Disneyland in Paris

Disneyland Paris is a brilliant place for kids – it’s exciting, thrilling, eye-popping stuff. Toddlers and younger kids will love the gentle rides and meeting the characters in Fantasyland, while older children may prefer Adventureland and Discoveryland with their thrill rides and high-tech gizmos.

But it’s not just the rides – it’s the whole experience, the sights and sounds, parades and light shows that create the place ‘where dreams come true’, as the publicity blurb says.

Located at Marne-la-Vallée, 32km (20 miles) east of Paris, Disneyland® Resort Paris has three parts: the main Disneyland Park, the adjacent Walt Disney Studios, and the hotels, shops and restaurants of Disney Village.  If you have a ticket that covers both the Park and the Studios, you can move between the two at will.

Famous Places in Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Park

Disneyland Park is divided into five main areas, or “lands”, each with attractions, restaurants and shops on a particular theme – the same floor plan as in other Disneylands elsewhere in the world.

Main Street USA

Highlight: Disney Magic Parade

Once through the Victorian turnstiles you enter this trademark Disney souvenir and shopping area, representing 19th-century, small-town America. City Hall, on the left, is the central information centre and contact point for lost children and property. This is the place to pick up a few copies of the park plan and the daily program, which provides information on opening hours, parades, shows and ride closures.

Here, too, is Main Street Station, from where Disneyland’s fake steam train chugs its way slowly clockwise round the park throughout the day.

The bandstand in Main Street Square is the best place to view the Disney Magic Parade. This is a real treat, with floats featuring characters and scenes from all the Disney favourites. It takes place every day about an hour before closing time, and people jostle for a good viewing point well in advance.

Frontierland

Highlight: Big Thunder Mountain

To the left of Main Street, Frontierland evokes dreams of the Wild West. Its centrepiece, Big Thunder Mountain, is a tower of red rock with a roller coaster twisting around it. You can take a ride through Phantom Manor, modelled on Norman Bates’s abode in Hitchcock’s Psycho and the scene of some spectacular animatronics and spooky special effects.

The Rivers of the Far West, the lake in the middle of Frontierland, can be enjoyed by Mississippi paddle steamer. Also in Frontierland you’ll find the Pocahontas Indian Village, a nice little play area for smaller children.

Adventure land

Highlight: Pirates of the Caribbean

Rival to Big Thunder Mountain, the first-ever 360-degree looping roller-coaster created by Disney is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril. Hold on to your stomach as the ore-carts plunge through rainforest and turn upside down above a mock archaeological dig. As with other top rides, get here early, or wait till later in the day.

Pirates of the Caribbean is a cruise through the darkness punctuated only by flickering firelight. For the six-minute journey you are spellbound by animated pirates invading a Spanish fortress.

Adventure Isle and Pirate’s Beach are playgrounds with climbing equipment – good for running around and letting off steam. If you’re feeling energetic, clamber up the ultimate treehouse, La Cabane des Robinson, home of the Swiss Family Robinson.

Fantasyland

Highlights: Peter Pan’s Flight and It’s a Small World

This is the most popular land for younger children, with lots of charming but sedate rides. The pink towers of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, centrepiece of the park, is where Sleeping Beauty’s tale is told through rich tapestries and stained-glass windows. Underneath lies The Lair of the Dragon, hiding a fearsome creature that roars and hisses smoke.

Next door, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs leads children through the classic fairytale in cars from the dwarfs’ mine, and terrifies them with a holographic floating witch’s head. Peter Pan’s Flight is another one to visit early in the day; it’s a delightful ride above the streets of London to Never-Never Land. Also extremely popular is It’s a Small World, a riverboat journey through a hilariously kitsch kingdom of singing puppets – a real Disney classic.

Discoveryland

Highlight: Space Mountain

The futuristic high-tech experiences in Discoveryland are great for older kids. Space Mountain is an amazing high-speed roller-coaster ride that hurls you into outer space, and was inspired by Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon.

Captain EO is a rather strange short sci-fi film starring Michael Jackson. In the Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, participants use their laser pistols to shoot down baddies, all under the guidance of Buzz.

Also lots of fun is Autopia, where you can ‘drive’ a car round a winding race track.

Walt Disney Studios Park

This is full of rides and attractions inspired by the world of cinema, and is made up of four zones.

 Front Lot

As you walk through the majestic Studio Gates, the first thing you see are palm trees, a Mickey Mouse “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” water fountain and a 33-metre (110ft) water tower, the traditional symbol of a Hollywood film studio. Strolling down the 1940s Hollywood Boulevard, you soon realise this is all an elaborate set, complete with hundreds of movie props.

Toon Studio

This is Disney’s homage to the art of film animation – from its origins in Europe to the greatest animated pictures of the 21st century. Toy Story Playland is fun for smaller kids. Crush’s Coaster, a spinning rollercoaster based on Finding Nemo, is extremely popular so get there early in the day. There is no Fastpass on this ride and queuing time can be well over an hour.

Production Courtyard

This is the heartbeat of the studio production facilities, with productions and shows every day. Combining live performers and special effects, CinéMagique is an amusing tribute to 100 years of the moving image.

The Studio Tram Tour takes you on a tour of the studios, offering a peek behind the scenes at sets, movie props, special effects, decor and costumes. When the tram visits Catastrophe Canyon, a dam bursts, releasing a deluge of water.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror takes you on a gravity-defying 13-storey drop and will delight all thrill seekers. Younger kids will enjoy a live encounter with Stitch.

Back Lot

The Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster is the fastest ride at Disneyland Paris. After shooting into a tunnel at 60 mph (97 km/h), there is a spectacular high-speed ride featuring hairpin turns, terrifying loop-the-loops and heart-stopping drops. Armageddon, most suitable for adults and older kids, takes guests on a voyage through the history of special effects.

Highlight of the Back Lot is the Stunt Show Spectacular. This excellent live-action show for all the family is based on the Cars movies: Lightning McQueen chases the villains in a series of movie stunts, and you then learn how the crew set them up.

Disney Village

This area contains shops, restaurants, some with live shows, a sports bar, games arcade, and movie complex. Most of the restaurants are open till 11pm or so and get very busy just after the parks close, which unfortunately means yet more standing in line.

The four Disneyland hotels are also in the village, set around a large artificial lake. A small train (charge: 2 euros) tootles round the lake ferrying customers between the parks and their hotel.