Disneyland Paris

Home to the most beautiful Disney Castle in the world.

Bienvenue to Belle’s favorite Disney in the world! Disneyland Paris is an awesome resort and definitely deserves your time if you are traveling in Europe or across France. In fact, Disneyland Paris isn’t located in Paris, but in Marne-la-Vallée, which is located about 45 minutes from Paris city center. Why it isn’t called Disneyland Marne-la-Vallée? Well, I had trouble writing that right, so there is your answer.

Disneyland Paris is big, by the way. It’s larger than Disneyland in California, but still smaller than Disney World in Florida. It features two theme parks, seven Disney hotels, a whole bunch of partner hotels and the Disney Village, which is an entertainment district similar to Disney Springs.

The two theme parks are Parc Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios Park. Parc Disneyland is the main park, similar to Magic Kingdom, and home to Sleeping Beauty's Castle. This is actually considered the best Disney Castle in the world, with an amazing animatronic dragon resting in the dungeon and several passages that you can use to explore the building. Disneyland Paris also offers several classic attractions like It's a Small World and Peter Pan’s Flight, plus exclusive rides like Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril.

Walt Disney Studios Park resembles Disney California Adventure and Hollywood Studios, with a big focus on Marvel and Pixar. It will be rebranded as Disney Adventure World in 2026, adding new lands including World of Frozen and a brand-new Lion King area. The update promises to inject new life into Walt Disney Studios Park, and make it a must-see destination in 2026, especially with Elsa & Anna arriving in Paris.

Disneyland Paris offers tons of ride options, with some attractions being a copy from Disney World/Disneyland and some unique attractions as well. In fact, Disneyland Paris has several rides that are better versions than their North American counterparts. Phantom Manor is like Haunted Mansion, but tells a more mature story and has brand new sections. Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain is like Space Mountain on steroids. And then there is Big Thunder Mountain, which was made from scratch for Frontierland and has a lot of fun set pieces.

There are seven Disneyland Paris hotels near the parks, ranging from budget-friendly Hotel Cheyenne and Hotel Santa Fe up to the luxurious Disneyland Hotel. Most hotels are a short 5-20-minute walk from the gates, which is convenient. Partner hotels are slightly farther from both theme parks but offer free shuttles and better prices.

If you are spending a couple of days in Paris, make sure to visit Disneyland Paris. It’s charming, features some great rides, and offers interesting takes on classic attractions. We bet you will love it here, even if you stop by for just a moment to take a picture in front of that gorgeous castle.