Welcome to the second installment of the Disneyland Paris series! This week, I’ll be discussing how you can plan for a Disneyland Paris Resort trip of your very own.
As an Annual Passholder and Disneyland regular, it’s rather exciting to plan a brand new adventure at a Disney Park in a foreign country. I used a lot of online resources and read many Disney blogs (just like this one!) to give me some insight on what to expect and I discovered a few tips and tricks for planning my trip, which made this Disney experience all the more memorable! Here’s a brief overview of planning your visit to the Disneyland Paris Resort!
Where do I begin?
First, you should understand the layout of the Disneyland Resort in Paris, which consists of two theme parks (Walt Disney Studios & Disneyland Paris), a shopping & entertainment zone known as Disney Village (akin to our Downtown Disney), and lastly, the 7 Disney hotel properties that range from luxury to comfort. You can book travel packages directly through the Park or look on travel sites like Expedia to find a package deal that suits your budget – just be mindful if you order your tickets from a 3-rd party, you will not receive your documents in the mail in advance.
Decide whether you want to spend most of your time at Disneyland Paris or if you want to dedicate some time to The Walt Disney Studios as well. As a reference, I went to the Resort for two full days and I was able to experience most of the highlights of both parks during my trip.
Where should I stay?
There are many different options for staying at the Disneyland Resort. The most luxurious option is The Disneyland Hotel, which is located at the entrance of Disneyland. The most budget-friendly option is Hotel Santa Fe, which has incorporated Cars theming into its facade and interiors, making the rooms very cozy and whimsical for the kids. The only caveat? It’s about a 20 minute walk or shuttle ride from the hotel to the park entrances.
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| The Disneyland Hotel at the entrance of the park |
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| Entrance to the Hotel Santa Fe, about a 20 minute shuttle ride from the parks |
Use the Disneyland Paris iPhone app
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| The Disneyland Paris iPhone app |
The Disneyland Paris Resort has a useful iPhone app that gives you options to plan your trip, check closing times, explore all the different restaurants and attractions. Additionally, if you are able to connect to international 3G on your smartphone, you can access wait times and find out about ride closures. The app was extremely helpful to me during my trip and here’s hoping that Disneyland creates one of their own very soon!
I’ve booked my hotel and tickets! How do I get there?
Getting to the Disneyland Paris Resort is relatively simple! If you are traveling from Paris, the Eurostar and RER A (express train) can take you to the “Marne la Vallee/Chessy” station (ride time: ~35 minutes).
If you are traveling directly from the airport, travelers can take the VEA airport shuttle bus to their hotel. Another option would be to take the wickedly fast TGV, which has a train that runs regularly from Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport. Get on at the TGV train station in terminal 2 and get off at Marne-la-Vallée. You’ve arrived! You’ll still have to catch a shuttle bus to your hotel.
If you are traveling directly from the airport, travelers can take the VEA airport shuttle bus to their hotel. Another option would be to take the wickedly fast TGV, which has a train that runs regularly from Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport. Get on at the TGV train station in terminal 2 and get off at Marne-la-Vallée. You’ve arrived! You’ll still have to catch a shuttle bus to your hotel.
Check back next Tuesday, November 13, for the next installment of the Disneyland Paris series, where I’ll discuss getting around the Disneyland Paris Resort and give you an in-depth look at the Hotel Santa Fe!
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