Disneyland Paris For Adults: Travel Tips + Tried & Tested Itinerary

Disneyland Paris for adults. It’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? 

Visiting Disneyland Paris without children means there’s no need to push heavy prams and pushchairs around all day. No temper tantrums. You can simply focus on everything Disney and enjoy the magical rides and attractions.

Are you wondering what you need to know about Disneyland Paris if it’s just the two of you or if you’re travelling with friends? Read on for our top tips and example itinerary, which are based on our most recent trip to Disneyland.

Disneyland Paris: Tips For Adults

First things first, what do you need to know about visiting Disneyland Paris as adults? As always, we’ve got you covered.

1. Visit off-peak and on weekdays

Seeing as most visitors to Disneyland Paris travel with children, you should see shorter wait times and fewer crowds on weekdays and during off-peak seasons.

That’s not to say there won’t still be long queues and lots of people. But it’ll be much less extreme than in the school holidays and the warmer months.

Scott and I visited in early October on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Although it was busy, queue times were not too bad. The longest we queued for was 90 minutes for the hugely popular “Crush’s Coaster” ride in Walt Disney Studios Park.

2. Plan your visit for a “special” month

If you visit Disneyland at “special” times of the year such as Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s, then you’ll experience extra treats around the park.

Things like spooky pumpkin decorations and dazzling Christmas trees come to mind.

But visiting during these events will come with a higher price tag and bigger crowds.

Instead, why not visit earlier in the month? You may be lucky enough to see some of their decorations set up ready for the main events but without the same price tag.

When we visited in early October, they had some Halloween decorations ready and waiting. But we didn’t have to pay the same price as people visiting during the official Halloween event.

3. Don’t be surprised if there are still lots of children around

So, you chose to follow our advice and visit on a weekday and in an off-peak season (e.g. outside of school holidays).

You may be expecting to see hardly any children, but this won’t be the case.

We saw LOTS of children during our visit and many came from the UK on the same Eurostar as us. We can only fathom that risking a potential fine for taking children out of school is still cheaper than paying the extra cost to visit during the school holidays. 

4. Travel light to save money

There are lockers inside the parks where you can store your bags, but you can also take backpacks on rides with you.

This is especially nifty because – as adults – you don’t need to worry about pushchairs, nappies or any other child-focused essentials.

As Scott and I were only visiting for a few days, we each took a 20-litre backpack for our clothes and toiletries and took them on all the rides with us. Yep, even the upside-down 360 rollercoasters!

Not only did we save money (and time!) not using the locker storage, but we also didn’t need to stay an extra night at our hotel. We left Disneyland late on a Wednesday (about 4.30 pm) and caught the Eurostar straight back to London from there.

5. Check wait times via the app

If you download the Disneyland Paris app, then you can easily see wait times at-a-glance, so you can try to plan your day around the queues.

Once you see a popular ride hit 45 minutes or less, now’s your time to strike! But be quick – because it’s likely lots of other people have had the same idea as you.

6. Take advantage of the “Single Rider” queues

If you don’t mind getting separated from each other, then you can essentially halve your wait time for some of the most popular rides by making use of the “Single Rider” queues.

You can still queue up together; you’ll just split up for the actual ride. This is helpful to the park because some families travel in odd numbers such as threes and fives, so they fill up the empty spaces with single riders.

And when it means queueing for over an hour versus just 20 minutes? It’s a no-brainer!

7. Enjoy the best Disneyland Paris rides for adults

As Disneyland is a child-friendly theme park, there are lots of rides and attractions you’ll likely want to skip as adults.

Listed below are the most popular and enjoyable rides for adults, which you won’t want to miss:

• Avengers Assemble: Flight Force (Walt Disney Studios Park)
• Big Thunder Mountain (Disneyland Park)
• Crush’s Coaster (Walt Disney Studios Park)
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (Disneyland Park)
• Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (Disneyland Park)
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Walt Disney Studios Park)

And if you’re wondering which Disneyland Paris park is better for adults, then I’d say it depends on what you’re most interested in.

If you want to focus solely on big thrill seeker rides, then you’ll probably find slightly more to do at Walt Disney Studios Park. But if you want the full Disney experience, then Disneyland Park is the place to be.

8. Skip the parades

If you don’t mind not seeing your favourite Disney characters during the daily parades, then this is a great time to queue for some of the bigger and most popular rides. 

You’ll usually see wait times cut in half – or more! – on average.

9. Order food to go via the app

There are lots of incredible themed restaurants at Disneyland Paris, such as Restaurant Hakuna Matata (Lion King-themed), the Agrabah Café (Aladdin-themed), Bistrot Chez Rémy (Ratouille-themed) and Captain Jack’s – Restaurant des Pirates (based on the Pirates of the Caribbean).

These particular restaurants get booked up several months in advance and are popular spots for families.

But if you’re not fussed about missing these experiences, then you can save lots of time and money ordering food to go via the Disneyland Paris app. This works for some non-themed eateries such as Café Hyperion and Casey’s Corner.

Simply place your order, collect it and eat! Otherwise, you could queue for over 30 minutes to an hour for the same food and dining options.

10. Bring your own food and drinks

To save time and money, you may want to bring your own food and drinks such as bottles of water, sandwiches, snacks and fruit.

Just as long as what you bring in fits inside your backpack then you’re welcome to take them in with you and sit at any of the many picnic benches dotted around the parks.

11. Don’t try to do both parks in one day

It might be tempting to try and do both Disneyland Paris parks in one day, but you’d end up missing out on so much!

Scott and I spent two full days exploring both parks and even that wasn’t enough time to do everything we wanted to.

So yeah, definitely don’t try and cram everything into one day unless you know exactly what you want to do and you only want to go on a handful of rides or attractions.

12. Save money by staying offsite

Many families heading to Disneyland understandably choose to stay in a themed or official hotel. 

While this is likely a magical experience and grants you early access to the parks before they open to the public, you’ll pay for the privilege.

Scott and I stayed at Residhome Val d’Europe near Montévrain, which was about a 30-minute walk from Disneyland or a quick 5-minute train ride away. The train station just happened to be a stone’s throw away from the hotel as well.

And the best bit? We paid over four times less than if we’d stayed at Disneyland!

13. Take advantage of special promotions when available

Occasionally, you’ll see special promotions linked to Disneyland Paris tickets and hotels.

When we visited, and at the time of writing, Disneyland Paris was offering a free subscription to their streaming service, Disney+ if you book tickets or hotel stays directly via their website. Find out more about this offer now.

Alternatively, you might also consider booking your Disneyland Paris tickets via sites like Get Your Guide as they usually have very good cancellation policies should you need to make changes to your itinerary.

Here are the ticket options you can buy from Get Your Guide:

• Disneyland Paris 1-Day Ticket
• Disneyland Paris 1-Day Flexible Ticket
• Disneyland Paris Multi-Day Entrance Ticket

14. Buy your train tickets in advance where possible

If you’re planning on visiting Disneyland Paris by train, such as on a day trip from Paris or you’re staying offsite, then you should buy your train tickets in advance where possible.

Scott and I didn’t know this at the time. 

So when we rocked up at Val d’Europe train station at 9.30 am on the first day, we spent well over half an hour queueing – and we were one of the first to arrive!

On the second day, Scott went to buy our tickets an hour beforehand (so at about 8-8.30 am) and he didn’t have to queue at all.

15. Make the most of the direct London to Disneyland Eurostar service… while you still can!

Currently, it’s possible to visit Disneyland Paris easily from London using the direct Eurostar service. 

And I mean direct. The train station is right outside the park gates, saving you heaps of time compared to flying.

But this won’t always be an option because – from June 2023 – there won’t be a direct Eurostar service anymore. You’ll need to hop on a connecting train in either Paris or Lille.

16. Enjoy a bonus day trip to Paris

If your itinerary allows, you may be able to add in a cheeky day trip to Paris alongside your time at Disneyland.

As we arrived at our hotel at about 3 pm, we spent the afternoon and evening seeing some highlights in Paris itself, such as the River Seine, Jardin des Tuileries and Eiffel Tower. It was très romantique (very romantic) – and the perfect start to our trip.

Fancy staying in Paris for a little longer? Take a look at our 4-day Paris itinerary for inspiration >>

We then spent two full days exploring both Disneyland parks – as you’ll see from our example itinerary below.

2 Day Disneyland Paris Itinerary For Adults

This Disneyland Paris itinerary for adults is modelled on our own experience when we visited in October last year. We thought we’d include it in case it gives you some idea of what to expect and how to budget your time effectively.

Day 1: Travel & Arrival

The bulk of your first day will be spent travelling to Disneyland Paris. 

Unless your park tickets are included in your hotel price, we wouldn’t recommend paying for an all-day ticket when you’ll likely only have half a day or just an evening to explore.

If you travel early enough in the day and arrive with time to spare, why not catch an RER train into Paris? It only costs a few Euros each and takes about an hour.

You could then be sipping chocolat chauds (hot chocolates) or munching on delicious crêpes by the River Seine together, thus, starting your trip in style.

Our Eurostar from London was scheduled for 10.15 am, but due to delays, it didn’t leave until about 11 am. But we were still checked into our hotel by 3 pm and in Paris by 4.30 pm to enjoy the rest of our afternoon and evening together. We left Paris at about 10 pm.

Day 2: Disneyland Park

Disneyland Park is the larger of the two parks and is the one you’re probably most excited to see as this is where you can see Sleeping Beauty’s beautiful pink castle.

The park usually opens to the public at 9.30 am. To make the most of your two days, head here a little before then to join the queues and you’ll likely be through the gates in about 15-20 minutes or less.

You’re welcome to explore this park until well into the evening (opening hours vary throughout the year). 

Either way, it’s a long full day of exploring!

Make sure you use our tips above to make your way around the park. And don’t miss the amazing nighttime display and festivities at Sleeping Beauty’s castle. It’s a magical experience!

Want to see Disneyland Paris’ special 30th-anniversary drone display? It’s still on (until September 2023!)

Day 3: Walt Disney Studios Park & Departure

If you don’t want to pay for an extra night in a hotel, then you might want to consider leaving Disneyland at the end of your second day.

While you’ll have less time to explore, the Walt Disney Studios Park is much smaller than Disneyland Park, so it makes sense to arrange this one for your second day.

Once again, aim to arrive at the park for the 9.30 am opening. 

When we visited, our Eurostar back to London was at about 6 pm, so we stayed at the park until just after 4.30 pm. 

This was plenty of time to do some of our most sought-after rides – especially when using the “Single Rider” queues.

Where To Stay For Your Disneyland Paris Trip

If you can afford it and don’t mind splashing out, then you’ll probably want to stay at Disneyland in one of the many themed or special hotels onsite.

But if you’re less fussed about this, then you’ll save heaps of money staying in places like Montévrain and Serris, which are just one train stop away from Disneyland Paris (via the Val d’Europe RER station).

We stayed at Residhome Val d’Europe, which was mere moments from the train station and was a pleasant stay for a couple of nights. We could see the station from the hotel lobby, it was that close.

We had a little kitchenette to prepare our breakfast, lunch and snacks, and check-in was simple enough. There was also a Lidl supermarket about a 20-minute walk away, so we could stock up on drinks and snacks to keep us going for the remainder of our trip.

Other hotels close by that come highly recommended by other travellers include:

• Moxy Paris Val d’Europe: A stylish 3-star hotel owned by Marriott, just around the corner from where we were staying | Check reviews & prices >>
• Dream Apartments: Beautiful 3-star apartments suitable for couples and families. This accommodation is a little further away from Disneyland Paris, but you’ll still have a relatively short commute time | Check reviews & prices >>
• L’Elysée Val d’Europe: A stunning 4-star hotel to help you enjoy a bit of luxury during your Disneyland Paris trip | Check reviews & prices >>

Discover more hotels within the Île de France region via Booking.com >>

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And there you have it! Our tips and recommendations for making the most of Disneyland Paris for adults! We hope you’ve found what we’ve had to say helpful. But if you want to know anything else then please drop us a line below and we’ll reply asap.

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