Disneyland Paris
DLP is one of the most magical places on earth. This is one of our favourite places to go and we try to have at least one trip per year. This may be Me and Kirst or me and Troy or even all 5 of us depending on our budget for the year. From the minute you arrive to the minute you leave it is just so magical. We always look forward to coming back. Children under 3 stays, play and eat for free! Cots are available on request for all rooms!
There are 7 onsite hotels that you can stay at, ranging in price. Let’s talk about the different options.
Davy Crockett’s is self-catering and therefore the cheapest. It is a pioneer styled site in a natural setting. Accommodation is cabins and bungalows with 1 double bed a 4 single beds per unit and offer a BBQ area. Making it a good choice for larger parties. This site is about 15 minutes from Disneyland Parks and Village so would require a car to get to and from the parks. They do offer a food plan with a buffet, but do not offer the breakfast buffet option. This would be on the go collected from the reserved area. The have a bar area called Crockett’s Saloon. You can make a splash at Blue Springs Pool, which is heated indoor pool with waterfalls, rivers and whirlpools. They also have a shop that sells all things for self-catering. They also have an indoor tennis court, mini-golf, outdoor play areas and a video game arcade. You still get all Disney benefits here such as Extra Magic Hours and you do get free parking.
Santa Fe is the most budget onsite hotel; it’s rated at 2 stars. The theming to this hotel is Disney Pixar’s Cars and travelling down Route 66. There is daily meet and greets with Disney Characters. Be sure to look out in reception for what time the characters will be there. The rooms are in little blocks and sleeps 4 people per room. They do family suites which are available on request that sleeps 5 people (only available if you call the reservation line). They have 2 double beds per room with drawers for clothes and TV, a bathroom with bath and shower and a little vanity area. Their restaurant is La Cantina and is Tex-Mex and international foods buffet. They offer breakfast and dinner service at the cost of €21 and €14 per child under 11 (under 3’s eats free). for breakfast and €35 (€22 per child under 11) for dinner per person. While bookings aren’t necessary it is advisable as their standby wait time can be lengthy. Booking for breakfast is not needed as you can only get breakfast at your own hotel. They also have a bar area called the Rio Grande Bar which is themed around a pit stop on Route 66. The Trading Post Shop sells themed souvenirs and snacks. The site also benefits from a Starbucks. You get Extra Magic Hours here and a free shuttle bus to the Disney Village, which run every 12 minutes and take less than that to get to the park. Its roughly a 25-minute walk and the views are special.
Cheyenne is another budget hotel, but not quite as cheap as Santa Fe. This hotel is rated 3 stars. The theming in this Hotel is Disney Pixar’s Toy Story and the Wild West. You can encounter Jessie & Woody here as character meets. The rooms here are themed around cowboys and the wild west and sleep 4, family suites can be requested. These rooms can sometimes have a double bed and bunk beds ready for families. Most rooms will compromise of 2 double beds with drawers for clothes and TV, a bathroom with shower and bath and a vanity area. These rooms are slightly bigger than the rooms at Santa Fe. Their restaurant is Chuck Wagons and is BBQ themed with Asian specials such as Suzy’s Wok Station. They offer breakfast and dinner service. The cost for this buffet is €40 per adult and €22 per child under 11 for evening meals (under 3’s eats free). While bookings aren’t necessary it is advisable as their standby wait time can be lengthy. Booking for breakfast is not needed as you can only get breakfast at your own hotel. Their bar is called Red Garter Saloon and is themed around a Wild West Saloon. The General store is where you can get those themed souvenirs and snacks. This site also benefits from a Starbucks. You get Extra Magic Hours here and a free shuttle bus to the Disney Village, which run every 12 minutes and less than that to get to the park. Its roughly a 20-minute walk and the views are special.
Sequoia Lodge is where comfort starts to creep in. This hotel is rated 3 stars. The theming here is Forest Lodge and centres around Disney’s Bambi. There are 2 levels of stay here: Standard and Golden Forest Club. The rooms are Lodge-style and are considerably bigger than those at Santa Fe and Cheyenne. The rooms have 2 double beds with double drawers for clothes, a chair and table, a bathroom with shower and bath and a bigger vanity area. Golden Forest Club including being able to book the Golden First Club room or suite. You check in at a separate area and have the additional perks of eating and drinking in the private lounge and additional snacks during the day. They have two restaurants: Hunters Grill and Beavers Creek. Both serve all-you-can-eat buffets themed around meat. The cost for this buffet is €45 and €25 for child under 11(under 3’s eat free). The Bar area here is stunning. While bookings aren’t necessary it is advisable as their standby wait time can be lengthy. Booking for breakfast is not needed as you can only get breakfast at your own hotel. The Redwood Bar and Lounge is like a cosy log cabin styled bar area, its especially cute in the winter months. The Northwest Passage Boutique is where you will be able to get all those themed souvenirs and snacks. There are character meet and greets just outside the entrance to the shop. These are daily at different allocated times. You can even take a dip in the pool here. They have 2 heated pools (indoor and outdoor) a whirlpool and a slide. You get all Disney benefits here such as extra magic hours and a free shuttle, although the walk to the park is about 10 minutes and you get to walk round the lake which is simply amazing.
Newport Bay is the first of the 4 start hotels. This is themed around Classic New England and centres around Disney’s Mickey & Minnie Mouse. You can meet them both here at scheduled times. It is designed with charming 1920’s nautical details around Lake Disney. There are 2 levels of stay here: Standard and Compass Club. The site offers standard rooms and suites. The rooms are nautical theme and have 2 double beds with drawers for clothes and a TV. A small desk and chair, a bathroom with a bath and shower and a vanity area. The suites have a pull-out bed for a 5th sleeper. The Compass Club level allows you to book the Compass Club rooms or suites and even the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Suites. These are available by telephone reservation only. You benefit from separate rooms and King size beds in these suites. You get your own private reception, a private lounge for Breakfast and Tea. There are two options for eating here: Cape Cod is an all-you-can-eat buffet that is centred around fish meals. They offer Breakfast and Dinner here with the evening buffet costing €45 per adult and €25 per child under 11 (under 3’s eat free). While bookings aren’t necessary it is advisable as their standby wait time can be lengthy. Booking for breakfast is not needed as you can only get breakfast at your own hotel. The Yacht Club is a Table Service restaurant that offer dishes inspired by New England with Mediterranean influences. Opening times for this 6pm-10:30pm. Prices vary; however, they do offer a set menu €55 or €75 with wine included. Children’s menu is €30. The bar area here is Captains Quarters with its nautical theme it really makes you think you’re about a Yacht. The Bay Boutique is where you are going to find all those themed souvenirs and snacks. You can even enjoy a dip in the heated indoor and outdoor pool. This site also has a SPA for when you need that little bit of extra magic from walking round the parks all day. You get all Disney benefits here such as extra magic hours and a free shuttle, although the walk to the park is about 10 minutes and you get to walk round the lake which is simply amazing.
Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel. This has recently been reimagined into the Marvel Hotel. This hotel is rated 4 Stars and character meets vary with different characters from the MCU. The theming here is Premium New York hotel and centres around Marvel Characters. There are 2 levels of stay here: Standard and Empire State Club. The Standard rooms are newly designed to feature Vibrant Marvel Prints. The have 2 double beds with drawers for clothes and a TV. A small desk and chair, a bathroom with a bath and shower and a vanity area. The suites have a pull-out bed for a 5th sleeper. The Empire State Club level allows you to book the Empire State rooms or suites and even the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Suites. These are available by telephone reservation only. You benefit from separate rooms and King size beds in these suites. You get your own private reception, a private lounge for Breakfast, tea and snacks in the private Empire State Lounge. You also benefit from Valet Parking and your own private check in and concierge. There are two options for eating here: The Downtown Restaurant is an all-you-can-eat restaurant offering tastes of New York. They offer Breakfast and Dinner here with the evening buffet costing €45 per adult and €25 per child under 11(under 3’s eat free). While bookings aren’t necessary it is advisable as their standby wait time can be lengthy. Booking for breakfast is not needed as you can only get breakfast at your own hotel. The Manhattan Restaurant is a table service restaurant. Opening times for this are 6pm-10:30pm. Prices vary; however, they do offer a set menu €55 or €75 with wine included. Children’s menu is €30. There are 2 bars to relax in. The Skyline bar and Blecker Street Lounge. The pool here offers and indoor and outdoor heated pool, a kid’s pool and a hot tub. This site also has a Spa for when you need that little bit of extra magic from walking round the parks all day. You get all Disney benefits here such as extra magic hours and a free shuttle, although the walk to the park is about 5 minutes, I think it takes longer on the bus than it does to walk.
Disneyland Hotel the epitome of MAGIC. Having only reopened in January 2024 I am yet to see the newly refurbished Disneyland Hotel. This hotel is rated 5 stars. The theming at this hotel is Royalty. Regal setting inspired by the Disney Stories. Upon entrance, a royal greeter will welcome you. There are 4 different levels of stay here. Superior rooms, Deluxe rooms, Castle Club rooms and Signature Suites. Superior rooms are standard rooms that include 2 doubles beds with drawers for clothes and a TV. A small desk and chair, a bathroom with a bath and shower and a vanity area. For Deluxe rooms you will receive a personalise welcome, private reception and concierge desk. Breakfast and teatime are included, and you get access to the Deluxe lounge. The Deluxe rooms have 2 double beds with drawers for clothes and a TV. A small desk and chair, a bathroom with a bath and shower and a vanity area. Castle Club rooms you will receive a personalise welcome, private reception and concierge desk. Breakfast with the Disney Princesses, access to the Castle Club Lounge, which has the perfect view of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and offer free soft drinks all day and a private lift to the Disneyland Park. The rooms are regally decorated with 2 double beds, a sofa area, as desk with a TV. A bathroom with a bath and shower and a large vanity area. The Signature Suites are 5 different suites: The Cinderella Suite, The Frozen Suite, The Rapunzel Suite, The Sleeping Beauty Suite and The Beauty & The Beast Suite. They all have Master Bedrooms, a living area, bathroom with a bath and shower and a vanity area. The Disneyland Hotel also offer 2 one-of-a-kind suites and they are The Princely Suite and the Royal Suite. These rooms are only available to book by calling the reservation team. There are 2 dining options here: The Royal Banquet. This is an all-you-can-eat character dining experience with a delicious range of food. They offer Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner service here. Breakfast is served from 7:30am – 11am and cost €45 per adult and €30 per child under 11. Luch is served from 12:30pm – 3pm and cost €100 per adult and €50 per child under 11. Dinner is served 6pm – 10:30pm and cost €100 per adult and €50 per child under 11. La Table de Lumiere is a table service restaurant that is only available to book via guest services in the park. It is inspired by the famous Hall of Mirrors and serves French Cuisine. This is a character dining experience and costs €120 per adult and €60 per child under 9. It is a 3-course set menu. The Fleur de Lys Bar offers an exclusive ‘Disneyland edition champagne’ cocktails and afternoon tea. The also have The Crystal Pool & Health club that has a pool, spa, fitness suite and yoga space. Also included in the stay are the various activities and encounters such as The Disney Royal encounter, My Royal Dream makeover and the Royal Kids Club. You get additional Disney benefits staying here including a dedicated entrance to the Parks, additional extra magic hours, valet parking and many other things. No need for a shuttle service as you are staying at the entrance to the park.
Disneyland Paris have partner hotels that you can also stay at. While you don’t get all the benefits like you do staying onsite, they do offer a free shuttle bus to the parks.
All the partner hotels can be found here https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-gb/partner-hotels/
Shuttle service. All the hotels (apart from The Disneyland Hotel) and some partner hotels offer a free shuttle bus to the security entrance in the train station. These buses typically run every 12 minutes from 7:30am – 12am. The partner hotel buses may be a bit longer. The bus stops can be found outside the reception area of the hotel. The buses then arrive at their designated stop in the station. Take note of what character your stop is. They can typically get quite crowded first thing in the morning as the park is opening and last thing at night when the park closes.
Extra Magic hours one of the best benefits of staying onsite. For all hotel guest, you get to enter the park 1 hour earlier than general sale guests. This means you can combat those hard to get on rides that usually have long wait times. We typically use this to get on Big Thunder Mountain, Hyperspace Mountain or Peter Pans Flight in the main park and then Crushes Coaster or Web Slinger in Studios as these are the rides that typically have the longest wait times as they are so popular. If you are staying at The Disneyland Hotel, you also benefit from Extra magic Evening Hours which allow you to stay in the park longer than other guests.
Let’s talk FOOD! Disney dining can be pricey when the average quick service meal is €15, and the Buffets are €40 per adult. If you look at costing it can see quite expensive, but if you look at where you want to eat and what the cost is per meal you can utilise the dining plan to ensure you get the most for your money. These plans are only available to onsite guests. Disney offer 3 choices for dining: Breakfast, Half board and Full board. Breakfast only is a buffet at your hotel. This is a Hot and continental buffet and includes breakfast drinks such as Coffee, tea, orange juice and apple juice. It is all self-serve and doesn’t require a reservation. Half board is breakfast (at your hotel) and either lunch or dinner at the restaurant of your choice* (*restaurants included on your meal plan option.) There are 2 options for this: Standard and Plus. Standard includes up to 35 restaurants with the choice of Table service restaurants (meal plan menu), all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants and quick service restaurants. This is from £27.78 per child and £50.92 per adult based on half board. Plus option is £37.04 per child and £60.18 per adult based on half board. Full Board is 3 meals per day and have the standard and plus option. This includes 1 meal a day at a quick service location and 1 meal at up to 35 restaurants with the choice of Table service restaurants (meal plan menu), all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants and quick service restaurants. Plus option also includes 1 meal (lunch or dinner) on you last day at a quick service location.Dining plans vary per hotel: At Disney Davy Crockett Ranch and Disney Hotel Santa Fe:
Half Board: available in the Standard option only, Full Board: available for all options (Standard and Plus) In Disney Hotel Cheyenne, Disney Sequoia Lodge, Disney Newport Bay Club, and Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel: Half Board: available in the Plus option only, Full Board: available for the Plus and Extra Plus options.
The Disneyland Hotel has an exclusive dining plan which is Premium where you get an additional 4 restaurants to eat at.
There are 2 parks at Disneyland Paris: The Main Park, this is where you are going to walk down Main Street USA to the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle, and she is spectacular! There are 5 lands within this park that hold different rides, attractions and food places. Main Street being the first and foremost. On Main Street USA you will find Guest services, The bookstore (Minnie & Daisy frequent here), Boutiques, Cafés, Plaza Gardens (normally Winnie the Pooh & Friends meet at greet opposite), Walts, Caseys Corner (this is where you will find stitch), Victorias. This is also where you are going to see all parades and shows. To your left of Main Street, you have Frontier Land and Adventure Land.
Frontierland is home to Phantom Manor (left of the entrance) and Big Thunder Mountain (right of the entrance). It also has Rustlers Roundup, Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing and the Frontierland Playground. Food choices include Silver Spur Steakhouse (table service) Casa de Coco (quick service) The Lucky Nugget Saloon (table service) Cowboy Cookout Barbeque (quick service) and The Last Chance Café (quick service). There are character meet and greets here too, however, no fixed character so check the app! Plenty of boutiques around (Our favourite is Thunder Mesa)
Adventure Land is home to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (Left of the entrance) and Pirates of the Caribbean (right of the entrance). It also has La Cabane des Robinson, Adventure Isle, Pirate Galleon (Peter Pan & Wendy and Captain Hook & Smee meet and greets are usually opposite here) Pirates Beach and Le Passage enchante d’Aladdin. (Genie, Aladdin & Jasmine and Jafar are normally here for meet and greet). Food choices here are Captain Jack’s Restaurant des pirates (table service) Agrabah Café Restaurant (A-Y-C-E Buffet) Cool Post (on the go) Hakuna Matata (quick service) Colonel Haiti’s Outpost Restaurant (quick service) and Café de la Brousse (on the go).
Directly behind the castle you have Fantasy Land. This is home to The Castle itself, Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty’s Castle walk around d- inside the castle) La Taniere du Dragon (under the castle), Le Carrousel de Lancelot, Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (Snow White & 7 Dwarfs) Les Voyage de Pinocchio, Peter Pans Flight, Dumbo the flying elephant, Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, Mad Hatters Tea Cups (Queen of Hearts, Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum, Alice & Mad Hatter meet and greets here) and It’s a Small World (Various greets in this area too). You also have Meet Mickey Mouse and The Princess Pavilion where you can meet characters. Food Choices in this area are Pizzeria Bella Notte (quick service) The Old Mill (on the go) Au Chalet de la Marionette (quick service) L’Arbre Enchante (on the go) March Hare Refreshments (on the go) Auberge de Cendrillon (table service – character meet) and Toad Hall Restaurant (quick service). They have recently added food stalls by It’s a Small World where you can get treats and snacks.
Finally, to the right of the castle is Discovery Land. This is home to Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, Autopia, Orbitron, Nautilus and Mickey & his PhilharMagic Orchestra. The only meet & greet here is Star Wars Legends. Food here is Café Hyperion (quick service) and Coll Station (on the go)
Walt Disney Studio Park – soon to be renamed due to the huge refurbishment and new land coming in 2025!
As you enter the park to the left will be Avengers Campus. This was added in 2022. This part of the park has Avengers Assemble: Flight Force and Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure (Web Slinger). There are multiple performances in this area and meet a greets with Avengers. Food choices for this area are PYM kitchen (A-Y-C-E Buffet) Stark Factory (quick service) Super Diner (quick service) FAN-tastic Food Truck (on the go) and WEB Food Truck (on the go).
Production Courtyard has The Twilight Tower Zone: Tower of Terror. You can also meet characters in this area. They also have The Disney Junior Dream Factory Show and Stitch Live.
Toon Studio has Frozen Live and Agrabah Flying Carpets. You then move onto the World of Pixar which has Crush’s Coaster, CARS road trip, Ratatouille: The Adventure, Toy Soldiers: Parachute Drop, RC Racer, Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin and CARS Quatre Roues Rallye. There are quite a few meets and greet spots around, but these must be booked on the app. Food here is Bistrot Chez Remy (Table Service) there are two food trucks The LAUGH’N’GO Van and TOON STUDIO CATERING CO Van. There are seasonal food huts by The Ratatouille ride where you can get snacks and treats. You can also see Alice & The Queen of Hearts: Back to Wonderland here – which is a brand-new show for 2024.
Travelling to France
There are 4 options for traveling to France: Plane, Ferry, Eurotunnel and Eurostar.
Plane is probably most convenient. Its 1hr15mins total flying time from Birmingham to Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) (other airport flying times may vary). Another airport is Orly. From CDG, you can get Ubers, TGV or Magical express. The Magical express is a coach service that takes you from the airport directly to your hotel. The current price of this is €24 per person one way. It takes about 1 hour. The TGV is the fast train from CGD to Marne -la-Valle Chessy – Disneyland. This is currently €22 per person one way but only takes 9 minutes. This brings you out to the Bus station where you can catch your free shuttle bus to your hotel. Ubers can be booked in advance or on the day. Previously I have paid €60 for a journey that drops you to the back of the Village.
Eurostar is about 2.5 Hours from London St Pancras. The price for this varies. They recently stopped doing the direct train to Disney. Which now means the journey usually requires a change of train.
Eurotunnel and Ferry are both self-drive. However, the Eurotunnel crossing is 35 minutes, the Ferry crossing is 1hr10mins. The prices are usually similar. However, the earlier you book the better price you get. Ensure you have all the correct documents and equipment for traveling in France (see France tips) From exiting the port, it is roughly 3 hours to Disney. There are 3 roads that I usually take and that is A26, A1, A104. I find this the most direct. A26 is a toll road. You get a ticket when you enter the road and pay as you exit the road. Again, prices for this vary depending on travel day and time. I have not paid more than €25 each way.