Disneyland Paris vs Disney World: The Honest Family Review You Need to Read Before Your Trip
This post dives into comparing Disneyland Paris vs Disney World.
When we boarded the Eurostar from London to Disneyland Paris, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We were headed to celebrate my youngest’s 10th birthday, and Disney magic always finds a way to make things extraordinary—but would Disneyland Paris live up to the hype? Join me as I share our family’s thoughts on Disneyland Paris vs Disney World.
And honestly? My overall impression of Disneyland Paris can be summed up in two words: convenient magic. The compact size, the European charm, and the way the train drops you right onto Disney property all make it feel effortless. It’s the kind of Disney trip that’s equal parts relaxing and enchanting—though not everything sparkled as brightly as expected.
Disneyland Paris vs Disney World Table of Contents:
- How to get to Disneyland Paris
- Where to Stay
- Disneyland Paris vs Disney World
- Premier Access vs Lightning Lane
- Shows, Parades, and Characters
- Disneyland Paris Food
- Our Final Thoughts: Disneyland Paris vs Disney World
How to get to Disneyland Paris
Our journey began in London, so I will share our experience and also provide links to common travel information. We booked the Eurostar from London St Pancras Int’l to Paris Gare du Nord (2h 18min). The total price for our family of four was £358.00 ($454.45). Then we took the RER train from Gare du Nord to Marne-la-Vallee-Cheesy (Disneyland Paris stop). The transfer at Gare du Nord can be a bit stressful, but it’s easy enough if you pack light, as we did. For more helpful tips on the Paris Metro, check out this post.
London St Pancras Int’l
Eurostar Train
Short walk from train to hotel
Getting from Paris Gare du Nord to Disneyland Paris:
1. When you arrive at Paris Gare du Nord, exit the platform and head left following the signs to the Métro and RER down the escalators to find your connecting train.
2. Take the blue RER B line from Paris Gare du Nord in the direction of Robinson or Saint-Rémy-Lès-Chevreuse or Massy-Palaiseau
3. Get off the train at Châtelet – Les Halles (only 1 stop)
4. At Châtelet – Les Halles, cross the platform to take the red RER A line in the direction of Marne-La-Vallée – Chessy (Disneyland Paris)-14 stops
5. Get off the train at Marne-La-Vallée – Chessy (Disneyland Paris)
The Disneyland Paris website offers multiple options for traveling to the parks from the airport and from central Paris. From the Paris city center, it takes approximately 45-60 minutes via the Metro and about an hour via taxi or Uber. The RER train is the cheapest way to get there (€2.50/person), with a taxi/Uber costing anywhere from €60 to €100. If you are traveling with a lot of luggage, you will need to take a taxi or an Uber. Just take my word for it.
Where to Stay
Our 3-night Disneyland Paris vacation package included a stay at the Disneyland Hotel (in a Superior Room with a terrace) and 4-day park tickets for both parks—Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. The total cost came to €3743.98, setting the bar high for what was supposed to be a five-star experience.
Where we Stayed
Disneyland Hotel
You can’t stay much closer to the magic when your hotel is the actual park entrance. And honestly, that’s the only reason I’d recommend this hotel. Location, location, location!
The Disneyland Hotel is officially a 5-star hotel, but the accommodations and service fell way short in my eyes. Even with a recent renovation, the rooms still felt dated. There are no quick-service food options, so the cheapest coffee you’ll find is €15!
And the service? Let’s just say they literally waited until we walked into our room (after the park closed) to knock and offer us turn-down service. Thanks, but no thanks, am I right?! Our room was only refreshed once during our 3-night stay.
The only thing truly five-star here is the price tag—and for us, it just wasn’t worth it.
Where I’d Stay Next Time
If I were to return to Disneyland Paris, I would stay at Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel. I could have saved about $1,500, and it’s still only a 5-10 minute walk to the parks. We had a birthday dinner here at Manhattan Restaurant, and it was one of the highlights of our Disney trip. The hotel vibe was modern and friendly, reminiscent of our dining experiences at WDW’s Riviera Resort Topolino’s Terrace.
So, if you’re looking to splurge on your hotel accommodations at Disneyland Paris, I’d skip the Disneyland Hotel entirely and book The Art of Marvel instead. It delivers the elevated experience you expect—without paying extra just for the address.
Disneyland Paris vs Disney World
Parks & Rides
I love Disney, but I’ve never been on a mission to visit every Disney park around the world. So it still surprises me that we’ve already made it to Disneyland Paris and even have Tokyo Disney planned for next summer—before ever visiting Walt’s original park in California. Maybe we’ll save that one for last, something special to look forward to.
Because of that, all of my comparisons here are based on our experiences at Walt Disney World in Florida.
Many rides are similar to those at Walt Disney World in Florida, but each has a few tweaks, and there are also some unique experiences available only at Disney in Paris. Our favorite rides were Big Thunder Mountain (hands down better than WDW’s), The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (similar to WDW, but quicker to drop), Avengers Assemble: Flight Force (a close cousin to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster), and Crush’s Coaster (unique coaster, but Guardians of the Galaxy is a more advanced and spectacular rotating ride).
One major, fairly entertaining difference will be the ride pre-shows. You may forget you are in Paris until you hear Iron Man and Spider-Man discussing their superhero plans in French. Sometimes we would catch a pre-show in English, but it was rare.
Premier Access vs Lightning Lane
Disneyland Paris has its own version of the “Lightning Lane” system. Disney Premier Access offers 2 ways to skip the line—Ultimate Access and One Access. Ultimate Access allows you to skip the line one time on almost all rides. It states that prices start around $100 per guest per day, but it would have been nearly $200 per person each day that we were there. We did not purchase this for our family of 4, and I have no regrets.
One Access We Purchased:
|
Ratatouille |
€14/person |
|
Autopia |
€7/person |
|
Big Thunder Mountain |
€16/person |
The One Access lets you choose separate rides to pay for to skip the line once. I only purchased this for three rides, and our return times were either immediate or within the same hour, which is usually not the case at WDW. So, I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of use. We were able to ride everything we wanted. Even though it was peak summer season, the lines weren’t crazy. The longest line was Crush’s Coaster (~1hr), which I thought we could rope drop for a short wait, but I should have just paid for the One Access instead.
Shows, Parades, and Characters
Our family has never been much for shows, parades, or fireworks at the Disney parks. So, I can’t discuss much on this, except that we saw the masses waiting for the nighttime firework shows, and it looked brutal. I saw many people arguing and pushing others for space, and I can only say that the Disneyland Paris visitors take these shows very seriously. We just used this time to catch more rides while people fought for the firework views. To each their own, as they say.
One thing that stood out for our family was the seemingly impromptu shows and character sightings around the Avengers Campus at Walt Disney Studios Park. We saw Spider-Man dancing on rooftops and posing for selfies, we saw the women warriors of Wakanda (the Dora Milaje) on a walkabout, and we also saw a spectacular fight scene starring the Black Widow and Black Panther. We caught these mini-shows as we strolled from ride to ride, and it felt like we were right in the middle of the action. That’s something I’ve never experienced at Disney World, and we loved it.
Disneyland Paris Food
Theme park food usually leaves a lot to be desired. Disneyland Paris is no exception. The food selection disappointed us, but there were definitely some standouts. As I mentioned earlier, our favorite dinner experience was at the Manhattan Restaurant in the New York Hotel. Book the reservation—you won’t regret it!
In my opinion, Disney World has the upper hand when it comes to restaurant options and overall food quality. A couple of places that I would avoid at Disneyland Paris are PYM Kitchen and Captain Jack’s. PYM Kitchen was a low-grade buffet that felt more like cafeteria food. And Captain Jack’s had great theming, but let’s just say France is behind the curve when it comes to preparing Caribbean-style food.
PYM Kitchen
Captain Jack’s
I recommend getting a reservation for the popular Bistrot Chez Remy. The theming alone would bring us back, and the food was quite good. It was French food, so you can’t go wrong with the Steak Frites. And the kids enjoyed the chocolate-hazelnut eclair for dessert. Such a cute restaurant!
As for the snacks, they were a highlight. Disneyland Paris offers two different popcorn options—Salty or Sweet. We preferred the standard salty. Our favorite area for food stands was near the Ratatouille ride at Walt Disney Studios Park. There was a stand selling delicious macarons and a ton of sweets. Other stands sold cured meats, tartiflette, raclette and ham sandwiches, beer, and wine.
My kids’ favorite snack was the Magnum ice cream bars that were dipped and decorated right in front of you. This ice cream stand was located in the area before you reach the Hollywood Tower of Terror at Walt Disney Studios Park.
When you’re at a loss for what to feed the kids, head to Disney Village for fast-food options and somewhat cheaper sit-down restaurants. You’ll find Five Guys, Earl of Sandwich, Starbucks, Rainforest Cafe, Annette’s Diner, Billy Bob’s Buffet, and, of course, McDonald’s.
Our Final Thoughts: Disneyland Paris vs Disney World
So, is Disneyland Paris worth it for families—especially if you’re used to Disney World? Yes. The convenience of the parks and the ability to walk everywhere made it feel magical in a way Walt Disney World can’t match. The rides were familiar but new, the parks were easy to navigate, and the overall experience felt more relaxed than a typical Disney World trip.
In the end, Disneyland Paris isn’t a replacement for Disney World—it’s its own experience. It’s smaller, more manageable, and filled with moments of unexpected magic. I mean, c’mon… a random selfie with Spider-Man! Yes please! If your family loves Disney and wants something familiar with a Parisian twist, it’s absolutely worth adding to your travel bucket list.
