Disneyland Paris with 4yo

[Seaside31]

Not long to go until our trip 😁 Any Disneyland Paris regulars here with any tips for us? I have been once but not since I was a teen so a good 15 years ago!

Any tips would be appreciated 😊 - what not to miss, what to remember to pack, what maybe wasn’t worth the wait times in your opinion?

Pack lots of snacks, eat at the stalls and give McDonald’s a miss it’s too busy. There’s a pizza place just before the bus stops, get your food to go and eat in your hotel it’s too busy with a 4 year old. Pack rainproof coat/ cagoule as when it rains many people leave the park but I found it the best time as rides aren’t busy. Go to the parks early in the morning - go back to the room afternoon time for a nap then back out in the evening. Make use of the play parks in the park for a little rest from the overwhelm of the rides, don’t bother with the big restaurants- I found with a 4 year old they wernt worth it and they were busy. Have a lovely holiday 😊

Not a regular and went with young teens but my tips were:
Phone lanyard! So much quicker to grab for photos etc as I had a backpack.
Take screenshots of passes - the parks have WiFi but my phone would glitch at the gate as it tried to connect but couldn't quite make it.
I checked out the app at different times of day coming up to the trip to get an idea of wait times and prioritised rides based on that.
Use single rider if you are with another adult and you want to go on the Big Rides.
If your DC wants to see princesses the Princess Pavilion has ridiculous queues and you'd probably need to get there at opening of the park to wait.
Take empty water bottles, there are water fountains to fill at.
Take snacks, everything is expensive!
Snow White ride is super fast and focuses on the scary part of the story. Only do this if the queue is short.
I hear Peter Pan is a nice one but not worth the ridiculous wait times!

@TwinklyRoseTurtle Thank you so much! 😊We already have our meals booked as have the half board meal plan but we’ll see how it goes and just wing it if the restaurants are a disaster. He’s a great eater at home and prefers a sit down meal rather than eating on the go. Waterproofs are packed and have booked a bit of a longer trip with the intention of being able to take it easy and do things at DSs pace and have some downtime swimming etc at the hotel 😊🤞🏼

@CocoPlum Amazing, thank you 😊
No princess pavilion thankfully - I’ve seen about the queue for that and for Mickey Mouse 😅 Have a big Mickey fan so have booked the Royal Banquet to get that meeting so we can swerve the park meet and greet if the queue is crazy!
Great tip about screenshotting passes 👍🏻 I’ll get that done!
And phone lanyards! Have seen them recommended so much and never really thought about the logistics of pictures etc 😂 Amazon order done 👍🏻

In the days and weeks leading up to a Disney trip, I buy Disney themed stuff from UK shops and supermarkets to take with us. E.g. I got DS a cheap Toy Story water bottle from Home Bargains, Mickey pjs from Primark, some Disney ears from eBay, I even managed to get Disney toothpaste and snacks from Asda!

Make sure your dc has watched lots of Disney/Pixar films before you go so they can recognise all the characters and film references in the rides.

Load up on entertainment for the queues. Might be worth packing a tablet

Wear comfy shoes and lots of layers. It gets very cold waiting in the queues and for the parade, but can get really hot in the cafes and restaurants.

Try to eat at Off-peak times. Restaurants can get busy and ride queues are generally shorter.

Get a spot for parades and shows at least 30 mins before start time to get the best view. The best position is on the road curve just up from the finish line next to Town Hall.