Disneyland

With five incredible lands spanning across a vast area, Disneyland Park is one of the two theme parks within Disneyland Paris. It brims with shows and street parades all around the year, along with a wide range of attractive rides such as Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Adventure Isle, Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, Big Thunder Mountain and the famous Buzz Lightyear’s Laser Blast. These attractions are located across the five lands of Disneyland - Discoveryland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland and Main Street USA. Award-winning programmes such as the Disney Performing Arts Programme, Disney Stars on Parade and a variety of character experiences such as An Encounter with Darth Vader and Disney Princesses: A Royal Invitation are held in the park that are captivating to an unforgettable extent.

There are also many dining cafes and restaurants with built-in themes, such as Cookie Kitchen, Silver Spur Steakhouse and The Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlour, which offer the ultimate dining experiences with a pinch of fun. Most importantly, sometimes, lucky visitors even avail the chance to dine with their favourite characters at these joints. Describing the experience at Disneyland Park as massive and extravagant would still not do it justice!

The second of two theme parks at Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney Studios Park is purely dedicated to show business, and is themed after Hollywood movies; unmasking the secrets behind the production and making the most of famous Hollywood movies ever made. From legendary motion moments to special effects used at Backlot, one gets to experience it all. This park is represented by a water tower known as the Earffel Tower. It is scheduled to undergo a significant transformative process from 2021 to 2025, coinciding with the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. There are plans set in motion, of creating new areas based on the more recent set of movies - Frozen, Star Wars and the Marvel Franchise.

The park is divided into four studio lots namely the Front Lot, Toon Studio, Production Courtyard and the Backlot. Front Lot, the studio at the entrance, houses most of the shops and services of the park. The Toon Studio is based upon animated characters from Disney and Pixar movies. It features several rides which include roller coasters and other motion-based rides. Production Courtyard showcases the production aspect of Hollywood movies. It contains Hollywood-inspired street sets, rides, shops and restaurants. The Backlot is based on actual movie backlots with various themes and is relatively unadorned. High thrills from movies like Mission Impossible and Batman, accompanied by soundtracks, are the main attractions of this area.

Attractions such as Crush’s Coaster, RC Racer, Disney Studios 1, Rock n Roller Coaster featuring the famous rock band Aerosmith are the most famous of all. There are a number of character experiences based areas where visitors get a chance to meet and greet their favourite movie and cartoon characters like Bo Peep and Buzz Lightyear. The fine dining restaurants and Disney Village shows act as cherries on top of all these entertaining attractions

Disneyland Paris has a plethora of attractions but there are ten attractions that make it to the top tier. They are namely


1. Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (formerly known as Space Mountain: Mission 2)

2. Big Thunder Mountain

3. Pirates of the Caribbean

4. Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters

5. Phantom Manor

6. Peter Pan’s Flight

7. Astro Orbiter

8. Autopia

9. Jungle Cruise

10. It's a small world

These attractions provide for an enticing experience for people of all age groups.

The Disney Parade is a regular event at Disneyland Paris that is just as integral a part of the park as the rides and attractions. Characters float and glide along the Main Street through the magical world of Mickey and his friends, accompanied by music and cheers. On the 25th anniversary of the theme park, a special parade called “Stars on Parade” was organized, which featured a huge steampunk dragon based on Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. The parade was a huge hit. These parades are filled with liveliness and exciting events that shouldn’t be missed at any cost.

Timings: Begins 5.30 PM

Disneyland Paris has two main provisions to fulfil shopping and dining needs of tourists. Disney Village contains a variety of restaurants, shopping outlets and entertainment venues. The second centre is known as Val d’Europe, which houses shops, department stores, and also a huge Disney store.

1. Val d’Europe

With over 150 shops and centres catering to your needs, Val d’Europe is a shopping centre in Disneyland Paris which covers a plethora of genres of shopping such as fashion, sports, technology, and is locally famous for its fine foods and French wines.

Timings: 10 AM - 9 PM
Price: Free

2. Disney Village

The Disney Village is a shopping, dining and multi-entertainment complex that is ideally situated close to both the theme parks at Disneyland Paris. It offers a wide range of services from free WiFi to dinner shows with Mickey and friends. It also contains a cinema where you can go if there’s a new movie in town.

Timings: 8 AM - 12 AM
Price: Free

1. Electroland

Experience the world of Electronic music in a way that will instil each and every beat under your skin. At Electroland - Disneyland Paris, magic and music collide effortlessly to produce a night filled with extravaganza. World-famous DJs like Steve Aoki and Nicky Romero will perform live their hottest hits and singles, to deliver the ultimate electro show.

Timings: 8 PM - 2 AM (5 - 7th July)
Price: 3-day pass - EUR 213 / 2-day pass - EUR 142 - 162 / Friday, Sunday - EUR 79 / Saturday - EUR 99

2. The Lion King and Jungle Festival

Take a stroll down memory lane and travel back to the jungles of Africa to be a part of your favourite ride with Simba and his friends. The Lion King and Jungle Festival provides a character-filled time along with lots of fun through new shows and interactive experiences.

Timings: Same as the park timings
Months: June to September
Price: EUR 98

3. Disney Paris Run Weekend

The 3-day half-marathon is an annual run held at Disneyland Paris, targeted at runners of all ages. It consists of a wide range of events like runDisney Kids Races, Disneyland Paris 5km, Disneyland Paris 10km or Half Marathon Disneyland Paris - Val d’Europe! These runs have a special element attached to them; you get a chance to run alongside your favourite Disney Characters.

Dates: September 19, 2019 - September 22, 2019
Prices:
Val d’Europe Half Marathon - EUR 66
Disneyland Paris 10K - EUR 48
Disneyland Paris 5K Family Run - EUR 31
runDisney Kid race - EUR 11
Disneyland Paris 10K + Val d’Europe Half Marathon - EUR 115

4. Disney Halloween Parties

Get ready for a long evening of mischief and fun at the Halloween parties in Disneyland Paris. Party until midnight with your favourite Disney Villains on two days of the Halloween week. This is the time when all the monstrous haunted rides and shows come to life to scare the breath out of your lungs. End the night with food and drinks to make these parties memorable.

Timings: 8 PM - 2 AM
Dates: 26th and 31st October
Price: EUR 70

1. Jedi Training Academy

Located at Videopolis in Discoveryland, Jedi Training Academy is an experience for guests purely based upon Jedi teachings found in the Star Wars series. The session includes extensive training and is entirely based on the Trials of the Temple theme of Star Wars. It is an extremely fun source of entertainment for all the Star Wars-crazy fans.

2. Disney Illuminations

Disney Illuminations is a nighttime show which is loosely based on the Ignite the Dream show at Disneyland Shanghai. It includes performances and shows that include fireworks, water fountains, fire and music, laser and searchlights, mist screens and other special effects. The show also features a list of songs from popular Disney Films like The Lion King and Cinderella, that regularly play in the background. It takes place every night after the park closes.

3. Marvel Summer of Superheroes

Avengers Assemble! Here at Disneyland Paris, the Marvel Summer of Superheroes lets you team up with your favourite Marvel superheroes in order to save the world. From character meet ‘n’ greets to face paintings, everything Marvel is here at the park every summer - March to June.

4. Pirates and Princesses Festival

Discover the inner pirate or princess in you at the Pirates and Princesses Festival in Disneyland Paris. Choose a side and indulge in a spectacular celebration and interactive experience which will take you through the Disney stories that you hold close to your heart. Get yourself dressed like Elsa from Frozen or learn how to be a real pirate like Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean; it is all up to you.

Disneyland Paris has two central resorts, namely Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch and Villages Nature Paris, that allow visitors to gain the ultimate resort experience in its more secluded and woody parts. Away from all the chatter and theme parks, these resorts provide a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere.

1. Villages Nature Paris

Villages Nature Paris will make you feel at home away from home. With five unique immersive worlds - The Aqualagon with its water park and heated outdoor lagoon, BelleVie Farm, Extraordinary Gardens, Forest of Legends and Lakeside Promenade, one never needs to worry about running out of things to do in this place. The resort also offers a range of adventurous and entertaining activities targeted at people of all ages.

Timings: 10 AM (check-in) - 11 AM (Check-out)
Price: Starts EUR 312

2. Davy Crockett Ranch

 

The perfect place to spend time in Disneyland is at the Davy Crockett Ranch where one is promised a refreshing escape from the chaos and ruckus of the city, and of the Disneyland parks. Relax at your own cosy cabin or quench your thirst for adventure, it is entirely up to you.

Price: EUR 234  per person per night (offers at disneylandparis.com)
Timings: 10 AM - 11 AM (next day)

For all Disney cum golf lovers, Disneyland Paris features a Disney-themed golf complex containing 9-hole and 18-hole golf courses. This complex is more popular among adults, but also has a children’s section aimed at pure fun.

Timings: 8.30 AM - 6 PM
Price(18-hole): Mon - Fri: EUR 40(Regular), EUR 21(Juniors under 25), EUR 55(Seniors over 55) / Sat and Sun: EUR 65, EUR 46(Juniors under 25)
Price(9-hole): Mon - Fri: EUR 30 / Sat and Sun: EUR 35

Looking around Disneyland Paris will always make you feel like you’re living in a fairytale because that’s what the architecture and design of Disneyland Paris boasts. The craftsmanship of the architects and engineers is visible when you take time and pay attention to every detail around you. The construction and styling of these buildings are done in a way to transport us to different times and places and remind us of the good old days of our childhood.

From Main Street USA to Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland, the brilliance in design and architecture of Disneyland Paris is proven accurately. Disneyland Paris’ architecture tries to establish a “magical kingdom” type vibe within the atmosphere of the resort and remains unbeaten in doing so. Disneyland Paris draws inspiration from French and European culture and architecture for its attractions, shows and decorations. Place Dauphine and Boulevard Haussmann inspire some aspects of the Ratatouille district. There are urban furniture everywhere - benches, light posts and billboards, accessorized by bicycles and scooters.

The Sleeping Beauty Castle, on the other hand, is a masterpiece. It boasts of soaring spires, ornate turrets, regal royal-blue rooftops, stained glass windows and tapestries. The entire structure is over 167 feet in height and derives certain elements from popular French styles of architecture such as Baroque. Lodging facilities have also been provided within the resort, fulfilled by the building of seven hotels amounting to 5800 rooms. The seven hotels represent regions of the United States to set an American tone to the theme. Disney Springs and Disney Village were opened which primarily focus upon the visitor’s shopping, dining and entertainment needs.

After the incredible success of its American counterparts, Disneyland in California and the Walt Disney World in Florida, there were talks about setting up a similar theme park based entertainment resort in Europe. After years of research in around 1200 locations in Europe, including all the major European countries like Britain and Italy, all location ideas except Paris were dropped due to lack of enough flat land to build a theme park.

Nearing the final phase of construction, Euro Paris intended to start hiring and employing permanently. To facilitate the process, casting and employment centres were set up in London, Paris and Amsterdam, along with training centres within the newly established Disney University that enabled aspiring employees to be officially trained for the job, for which particular skills were required.

You should keep some tips in mind before visiting Disneyland Paris -

1. Pre-book tickets - Due to the humongous size of the park and the large number of rides and attractions in it, pre-booking tickets to the ones which capture your attention would be a good idea. This will help you get rid of long queues and will simplify your experience.

2. Necessary items - Two things you absolutely need to pack for a trip to France are ponchos (rain is not an uncommon thing) and external battery chargers for your phone.

3. Stay and accommodation - Staying on-site at a Disneyland Paris hotel adds to the experience, but the hotels are inexplicably expensive for their quality. It is recommended staying off-site in nearby Val d’Europe (the RER train stop before Disneyland Paris).

4. App - Download the official Disneyland Paris app before your trip. It’s useful not only for wait times but also restaurant hours, which can be unpredictable at times.

5. What to wear - A proper dress is required along with appropriate footwear. The park reserves the right to refuse services to any person who doesn’t dress appropriately or has objectionable makeup/tattoos that might offend and make other people uncomfortable.

6. Prioritize - Shops on Main Street are open up to an hour after the park closes. Do your shopping after you have completed the rides.

7. Lost and Found -  Kindly ensure to keep your belongings safe and close to you. In case of losing objects, Disneyland Paris has a provision for declaring found and retrieving lost items from the Lost and Found section in the complex.

8. Theme Parks, Disney Village and Disney Hotels Rules and Regulations - There are certain rules and regulations applicable across Disneyland Paris which should be carefully skimmed through, before visiting Disneyland Paris.

Disneyland Paris is open to visitation throughout the year but to extract maximum fun from your visit, visiting it during festivities such as Christmas and Halloween are recommended, due to seasonal daytime and nighttime shows.

• By Train - A railway station called Marne-la-Vallee, Chessy is located between the theme parks and Disney Village, which is connected directly to central Paris via the express line RER A. From the station, Disneyland is a 2 minute walk.

• By Car - Taxis are available in plenty. Disneyland, Paris is located about 32 kms away from the capital. 

• By Airport Shuttle - Shuttles transport tourists straight from the airport to the gates of disneyland. Seats can be booked from the official website (www.disneylandparis.com).

• Disneyland Paris Express - Shuttles can booked for a unique experience of travelling to Disneyland from the heart of Paris in style. This pickup involves pickup from different locations in Paris and entry into Disneyland. For more information refer to the official website (www.disneylandparis.com).