Pushchairs at Disneyland Paris: hire one or bring your own

With a baby or a young child, a pushchair is almost essential for a day in the parks. The distances are long, little ones tire quickly and it’s also handy for carrying the bag, coats and shopping.

The real question: should you bring your own or hire one there? Both options work. The right choice mainly depends on how you’re travelling and how old your child is.

If you’re coming by car and your pushchair fits in the boot, bring your own: it’s more comfortable, your child is used to it and it can recline for naps. If you’re arriving by train or plane with little luggage, hiring one there saves you lugging it around on public transport. That’s usually what decides it. Here are the two options in plain terms.

Hire costs €30 a day, however many days you hire for. There’s no discount for longer hire: three days will cost you three times the price of one day. You can’t book in advance, as the service depends on what’s available on the day. The Disneyland Pass doesn’t give a discount on this service.

As long as you stay in the park where you hired it, no deposit is required. However, if you leave the park with the pushchair (to go to the other park or out through the gates), you’ll be asked for a deposit, which is refunded when you return the pushchair. You’ll then be given a receipt or proof of hire: keep it, as it saves you paying again in the other park.

A Cast Member, the member of staff who serves you, will tell you on the spot how the deposit can be paid (card or cash).

Each park has its own hire point, just past the entrance.

In Disneyland Park, the pushchair and wheelchair hire point is at Town Square Terrace, at the very start of Main Street U.S.A., on the right just after you pass under the station. In the second park, Disney Adventure World (formerly Walt Disney Studios), it’s at the entrance, on the right, next to Studio Photo near the entrance to Disney Studio 1.

On busy days, stock goes fast: arrive early if hiring is your plan A.

Good to know: these hire points also sell baby essentials that can get you out of a fix (nappies, baby food jars, juice, dummies, sun cream).

It’s the same model in both parks. It’s a sturdy, basic pushchair with large wheels, stable, with a brake and an opaque plastic hood. There’s a pouch on the handlebar where you can slip in a note with your child’s name.

There are two limits to know about. The seat doesn’t recline (or only very slightly), so it isn’t suitable for a newborn who sleeps lying flat. And there’s no storage basket under the seat, so bring a rucksack for your things. The hood keeps the sun off but isn’t well ventilated and doesn’t cover the legs.

Note: only single pushchairs are available to hire. For a double pushchair or a reclining seat suitable for a baby, you’ll need to bring your own or go through an outside hire company (see below).

Yes, your own pushchair is allowed. It must not exceed the maximum size set by the park: 92 cm wide and 132 cm long. The vast majority of pushchairs on the market fit without any problem.

It’s also allowed in the Disney hotels and in Disney Village, so you can use it from morning to night, from your room to the park.

However, trolleys and wagons (whether pulled or pushed, pull-along style) are banned in the parks for safety reasons. Only pushchairs within the permitted size are allowed: if you have a wagon-style model, plan on a standard pushchair or hire one there.

This is the alternative worth knowing about, especially for a stay of several days or with a newborn. Outside hire companies (independent of Disney) offer better-equipped pushchairs than the park’s: reclining models that let your baby sleep lying flat, double pushchairs, sometimes with accessories (rain cover, parasol).

The big advantage: they deliver and collect the pushchair at your hotel (Disney hotels, partner hotels, Davy Crockett Ranch, the Val d’Europe area), and some let you drop it off at the hotel’s concierge desk at the end. Over a stay of several days, the total price can work out cheaper than hiring daily in the park, for a more comfortable pushchair.

You book in advance on the hire company’s website. Remember to compare the model offered (reclining or not, single or double) and the delivery area before you book.

No. Pushchairs aren’t allowed in the queues or on the rides, whether it’s your own or a hire one. In front of each attraction, there’s a pushchair parking area ("stroller parking" in American English): you leave the pushchair there, folded or open, and pick it up at the exit.

This is the classic trap. The parking areas fill up with dozens of pushchairs that all look alike, especially the hire ones, which are all identical. There are two problems: finding yours, and making sure another parent doesn’t take it by mistake or someone doesn’t take what’s inside.

The basic rule: never leave valuables in the pushchair (phone, wallet, camera). Keep them on you. Staff may move the pushchair itself to reorganise the area, which is normal: if it isn’t where you left it, look nearby before you worry. Actual disappearances are rare, but marking your pushchair puts people off and saves you time.

For longer than you might think. On a day in the parks, you walk a huge amount: a 4 or 5-year-old who walks perfectly well day to day will often end up tired by late afternoon. The pushchair then becomes a place to rest, for tired legs as well as naps, and it’s still handy for carrying the bag and shopping.

Plenty of parents who thought they no longer needed one are glad to have it in the evening. If your child is between 3 and 5 and no longer has a pushchair at home, a light, basic pushchair (your own or a hire one) can save the end of the day.

The pushchair is only part of the planning when you visit with a little one. To change, feed or settle your baby somewhere quiet, there’s one air-conditioned Baby Care Centre in each park. For meals, baby food jars can be heated up for free: see my guide to the meal plans. If you’re travelling while pregnant, have a read of visiting Disneyland Paris while pregnant. In a heatwave, these cool spaces are a real help: see my guide to coping with the heat in the park.

And if there’s a minor health issue, the First Aid Centre is there for you. For everything else, find my tips for visiting with a baby.