“You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul. What I say is true—anyone can cook… but only the fearless can be great.”
-Auguste Gusteau
- Getting There:
- Choosing a Hotel:
- The Disneyland Hotel-
- Making Reservations:
- Fast Pass- Genie Plus- Premiere Access- whatever they are calling it
- Meals-
- Language:
- Parades:
- Night Shows
- So what are the differences between Disney Paris and Walt Disney World?
Getting There:
You can travel to Disneyland in a number of ways. For detailed information see here https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-int/guest-services/getting-to-disneyland-paris-from-paris/
We opted to travel by car since we were going on to Germany. We did our Paris sightseeing, took a taxi to the Charles de Gaulle airport rental car station and picked up our car. It took approximately 90 min from arrival at the rental car counter to reach Disneyland Paris. Driving out of Charles de Gaulle can be either a nerve wrecking experience or no big deal. It all depends on day and time. Our first rental car adventure saw us leaving the airport at 8:00 am on a Tuesday morning- it took nearly 2.5 hours to clear the Paris ring road traffic. There is little sense to Paris outer ring driving. Motorcycles (be on the look out) weave in and out of lanes (we saw at least 2 motor cyclists hit by cars). Ambulances, and other emergency vehicles just plow through the center of the lane- there is no pull to the right- so it is chaos. Patience is essential- being alert is CRITICAL. Once clearing the ring roads of Paris, driving in France is essentially the same as here in the United States with one significant exception- cameras. France uses thousands of cameras to monitor your speed- there is no allowance for 10 mph over like there is here in the US. The speed limits shift, often without warning, especially at bridges, and entering/exiting villages. If you are caught on camera speeding- your rental car will send you a notice after you arrive home, this is followed by a French ticket violation and directions on how to pay your fee. France loves the roundabout (rotary)- they are everywhere- many of them with very few cars entering/exiting. Gas Stations- on the major highways there are plenty of rest areas with gas stations, food, bathrooms, etc. Please be sure you carry at least a tank’s worth of gas in euros as credit cards can sometimes be rejected. If your car is rejected at the pump, try the inside cashier. One card may work when another doesn’t. Gas stations are pretty nonexistent in small villages. Tolls: the fastest way from one area to the next is on the highway- and most highways are going to have tolls. These can add another 30$ to the cost of your trip. Toll booths accept cash or credit card. There is an electronic pass for French citizens. Be sure and look at the signs as you approach the booth to get in the right lane. Green downward arrow: Lanes that accept cash and other types of payment Card symbol: Lanes that accept card, but not cash Orange “T“: Télépéage lanes, which are reserved for drivers with a “Liber-t” badge. Please remember there is NO Right on Red in France.
Choosing a Hotel:
Disney hotels: https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-usd/disney-hotels/
There are 2 ways to stay in Disney- onsite and offsite. There are obviously pros and cons to both. Pros are: you are right in the magic. Most Disney hotels are nicely themed making the magic last throughout your stay. Park your car and ride the Disney transportation- No car is actually needed in Disney- you can take the Disney bus transportation free. There are also walking paths for those who opt to skip the bus. The Disney hotels tend to be closest to the gates making rest breaks and getting back at night a lot easier. The #1 reason to stay in Disney- the one hour early entry. Ok- you have to be an early riser to like that one; however, it is a great way to hit a number of rides without any lines or passes. Not all the rides will be running- but you’ll get enough of a selection. Then when the park officially opens- you are closest to those “long line” rides and can get on quickly. Cons- Disney hotels can be more expensive than the offsite options. Disney doesn’t offer apartment style housing in Paris- so if you want to prepare your own meals, that is more complicated in a standard microwave only hotel room with minifridge. Many outside hotels offer their own shuttle buses (many are free) as an added perk.
The Disneyland Hotel-
Normally, I would pass on a luxurious hotel in order to save money, but this time around I gave in to temptation. We hadn’t been to Disney in years, and we were celebrating my son’s graduation from Stonehill College and it just felt right. It didn’t hurt that the hotel had just reopened after years of renovation. We pulled up to the hotel and were greeted by bellhops who unloaded our luggage and delivered it to our room as soon as the room was available- no need to call! No need to check and see if your room is ready- a text will come to you. They also valet parked our car. Once inside the very impressive lobby, we were able to check in (for some reason the app didn’t work for us) and collect all of our information and then step right out the doors to the front gate of the parks and village. All one had to do was turn in the direction of the park they wished to visit. The hotel is huge and to be honest, we didn’t get a lot of time to explore it or even use the pool. The pool, which is in a separate building, was closed after the parks closed which was unusual for us since our home base Disney World has pools open for late night hours. The rooms (and you need a map to figure out where your room is) are a really nice size with a balcony. There are 2 queen beds with a pullout sofa like bed. The bathroom is gorgeous- with bathrobes, and slippers (yes, a thrill). Double sinks, large bathing area- the tones were nice in the Beauty and Beast rooms- silver, dark blue with just a few portraits on the walls from the movie. Quite classy. Descending the elegant stairway (just like the movie) every morning was a thrill. I was happy that we had the experience. I especially loved, after a day of hard play- bed was literally steps away. Our stay really made the Disneyland Paris experience memorable and unique.
Making Reservations:
Disneyland Paris App: https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-usd/mobile-app/
Disney reservations can be made online- preferably through their Disneyland Paris app which can be downloaded for free. The above link will tell you everything you can do on the app, and gives you direct access to download the app necessary for your phone. When planning- if you do a package- you are likely to get tickets for the day you check out built into your quote. So- if you were planning on leaving Disney directly on your check out day- make sure you don’t have passes you can’t use. Ex. If you stay 2 nights, you get 3 days of tickets. How many days do you need? I think most people would say 2. I disagree with that. We had 2 days with the ultimate premiere access and still were not able to do all the rides, see all the shows, get over to Disney Village. I would say 3 days would allow you to get pretty much everything done without a killer pace. The new land opening will probably make 3 days a necessity and 4 ideal.
Fast Pass- Genie Plus- Premiere Access- whatever they are calling it
Well, it used to be fast pass- and yes, I miss it. I really resent having to pay for what used to be a free benefit and had vowed not to do so- until I saw the wait times and it came down to this- stand in line, moving at the pace of a turtle for our 2 days or get to do some rides without the aggravation. I’ll be honest- the price of the ultimate premiere access was tough to swallow- and really came down to what was the price of time, and frustration given what we paid for hotel and tickets (and obviously international travel) vs. the added premiere cost. Initially I compromised and bought premiere for one day. It took all of 15 min in the park to realize that if we wanted to do anything on day 2 we were going to need premiere- the lines were often greater than 90 min (June 1-3) for just about everything. So we ended up getting the premiere for 2 days- an outrageous cost I still resent. Anyhow- you have 2 options. One is Premiere Access where you can buy individual access to the ride you want- prices range based on the ride. Don’t let the low prices on the app fool you- the REAL price is in the SEASON- based on crowds-so don’t be surprised when the price increases significantly once placed in your cart. The other is Premiere Ultimate- which gives you ONE ride on each of the 15 rides included across the 2 parks- most of the popular rides are covered. Your best bet to ride the popular rides without the Premiere options is: 1) Ride early in the day 2) Ride late in the Night 3) Ride during parades and fireworks (NOTE: some attractions close early in areas near the fireworks). One problem with Premiere is you PAID extra for those rides and so leaving any unridden seems like a waste of money which means you are more likely going to have to plan your time/day. While I am a total pro planner- I also love spontaneity- and I find less and less opportunities to just be spontaneous within the Disney system.
Meals-
You can choose to eat: 1) in park 2) Disney Village 3) eat outside of Disney and 4) bring a picnic. In park dining consists of several options. Food carts can be found throughout the parks generally serving snacks, perhaps a light meal alternative. There are food carts for popcorn, ice cream, crepes, and the ever popular turkey legs to name a few. Generally these are foods eaten on the go or a park bench. There are counter service meals- these are in big buildings that have a menu based on the type of counter service- so Pizza Planet will specialize in Pizza, and so on. Generally pasta, hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, pizza, sandwiches and salad are offered at counter service. Many tables (first come) are found in the building. Ordering lines can be long and slow. Some counter service options allow you to preorder on the app. There are Character Dining Experiences-these are held in various venues and are generally self-serve buffet. They are expensive but the huge benefit is the chance to have some great character interaction without standing in line. Time has a value. Characters visit all the tables, sign autograph books and take lots of pictures. Generally there are 5 characters per experience, but that can vary. Character meals can specialize in princesses, Mickey and the gang, or just a variety. Reservations, especially for princess and Mickey, are generally required and can be made on the app. Make these as soon as your dining booking date becomes available. Table Service Restaurants are generally themed and serve food based on that theme-so Chez Remi Bistro serves French specialties, Walt’s provides American, etc. Reservations are required and more popular restaurants can be booked out months in advance- pay attention to when your reservation allows you to book dining experiences and do it as early as possible. Table Service Restaurants vary in price from moderate to very expensive. Please remember in France that tipping is NOT necessary. The tip is built into your bill. If your server was phenomenal and you want to add a little something- a few Euros on the table are appropriate. Again- TIPS ARE NOT REQUIRED. Heading to Disney Village offers a variety of eating options- these tend to be more name brand familiar- such as Planet Hollywood, Five Guys, The Earl of Sandwich. Snacks and Sweets can also be found. Similar to in park restaurants- many are sit down, some are counter and a few are food carts. Outside Disney there are a variety of restaurants, bakeries and other venues for meals. Lastly, you can bring a picnic lunch now into Disney- no glass.
Disneyland Paris Dining Booking: https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-usd/dining/
Restaurants near Disneyland Paris: https://www.opentable.com/landmark/restaurants-near-disneyland-paris
Chez Bistrot Remy- we chose this restaurant because Ratatouille takes place in Paris and seems to be the Paris “mascot”. The price fixed option best fit our group so we received an appetizer, main course and dessert. The scenery was the rooftop dining for the mice at the end of the movie. The food was ok- nothing to get excited about. The restaurant was nicely done.
Walt’s- we chose this one since it was highly rated. It features drawings and Walt’s favorite American foods. The food was good- again a price fixed menu running about 50E/ person.
Character Dining Plaza Gardens- the WORST food ever. Seriously inedible. The only plus was we had lots of character interaction- without this we would have seen only 2 characters- so ….
Main Street Bakery- The best baked goods and of course the infamous Turkey Leg
Language:
You are in France- so French is the primary language. English, however, is intermixed with French so that English speakers can easily follow directions or the show being presented. Most cast members wear flag pins denoting the languages they speak. Menus are available in most languages. Most of Disney’s language courtesy of its music is universal!
Parades:
Disneyland Paris has at least one daytime parade- and sometimes a shorter parade that runs several times a day. The parade times are listed on the app as is the route- but generally anywhere along Main Street will work. People do sit for parades up to an hour in advance- so if a front row view is what you desire- find your curbside and sit down way in advance- a great time for a snack. The parades are always worth the effort- the floats are elaborate, and many characters make the event special.
Night Shows
This is Disney at its best (personally I think Disneyland Paris has room for improvement on their fireworks finale compared to Walt Disney World). I was surprised in Paris that Main Street was crowded, but not the jammed pack, can’t move an inch crowd level of Walt Disney World- which made the experience super enjoyable. Beware- selfie sticks with those pixelated screens can really ruin your viewing- as do the children who get popped up on shoulders at the last minute who can become a total obstruction. The night time show may vary based on weather conditions. There are images projected onto the castle, drones creating scenes overhead, lasers, fireworks and of course timed musical all of which leads to an incredible cap off to a wonderful Disney day. No Disney vacation is complete without seeing the night time entertainment at least once.
So what are the differences between Disney Paris and Walt Disney World?
The Paris park is smaller than WDW. It is more on the size of Disneyland California. The smaller size makes everything feel compact and sometimes cluttered. On the plus side- less mileage on the feet, and the theming is still brilliantly done. There are several rides such as the Crush Coaster that are not in the US and it is very cool! Some of the rides are styled differently- such as Hollywood Tower of Terror, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of Caribbean to name a few. There are different shows-blending both French and English. It’s Disney with a touch of French flare- a worthwhile and memorable experience.
Onward Trip 