Disneyland Paris is a wonderful place for both children and adults alike, and when Christmas comes around, it becomes 1000% more magical.
We took our niece on a magical Christmas adventure to Disneyland Paris for 3 days (2 nights) and we stayed on site, opted for the inclusive food package and did some of the extra activities available. So, I thought it would be a great idea to share with you our itinerary of what we did, what we thought of the place, and how much it all cost!
So let’s start!
Now this itinerary is based on getting there from the UK, because that’s where I came from.
BUT, if you’re coming from anywhere in mainland Europe, you can easily get a flight to Paris (it’s an international hub), and hop on the train to Disneyland Paris (which I’ll go into detail) below, or even use Europe's extensive train network, to train your way there.
But first let’s consider all the different ways you can get to Disneyland Paris from the UK, then I’ll discuss what we did.
1. By Train:
2. By Air:
3. By Car:
4. By Coach:
We went for option 4, we drove!
We got the ferry over and the euro tunnel back, and we drove over in our campervan. And, fun fact, you can stay at Disneyland Paris in your campervan if you want to cut back on accommodation costs, but I’ll go into that later on!
So this is a 2 night, 3 day itinerary, and the reason it is so, is that we had 3 day park tickets.
Check-in for most Disneyland hotels starts around 3-4pm, but that doesn't mean you have to wait until then to get into the park!
In our case, we went to our accommodation early, picked up our passes and then headed to the parks.
Arrive as early as you want and head to the parks first!
We used the first day to get get our bearings and explore what the park had to offer.
We let Skyler pick what rides she was interested in, and naturally she wanted to go on the merry go round and tea cups first!
All the rides she wanted to do first had a queue of around 20 minutes, so it wasn’t too bad.
Then after a few hours of rides, we headed for lunch with the princesses!
If your child loves Disney princesses, then I recommend you book this.
We booked it as park of our meal package, which meant we had to pay a supplement of around 90 euros, but the price normally is around 200 euros.
The meal itself is 3 courses and quite tasty, but the highlight was obviously seeing Skyler get so excited to meet the princesses, ones she knew and new ones we introduced to her too (she didn’t know her princess Jasmine was, and she’s one of my favourites!)
She also got a special princess desert too!
The character dining experience lasts about 2 hours, and afterwards, you’ll still have time to do more rides.
We decided to stay in the park until the Christmas parade started, rather than drive to our accommodation and drive back.
The Christmas parade starts at various times depending on the season, so check the Disney website for exact times. (of course it can be delayed, which is was lol), but OMG, it’s the most magical thing. I loved it, Brad loved it, and most of all, Skyler adored it!
New for 2024 is the Disneyland Park Light show, which does a light show with drones over the sleeping beauty castle. It looks very cool and you can check it out here.
All in all, we had a fantastic first day, and we hadn’t even checked into our accommodation yet!
We headed back and checked into Davy Crockett's Ranch, and as there was a swimming pool there, and Skyler loves swimming, we changed into our swimwear and went for a swim and play before dinner. It was great for kids as there is slides, and great for adults as there is jacuzi!
Afterwards, we went back to our cabin, got washed and dressed for dinner then enjoy dinner at Crockett's Tavern.
If you’re staying at a Disney Hotel, then take advantage of the magic hour, where you get into the park one hour before other people.
The park opens at 9.30am for all guests but with magic hour you get in at 8.30am.
Do note that the park close time varies depending on the time of year and specific events going on.
Anyway, we entered the park bright and early and went on a ride or two before taking advantage of being there early to queue at Mickeys House.
Mickeys house is the longest thing I had to queue in. It took around two hours, and I thought I might lose the will to live.
But as you queue you’re watching old Disney cartoons.
It’s not a ride, rather it’s where you go to meet Mickey Mouse and get a picture with him. Now ordinarily I wouldn’t do this, but Mickey Mouse is Skyler favourite, so of course we had to meet him!
And nothing was better than seeing her little face light up and interact with him! So it was worth the two hour queue.
The queue can get a lot longer during the rest of the day, so if you are planning on visiting Mickey, I suggest you go in the morning and commit.
After that, it was around 11am and we headed on a few more rides, another notable long ride is the Pinoccho ride, so get that one out of the way in the mornings if you can.
But we spent a few more hours at Disneyland, and then headed over to Universal!
Universal is much smaller than Disney park, but there are still a bunch of rides and attractions for children and adults alike.
Skyler particularly loved the Toy Story area and Aladdin magic carpet ride.
But we headed over here for another reason!
The previous night we had tried to get into one of the Frozen shows but they had all sold out. And Frozen is Skyler's favorite Disney movie, so I had to get her inside the show! And we did! It lasted around 1 hour, and it was a really good show.
Afterwards you can do more rides and experience all the Christmas magic before heading back to Disneyland park to see the Christmas Parade again!
On the morning of Day 3, we checked out of our hotel early, and headed to the parks.
But this time, instead of going to Disney park first, we went to Universal again to go on a few more rides, before heading back to Disney park and letting Skyler pick what rides she wanted to redo.
We also did the Disney park train ride that day too.
We also then used time to go “shopping”. On Disney main street, there are lots of stores selling all the wonderful Disney merch, and Christmas themed too.
We told Skyler she could pick one toy for herself, and one toy for her brother (who was too young to come on this trip), and she went round and round the stores before settling on Giant Mickey mouse hands (lol).
Brad and I treated ourselves to Christmas tree baubles, and I went for the beauty and beast rose because it’s my favorite!
Disneyland Hotel: A luxurious Victorian-inspired hotel located at the entrance of Disneyland Park, offering royal-themed rooms and suites.
Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel: A stylish hotel celebrating Marvel art and superheroes, featuring contemporary New York architecture and exclusive Marvel experiences.
Disney Newport Bay Club: A nautical-themed hotel reminiscent of a 1920s seaside mansion, situated on the shores of Lake Disney.
Disney Sequoia Lodge: A cozy retreat inspired by American national parks, offering a rustic atmosphere with a touch of Disney magic.
Disney Hotel Cheyenne: A Wild West-themed hotel designed as a frontier town, providing a fun cowboy experience for families.
Disney Hotel Santa Fe: A vibrant hotel inspired by the American Southwest, featuring colorful décor and a Cars movie theme.
Disney Davy Crockett Ranch: A woodland retreat offering self-catering cabins, ideal for nature lovers seeking a tranquil escape.
1. Extra Magic Time
Imagine having the park almost to yourself! Guests enjoy exclusive early access to select attractions before the general public arrives. You get early access to the parks, basically one hour before everyone else, and it is really good! On your first day at the park, i.e. your check in day, scout around the park and look for the rides with the longest queues, then skip them for that day and then the next day you can go to them first with your early entry!
We headed in and Skyler got to ride on all her favorite rides first, and any rides we had seen the previous day that had super long queues, we went for them instead in the morning we could get in early.
2. Proximity to the Magic
Roll out of bed and into the fun! With hotels just a short stroll or shuttle ride away, you're always close to the action.
3. Themed Accommodations
Ever wanted to sleep in a Marvel universe or a New England seaside resort? Each hotel offers unique themes, immersing you in Disney storytelling even during downtime.
4. Character Encounters
Why wait in line when Mickey can come to you? Enjoy surprise visits and photo ops with beloved characters right in your hotel lobby.
5. Exclusive Experiences
From royal makeovers at My Royal Dream to private meet-and-greets with Disney Princesses, on-site guests get the star treatment.
6. Seamless Park Access
Forget about parking woes! With free shuttles and some hotels just steps away, getting to the parks is a breeze.
7. Themed Dining
Dine like royalty or feast with superheroes. On-site restaurants offer immersive dining experiences you won't find elsewhere.
8. Immersive Atmosphere
The magic doesn't stop at the park gates. From the lobby to your room, Disney enchantment is everywhere, keeping the fun alive 24/7.
We stayed at Davy Crockets Ranch, which is the more budget option of all the Disney Hotels, but let’s have a look at what we thought.
Honestly I had a bit of apprehension about staying here, just because some of the review claimed it’s not always clean, but I need not have worried.
The cabins were perfect for us. It was a two bedroom cabin, with a large kitchen, dining area, and two bathrooms.
It had everything we needed to make meals (although we didn’t actually need to make meals!), but it’s a perfect spot for 2 adults and 2 children. Skyler had her own room, and she loved it.
We didn’t spend a lot of time in the cabin, other than the evenings, because we spent all our times at the park (as you should too!)
Disneyland Paris accommodates campervans and motorhomes in a designated area within its main parking lot. This facility allows guests to stay overnight in their vehicles, providing a convenient option for those traveling by campervan.
Location and Access: The campervan parking area is situated adjacent to the main parking lot, with a separate entrance controlled by a security barrier. Upon arrival, guests should inform the parking attendant of their intention to park overnight. The parking lot opens daily at 8:00 AM and closes 30 minutes after the parks close. It's important to arrive during these hours, as entry is not permitted outside of them.
Fees: The overnight parking fee for campervans is €40 per night. This fee covers parking until 10:00 AM the following morning. Staying beyond this time incurs an additional day's charge. Payments can be made at the parking booths upon entry or at designated locations within the resort.
Facilities: The parking area is equipped with waste disposal facilities and water taps for refilling tanks. However, there are no electrical hookups, showers, or toilets available on-site, so vehicles must be self-contained. Guests should ensure their campervans are equipped with necessary amenities for overnight stays.
Additional Information:
I’m going to give you an overview of the restaurants available first, then talk about where we ate.
Disneyland Park:
Walt Disney Studios Park:
Disney Village:
Disneyland Hotel:
At Disney, you can book all your tables in advance for eating. It’s all done via the Disney App.
And I suggest you book as you as you are able too, especially over the Christmas period where it can get extremely busy.
You can cancel a slot if you realize you won’t be using it nearer the time, but it’s better to be over prepared than disappointed.
You CAN just turn up and see if there is availability, but this won’t always be the case.
You can also click and collect with the quick service restaurants, which is perfect if you want to just grab your food and eat it whilst walking around the park.
This is where where we had lunch with the princesses, and it’s French inspired food, but there’s something for kids to eat. Really great food, (good vegetarian options too), and great decor inside, and atmosphere. I highly recommend it. The only issue was the queue for the toilets during the princess lunch was very long. There are only 3 toilets for hosting a LOT of children.
This is a quick service restaurant that does Mexican style food, and it wasn’t half bad. The food included in your meal is 3 courses and a drink, and we were stuffed by the end of it. Portion sizes were great too. The interior of the restaurant is nothing special, and you can tell they just pop up a few signs to indicate new character themes, (i.e. this wasn’t built for Coco!), but the food was good and it was quick.
This is another quick service restaurant and one of my fond memories here is the staff. Skyler was in a bit of a princess mood, and the staff all took their turns to try and cheer her up and make her laugh. Trust me it was a challenge! Haha But this place serves easy eating food such as sandwiches, crepes and fries, but we all went for the pizza as they are shaped like Micky mouses head and it’s a fun novelty!
This is the “on-site” restaurant at Davy Crockets ranch, and it’s a buffer style restaurant. Honestly had no issues with the food. There was a wide variety of food available, and great options for vegetarians, and kids of course, so we all enjoyed it thoroughly. There’s even a little section for kids to go and draw pictures and color in, which is perfect when they’ve finished their food, but you haven't! It even gives me time to enjoy a glass of wine after a long day of Disney!
We also ate in the Cable car coffee shop on Disney main street.
The breakfast is pretty basic, but you can grab a croissant and a coffee fuss free. We also grabbed snacks and coffee from here throughout the day, so I’ve attached a menu so you can get an idea of prices.
Personally I think yes.
Disneyland Paris is not a very large park, especially in comparison to other Disney parks worldwide.
You can walk around the entire park in a day (even going on a few rides). But that doesn't mean there isn’t a lot to do, it just means you can do it all in a shorter period of time!
You really just need to make the most of the time you’ve got. Start early with the aim to finish up by the time the Christmas parades start and you’re good.
In conclusion, Disneyland Paris truly transforms into a winter wonderland during the Christmas season, offering magical experiences for both kids and adults.
From enchanting parades to cozy accommodations and delightful dining options, every moment feels like stepping into a fairy tale. Whether it’s your first visit or your hundredth, the charm of Disney at Christmas is an experience you'll cherish forever.
Comment below any question you have! <3
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