Looking for another side of the park, away from the packed paths? Good news: Disneyland Paris is full of covered passages, quiet corners and hidden curiosities.
The main ones are the two Main Street arcades (Liberty Arcade and Discovery Arcade), the gallery and La Tanière du Dragon under the castle, the Phantom Manor graveyard, Skull Rock and the Adventure Isle caves, plus a few passages between lands. I cover them all below, land by land, in the order of your visit.
A quick note on scope: this article is about physical places to walk through, not stories about how the park was designed. For the stories hidden in the scenery, head to the secrets of Disneyland Paris. And if your main goal is to avoid the crowds, have a look at my guide to planning your day.
What are the secret passages of Disneyland Paris?
They’re places most visitors don’t notice. They fall into four groups. Shortcuts are passages, often covered, that link two points while avoiding the crowds or the rain.
Photo spots are discreet nooks perfect for a lovely picture. Quiet corners are rooms off the beaten track where you can catch your breath. Curiosities are sets worth seeing at least once, like the dragon under the castle.
The benefit is real: you save time, you find photo spots without the crush and you discover details the people next to you in the queue will never see. For each spot, I tell you where it is, what it is and why to go, and I flag when a spot is only open now and then.
The secret passages of Main Street U.S.A.
It’s the first land you walk through. The two arcades along Main Street are my favourite shortcuts in the park: you can shelter there and avoid the crush.
- 1. The Disneyland Railroad viewpoint (curiosity, open now and then) Where: near the Main Street entrance, next to the train exit. What it is: a small area with a lovely view. Why go: for the photo. Watch out: it’s only very rarely open, so don’t count on it. At closing time, as you leave the park, you can sometimes meet characters there who have come to wave visitors goodbye.
- 2. Liberty Arcade (shortcut) Where: along Main Street, on the left as you walk up towards the castle. What it is: a covered passage decorated with a Statue of Liberty theme, unique among all the Disney parks. Why go: to get through out of the rain or avoid the crowds during the parade and at closing time. At the end, turn left and you reach Frontierland without going back along the main street.
- 3. Discovery Arcade (shortcut) Where: along Main Street, on the right, opposite Liberty Arcade. What it is: a covered passage themed on 19th-century inventions, also unique to Paris. Its wrought-iron columns are decorated with Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, which makes it recognisable at first glance. Why go: same use as Liberty Arcade, and it brings you closer to Discoveryland.
- 4. The Statue of Liberty room (quiet corner) Where: inside Liberty Arcade, the entrance is hidden behind a red curtain halfway along the arcade. What it is: a small room that recreates the unveiling of the statue in New York. Why go: for a quiet break and a historic spot that hardly anyone finds.
The castle’s hidden spots (Fantasyland)
The castle is home to my favourite curiosities. Lots of visitors walk underneath without knowing what’s inside and below.
- 5. La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant (photo spot) Where: on the first floor of the castle, up the stairs or by the lift at the back of the Merlin l’Enchanteur shop. What it is: a gallery of stained-glass windows and tapestries that tells the story, with a view over Fantasyland. Why go: for lovely photos in peace. It follows the castle’s indoor opening hours.
- 6. La Tanière du Dragon (curiosity) Where: under the castle. What it is: a 27-metre animatronic dragon, the biggest in the park. Why go: it’s a curiosity to see at least once. Good to know: it closes before the park, so don’t leave it until the end of the day.
- 7. Snow White’s Wishing Well (photo spot) Where: to the right of the castle, near the theatre. What it is: a replica of Snow White’s well, the one where she makes a wish and meets the prince at the start of the film. Why go: it’s a pretty spot for a photo, away from the main flow. No need to throw a coin, just make a wish. Legend has it that Snow White sometimes sings there (I’ve personally never heard her).
The hidden corners of Frontierland
Frontierland is probably the land with the most hidden corners. First the spots to see, then the handy shortcut to Adventureland.
- 8. The secret passage to Frontierland (shortcut) Where: at the end of Liberty Arcade, turning left. What it is: a little-known shortcut linking Main Street U.S.A. to Frontierland without going back along the main street. Why go: to escape the crowds and save time, especially during the parade.
- 9. The Fort Comstock ramparts (curiosity, open now and then) Where: at the entrance to Frontierland, up the stairs on the left. What it is: the Legends of the Wild West walkthrough, with a Wild West feel and some lovely viewpoints. Watch out: this walkthrough has very often been closed in recent years (and in bad weather), so don’t count on it.
- 10. The Frontierland jetty (quiet corner) Where: on the lake side, towards the area facing Big Thunder Mountain, just behind the Rustler Roundup Shootin’ Gallery. What it is: a wooden jetty at the water’s edge. Why go: it’s my favourite spot to catch my breath, with a great view of the mountain.
- 11. The Phantom Manor graveyard (curiosity) Where: at the exit of the Phantom Manor ride, on the left. What it is: Boot Hill, the Ravenswood family graveyard. Why go: listen carefully near the large black nameless sarcophagus and you’ll hear a heart beating (a nod to Edgar Allan Poe).
- 12. The passage to Adventureland (shortcut) Where: on the right after the Frontierland entrance. What it is: a shady passage leading to Adventureland. Why go: to get from one land to the other quickly, in the shade. It can be affected by ongoing construction work, so check on the day.
The secrets of Adventureland
Adventureland has been largely renovated. Adventure Isle reopened in summer 2025: Skull Rock has been repainted, the caves relit with LEDs and a Pirates of the Caribbean treasure hunt (launched on 23 August 2025) has been set up there, covered in my treasure hunt guide. It’s a chance to (re)discover these spots, starting with the bazaar at the entrance to the land.
- 13. Le Passage Enchanté d’Aladdin (curiosity) Where: in the Adventureland bazaar, at the entrance to the land. What it is: a walk past shop-window scenes that replay the film, counted as an attraction in its own right. Why go: it’s calm and rarely crowded, ideal for a breather.
- 14. Skull Rock, the Adventureland skull (curiosity) Where: near Pirates of the Caribbean, on Adventure Isle. What it is: a skull-shaped rock you can go inside (Ben Gunn’s Cave underneath). Why go: for an unusual photo and for the treasure hunt set up in 2025.
- 15. The Adventure Isle caves (curiosity) Where: on the island, around Skull Rock. What it is: a free-roaming trail of pirate-themed caves, including Keelhaul Caverns and Davy Jones’s Locker (a bottomless pit). Why go: it’s a walk-through you’ll only find in Paris, immersive and rarely busy.
- 16. Le Ventre de la Terre (quiet spot) Where: behind La Cabane des Robinson, in Adventureland. What it is: a cool, peaceful cave. Why go: for a quiet break in the cool, away from the bustle.
The hidden corners of Discoveryland
Two last hidden corners, over in Discoveryland, to finish your tour of the park.
- 17. The passage to Fantasyland (shortcut, open on and off) Where: to the right of it’s a small world. What it is: a shaded passage between Discoveryland and Fantasyland. Why go: to get round the crowds. Watch out: it’s usually only open on very busy days and outside parade times.
- 18. The starry room in Discoveryland (quiet spot) Where: by Videopolis. What it is: a room with a starry ceiling. Why go: to rest and charge your phone during a break.
A curiosity you can only see from the train
One last hidden spot you won’t see from any path: the Grand Canyon Diorama. It’s a long desert scene full of animals, which the Disneyland Railroad passes through between Main Street and Frontierland.
You can only see it by riding the little train (Main Street, Frontierland, Fantasyland or Discoveryland station) and staying on for the trip round the park. A curiosity most visitors don’t even suspect is there.
My tips for finding them
- Use the arcades when it rains Liberty Arcade and Discovery Arcade let you walk up Main Street completely under cover.
- Use the arcades during the parade That’s when Main Street is at its busiest. The arcades stay calm and you save time.
- Come early At opening time, photo spots like the castle gallery or the well are almost empty.
- Look up and look to the sides Most of these spots are right next to the main paths. You just need to step out of the flow.
- Check today’s closures Several spots (Fort Comstock, the train viewpoint, some passages) are only open now and then. A quick look at the schedule saves you a disappointment.
Further reading
These are places to walk through. If you’d rather have the stories and details hidden in the scenery, read the secrets of Disneyland Paris. And to fit all this into a well-paced day, planning your day will help you avoid the crowds and move from one thing to the next without stress.
Frequently asked questions
01 Which covered walkways keep you out of the rain at Disneyland Paris?
The two arcades on Main Street U.S.A.: Liberty Arcade on the left and Discovery Arcade on the right. They let you walk the whole length of the street under cover, and avoid the crowds during the parade or at closing time.
02 How do you see the dragon under the castle?
The dragon is in La Tanière du Dragon, in the basement of Sleeping Beauty Castle. It’s the largest animatronic in the park (27 metres). Go during the day: the lair closes before the park does.
03 Can you visit La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant?
Yes. It’s on the first floor of the castle, reached by the stairs or by the lift at the back of the Merlin l’Enchanteur shop. You’ll see stained-glass windows and a view over Fantasyland. It follows the castle’s indoor opening times.
04 Where can you charge your phone somewhere quiet in the park?
In the starry room in Discoveryland, by Videopolis. It’s a quiet room with a star-studded ceiling, where you can rest and charge your devices during a break.
