Disneyland Paris on a budget?

[abonymousAnon]

My son is turning 8 and I really want to take him to Disneyland Paris but it’s so expensive! I only did a quick search and it showed me for park tickets (1 day only), flights and hotel for one night will be over 2k! Any ideas how we can do it cheaper? Or is this standard? Family of 3.

DLP don’t do any kind of last minute deals - the further away you book it’s usually cheaper. If you want to stay in a Disney hotel, look at the cheapest ones, as the main Disney hotel and marvel are very very expensive. If not, there are lots of partner hotels that you can still book that can also be cheaper.

@NearlyChristmas2024 where did you book from?

@FanofLeaves we wa t to ho for his birthday weekend so first weekend of December

In would plan ahead for next year. Booking now for next month if you want a Disney Hotel will be hugely pricey. On their website you can see the price ranges for dates.

First week of December this year? Unfortunately you'll be paying a massive premium for everything if you're trying to book it now to travel in a couple of weeks.

If you are willing to go the same sort of time next year, you're in the perfect window to get a real bargain (at least as far as DLP) is concerned

Meant to say a lot of the character meals etc will also probably be booked up as they can be booked way in advance.

No, you are unlikely to get a good deal now I’m afraid, there will be huge demand for train and plane tickets to Paris at the moment and people doing the park before Christmas. A weekend is also always going to boot up the cost. He’s 8, he’s surely old enough to understand that even if something is for his birthday, he doesn’t have to have the actual thing on the day. Plan ahead for off season Jan/feb.

We did Eurostar and stayed in an AirBnB in Val D’Europe, it’s a 5 minute train to the park on a v frequent basis, loads of people do the same. We had breakfast at home, made sandwiches with stuff from the supermarket. You can take in drinks and sandwiches/snacks, just not a massive picnic.

It’s too short notice for a deal. I would look at February break or after Christmas.

We went for 3 nights for 2k but that was term time, May, and booked about 9 months before. Flew easyJet from Bristol. Unfortunately there being tinsel on everything this time of year means you pay a premium!

At 8, I'd be tempted to 'announce' the trip on his birthday weekend, but plan it for a cheaper time. Make a thing of the run up and let him be part of planning some of the finer details (which rides he wants to go on first, what shows he wants to see etc). When you do book, if you're on a budget I'd carefully consider what your priorities are- eg. is it worth it to you to stay in a Disney theme hotel, pay for character dining etc or would you prefer to stay in a cheaper non-Disney hotel and use the money you save to buy toys or perhaps have a day in Paris or somewhere else. Also consider whether what you'd get as a Disney package is worth it for you. I know lots of people like the extra 'magic hour' but consider whether you will use it. An 8 year old won't want to go back to the hotel for a mid day nap but might be shattered after an early start and not able to stay for the evening fireworks etc. Personally, I would stay in a cheaper hotel/euro camp and eat cheaper meals but use the saving to pay for an extra day at the parks.

When you do go, I would recommend buying mickey/minnie ears before you go. Loads of people (entire families) wear them and if you decide to buy them on site they are very expensive. We went recently and tons of people arrived with them already on- sounds silly but it can add to the fun of you like that sort of thing but easily cost you close to £100 on site for the whole family.

It’s still UHT, but post Brexit you can’t take dairy, meat or fresh fruit or veg into the EU.

Is your husband even going to give permission for the children to leave the country for his birthday?

Don't try and do the park in one day. I did this about 10 years ago with 3 children. You can barely get round anything in one day, it was stressful and not that much fun if I'm being honest and we had fast track passes due to DS's disability. None of my kids (now adults) remember the day with any fondness if they remember it at all.

If you're going to do it plan and save up for a minimum of a long weekend to make it worthwhile.

The reason you're not able to do it cheaply is because it's last minute. Either book for some time next year or pay the premium of planning a short notice trip.

For the record we've booked for Easter and paid around £40/pp each way on the Eurostar

Does Davy Crockett Ranch have a shuttle to DP? We are doing DP next summer and going on to a Eurocamp but need accommodation for three nights for DP. We will be driving.

I see it doesn't but you get free parking at DP itself so that sounds pretty good!

It’s strictly self drive. You get free parking at Disney, but as the cabins are up to a mile from the reception area there is no shuttle.

Factor in hidden costs, value for money and ease.

Eurostar may be more expensive but it drops you right in the Disney Village so no need for transfers and CDG airport is awful.

Staying on site is more expensive but you get early entry to the Parks and other perks. If you are only going for a short stay. Those extra hours will be invaluable:

Save money by getting drinks and snacks from the shop inside the train station and grab dinner at McDonalds in the village.

Thanks, that's fine for us! Think I will book! Was thinking about an apartment on Air BnB or similar but by the time you add parking costs etc for the non-Disney place the price isn't much different in the end anyway.

Have you played around with dates? 2k sounds a lot for

We are going in February, staying 2 nights with 3 days in the park. Ours has come to ~£2.6k in total. That's for me, DH and my youngest DD who will turn 16 while we are there. The 2.6k includes:

3 days park tickets
1 day of the ultimate fast pass
2 nights in the Newport Bay Hotel
Half board dining plan
Reserved viewing area for night time show for one night
Birthday dessert
Express luggage service
Magic shuttle transfers from airport to park, both ways
Return flights from Heathrow (booked separately but I have included in the price.

It's still expensive for a three day break, but I certainly think you should be able to get a much better deal than 2k for 1 night and day.

We went a month ago. 1 adult, 1 12 year old. Booked in January.
Stayed off-site at staycity apart hotel which has a shuttle bus. Flights and accomodation around £800

2 day ticket for Disney was £178 each. They have dynamic pricing on these.

We also did 2 days in the city sightseeing.

Just to say that the park is undergoing expansion and some renovation. Big Thunder Mountain closes in January for an unspecified period of time. I wouldn't be booking at all for 2025. I can't wait to go back but will wait until the works are done

@abonymousAnon I got the apartment on Booking.com and it was EasyJet flights. If you can try to not pay for cases then don’t, it saves loads. I bought a little suitcase on TikTok which actually fits into the smallest section of the baggage sizing thingy (not explaining that very well) So, a one off cost of £26 (including p&p) and I’ve got a little case that fits enough for a weekend/short break and is small enough that it counts as the ‘free bag’ on the flight. You just pop the wheels off so it fits in. I also wore a bumbag and put my medication in it to maximise space 😂

You don’t need to eat in the parks, there’s loads of supermarkets so you can take a packed lunch. Take your water bottle and buy some Robinson’s squeezy squash. Then you can fill your bottle at the water station and add the juice to taste.

I'm a cheapskate with an annual pass.

DH and I go with DD and her husband. We book Davy Crockett, always out of peak season (Jan/Feb/Mar/Sept/Oct) and share the cost of the lodge. We drive, share petrol and tunnel costs. Our annual passes mean we park free on Disney itself. The drive is incredibly easy.

Food, we shop in the big Auchon down the road from DLP, buying breakfast cereals and milk etc to eat before we head out for the day, bottles of pop and sandwich stuff to make a packed lunch for on park, then we usually eat at an on park buffet for the evening meal with averages around 30 euros each.

Fly with easyjet. Book a hotel with easyjet too. The castle or circus ones or a couple of others, not Disney hotels but free shuttle etc. Book park tickets through somewhere like attraction tix.
Food wise..get a hotel with breakfast included. Lunch time you could take sandwiches, go to a supermarket, or go somewhere cheaper like McDonalds or Earl Of Sandwich in Disney Village.
Evening meal personally I would put money aside for things like cowboy cookout etc

There will be lots of people travelling for Christmas markets etc in early December. Not just for Disney.

It will ge cheaper midweek, even with school fines.