An Out of the World Summer: Disneyland Paris

Editor’s note: I’m thrilled to introduce a new series today, on another wonderful piece of Disney that many/most of us may have never been privileged to visit: Disneyland Paris. Thanks to Tina (lucky girl!!), we will have the benefit of hearing all about what it is like to visit a Disney park in another country, and learn as well, of course, how to do it as affordably as possible. So if you have plans to visit Disneyland Paris….or simply are dreaming about it, follow along with Tina this summer and learn along with the rest of us! 🙂

 I love Paris!  I have been twice, once in 2003 and then again in 2008.  I also, of course, am in love with all things Disney!  So what could be BETTER than Disney IN Paris?  I’m not sure there is anything better!  There are people out there that say, “Why waste a day of Paris in Disneyland,” but those people aren’t crazy about Disney, like us, so we just ignore them 😉

This summer, my husband and I are taking an-almost-2-week trip to Europe.  Being the Disney fan I am, I have to try out “Euro Disney” this time around!  I am happy to share how we are doing this, and all the logistics that go along with planning a (and hopefully saving some $)  trip to Disneyland Paris .

You may be wondering, “How in the world will I save money if I go to Europe?!?”  Well, yes…it will be slightly more expensive then traveling to Orlando – but I am ready to share any budget shaving tips possible in a trip like this;)  I will learn as I go, I am sure!

In doing some research on the prices for a few months, it seems that you can get the best prices online, and even then those prices fluctuate.  Earlier this year the tickets were around $120 a day to visit both parks; but because it is their 20th anniversary they are running a sale right now, online only, where you can get a 1 day 2 park ticket for $80 total!  A plus side of buying the tickets online is that you save yourself some time by skipping the queue that forms early on to buy your tickets on site.  Why not make it easy on yourself?  Save money AND time, and buy before you go!  You can also call their reservation office as well, tell them the time you plan on traveling and they can tell you (in English) if there will be a sale or a special coming up for that time periods

Some good advice on saving time that I got from my favorite European tour guide, Rick Steves  is to avoid Fridays and weekends during the summer holiday season.  We are visiting the park on Thursday July 13th so I’ll get back to you and let you know what the crowd levels are like that day.

There are two parks in Disneyland Paris; Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park.  From what I can tell, Disneyland Park is a lot like Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney Studios is a European version of Hollyood Studios.  I am curious to see how these parks compare and differ from ours!  Is it crazy of me to be excited to experience a whole new Disney “world”?  I am so pumped! 

Things you will need before your trip to Disneyland Paris?  A passport, plane tickets, Euros and hotel reservations 😉  Stay tuned for more on Disneyland Paris as we plan the trip and experience it.  I’ll be sharing rides, hotels, transportation, TONS of pictures, and much more.  I am very excited to share with you as I learn how to plan and save in a very “Magical” place in Europe!  Oh and have fun perusing this Disneyland Paris brochure that I found on their site, it’s beautiful!

Have any of our readers been to DLRP?  Please, share what you know and your thoughts!

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Tina works full time as a school counselor in an elementary school. She lives close to Baltimore, MD with her husband Dave and her 13 year old stepdaughter, Ashley. They also have a furry family member, a cat name Frodo, that keeps life interesting in their house! Tina began visiting Disney World as a child with her family, and now her, Dave & Ashley take a trip to the World every year. She considers herself a Disney “fanatic” and once her family is finished one trip, she is already planning their next one. Tina loves to find the best deals, even in the busy seasons (she can only go when schools are off!) and loves sharing those deals & tips with anyone and everyone! What Tina loves most is the magic of WDW, it makes her feel like a kid again. She hopes that every family has the opportunity go to the World and experience the magic for themselves because it has a way of reminding its visitors that dreams do indeed come true! Read more of Tina’s work on her blog A Not So Bland Life, where she writes about home decor, cooking, couponing, traveling, and and of course, Disney!