Looking for a different side of the park, away from the packed walkways? Good news: Disneyland Paris is full of covered passages, tucked-away corners, and hidden curiosities.
The main ones are the two Main Street arcades (Liberty Arcade and Discovery Arcade), the gallery and La Tanière du Dragon beneath the castle, the Phantom Manor cemetery, Skull Rock and the Adventure Isle caves, plus a few walkways between lands. I walk you through all of them below, land by land, in the order you’ll come to them.
A quick note on scope: this article is about physical places you can walk through, not stories about how the park was designed. For the tales hidden in the scenery, head over to the secrets of Disneyland Paris. And if your main goal is avoiding crowds, take a look at planning your day.
What are the secret passages at Disneyland Paris?
They’re places most guests walk right past. They fall into four groups. Shortcuts are passages, often covered, that link two points while steering you clear of crowds or rain.
Photo spots are tucked-away nooks perfect for a great picture. Quiet corners are rooms off the beaten path where you can catch your breath. Curiosities are sets you should see at least once, like the dragon under the castle.
The payoff is real: you save time, you find photo spots without the crush, and you spot details the people next to you in line will never see. For each place, I tell you where it is, what it is, and why it’s worth going, and I flag when a spot is only open from time to time.
Secret passages on Main Street U.S.A.
This is the first land you walk through. The two arcades running along Main Street are my favorite shortcuts in the park: they keep you sheltered and away from the crush.
- 1. The Disneyland Railroad lookout (curiosity, open from time to time) Where: near the Main Street entrance, next to the train exit. What it is: a small area with a pretty view. Why go: for the photo. Watch out: it opens very rarely, so don’t count on it. At closing time, as you leave the park, you can sometimes run into characters there waving goodbye to guests.
- 2. Liberty Arcade (shortcut) Where: along Main Street, on your left as you walk up toward the castle. What it is: a covered walkway decorated with a Statue of Liberty theme, found in no other Disney park. Why go: to cross the land out of the rain or to avoid the crowds during the parade and at closing. At the far end, turn left and you reach Frontierland without going back onto the main street.
- 3. Discovery Arcade (shortcut) Where: along Main Street, on your right, across from Liberty Arcade. What it is: a covered walkway themed around 19th-century inventions, also found only in Paris. Its wrought-iron columns feature Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, which makes it easy to recognize at a glance. Why go: it works just like Liberty Arcade, and it brings you closer to Discoveryland.
- 4. The Statue of Liberty room (quiet corner) Where: inside Liberty Arcade, with the entrance hidden behind a red curtain halfway down the arcade. What it is: a small room that recreates the statue’s unveiling in New York. Why go: for a peaceful break and a slice of history that hardly anyone finds.
Hidden spots in the castle (Fantasyland)
The castle is home to my favorite curiosities. Plenty of guests walk under it without knowing what’s inside it and below it.
- 5. La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant (photo spot) Where: one floor up in the castle, via the stairs or the elevator at the back of the Merlin l’Enchanteur store. What it is: a gallery of stained-glass windows and tapestries that tells the story, with a view over Fantasyland. Why go: for beautiful photos without the crowds. It follows the castle’s indoor opening hours.
- 6. La Tanière du Dragon (curiosity) Where: beneath the castle. What it is: a 27-meter animatronic dragon, the largest in the park. Why go: it’s a curiosity worth seeing at least once. Good to know: it closes before the park does, so don’t leave it until the end of the day.
- 7. The Wishing Well (photo spot) Where: just right of the castle, close to the theater. What it is: a copy of the well from Snow White, where she makes a wish and first meets the prince at the start of the movie. Why go: the setting makes for a nice picture, a little apart from the busy paths. You don’t have to throw in a coin, a wish is enough. The story goes that you can sometimes hear Snow White singing there (I never have myself).
Hidden corners of Frontierland
Frontierland is probably the land with the most tucked-away corners. First come the places to see, then the handy shortcut over to Adventureland.
- 8. The secret passage to Frontierland (shortcut) Where: turn left once you reach the end of Liberty Arcade. What it is: a shortcut few people know about, taking you from Main Street U.S.A. into Frontierland while skipping the main street. Why go: you avoid the crowds and gain time, particularly while the parade is on.
- 9. The Fort Comstock ramparts (curiosity, open from time to time) Where: at the entrance to Frontierland, up the stairs on your left. What it is: the Legends of the Wild West walk-through, with a Western feel and some nice viewpoints. Watch out: in recent years this walk-through has been closed very often (and in bad weather too), so don’t count on it.
- 10. The Frontierland dock (quiet corner) Where: by the lake, toward the area facing Big Thunder Mountain, just behind the Rustler Roundup Shootin’ Gallery. What it is: a wooden dock at the water’s edge. Why go: it’s my favorite spot to catch my breath, with a gorgeous view of the mountain.
- 11. The Phantom Manor cemetery (curiosity) Where: on your left as you exit Phantom Manor. What it is: Boot Hill, where the Ravenswood family lies. Why go: stand close to the large black sarcophagus with no name on it and listen, and you’ll catch the sound of a beating heart (a nod to Edgar Allan Poe).
- 12. The passage to Adventureland (shortcut) Where: on your right after the Frontierland entrance. What it is: a shady walkway leading to Adventureland. Why go: to get from one land to the other quickly, out of the sun. It can be affected by ongoing construction, so check when you’re there.
Adventureland’s secrets
Much of Adventureland has been renovated. Adventure Isle reopened in summer 2025: Skull Rock got a fresh coat of paint, the caves were relit with LEDs, and a Pirates of the Caribbean treasure hunt (launched on August 23, 2025) was set up there, which I cover in my treasure hunt guide. It’s a good excuse to explore these corners for the first time (or all over again), starting with the bazaar at the entrance to the land.
- 13. Le Passage Enchanté d’Aladdin (curiosity) Where: inside the Adventureland bazaar, at the entrance to the land. What it is: a walk past window displays that replay scenes from the movie, counted as an attraction in its own right. Why go: it’s quiet and rarely packed, perfect for a little break.
- 14. Skull Rock, the Adventureland skull (curiosity) Where: on Adventure Isle, close to Pirates of the Caribbean. What it is: a rock carved like a skull that you can walk into, with Ben Gunn’s Cave below it. Why go: you get a photo that stands out, plus the treasure hunt that arrived in 2025.
- 15. The Adventure Isle caves (curiosity) Where: on the island, around Skull Rock. What it is: a pirate-themed network of caves you explore at your own pace, including Keelhaul Caverns and Davy Jones’s Locker (a bottomless pit). Why go: it’s a walk-through found only in Paris, immersive and rarely crowded.
- 16. Le Ventre de la Terre (quiet corner) Where: behind the Robinson family treehouse, in Adventureland. What it is: a cool, peaceful cave. Why go: for a quiet break somewhere cool, far from the hustle and bustle.
Hidden corners of Discoveryland
Two last tucked-away spots, over in Discoveryland, to wrap up your loop of the park.
- 17. The passage to Fantasyland (shortcut, open from time to time) Where: to the right of the it’s a small world ride. What it is: a shady walkway between Discoveryland and Fantasyland. Why go: to get around the crowds. Watch out: it’s usually open only on very busy days and when there’s no parade.
- 18. The Discoveryland starry room (quiet corner) Where: by Videopolis. What it is: a room whose ceiling is covered in stars. Why go: sit down for a rest and top up your phone battery while you’re at it.
A hidden scene that only train riders get to see
There’s one more secret spot that no path in the park will show you: the Grand Canyon Diorama. Picture a long stretch of desert scenery filled with animals, which the Disneyland Railroad rolls through on its way from Main Street to Frontierland.
The only way to see it is to hop aboard the little train (Main Street, Frontierland, Fantasyland, or Discoveryland station) and stay seated for the loop around the park. Most guests have no idea it even exists.
My tips for finding them
- Use the arcades when it rains Liberty Arcade and Discovery Arcade let you walk the whole length of Main Street completely under cover.
- Cut through the arcades during the parade Main Street is never busier than at parade time. Meanwhile the arcades stay quiet, so you get where you’re going faster.
- Get there early At opening, photo spots like the castle gallery or the well are nearly empty.
- Look up and glance to the sides Most of these places are right next to the main walkways. You just have to step out of the flow.
- Check the day’s closures Several spots (Fort Comstock, the train lookout, some passages) are only open from time to time. A quick look at the schedule saves you a letdown.
Dig deeper
Everything listed here is a place you can physically explore. If it’s the backstories and little details tucked into the sets that interest you, go to the secrets of Disneyland Paris. To build all of this into a day with a good rhythm, planning your day shows you how to stay ahead of the crowds and keep things relaxed.
Frequently asked questions
01 Where are the covered walkways to stay out of the rain at Disneyland Paris?
Main Street U.S.A. has two arcades: Liberty Arcade runs along the left side and Discovery Arcade along the right. You can use them to walk the whole street out of the rain, and to sidestep the crowds at parade time or when the park closes.
02 Where can I see the dragon beneath the castle?
The dragon lives in La Tanière du Dragon, beneath Sleeping Beauty Castle. It’s the largest animatronic in the park (27 meters). Go during the day: the lair closes before the park does.
03 Can you visit La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant?
Yes. It’s upstairs in the castle, and you reach it by the stairs or by the elevator at the back of the Merlin l’Enchanteur shop. Inside, you’ll see stained-glass windows and a view over Fantasyland. It follows the castle’s indoor hours.
04 Where can I charge my phone somewhere quiet in the park?
Head to the starry room in Discoveryland, right by Videopolis. Under its star-covered ceiling, this peaceful spot lets you sit down for a while and plug in your devices.
