After our Spring Break plans in Jamaica were canceled due to a hurricane, we made a last-minute decision to completely pivot—trading beaches for a European adventure in Paris and London, with a special focus on visiting Disneyland Paris. To my surprise, ticket prices for this park are extremely affordable!
With two Disney-loving members in our family who adore Walt Disney World, we went in knowing this wouldn’t be the same—but we were excited to experience it anyway.
March in Paris was definitely chilly compared to what we’re used to, but we actually welcomed the cooler weather. The rain showed up a few times, which wasn’t ideal, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying anything we had planned.
Where We Stayed
We chose to stay at Marriott’s Village d’Île-de-France because we needed three beds and were able to book a two-bedroom townhouse.
Before arriving, I contacted the hotel to let them know we’d be landing early and expected to arrive around 10 AM. We fully anticipated storing our luggage until check-in—but to our surprise, our room was ready when we arrived. That small bit of planning made a huge difference after an overnight flight.
The property itself felt a bit whimsical and charming, though the rooms were slightly outdated. The staff was incredibly kind and accommodating, and we had no issues communicating in English.
They do offer a shuttle to Disney, but it runs on a set schedule and comes with a fee. We opted to Uber instead, which was about $16 each way and much more convenient.
While staying at a Disney hotel would definitely be easier logistically, I had a hard time finding options that fit our need for three beds.
We stayed here for two nights and were able to store our luggage on the final day while we visited the parks. That said, Ubering into central Paris afterward with luggage was quite expensive—but still the easiest option.
Disney Village: A Bit Underwhelming
Since we weren’t planning to hit the parks on arrival day, we spent some time exploring Disney Village (think Disney Springs or Downtown Disney).
To be honest, this area was a bit of a letdown.
It’s quite small, with limited shopping and dining options. There’s an Earl of Sandwich—which we love from Florida—and that was definitely a highlight. The other restaurants we tried were just okay.
Overall, there’s not much to do here if you’re not going into the parks.
Park Day 1: Walt Disney Studios Park
Jet lag hit us pretty hard the next day, so we decided to start with the smaller park, Walt Disney Studios Park.
This park only has 11 rides, and unfortunately, two major ones—Crush’s Coaster and Ratatouille—were closed for renovations. I was especially disappointed to miss Ratatouille in Paris!
The upside? Lines were very manageable—mostly under 30 minutes.
We spent about half a day here, which felt like the perfect amount of time.
That evening, after dinner, we popped over to Disneyland Park to catch the fireworks. The show happens right at park closing, and while it was very crowded, it was absolutely worth it.
Park Day 2: Disneyland Park
Our second day was spent at the main park, Disneyland Park, which is most similar to Magic Kingdom.
This park has around 16 rides, and overall, the wait times were pretty reasonable—generally under 30 minutes. The exception was Peter Pan, which consistently hovered around 45+ minutes.
A few highlights:
- It’s a Small World was adorable, and we loved the U.S. scenes
- Riding familiar attractions with subtle European differences was really fun
- Hearing Captain Jack Sparrow speaking French at the end of Pirates of the Caribbean was a standout moment!
- The Castle was the best one we’ve seen and being able to explore inside and head down to the dragon guarded dungeon was very cool!
One note: the teacups ride was a bit disappointing—it didn’t spin in the same way as the U.S. version and felt more like it just slid around.
Final Thoughts & What I’d Do Differently
If I were planning this trip again, I would make a few changes.
I’d likely overlook the bed situation and stay at the Disneyland Hotel for at least one night—mainly for the unbeatable location right at the entrance to the park.
I would also purchase the Premier Access Pass (similar to Lightning Lane) and try to do both parks in a single day.
Overall, Disneyland Paris is charming and fun, but it felt smaller and a bit underwhelming compared to Disney parks in the U.S. The food wasn’t great, and we were surprised by how many people were smoking throughout the park—it definitely took away from the experience.
That said, it was still a memorable stop on our European adventure, and I’m glad we experienced it—especially for our Disney-loving family.
