Can you do Disneyland Paris in one day? Yes, it is definitely possible!
Disneyland Paris consists of two parks just a few minutes’ walk apart. Disneyland Park is where you’ll want to spend most of your time. It has the fairytale castle, classic characters, and plenty of rides and attractions.
Walt Disney Studios Park is much smaller and is one of Disney’s weaker parks. But it has a couple of excellent rides and is home to the new Marvel Avengers Campus, so it’s worth visiting both parks on a day visit.
While two days at Disney Paris would make for a more relaxed trip, we managed to experience the highlights of both parks in one day. It’s easier in the summer when opening hours are long.
We had a wonderful day leaving the worries of the real world behind for a day of stress-free fun and magic.
In this post, we share our itinerary for Disneyland Paris for adults visiting two parks in one day. You’ll also find tips on avoiding queues, where to stay, how to get there, and our costs for a two night/one day trip from London.
Disneyland Paris Tickets
Tickets for Disneyland Paris must now be bought in advance for a specific date.
To follow this Disneyland Paris 2 parks 1 day itinerary you need to buy a one day/ two parks ticket.
Ticket costs vary depending on the time of year you visit. They start from €81 for adults in low season (such as weekdays in mid-January) to €124 in high season (such as Christmas week).
You can cancel your tickets for a refund up to three days before your visit.
You can buy tickets on the Disneyland Paris website or on Get Your Guide or Klook. They usually have the same prices and you just show the QR code to enter.
To make it easier to visit both Disneyland Paris parks in one day, consider buying a Disney Premier Access pass to skip the queues (see below).
How to Skip the Queues at Disneyland Paris
FastPasses have been retired, but you can pay for Disney Premier Access, which gives you speedy access to some of the most popular rides.
You can pay per ride (called Disney Premier Access One)—from €5-15—on the Disneyland Paris app and be allocated the next available time to ride. I’ve noted below which rides have Premier Access.
Or, if money is no object, buy Disney Premier Access Ultimate. This allows you to skip the queue for all available attractions (one time each) at any time. Currently, 12 rides are included and prices start from €90 per person per day.
If you don’t want to pay, another great way to skip the queues is by using single rider lines.
These can be significantly faster, but you won’t be able to ride with the members of your group. I’ve noted below when the single rider option is available.
The best way to experience shorter queues without paying extra is to arrive at the parks early—I recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before they open.
If you stay in one of the official park hotels, you’ll benefit from Extra Magic Time. This gives you early access to the parks (often an hour before opening but it varies).
Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios One Day Itinerary
When we visited in late August, Disneyland was open from 10am to 11pm and Walt Disney Studios until 9pm.
Our Disneyland Paris itinerary is for adults and older children, so we skipped popular kids’ rides like Peter Pan and didn’t spend any time queuing for photos with characters.
Walt Disney Studios Park 10am-1pm
For our Disneyland Paris two parks itinerary we started in Walt Disney Studios as we wanted to ride Crush’s Coaster, which is very popular.
We arrived an hour before opening at 9am and there were only a few people ahead of us in the queue. They actually let people into the park from 9.30am, so it’s worth arriving early.
We’d heard that rides sometimes start before the official 10am opening time, but sadly this wasn’t the case for us.
New Rides: Marvel Avengers Campus and Cars Road Trip
Since our visit several new rides have opened at Walt Disney Studios including Cars Road Trip, a family-friendly ride you might want to add to your Disneyland Paris itinerary (Premier Access is available). Queues don’t tend to be too long so you can ride it at any time.
More importantly, in July 2022, the new Marvel Avengers Campus opened with two rides—Avengers Assemble: Flight Force and Spider-Man WEB Adventure.
I would prioritise Spider-Man WEB Adventure as it now has the second longest waits in the park (after Crush). Premier access and single rider are available to reduce wait times.
This is an interactive, family-friendly ride where you wear 3D glasses and sling virtual webs to capture Spider-Bots and try to get a higher score.
Avengers Assemble: Flight Force is a more thrilling ride and a revamp of the old Rock-n-Rollercoaster (which we loved). It features a superfast start and a couple of inversions. Premier access and single rider are available.
There is also a variety of entertainment to be enjoyed at Marvel Avengers Campus throughout the day.
During our morning in Walt Disney Studios, in addition to those below, we went on two other rides that are now closed, so you should have time to fit in these new rides.
Crush’s Coaster
When the doors opened at 9.30am we headed straight to Crush’s Coaster, as did many others. We had to queue for 40 minutes as the ride didn’t open until 10am. By the time we got off the ride the queue was up to an hour.
Crush’s is a roller coaster in the dark through a Finding Nemo themed world. It’s fun and we’re glad we did it, but it’s not worth a long wait.
You could try the single rider queue to reduce the wait time but it wasn’t moving very fast when we saw it. Or Premier Access is available to purchase for Crush’s Coaster.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Our original plan was to ride Ratatouille next, but it was temporarily closed so we headed to the Tower of Terror instead.
This haunted elevator ride in the Hollywood Tower Hotel is one of our favourite Disney rides, and it’s just as good in Paris.
We love the attention to detail in the spooky abandoned hotel and the anticipation as you rise up in the elevator before a sudden stomach-lurching plummet.
If the queue is too long for you, Tower of Terror is a Premier Access ride.
Ratatouille: The Adventure
Ratatouille finally opened and said it was a 5-minute wait, but I don’t think they’d updated it as we actually waited 35 minutes.
The queue was over 60 minutes by the time we got out, so it’s best to do this popular ride early (straight after Crush’s) or pay for Premier Access. There’s also a single rider line.
Ratatouille was worth the wait, though. It’s a 4D experience in the dark where you shrink down to the size of Remy the rat and whizz around the gigantic kitchen and restaurant amongst characters from the film.
We love the theming of La Place de Rémy outside too.
Disneyland Park 1pm-4.30pm
We’d done all the Walt Disney Studios rides we’d planned by lunchtime, so we headed to Disneyland Park next.
Star Tours and Big Thunder Mountain were closed when we visited. As these are two of the best Disneyland Paris rides for adults, I recommend adding them to this itinerary. Both are Premier Access rides.
La Tanière du Dragon
We began with a stroll down Main Street USA, which is just as cute as in Orlando, towards the castle where you can find an impressive dragon lurking underneath. It’s a quick walkthrough without queues, so don’t miss it.
Lunch Break
We shared a set meal at Colonel Hathi’s Pizza Outpost, which included a pizza, salad, dessert and drink.
Phantom Manor
Phantom Manor is Paris’s version of the Haunted Mansion. We love all the details on this slow tour in the dark through an eerie mansion inhabited by 999 ghosts.
The queue said five minutes but we actually waited for 20 minutes. I don’t think the queue times are as accurate in Paris as they are elsewhere.
It’s a Premier Access ride if necessary (but probably won’t be).
Le Passage Enchanté d’Aladdin
This cute Aladdin walkthrough shows miniature scenes from the film.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
The Indiana Jones ride in Paris is very different from the one in the US—we weren’t expecting an outside rollercoaster with inversions!
Unfortunately, my ears got banged against my headrest multiple times and I came off feeling disorientated.
This is another ride you can pay to skip the queue with Premier Access (but it’s unlikely you’ll need it) or there’s a single rider line.
Walt Disney Studios 4.30pm-8pm
We headed back to Walt Disney Studios in the late afternoon for some shows and to ride a few favourites again (including Tower of Terror).
You could choose to spend this time in Disneyland Park instead.
Mickey and the Magician Show
Leave your cynicism at the door as Mickey and the Magician is a full-on Disney musical spectacular featuring songs from classic Disney films like Aladdin, the Lion King, and more.
The show lasts 30 minutes and places are limited so arrive early. You can also pay extra for guaranteed access. Check the Disneyland Paris app for show times on the day.
There’s also a Frozen show, if that’s your thing.
Disneyland Park 8pm-11.30pm
Dinner Break
Back in Disneyland, we were disturbed to find that all the restaurants in Frontierland were closed, so we had veggie burgers at Au Chalet de la Marionnette in Fantasyland.
Pirates of the Caribbean
The queues had been fairly long (well, 25 minutes) at Pirates all afternoon, so we waited until the queue was down to five minutes.
Pirates of the Caribbean is a gentle boat trip in the dark through the world of pirates. The Paris version is even better than in other parks.
Next we planned to walk through Fantasyland to Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, but sadly it was closed. Make sure you do this one earlier in the day.
We were a bit annoyed that the Disneyland Paris app or leaflet didn’t give times for the rides and restaurants that closed early.
Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (previously called Space Mountain)
We headed to Discoveryland instead where Hyperspace Mountain only had a 5-minute wait (although it felt a bit longer).
This dark rollercoaster is one of the best things to do in Disneyland Paris for adults.
We love the ride in other Disney parks and were surprised that the Paris version has even more thrills including inversions. Unfortunately, it banged my head a lot and I felt sick afterwards.
If queues are long, ride Hyperspace Mountain with the single rider line or pay for Premier.
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast was next on our list, but we didn’t want to queue for 35 minutes. Do this earlier in the day if it’s important to you—the queue doesn’t seem to go down, even an hour before closing. Or pay for Premier Access.
Les Mystères du Nautilus
A walk through Captain Nemo’s historic submarine. Quiet and fantastic details.
Hyperspace Mountain
Simon rode it again. The end of the day seems a great time to ride this without queuing.
Indiana Jones
After ice cream, I sat near Main Street while Simon ran across the park for a final ride on Indiana Jones (no queue at all).
Disney Illuminations Show
The grand finale to a magical day takes place at the castle at closing time and features lasers, colourful fountains, songs from Disney films, projections onto the castle, and fireworks. It’s definitely worth sticking around for.
We watched from Main Street and as soon as the show ended made a quick exit down one of the arcades that run parallel to Main Street.
We got to the hotel shuttle bus just as it was leaving, so we didn’t have to queue.
Disneyland Paris Tips
- Remember to buy your tickets in advance on the Disneyland Paris website.
- Download the Disneyland Paris app so you can check queue times and decide which ride to do next. You can also pay for Premier Access to rides.
- Avoid visiting on weekends and French/UK national holidays. Usually, I recommend visiting Disney in the off-season, but I don’t think it’d be much fun in the cold/rain.
- Arrive at least 30 minutes before opening time (ideally one hour) as they often let people in early.
- Get each person in your group to pick a few must-do rides and focus on those first.
- Consider the single rider line for these rides: Avengers Assemble, Spider-Man WEB Adventure, Crush’s Coaster, Ratatouille, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, and Indiana Jones.
Where to Stay at Disneyland Paris
If you are visiting Disneyland Paris in one day, you could visit from central Paris, but staying closer to the parks is less tiring and makes it easier to start early and stay late.
I would have loved to stay in an official Disney on-site hotel, which gives you early access to the parks with extra magic time (usually an hour before the park opens) and makes going back to the hotel for a rest easy.
The new Disney Hotel New York — The Art of Marvel is particularly tempting with its prime location (a 10-minute walk to the parks) and huge collection of Marvel art.
Unfortunately, the Disney hotels are all very expensive. You might find some good package deals in the off-season.
Instead, we spent two nights at the Grand Magic Hotel (previously called Magic Circus), which costs from €172 in the summer (€104 in winter). It was modern and comfortable with a pool and a good breakfast buffet.
It offers a free shuttle from the train station/parks that only takes 15 minutes and we never waited for long.
You can also walk to the parks in about 30 minutes (which we did the night before to visit the Disney Village for dinner).
Hotel Explorers is another nearby option on the same shuttle route.
Food in the Disneyland Paris Parks
- Take a water bottle with you so you can fill up from the water fountains.
- If you are on a tight budget, take lunch and snacks into the park to save money. There are no grocery stores near the parks and hotels. The nearest supermarket is Auchan, one train stop away in Val d’Europe.
- The cheapest decent food option is Earl of Sandwich in Disney Village.
- The table service and buffet restaurants in the parks are very expensive (€30+ per person), so we stuck with the quick counter service places. Expect to spend about €15 on a main meal. All restaurants have at least one vegetarian option marked on the menu.
- You can find restaurant menus on the Disneyland Paris website and app. You can filter the list of restaurants by type of cuisine (including vegan and vegetarian) and price range.
How to Get to Disneyland Paris
Disney Paris is very accessible—it’s just a few hours on the train direct from London or under an hour from the centre of Paris. You could easily combine a trip here with one day in Paris to see the sights.
Both Disneyland Paris parks, the train station, and Disney Village (a collection of shops and restaurants) are a few minutes’ walk from each other.
Disneyland Paris can be reached direct on the Eurostar train from London in just under three hours. We changed trains at Lille as it was a little cheaper.
From Paris take the RER A train to Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy, which takes about 35 minutes from Nation.
How Much Does a Trip to Disneyland Paris Cost?
When we visited a few years ago in August we managed to do the two night/one day trip at Disneyland Paris for £240 per person.
Prices have gone up significantly since then, so expect to pay more now. Here’s an estimate for a two-night weekday trip for two people in August 2022:
- Two nights at the Magic Circus Hotel €373
- One day/two park Disneyland Paris tickets €238 (peak prices)
- Food €120 (variable)
The total estimated cost per person is €366 (£305) plus Eurostar tickets (about £130 per person one way).
You can save costs by visiting at less busy times, booking far in advance, and bringing your own food.
Is Disneyland Paris Worth it?
If you are in Europe and want a taste of Disney magic, we definitely recommend visiting Disneyland Paris.
Our favourite Disney parks are still DisneySea in Japan and Magic Kingdom in Orlando, but we think Disneyland Paris is just as good as Disneyland California and it’s actually a lot bigger.
If you are trying to decide on visiting Disneyland Park vs Walt Disney Studios Paris, then Disneyland is certainly the stronger park with a more classic Disney feel and more rides.
It’s worth getting a two-park ticket so you can visit both, though, even if you just pop over to Walt Disney Studios for a few hours, as there are some fun rides and the Avengers Campus is a must for Marvel fans.
