This December we decided to inject a little Disney magic in to our Christmas with a visit to Disneyland Paris. It was a first for me to visit during the holidays, but was super excited to experience what the Parks had to offer exclusively for the festive season. Here's a little look at our trip and why it is absolutely one of the most magical times of the year to visit...
If you happened to see my blog post on how to plan a hen-do in Disneyland, you'll see my hack for an affordable few nights stay in Disneyland Paris. I found a common misconception for visiting Disney is that you are required to stay on Disney property, which makes it too expensive. Whilst staying on Disney property is always such a treat and can add to the Disney experience, it's not always necessary for a quick getaway and the money you save on accommodation can be spent instead on dining experiences or souvenirs.
For our Christmas visit, Eurostar was actually on strike so we decided to fly instead with EasyJet from Gatwick to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Return flights started from just £20pp so besides having to actually think about what to pack and luggage allowance, it was pretty easy - and we were still able to get the same trains to Disney once in Paris.
Is it best to take Eurostar or fly to Disneyland Paris?
Having now both flown to Disneyland Paris and taken the Eurostar, I personally much prefer the Eurostar. Travelling via Eurostar means you have far fewer limitations with packaging, toiletries and the security tends to move much quicker during busy seasons. Eurostar does take 2.5 hours, although you gain an hour back from the time zone and once on-board you can make yourself comfy and you have far more leg room.
Flying to Disneyland can be very affordable depending on when you want to go, and the flight takes as little as 45 minutes so, before you know it, you're landing - which can be a huge benefit. In some cases flights can be as little as £17pp, but once you factor in getting to the airport, allowing enough time to get checked in, security and potentially paying for luggage, it might just be easier to board the Eurostar.
You can find the cheapest times to travel on Eurostar by selecting 'Find our lowest rates' when searching for your dates.
4 Reasons to visit Disneyland Paris at Christmas
The Theming
Naturally, the theming around the Parks changes with the seasons but in Paris, Christmas is something special. Compared to Halloween and Spring, you will arguably find that Christmas is when they go *all out*. As part of the Disney Enchanted Christmas celebrations, as soon as you enter Disneyland Park, you can expect to be greeted by the giant Christmas tree and faux snow falling over Main Street. It's almost impossible to feel the festive spirit; with adorable statues, colourful displays and wreaths literally everywhere.
The Character Meet and Greets
Christmas is a great time to visit Disneyland Paris because you can meet characters or versions of the characters that you might never see otherwise. For example, Chips and Dale in their Christmas outfits, Mickey and Minnie in their Santa attire, Santa Stitch and, up until recently, it wasn't possible to meet Jack Skellington outside of Christmas time. Although, we have a feeling he might have misplaced his Sandy Claws outfit for this visit.
I will say, however, the queues for these were undeniably long. Many guests with small children are particularly keen to do these and with multiple members of the family so they can take some time. It's worth keeping an eye on the Disneyland Paris app for timetables and queue times to get the most out of the meet and greets.
The Parades
Naturally, the Christmas parades are extra special during the festive period. Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade, with its vibrant colours, exceptional floats set to the music of the holiday season sees Mickey, his friends and the Disney Princesses, along with Santa Claus, dance and parade down Main Street twice daily. Nearly 100 performers on stage and backstage don their finest costumes to enhance the festive atmosphere and it's really worth getting a good spot for. However, having watched both the day and night versions of the parade, I'd say the real magic is at nightfall so make sure you get a good spot. The parade glows bright, adding even more sparkle to the most enchanting of Christmas wonderlands.
The Merch and Snacks
It goes without saying that with the holiday period comes a ludicrous amount of Disney merchandise and snacks which can be found quite literally all over the Parks. I love visiting the various spots around the Parks to find unique merch which, for the most part, is available only in Disneyland Paris for a limited time only. They make for the perfect souvenirs to take back home with you in time for December 25th, or just as a treat for yourself.
For the latest Disneyland Paris snacks, keep an eye on the app for the limited edition treats and where to find them. A personal favourite of ours were these Mickey and Minnie Christmas cake pops - they are unbelievable and just what you need for a sugar hit in the ride queues.
The cons of visiting Disneyland Paris at Christmas?
Is there a con to going to Disneyland Paris at Christmas time? Well, naturally you can expect a lot of push chairs and buggies - which is fine for some, but for some childless Disney adults it can be a bit much in certain areas of the Parks. Of course, parents want their child to have the best possible experience, but expect for some parents to literally push you out of the way, or plonk a child on your feet to get in front for the parades. Yes, a parent quite literally put a child between my feet to get in front for the parade.
That said, there are some perks to this, however. With so many younger children, the bigger rides had virtually no queue at all and the longest we waited for the likes of Phantom Manor, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or Avengers: Assemble Flight Force was around 10 minutes. So, if planned properly, you can really make the most of your visit, despite it being such a busy period.
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Well, that's it for another travel diary from Disneyland Paris! I've certainly been making the most of my annual pass over the last 6 months and think I'll manage to fix in another visit before it expires later this year. For now, ir's all about prepping for our Walt Disney World trip of a lifetime in 2025.
But tell me, have you visited Disneyland Paris at Christmas time? How does it compare to the rest of the year for you? As always, I love reading your comments so please do leave some below.
Until next time Disney fans,
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