Disneyland Paris books: where to buy them and which to choose

At Disneyland Paris, you’ll find more books than you’d expect: coffee table books on the secrets behind the rides, reference books on the park’s history and children’s books. The main place to buy them is The Storybook Store, the bookshop on Main Street U.S.A., in Disneyland Park. If you only remember one thing, make it the Attraction collection: three coffee table books that tell, ride by ride, how they were imagined and built.

I own these books and I’ve read them, so here’s what I recommend depending on what you’re looking for.

The main place for books is The Storybook Store, the bookshop on Main Street U.S.A., right next to City Hall in Disneyland Park. It’s where I go first. You’ll find books in several languages, coffee table books on how the park was designed and its behind-the-scenes story, children’s books, as well as postcards, posters and stationery.

Good to know: on some days, it’s reserved for annual passholders for just a few hours in the morning. The rest of the day, it’s open to everyone.

Some titles, especially limited editions, may also be on the shelves in other shops in the park. If you’re looking for a specific book and The Storybook Store doesn’t have it, ask a Cast Member: they can tell you which shop still sells it.

The Attraction collection is a series of coffee table books where each volume is devoted to a single major ride. Each book tells the story of its origins, development, design and the secrets of how it was made, with the work of the Imagineers (the people who create and design the Disney parks) and lots of anecdotes.

The books are beautifully illustrated (sketches, concept art, photos) and carefully made, in a high-end format, in French and English. Each volume is written by a different author, every time an expert on the ride they cover.

Unlike most books sold in the park (published by outside publishers such as Hachette), the Attraction collection is published by Disneyland Paris, with authors close to the park’s teams. For me, it’s the go-to series if you’re interested in the behind-the-scenes story and how the rides were made. Expect to pay around €22 per title.

Don’t confuse them: this "Attraction" book collection has nothing to do with the 2023 Collection Attractions, which is a merchandise line (T-shirts, Loungefly bags, jigsaw puzzles). They’re two different things.

What I like about these books is that they go far beyond a simple overview. You discover the first ideas, the choices that were made, the technical constraints and loads of details you never notice when you’re on the ride.

After reading the Phantom Manor volume, I see the ride differently. If you’re looking for a "secrets book" or a "behind-the-scenes book" about Disneyland Paris, this is the collection I recommend first. There are only three titles so far, and no fourth has been announced. The Pirates of the Caribbean volume traces the different versions of the ride around the world and the arrival of Jack Sparrow in the Paris version. The Space Mountain one goes back to its origins in the American parks, its nods to Jules Verne and its successive versions in Paris.

Disneyland Paris de A à Z is the reference book on the park’s history. It’s laid out like a dictionary, with several hundred entries: rides, shows, characters, restaurants, events and behind the scenes. It’s the book I recommend for an in-depth understanding of the history and evolution of Disneyland Paris. It has had several editions over the park’s anniversaries, and some older editions are out of print and mostly found second-hand.

Disneyland Paris célèbre 100 ans de Disney (Jérémie Noyer and Mathias Dugoujon) came out in November 2023 for the Walt Disney Company’s centenary. This official book of just over 230 pages traces 100 key dates in Disney history as seen through Disneyland Paris. Expect to pay around €40. Watch out: it’s a limited edition, so stock may run out at times. Check availability in the shops.

To follow the transformation of the second park (Walt Disney Studios Park, now Disney Adventure World), a making-of coffee table book (interviews with Imagineers, sketches, plans and renderings of how the park was created) would be a logical follow-up to the existing books. So far, no title has been officially announced, so ask in the shops during your visit.

For younger readers and as a gift, the pop-up book Disney Princesses: Merveilleux Châteaux (Hachette, 2023) features five castles that pop up off the page (Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine). A lovely large format, it makes a nice gift idea for kids. Note that it covers Disney princesses in general, not Disneyland Paris specifically.

A book is a lovely souvenir to bring home, but it’s not the only one. For ideas beyond the bookshop, see which souvenirs to bring back from Disneyland Paris. And to find all the places to shop in the park, check out all the shops.