One of my goals in life is to visit every Disney Park and, in the Summer of 2022, my husband brought me one step closer to my goal by taking me to Disneyland Paris for our wedding anniversary. We spent two days enjoying the two parks, but the majority of our time (basically a day and a half) was spent at the Disneyland Park. There were so many familiar things that we knew and loved about Disney, and there were things that were even better!! Read on to see some videos, photos, and my thoughts on our time in Disneyland Paris! If you see a * next to the listing, we were able to experience the attraction/ride, shop, or food during our two-day visit.

Disneyland Hotel

On the way to the parks, you pass by the iconic Disneyland Hotel. We took a few minutes to admire the outside and the exquisite landscaping before getting in the line to the park. The park was open from 9:30am until 11:00pm but because we stayed at a Disneyland resort, we got an extra magic hour and were allowed in at 8:30am.

The first thing you see after you scan your tickets and enter the park!

Mainstreet USA

Just like the parks in the USA, as you stroll into the parks you are first met with the charming American town setting of Main Street. It has the same feel with the shops surrounding you and the restaurants tucked away. And just like what we are used to, it leads straight to the incredible Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Shops:
- Emporium*
- New Century Notions Flora’s Unique Boutique*
- Disney Clothiers*
- Main Street Motors*
- Harrington’s Fine China & Porcelains
- Lilly’s Boutique*
- Disney & Co*
- Boardwalk Candy Place*
- Ribbons & Bows Hat Shop*
- Dapper Dan’s Hair Cuts
- Plaza West Boutique*
- Plaza East Boutique*
- The Storybook Store*
Attractions:
- The Arcades*
- Disney Railroad
- Horse Drawn Street Cars
- Main Street Vehicles
Food:
- Plaza Gardens Restaurant
- Market House Deli
- Casey’s Corner
- The Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlour
- Cookie Kitchen
- Cable Car Bake Shop
- Victoria’s Home Style Restaurant*
- The Coffee Grinder
- The Ice Cream Company
- Walt’s-An American Restaurant

The Arcades

The Arcades are themed covered walkways full of models, artwork, keepsakes, memorabilia, etc. It is a lovely area to explore to get out of the heat and enjoy a snack. The ambience is vintage style, and it truly feels like you are in another time period. There is Liberty Arcade that is dedicated to the story of the Statue of Liberty, and Discovery Arcade that includes “yesterday’s visions of tomorrow”.

Victoria’s Home Style Restaurant

Even before our trip, I saw people posting photos of these incredible looking milkshakes and I knew that one of the must have snacks had to come from Victoria’s Home Style Restaurant. It took a bit of planning as the restaurant was only open from 2pm until 8pm, so on our second day we stood outside the doors and were the first people inside!

Menu

Gardens of Wonder

Created specifically for the Disneyland Paris 30th anniversary, these incredible sculptures are a unique walk-through experience that cannot be missed!! They twist and turn in the wind, and we loved walking all around the Castle grounds looking for each character.

The Castle

I have an entirely separate blog about the castle but some of the highlights are that there is a walkthrough attraction inside that include stained glass and tapestry work depicting the Sleeping Beauty story. There is also something very special lurking underneath the castle, and it is the only Disney castle that has something underneath it!!!

Now let’s explore the different areas of the park individually. There are 5 lands in Disneyland Paris. Frontierland, Discoveryland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, and Mainstreet USA (which we already saw).

Map image taken from www.disneylandparis.com

Frontierland

Frontierland is set in the “Thunder Mesa” old west and is themed as such.

Attractions/Rides:
- Phantom Manor*
- Big Thunder Mountain *
- Rustler Roundup Shootin’ Gallery
- Frontierland Playground
- Riverboat Landing
Restaurants:
- Silver Spur Steakhouse
- Fuente Del Oro Bar
- The Lucky Nugget Salon
- Cowboy Cookout Barbecue
- Last Chance Cafe
Shops:
- Thunder Mesa Mercantile Building*
- Big Thunder Photographer

Phantom Manor

Haunted Mansion is our favorite ride in the USA, and this was definitely our favorite ride in Paris as well!! It had a lot of the same vibes but a slightly different theme and story. The biggest difference was the graveyard as this one was set in the wild west!! When you get off the ride, there is a semi hidden graveyard to the left that you need to checkout as well. You hear the instructions and narration in English and in French but definitely does not have as much narration as the one in the states. You will hear a familiar beloved song.

Here is the story from www.disneylandparis.com:

Tucked away in a corner of Frontierland stands Phantom Manor, once home to one of Thunder Mesa's founding families. Local residents steer clear of the dilapidated house, claiming it to be haunted, but any intrepid Disneyland Park visitors who dare to enter will soon discover its terrible secrets.
The owner of the manor, Henry Ravenswood, cherished his only daughter, Melanie, who attracted the attentions of four different men... each of whom came to a mysterious and untimely end. Rumor has it that her father didn't think any of them were good enough for his darling girl. In fact, some say he had a hand in the young men's disappearances, but nothing has ever been proven. One thing is certain, the bride-to-be has been waiting many long years for her wedding day... and will likely wait for hundreds more!

Big Thunder Mountain

This is another favorite of ours in the USA and is a really similar experience. There is also a photo pass photo taken that is available for purchase as a fun souvenir.

Adventureland

Adventureland has a ton to see and takes you all over the world!

Attractions/Rides:
- Pirates of the Caribbean*
- Indiana Jones & the Temple Of Peril*
- Le Cabane des Robinson
- Adventure Isle
- Pirate Galleon*
- Pirates Beach*
- Le Passage enchante d’Aladdin*
Restaurants:
- Captain Jacks-Restaurant des Pirates
- Restaurant Agrabah Cafe
- Cool Post
- Restaurant Hakuna Matata
- Colonel Hathi’s Pizza Outpost
- Cafe de la Brousse (Pineapple Whips only available here)
Shops:
- La Girafe Curieuse*
- Le Coffre du Capitaine*
- Temple Traders Boutique*
- Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost*
- Les Tresors de Sheherazade*

Pirates of the Caribbean

Again, this is a favorite of ours, and there were a lot of things that were familiar. There is a photo taken on the ride that is available for purchase at the end for a souvenir. You can see people dining at Captain Jacks restaurant as you are on the boats during the ride (kind of like the Disneyland version in the USA). You will see a familiar dog with a set of keys, and a lot of the scenes are there that you are used to, along with some new ones. The characters on the ride do speak in French, but it is still easy to understand what is going on.

Indiana Jones & The Temple of Peril

This one is very different my friends! Matt really loves the ride in Anaheim, CA and was really looking forward to this. We stood in the line in anticipation, and it wasn’t until about halfway through the queue that we realized, not only was it a roller coaster, but it goes upside down!! Unfortunately, Matt was not able to ride because he gets motion sickness, but I thought it was great fun.

Le Passage Enchante d’Aladdin

This was a cute little walk-through attraction that you could do at your own pace. You basically take a stroll through miniature scenes of the Aladdin story.

Discoveryland

This would be the equivalent of the Disney World Tomorrowland. Most of the theme in this area revolves around the future or space.

Attractions/Rides:
- Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (yes, it is Star Wars themed and also it goes upside down)*
- Star Tours-The Adventure Continues
- Buzz Lightyear Lazer Blast*
- Autopia*
- Micky and his PhilharMagic Orchstra
- Orbitron*
Food:
- Cafe Hyperion
- Cool Station
Shopping:
- Constellations*
- Star Traders*
- Light Speed Photography
- Star Command Photography

Buzz Lightyear Lazer Blast

Let your competitive side shine! This one is really similar to the one we all know and love in the USA. Try to shoot the targets with your laser and see who gets the highest score! You also get a photo on the ride that you can purchase as a souvenir.

Autopia

Nice and easy, a classic car ride through the park is always a nice sit-down attraction that everyone enjoys.

Fantasyland

The most classic “Disney” part of each park, Fantasyland also has so much to see. I personally think it is the most photogenic part of the park because it includes the castle and surrounding areas.

Attractions/Rides:
- Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant*
- Its A Small World
- Peter Pan’s Flight*
- Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains*
- Les Voyages de Pinocchio*
- Mad Hatters Tea Cups
- Alice’s Curious Labyrinth*
- Le Carrousel de Lancelot
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant*
- Casey Jr-le Petit Train du Cirque*
- Le Pays des Contes de Fees*
- Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant*
- La Taniere du Dragon*
- Meet Mickey Mouse Theater
- Princess Pavilion
Food:
- Pizzeria Bella Notte
- The Old Mill
- Au Chalet de la Marionnette
- L’Arbre Enchante
- March Hare Refreshments
- Auberge de Cendrillon*
- Toad Hall Restaurant
Shopping:
- La Chaumiere des Sept Nains*
- Sir Mickeys Boutique*(We bought a super cool color changing umbrella)
- La Confiserie des Trois Fees*
- La Boutique du Chateau*
- La Bottega Di Geppetto*
- Princess Pavillion Photography

Le Pays des Contes de Fees

This is really similar to Storybook Land Canal Boats in Disneyland in Anaheim. You take a slow cruise on a boat and see scenes from classic Disney stories as you go down the river.

Les Voyages de Pinocchio

Very similar to Pinocchio’s Daring Journey in Anaheim, you go through scenes of the Pinocchio story on a woodcarver’s cart.

Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains

In Disney World in Orlando, they have a roller coaster, and in Anaheim they have Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. This is very similar to the Anaheim version where you take a wooden mine cart through different scenes of the Snow-White story.

La Chaumiere des Sept Nains

This is actually a Snow-White themed shop with beautiful art, decor, and scenes from the movie. You are transported to Snow White’s cottage and feel like you are part of the magic. They also have a well off to the right of the castle that is reminiscent of Snow White’s wishing well.

Peter Pan’s Flight

Very similar to the ride we all know and love in Disney World.

Alice’s Curious Labyrinth

We had a ton of fun exploring Alice’s labyrinth! I recommend doing this early in the day as it gets really busy. This is completely unique to the Paris Park and has tons of opportunities to take fun photos.

Casey Jr-le Petit Train du Cirque

Very similar to the Casey Jr. Circus Train ride in Anaheim, you ride a miniature train through a small section of the park, intertwining with part of the Le Pays des Contes de Fees ride. Be aware that this area of the park closes earlier than other parts so make sure you do this early in the day.

Entertainment

Dream…and Shine Brighter Parade

Created especially for the 30th anniversary celebration, this parade is colorful, festive, full of characters, energetic, and a true delight. It goes up main street and ends in front of the castle before going back down main street. The characters all get off their floats and perform on four stages in front of the castle for the majority of the 29-minute parade. In my opinion the best place to be is in the center of the four stages in front of the castle. you will be right in the center of all the action!!

With times at:

11:00, 12:25, 2:55, 4:10

Disney Stars on Parade

This one is definitely worth planning your day around!! It happens daily at 5:30 and starts over beside It’s a Small World (which is where we stood) and goes down main street. It lasts for 33 minutes and has an incredible selection of characters with a super intricate display of floats.

Parade route image taken from www.disneylandparis.com

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Character Meet & Greets

The second day, we had done a lot of the attractions and shows so we wanted to slow down a bit and focus on the things we had not done and do some of the character meet and greets. The Disneyland Paris app made it easy to see who would be available and where, so we came up with a timeline prioritizing the ones we wanted to wait in line for. They were prompt and efficient. The character handlers always offered to take photos for us so that we could both be included in the photo. We also saw characters walking around the park at random and snapped some photos of them walking by.

Characters:

Baloo 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30
Stitch 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30
Rafiki 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30
Winnie The Pooh & Friends 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30
Captain Hook 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30
Characters of Alice in Wonderland 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30
Disney Characters 10:00, 10:30, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00

Disney D-Light

This cannot be missed! The drone show was probably the most unique show I have ever seen at a Disney Park, and it was one of my absolute favorite things about our entire trip. It is nightly at 10:50pm (right before the firework show).

Disney Dreams Nighttime Extravaganza

The firework show lasts about 20 minutes and is on every day (weather permitting). It starts at 11:00pm (which we thought was super-duper late) but was totally worth staying up for!

Disney Village

Walking distance from our resort and just outside both Disneyland parks, lies Disney Village. Full of shops and restaurants, it is a nice place to still get Disney vibes with slightly less crowds and more variety in food. When we walked from our hotel each morning, we went through security to get into Disney Village and then stopped by Starbucks before getting in the queue to get into the park. After two full park days we were absolutely exhausted at the end of our second day and just had dinner at Earl of Sandwich. The picture of me below is from the upper level of the restaurant. It was quick and easy and tasty, and the menu was in French and English.

Restaurants:
- Annette’s Diner
- Billy Bob’s Country Western Saloon
- Cool Stop
- Earl of Sandwich*
- Five Guys
- La Grange at Billy Bob’s Country Western Saloon
- McDonald’s
- New York Style Sandwiches
- Rainforest Cafe
- Sports Bar
- Starbucks Coffee*
- The Royal Pub
- The Steakhouse
- Vapiano
Entertainment:
- Disney Village Web Radio
- Gaumont Cinemas
- Panora Magique (balloon ride)
- Stadium (arcade)
Shops:
- Boutique Rainforest Cafe
- Disney Fashion*
- Disney Store*
- Shopping In Disney Village*

On the whole I would say that the experience was just as good as a park in the USA, and some things were even better!! The cast members were friendly, spoke English and gave just as good of service as you expect from any other Disney Park. If you can make the trip, I highly suggest it. For us, the two days was plenty, and we rode almost every single ride and saw every show.

Things we liked more:

The park was super clean and landscaped beautifully.
The detail on the castle and in the buildings was maybe even more intricate than back home.
You could walk to the park from our hotel (and several others). You could also walk to the other park and went through Disney
Village to get there. I think it was just as close as the contemporary resort is in Orlando, or the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim
The Drone show at night was just absolutely incredible and unlike anything we had ever seen before. It was also cool to get to see two nighttime shows in the same park because the drone show went eight before the firework show.
During the firework show, people SAT DOWN! It was amazing because in the states it is such a bummer when everyone crams together and then stands up and then puts their kids on their shoulders and you lose the view that you tried to get for an hour plus. Everyone was so respectful and kind. We sat down about an hour before the show and were one set of people back from the ropes to the right of the castle and once the show started everyone in front of us and behind us stayed seated. We had a much better view and were so much more comfortable.
Really all of the parades and sit down shows including the fireworks were better here. From the costumes, to the effects, to the talent, it was all incredibly immersive and entertaining.
They have a Disneyland Paris app that works just like the apps in the states, so we felt comfortable navigating this and checking on wait times.
They had salty or sweet popcorn options to choose from at every popcorn stand!!

Things that were different and maybe not our favorite:

In the USA, if there is something wrong with a ride (mechanical issues, etc.) they just announce that the wait times may be longer than posted and that they are working on it. If you want to stay in line, you just say in line and carry on with whatever you are doing. No worries. In Paris, they disperse the line (you can’t wait around) and send you on your way and evacuate you immediately if you are currently on the ride. This happened to us twice (once in line for Pinnochio when we were next to ride and they gave us a paper fast pass that expired that day, and another time in the other park but we were about 20 people back in line and we did not get a fast pass). We checked the app to see when the ride was back up and running and we were able to get on both rides later on in the day but just thought it was odd that we had to get all the way out of line and move on to something else rather than just wait it out.
We love getting our photos taken by the professional Disney photo pass photographers in the USA. One thing we liked about the Paris experience was that if there was a magic shot, there was a little plaque showing what the shot would look like in the area where the photo was taken. What we didn’t like, was that there were so few photographers that we did not even get the package. We literally only had one photo taken (besides the ride photos) the whole two days.

Disneyland Paris