What to See in Disneyland Paris, if You’ve Been to Disneyland California! Oh Disney, how I love you. As an avid lover of all of the Disney parks, this was a must-see for me! Here’s the thing, Disneyland Paris gets a bad rap, it’s very small and doesn’t have a ton of rides. BUT, it is hands down the prettiest Disney park ever with the prettiest castle! It also has sooo many details, like more than a regular Disney park, and that’s really what makes it special. Definitely ride the rides, but make sure to take time to just explore!
I originally had this post as apart of my general Paris travel guide, but I just had too much to say about Disneyland Paris apparently! So, I made this separate post for it, however, if you’d like to read my Paris travel guide head HERE!
I broke this post up into four sections – must see, honorable mentions, what not to see, and where to eat! This post is specifically about what to do in Disneyland Paris if you’ve been to Disneyland California. As you may know, there are 6 Disney parks around the world. There are rides that are unique to each location, there are rides that are in every Disney park, and sometimes rides are a little different from park to park. So, this guide tells you what rides are unique to Paris versus California! However, even if you haven’t been to Disneyland Califonia, I’d still reccomend all of it! Let’s get started!
Must See
Ratatouille Ride
This is officially in my top 5 fave Disney rides, and if you ride anything – ride this! Ugh, I could gush forever!
Dragon in the Castle
Disneyland Paris is the ONLY park that has it’s very own dragon living underneath it. You can go see it, and it is the most impressive audio animatronic I’ve ever seen!
Big Thunder Mountain
Sadly we didn’t get to ride this one as it was broken down for part of the day, however there are MANY sources that say that it is hands-down the best Big Thunder Mountain out of all the parks!
Crush’s Coaster
This one is super fun themed roller coaster! It’s like a mix between a roller coaster and a dark ride (Small World, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh etc.) Make sure to get there early though cause the line can get long!
Adventure Isle
This was an unexpected love for me, it’s just a little area with lots of paths and bridges to explore. It’s a good example of the details I was talking about. There is also treasure for you to try and find (we found it!!!) which is so much fun!
Alice’s Curious Labyrinth
This one is so unique I had to include it! It’s just a little maze, but there are so many fun things to discover, and a fun castle to explore at the end! Quick and a must-see!
Tower of Terror
If you’re like me and are sad that they changed the Tower of Terror in Disneyland to Gardians of the Galaxy, then you’ll want to ride this one! I also found it creepier, and there seemed to be way more drops – and bigger drops than both the Florida and California parks!
Mickey and the Magician
This show is unique to Disneyland Paris, and the closest thing to compare it to is Mickey and the Magical Map at Disneyland (which I love). I didn’t love this one quite as much, BUT, I did still love it, and think it’s worth it! It was also fun hearing Disney songs in french haha!
Le Passage Enchanté d’Aladdin
This is another ones that’s unique to Paris! It’s just a little walk through, there’s no wait or anything, so it’s a nice fast thing to do! They have different miniature scenes from Aladdin, it’s just simple and cute!
Hyper Space Mountain
This one is like the classic Space Mountain Ride, but with a Star Wars twist! We didn’t get to ride this one because it was broken down, but this one goes upside down unlike the other Space Mountains. It is also said to be a bit rougher than the others so be careful of that!
Enjoy the Details
Like I mentioned before, what’s special about Disneyland Paris are the details. Here is a great blog post that lists a ton of hidden gems!
Honorable Mentions
It’s a Small World
Including this one because they have an American and Canadian section, which is pretty fun (& funny) to see!
Toy Story Land
Okay, so if you haven’t seen Toy Story Land in Disney World (Florida), I’d hit this one up. They don’t have a Toy Story Land in California, so this might be worth it to you, though the Florida one is much better! It is still hecka cute here, just much smaller.
Pirates of the Caribbean
We didn’t get to ride this ride, but it is apparently a lot longer than the one in California, and a lot creepier as well. If you are a big fan of Pirates, I’d ride this one!
Phantom Manor
This is the equivalent of the haunted mansion, it’s a litter different and a lot creepier. If you are a haunted mansion fan, for sure ride this one!
What not to see
Disney Village
Oh my gosh, biggest disappointment ever! This is the equivalent of Downtown Disney, and it is not worth it! It is just run down, and very, very small. The only reason I’d go is for Earl of Sandwich because #priorities.
Storybook Land Canal Boats
I actually LOVE this ride in Disneyland Califonia, but it is not worth it here! It is a little different than the one in CA, but if you ask me, the original is 100x better!
Where to Eat
Restaurants
Again, the DETAILS, the restaurants in Disneyland Paris are amazingly themed, there are just too many to choose from! This is a great blog post on the best restaurants to help you choose! We ate at Pizzeria Belle Note and it was great.
Mango Dole Whip
Hellooooo Pineapple Dole Whips long lost cousin! A different take on the famous Dole Whip in the California and Florida parks! So, so yummy, just get it and thank me later 😉
L’Atelier
This is not actually at Disney, but it is walking distance and the BEST pastries we had while in France. I’m serious, get the pretzel one, I’m drooling just writing this!
I know that seemed like a lot, but since Disneyland Paris is SO small (especially Walt Disney Studios Park) you could get all of this done in a day if you timed it right! Oh, and make sure to head HERE for my Paris travel guide, and HERE for ALL of my travel guides!
