Disneyland Paris Review: First Time Visiting As An Adult

Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World are the two most popular Disney theme park destinations for UK guests, but if you've only ever visited one of them, the other can throw up some surprises. Having visited Walt Disney World more than 15 times and Disneyland Paris only once as a child, that's exactly the position we found ourselves in on our first trip to Disneyland Paris as adults.

Getting To Disneyland Paris From The UK

We flew EasyJet from London Gatwick to Paris Charles de Gaulle, which took just under an hour and was a straight enough route as UK to Disneyland Paris flights go. From there we'd booked a private taxi transfer, though it's worth knowing that both the RER train and the Disneyland Paris Express bus are cheaper options if you don't mind less door to door convenience.

If you're planning your own trip, our Disneyland Paris offers guide for UK guests covers current flight and package options in more detail.

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Where We Stayed At Disneyland Paris

We stayed at Disney Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel in an Empire Club level room, which meant we could check in, collect our tickets, drop our bags and head straight into the parks without hanging around. Being able to walk back to the hotel at the end of a long day, rather than waiting for a bus like you would at most Walt Disney World resorts, is one of the more underrated perks of staying on-site at Disneyland Paris.

The Not-So-Good Parts Of Disneyland Paris

Nowhere's perfect, and a few things stood out as weaker than what we're used to at Walt Disney World.

• Cast member energy is noticeably more subdued than the enthusiasm we're used to at WDW, though they were consistently polite and helpful
• The language barrier can feel awkward at first. Attempting a French greeting only to be met with a reply in French halfway through a sentence happened more than once, and in the end it's usually easier to speak English and say thank you and goodbye in French out of politeness. We have a full guide about whether they speak English in Disneyland Paris to explain in full
• Dining options felt more limited than at Walt Disney World, where there's arguably too much choice for the length of most stays
• Smoking areas exist, but not everyone sticks to them, which can be a bit of an annoyance around the park
• The app and park wifi were unreliable at times, much like at Walt Disney World
• When queues extend outside an attraction during busy periods, it isn't always clear where the back of the line actually is, since there's no cast member stationed with a sign the way there usually is at WDW

The Good Parts Of Disneyland Paris

Anyone who tells you Disneyland Paris lacks "magic" hasn't spent much time there. It has a different charm to Walt Disney World, but it's charm all the same.

• Attractions that share a name with their WDW counterparts, such as Phantom Manor, Big Thunder Mountain and Buzz Lightyear's Laser Blast, are different enough to be worth experiencing at both. The attention to detail in Phantom Manor in particular stood out compared with the Haunted Mansion
• Characters were out in force, including some you don't often see at Walt Disney World
• Marvel characters and meet and greets feature heavily, which Disney currently can't offer at Walt Disney World due to licensing arrangements with Universal
• Stated wait times were consistently longer than actual wait times during our visit
• The Halloween parade we caught was a genuine highlight and reminded us how much we'd missed parades generally
• The overall atmosphere is hard to put into words, but it has that unmistakable Disney parks feeling throughout

The Amusing Bits You Only Notice First Time

A few small differences stood out enough to raise an eyebrow, or a smile.

• Unlike at Walt Disney World, most buffet meals need paying for upfront, and drinks are ordered and paid for as you go rather than run as a tab
• Table service bars work the opposite way round. You order and drink first, then settle up at the till on your way out, which took some getting used to
• English and French are used interchangeably across attractions in ways that can be genuinely funny, such as characters switching languages mid-sentence in some of the audio-animatronic shows
• Plenty of guests still seem to struggle with scanning their cards or tickets to enter the parks, which suggests we weren't the only ones a little rusty on how things work

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So Should Walt Disney World Fans Visit Disneyland Paris?

Yes. If you've only ever known Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris is worth treating as its own destination rather than a smaller stand-in. Go in expecting differences rather than a like-for-like comparison, and you'll get a lot more out of the trip. The attractions alone make it worth the visit even if you've done the "same" rides in Florida, and the more compact scale means you can realistically see far more of it in a shorter stay than you ever could at Walt Disney World.

For UK visitors specifically, the shorter flight time and lack of jet lag make it a genuinely easier trip to fit into a long weekend than Walt Disney World ever could be, even before you factor in the cost difference.

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Disneyland Paris: Your Questions Answered

Is Disneyland Paris worth visiting if I've only been to Walt Disney World?
Yes. While there are similarly named attractions and hotels, Disneyland Paris has its own identity, its own version of classic rides, and a noticeably different atmosphere worth experiencing in its own right.

How long is the flight from the UK to Disneyland Paris?
Flight times from UK airports to Paris are typically under an hour and a half, considerably shorter than the flight to Orlando for Walt Disney World.

Are the Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World versions of rides like Big Thunder Mountain the same?
No. While they share a name and similar theming, the layouts, story details and overall experience differ enough that many guests enjoy riding both versions.

Can I walk to the Disneyland Paris parks from an on-site hotel?
Yes, for several of the on-site hotels, including Disney Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel, which is within walking distance of the parks rather than requiring a bus transfer.

Does Walt Disney World have Marvel characters like Disneyland Paris?
Not in the way Disneyland Paris does. Licensing arrangements mean Marvel characters and attractions currently feature at Disneyland Paris in a way they don't at Walt Disney World.

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