The lingo of Disneyland Paris

The robot characters in the rides: Disney’s animated figures (pirates, animals, heroes) whose movements, facial expressions, and voices are synchronized. "Audio-Animatronics" is a Disney trademark. You’ll see them in Pirates of the Caribbean or Phantom Manor, for example.

Big Thunder Mountain is a Wild West coaster in Frontierland at Disneyland Park, open since 1992. Its standout feature: the mine stands on an island in a lake, and the trains get there through a tunnel under the water. It’s hugely popular, and the wait is often long.

The official name for Disneyland Paris employees, whatever their job (welcome desks, rides, dining, stores, shows, hotels, maintenance). The term comes from theater and film, where the "cast" is the group of performers. These are the people to turn to on site for any information or help during your trip.

A meal at a Disneyland Paris restaurant during which several Disney characters stop by your table to say hello, pose for a photo, and sign an autograph. It’s usually a buffet or table service, booked in advance, and it’s a way to meet several characters while seated, without waiting in line at a meet and greet spot.

Space Mountain’s first theme at Disneyland Paris, drawn from the Jules Verne novel and its retro-futuristic style. The ride carried this look from day one in 1995. At D23 2026, Disney revealed it’s coming back, taking over from the Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain version.

Disney Adventure World is the second park at Disneyland Paris, renamed on March 29, 2026 (formerly Walt Disney Studios, opened in 2002). It has rides based on Frozen, Pixar, and Marvel, with The Lion King and Up coming soon, a long list of indoor shows, and a nighttime show. You need a ticket that includes this park to get in.

Hotels that Disneyland Paris runs itself, right on the resort, a short distance from the parks. Booking a room there unlocks a set of exclusive perks: getting into the parks early with Extra Magic Time, park tickets bundled into most packages, meal plans, dedicated services (your purchases delivered to the hotel, a concierge), and either free shuttle buses or a walk to the parks, depending on where you stay.

The official photo service of Disneyland Paris. Photographers snap your pictures at character meet and greets, in the Disney parks, and at the Disney hotels. Some rides also have an automatic photo system. All your photos are gathered on your PhotoPass card, and once purchased, you can view and download them online.

A paid service that lets you book a ride through a dedicated, faster line instead of the standby line, on a selection of attractions at Disneyland Paris. You buy it one ride at a time (Premier Access One) or as a bundle for the day (Premier Access Ultimate), through the official Disneyland Paris app. The price depends on the ride, the date, and the crowds.

A dining, shopping, and entertainment area between the Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy RER station and the two Disney parks. Entry is open and free, no ticket needed. You’ll find themed restaurants, Disney fashion stores, a movie theater, bars, and a tethered balloon (PanoraMagique), open before the parks open, during the day, or after they close.

Disneyland Hotel is the 5-star hotel of the resort, built directly over the Disneyland Park entrance. After a top-to-bottom renovation, it reopened in 2024 with a royal look (Disney princesses), and guests staying there can walk straight into the park ahead of public opening time.

The Walt Disney Company operates this resort in Marne-la-Vallée (Seine-et-Marne), roughly 32 km (20 miles) east of Paris. Inside, you’ll find two theme parks (Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World), the Disney Village dining and entertainment district, a handful of Disney hotels, and a golf course. The Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy station, served by both the RER and the TGV (high-speed train), sits right next to it all.

Disneyland Park is where Disneyland Paris began, back in 1992. Sleeping Beauty Castle stands at its center, with five themed lands spread around it. Most of the classic rides are here, along with the parades and a nighttime show.

The Disneyland Paris lineup of annual passes. Depending on the tier you choose, it gets you into one or both Disney parks for a year, with a varying number of reservation-required or blocked-out days, plus perks such as discounts on dining, shopping, and parking, as well as access to special events.

A free card issued by Disneyland Paris to guests with an ALD (a long-term condition recognized by the French health system) that makes long waits in a standard line difficult. It gives access to rides and shows at a set time, through a specific entrance. You can request it on site or ahead of time (30 days) by showing up-to-date medical documentation.

You won’t find this term in Disney’s vocabulary. It’s a scale I made myself, featured on my ride pages under the label "emotional impact".

Emotion level is all about attachment and wonder: how strong the story is, its poetry, and the memories you take home, with nothing to do with fear or speed. The scale runs from low to high.

That’s what links worlds that couldn’t be more different: Ratatouille, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Frozen Ever After all score high for emotion.

Euro Disneyland Railroad is the original name (1992-1994) of the steam train that circles Disneyland Park. It became Disneyland Railroad after the resort changed its name in 1994, and the ride is still running. You can still spot the EDRR initials on Main Street Station.

A perk for guests staying at Disney hotels at Disneyland Paris. It lets you into Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World before official opening time, so you can enjoy a selection of rides and themed areas early, with smaller crowds.

The free line-skipping system Disneyland Paris used to offer. On certain rides, you could grab a ticket printed with a time window to come back and use a quicker line, without paying anything extra. Disney scrapped it in 2021 and swapped it for the paid Disney Premier Access options (One and Ultimate).

You won’t find this term in Disney’s vocabulary. It’s a scale I made myself, and I put it on every one of my ride pages so you can size things up quickly.

Fear level is all about apprehension: atmosphere, darkness, and things that catch you off guard, no matter how fast the ride goes. The scale runs from none to intense.

Some rides are frightening without shaking you up: Tower of Terror lands at intense because of its suspense, La Tanière du Dragon at moderate because it’s so dark, and Big Thunder Mountain, a more physical ride, sits at low.

A reduced-price park ticket that Disneyland Paris annual passholders may purchase, in limited quantities, for the people close to them. The Friends Ticket took over from the former "Privilege Ticket".

Hollywood Tower Hotel is the name of the fictional building that houses The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, the drop ride in Disney Adventure World. It recreates an elevator plunging 13 floors inside an abandoned Hollywood hotel from the 1930s.

A paid shuttle service connecting the Paris airports (Charles de Gaulle and Orly) to the parks, the Disney hotels, and some Disneyland Paris partner hotels. Run by an official resort partner, it’s booked online in advance, and it’s one way to reach the resort without renting a car or taking the RER A (Paris commuter train).

A dining package you pay for on top when you book a Disneyland Paris vacation. Depending on the tier you pick, it covers a set number of meals (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) at a selection of restaurants in the Disney parks and at the Disney hotels. It usually works as vouchers stored on a card (Magic Pass) handed to you at check-in.

A scheduled meeting with a Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, or Marvel character at a set spot in the Disney parks or at the Disney hotels. You wait in line, then get a few moments to chat, take a photo, and collect an autograph. Some meet and greets are booked ahead through a virtual queue, others happen on the spot according to the posted times.

One-oh-One (or "101") is Disneyland Paris employee slang meaning a ride or show has temporarily stopped, usually because of a technical problem. You’ll mostly see it on visitor forums, blogs, and social media.

One-oh-Two (or "102") is Disneyland Paris employee slang meaning a ride or show is running again after a stop. It’s the exact opposite of "101".

These hotels sit close to Disneyland Paris and belong to independent chains that Disney doesn’t manage, yet they appear in the resort’s official lineup. When you book them through Disneyland Paris, you typically get a package with park tickets included, along with a shuttle bus to the resort entrance. The perks reserved for Disney hotels (early entry, for example) aren’t part of the deal.

Phantom Manor is the haunted house ride at Disneyland Park, in Frontierland since 1992. You ride through the story of Melanie Ravenswood, the eternal bride of a haunted Victorian mansion. Dark mood: it can scare young kids.

Pirates of the Caribbean is a boat ride in Adventureland at Disneyland Park, opened in 1992. For about 10 minutes, you float through a pirate battle in the Caribbean. No minimum height, and it suits families.

Disneyland Paris hands out this free card to guests with disabilities when they present a CMI (France’s official disability card). With it, you get into Disneyland Paris rides and shows with a shorter wait, typically using a separate entrance. You can request it online in advance (no more than 30 days ahead of your visit) or in person on the day itself.

A former offer of discounted tickets that Disneyland Paris annual passholders could buy for friends and family. It’s no longer available: Friends Tickets have replaced it. You’ll still see the term "Privilege Ticket" on other sites, out of habit, but the current offer is the Friends Ticket.

A free system that lets adults in a group take turns on a ride without waiting through the whole line again, when one member of the group can’t ride (a child too small, a parent staying with them, someone who doesn’t want to go). One adult rides while the other waits with the child, then they swap using a dedicated ticket and a separate line (often the wheelchair entrance or the Premier Access line).

A free line for guests willing to ride on their own, used to fill empty single seats in the ride vehicles. The wait is often shorter than in the standby line, but people in the same group can’t be seated together. Only offered on a selection of rides.

You won’t find this term in Disney’s vocabulary. It’s a scale I made myself, featured on my ride pages so you can tell quickly how hard a ride hits your body.

Thrill level is all about physical intensity: speed, drops, and jolts. The scale runs from low to big thrills.

Going from Star Tours, rated moderate, to Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain and Avengers Assemble: Flight Force, both rated big thrills, you’ll feel a clear jump in physical intensity.

Pregnant visitors at Disneyland Paris can ask for this free wristband at Guest Services (City Hall, at the Disneyland Park entrance). On many rides, it lets you use an alternate entrance instead of standing in the standby line. Safety rules still apply, though: thrill rides remain a bad idea while you’re pregnant.

A free system used at Disneyland Paris for meeting some of the most popular characters. In the official Disneyland Paris app, and only once you’re inside the park, you book a time slot during set booking windows in the day, without standing in a physical line. It isn’t used for rides or shows.

Walt Disney Studios Park is what the second Disneyland Paris park was called from its 2002 opening until March 29, 2026, when it became Disney Adventure World. The old name still pops up in guidebooks, videos, and articles published before the makeover.