Things to do at the Disneyland Paris hotels: activities outside the parks

At the Disneyland Paris hotels, you can enjoy a pool, meet characters, do the Discovery Quest treasure hunt, unwind at the spa or in the sauna, go shopping, and eat at a themed restaurant, all without going into the parks. Some activities are offered at almost every hotel, while others are found at just one (the Clarins spa, the Marvel workshops, the pony rides).

It’s handy for taking a breather one afternoon, keeping the kids busy on a rainy morning, or simply enjoying the setting before or after a park day. If you still can’t decide, take a look at all the hotels side by side.

In this article, you’ll first find a summary chart that shows at a glance which hotel offers what. After that, I go over the activities they share, then the ones unique to each hotel.

Here are the main activities, hotel by hotel. To keep the chart easy to read, I left out the very specific ones (Mon Rêve Royal, Super Hero Station, pony rides, and so on): I cover them further down, in each hotel’s section.

Checking out your room. The theming at each hotel carries all the way into the guest rooms: Marvel heroes at the New York, cowboys and the Old West at the Cheyenne, the Cars movies at the Santa Fe... Kids often see stepping into the room as part of the adventure. Can’t pick between a few hotels? Compare all the hotels side by side.

The gift shop. All 7 hotels have a store selling souvenirs and Disney merchandise. It’s a handy way to pick up a keepsake without standing in line again in the park. At the Disneyland Hotel, the shop carries more exclusive items, in keeping with the hotel’s upscale feel.

The Discovery Quest treasure hunt. Families solve riddles as they go: grab a map from the front desk, track down the clues hidden throughout the hotel, and scan the QR codes you find. Every one of the 7 hotels has it, at no cost. A great way to keep kids entertained when you want some downtime. Get the full rundown in my Discovery Quest guide.

The pool. You can swim at five of the seven hotels: the Disneyland Hotel (indoor), the New York, the Newport Bay, the Sequoia Lodge, and the Davy Crockett Ranch (indoor). The Cheyenne and the Santa Fe have none. At the Davy Crockett Ranch, kids are big fans of the heated indoor pool, with its slides and water play features. If you want to know how the pools compare and which ones deserve a trip, go to the Disney hotel pools.

Character meet and greets. You can meet Disney characters at six of the seven hotels, usually during the morning: the Disneyland Hotel, the New York, the Newport Bay, the Sequoia Lodge, the Cheyenne, and the Santa Fe. The Davy Crockett Ranch doesn’t have any scheduled appearances. Who you’ll see is tied to each hotel’s theme (at the Cheyenne, for instance, it’s Woody and Jessie from Toy Story).

Themed restaurants and bars. Every one of the 7 hotels has a minimum of one restaurant and one bar designed around its theme. Some standouts: character dining is available at the Disneyland Hotel, raclette returns to the Sequoia Lodge each winter, and the Davy Crockett Ranch fires up a barbecue in summer. When the restaurants in the park are packed, a meal back at your hotel makes a nice outing of its own.

Wellness (gym, sauna, steam room, spa). The facilities vary with each hotel’s star rating. You can work out in a fitness room at the Disneyland Hotel, the New York, the Newport Bay, and the Sequoia Lodge. The sauna and steam room are found at the Disneyland Hotel, the New York, the Newport Bay, and the Sequoia Lodge: the full breakdown is in the sauna and steam room. And the Clarins spa (paid) exists only at the 5-star Disneyland Hotel: find out more in the Clarins spa.

The resort’s most upscale hotel, rated 5 stars, has the fullest lineup of family activities, on top of the Clarins spa and character dining. You’ll find all the details on the Disneyland Hotel page.

Curious about the hotel even though you’re staying somewhere else? Non-guests can get in under certain conditions. Here’s the full story: visiting the Disneyland Hotel without staying there.

Superhero fans, this 4-star hotel is for you. Along with a pool, a fitness room, and a sauna and steam room, it offers Marvel-themed activities that no other hotel has. Everything else is on the Hotel New York page.

The Newport Bay, a 4-star hotel, has a New England nautical theme and sits on the shore of Lake Disney. For activities, it offers a pool, a gym, a sauna, and a steam room (see the sauna and steam room), plus character meet and greets. It’s a great hotel for enjoying the waterfront setting between park days.

The Sequoia Lodge, a 4-star hotel, captures the feel of the great American national parks, with a forest and mountain theme. You’ll find a pool, a gym, a sauna and steam room, and character meet and greets. The highlight: raclette served at the restaurant in winter, a real treat when it’s cold out. The wooded setting and the big fireplace in the lobby make it a pleasant hotel to relax in.

The Cheyenne, a 2-star hotel, recreates a Wild West town with a Toy Story twist. Heads-up: this hotel has no pool. On the other hand, this is the one and only place where you’ll find pony rides.

Themed around Cars, the 2-star Santa Fe is decorated to look like Route 66 and Radiator Springs. Kids who are crazy about the movie’s cars will love it. As with the Cheyenne, you won’t find a pool here. What you do get is the gift shop, the Discovery Quest treasure hunt, a themed restaurant, and character meet and greets.

The Davy Crockett Ranch is a different kind of place: it sits a little way from the resort, deep in the forest, with cabins that come with a kitchen, a patio, and a grill. It’s the hotel most focused on outdoor activities and sports.

What you give up: characters don’t visit, and there’s no indoor fitness room. Kids especially love the heated indoor pool, which has slides and water play features.