Salut!
Welcome to planDisney, friend! It’s great to see a fellow Guest from the UK over here at planDisney! Thank you for stopping by with your question about your plans to visit
Disneyland Paris next year with your best pal. It sounds like it’s going to be a really memorable trip, especially as it’s your first time visiting a Disney Park!
Let’s talk about keeping a trip budget-friendly while still maximising the magic – this is definitely the type of trip I’ve done a few times myself, so you’re in good company! Starting with travel to the resort: I’ve made the journey to Disneyland Paris by Eurostar, plane, and by car via Le Shuttle and ferry. In my experience, travelling by ferry is the cheapest, and driving gives you more freedom when it comes to how you get to the magic. Driving in France is really straightforward, and it's only about three hours from Calais. In the past, we’ve stayed at a budget chain hotel about an hour away from Disneyland Paris the night before our Disney Hotel stay begins – this lets us make the most of our arrival day park tickets!
Now, let’s talk about where to stay. I highly recommend staying at a Disney Hotel onsite, it gives you access to Extra Magic Time at both Disney Parks, which is one hour of early entry before the parks open to day Guests. You’ll be able to experience select attractions with minimal queue times.
Disney Hotel Santa Fe is usually the lowest-priced option, it’s within walking distance of the parks, and it’s themed to the Disney Pixar movie Cars! Booking a
Hotel + Ticket Package means your park tickets are included for all days of your stay – even your arrival and departure days. The Disneyland Paris website has a really handy price comparison tool where you can check the cost of your trip for different arrival dates. We’ve often found that shifting our arrival by a few days can lead to significant savings!
When it comes to food, there’s something for every budget. In my experience, Quick Service locations offer meals that are about the same price as fast food chains in the UK. One option I often take advantage of is adding a Half Board Meal Plan to our Hotel + Ticket Package. It means we can spread the cost of meals by paying in instalments ahead of the trip, and it includes an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast and dinner. We find we don’t need lunch – although that might just be because we overindulge at the buffets!
Here’s one more thing to think about before you finalise your plans: you could take a day off your stay and put the savings towards Premier Access Ultimate. This is an optional add-on to your park ticket that gives you access to the Premier Access queues for the most popular attractions across both parks for one day. If you make the most of it, it can save you loads of time – but it only really makes sense if you both love all types of attractions, including thrill rides like Tower of Terror and Hyperspace Mountain. The only downside to this approach is that you’ll be moving at speed, which could mean you miss some of the magic in the details. The parks are full of little touches that are just as special as the attractions, like the stained glass windows inside Sleeping Beauty Castle, which tell the story of the classic film, or the creature that lurks beneath the castle in La Tanière du Dragon.
I hope this helps as you start to plan your adventure next year! If you have more specific questions as your plans start to come together, please reach out to me. I’d love to help!
See you on Main Street, Paris!
Matt