An amazing place that is fun for people of all ages, Disneyland® Paris is one of the most popular attractions in Europe and welcomes millions of visitors each year. With rides, restaurants, shows, and shops to discover, we have put together a guide to Disneyland® Paris to help you to make the most of your time here.
Getting to Disneyland® Paris from Calais
If you are travelling to Disneyland® Paris by ferry and bringing your car on board with you, you’ll be able to disembark the ship and reach the parks in around 3 hours. This is perfect when bringing small children as it’s long enough for them to get excited, but not so long that they’ll get bored during the trip.
From the port in Calais, simply drive along the A26 and take exit 16.1 onto the A4 which will take you directly to the parks. Before you travel, take a look at our tips for driving in France to give you peace of mind.
There is plenty of parking available at Disneyland® Paris, and the costs are as follows:
- Cars under 2m high: €30
- Vehicles over 2m high and with more than 9 seats: €30
- Campervans: €45
- Motorbikes: €25
Alternatively, you can choose to park in a reserved area close to the entrance for €45.
Discovering the Disneyland® Park lands
Once you get into the Disneyland® Park you’ll be faced with a choice – which one of its five amazing lands to visit first! You’ll enter the park onto Main Street U.S.A. where you’ll find lots of shops and restaurants, plus you’ll be able to see the famous Sleeping Beauty Castle in the distance. This is also where you can watch the magical Disney Parade which starts at 17:30 every day.
From here, you can head round to the left where you’ll find Frontierland, or to the right where Discoveryland is located. Boasting a fun Wild West theme, Frontierland is home to Disneyland® Paris favourites Big Thunder Mountain and the Phantom Manor, whereas futuristic Discoveryland is where you’ll find the thrilling Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain.
Continue your journey around the park by visiting Adventureland, a land that combines a number of continents among waterways and greenery. Here, you can test your nerve on the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom rollercoaster, or release your inner pirate on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
Disney fans are sure to love Fantasyland the most, as this is where you’ll find attractions based on all of your favourite characters. Travel through the stories of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Pinocchio, and Peter Pan, spin around on Alice’s teacups, and fly through the sky with Dumbo! Fantasyland is also where you’ll find the classic ‘it’s a small world’ ride which gives you the opportunity to see the world from the comfort of your boat!
Walt Disney Studios Park
Once you’ve enjoyed all that the magical Disneyland® Park has to offer, make your way to the Walt Disney Studios Park where you can take a look behind the scenes across five production zones.
Thrillseekers will love The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ which plunges its riders down 13 floors, and the totally awesome Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith which reaches over 60mph in less than 3 seconds and blasts out some of the best tunes from this ace rock band. Other great rides include Crush’s Coaster®, which spins guests along the East Australian Current in a turtle shell, and Ratatouille: The Adventure, a 4D ride that lets you live life as a rat while you escape the perils of a Parisian kitchen.
One of our top tips in this guide to Disneyland® Paris is to leave time for the Studio Tram Tour®: Behind the Magic. There are surprises around every corner as you see movie sets and props, so be prepared for adventure and excitement!
Save time with a Disneyland Paris FASTPASS®
One of the best ways to make the most of your time at Disneyland® Paris is to take advantage of the FASTPASS® option. Simply use your park admission ticket to generate a FASTPASS® at the entrance to participating attractions. This will state your return time so you know when you can skip the queue and ride without a long wait.
If you don’t mind being separated from the rest of your group, you could also save time by using the single rider entrance. Although it is unlikely you will board immediately, you can significantly reduce your queuing time by choosing this option.
We hope that this guide to Disneyland® Paris has inspired you to visit these two great parks, and will help you to have the holiday of a lifetime while you’re there. Get your planning off to a great start by booking your Dover to Calais ferry crossing today!
