Visiting Disneyland Paris is an experience that every theme park enthusiast should have at least once. But to enjoy the magic to the fullest without stress, it is essential to plan carefully. That’s why I decided to write this practical guide based on my visit during the May Day holiday in 2025: two intense days full of attractions, surprises and a few tricks to avoid the longest queues.

In this article, you’ll find everything I wish I had known before I left: which parks to visit, how many days you need, when to go, and a detailed itinerary with the attractions I visited, divided by day. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or simply want to make the most of your next trip, this guide will help you experience Disneyland Paris to the fullest.

What are the parks at Disneyland Paris?

Disneyland Park

Walt Disney Studios Park

The Disneyland Paris resort consists of two separate theme parks, each with its own unique atmosphere and attractions:

  • Disneyland Park is the main park, with the famous Sleeping Beauty Castle at its centre. It is divided into five themed areas (Main Street U.S.A., Fantasyland, Discoveryland, Adventureland and Frontierland) and is home to the most iconic attractions such as Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan’s Flight and the spectacular night-time fireworks show.
  • Walt Disney Studios Park is the most modern park, dedicated to the world of cinema and animation. Here you will find adrenaline-pumping experiences and spectacular scenery, such as the Avengers Campus area, the Ratatouille 4D attraction, and roller coasters such as Crush’s Coaster and RC Racer.

When to go to Disneyland Paris?

Choosing the right time to visit Disneyland Paris can make the difference between a magical day and one spent queuing. People generally tend to avoid public holidays and long weekends, but my experience during the long weekend of 1 May 2025 surprised me in a positive way.

I visited the park on Thursday 1 May, a public holiday in France and Italy, and expected huge crowds. In reality, the queues remained fairly manageable throughout the day, with waiting times never exceeding 30-40 minutes, even for popular attractions. On Friday 2 May, however, the park was much busier: on popular rides such as Crush’s Coaster and Hyperspace Mountain, waiting times reached up to an hour and a half.

Our advice? If possible, choose midweek days, even isolated public holidays such as 1 May, rather than Fridays or Mondays before long weekends: you may find yourself with far fewer people than you think.

How many days do you need to visit Disneyland Paris?

One day at Disneyland Paris is likely to be too short, especially if it’s your first time. The two parks are full of attractions, shows, themed restaurants and opportunities to meet Disney characters: reducing it all to a single day means having to choose what not to do.

My advice is to set aside at least two full days for your visit. This will allow you to:

  • Explore both parks at your leisure;
  • See the main attractions without rushing too much;
  • Attend live shows and parades;
  • Treat yourself to lunch or dinner at a themed restaurant;
  • Enjoy special moments such as meetings with characters, which often require a little waiting.

With two days at your disposal, you can enjoy the Disney experience to the fullest, without having to rush from one ride to another and with plenty of time to let yourself be surprised by the unique atmosphere of each area of the park.

My 2-day itinerary at Disneyland Paris

Planning your itinerary well is essential to enjoying the park without wasting time queuing. Here is my experience, with some practical advice based on what really worked.

🎢 Day 1

An important tip: even though the parks officially open between 9:00 and 10:00, it is essential to arrive at least an hour early and get in line at the entrance right away. This will allow you to:

  • Avoid long queues at the entrance;
  • Take iconic photos of the castle with very few people around.
  • Reach the first attractions with minimal waiting times.

As soon as we entered, we enjoyed the classic morning stroll along Main Street U.S.A., the main street full of shops and retro atmosphere, to the Sleeping Beauty Castle. After taking a few photos of the street and the castle, which were almost deserted, we headed straight for the first attraction.

Here are the attractions we visited in the early hours of the first day, all with less than 5 minutes of waiting time:

  • Phantom Manor (the “western” version of the Haunted Mansion, one of my favourites)
  • Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (roller coaster with loop-the-loop)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean – a very well-themed dark ride based on pirates of the Caribbean
  • Alice’s Curious Labyrinth (a maze in the heart of Fantasyland, perfect for starting with something quieter but very scenic)

Before lunch, we decided to tackle one of the park’s most intense attractions:

  • Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain, an indoor roller coaster in the dark with a space setting and an epic soundtrack. A real must for adrenaline junkies and an excellent choice before eating, as it is one of the most ‘lively’ attractions in the entire park.

For lunch, we opted for a simple but truly effective solution:

  • Sandwiches brought from home. This saved us at least an hour between looking for a restaurant, queuing and waiting for our food. It’s a tip I would give to anyone who wants to make the most of their time and avoid the busiest areas around lunchtime.

After lunch, to recharge our batteries and enjoy the park in a more relaxed way, we chose quieter attractions with a more atmospheric feel:

  • Les Mystères du Nautilus – a short but fascinating exploration of Captain Nemo’s submarine, perfect for cooling off and relaxing a little.
  • Star Tours: L’Aventure Continue – Star Wars-themed flight simulator with ever-changing scenes.
  • Sleeping Beauty’s Castle – we visited the interior, climbing up to the rooms and then descending into the Dragon’s Lair, one of the park’s most beautiful hidden gems. It’s also a great place to find some shade and coolness on hot days.

After a quick snack break on Main Street U.S.A., we sampled the famous Mickey Mouse-shaped cookies. They look irresistible – perfect for a photo – but, to be honest, they’re more beautiful to look at than they are to eat. Still, it was a nice break before changing parks.

In the late afternoon, we moved on to Walt Disney Studios Park, taking advantage of the fact that, as recommended by the official Disneyland Paris website, this park tends to empty out in the afternoon, making it easier to access attractions without long waits.

As soon as we entered, we headed straight for:

  • Cars ROAD TRIP – the attraction only had a 5-minute queue, so we decided to give it a go. It is a scenic ride on a truck that travels through Route 66-themed scenery with a few special effects. Unfortunately, it was the disappointment of the day: very slow, not very engaging, and with scenery that left a lot to be desired. My advice? Unless you have time to kill or very young children, you can safely skip it.
  • RC Racer – a shuttle that swings back and forth on a U-shaped track. Fun and fast, but very short. Worth trying if the wait is less than 20 minutes.
  • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – probably the best attraction in the park, at least in my opinion. A drop tower themed as an abandoned 1930s hotel, with special effects, an eerie atmosphere and a surprise adrenaline-fuelled descent. Not to be missed.
  • Avengers Assemble: Flight Force, a high-speed indoor roller coaster themed around Iron Man and Captain Marvel. Very nice, with great attention to detail, but very similar to Hyperspace Mountain in terms of structure and sensations. If you like one, you’ll like the other.

To end the day on a high note, we had dinner right on the Marvel campus at the Stark Factory (the restaurant inspired by the fictional Stark Industries). The setting is truly impressive: an area with a hi-tech industrial design, blueprints, laboratory-style components and even the Hulkbuster, all immersed in the Tony Stark narrative. The restaurant is very well themed, although prices are higher than average (we spent around £30 for a salad and a drink), and the quality of the food is average.

To conclude the evening, we decided to use the final hours to prepare for the night-time fireworks show, called Disney Tales of Magic. The show started at 10:40 p.m., but there was already a considerable crowd around 9:00 p.m. Needless to say, the show was incredible and absolutely worth it, but if you want to be in the front row, it’s best to arrive an hour or an hour and a half early to secure a good view.

☀️Day 2

We started the second day by returning to Walt Disney Studios Park with only one goal in mind: to try Crush’s Coaster. This attraction is a mix between a rotating roller coaster and a dark ride set in the world of Finding Nemo. It is probably the most popular attraction in the entire resort, and in fact, on both days, the waiting times never dropped below 60–90 minutes. To increase our chances of getting on with “little” waiting, we queued up as soon as we entered the park.

We then decided to spend the morning exploring the Avengers Campus:

  • Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure – one of the park’s most interactive attractions: shoot with your “virtual” hands in a fun 3D simulation. One of the most successful new additions.
  • Avengers Assemble: Flight Force – we did it again because we liked it the day before.
  • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – we wanted to repeat this one too, because it’s simply spectacular.

We planned our lunch strategically. Since we wanted to see the show ‘Frozen: A Musical Invitation’, and tickets sell out quickly, we got in line about an hour early, bringing our usual homemade sandwiches with us, which we ate while sitting in line.

The show is nice, although personally I would recommend it especially to families with children, unless you don’t mind hearing Let It Go sung in French (and laughing).

After lunch, we finally managed to get on one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney Studios Park:

  • Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy – a 4D dark ride that simulates the point of view of a mouse in Gusteau’s kitchen. Truly one of the best immersive experiences ever tried in a park: smooth, interactive and with truly meticulous visual effects.

After exploring the Studios, we returned to Disneyland Park to enjoy the afternoon with some lighter attractions (and a little refreshment).

  • It’s a Small World – the historic musical dark ride that I personally found a little disturbing and strangely hypnotic, but it had one great advantage: 10 minutes of air conditioning, which was a blessing in the scorching heat of early May.

With time still available and queues short, we decided to end on a high note and do a few encores:

  • Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast – an interactive dark ride where you shoot laser guns at targets. Always fun, especially if you’re competing with friends or family.
  • Hyperspace Mountain – gladly redone, thanks to its intensity and Star Wars setting.
  • Star Tours: L’Aventure Continue – always worth a second (or third) ride, as each simulation offers a different mission, making it a new experience every time.
  • Big Thunder Mountain – a family roller coaster set in the Wild West, among canyons, trains and abandoned mines. Truly one of the most beautiful and fun rides in the park: fast but accessible to all, superbly themed and with an excellent duration.

After dinner, we decided to go back to one of our favourite attractions:

  • Phantom Manor, redone in the evening, when the light fades and the atmosphere becomes even more evocative. I highly recommend trying it at sunset or at night: it is a much more immersive and ‘thrilling’ experience.
  • La Cabane des Robinson – a tree house inspired by Robinson Crusoe, perfect for a peaceful stroll with views of the park.

Knowing how crowded the evening show would be (we had seen it the day before), we took advantage of that moment to leave the park before the crowds, thus avoiding long queues for trains or buses.

To end the day on a high note, we treated ourselves to one last tour of Disney Village, the shopping and dining area outside the parks. This is the perfect place for some last-minute shopping: souvenirs, themed clothing, soft toys and, of course, the ever-present Mickey Mouse ears, the symbol of every visit to Disneyland.