With almost 10 million visitors every year (before Covid), Disneyland Paris is by far the most visited theme park in Europe. While Covid’s pandemic has brought annual attendance down to 2.6 million by 2020, knowing the little tricks and tips to avoid the crowds is always useful. With tourism back to normal and the recent opening of the Avengers campus at Disneyland Paris, there’s no doubt that the world is back. To make the most of your stay, we’ve compiled a list of little secrets to help you get to know Disneyland Paris like the back of your hand, so you can do all the attractions…
Get your tickets online
It may seem obvious, but some people still buy their Disneyland Paris tickets on the spot. Sure, the tickets are pretty, but buying tickets on the spot means waiting in line at the ticket office, and delaying entry to the park. Bad idea! All types of ticket have been available to buy online for years now, and are infinitely more convenient to use. Print out your tickets or save them on your phone, then simply present yourself at the entrance. Of course, you should also choose the day of your visit. PS: our favorites are still the Liberté tickets, which you can buy at any time, to book any date of visit afterwards.
Start with Walt Disney Studios Park
If Disneyland Paris’ Studios park suffered from a lack of recognition, it now has enough popular attractions to be just as popular. Especially the Avengers campus! But there’s a difference between the two Disneyland Paris parks: Walt Disney Studios closes earlier. So if you’re keen to take in the park’s star attractions, such as Crush’s Coaster, Ratatouille, the Toy Story mini-park or discover the Avengers campus, go there first. Afterwards, you can head to the main park for a little late-night fun…
Talking of the end of the day, head for the attractions after 6pm until closing time
At the end of the day, Main Street comes alive with the traditional Disneyland Paris parade. Families with children are often the first to leave the park after this, as fatigue takes over. So, after 5pm-6pm, the park is noticeably less crowded, giving you the chance to rush off to the most popular attractions and enjoy shorter waits!
As long as we’re in this time slot, a few other tips. Don’t go shopping then, as this is usually the time when everyone else does too, before leaving the park. Bonus: if you want to see the parade, head to Main Street early, while the rest of the crowd is busy shopping on the Disneyland Paris thoroughfare. And one last secret: you can shop in the morning and the Disney Store will keep your goods until the evening, free of charge. You’re welcome!
Eat off-beat and reserve your table
Although your stomach may not agree with this advice, listen carefully. The vast majority of visitors eat at the same time, between the peak of 12pm and 2pm. This crowd trend is an opportunity for you: firstly, take advantage of it to ride attractions with fewer waits. Secondly, eat off-schedule to spend less time at the table on your day of sightseeing, and so have more time to do other things. However, if you’d like to treat yourself to a meal at one of Disneyland Paris‘ themed restaurants, make sure you make a reservation (before the day itself, of course)! This way, you can avoid waiting, and make the most of your time.
Take advantage of Disneyland Paris resources
If you’re visiting Disneyland Paris without the park app installed on your phone, you’re missing out on valuable information. In fact, the “Disneyland” app allows you to view a range of data about the park in real time, including… waiting times! You’ll be able to plan your visit in real time, without having to traverse the length and breadth of the Disneyland Paris parks. On the app, you also have a park map at your fingertips, as well as information on the park’s restaurants and points of interest, plus show times and character meet-and-greets.
Take advantage of special queues for more attractions
Finally, a last piece of advice: make sure you do all the attractions in both parks. If you’re visiting Disneyland Paris in summer or during the vacation season, for example, you ‘ll have to wait a long time at each attraction, despite all our advice above. But there are solutions! First of all, for the parents who read us. Have you heard of the Rider Switch pass? This free service allows parents with young children (or children too small for an attraction) to queue only once: one parent stands in line, the other waits at the exit with the children. The first parent finishes the attraction, joins the second parent, who rides the attraction without queuing, passing through the exit.
Another solution, for couples or friends willing to ride alone: the Single Rider line. The principle is simple: you line up in a dedicated single-seat queue, and fill the seats left empty by odd-numbered groups in the main queue!
Also read about Paris Secret:
👉 A 1,000 m2 immersive experience dedicated to the world of Disney opens in Paris!
👉 Disneyland Paris: The iconic Planet Hollywood restaurant has closed its doors!
👉 Disneyland Paris: the “it’s a small world” attraction will finally reopen in 2023!