Where to stay for Disneyland Paris? Your recommendations please!

[YourVagesty]

Hey folks,

We'd like to take the DCs to Disneyland Paris next year but I'm a bit confused about the options.

Is it worth staying in the park? If so, where did you stay?

We'd like to see the fireworks and night time parade if that makes a difference. Can you see the fireworks from outside the park?

Or is it a waste of money staying in the park just for that?

Also, how long would you recommend we go for? I was thinking three days?

Anyway, would welcome all MN wisdom on this topic :) Thanks all!

How old are your DC and when do you want to go?

I used to prefer the annual passes and staying outside the park, but the passes got more expensive so now I prefer staying in the park as tickets are included.

Following this.

We are thinking about you
Spending a week in Paris with two days at Disneyland. Would be good to see different ideas and experiences 😊

It depends on how long you plan to go for, if you are only there a couple of days I would definitely stay in the park; tickets 8
imcluded and you get an extra hour in the park on a morning and if in the summer when the park is open long hours have the option of popping back to the hotel for a rest / swim in the afternoon.

Where on the park will mainly depend on budget. The two cheaper ones Santa Fe and Cheyenne are the longest walk (but still only about 20 mins, we never bothered faffing with shuttle buses), basic but totally adequate for a few days stay. I’d stay here if budget was most important.

Sequioa Lodge is the mid range, closer and has a swimming pool but less Disney themed IMO. I would stay here again if I went again as ticks most boxes which breaking the bank.

The Newport Bay is nearer still and has a bigger pool but often quite a bit more. Looks nice but I’ve not stayed.

The Marvel and Disneyland are super expensive but the nearest and best theming. Both look fab if budget isn’t an issue.

Anyone with a park ticket can see the nighttime shows - light projections mainly with some fireworks. I believe that since the Frozen area opened there are night shows in both parks, but I've not visited since it opened earlier this year.

Staying in one of Disney's own hotels has the perks of early access to the parks (when selected rides and character meets are available). Most of Disney's hotel rooms are for 4 people, so if you are a bigger family options to stay on site are limited unless you book 2 rooms. (Connecting rooms are usually provided, but not guaranteed).

Disney hotels can be booked as a package with park tickets (and meal plans if wanted). The park tickets bought this way are heavily discounted so are good value and include both arrival and departure day park tickets.

Disney's hotels are:
Disneyland Hotel 5*, right above the park gates. Princess themed and with Disney Princess appearances in the hotel.
Marvel 4*, next closest, about a 10 min walk through the Disney Village area. I believe there is an exclusive superhero meet at this hotel.
I haven't stayed at either of the above, but they have been recently refurbished and I've heard lots of good things about them.

Newport Bay 4*, but not at the level of Marvel. Last refurbished around 2014 I have seen things suggesting its tired in places. Its also huge, so it can take 10 minutes from your room to the doors. If you are taking a pushchair or wheelchair there is only one tiny lift between the backdoors and restaurants to the rest of the hotel which is a huge bottleneck.

Sequoia 3* (I haven't stayed here, I believe its currently being refurbished). Generally the cheapest hotel with a pool.

Newport and sequoia are similar distances from the park, around 15 mins walk. There is an option to take a shuttle bus from the train station.

Cheyenne is 3*, but no pool. I like this hotel, its a series of 2 story buildings, rather than one huge hotel. Its Cowboy themed and has Jessie and Woody from toy story as character meets here. This one also has the advantage of offering a double bed and 2 singles, where as all the others have 2 double beds in most rooms. Depending on which block your room is it should be around a 20 - 30 minute walk to the park or there is a shuttle bus to the train station.

Santa Fe is 2*, cheap and cheerful, Cars themed. No air con. Accommodation is in 2 and 3 story blocks.

Staying Off-Site at Disney has pros and cons.

Pros - can be cheaper, especially for larger families. (but do check because sometimes once you have bought park tickets off site is not cheaper). Also gives you the option to book an apartment or aparthotel so you can have separate bedrooms and a kitchen to keep meal costs down.

Cons - not many off site options are close enough to the park to walk, so transport is an issue. Some hotels share busses and those can get dangerously busy at peak times. This is particularly the case for the hotels on Av. de la Fosse des Pressoirs, Magny Le Hongre.

If you are not staying in a Disney hotel then parking at the parks is 30euros a day.

One option is to stay in Val De Europe or Bussey St Georges and use the train to the park (2euros55 per person per journey), or local buses to get to the parks.

There are 2 other popular options for accommodation,

Disney's Davey Crockett holiday park. Static caravan style lodges. Have to have a car to stay here, but parking at the park is included and you get the early magic park access. I believe its about a 20 minute drive from the parks along a dual carriage way.

Les Villages Nature, a Centre Parcs near the Davey Crockett site. If you book as a Disney package I believe you still get the early magic and free parking at the parks, but your ability to chose accomodation types and book activities at the Village is limited. Booking the Centre Parcs and then buying park tickets is also an option from here and there is a public bus to Disney from here.

We've stayed in disney hotels twice, an air b and b at val d'europe and village nature.

Disney hotels were good for short stays when the kids were younger and lacked stamina but they have gone up hugely in price since we've done that and often mean you're buying every single meal/snsck which adds to the price.

Village nature was great when we went for a week with a big group as we could share accommodation and there were other activities. It is a bus journey or care ride away which can add to the logistics needed especially when checking in and out.

Air b.and b was a 15 min walk with dc which was comparable to the disney hotels. We had our own kitchen and girls had their own bedrooms which meant we all.slept well. If we did it again we'd probably use this option.

@SuperLoudPoppingAction sorry, should've said. They will be 2 and 5 when we go, next May.

We stayed at the Disney Hotel Chayenne - it was fine, fairly basic but comfortable and the wild
west theme is cute.
It’s also walking distance if you don’t want to wait for the shuttle buses.
Booking the hotel and park tickets as a package worked out cheaper for us than booking separately.
I think the only hotel you can get a good view of the fireworks from is the Disney castle
hotel that’s pretty much in the park (forgot what it’s called properly!).

We did 2 days one night as it was tagged on to a Paris break too, and we didn’t have longer. It was enough time to go on all the rides we wanted and see the parade. We made the effort to get there for 8am the first morning and were leaving about 5pm the second day - our DC were 11 & 13 though so able to keep going a bit longer than younger kids.
2 nights 3 days would give you a bit more time
to relax and do stuff like character meet and greet and see shows if you wanted (our DC weren’t bothered about that)

Also just to add if you stay at a Disney hotel you get the magic hour at the park before the official opening time which is good as popular rides are quieter then.

What @Orchidgrower said. I stayed at the Davey Crockett ranch when I was a bus driver, taking a pack of Scottish girl guides to Disney. It was very convenient, clean and pleasant self catering lodges. (Also presumably the cheapest option?) Pretty sure there was an off-site normal supermarket very close by too, for supplies. Disclaimer : this was about 20 years ago!!

We've stayed at Santa Fe and Cheyene. They are the cheaper Disney hotels but both are very good.

I'd always choose to stay in a Disney hotel.

• Easy distance to the park. Santa Fe and Cheyene are about a 15 minute walk or a short free shuttle bus. After a full day at Disney getting back easily is a real bonus.

• You can go into the park earlier and park tickets are included with the hotel.

• We had a breakfast and dinner meal package with our hotel which was really good. I'm not sure if they still do that now though.

• It's part of the Disney experience. There are often Disney characters in the hotel which is lovely for the kids.

Anyone who has a park ticket can watch the nighttime shows free inside the park. Only 1 hotel is actually inside the park the others are all nearby but outside the gates.