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Disneyland Paris Deals and Tips on Visiting with Young Children

Snow White and Prince Charming at Disneyland ParisLooking for the best deals on Disneyland Paris holidays? Disney have plenty of special offers perfect for booking an affordable family holiday for half term or Christmas. Wondering whether your children are still too young to enjoy it? We visited in November, and sent Louise over on a recce in the Spring, and have spoken to plenty of parents who have been over to Disneyland Paris with toddlers and other under fives. The verdict?  It’s buggy friendly, easy to get around, and there are some wonderful rides and attractions even the youngest children will love.  Getting there by Eurostar is quick and stress-free; no hanging around in airports or trying to pin your child to your lap during take-off, and you don’t even have to worry about jet-lag. In all, a wonderful option for a fun family holiday close to home.

Read on to find out about all the super cool stuff for young children and families at Disneyland Paris, our tips on visiting with Under Fives, and their fab free iPhone app. And of course, check out Special Offers for Disneyland Paris before you book!

Disneyland Paris Deals:

Special offer : 50% off Disneyland Paris

Disney doesn’t do “shopping around” prices – their rates are the same across the web, so the best place to find current special packages and discount offers on park tickets, hotels and transport are on the Disneyland Paris site itself.

If you want to take care of the Eurostar tickets at the same time, we’d recommend Short Breaks – if you need help or advice, make sure you ask for Dinah! She’s a Disneyland Paris enthusiast, mum of a rambunctious toddler, roller coaster aficionado, and can offer invaluable advice for parents visiting Disneyland Paris with young children.

Book now with Disneyland Paris Official Website

Our guide to the best rides, attractions, hotels and places to eat at Disneyland Paris:

Seven quick tips on visiting Disneyland Paris with Under Fives:

1. Download the free Disneyland Paris App to plan your itinerary. The parks are very spread out and you really don’t want to amble about aimlessly looking for suitable rides, or be late for the parades or live shows.Disneyland Paris iPhone Application

View in iTunes

2. Go with friends! The Rock’n’Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror are absolutely fantastic and completely exhilirating, but there is no way you’ll be taking the kids on them until they’re much older. If you bring another family along with you, you can take turns looking after the children in the nearby Toy Story Playland, or at Mickey Mouse’s Clubhouse while a couple of the adults enjoy the big rides. Pay that little bit extra for Fast Passes so you can skip to the front of the queue and not waste precious time! You can also take advantage of “Baby Switch”, where mum can enjoy a non-baby-friendly ride while Dad holds the baby, then swap over and Dad can have his turn without having to queue again.

Mickey and Child at Toy Story Playland. Image copyright Disney/Pixar.

3. Be aware that some little ones find life size Disney characters a bit scary, so choose your “character encounters” wisely, or stick to the parades and live shows where your little one can watch in awe from a safe distance.

4. Book somewhere to eat in advance or you might struggle to find somewhere with availability at lunchtime. There are plenty of canteen-style options where you can just drop in for a meal, but with young children you’re much better off booking a family restaurant in advance.

5. Avoid the rush! If you can avoid going during half-term and other school holidays, you’ll enjoy your Disney experience that much more. You’ll have shorter queues, and you’re more likely to get a good view of the parades and live shows.

6. Bring a buggy along, even for preschoolers. You’ll cover a lot of distance, and your kids will be exhausted from all the excitement, and will no doubt need to rest their little legs. Some of the rides have a dedicated Buggy Park.

7. If your kids are already potty trained, invest in a lightweight fold-flat portable potty so you don’t have to dash out of the queue or run around the park looking for the loo, or worse, carry wet clothes around all day! Believe us, it will be the best £14 you’ve ever spent.

Information for parents visiting Disneyland with Babies and Toddlers

Slinky Dog from Toy Story 3. Copyright Disney Pixar.

Louise is putting together a downloadable booklet for visiting Disneyland Paris with Young Children, but while we’re getting it ready, here are a few important details for you!

Baby changing facilities are available in Disneyland Park, on Main Street U.S.A. near the Plaza Gardens Restaurant and in the Walt Disney Studios Park, behind Studio Services. These have been designed for nappy change and easy preparation of bottles or meals. Nappies and baby food are available too.

Buggies can be hired from just near the park gates, subject to availability, but they are very basic so we would strongly recommend bringing your own.

You can arrange for a babysitting service so that you can enjoy a nice meal or more attractions in the evening. Don’t leave it til the last minute – once you’ve booked your hotel, contact the concierge and make arrangements.

There are 14 family friendly hotels to choose from, to suit all budgets. Some will have the perfect room layout for baby or toddler, while others are better for older kids (e.g. there is one with bunk beds!). Dinah and her colleagues from Short Breaks can help you choose something suitable.

Disclosure: We receive a small referral commission from Disney and Short Breaks, at no additional cost to you. Our recommendations are genuinely based on our experience of Disneyland Paris as parents with young children, our recent “fam” trips organised by Disney and Eurostar, and we really do think Dinah from Short Breaks is fab.

Images used with permission. ©Disney/Pixar. Slinky®Dog is a registered trademark of Poof-Slinky, Inc. All rights reserved.

Written by Janis P.

One Comment

  1. Disneyland Paris is the perfect destination for children of any age – mums and dads too!

    The key to travelling to DLRP with small children is to be organised and to ensure they (and you) get regular breaks. Plan your day carefully, if you can, get to the parks early, that way you can get through a fair number of rides before the queues build up. Note which rides offer the “baby switch” service, travelling with little ones doesn’t mean you have to forsake the more grown up rides. There are baby stations throughout the parks which are great for a little quiet time out, although these and the hotels, sell a few basic baby items, the choice is very limited so you’d be wise either to take what you’ll need with you or arrange for our company The Little Concierge Company http://www.thelittleconcierge.co.uk to deliver everything your baby needs (nappies, food formula and more) directly to your hotel, so avoiding cramming suitcases full of baby supplies. Another good idea is to visit the resort hotels for calmer character meet and greets, a great one for this is the Disneyland Hotel, right at the entrance to Disneyland Park and welcome to a large number of characters at breakfast time and at around 4 pm, it’s the perfect spot for hassle free photos and autographs – it also sells a fabulous array of cakes and so is a great choice for a snack stop!

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