After being in Paris for work for a week I got the chance to check out Disneyland Paris for a couple days! This park is gorgeous! I may have only had two days but I really did just about everything. Some things were very similar to DisneyWorld and Disneyland and some things were very unique. I will be dreaming about this park for a long time! I can’t wait to share it with you!
Checking in
I only had two days to spend in the parks and wanted to make every minute count! I got up super early Tuesday morning and took an uber to the park from where I was staying in Paris. What was interesting was that to uber. directly to the hotel would have been $30 more expensive even though it was right there. I was on a budget and hate to spend extra money on something like that if I don’t have to so I just set it to take me to the main entrance to Disneyland Paris. I could walk to the hotel from there. Of course, I had been there for work so I had two huge suitcases and two smaller bags. What I didn’t realize was that in order to get through to walk to the hotel I had to go through the security screening!
This was more than just walking through a metal detector like we have here. Disneyland Paris security was like the airport where your bags go through the scan machine! I had four bottles of wine and all of the sample bottles I had brought from home for the trade show in my suitcases. So of course I got stopped and asked why I had so many bottles! I explained what I had been there for and showed pictures from the trade show and showed my reservation at the hotel. After some deliberation they finally let me go and reminded me not to bring my suitcases into the parks! Haha! Not a problem, I was about ready to throw them off a cliff at this point!
I was then on my way dragging all this stuff what really was a short walk to the hotel but felt like a ten mile trek. I stayed at Hotel New York: The Art of Marvel and it did not disappoint! Absolutely recommend, especially if you have a marvel fan in your crew. I am going to write a whole separate post about the hotel so for now I’ll keep it short. I had already done check in on the Disneyland Paris app so I just had to drop my bags off since it was so early in the morning. With staying at the resort I had early access to the parks and even though I had had some hold ups, I was still going to get in early! Dropping bags was quick and easy and I was off to the park!
Magic Pass
In Disneyland Paris they use a Magic Pass for everything when you have a package. This pass was my park ticket, had my meals linked to it and the physical Magic Pass was also my room key. At this point I was just using the digital version from the app that I had added to my Apple wallet. Super easy to use and very convenient! Disneyland Paris’ tap points to get into the parks are the same as the ones in Disneyland California only they do not actually take your picture. I did get the physical card later when I went to my room and it is a cool souvenir unique to each person which was very cool!
Half Board Meal Plan
Disneyland Paris has meal plans that go with their room and ticket packages just like the parks here in the US. But they are a little different. You can do what’s called a half board, which is what I did. This includes the breakfast buffet restaurant at your hotel and then lunch or dinner at any restaurant of your choosing. The full board plan offers the same thing but with lunch AND dinner instead of either or. I knew I would not want to sit down for two meals a day so I went with the half board.
You can use those lunch/dinner credits at any restaurant on property whether it is quick service, table service or buffet. The only restriction is that if you book a character meal you will only be able to use it for cash value and not the whole meal so it only covers about half of the bill at those locations. I didn’t want to waste it on quick service so I made a couple of dinner reservations at table service locations to get the most out of it! Also, food does not disappoint here but we will get into that later!
Let’s Go Ride Some Rides!
Early entry started at 8:30am and I ended up entering the park about 9am so I still had a half hour to utilize that extra time! When I tell you that Disneyland Paris has the most beautiful park entrance, I am not exaggerating! I took sooo many pictures. I entered over to the side for early entry but otherwise you enter through the Disneyland Hotel. Mickey and Minnie were up in the train station to say good morning as you entered the park, perfect start to a park day! I made my way up Main Street towards the castle, she is so beautiful! So different than our two castles. Again, sooooo many pictures!
Frontierland
I took a left at the end of Main Street and headed into Frontierland! This entrance looks like going through the fort on the old Tom Sawyer Island in Magic Kingdom which got me in my feels a little bit. I miss Tom Sawyer Island! From there it was straight to Thunder Mountain that only had a 20 minute wait. I had done my research and knew this would be the lowest wait time I would see for this one. I love Thunder Mountain so I was excited to see how different it was in Disneyland Paris. It is located on an island in the middle of Frontierland which made for a great view and of course more pictures! There were not a lot of differences on the actual ride except it is much faster and more intense than ours back home. I loved it!
After the wildest ride in the wilderness I went over to what I was MOST excited for! Phantom Manor!! This is the Disneyland Paris version of Haunted Mansion and I couldn’t wait to ride this! It was basically a walk on but would have been worth whatever wait was posted. It is so different from ours. The story is darker and a lot of the elements are different to fit that storyline. Everything is connected in the Disneyland Paris Frontierland, which I really loved. Phantom Manors story is that the family who started the Big Thunder Mountain Mining Company lived there and they were cursed because of how they mined. They released and then were haunted by a phantom who tormented them and killed the husbands, leaving the brides sad and alone. Don’t quote me on all of that but I think that’s the jest of it.
The pre-show and the stretching room are totally different and so very cool! It was also cool to hear parts of the pre-show dialog in French. The area where you get in your doom buggy is a grand staircase with the ride standing on the middle landing, gorgeous! Throughout the ride you are seeing the phantom haunt the bride and he is creepy! When you fall out of the attic in our version you actually go underground like you’re falling into a grave in this one.
They do have grim grinning ghosts at the end but honestly it doesn’t really fit because the ride is so much darker! I am obsessed with Phantom Manor and may have ridden this four times while I was there!!! The WDW version is still my favorite but this is right behind it! Big life dream is to ride every version of Haunted Mansion that exists, three down!
When you exit Phantom Manor you can just go out or you can go to the left to what is called Boot Hill. This is where the cemetery and mausoleum are located. There are lots of things explaining the connection to Thunder Mountain here and some incredible views of Frontierland. I am positive I missed some amazing details in this area but I loved it!
Adventureland
Next I was off to Adventureland! This is my favorite land in Walt Disney World so I was excited to explore in Disneyland Paris! Adventureland did not disappoint me! I started with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril. This looks like a big archeological dig site and is a roller coaster. It was super fun but also super short! Think Barnstormer but way more intense, like upside down and super fast! I will say, it will rock your brain a little so keep your head pushed back or your bell will be rung!
I bought a pair of Disneyland Paris ears here, I couldn’t resist them! Pirates of the Caribbean was up next but had to take some time to explore Skull Rock. The pirate ship was closed for refurbishment so I couldn’t actually go on it but it was very cool to see it. The caves here include Davy Jones Locker and Skull Rock. This is such a cool area, lots of pictures! Haha!
The Disneyland Paris Pirates of the Caribbean was awesome! Lot’s of similarities but also so different! The animatronics are definitely more updated and some of the scenes are just put together differently. You don’t end in the treasure room, Jack Sparrow is sitting with his riches in a cave instead. Minor things like that. And we got more than one drop! Still love our version but this one was fantastic!
Fantasyland
I realized later that there were more things past Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland but I got distracted by the Skull Rock, Pirate Ship views and kind of went around it and ended up in Fantasyland. This may be a weird thing to be excited about but I was stoked to see the Mr Toad quick service restaurant! I didn’t eat there but I did go in and explore, I love Mr Toad and wish we had something in Magic Kingdom still. I spent some time just taking in the views in this land and of course taking more pictures, haha! Some Princesses walked by, Mary Poppins, Bert and the Penguins were greeting guests and I stopped for a Disneyland Paris snack.
At this point my phone did not have the same level of energy I did so I needed to figure that out. Luckily, Disneyland Paris has portable chargers you can rent for a couple of hours or for the day. A couple of hours is only $5 and the whole day is $10. It does initially put a $30 hold on your card in case you don’t return it but it drops off once you return. There are multiple stations throughout both parks. Once My phone was getting some juice, it was time to ride It’s a Small World! I loved that the outside facade had the Eiffel Tower featured so beautifully. The ride itself was very similar to ours but it was interesting to see how America was depicted. Cowboys, Indians, NYC, Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood and sports fans! I mean I guess that’s pretty accurate.
I actually left Fantasyland for Tomorrowland but I circled back to finish up later! The castle was my first stop when I came back. You can go into the castle in Disneyland Paris and it is full of fun things. There is a Christmas store and a crystal arts store where you can get a customized magic wand! You can usually go upstairs but that part was closed for refurbishment during my trip. You can go in the basement too where you will find the Maleficent dragon!! So very cool! he castle is so incredibly lovely on the inside. Murals, stained glass and so much detail!
After the castle it was time to go check out Snow White’s Scary Adventures! This was creepy and cute and nostalgic of the ride that terrified me as a child. And I loved it! Next was Pinocchio’s Journeys! This was such a cute ride through the Pinocchio story. Both of these were the best of classic Disney dark rides.
Discoveryland
I adore the steam punk look and vibe to Discoveryland. This would be the Tomorrowland of Disneyland Paris and it is incredible! I went straight to Hyperspace Mountain and hopped into the single rider line. This ride is honestly NOTHING like Space Mountain. They have a Star Wars overlay that puts you in the middle of a starlight in space! On top of that the track is way more intense but also a lot smoother. You have 360’s and spirals, it was awesome! The ride vehicles are obviously very different too and more like the Rockin’ Roller Coaster ride vehicles than Space Mountain. Hyperspace Mountain is about to get an overhaul and go back to its Jules Verne roots. I so hope I get to go back and ride it once that is complete!
After Hyperspace Mountain I headed over to check out the Nautilus. This is a walk through attraction where you get to go aboard the Nautilus. This was so incredibly cool! They have the sleeping quarters, masters quarters, portholes with views of underwater sea creatures and more! I know this isn’t super exciting to most people but this was one of my most favorite things in the park. The rest of Discoveryland has Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast and Orbitron which is kind of like Astro Orbiter but not as high up.
Walt’s Restaurant
I had an early, 4pm dinner reservation at Walt’s Restaurant so it was time to go eat! My half board meal package included the three course meal and it was the perfect amount of food. I had skipped lunch so I was hungry! I was a little worried that three courses would be too much and I wouldn’t be able to finish but they were the perfect size. For the starter I had the choice of:
- Seasonal Cream Soup
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Romaine Salad
- Vegan Red Cabbage and Tofu dish
I chose the Chicken Pot Pie and it was so good!! The pastry was perfect!
For the main courses you could choose from:
- Chili con Carne with a “can” of Walt’s favorite Chili
- BBQ free range Chicken with polenta, veggies and chicken gravy
- Mac & Cheese with pastrami and crispy onions
- Pan friend sea bass with Rice Risotto, Beans and Veggies
- Vegan Stuffed Cabbage with Mashed Potatoes, mushrooms and BBQ Sauce
I had the Chili con Carne and it was fantastic! The little “can” of chili was so cute and so tasty.
And for dessert I had the choices of:
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Pineapple upside Down Cake
- Flower Street Sundae
- Vegan Chocolate Brownie
- Caramelised Millefeuille with Praline Mascarpone Cream
I chose the Lemon Meringue Pie! I have never met a slice of Lemon Meringue I didn’t like and this was no exception.
Separate from what was included in my meal plan I got the Floral Imagination cocktail. This was a gin cocktail with vermouth, violet liqueur, lavender syrup, apple juice, lime drink and egg white. It was so pretty and so delicious! I also got a cappuccino upon my waitresses suggestion and it was the perfect end to this fabulous meal.
Restaurant Theming
Walt’s Restaurant truly looks like a place Walt Disney would have gone for a meal and would have loved. There is a piano in the lobby and photographs of Walt, Lillian and Roy Disney. You go upstairs to the dining area and each room is themed to a different land in Disneyland Paris. I was in the Discoveryland room and had the perfect table by the fireplace and Nautilus map with a view of the bay window overlooking Main Street. It was so perfectly themed in each room and I am so glad I was able to get a last minute reservation here!
Hotel Break
After eating I was pretty tired. I knew I wanted to be able to see the fireworks show at the end of the night and I was starting to drag a little. After all I had been working pretty long days up until today and had been going since 6:30am. Plus I kind of wanted to see my room! So I walked back through Disney Village. The Disneyland Paris version of Disney Springs or Downtown Disney but much smaller. The walk between the hotel and the parks was super easy and nice, I really do appreciate the walkability!
Hotel New York Room
I am not going to go into too much detail here because I plan to write a separate blog all about the hotel. So stay tuned for that! When I got tot he hotel I gave my luggage ticket to the front desk to have my bags brought up. But to my surprise they were already in my room! Just like in the US resorts you have a digital key in the app and it alerts you when your room is ready. The room was amazing! The New York + Marvel theming were perfect. Elevated details and fixtures, an espresso/coffee machine, gorgeous bathroom and very cool artwork made the room perfect. The bed was super comfy too! I did something I rarely do and took a little nap!
Back To The Park
After my little rest it was time to head back to the park! I did explore the hotel just a bit and had to go to the first aid room at the pool to get a couple of band-aids for my foot. I probably spent a little too much time exploring the hotel but it was just so awesome. Once I got back in to the park I thought to myself, I think I have time to go ride Phantom Manor again. So I did! And got more pictures of it with the sun going down. This did put me at not the ideal spot for the fireworks show as people had already crowded in by the time I made my way over there. But it was still a decent view!
Disney Tales of Magic
Disney Tales of Magic is the name of the nighttime spectacular in Disneyland Paris and it is beautiful! The main focus is definitely the projections, the fireworks are much smaller than the ones we have in Disney World. Which did not bother me at all because the show itself is so gorgeous.
The show is about the power of dreams, imagination and believing in yourself. It, of course features all our Disney favorites with the perspective of dreams becoming reality. The projection of the Sleeping Beauty waltzing on the castle was definitely my favorite part! I wish I had had time to go back and see this show a second time, I would have sprung for the preferred viewing next time. The projections and lasers go all the way down Main Street just like in Disneyland!
Time For Bed
When the park closes in Disneyland Paris, it CLOSES! You are not going anywhere but out after those fireworks. I did swim upstream through the crowd to get some pictures by the castle. But other than that they had everything cleared out and would not let you go anywhere else. I took my pictures and headed down Main Street slowly! I tried to get a glass of champagne on the way out but the cart was closed.
The main store was still open but so crowded so I skipped that but the window to get some Disneyland Paris macarons! Spoiler on these, I still haven’t eaten them because they are just too pretty! But I’ll let you know if they are good when I finally let myself eat them! Haha! I strolled through a couple of the Disney Village stores on my way back to the hotel. I was pretty exhausted at this point so that pretty shower in the bathroom and the comfy bed were calling my name! Mickey was even back at the railroad station to wave goodnight to everyone!
Conclusion
There is so much more to share about this Disneyland Paris adventure but you will just have to stay tuned for part two! I had the absolute best day in the park and went to bed so excited to visit the Disney Adventure World the next day. Everything was just so pretty in the park. I have so many pictures I feel like I need to really do something with because they are just so pretty! The wait times were low, the vibe was chill and it was kind of nice to just explore on my own. I highly recommend visiting Disneyland Paris, you will not be disappointed! Stay tuned for day two in the parks plus full hotel and restaurant reviews. There was just too much to squeeze into one post. Thank you for reading and have a magical day!