We told you some weeks ago how Disneyland Paris is this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. A number of new rides and other attractions make this a better time than ever before for a visit. However, it means the park will this year be busier than ever before too – so if you’re one of the thousands of Irish families headed there, some careful planning in advance can help you make the most of your trip.
With that in mind, here are our top ten tips for a trip to Disneyland Paris:
1 – Go in early July.
Not every EU country enjoys the long summer holidays that Irish schools do. French schools remain open for the first week of July, most UK schools remain open until mid-July, and many German schools do not close until the 21st of the month or even later. It means that the first week of July is the best time to go – to get your own children’s school holidays off to a great start!
2 – Go midweek. Avoid the weekends.
For what should be obvious reasons!
3 – Choose your preferred rides in advance.
Make no bones about it – queue times can be very long in Disneyland. Pick in advance the rides that appeal to you most. Then watch out for the best time to go join that queue. And you can do that if you…
4 – Download the Disneyland Paris Wait Time app.
It’s available for both iPhone and Android, and gives you real-time information on how long you can expect to wait. Having it and referring to it regularly can make all the difference to what you can fit into your day.
5 – Use FASTPASS where possible.
It’s a virtual queuing system where you can register for the ride you want, and then go there at your allocated time. It doesn’t work on all rides, but it does work on some of the most popular. You can find out more about how it works here.
6 – Work in reverse!
A good tactic in Disneyland Paris – as with all major theme parks – is to work your way through it in the opposite way to most of the crowd. When you enter in the morning, walk all the way through, and then work your way back towards the main gates. There’ll be fewer people at the more distant rides early in the day – and by the time you work your way back in the afternoon, the crowds will have died down there too.
7 – Bring your own snacks.
Disneyland is expensive for sweets and other treats – so bring your own to nibble on during the day. There’s no need to bring huge amounts of water, though. Just have a refillable bottle with you, and then make use of the many water fountains scattered throughout the park.
8 – Bring back-up for your camera.
Likewise, make sure you’ve enough to juice your camera for the day. If using your smartphone, bring your charger – many of the restaurants have plug-in points where you can recharge. If using a separate camera, make sure you bring spare batteries and a spare SD card too. You don’t want to know how much they cost in Disneyland!
9 – Eat lunch early. Or late.
Speaking of restaurants, the Disneyland ones get incredibly busy around peak lunchtime hours, when waits of 90 minutes or more are not uncommon. Avoid this by having ‘lunch’ at an unusual time like 10.30 a.m. or 3.30 p.m. instead.
10 – Shop early. Not late!
On a similar note, if paying a visit to any of the park shops, do it early in the day – as most people leave it until last. You won’t need to lug your purchases around all day if you’re staying in one of the resort hotels, as they can be delivered to your room free of charge. That’s a service worth making use of.
If you and your family are headed for Disneyland Paris this year, then we wish you all the best for a wonderful holiday.
We’d like to offer you a word of advice too. Remember that many things can go wrong on a family holiday, from a relatively minor problem like a bag going missing up to something more serious, like an over-excited child falling and being injured while running or playing. That’s why carrying family travel insurance is so important.
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- Abandonment Cover of €4,000
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- Abandonment Cover of €6,000
- Missed Departure Cover of €600
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- Personal Liability Cover of €2,000,000
- Third Party Supplier Insolvency Cover of €2,000
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