Both parks in one day?

[bobogator]

Hello. Visiting Paris this summer, and we'll have one day for DP. I'll check out youtube and Touring Plans, but any other advice is helpful and appreciated. We'll definitely make a plan to hit our must-dos, but even with the two parks being so close to each other is it even feasible? We're probably good with quick service dining to maximize ride and exploring time.

Bonus question :Any recommendations on where to focus our merch shopping...better shops in one park?

Thanks!

 

[marni1971]

You’d be able to possibly do most of the main rides in one day without your feet touching the ground. But you’d miss so much. It’s likely you’ll also have to pay for fastpass (per ride) to do this.

Emporium would be a likely place to shop (naturally) but DLP still has charm in not stocking everything everywhere. There’s also World of Disney in the Village.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Hello. Visiting Paris this summer, and we'll have one day for DP. I'll check out youtube and Touring Plans, but any other advice is helpful and appreciated. We'll definitely make a plan to hit our must-dos, but even with the two parks being so close to each other is it even feasible? We're probably good with quick service dining to maximize ride and exploring time.

Bonus question :Any recommendations on where to focus our merch shopping...better shops in one park?

Thanks!

Personally, I might skip Disney Studios Paris if I were you. After multiple one-day trips to DLP where I only visited Parc Disneyland, I finally had a trip a few years back where I had 2 days to give to DLP instead of just one and I finally went to the Studios that second day . . . by 1PM I had park hopped back over to Parc Disneyland despite having just been there the full day prior. This was after Ratatouille had opened but before Avengers Campus, so your mileage may vary depending on how important AC is to you.

Parc Disneyland is such a thorough, complete, and stunning experience that it's worth your full day and then some. Especially if WDW is your home park and not Disneyland. I always joke that Disneyland is a fine, aged wine - better when savored, WDW is box wine - chug it and it'll get you there, and DLP is, fittingly, champagne - it's both luxurious and fun, fizzing over with pleasant surprises. DLP shares more design DNA with Disneyland than with Magic Kingdom, and to stunning effect.

For merch I would also focus your attention on Parc Disneyland rather than Studios, what Martin says above about them still having unique items in different shops is true. Not to mention that nearly every shop is a masterwork in theming as well, and worth visiting whether or not you drop a dime.

 

[bobogator]

Thanks for the replies. Our home park is WDW (APs for years) and my wife has never been to DL (I’ve been once). We don’t want to fly around the parks, because we love and enjoy theming and ambience, and this is our first and possibly only visit to DP. We do fly around the four WDW parks on many visits,but that’s due to familiarity and we have our favorite rides. Fastpass/Genie+ is a given to make the most out of any day at any park. Ratatoullie at Epcot is fun but not great, so we usually don’t bother with it there anymore, but it feels like it would be sacrilegious to not ride it at DP. Our DP must-dos are hyperspace mountain, thunder mountain, phantom manor, small world, Indiana jones, tower of terror, railroad, pirates, avengers coaster, Web slingers. After writing them down here, 10 rides in one day may only be possible at a breakneck pace around the parks, so we have some thinking to do.

 

[marni1971]

Thanks for the replies. Our home park is WDW (APs for years) and my wife has never been to DL (I’ve been once). We don’t want to fly around the parks, because we love and enjoy theming and ambience, and this is our first and possibly only visit to DP. We do fly around the four WDW parks on many visits,but that’s due to familiarity and we have our favorite rides. Fastpass/Genie+ is a given to make the most out of any day at any park. Ratatoullie at Epcot is fun but not great, so we usually don’t bother with it there anymore, but it feels like it would be sacrilegious to not ride it at DP. Our DP must-dos are hyperspace mountain, thunder mountain, phantom manor, small world, Indiana jones, tower of terror, railroad, pirates, avengers coaster, Web slingers. After writing them down here, 10 rides in one day may only be possible at a breakneck pace around the parks, so we have some thinking to do.

I’m afraid you’d indeed have to “fly around the parks” and miss a lot of the theming and ambiance. And there’s a lot more of that than the MK has. Any chance you could stretch to 2 days ?

 

[Swissmiss]

Thanks for the replies. Our home park is WDW (APs for years) and my wife has never been to DL (I’ve been once). We don’t want to fly around the parks, because we love and enjoy theming and ambience, and this is our first and possibly only visit to DP. We do fly around the four WDW parks on many visits,but that’s due to familiarity and we have our favorite rides. Fastpass/Genie+ is a given to make the most out of any day at any park. Ratatoullie at Epcot is fun but not great, so we usually don’t bother with it there anymore, but it feels like it would be sacrilegious to not ride it at DP. Our DP must-dos are hyperspace mountain, thunder mountain, phantom manor, small world, Indiana jones, tower of terror, railroad, pirates, avengers coaster, Web slingers. After writing them down here, 10 rides in one day may only be possible at a breakneck pace around the parks, so we have some thinking to do.

A few of those rides have single rider lines; making use of those might help.

 

[marni1971]

Also BTM tends to get busy fast and stays busy. Times might crash right before closing. Discoveryland tends to get busier as the day goes on. Fantasyland builds then ticks over (Pan usually stays high) and Phantom and Pirates usually get quieter as the afternoon moves towards evening - often becoming a virtual walk on.

 

[fradz]

I’m just back from one sold-out day at the parks, and we’ve done most major rides including Avengers Campus, the 2 headliners shows (Mickey and the Magician + The Lion King show), 2 parades, the nighttime spectacular, some re-rides for our favourites, all while being « inefficient » due to being with a little kid in a stroller and paying 0 add on.

Is it doable ? Yes
Do I recommend it for a first timer? Absolutely not. I’m a seasoned DLP guy, I’ve been on a very regular basis to the Paris resort. Some visits I do 3 rides the whole day and just chill and enjoy the ambiance, and some visits are like the one I’m just back from.
That being said, if you really want to push it for one day, I can give you a detailed itinerary / decision tree that will make you come on top in terms of maximising your ride count.

 

[bobogator]

Thank you all so much for the helpful info and offer. I’ll see what the wife thinks about one or two days and reply back here soon.

It’s so great having a community of people willing to help and give their time and knowledge.

 

[duder]

Ill echo the comments, can you?..yes. Should you...no if you can help it.

My first trip in 2019 was a day trip from Paris, and we didnt do studios. We were able to ride all the rides, but honestly we went so quickly through it all, my memory of the park quickly drifted with time since we took so little time to soak it in. After our 3 day trip last month, giving the park the time it deserves, it was one of my best Disney experiences ever, and DLP is now my favorite castle park.

Its easy to say to devote more days, but in reality its hard to shift plans for a vacation once you have locked things in, so if you can only go for a day, you should still definitely go. I would just make a list of must do's, cut out some of the rides you can ride elsewhere and free up some meandering time for the park.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Thank you all so much for the helpful info and offer. I’ll see what the wife thinks about one or two days and reply back here soon.

It’s so great having a community of people willing to help and give their time and knowledge.

I know one of the big struggles people have is that Paris is so loaded with jaw-dropping sights that Disneyland Paris seems like a silly distraction in comparison. To the casual tourist I wouldn't recommend it on a first trip to Paris, but I really believe that anyone with vested interest in Disney Parks will find it more than worth a day out of your trip. For a WDW vet it's essential reading, so to speak. The park is it's own unique flavor of what people like us on this website consider a quintessential experience. If you really think you may never go back, it could be worth the extra day to really see how DLP does it without the urgency of having to capture it all in one day.

What else do you have on your list to see while you're in Paris? Perhaps some of us who have been can dispel some rumors about something else that may be less worth your time

 

[bobogator]

I'm leaning toward a second day, so we may have to take a day from London or Rome. Current plan is 4 nights in Paris, coming from London. Our main plans in Paris are DP, Versailles, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Versailles, a day trip to Normandy (Omaha Beach and cemetery(s)), exploring the city and maybe the countryside, and I think there's some sort of tower there that sounds interesting. ;-)

 

[Kevin_W]

I'm leaning toward a second day, so we may have to take a day from London or Rome. Current plan is 4 nights in Paris, coming from London. Our main plans in Paris are DP, Versailles, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Versailles, a day trip to Normandy (Omaha Beach and cemetery(s)), exploring the city and maybe the countryside, and I think there's some sort of tower there that sounds interesting. ;-)

If you are going to Normandy, I'd highly recommend Mont St, Michel. Though it would be tough to squeeze in a day trip along with visiting battlefields. Personally, I'd pull time from Versailles as I don't find it terribly interesting (but I realize I'm in a minority opinion on that).

I assume you realize that Notre Dame is closed until ~2025, though you can still see the outside and the scaffolding/cranes. And you can visit St. Chapelle, which is a short walk away and well worth the visit.

Figuring out what to add/cut in a trip is hard! I'd vote a second day in DLP (we did 3 in a 7-day France trip, so we're biased towards Disney). Personally I'd cut a London day over Rome. London is great, but I absolutely loved visiting Rome.

 

[Swissmiss]

I agree with @Kevin_W about cutting a day from London over a day from Rome (there is just way too much to see in Rome!) and yes, if you can swing it, visit Mont Saint Michel.

The view of Notre Dame was depressing behind all the walls and scaffolding (didn’t help that it was a grey day when I was there a couple of weeks ago) and I realized that although I’ve been to Paris a few times since the fire, I hadn’t yet been back over in that neighborhood. Sainte Chapelle was definitely worth the little detour - I don’t recall having ever been before.

And although I have enjoyed my couple of visits to Versailles, there are definitely other châteaux or palaces that I’ve enjoyed more.

 

[fradz]

Agreed with the above. Rome is my favorite city in Europe, don’t cut any day for that ! Paris is doable fairly quickly, I can give you tips for DLP, Paris, Rome and Normandy ! Definitely go to Mont Saint Michel, wonderful place there

 

[SoFloMagic]

Hello. Visiting Paris this summer, and we'll have one day for DP. I'll check out youtube and Touring Plans, but any other advice is helpful and appreciated. We'll definitely make a plan to hit our must-dos, but even with the two parks being so close to each other is it even feasible? We're probably good with quick service dining to maximize ride and exploring time.

Bonus question :Any recommendations on where to focus our merch shopping...better shops in one park?

Thanks!

Just wanted to add a thought. We did this last summer. We're WDW locals. Took the RER from Paris and just did a day at the park. I think 9am-midnight or so. We were able to hit what we wanted from both parks. Bought a fastpass for big thunder and crush. Did all the rides we wanted, walked around both parks, shopped a bit in Disney village, saw the stage show twice, lion king show, parade, drone, and fireworks. It's totally possible to do in one day if your priority is seeing euope. But you won't be able to do everything - we didn't ride anything in toy story land and space mountain was down for refurb.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I was about to ask this very question… as we are planning a trip, and I am considering taking a day from Paris the city to visit DLP.

Can I piggyback on this thread?


My plan was to do the day trip (train in morning, train back at night), but I was thinking of just doing Disneyland itself, seeing as it’s just one day. While there are a few things in the other park that are obviously unique, it doesn’t feel worth it to take time to park hop.

Are there any quirks one needs to know about Disneyland Paris? How the parks function?

Does this sound feasible? Or should I skip Disneyland? This is my first time to Paris, although my partner has visited the city before.

 

[marni1971]

I was about to ask this very question… as we are planning a trip, and I am considering taking a day from Paris the city to visit DLP.

Can I piggyback on this thread?


My plan was to do the day trip (train in morning, train back at night), but I was thinking of just doing Disneyland itself, seeing as it’s just one day. While there are a few things in the other park that are obviously unique, it doesn’t feel worth it to take time to park hop.

Are there any quirks one needs to know about Disneyland Paris? How the parks function?

Does this sound feasible? Or should I skip Disneyland? This is my first time to Paris, although my partner has visited the city before.

One full day in just Disneyland and you’d get a feel for it. Day guests enter at 930, fireworks at the scheduled closing time. Check the official app for times and parade times (Dream and Shine 30th parade plus Stars on Parade)

The big ones for a US vet would be Phantom Manor, BTM, PotC, IASW (end of May), maybe Pan, maybe Storybook Land, and Space Mountain (with inversions). If you have time I strongly advise exploring Adventure Isle, the Nautilus (from April 2), the castle dungeon (dragon) and upper balcony level and as many shops as you. The design and details are exquisite. You could spend half a day just on Main Street (don’t forget the arcades and the Liberty diorama). Railroad would be a bonus too as would the Molly Brown. Take a walk around Fantasyland too.

IMHO

 

[Disney Analyst]

One full day in just Disneyland and you’d get a feel for it. Day guests enter at 930, fireworks at the scheduled closing time. Check the official app for times and parade times (Dream and Shine 30th parade plus Stars on Parade)

The big ones for a US vet would be Phantom Manor, BTM, PotC, IASW (end of May), maybe Pan, maybe Storybook Land, and Space Mountain (with inversions). If you have time I strongly advise exploring Adventure Isle, the Nautilus (from April 2), the castle dungeon (dragon) and upper balcony level and as many shops as you. The design and details are exquisite. You could spend half a day just on Main Street (don’t forget the arcades and the Liberty diorama). Railroad would be a bonus too as would the Molly Brown. Take a walk around Fantasyland too.

IMHO

Thank you. We would be there at the end of May. It would be very cool to finally fit in an overseas park, even if it's just for a day. I don't feel any pressure to try and do it all, just want to soak in the ambience, experience the differences, etc.

I would also plan for a weekday, in hopes it won't be as crazy?

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

I was about to ask this very question… as we are planning a trip, and I am considering taking a day from Paris the city to visit DLP.

Can I piggyback on this thread?


My plan was to do the day trip (train in morning, train back at night), but I was thinking of just doing Disneyland itself, seeing as it’s just one day. While there are a few things in the other park that are obviously unique, it doesn’t feel worth it to take time to park hop.

Are there any quirks one needs to know about Disneyland Paris? How the parks function?

Does this sound feasible? Or should I skip Disneyland? This is my first time to Paris, although my partner has visited the city before.

Basically, if you're on this website then Disneyland Paris is worth a day out of your trip for sure.

I wouldn't bother Park Hopping - Parc Disneyland is itself a feast.

Keep an eye on the park hours because they tend to be more limited than they are stateside, and keep an eye on the hours for the restaurants as well. DLP has a strange habit of closing restaurants just as you get hungry.

Otherwise I would co-sign Martin's list, but with some extra emphasis on exploring the Castle and its Dragon in the Dungeon. The Castle Interior is much more elaborate than at DL or WDW, and the balcony above and dungeon below make it an attraction in its own right. The outside balcony offers great views of Fantasyland as well, which are harder to come by in the other parks.

Each land at DLP has at least one Walkthrough Attraction that are beautiful ways to spend a few minutes if lines get long, and some are hidden in plain sight. The Fort at the entrance to Frontierland is worth a loop, the Echanted Passage of Aladdin is tucked away in the Adventureland entrance, Adventure Isle's caverns with Skull Rock are worth a look. Fantasyland has the Castle upstairs and dungeon that apply, and Alice's Curious Labyrinth (which is challenging enough to be fun but not so much that you'll get fully lost). And then the Nautilus Submarine walkthrough in Discoveryland, if it's open. The Castle ones are the most essential, but I wanted to point these out since they can be easily overlooked if you don't know they're there.

Disneyland Paris absolutely has ambiance to spare and it should be enjoyed. One of the great gifts of the park is its proximity to Paris - everything in the park is designed to be elaborate enough to compete with a world-class city, even down to the materials used in construction. You won't find faux-Slate roofs on Main Street the way you will in Orlando - here they're the real deal and the difference is palpable. DLP is probably the last Castle Park where the Imagineers were able to go all out, and they did some brilliant stuff with that.