Want to plan a Disneyland Paris adults-only trip and want to find out some helpful tips and tricks? This is the right post for you!
Many people consider Disneyland Paris as a “place for kids and families”, but this French theme park really does cater for everyone.
Whether you’re looking for wild roller coasters or a relaxing trip away, Disneyland Paris can be the perfect for adults-only holidays.
I’ve recently taken my second trip to Disneyland Paris as an adult (I also visited throughout my childhood), and have plenty of tips when it comes to Disneyland Paris for adults.
This post is all about 7 helpful tips for planning Disneyland Paris adults-only trips in 2024.
Disneyland Paris Adults-Only Trips
What is Disneyland Paris?
If you’re reading this post, you probably have some knowledge of Disneyland Paris, but I’ll cover the basics.
Disneyland Paris (originally known as ‘Euro Disney’) opened on April 12th, 1992 – approximately 45km from the centre of Paris.
It took a while for it to become popular, and it had a very rough start, but now it tends to be the most visited theme park in Europe each year. And for good reason.
Disneyland Park is considered to be the “most elegant” of the “Magic Kingdom style” Disney Parks – and it really is gorgeous.
On the other hand, Walt Disney Studios (the second park at Disneyland Paris, which opened on March 16th, 2002 – AKA the peak of Michael Eisner’s flop era) is widely regarded as Disney’s worst theme park.
It’s the smallest theme park ever created by Disney (excluding water parks) and it feels a lot cheaper and less impressive than Disneyland Park.
However, it has made improvements in more recent years, and there are new lands that have recently opened, and will open in the next few years.
Avengers Campus opened on July 20th, 2022. I would argue that it’s the most bland area of Disneyland Paris, but at least it’s provided additional attractions, which Walt Disney Studios has desperately needed for the last two decades.
On a brighter note, a Frozen Land is being constructed – and is expected to open in 2024 or 2025 (knowing Disney, it will probably be the latter – remember TRON at Disney World?!).
Disney has spoken about opening a Star Wars land here (back in 2018), but we haven’t had updates since, so if this is more than just an idea, it is unlikely to be open for your trip – unless you’re planning a good few years in advance.
If you’re wondering ‘which Disneyland Paris park is better for adults’, if you only want to visit one, I’d say Disneyland Paris is more elegant and has more attractions, but there are more thrilling rides at Walt Disney Studios.
1) If you’re planning to do more of a day trip, make sure you’re planning your on-site hotel wisely
All Disneyland Paris on-site hotels can provide some similar benefits. The main ones are:
- If you book a package directly with Disney, your tickets are included (which grants you access to both parks for every day of your trip).
- A Disneyland Paris package allows you to park at the Parks and Hotel for free.
- You can walk or take the free Shuttle to the Disney Parks.
- You have access to Extra Magic Time (where you can enter the Parks one hour before they officially open to all visitors. Please check Disney’s site for these times before you visit, as they are subject to change).
If you’ve ever stayed on-site at Disney World, you’re probably aware of 3 Resort categories:
- Value Resorts – being the least expensive and luxurious.
- Moderate Resorts – a step up from a Value Resort, but less expensive than a Deluxe Resort.
- Deluxe Resorts – the most expensive and luxurious Resorts at Walt Disney World.
This is kind of the same at Disneyland Paris, though there are no set categories. I would argue that the Value Resorts are Disney Hotel Santa Fe and Disney Hotel Cheyenne.
Disney Davy Crockett Ranch could also be considered a “Value Resort”, as you get a pretty basic self-catering 2-bedroom cabin (which DOES NOT provide a shuttle service to the Disney Parks).
Disney Sequoia Lodge is a pretty Moderate Resort.
And the three “Deluxe” Resorts would be the recently renovated Disneyland Hotel, Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel and Disney Newport Bay Club.
If you’re looking for a Disney Hotel with a more “adult vibe”, I would suggest opting for one of the more Deluxe Resorts – as these are all 4-star, apart from the Disneyland Hotel, which is a 5-star Hotel. They definitely feel more luxurious than the other Hotels.
However, if you don’t care about your Hotel, any of the Disneyland on-site hotels will be just fine.
The only “bad” Disneyland Paris Hotel, in my opinion, is Disney Hotel Santa Fe.
If you’ve ever stayed in a Value Resort at Disney World, and expect Hotel Santa Fe to be like that, you’re going to be very disappointed.
This Resort has hardly any Disney theming, and is just a mess of boring buildings.
Even the lobby is a little sad and uninspiring.
However, the rooms look pretty good since they’ve been renovated, so it’s not all bad.
If you are looking for a “Value” Resort on a budget, Disney Hotel Cheyenne is fun and much nicer than Disney Hotel Santa Fe (please note that these two Hotels DO NOT have swimming pools).
If you don’t stay on-site, here are some details for purchasing Disneyland Paris tickets.
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2) There are some shows that are probably skippable for Disneyland Paris Adults-Only trips
I know I said that Disneyland Paris isn’t just for adults … well, some shows are clearly targeted at younger kids.
I would consider the shows in this category to be Disney Junior Dream Factory, Frozen: A Musical Invitation (which is nothing like For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration at Hollywood Studios at Disney World).
Please check Disney’s site for the current shows for your trip, as this can change.
If you want to see some shows on your Disneyland Paris Adults only trip, I would recommend The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands and TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure.
3) There may be some rides that you can skip on a Disneyland Paris Adults-Only Trip
Similarly, there are certain rides that are really only aimed at young kids.
I’m not referring to slow dark ride classics like Peter Pan’s Flight or Pirates of the Caribbean. After all, these rides may not be roller coasters, but they’re crazy impressive!
Instead, I’m talking about rides such as Casey Jr. – le Petit Train du Cirque or Le Pays de Contes de Fées – where nothing too exciting happens (at least, not for many guests on an adults-only trip).
4) Try to visit Disneyland Paris at quiet times
Some people argue that there is never a “non-busy” time to visit Disneyland Paris. But, the more quiet times tend to be weekdays – especially in Winter (January/February).
If you’re planning on visiting on a weekend, it’s not a problem, but it may be a little more crowded.
I recently visited for the first weekend in February, and the crowds weren’t too bad.
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5) If staying on-site, check out some of the different bars!
This is especially great if you’re visiting in Winter when the park finishes early.
On my last trip, we visited the following bars:
- Redwood Bar and Lounge at Disney Sequoia Lodge Hotel (a very cosy bar – perfect in Winter!)
- Captain’s Quarters at Disney Newport Bay Club (the least interesting of these, but still nice)
- The Skyline Bar at Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel (the coolest of these bars).
They all have a great selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
6) Plan time to Relax
Since taking trips as an adult, I’ve realised how much I value taking time to relax on holidays – even Disney trips.
This can be grabbing breakfast at the Cookie Kitchen on Main Street, U.S.A., and just sitting and enjoying your surroundings. (If you do this, look out for all the intricate details you may have missed if you visited Disneyland Paris as a child).
Or, planning time to swim at your hotel (if your hotel has a swimming pool).
Whatever it might be, you’ll probably enjoy your trip a little more if you schedule a small amount of time to take it easy – so you can deal with the rest of the chaos. 😂
7) You don’t have to dine at Table Service Locations
On my last trip, I ate exclusively at Quick Service locations, and didn’t have a bad meal.
If you’re looking for great, more affordable meals, here are some great locations:
Casa de Coco – Restaurante de Familia – Mexican food
- Casey’s Corner – Hot dogs
- Colonel Hathi’s Outpost Restaurant – Italian food
Restaurant Hakuna Matata – a selection of Quick Service food
You can often find quieter areas to eat, which is nice if you want a break from the chaos!
Ta Ta For Now
Do you plan on taking a Disneyland Paris Adults-Only Trip soon?!
This post is all about 7 helpful tips for planning Disneyland Paris adults-only trips in 2024.
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