Last updated on July 10, 2023
Last May we made our Disney dreams come true with our family’s first trip to Disneyland Paris. Disneyland Paris is the only Disney in Europe, located just outside the city of Paris. Although I have been to Disney in California and Florida, this was me and JC’s first time at a Disney outside the US. We decided to make it a pre-birthday for Isabella, who turned three on June 1st. (FYI, children under three are FREE at Disney!!) My parents also joined us from the US for this momentous occasion. Below, find out everything you need to know about how to plan a trip to Disneyland Paris with a toddler, so you too can have a trip as magical as we did!
How to get to Disneyland Paris?
It is important to know that Disneyland Paris is not located in the city of Paris. It’s actually located in a suburb of Paris, about a 40-minute drive outside the city center and about a 45-minute drive from CDG airport.
For this reason I would not recommend staying in Paris city when visiting Disney. Instead, it makes the most sense to stay as close to the park as possible, whether it’s at a Disney hotel or an Airbnb like we did.
Where to Stay in Disneyland Paris with a Toddler
Disney hotel or Airbnb?
When planning your trip to Disneyland Paris, you’ll want to plan your accommodations carefully. We wanted to stay as close to the park as possible so we could maximize our time there. We originally thought we would leave the park for an afternoon nap and then return in the evening (spoiler, we never left the park!).
First we considered Disney hotels. Disneyland Paris has many hotel options listed their website. It’s very easy to use their planning tools to see both prices and distance to the park (all hotels are at least a 10-minute walk away). Some of the benefits of staying at the Disney hotels include: early access to the park, first access to Disney restaurant reservations, more opportunities to meet the characters at the hotel, and park entrance fees included in the price of the hotel stay.
When we went to Disney in May, the cheapest Disney hotel was the Disney Davy Crockett Ranch. It would have cost €1610 for 2 rooms, 3 nights and 4 days of park tickets. Only one night at the Ranch costs €721 for 2 rooms and 2 days of park tickets. The other downside is that the Davy Crockett Ranch is a 15 minute drive from Disney and it is No free shuttle from the hotel. For these reasons and more, choosing Airbnb was an easy choice for us.
Read more: How to Plan a Summer Vacation with a Toddler | Tips and tricks
Stay in an Airbnb close to Disney for convenience and cost savings
Our Airbnb lasted 15-20 minutes to walk from the park and costs only $466 USD for 3 nights. It comfortably fits 4 adults and a toddler. It had a kitchen, living room, 1 full bath and 2 half baths and 2 large bedrooms. Besides, it was right next to it a huge shopping center with everything you could need. Yes, we spent about €600 extra on 2 day park tickets for 4 people (Isabella was free as she was under three years old). But overall, it made much more sense for us to use the Airbnb for 3 nights and 2 days of the park instead of just one night at the Davy Crockett Ranch with the park tickets included. We couldn’t afford to stay at the Disney Hotel for 3 nights, or even 2 nights, and spending just 1 night at the hotel wouldn’t have made any sense. We were much more comfortable in one location for 3 nights and being within walking distance of the park made it ideal too.
Where to eat at Disneyland Paris with a toddler
Book a character dinner at the Plaza Gardens Restaurant
The absolute highlight of our trip to Disneyland Paris was dinner with the characters on our first night in the park. I reserved our table exactly two months in advance on the Mobile app Disneyland Paris. If you are staying at a Disney hotel, you can reserve your table as soon as you make your hotel reservation. Since we were staying in an Airbnb, exactly 61 days before our planned visit date, at midnight Paris time, I opened the app and managed to snag a 9:30 PM dinner reservation. My advice: be quick! I checked the next day for the following night and was unable to make a reservation. You may think 9:30 PM is too late – accept it anyway! My daughter was wide awake and having the time of her life. She met Mickey, Minnie, Tigger, Pluto, Goofy and Eeyore and got pictures of them and their autographs. The dinner is buffet style and very expensive: €80 per adult and €40 per child (from 3 years old, Isabella did not pay). But keep in mind that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and your kids will never forget meeting Mickey and his friends up close!
Bring snacks and drinks to the park if you want to save money and time
As you would expect, eating at Disney is expensive. There are restaurants for reserving tables and also more fast food restaurants. We had hot dogs one lunch and paid about 11€ per hot dog. The second day we had burgers. If you want to eat healthier and don’t want to spend a lot, bring food with you. I saw many families with their own snacks. We brought fruit to feed Isabella between meals and while waiting for rides. Also keep in mind that you will have to wait in line at many restaurants. For some you can already order in advance in the app.
Which parks in Disneyland Paris can you visit with a toddler?
Choose between two parks in Disneyland Paris
At Disneyland Paris you have two park options: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. The two parks are conveniently located next to each other and share the same park entrance. To purchase a multi-day ticket online in advanceyou need to buy a ticket for 2 parks.
Disneyland Park is more magical and definitely more aimed at young children, with the Disney characters and parades, and the castle of course. But we also had a great time in the Walt Disney Studios Park. Studios are more aimed at older children, with attractions such as Spiderman and the Avengers roller coaster. But there are still rides for toddlers to enjoy, like Aladdin’s flying carpets, which may have been Isabella’s favorite ride overall. We spent the first day entirely in Disneyland Park and the second day we started at Walt Disney Studios and then returned to Disneyland Park after lunch. My advice would be to spend most of your time in Disneyland Park, but head to Studios for the Aladdin, Slinky Dog and Spiderman flying carpets (great for the whole family!).
Use the Disneyland Paris app to plan your trip
If you’re going to Disneyland Paris with a toddler, it’s best to make use of their handy app. You can browse the rides, create a wish list, and filter rides by age preference (e.g. preschoolers, all ages). I also loved that you could see the wait times for rides live. We used this to plan which rides we would go on (less than a 20 minute wait was ideal with a toddler). You can also make restaurant reservations and takeaway meals through the app. And if you’re like us and haven’t purchased Disney Premier Access (i.e. Fast Pass) for all rides, you can purchase it for one ride in the app. (We did it for Spiderman when there was a 50 minute wait).
Can you take a stroller to the parks?
The short answer is: YES. However, you cannot take the stroller on the attractions or in the queue while waiting for a ride. You will see designated places where you can leave your stroller before queuing for a ride. We didn’t bring a lock for our stroller and didn’t see anyone else doing so. Someone did move our stroller once, which was a bit of a shock. Although Isabella didn’t sleep at all the first day, she did sleep a few hours the second day. Having a stroller for naps and long walks through the park is essential.
Ultimately, we had the most magical time at Disneyland Paris and will definitely be making a return trip sooner rather than later! Have you been to Disneyland Paris with a toddler? Let us know about your journey in the comments below!
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