Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris is located to the east of Paris (France) in Marne-la-Vallée, a new town situated just some 30 kilometres from the capital. The park is one of the most important tourist destinations in the whole of Europe and is quite famous to say the least.

The resort consists of two theme parks: Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. There are also hotels, a shopping and leisure area (Disney Village) and a golf course on site.

I can only talk to you about Disneyland Park, as I didn't actually get the chance to visit Walt Disney Studios.

Disneyland Park is divided into five different themed "lands":

Main Street USA

This area is where the entrance to the park is located. There, you can find information about the attractions, restaurants, show and parade times, etc. You can catch a little land train that travels the length of Main Street, as well as horse-drawn carriages and old cars. There are also several cafes, restaurants and shops dotted along the street. More than anything, it is like a recreation of a typical street in small-town America from a century ago.

Discoveryland

This land is part of the southern section of the park, situated to the right of Main Street USA. Here, there are several attractions related to Disney's most modern, galactic characters, like Buzz Lightyear, for example. You could really say that it is the land of "discoveries". There are 8 rides, three restaurants, three shops and a theatre. The best attraction for those of you who like big thrills is, without question, Space Mountain.

Fantasyland

This land is situated just next to Discoveryland, but in the northern section of the park. As its name suggests, it is the "land of fantasy" and it is there where you can find some of Disney's most famous characters and the ones who shaped our childhoods, like: Sleeping Beauty and her pink castle, which is a symbol of Disneyland in its own right; Pinocchio; Dumbo; Snow White; Alice in Wonderland; and, Peter Pan, to name just a few. In terms of decoration, this land is easily my favourite part of the whole park, as it is what best resembles my "world of Disney", but the rides are designed for children. I chose to ride the spinning tea cups because it is one of those "typical" attractions at a theme park, and I also liked Alice's maze. In this land, there are nine shops, two theatres and endless eateries. At night time, this area is quite magical with the conglomeration of the carousel, the lights and the characters...

Adventureland

This land is also in the northern section of the park, but off to the left-hand side of Main Street USA. It is decorated in the styles of the most adventurous backdrops known in the world of Disney, like the Orient from Aladdin, with pirate ships and cannons from Pirates of the Caribbean, and like Indiana Jones' Temple. I boarded the wooden Indiana Jones roller coaster, which wasn't at all bad, but it is not particularly "thrilling" and there was quite a long queue for it. Aside from the rides, there are (again) several shops and restaurants serving more "exotic" cuisine.

Frontierland

This land is all about the Far East and the Indians, and is situated to the left of Main Street USA but in the southernmost point of the park. Here, you will find Pocahontas' village and the haunted Phantom Mansion... There is also a theatre and several restaurants, and was honestly my least favourite part of the park.

I quite liked the experience, although I think that I would have liked it more if I was younger, as the rides are not exactly "thrilling" and I really love roller coasters and feeling the adrenaline of being on a ride. However, I would give the decor a 10 out of 10 because they have really focused on the fine details, and honestly, it's really nice to just walk through the world of our childhood heroes, like Snow White or Alice in Wonderland.

The food there is expensive and, in all honesty, it's not that good; I would say that the quality is low to average. There are several restaurants spread across the entire park, with some being dedicated specifically to pizza, burgers, etc.

Without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite part of the day was when the sun set, as the park became even more magical, with all the lights being switched on; it gave me the impression of truly being part of the world of Disney. I remember in the area dedicated to Snow White, there were some very cute little houses with street lamps outside them and it seemed like the Seven Dwarfs were going to come out and sing at any moment.

Of course, don't forget to take those typical tourist photos with your favourite characters, which you will find around the park at different points throughout the day - I took one with Mickey. And don't leave without seeing one of the musical spectaculars that they put on with all of your beloved Disney characters!

Ah, Sleeping Beauty's world-famous pink castle. Unfortunately, it was undergoing construction works when I visited the park, so I couldn't climb up to the top of it. In the end, I just walked through it on the ground level and I was definitely left wanting more. From outside, the castle is just beautiful and I think that all girls would like it.

Before I left, I wandered through the gift shops near the park entrance, which is absolute craziness for all true Disney lovers. I am not a massive die-hard fan, but you can find the best toys, teddies, dolls, keyrings, etc. here. I bought myself a jigsaw puzzle of Minnie and Mickey Mouse with their dog, the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame in the background; the good thing about a souvenir like this is that I have a "durable" memory of my time there.

The price of park tickets varies according to where you buy them from, how many days you want them to be valid for, how many parks you want to visit, and if you are staying in one of the on-site hotels or not. Personally, I only went for one day, having travelled there from the centre of Paris and later returning to my hotel at night. The most basic ticket for an adult currently costs 65€ online, but I am sure that you can find some kind of offer, as I only paid 55€ for mine.

You can travel there by the RER suburban train from Paris, taking line A (the red line) in the direction of Marne-la-Vallée, and I think you must alight at the final stop, however it is indicated to you quite well which is the right stop for the park. From Paris, it will take you about three quarters of an hour to get to Disneyland by train.

If you are travelling by car from Paris, you must take the A4 in the direction of Metz-Nancy. After following this road for around 30 kilometres, you must take exit 14 signposted "Val d'Europe, Parc Disneyland". Don't worry, everything is very well-signposted.