Discovery Quest: the Disneyland Paris hotel treasure hunt

The Discovery Quest is an interactive and free treasure hunt offered at the Disney hotels at Disneyland Paris. Here’s how it works: you solve a series of riddles on your phone to uncover the history and little secrets of your hotel as you explore it. It’s a family activity, handy when you have some downtime away from the parks.

Don’t confuse it with the treasure hunts in the park (around Adventure Isle, in Adventureland): the Discovery Quest is played only in the hotels.

The Discovery Quest is a riddle-based treasure hunt you play on your phone. Each Disney hotel has its own quest, built around its theme and history.

The idea isn’t to rush around but to look closely at the details. A statue, an object in the lobby, a pattern on a wall: anything can be a clue. As you answer the questions, you get a better sense of why your hotel looks the way it does, where its decor comes from and which stories lie behind it.

It’s a good way to turn the walk to your room or a wait before dinner into a fun moment, especially with children. The quest takes you both inside and outside the hotel.

The Discovery Quest is offered at the official Disney hotels at Disneyland Paris. The partner hotels (the ones around the park that aren’t run by Disney) don’t offer it.

It’s designed for hotel guests: you pick up your navigation map at your own hotel’s reception. It’s a family activity with no minimum age. Younger children will play with an adult’s help, older ones can search on their own.

The Discovery Quest is free. It’s an activity included for hotel guests, with nothing extra to pay and no need to book ahead.

All you need is a phone to scan the QR code and access the riddles. Just ask for your navigation map at reception and you’re ready to start.

At the end of the quest, a little gift is waiting for you: a cardboard box containing several chocolate coins. It’s a lovely reward for children (and grown-ups) after solving all the riddles.

It’s free, like the rest of the activity. Remember to ask at reception how to collect your box once you’ve finished the quest.

Getting started takes two minutes. It all begins at your hotel’s reception.

Each hotel has its own quest, with its own riddles and stories. Here’s an overview of each one’s theme and, when I have a reliable one, an example of a secret to look out for.

The Disneyland Hotel’s Discovery Quest takes place in the most upmarket hotel at Disneyland Paris, right at the entrance to Disneyland Park. A detail to look for: the huge chandelier in the lobby weighs 1,200 kg, stands 6 metres tall and has 447 glass stars and nearly 12,000 Bohemian crystal pieces. The kind of figures you’d never guess as you walk underneath it.

The Hotel New York’s Discovery Quest is set in a hotel that blends the Marvel universe with contemporary art. Look out for this: the hotel houses over 350 works of art, created by more than 100 artists. The quest has you playing detective in the middle of this gallery.

The Disney Newport Bay Club’s Discovery Quest is themed around a grand yacht club on the American east coast, on the shores of Lake Disney. The New England seaside feel, with its blue and white tones, gives you plenty of details to spot in the decor.

The Disney Sequoia Lodge’s Discovery Quest is set in the atmosphere of America’s great national parks, with a forest and mountain theme. A detail to look for: a decorative dam made of branches, a nod to the nature that inspired the hotel.

The Disney Hotel Cheyenne’s Discovery Quest takes place in a proper little Wild West town, with its streets and wooden buildings. A detail to look out for: the saddlebags hanging at the entrance are actually letterboxes. The kind of little touch the quest teaches you to look at differently.

The Disney Hotel Santa Fe’s Discovery Quest is themed around the American Southwest desert and the legendary road across the US, with nods to the Cars film. Drive-in, desert landscapes and a road trip vibe: there’s plenty to fill a treasure hunt.

The Disney Davy Crockett Ranch’s Discovery Quest takes place in accommodation surrounded by nature, away from the parks, with a pioneer and forest theme. The ranch’s woodland setting becomes the playground, with a very different feel from the other hotels.

The Discovery Quest is just one of the things you can do without leaving your hotel. For the full picture, take a look at the Disney hotel activities.

And if you’re still deciding where to stay, you can check all the hotels compared to choose the one that suits you.