Disneyland Paris Christmas decorations: sights, figures and shops

When you ask me about Christmas decorations at Disneyland Paris, there are usually two different wishes behind the same words. The first is to see the displays set up in the park during the "Disney Enchanted Christmas" season, from mid-November to early January (the exact dates change every year: I keep them up to date in my seasons calendar). The second is to go home with your own Disney decorations for your tree.

In this guide, I cover both: what to see on site and where to buy.

It all starts with the giant tree. It stands on Town Square, the square just past the park entrance, at the very start of Main Street U.S.A. You walk past it as you arrive, so you can’t miss it.

The numbers: 24 metres tall, over 24 tonnes, over 1,000 decorations.

Worth knowing if you’re not staying late: the tree lighting happens several times a day, not just in the evening. So you don’t need to wait until closing time to see it light up. The evening highlight is the live choir and Christmas carols alongside Mickey and Minnie: I cover it in my complete Christmas guide.

For photos, I find the tree looks better after dark, when its lights stand out against the night sky. I stand a little way back on the square to fit it all in the frame.

Most of the decorations are on Main Street U.S.A. The shop windows are decorated one by one, traditional garlands run along the street and trees and ornaments line the way up to the castle.

Two effects happen several times a day. First, the artificial snow, which falls on the roofs and facades at regular intervals. I find it works well looking down the length of the street, and that’s where I photograph it. Then, in the evening, animated projections on the Main Street facades cover the buildings with Christmas scenes and silhouettes.

The rest of the park keeps its usual Disney theming and stays more low-key. If you’re short on time, focus on Town Square and Main Street: that’s where it all happens.

The answer is clear: no, Sleeping Beauty Castle has no permanent Christmas decorations, and there are no Christmas light projections (mapping) during the day. What you see on the castle every evening is the night-time show "Disney Tales of Magic", which runs all year round and isn’t a Christmas show.

So don’t expect a castle dressed in seasonal colours, as you might be picturing.

There is one nuance worth knowing, though. During the evening version of the Christmas parade, Christmas projections do appear on the castle while the parade goes by. It’s a moment tied to the parade, which I cover in my Christmas parade guide.

Behind the decorations is a serious logistics operation. Here are the official figures for the Christmas decorations at Disneyland Paris, handy to remember if anyone asks.

You can see the Christmas decorations at any time of day: the tree lighting and the artificial snow happen several times a day, so you don’t have to stay until the evening. That said, I think they look better at night: the tree lights, the Main Street garlands and the projections on the facades stand out more once it’s dark.

Here are the spots where I photograph the decorations:

• The giant tree on Town Square, framed in full after dark.
• The view down Main Street from Town Square towards the castle, with the garlands and the snow.
• The decorated shop windows, in close-up.
• The castle lit up in the evening, as the backdrop at the end of the street.

As for crowds, the Christmas season is one of the busiest times of the year. If you want these photos without the crowds, have a look at my tips on crowd levels to choose your date and time of day.

If you want to take decorations home, there’s one place to know all year round: "La Boutique du Château". It’s in Fantasyland, under the castle, and it’s the park’s permanent Christmas shop, decorated for Christmas whatever the season. You’ll find a wide range of baubles and tree ornaments, wreaths, ears and plush characters in Christmas outfits.

During the Christmas season, the range grows elsewhere too. You’ll also find decorations at the Emporium, on Main Street U.S.A. (the biggest shop in the park) and at the Walt Disney Studios Store, in the second park (which has kept this name even though the park has been renamed Disney Adventure World).