!
Pfft…that burnt out light is the *least* of the burnt out lights I’ve seen at Disneyland Paris. From half of the popcorn lights on the main entry marquee to numerous buildings on Main Street, that has been an ongoing struggle for Disneyland Paris. Hopefully something the park fixes with the EEP.
Count me among those who think Studio 1 is awful. It would be a neat corridor for a backlot area, but it’s no way to enter the park. Of course, when the “big reveal” is as awful as WDSP’s, maybe that’s not such a big deal.
I thought you might balk at that 😉
Whilst reiterating that it is the worst entrance to any Disney park by far, if you’re dead set to appreciate detail in WDS, Studio One is where it is. There are frequently live musicians (during Spring Into Spring, but also at other times and seasonally) which give it a good atmosphere – and it’s more than DHS does by way of ‘random’ live entertainment, to be totally frank. There are plenty of clips on YouTube if you haven’t seen this.
On top of this, there really are some nice details. These are mostly at the end closer to the park. Sure, it pales in comparison to Cars Land, but there are some nice homages to motoring and California. And the spotlights give it quite a good energy. I think my biggest criticism is in them putting an uninspired quick service restaurant covering the entire right hand side. I know I’m not going to “win” this debate, but I thought it could do with a bit of defending!
This is awesome. I’ve been relying on all your DLP info — I’ve read through your trip reports a few times (I’m a fiend for information — don’t judge!) in preparation for our October 2016 trip. I’m excited — but have also tempered my expectations. I’m hoping that will make it an enjoyable trip. We had an amazing 3-day trip to DLR last June and I am so grateful for all your reviews and advice! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear about your September trip for the DLP Half!
Here’s hoping I’m able to run the DLP Half. I misread the medical form requirement, and thought I had to have it with me–in reality it’s due June 1, and I won’t have a chance to get to the doctor by then.
Uh wut. You need a medical form? None of the other Disney races require them, correct?
You need a medical form for everything in France. My daughter had to get one to take an art class!!
What a great article Tom. I couldn’t agree more with all of your points.
I’m glad you brought up the issue of dining. On my last trip I was flabbergasted that most of the restaurants were closed. I wasted so much time deciding where to eat, trekking across the park to eat there, finding it was closed, and then having to do it all again repeatedly. In the end I found that one of the only places open was the quick service in Discoveryland, and because it was one of the few places open it was jam packed with massive queues.
Another point I would raise is the ease of getting to and from the centre of Paris. The train station is right at the heart of the resort, closer to the parks than the parking lot and all but one of the hotels. It’s very easy to pop to the resort for a day from Paris, or vice versa.
Another thing to watch out for are the opening hours of the parks. Often during the week they don’t open in the morning until 10am!
Your comment about the perceived rudeness of the cast members is spot on. I’ve encountered amazing cast members and distinctly average cast members at both WDW and DLP. All I would say is that I think DLP cast members have gotten a lot better over the years.
I’ve likened the Walt Disney Studios as a staging area for a Disney theme park. It’s basically a massive asphalt parking lot, where Disney has dumped a load of attractions, still in their boxes, ready to be placed into an amazing theme park next door. It looks cheap and temporary. This was a park that was thrown together with minimal budget, and boy does it show. It’s not somewhere you want to spend any time in. However, it does have some fantastic attractions, including clones (Tower of Terror and Rock and Rollercoaster) and some really amazing originals (Crush’s Coaster, Cinemagique, Ratatouille). Its saving grace is that it’s next door to Disneyland Park, so you can just pop in and out as quickly as possible!
Personally, I would do a split stay between Paris and DLP, but that’s just me. I like being out late and night, up early, etc., and I like to be able to walk wherever I’m going. We’ve been able to score great places on Airbnb, and I’m hopeful that hotel prices will be really low for our visit this fall!
Otherwise, totally agree with all of your points.
We visited this past December and the list is spot on. I’ll admit we relied often on your recommendation of Earl of Sandwich for good food and free wifi.
We stayed 3 nights at Hotel Elysee and would completely recommend it to anyone. Extremely convenient to DLP and Paris.
My #11 would be to be aware of the weather. One night we were there was 40 degrees and windy and we found that an upsetting amount of their queues were outdoors. We spent a long evening in the Cable Car Bake Shop staying warm.
The Earl of Sandwich (and free WiFi) tip probably should’ve been in the body of this article. They get bonus points for now serving more than just sandwiches, too!
Great point about weather. We’ve been there when the temperatures are freezing in the winter.
This is a terrific report and as a first-time visitor two years ago I completely agree. Two other points from this Californian: plan for rain even in July, and two of my favorite watering holes were the western barbecue in Frontierland and the Jazz bar on the second floor of the Disneyland Hotel, a great respite from the wet and busy park, open to the public with great drinks and a gorgeous setting with attentive, friendly service akin to Carthay Circle. I wouldn’t waste another second in the Studios.
Another good point here is that the bars in the hotels are open *late* and serve pretty good food. On our last visit, we refrained from another meal at Cafe Hyperion (for fear of being poisoned) and instead just held out and dined at the bars once the parks closed.
#11 – It’s really, really dark in the park at night. You can and will get very lost in the area around Indiana Jones if you venture over there after dark.
That area and Frontierland are quite dark by design. I’m not entirely sure why that is, but I’ve gotten the feeling they were semi-abandoned/closed once nighttime hit.
Tom,
Love the website, thanks for all of your useful information and your enthusiasm. Any thoughts on how to also see Paris proper while also experiencing Disneyland Paris? My wife and I have never been to Paris at all, I’m planning an upcoming trip, and we would like to see Disneyland Paris as part of our stay. How accessible is Paris from the Disney hotels? Would a split stay (part Disney resort, part hotel closer to central Paris) be better?
I would do a split stay, but that’s largely personal preference. The RER is pretty convenient if you don’t want to change hotels.
As for other Paris trip planning tips, I don’t think I’ve spent enough time to offer sound advice. We plan on spending another week there this fall–maybe after that.