At a glance
Disneyland Park is the main park at Disneyland Paris, in Marne-la-Vallée in Seine-et-Marne. Opened on 12 April 1992, it covers around 52 ha and has 37 attractions, 33 restaurants and 34 shops. The park was first called Euro Disneyland, then Disneyland Paris, before taking its current name in 2002, when the resort’s second park opened.
Imagineer Tony Baxter was put in charge of overseeing the design in the mid-1980s. The concept is based on a "storybook kingdom" drawn from the original Disneyland in California, but adapted for European visitors with richer theming, stories built into the buildings and a radial layout around a central castle.
The park is divided into 5 lands: Main Street U.S.A., Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland. Main Street U.S.A. recreates an early twentieth-century American high street, lined with two covered arcades (Liberty Arcade and Discovery Arcade) designed for the European climate.
Frontierland conjures up the American West through the fictional town of Thunder Mesa. Adventureland mixes the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean around Adventure Isle. Fantasyland brings together the Disney fairy tales around Sleeping Beauty Castle. Discoveryland pays tribute to European visionaries such as Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, and has since taken in the Star Wars and Toy Story worlds.
Sleeping Beauty Castle is the park’s centrepiece. Its architecture draws on the Duke of Berry’s famous Book of Hours and the soaring lines of the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. It houses La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant upstairs and La Tanière du Dragon below, with a 27-metre-long Audio-Animatronics dragon.
The headline rides include Big Thunder Mountain, Phantom Manor, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (the first looping rollercoaster in a Disney park, opened in 1993), Peter Pan’s Flight, It’s a Small World, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (formerly Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune in 1995, then Mission 2 in 2005 and Hyperspace Mountain since 2017), Star Tours: The Adventures Continue and Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast.
For shows, the park offers the daily Disney Stars on Parade (since 26 March 2017), the Disney Tales of Magic night-time show in front of the castle and The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands at the Frontierland Theater.
The park has had several major refurbishments, including a triennial plan launched in 2015 for its 25th anniversary. In 2023 it welcomed 10.4 million visitors, putting it first in Europe and ninth in the world.
The park is designed as a journey through the Disney imagination, laid out in concentric circles around Sleeping Beauty Castle. You step into the story via Main Street U.S.A., then cross the different lands without ever losing sight of the castle: it remains the dreamlike landmark at the centre of the park. The common thread: to turn every visitor into a character in a Disney tale.
The Disney park with Sleeping Beauty Castle and its cult Disney rides. Pirates of the Caribbean, Phantom Manor, Big Thunder Mountain, it’s a small world and Peter Pan’s Flight in a classic Disney atmosphere. The ideal park for a first visit to Disneyland Paris.
What you’ll find there
The park in numbers, pulled together from across the site for an ultra-quick visual summary.
- 1 castle Sleeping Beauty
- Parade Disney Stars on Parade
- 5 themed lands Main Street U.S.A., Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Discoveryland
- 37 attractions
- 33 restaurants
- 34 shops
History
The idea of building a Disney park in Europe goes back to the 1980s, after the success of Tokyo Disneyland, which opened in 1983. Several European sites were considered (Spain, the UK, France), and Marne-la-Vallée, east of Paris, was finally chosen in 1985 for its central position in Europe and its TGV (high-speed train) and motorway links.
The park, then called Euro Disney Resort, opened on 12 April 1992 under the supervision of Tony Baxter, Walt Disney Imagineering’s lead designer, drawing on Orlando’s Magic Kingdom (1971) and Anaheim’s Disneyland (1955). What sets Paris apart is its castle: Sleeping Beauty Castle, the only one of its kind in the world, blends inspiration from Mont Saint-Michel, the castles of the Loire Valley and the illustrations of the Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry.
It was renamed Disneyland Paris in 1994, then became part of the Disneyland Paris resort in 1995, before taking its current name in 2002: Disneyland Park.
Where the inspiration comes from
The park draws mainly on Orlando’s Magic Kingdom (1971) for its overall layout of 5 lands around a castle, and on Anaheim’s Disneyland (1955) for its original concept. Tokyo Disneyland (1983), the third Disney park in the world, proved that a Disney park could work outside the US and influenced the decision to open in Europe.
- Highlight
- Sleeping Beauty Castle
- Theme
- The original vision of the American parks
- Area
- 52 ha
- Opened
- 1992
Who it’s for
Pros and cons
Strong points
- The most rides and attractions of the two parks
- Home to Sleeping Beauty Castle
- Daily parade, Disney Stars on Parade
- Very well suited to families with young kids
- Highly detailed theming
- Covered arcades designed for the European climate
Weak points
- Big crowds (Europe’s most visited park)
- Long queues for the headline rides (Peter Pan’s Flight, Big Thunder Mountain)
- Only one indoor show (compared with several at Disney Adventure World)
- No new ride for many years
My verdict
Disneyland Park is, hands down, my favourite park at Disneyland Paris. It’s the one I discovered as a child and the one where I made some of my best family memories. Over the years, it’s also the park that has changed the least at heart, so every visit gives me back a little of the wonder I felt as a little girl. When I walk down Main Street U.S.A., admire Sleeping Beauty Castle or look through old family photos, the memories come flooding back.
It’s also always the park where I start my trips to Disneyland Paris. Even though it’s often busy, I think it remains the most iconic and most immersive park, and the one that best captures the Disney experience.
If you could only do one park on your visit, I’d recommend Disneyland Park without hesitation. And for a two-day trip, I suggest visiting it on the first day so you can fully soak up the Disney atmosphere before heading off to explore Disney Adventure World.
Julie’s tip
Best time to visit
If you’re spending several days at the resort, start with Disneyland Park on day 1: it’s the park to prioritise for its classic rides and traditional Disney atmosphere. If you only have one day and it’s your first visit, focus on this park alone to make the most of it. If you really want to do both parks in one day, spend the morning and early afternoon here, then switch to Disney Adventure World in the late afternoon.
Map & getting there
Disneyland Park is less than 5 minutes’ walk from Disney Adventure World, just past the Disneyland Hotel, the big pink hotel you’ll recognise by the large Mickey clock at the top.
Your questions about this park
01 Which park should you choose for a one-day first visit?
For a first visit of just one day, I recommend Disneyland Park. With a 1-day 1-park ticket, it’s the most complete option: the castle, the parade and the big rides for all ages, in the original world dreamt up by Walt Disney.
02 What are the lands of Disneyland Park and how many attractions are in each?
Disneyland Park is split into 5 themed lands. Main Street U.S.A. has 5 experiences, including rides in period vehicles and the covered arcades. Adventureland has 7 attractions, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, La Cabane des Robinson and Le Passage Enchanté d’Aladdin. Discoveryland lines up 6 futuristic attractions such as Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast. Fantasyland has the most, with 13 attractions inspired by fairy tales, including Sleeping Beauty Castle and La Tanière du Dragon. Frontierland offers 6 Wild West attractions, including Big Thunder Mountain and Phantom Manor.
03 What is a 1-park dated ticket?
The 1-park dated ticket gives you access to a single park, either Disneyland Park or Disney Adventure World, on a set date. It’s often the simplest option when you only have one day and want to make the most of one world. I recommend it to first-time visitors who want to see Disneyland Park first, as that’s where you’ll find the castle and the iconic rides. The price varies depending on the date you choose and when you buy, and you can check it on the official Disneyland Paris website when booking.
04 Which park is best with young kids?
Disneyland Park. It has more rides designed for little ones, especially in Fantasyland, and an atmosphere that suits them well.
05 Which iconic Disneyland Park restaurants are not to be missed?
For table-service restaurants, I recommend Auberge de Cendrillon in Fantasyland for character dining with the Princesses, Captain Jack’s in Adventureland for its pirate setting and Silver Spur Steakhouse in Frontierland for western-style grilled meat. Walt’s American Restaurant on Main Street is also one of the essentials. Plaza Gardens on Main Street is an iconic spot for its character buffet, but it is currently closed for a long refurbishment, expected to last until 2027. For quick service, Casey’s Corner and its hot dogs on Main Street are part of the Disney experience, as is Café Hyperion in Discoveryland. Book your tables several weeks ahead, as they go fast.
