It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that I visited Disneyland Paris Resort on my trip to France. But here are 10 reasons why everyone should visit Disneyland Paris!
1. Beauty & Attention to Detail
The #1 reason to visit Disneyland Paris is that it is the most beautiful of the Magic Kingdom style parks. Originally known as Euro Disney, this park cost $5 billion to create and opened in 1992. It was designed by a team of rock star Disney Imagineers who were committed to making this park as beautiful as all of the surrounding sites in Paris and in greater Europe. After all, when your countrysides are dotted with castles and other wonders, you need something even more spectacular in a theme park!
The Imagineers brought a bit of whimsy to the structures. And they were very attentive to all of the exquisite details. Like Toyko DisneySea, it’s a park that you can enjoy even if you don’t do any attractions. You will enjoy just walking through, seeing all of the amazing characteristics, and soaking up the atmosphere!
2. Affordable Tickets
Another great reason to visit Disneyland Paris is that it is more affordable than it’s US counterparts. A one-day park hopper ticket to Disneyland Paris for an adult costs anywhere between $96.39-$147.57, depending on the dates you are visiting. A similar ticket to Disneyland in California costs $169-$244. At Disney World in Florida, a one-day park hopper ticket costs $184-$252. While I don’t think you could save money on your Disney fix by going to Disneyland Paris instead of U.S. Disney parks, with a great deal on airfare, you could come close!
3. Best Versions of Classic Attractions
If you are a Disney parks fan, you will recognize many of the attractions at Disneyland Paris. But you will notice differences. And in some cases, these differences truly set these attractions apart. One example is It’s a Small World. The building design is much like it’s California Disneyland counterpart except it’s colorful. And inside there’s an expanded Americana scene that is fun to experience as an American.
Another example is Phantom Manor. It’s much like the Haunted Mansion in American parks, but it has a different storyline which focuses on the bride. This change in storyline manifests in variations throughout the ride. Continuing with the spooky theme, Tower of Tower located at Walt Disney Studios Park is very similar to its US counterpart in Florida. It’s not as good in some ways as the ride vehicle only goes up and down and doesn’t move on a track. But it makes up for that in featuring the Twilight Zone little girl prominently. This makes it a lot creepier!
But the best example is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Unlike its counterparts in Florida and California, the Paris version goes underneath a tunnel in the Rivers of the Far West. This is where you find Tom Sawyer’s Island in Florida and the Pirate’s Lair in California. You start your ride on the mainland, but most of the ride tracks are on the island and you return to the mainland to disembark. The dark entrance and exit to the island, the zippy speed, and the top-notch animatronics on this version make it soar to the top of any Big Thunder Mountain ranking list!
4. More Thrill Attractions
When I asked my 14 year old son reasons why people should visit Disneyland Paris, his first answer was “the thrills!” Disneyland Paris has more thrill attractions than any other Disney park. Even old familiar rides like Space Mountain have an edge. It is still a roller coaster in the dark, but it goes upside down! Other coasters my son loves are Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Crush’s Coaster, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, and Adventures Assemble: Flight Force. The latter two also include upside down loops. Other thrill attractions include RC Racers and Tower of Terror.
5. More Walk-Through Attractions
Unlike my son, I no longer get as much joy from roller coasters as I once did. So I was excited to see all of the wonderful walk-through attractions available in the park. There are six highly themed areas that encourage meandering through the various lands.
Fantasyland
My favorite is Alice’s Curious Labyrinth in Fantasyland. This hedge maze is full of interactive elements that culminates in a visit to the Queen of Heart’s Castle. Another walk-through that receives top marks is La Tanière du Dragon. You get to see a huge animatronic dragon under the castle. Sadly, this was closed during our visit, so I have to go back someday! Also in the castle is La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant on the second floor. This area has tapestries and interactive items from Sleeping Beauty.
Adventureland
Less opulent but still fun is Le Passage Enchanté d’Aladdin dedicated to scenes from Aladdin. Nearby Adventure Isle is filled with caves, pirate ship, Skull Rock, and Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.
Discoveryland
The Les Mystères du Nautilus offers the opportunity to walk through Captain Nemo’s Nautilus submarine from the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Watch out! There just might be a giant squid attack during your visit. This was also closed during my visit. Reason #2 to go again!
Frontierland
Upon entering Frontierland, you will be in Fort Comstock. This elaborate collection of buildings takes you on a journey through tableaus depicting characters from the American Wild West.
6. Unique Nighttime Entertainment
Perhaps the most compelling of the reasons to visit Disneyland Paris is its unique nighttime entertainment. Currently, it is the only Disney theme park to utilize drones in its nighttime show. The resort has used drones in a few different shows, including its 30th anniversary Disney D-Light show and Avengers: Power the Night show.
7. Champagne on Main Street
While this will probably not make any of us jump on a plane, there’s just something so French about having a champagne toast on Main Street in front of the castle at a Disney park! As you can tell from the photo, I didn’t actually do this because the champagne cost $16 and came with a souvenir glass I don’t need. But I love the idea and will do so next time!
8. Wonderful Shows
Shows are great at Disney parks around the globe, and Disneyland Paris is no exception. The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands Show is a fantastic musical performance featuring dancers and acrobats. Mickey & the Magician features Mickey and friends learning magic. Enjoy the illusions, special effects, and singing and dancing performances. Frozen: A Musical invitation takes you to Kristoff’s barn to learn to dance with Anna and then visit an ice palace to show Elsa your new moves. There are also multiple parades and firework shows daily.
9. Experience French Culture
Disney parks are distinctly American, and you may wonder why Americans would want to visit one in a foreign country. But I think it’s extremely interesting to experience a different culture in a familiar setting. In our case, we saw Disneyland Paris employees engaged in an active protest against the company. They were asking for wages increases, bonuses, and increased pay for Sunday work. This disrupted park operations to some degree as the protesters would take over areas of the park throughout the day.
Strikes are very common in France as it is the most meaningful way for the people to have a voice in the political and economic system. Usually I advise people to avoid strikes at all costs in a foreign country. But in this case it was incredibly fascinating to see a strike in such a familiar setting. And the amount of security in place made it feel like a safe cultural experience to have.
10. Great “Break” from a European Vacation with Teens
The final of so many reasons to visit Disneyland Paris is that is a great “break” from a vacation with kids or teens. Disney parks feel familiar to us, so it was easy to figure out where to go and what to do. It was nice having a few days of low-stress family time to cap off our trip. It was also something for my kids to look forward to while we were trudging through some “must-see” sites in London and Paris!
Since we stayed in a on-property hotel, we were able to give our teens freedom to wander around on their own. In fact, we all spent some time alone during these final few days. As a Disney fan, I soaked up time alone in the parks. Meanwhile, my teens slept in and my husband enjoyed the atmosphere on a bench. We came home more refreshed than if we would have spent every single second together during those last few days!
Are these reasons to visit Disneyland Paris compelling?
If so, tell me below! And if you love theme parks, make sure to check out all of our theme park guides. Also check out our other Paris posts:
