I did Disneyland Paris wrong now you can do it right

Going to someplace you have never been before can be hard to plan for especially when there are cultural differences involved. When I went to Disneyland Paris this past winter I thought I’d be fine because I’d been to past parks…I was wrong. Here is an outline of what you should be doing based on what I did not do. Hopefully, your day will be a lot less hectic and stressful as mine was.

Accommodation

If you don’t already live in or around Paris you are going to want to look into a place to stay while there. Depending on distance and budget these are some options.

Disney Hotel in the Park

If you are going specifically to the park its the best thing to just stay in one of the park’s hotels. Both are on the park grounds and give guests extra magic hours on certain days. This is also best if you are looking to stay for the fireworks. I didn’t stay in the parks and I regretted it because the entrance is right at the park exit and it ensures you can see the fireworks and won’t have to worry about catching transportation back to where you are staying.

Outside the park

If it’s not within your budget to stay at the park I recommend finding an accommodation near a train station or metro line. You will have to take the REF train to Disneyland if you are not staying on the park grounds so it’s important to have easy access to one. Depending on your budget

Hostels are your best friend if you’re on a budget. The site Hostelworld helped me so much when looking for a place to stay. You can rank locations based on safety, amenities, locations, etc. Reading reviews is also helpful to gauge the reactions of other travelers.

Transportation

A common mistake people make when they are going to Paris for Disneyland is that its close to the city, it is not. I wish it was an uber away but it’s about a train ride out of the city depending on where you are. The upside is the station is literally within the park grounds outside of the gate so if you’re lazy you don’t have to walk too much further than that.

When purchasing tickets it’s important to understand where your ticket gets you within the areas of Paris. There are different zones and Disneyland is within the furthest zone. My first try at purchasing it myself had me almost buying the wrong zone and the best thing I did was speak with a ticket operator for help. It’s helpful to know French when asking someone but most are very capable of helping you if you can only speak English.

Just remember that if your accommodation is a metro stop to a train station and not directly near a train station then you’ll have to buy a metro ticket to get back from the train.

Weather

The weather can be unpredictable which is something I didn’t plan for. I dressed for a sunny/cloudy day but it, unfortunately, poured for a portion of my day and it was very cold. I luckily was not pressed for time and took shelter in a store for a bit but many were so desperate they spent 18 euros on a plastic poncho that you could probably find in the dollar store.

To save yourself from making my mistake, I would recommend packing 3 different outfits based on the weather for that entire week. Also, just always bring an umbrella because you never know what could happen.

Fast Pass

The lines in Disneyland on a weekday were something I was not expecting. They were incredibly long and it was hard to pass the time while waiting for rides. Many rides in the park are simply roped off lines without any interactive panels along the way to kill time. They also do not have free WiFi or good cell service which makes it harder to do something while you wait.

This is where fast passes come in. If you can get to the Kiosks in front of the rides before they’re closed you can lock in a time where you can get on the ride with minimal wait. It’s important to get to these first and not wait like I did because they do ‘sell out’ fast.