I was so glad to have the perfect excuse to go to Euro Disney: I have two boys who would looove to go there, right? Anyway, as we were planning our Eurotrip I encouraging my husband to extend our stay in Paris long enough so we could go to Disneyland at least one day. I quickly looked online and decided to buy our tickets on the Disney website. They had a special deal going on so we got the special 20^th anniversary ticket, which was twenty percent which granted us access to both the Disneyland Park and Disney Studios. Kids under three can get in for free so I had another two free excuses to go to Disney. Who wouldn’t want to meet Mickey Mouse IN PERSON after all?

As soon as we got to Paris I started looking at transportation options and decided to just take the RER there. It was cheaper than the buses and we had a metro stop right in front of our hotel. The RER ticket was 14 euros round trip and the kiddos could ride for free. The ride on the RER was a treat itself for Evan. It takes about 45 minutes from the Paris city center to get there.There’s no reason to get lost since it’s the last station and once you get there, there are multiple signs leading to the park entrance.

Like every amusement park the lines to buy tickets were L.O.N.G. I felt like a VIP when we just went to the entrance gate, showed our printed tickets and went inside. The downside of having printed tickets is that they are a bit bulky when you want to take them in and out of your purse or pocket to get a FastPass ticket. Since we only had our umbrella stroller we opted to rent a second stroller in the park. It was only 8 euros and was perfect for rolling Evan around and not having to worry about an overtired toddler.

Although the day was a bit cloudy, you could feel the magic of Disney in every corner! Evan was so excited to see Mickey Mouse’s silhouette partout, Joshua could feel the excitement and was a happy camper and mommy felt like a little girl all over again.  In defiance of the drizzle, the crowds of vacationing Europeans were unstoppable and made their way into the park slowly but surely. This didn’t keep us from having a fantastic time and stopping in every place Evan wanted to visit despite the long lines.

 

 

We stayed mostly in the Fantasy Land area and Evan got very excited every time he saw a character walk by. We rode on the Peter Pan, Snow White, Pinocchio and Dumbo Ride and got on the carousel several times. The highlight for Joshua was the It’s a Small World ride. He was so excited and loved looking at everything. We rode on it like four times!

We stopped for lunch and snacks a few times and were very happy with everything offered at the restaurants. We were lucky to visit during Sale time so we were able to score a few souvenirs at great prices!

Seeing Evan’s face when he “met” Mickey Mouse made this visit all worth it for me. He was excited but surprised and couldn’t believethat he was actually looking at Mickey Mouse in person! Evan ran right to him and hugged him. It was so sweet and it just warmed my heart.

The grand finale was finishing the day visiting (or rather running around) Disney Village. Since it was already dark we were able to enjoy all the beautiful light displays. I wish we had been able to stay longer but our bodies and cranky kids told us it was time to go home.

Disney Land Paris is a dream come true to anyone vacationing in Europe with little ones. Of course the crowds are as big as at any Disney Park but the atmosphere and that French feel to it make it a very enjoyable place for kids of all ages.

Tips

1. To avoid long lines at the entrance buy your tickets online or at an authorized retailer. There are tons all over Paris.  If you buy them online bring some kind of ID to present when getting in. They check for the name. I would even wait to buy them when you get to Paris to make sure the current promotion isn’t better than the ones online.
2. Take the RER there. Consider the travel time is about 45 minutes from the Paris city center and enjoy the ride.
3. If you are visiting during the summer, WEAR SUNSCREEN!!! Yes, this is a lessons learned. Since it was cloudy and rainy I thought we didn’t really need it and Joshua got sunburned. I felt so guilty!
4. Plan to arrive around 11 or noon so you have the energy and stamina to stay until the closing light show (which we really regret missing out on).
5. The Disneyland Paris App is a great resource to check waiting times at different rides and the show schedule. It also has an interactive map that was great for us.
6. If you are planning on visiting both parks check the closing times at both. We missed out on Disney Studios because by the time we were ready to head that way it was closing. It closed 5 hours before Disney Land did.
7. Plan to stay in Downtown Village for dinner. They have everything and anything, From McDonald’s to fancy five-course restaurants. Since we were exhausted we avoided it but I would have loved to stay there. The last RER departs about the same time the Village closes.
8. If you have some spare time in Paris (is that even possible?) take it slowly and take two days to visit. They had a special promotion when we visited where for a few euros extra you could get a second day pass.

Toddler Tips

1. If your kid is under three they go in for free! Yay! They don’t usually ask for evidence of age but I would bring a copy of the kids’ passports just in case.
2. Follow your toddler’s lead. Maybe you really want to go to the Dumbo Ride but he prefers It’s a Small World so just go there at least to avoid tantrums and to make sure this is a great experience both for you and your kids.
3. The food is like at every Disney Park, you can buy fast food for cheap or go to the nicer buffet restaurants for a pricier option. We did the fast food and were very satisfied, besides French food is amazing, whether it’s fast or not!
4. If there’s a short line somewhere, ride it as many times as possible! At least you will feel like you didn’t miss out on anything!
5. Visiting Mickey Mouse is the most important attraction here so make sure you are ready to wait for an hour or so to meet him and take into consideration the closing time of Mickey’s House. You don’t want to leave Disney without saying hello to Mickey!

Baby Tips

1. Bring a stroller. The strollers available for rental are for bigger and sturdier kids.
2. There are changing tables just at certain bathrooms so scout them out before you decide where you want to eat or take a break.
3. There are a few indoor places to sit down and relax with the baby, take advantage of them if you want to breastfeed or just take a break.