Paris, France, is one of my all-time favorite cities in the world to visit. As I have told probably way too many people, to me the best thing about Paris is that it's always exactly what you expect to be, and often so much better. There's a reason so many of us return year after year, and that reason goes far beyond the delight of seeing the Eiffel Tower or how easy it is to jump into a bakery for a croissant and espresso (don't even get me started on how much I love those orange juice machines at Carrefour).
Paris is also home to a gem that not everyone takes the time to see: Disneyland Paris, which boasts two parks, resort hotels, shopping, restaurants, and more. While we Americans are incredibly fond of our own Disney parks (and for good reason!), the park in Paris is a lot of fun for everyone.
If you only have one day, visit Walt Disney Studios
If you have visited Disney in California or Florida, you will probably walk into Disneyland Paris expecting to visit at least two parks. Disney Paris is home to both Walt Disney Studios and Parc Disneyland, but if you only have a day and really want to maximize your time, I suggest mostly sticking with Walt Disney Studios. This recommendation comes even more heavily if you are comfortable not having a set schedule or just letting the day take you where it wants to go, which is what we decided to do while visiting with two teens.
Much to our surprise, our kids made a beeline for the flying elephant ride. Our kids were 14 and 11, so we had kind of assumed that they might want to be a little more adventurous, but our group of four actually spent our first two hours in the immediate area, riding the teacups, the Peter Pan ride, It's a Small World, and walking through the Alice in Wonderland maze. They had a blast.
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We had agreed to just do whatever the kids wanted to do and to have them take turns picking, so it made it easy to just let the Disney wind blow us where it wanted us to go. On past Disney trips I've been a little too focused on making sure we hit certain rides or accomplished certain goals, and it was nice to have space to take it easy.
Disneyland Paris doesn't seem as big as its American counterparts, so that also made it easier to relax and just enjoy the day. There was no sense of missing out or being worried something might not happen, which was refreshing.
Rides and attractions at Disneyland Paris that are a lot of fun
After our time in the Alice in Wonderland area, we moved on to find the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It was closed (sad face), which reset our course. We found ourselves outside Phantom Manor, so we went in.
I think every single one of us was happily surprised by how much fun we had in Phantom Manor — especially because it didn't seem like it would be that scary at first. I'm not saying you'll be terrified but if you give yourself permission, you can almost convince yourself that the place might be haunted after all.
Buzz Lightyear is always a delight
My son and I went to Disney in Orlando years and years ago, and for whatever reason, his favorite thing ever was the Buzz Lightyear laser game. We had no idea that the same game was at Disneyland Paris, and we were both so excited to get to revisit it. We had just as much fun eight years later, and this time I even beat him (applause, applause).
Star Tours isn't Star Wars: Galaxy Edge, but it hits
We also all went to check out Star Tours, another ride we had ridden at other parks but had completely forgotten about. The dialogue is in French, but it turns out that if you know Star Wars, that's enough.
Getting to Disneyland Paris is easier than you think
A lot of articles focus on the train that takes you to Disneyland Paris. Sure, it is 45 minutes to an hour, but I think what others have neglected to mention is that it's an easy, easy ride. Grab some snacks at the station before jumping on the RER A, snag a seat, and enjoy the view! Having made the trip more than once, one of my favorite parts of the ride to Disney is watching the city transition from a booming metropolis to very nearly a countryside.
Food at Disneyland Paris is a little different
There's one part of Disneyland Paris that might surprise you: the food isn't exactly what you might expect. That doesn't mean it's bad (not at all, and the restaurants were all very full on the day we visited), but it's not as varied as the Disney parks in the United States, especially if you are vegetarian. Since this was our second visit, we chose to eat sandwiches at the train station at the park instead of buying meals in the restaurants (after having done the latter the first time we visited).
It was a good call in the end, but we did end up swooping by a few snack stands for pretzels and other small bites.
Disneyland Paris is great, especially if you enjoy it for what it is
Our trip to Disneyland Paris was basically awesome — we would happily visit again, and look forward to doing so! As long as you don't expect a copy of any other park you have been to before, you can have a total blast there. After all, that's the point of visiting a city like Paris, anyway: enjoying it for what it is, celebrating that, and having a great time. The most important part of visiting somewhere new with kids is to teach our kids that the world is a big place and that it can be similar to what we are used to and also very different, and that's part of what makes the world and travel so great.
