Are you ready to practice your French and enjoy some of the best theme parks in Europe? Get ready to wake up early, fill your stomach with delicious eclairs or chocolate waffles (or both), and head to Parc Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios Park.
This guide will dive deep into what might be the best ride strategy for both theme parks, whether you visit them separately or on the same day. Keep in mind that this is not an Early Entry guide, so we are assuming you will arrive as soon as the gates officially open. If you are staying at a Disneyland Paris hotel, you can usually get in an hour earlier and knock out the most popular rides with minimal wait times. And yes, we have a special Disneyland Paris Early Entry guide too.
This guide will also not take into consideration any type of FastPasses, so you do not need to spend extra money to enjoy everything we suggest here. You can use them if you want, and they will save you precious time if you plan to re-ride something later. Just make sure to wake up early and arrive at the gates a few minutes before they open. After all, the guide will not be very helpful if you stayed up late the night before binging The Crown and woke up at 1pm.
Before we move on, remember that you can always contact us with any questions about Disneyland Paris, from rides to hotels, park strategies, and more. Contacting us is free, and better yet, booking through us does not cost you a dime extra. You might even save money thanks to special deals available to our travel agents. We also have experts from Europe who are Disneyland Paris aficionados and can give you excellent tips about the parks, including their top favorite rides.
This guide will analyze three different Park Strategies:
- Step by Step ride Strategy for Parc Disneyland
- Step by Step ride Strategy for Walt Disney Studios Park
- Step by Step ride Strategy for Disneyland Paris in one Day
But before we get to that, let’s ask some important questions.
How many days do I need to explore Disneyland Paris?
You will likely need two or three days to explore Disneyland Paris.
It is always a good idea to dedicate a full day to each theme park so you can enjoy the most popular rides without rushing, so two days is the sweet spot. Parc Disneyland is huge and packed with rides for children, so you might need one or even two full days to see everything it has to offer.
Walt Disney Studios Park is much smaller, so one day is enough in 2025. Keep in mind that Walt Disney Studios Park will receive a major makeover in 2026, becoming Disney Adventure World and adding new lands such as World of Frozen.
Should I stay at a Disneyland Resort to visit Disneyland Paris?
That’s an interesting question. Keep in mind that Disneyland Paris is located about 45 minutes from central Paris, so if you are not staying within the Disney bubble, plan accordingly to arrive at the gates just before 9:30am, which is when the parks usually open.
It is generally a good idea to stay at a Disney Resort when visiting Disneyland Paris. The biggest perk is Early Entry, which allows you to enter the parks one hour before they officially open. So, in a lot of cases, you can start your adventure at 8:30am and enjoy minimal wait times for some popular rides.
There are seven official Disneyland Paris resorts, most of which are within a 10-15 minute walk of the parks. Prices vary significantly, from around $900 per night at the Disneyland Hotel to more budget-friendly options at $150-$200 per night. Since two days are usually enough to explore Disneyland Paris, staying two days at a nearby resort can be a convenient choice.
This guide, however, assumes that you are not staying at a Disneyland Resort and do not have access to Early Entry. Here, we base our strategy on arriving when the parks officially open, usually at 9:30am.
Step by Step ride Strategy for Parc Disneyland
Let’s start our guide with the main theme park in Disneyland Paris: Parc Disneyland! This is the star of the show, and very similar in design to Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. It’s here that you will find some popular attractions like It’s a Small World and Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain.
Parc Disneyland is a huge theme park, and you should probably save two days for it if you want to see all it has to offer. It’s also an extremely good theme park for children, since it has a lot of rides that are gentle and don’t have any height requirements.
We are going to share two different ride strategies. One is a standard park strategy focused on the most popular rides and families, and the other is designed for families with toddlers and young children.
Running out of time or just want to relax and take things slow? You can skip some rides and topics from the list below, but make sure to check out everything highlighted in green. We also included additional info like where each ride is located and the minimum height requirement next to each ride when it applies.
Ride Strategy at Parc Disneyland
Get to the park early and turn left to enter Frontierland. We begin there with…
- Big Thunder Mountain (40′′, Roller Coaster; Frontierland)
- Phantom Manor (Haunted house dark ride; Frontierland)
- The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands (show; Frontierland)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (55′′; Roller coaster; Adventureland)
- Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland)
- Eat at Agrabah Café if you have a reservation. It is one of the best restaurants at Disneyland Paris. It is a sit-down buffet, perfect if you want to take your time. If you prefer quick service, try Hakuna Matata in Adventureland or Toad Hall in Fantasyland.
- It’s a Small World (Charming dark ride; Fantasyland)
- Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs dark ride; Fantasyland)
- Les Voyages de Pinocchio (Pinocchio dark ride, Fantasyland)
- Walk through and explore Sleeping Beauty’s Castle (Fantasyland)
- Disney Stars on Parade (parade; Fantasyland; usually at 5:30pm daily)
- Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (48′′; roller coaster; Discoveryland)
- Star Tours: The Adventure Continues (40′′; motion simulator; Discoveryland)
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic (3D indoor theater; Discoveryland)
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (Shooting gallery, Discoveryland)
- Autopia (31′′, Car Ride; Discoveryland)
- Disney Tales of Magic (fireworks, Main Street USA)
Ride Strategy at Parc Disneyland - Focused on Small Children
You will spend a good amount of time in Fantasyland, since most of the dark rides for children are located there. You can experience them in almost any order, as most will have very low wait times when you arrive. The only exception is Peter Pan’s Flight, which is known for having long lines. It is a good idea to start with:
- It’s a Small World (Charming dark ride; Fantasyland)
- Alice’s Curious Labyrinth (Explore a labyrinth; Fantasyland)
- Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs dark ride; Fantasyland)
- Casey Jr. – le Petit Train du Cirque (Small train ride; Fantasyland)
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant (Spinning Ride; Fantasyland)
- Les Voyages de Pinocchio (Pinocchio dark ride, Fantasyland)
- Peter Pan’s Flight (Peter Pan dark ride, Fantasyland; only come here if you have a FastPass or wait times are under 30 minutes)
- Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups (Spinning tea cups; Fantasyland)
- Le Carrousel de Lancelot (Carousel; Fantasyland)
- Walk through and explore Sleeping Beauty’s Castle (Fantasyland)
- Eat at Agrabah Café if you have a reservation. It is one of the best restaurants at Disneyland Paris. It is a sit-down buffet, perfect if you want to take your time. If you prefer quick service for your children, try Hakuna Matata in Adventureland or Toad Hall in Fantasyland.
- Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland)
- The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands (show; Frontierland)
- Phantom Manor (Haunted house dark ride; Frontierland; can be a bit scary for younglings though)
- Frontierland Playground (Fun playground for younglings; Frontierland)
- Disney Stars on Parade (parade; Fantasyland; usually at 5:30pm daily)
- Autopia (31′′, Car Ride; Discoveryland)
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (Shooting gallery, Discoveryland)
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic (3D indoor theater; Discoveryland)
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (Shooting gallery; Discoveryland)
- Disney Tales of Magic (fireworks, Main Street USA)
Step by Step ride Strategy for Walt Disney Studios Park
Walt Disney Studios Park is smaller than Parc Disneyland. Even though it has fewer options, it still offers some amazing rides and great shows. The park will get even bigger in 2026 when World of Frozen opens along with new lands.
For this park, there are a few must-see attractions you should not miss: Avengers Assemble: Flight Force, Tower of Terror, and RC Racer. The shows are also fantastic, so be sure to watch Mickey and the Magician and Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure, both of which rank among the best offered at Disneyland Paris.
Walt Disney Studios Park is not the strongest when it comes to dining options. Your best bet is to book well in advance at Bistro Chez Rémy, a charming sit-down restaurant inspired by Ratatouille. If you prefer a quick bite, try the pizza at Stark Factory.
Ride Strategy at Walt Disney Studios Park
For this ride strategy, we are starting at Avengers Campus and leaving plenty of time for you to re-ride some of the best attractions, like Avengers Assemble and Tower of Terror.
- Avengers Assemble: Flight Force (48′′; Roller coaster; Avengers Campus)
- Spider-Man WEB Adventure (Shooting gallery; Avengers Campus)
- Tower of Terror (40′′; Drop tower; World Premiere Plaza)
- Eat at Bistro Chez Rémy in Worlds of Pixar if you have a reservation, or try Stark Factory at Avengers Campus if you want a quick-service option.
- You should now definitely pay attention to shows. Watch either Mickey and the Magician or Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure… or watch both of them. Both are great shows that take place on the World Premiere Plaza.
- RC Racer (48′′; Roller coaster; Worlds of Pixar)
- Slinky Dog Zig Zag Spin (Spinning ride; Worlds of Pixar)
- Cars Road Trip (car ride mixed with show; Worlds of Pixar)
- Crush’s Coaster (42′′; Roller coaster; Worlds of Pixar)
- Ratatouille : L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy (Dark Ride; Worlds of Pixar)
- Frozen: A Musical Invitation (show; World Premiere Plaza)
Ride Strategy at Walt Disney Studios Park - Focused on Small Children
- Ratatouille : L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy (Dark Ride; Worlds of Pixar)
- Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop (32′′; small drop tower; Worlds of Pixar)
- Slinky Dog Zig Zag Spin (Spinning ride; Worlds of Pixar)
- Cars Quatre Roues Rallye (tea cups ride; Worlds of Pixar)
- Cars Road Trip (car ride mixed with show; Worlds of Pixar)
- Eat at Bistro Chez Rémy if you have a reservation, or try Stark Factory at Avengers Campus if you want a quick-service option.
- You should now definitely pay attention to shows. Watch either Mickey and the Magician or Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure… or watch both of them. Both are great shows that take place on the World Premiere Plaza.
- Frozen: A Musical Invitation (show; World Premiere Plaza)
- Les Tapis Volants - Flying Carpets Over Agrabah (Spinning ride; World Premiere Plaza)
- Spider-Man WEB Adventure (Shooting gallery; Avengers Campus)
Step by Step ride Strategy for Disneyland Paris in one Day
Now things get interesting, and honestly, pretty challenging. This is our ride strategy for visiting both Parc Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios Park in a single day. Keep in mind that you will need a special ticket for this, since a standard ticket only allows entry to one park per day.
For this kind of strategy, we highly recommend staying at a Disneyland Resort. Not only will you be closer to the parks and usually within walking distance, but you can also take advantage of the Early Entry perk and enter the parks one hour before everyone else. Will you be able to see everything the parks have to offer? Probably not, but you can still hit the most popular attractions.
Overall, we always recommend one full day for each park. This way, you can enjoy everything without rushing, and the ticket will cost less. But if your time is limited and you only have one day to experience all of Disneyland Paris, that’s understandable. Let’s get started.
Ride Strategy For Disneyland Paris
Let’s start by arriving early in Walt Disney Studios Park and starting our day around 9:30am:
- Avengers Assemble: Flight Force (48′′; Roller coaster; Avengers Campus)
- Spider-Man WEB Adventure (Shooting gallery; Avengers Campus)
- Tower of Terror (40′′; Drop tower; World Premiere Plaza)
- RC Racer (48′′; Roller coaster; Worlds of Pixar)
- Crush’s Coaster (42′′; Roller coaster; Worlds of Pixar)
- Watch either Mickey and the Magician or Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure at the World Premiere Plaza if you think you have enough time.
And then we head to Parc Disneyland. Try to arrive around 2pm:
- Big Thunder Mountain (40′′, Roller Coaster; Frontierland)
- Eat at Casa de Coco (quick-service mexican restaurant; Frontierland)
- The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands (show; Frontierland)
- Phantom Manor (Haunted house dark ride; Frontierland)
- Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (55′′; Roller coaster; Adventureland)
- Disney Stars on Parade (parade; Fantasyland; usually at 5:30pm daily)
- It’s a Small World (Charming dark ride; Fantasyland)
- Walk through and explore Sleeping Beauty’s Castle (Fantasyland)
- Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (48′′; roller coaster; Discoveryland)
- Star Tours: The Adventure Continues (40′′; motion simulator; Discoveryland)
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (Shooting gallery; Discoveryland)
Ride Strategy For Disneyland Paris - Focused on Small Children
Let’s start by arriving early at Walt Disney Studios Park. - we are choosing to start here because the Disney parade at Parc Disneyland usually only starts at 5:30pm. Bring snacks!
- Ratatouille : L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy (Dark Ride; Worlds of Pixar)
- Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop (32′′; small drop tower; Worlds of Pixar)
- Slinky Dog Zig Zag Spin (Spinning ride; Worlds of Pixar)
- Cars Quatre Roues Rallye (tea cups ride; Worlds of Pixar)
- Cars Road Trip (car ride mixed with show; Worlds of Pixar)
- Les Tapis Volants - Flying Carpets Over Agrabah (Spinning ride; World Premiere Plaza)
- Grab a Pizza at Stark Factory.
- Spider-Man WEB Adventure (Shooting gallery; Avengers Campus)
- You should now definitely pay attention to shows. Watch either Mickey and the Magician or Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure… or watch both of them. Both are great shows that take place on the World Premiere Plaza. Another option is Frozen: A Musical Invitation if your children are big fans of the movies.
And then we move on to Parc Disneyland. Make sure to arrive around 2pm:
- Eat at Toad Hall in Fantasyland
- It’s a Small World (Charming dark ride; Fantasyland)
- Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs dark ride; Fantasyland)
- Casey Jr. – le Petit Train du Cirque (Small train ride; Fantasyland)
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant (Spinning Ride; Fantasyland)
- Les Voyages de Pinocchio (Pinocchio dark ride, Fantasyland)
- Le Carrousel de Lancelot (Carousel; Fantasyland)
- Walk through and explore Sleeping Beauty’s Castle (Fantasyland)
- Disney Stars on Parade (parade; Fantasyland; usually at 5:30pm daily)
- Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland)
- The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands (show; Frontierland)
- Phantom Manor (Haunted house dark ride; Frontierland; can be a bit scary for younglings though)
- Autopia (31′′, Car Ride; Discoveryland)
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (Shooting gallery; Discoveryland)
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Contacting us is completely free, and even better, you don’t pay a dime more when booking Disneyland Paris through us. In fact, you might even save money thanks to exclusive deals available only through our travel agents. We can help you with vacation packages, Disneyland Paris hotels, rides, general tips, how to say “please, can I have more ice cream” in French, and much more.
