When it comes to going on holiday most of the time you can just look online and book it pretty quickly but when it comes to planning a trip to Disneyland Paris I recommend that you take your time.
Planning a trip to Disneyland Paris is not as easy as just going to the website and booking it. Well, I suppose it is if you are not too bothered about how much it is going to cost but if you want to get the best holiday you can for your money then I would definitely recommend following these tips.
Choosing when to go
Disneyland Paris are absolutely fantastic at theming and we have visited at both Christmas and Halloween and been blown away with the attention to detail that goes into the parks. Our next trip will be during the Star Wars event and we can’t wait to see how that is incorporated into the parks. Obviously, if you want the best weather then choosing to go during the summer months would be ideal but if you don’t mind wrapping up against the cold then trick or treating with Goofy is a definite highlight.
Choosing when to book
There are so many fantastic offers that come up for trips to Disneyland Paris but they usually follow the same sort of discount pattern. You either get two days and two nights free or you get free dining. There are times when other offers are available but these usually work out as the most value. If you are planning on going for four nights or more then definitely look out for the free night offer and book then. However, if you are looking to go for less than four nights then the free dining offer could be the best one for you. Free dining does represent a huge saving when you are in the parks and with the loss of the inclusive breakfast (from March 2017) this will save you more money.
Choose how to get there
Transport to Disneyland Paris is fairly easy, however, it is not exactly cheap and you need to choose the best option for you. When planning a trip to Disneyland Paris you need to weigh up the costs versus the convenience. For example, I have always been interested in the Eurostar option as it can take you straight from London to the gates of Disneyland Paris but the fact that we would have to then get another train up to Manchester just doesn’t make sense time wise. You could also get the ferry across with your car which does give you the option to bring as much stuff as you can fit in your car. This is great if you have a very small baby because you know you need to pack everything including the kitchen sink. As we live in the north of England, we definitely prefer flying and for our next trip, we will be flying with Jet2 from Leeds as their luggage allowance means I won’t need to be worried about the kids buying one too many souvenirs. As well as the luggage allowance we also liked the flight times which were not too late or too early, Jet2 is definitely a family friendly airline in that respect. The main problem with flying is then working out how to get from the airport to Disneyland Paris. You have a few options – private transfer, Magical Shuttle, train or drive. The train is the fastest option and the station is inside the airport but the times can be a bit of a nightmare. Private transfers book up quickly during school holidays and the Magical Shuttle would take too long for us. We have used both the train and a hire car and found that the hire car was a cheaper option that any other.
Choosing where to eat
An important part of planning a trip to Disneyland Paris includes planning where you are going to eat. It may sound silly but the restaurants get booked up quickly and if you are wanting a character dining experience (which I definitely recommend) then you need to get in there quickly. You can book up to two months in advance and I recommend choosing where and when you would like to dine before you phone up to ensure they can help you.
Before you go
Once you have booked your holiday then it is time to get planning the little things that make it special. Make sure you have suitable Disney themed clothing for the whole family (Primark is perfect for this!), pack reusable water bottles and don’t forget your kid’s favourite character costume because buying them in the park can be expensive. The most important thing of all is to find the child inside yourself and enjoy the magic without letting being a grown up get in the way!
