Disneyland Paris May 24-26 2025

Background: I haven’t made an international trip since college 20 years ago, at first mainly focused on traveling domestically, I actually was getting ready to start international trips in 2020, got my passport in March of 2020 and had a trial run with a stop in Toronto booked, with a European trip in the earliest stages for summer 2021. We all know what happened next. The good news was, though, those Chase points kept on growing, and by the time I was finally ready to go, I could afford business class seats thanks to that extended time. This trip was mainly a guided small group excursion to Ireland, Scotland, and England, which I’ll hold off on posting here because no coasters. However, said tour was only 10 days and I had some more time off. I also wanted to ease into the whole being on my own abroad thing slowly, and learn how to blend in better so I figured where’s a safe place to do that, and of course I landed on Disneyland Paris. It seemed to work, workers were speaking French to me by the end (I took French in high school, I can understand simple instructions and simple sentences.) It helped with the time change adjustment too. It’s also ridiculously easy to get there from the airport, you just hop the train and go one stop. The station is on Disney property.

Hotel: Disneyland Hotel. Ever since I first heard of it I’ve wanted to stay in a hotel that serves as the entrance to a castle park so I booked it, splurging for the deluxe room so I could get access to the deluxe lounge for breakfast. Let me just say, this is the hotel The Grand Floridian wishes it was. This is an actual deluxe hotel and if you have the means and the desire I highly recommend it. They have a great French breakfast buffet (amazing pain au chocolat, croissants, and baguettes not to mention the cheese spread.) The American/British stuff looked good too but I stayed away from it (other than some bacon) because I know better from my trip here in high school, French breakfast is the best breakfast. As for the commute to the park, let’s just say my room can hear the MSUSA music during park hours, you litterally just go down the stairs. Magnifique.

General thoughts on the resort: DLP is set up similar to the DLR, two parks bordering each other and a shopping district. I didn’t need 3 days, 2 days is enough but if pressed for time 1 is fine (at least until the Studios finishes its extension.). The castle park is gorgeous, easily the most beautiful castle park I’ve visited. Every land has walking trails where you can wonder off. This park also prides itself on its entertainment, and locals do too, I missed shows due to them being full, but I didn’t wait more then 30 min for a ride, and a vast majority were under 15 min. It’s like if Disneyland and Dollywood had a baby. The Studios park earns its “worst Disney Park” award as it’s like a worse version of DHS currently. That doesn’t mean it has no good parts but it really suffers in DLP’s shadow. The massive expansion should help a lot. Finally, a majority of park guests come from France and the UK, so pretty much every CM speaks both languages. All right let’s get onto the parks:

Disney Studios Paris

General: As said above this park is a bit of a mess at the moment with the central third essentially closed off to make way for a massive expansion (Frozen land, Lion King Log Chute, Tangled area, central lake for a nighttime spectacular) and the park itself is slowly ditching the studio theme. It’s “Main Street” is a giant soundstage themed to Hollywood at night. It then dumps you outside to construction walls, to the right is “Pixar land” as I call it, Crush’s Coaster, Toy Story Land, Remy and a Cars-ified version of the Back Lot Tour (complete with a still functioning Cars-strophe Canyon,) on your left is ToT and Avengers campus. It’s currently a giant U with the main entrance at the bottom. Much like my 2nd least favored park, DHS, it has some of my favorite rides and my favorite day show at the resort. It just is way too small currently.

Roller Coasters:
1. Avengers Assemble: Flight Force (4 stars): Other than the stupid name, this ride improves on Rockin Roller Coaster in nearly every way (the track is a clone and it was once this as well.) The story is that Iron Man and Captain Marvel need us to be bait for some Kree missiles that otherwise will destroy Earth. They plan to detonate them around you. Instead of a dated screen of Aerosmith talking to you get a very nice Iron Man animatronic, and the interior is all space mountainy with a few screens to show the heroes doing their thing. On the launch two trails of lights light up just ahead of you but said lights extend straight back past the pull up into the loop so if you aren’t paying attention that maneuver will come out of no no where. The ride seems smoother and less janky. It’s also stuck at the far end of a dead end street so the wait is usually minimal.

2. Crush’s Coaster (3 stars): The longest line typically in both parks. It’s a custom spinning mouse in a box with some light Nemo theming (the coaster part being of course a trip on the EAC. It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s not worth the wait it gets most of the day.

3. RC Race Car (2 stars): This is barely a coaster, it’s an Intamin launched U shaped shuttle coaster. It’s smooth and goes slightly beyond vertical.

Other notable rides/shows:
1. Tower of Terror (5 stars): This was originally a copy of the DCA version, I have no idea why (as it’s right next to Avengers campus) but am thankful it retains its ToT theming, however it too has been updated to have a random drop sequence. While the preshow remains the same once on the ride our host is now the creepy girl from the elevator (it’s raining it pouring) who, depending on the clip is sincere or not in attempting to save you. Additional kudos to the programmer who made it so sometimes you do a quick drop to start the ride sequence. Just an all around great time and usually a really short wait. This is the second best version of the ride (I still love the original the best.)

2. Ratatouille: The Adventure (4 stars): The original version, for some reason no longer in 3-D. It does have a SRL though which is great, and I got to eat at the attached restaurant which was good. Still just a fun ride.

3. Mickey and the Magician (5 stars): This is a really impressive day show about Mickey learning to be a Magician lots of stage magic as the fairy Godmother, Lumiere, Rafaki, and Genie help him. As with every show here if you want to see it arrive 45 min to 30 min before at a minimum because it will fill up.

Parc Disneyland

General: To put my Disney nerd hat on for a moment some of my favorite Disney rides (Big Thunder, Splash Mtn, Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, the Original Journey into Imagination) have all been created by one man, Tony Baxter, and he was the main Imagineer for this park, and does this show. This puts the park back in theme park, this park is gorgeous. Discoveryland has a Jules Verne asthetic, Main Street is super ornate and has themed indoor arcades on the other side of the shops to bypass the parade, Frontierland is gigantic and Big Thunder is at the middle of it on its own island, Fantasyland is part cozy village part Victorian park, and Adventureland is the size of Frontierland and Liberty Square, combined, with the giant Adventure Isle and Pirate ship in the middle, you easily get lost in a good way and find a new path. Disneyland is still my favorite because it has so many more attractions but if this park adds half a dozen more E-Tickets it could overtake DL. Very happy I made the trip, and I know it won’t be my last. Crowds were also extremely mananagable outside of shows. What a refreshing change from the American parks.

Roller Coasters:

Hyperspace Mountain (4 stars): Holy cow is this ride intense, easily the most intense coaster at any Disney park, I imagine with the old restraints it was quite painful but those new Verkoma vest restraints are very nice. This is a launched looping coaster, the Star Wars overlay does not really fit the Jules Verne asthetic and I hope it’s removed soon but still, what a ride. Was not expecting to like this one so much.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (3.5 stars): I call this the Galaxi looping model because it feels like that, and it is a bit unsettling to see that thin z track I associate more with Galaxis, dragon wagons and roller sk8ers on a looping track but this was more fun then it should be. Fun little coaster.

Casey Jr Circus Train (2 stars): This is a powered coaster that actually tries to be a bit thrilling (ie it goes at a pretty good clip) and much like DL goes around Storybook Land. Additionally, just like DL if you want to see the miniature models it’s best to ride the cruise boats instead.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: As much as it pains me, as this is my favorite Disney coaster, I was unable to ride due to it being down for refurbishment during my visit.

Other Notable Rides:

Phantom Manor (5 stars): This is this parks version of the Haunted Mansion and it’s fantastic. Located in Frontierland this is the home of Henry Ravenswood and his daughter Melanie. Henry founded the Big Thunder Mtn Mining Company, his daughter grew up to become a beautiful young woman who started attracting various suitors. Strangely, as they became fiancés they all seemed to mysteriously pass away. Rumors persisted it was her father’s doing but the deaths continued after his. This is a wonderful twist on the classic HM tale, and I throughly enjoyed it. From a ride perspective, everything up until the ballroom is just like DL HM except for tweaks to fit the new story. However, after that, instead of the attic you enter the bridal chamber to find Melanie crying and then transition outside to meet the Phantom himself who has dug a path under Boot Hill for you to join the Ghost Town below, and I mean that litterally. Still think the MK HM is better but I prefer this version to the original in Anaheim.

Pirates of the Caribbean (5 stars): Another staple of the Disney parks, this ride is again (as always) a standout. This ride remixes a lot of the experience, after a ride through a lagoon it shares with Capt Jack’s restaurant you climb a lift hill. During the lift you get the old fog projections of Davy Jones and Blackbeard. From there you enter a fort on fire and pass the two prison scenes (yes the first animatronics you see on this ride are typically the last you see) and then head “outside” to find out the cause of the fire, a pirate ship attacking the fort. You then turn a corner and drop into the lagoon with the Pirate Ship starting the “town” scenes. Four main differences, the Pirate Ship seems much smaller, with the exception of Jack in the barrel there is no movie references during the town sequence, the auction scene townsfolk are holding treasure instead of livestock, and in place of one of the turntables two animatronics have a sword duel. After the town you go down a second drop to what clearly was at one time all the skeleton scenes from the beginning of the ride, while some still remain the first scene (once the skeleton on the wheel) is now Barbossa who is holding a lantern and as you pass lightning flashes to reveal his cursed form which is a neat effect. The Jack figure on a chair sits on top of the treasure hoard shortly after. The bar scene and captains quarters scene is unaltered. Again I place this in the middle of the POTCs above MK and below DL.

Alice’s Curious Labyrinth (3 stars): This is by far the most impressive of the paths to nowhere this is a full on real hedge labyrinth that is about 8 ft high. Along the way figures will take you through the film culminating in visiting the Queen of Hearts Castle. I did not expect to have such an extensive labyrinth nor for it to be high enough to not allow me to cheat (I’m 6ft 2.) Extremely enjoyable midday activity.

Standout Shows:

General: There was so many shows I wanted to mention I figured it deserved its own section.

Rhythm of the Pridelands (4.5 stars): Located in Frontierland this is this park’s signature day show. It is not Festival of the Lion King, while their is some light acrobatics and two quick action sequences (Mufusa’s death and Scar vs Simba) it is mainly a condensed version of the Lion King where every song is sung. Two things elevate this performance, one is the costuming which was designed by African Artists and is lovely, the other is not only do you get every song off of that amazing movie soundtrack preformed beautifully but you also get the two most beloved and powerful songs from the stage musical, Shadowlands and He Lives In You as well. That last bit blew me away as I have never seen a park show use the Broadway songs, He Lives in You in particular always manages to pull at my heart strings, and spoiler, it’s not the only show here that uses it.

Music Festival (4.5 stars): This was the special event occurring in the park. Most of the shows are pop up streetmosphere shows (Miguel with a Marriacci Band, Rupenzel and Flynn with a string quartet, Donald and Daisy with accordion band, Minnie with a marching band, etc) which were great to just come upon but there was two bigger shows that I want to highlight. The first of which is the Pop Song show at videopolis that warmed this 90s kids heart, it was a throwback show to the kind of shows MK used to do in Mickeys Birthday tent with a live band and dance troop doing pop versions of Disney classics, the finale of which, that elevated the whole show, was Chip and Dale in Daft Punkesque visors coming out and DJing a medley at the end. Cringy in all the right ways (and I mean that sincerely,) just fantastic, works so much better with the chipmunks then Mickey like they tried to do in the 90s.

The other show, however was legitimately fantastic, “The Grand Finale” occurs at 7:30pm at the hub. Every single performer and character arrives walking or on cars and then hops up onto four small stages in the center to do a quick song, requiring them to move through the crowd and interact like rock stars, it was amazing and just really hard to describe. It’s also something that would never work in the States, and I highly suggest getting a spot in the center hub for this show if it’s playing when you are there.

Disney’s Tales of Magic (5 stars): This is the castle firework spectacular and it lives up to the expectations. Before I begin, I do need to go over the limitations, DLP can not do high altitude fireworks due to the surrounding farms, it can only do a few ground level shots and that’s it. You would think that would severely limit this shows success but they threw a lot of money to try to overcome it, in the form of projections, massive fountains in the moat and drones. Additionally creatively they made the decision to not go with the party/rave motif for the show they typically do and instead struck a much more elegant/magestic tone. Think more Wishes, or Remember Dreams Come True as compared to more modern shows. It works extremely well, if this show had high altitude shots no question this would be my favorite show, but even with out its still fantastic.

The show starts with Pinocchio being brought to life by the blue fairy, after which her wand rises up to touch the top of the castle only to come down and be caught by the fairy godmother to give Cinderella her happily ever after. We then go through a “I want medley” before we transition to space when all of a sudden new stars appear in the sky (drones) signaling the “fun section” that mainly consists in a battle between Buzz and Zurg (the drones at one point make the Pizza Planet Alien who then speaks his classic line “Ooooo”) but also there is a short Wall-e portion as well. After that we return to earth, and the first time I watched it I saw everyone’s phone fly up at this point so I knew a great sequence was coming up, Raffiki appears in shadow and shakes his staff over his head spreading red fireflies above him both on the castle and in the sky. They then preform “He Lives in You” in its entirety, with the drones forming Mufassa’s head and with firework shots. Truly amazing, by far the highlight of this excellent show. After that we do the “scary” number with We Don’t Talk About Bruno (Non pas, non pas de Bruno) which was also fun. Then the finale which is as expected excellent. The post show fountains and projections are also well done and worth a watch to allow crowds to filter out.

Final Thoughts: I’m surprised with how much I enjoyed this resort I went fully expecting for it to be a one and done trip but I now know that I will for sure come back. My British Isles trip was even better and I’m going to have to return there as well.

How did you like the guided trip? I’ve always wanted to try one but my wife is opposed. We are spending the same amount of time just in Ireland but we have to take busses, trains, and rent a car and we will miss out on the north entirely.

I loved the guided tour, I went with Advenures by Disney, and thanks to them I did stuff I would never get to do otherwise (Private guided tour of the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels before it opened, private tour of the HMY Britannia where I got to sit on the furniture, spent a day on a Scottish Estate touring the gardens, the house, and baking shortbread, plus visited an Irish farmhouse and had lunch/baked soda bread) got local guided tours around Edinburgh, Dublin and Ireland, just walked into popular touring sites with no wait (Teeling Whiskey, Titanic Experience, Giants Causeway, Holyrood House, Edinburgh Castle, St Paul’s) and had phenomenal food and stayed in beautiful hotels.

It was really nice to leave most of the planning to someone else, I still had time on my own to do stuff (ate lunch in Temple Bar and toured Dublin Castle as well as saw Celtic Nights in Dublin, walked down to the Irish Sea in Belfast, Strolled the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and visited the British Museum, Westminster Abby, St James Park, walked around Whitehall and saw Phantom of the Opera in London.) You have to like the itinerary, and be willing to have early mornings but if you can handle that and be ok with the cost (I’m sure it’s cheaper on your own) but I certainly was and this will not be the last time I go with them. It was great, this was actually my second tour with them, I had done the Backstage Magic tour in LA (visit Jim Henson and Disney Studios, Imagineering and then do a bunch of backstage stuff at DL) and when I saw how well they organized things knew I was going to take one of their international trips.

Groups can be as high as 40, but my group only had 11, with two tour guides, it was dare I say, magical.