Deputy Editor, Hannah Gadd, recounts spending 72 hours at Disneyland Paris, praising the park’s offerings of fun and excitement for all
Disneyland Paris (DLP) has always been a bucket-list place to visit for me, so I was beyond excited to visit for my 21st birthday with my parents earlier this month. September is a great month to book a trip to DLP as the prices decrease towards the end of summer. Despite the parks (Disneyland & Walt Disney Studios) closing an hour earlier than usual this month, there is still plenty of time to explore, and the weather is fairly nice at this time of year.
Day 1
When booking our trip to DLP we found that travelling by Eurostar was the most suitable option for us. However, our departure time meant that we had to travel through the early hours of the morning in order to get to Kings Cross St. Pancras Station in time. Having never used the Eurostar before I was pleasantly surprised by how relaxed and easy the experience was. I was nervous for our changeover at Lille but again, it was straightforward. Our TGV train from Lille took us straight through to Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy Station which is located right outside the Disneyland Paris entrance. We were staying in Santa Fe, one of the on-site hotels, so we headed straight there to drop off our bags. Based on the Disney Pixar movie Cars, the theme of the hotel was brilliant and the attention to detail should be applauded.
We wasted no time in setting out to the parks, deciding to start with Walt Disney Studios as it closes slightly earlier than the Disneyland Park. It was fairly quiet at the Studios and for some of the rides we were able to walk on straight away. We knew we would have a more in-depth look around the following day so after a little while we moved on to the Disneyland Park.
Entering Disneyland was surreal; the iconic castle situated at the end of Main Street looked incredible against the blue sky. Looking on the DLP app we noticed there was a small queue for ‘Hyperspace Mountain’ so we made our way over to Discoveryland. The Star Wars themed rollercoaster is a must-ride for those who love big thrills and an adrenaline rush. It was getting dark and closer to the castle illuminations when we aimed to have a quick ride on Big Thunder Mountain. In typical fashion, the ride broke down and we were evacuated meaning we missed the first few minutes of the fireworks; the staff were more than apologetic and offered us queue-jumping tickets for the following day. The night ended with the impressive firework show and everyone made their way out of the park.
Day 2
Magic Hour is a huge benefit to staying on-site as you get access to both parks before the gates officially open. After a quick stop-off at the McDonald’s in Disney Village, we entered the Studios and walked straight to ‘Crush’s Coaster’. The ride is undoubtedly the most popular in the Studios and even during Magic Hour, it had quite the queue. We spent most of the morning at the Studios and managed to get quite a lot done including meeting Spiderman and watching the ‘Pixar Musical Adventure’ show.
We sat down for lunch once we entered the Disneyland Park, opting for a croque-monsieur and a Mickey-shaped beignet. With so much to do there isn’t much time to sit around so we swiftly made our way to Fantasyland. This area of the park is catered more towards families with younger children but definitely should not be missed. ‘It’s a Small World’ is a fantastically bizarre ride with a soundtrack that guarantees to stick in your head whilst ‘Le Pays des Contes de Fées’ is a lovely storybook-themed boat ride and a great opportunity to rest your legs briefly also.
This area of the park is catered more towards families with younger children but definitely should not be missed
Following the park around, we headed into Adventureland which had some great hidden gems. ‘Indiana Jones and Temple of Peril’ was an exhilarating thrill ride tucked away in the far corner of the park. Pirates of the Caribbean was not only a useful shelter from the rain but a brilliantly immersive voyage into Jack Sparrow’s world.
As the day came to a close we finally had a full ride around ‘Big Thunder Mountain’ before dropping into ‘Phantom Manor’ in Frontierland. We stopped off in the quick-service restaurant, Bella Notte, for a famous Mickey-shaped pizza before grabbing a spot on Main Street to watch the fireworks.
Day 3
We spent our Magic Hour at the Disneyland Park this time, choosing to re-ride ‘Hyperspace Mountain’ and ‘Big Thunder Mountain’ before making our way to ‘Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast’. After a lovely morning at Disneyland we hopped over to the Studios, meeting Starlord and Deadpool prior to our final walk around.
We collected our bags from Santa Fe and reluctantly made our way to the train station. The journey back was simple enough and we actually found it easier travelling from Lille to London than from London to Birmingham!
The journey back was simple enough and we actually found it easier travelling from Lille to London than from London to Birmingham!
Final Thoughts
I had such an amazing time at Disneyland Paris and I couldn’t recommend it enough! There truly is something for everyone and you don’t need to be a massive Disney fan to enjoy it. Both parks are fun-filled and you won’t run out of things to do. I will definitely be going again!
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