First time at Disneyland Paris: where to start

The cost of a trip varies a lot depending on the hotel you choose. For a 2-day, 1-night stay for 2 adults and 2 children with park tickets included, expect around €600 at the cheapest official Disney hotel and up to €1,100 at the most upmarket one. On top of that, you need to add meals: the amount depends on the type of restaurant, but I suggest allowing at least €300 for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner over the 2 days. In total, budget between €900 and €1,400 for this kind of trip. For a day visit only, the 1-day 1-park ticket starts at €49 per adult with a Bon Plan ticket: allow a budget of at least around €400 for a one-day visit for 2 adults and 2 children, meals included.

As early as possible. Disneyland Paris prices are dynamic: the earlier you book, the less you pay. For dated tickets, aim for at least 3 months ahead, and 6 to 9 months for a Disney hotel on very popular dates (French school holidays, French bank holidays in May, Halloween, Christmas). Booking calendars often open even further ahead, so as soon as your dates are certain, book. For table service restaurants, you can book up to 2 months ahead in the official app if you’re visiting for the day, and up to 1 year ahead if you’re staying in a Disney hotel.

One day is enough to see the highlights of a single park if you pick your priorities. Two days is ideal to visit Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World at a relaxed pace, one day per park. Beyond that, the pace becomes more laid-back and you can go back on your favourite rides. For a first visit with kids, I recommend 2 nights / 3 days.

Prices vary a lot depending on the type of restaurant. As a rough guide (prices change), allow around €15 to €25 per adult at a quick-service counter (€), €30 to €50 at a classic table-service restaurant (€€), and €60 and over at the premium buffets or signature restaurants (€€€ and €€€€). To give you some concrete benchmarks: the Agrabah Café buffet is €45 per adult / €25 per child, Cape Cod €45 / €25, La Cantina €35 / €20. Character dining set menus such as Auberge de Cendrillon go up to €60-95 per adult. For snacks (ice cream, waffle, churros), allow €5 to €10. These ranges are approximate, and you can check the exact price on each restaurant’s menu.

At least 30 minutes before official opening time, ideally 45 minutes at busy times. Once you’ve been through the security check and then the turnstiles, you’ll be in place at the park gates as soon as it opens. The first 90 minutes of the day are the most valuable: that’s when you can do 3 or 4 major rides back to back without much of a queue.