Disneyland Paris with a child: planning your days

Here are the minimum heights for the thrill rides at Disneyland Paris. In Disneyland Park: Autopia at 0.81 m, Star Tours and Big Thunder Mountain at 1.02 m, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain at 1.20 m, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril at 1.40 m. In Disney Adventure World: Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop at 0.81 m, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at 1.02 m, Crush’s Coaster at 1.07 m, and Avengers Assemble: Flight Force and RC Racer at 1.20 m. All the other rides have no height requirement, which families with young kids love.

The price of a stay varies a lot depending on the hotel you pick. For a 2-day, 1-night stay for 2 adults and 2 kids with park tickets included, expect about €600 at the cheapest official Disney hotel and up to €1,100 at the most upscale one. On top of that, you need to add meals: the amount depends on the type of restaurant, but I recommend budgeting at least €300 for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner over the 2 days. All in all, plan on €900 to €1,400 for this kind of trip. For a single day only, the 1-day 1-park ticket starts at €49 per adult with a Bon Plan ticket: in that case, plan a budget of at least about €400 for a one-day visit for 2 adults and 2 kids, meals included.

Rider Switch (formerly Baby Switch) lets two adults take turns on a ride with a height requirement (or one that isn’t recommended for someone) without waiting in line twice. Explain your situation to the Cast Member at the ride entrance. One adult rides while the other waits with the child. When the first one comes back, the adult who waited outside goes straight through the priority line or the Premier Access line, depending on the instructions given. The service is free and works on most rides with a height requirement in both parks.

Book as soon as you can. Prices at Disneyland Paris are dynamic, so booking earlier means paying less. Dated tickets are best bought at least 3 months out, and a Disney hotel 6 to 9 months out for peak dates (French school vacations, French long weekends in May, Halloween, Christmas). Bookings often open even earlier than that, so once your dates are locked in, go ahead. Table-service restaurants can be reserved through the official app up to 2 months before if you’re a day visitor, and up to 1 year before if you’re a Disney hotel guest.

If you’re selective, a single day covers the main highlights of one park. Two days is the sweet spot for seeing Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World without rushing, spending one day in each. Add more days and things slow down, leaving time to ride your favorites again. For families with kids on their first visit, I suggest 2 nights / 3 days.