Disneyland Paris for 8 and 10yo tips!

[SuperEight]

Looking at taking my 8 and 10 to DL Paris next year. They are not too interested in the big rides. We will be travelling with grandparents. Any tips on when is best to go, where to stay etc. :)

You need to join a fb group called Disneylandparis for brits. It’s fabulous and you can search for specific rides, hotels, shows, restaurants etc and see what people have posted.

I’ve heard may half term is a good time as warm, but not as busy as not a school holiday in France.

make use of the fast passes for any rides they do want to go on. They can really help if you plan it right.

if you want to eat in the themed restaurants then you’ll need to book in advance. Though plenty of cheaper options where you don’t need to book.

8 and 10 are great ages to take kids, they’ll have a fab time.

Stay onsite and make use of extra magic hours or whatever they’re called now. Watch the fireworks at the end of the night. Book character dining well in advance. Select dates carefully, ie avoid French school holidays. Plan your day otherwise, you’ll just end up wandering around and not getting on any rides. Join the Facebook page mentioned above. Take some spending money that the kids can spend in the shops.

I downloaded the app a couple of weeks before I went so that I could get a feel for when they rides would be most busy.

We have been twice. One during school hols and once term time. If going in school hols definitely stay in Disney hotels. Yes a little more pricey but you get extra time in the parks, can book character dining and restaurants etc earlier and can walk to the park or get numerous shuttle busses.

We stayed in a partner hotel that wasn’t Disney last time, lovely hotel but the shuttle buses were awful. Too infrequent and so major crushing trying to get on. Once my daughter got crushed against the side of the bus by grown men trying to push their families on. I turned into scary mummy bear at that point and left my polite British queuing DNA behind. It was carnage. The Disney hotel buses on the other hand were more frequent and less crowded so much more pleasant.

Just on the way back and we were saying 10 is the best age! We’ve had a great time. We stayed at the grand magic hotel which is not Disney but used to be so has a theme which feels disneyish, it has breakfast included, a swimming pool and has a free bus to and from Disneyland. A bit cheaper than staying at a Disney hotel and about a 10 minute bus ride (many of the Disney hotels also use shuttles).
we didn’t do any of the themed restaurants as my teens are classed as adults so too pricey but there were plenty of other food options and it meant we didn’t have to work round a reservation. My 6yo liked the fast rides (didn’t take her on tower of terror).
we used bolt which is like Uber for airport transfers. It’s the cheaper and faster option by far.

Yes the shuttle back at the end of the night was rammed every time and risk of pick pockets. Not for the faint hearted!

When we went (9 years ago) there were loads of children in Disney costumes. If your 8 year old still likes dressing up (&I get that might be something she has grown out of), take a costume or 2 with you as the ones in the Disney stores on site are €€€. If you think they’d like to get autographs from the characters (and many kids do) then similarly buy an autograph book before you go as the on-site ones in the stores are expensive. Use your fast passes and if you are staying at a Disney hotel then do the big rides earlier or later on in the day. Wear comfy shoes, you’ll do a lot of queuing!
A bit naughty but I (along with what looked like many others)took sandwich bags with me & made up lunch from the breakfast buffet and took that in to save costs (everything in the park is pretty expensive). There is a garage right next to the Disney Hotel Santa Fe where you can load up on drinks and snacks.

Watching as looking to take these age DC! I was thinking of this October, we have a two week half term and would go around 17/18 Oct, so would be out of main UK holidays and not French hols either. Anyone been at this time?

Another tip- I got the characters to sign a Minnie hoodie I bought from primark for £7- bit different to an autograph book and they were happy to do it! Had to be not on when signed

Went last September, have been a few times plus to Orlando and needed a Disney fix. Stayed at Santa Fe, bought the half board package which was fine, tickets for the parks for 4 days, 3 nights was about £600. Went on the Eurostar and caught a train from Paris to DLP. Eurostar was £110. French train was 5€.

it was the end of September, cold ! Few rides were closed, the place seems a bit sad, going back to Orlando next year. Just remember EVERY ride has a shop, food from the cafes inside the parks were expensive, so the half board package was really good. Had dinner at Sequoia Lodge and that was good, plenty of choice.

Would I go back ? Hmm maybe but would I go to Orlando ? Definitely!