Anyone who knows me, knows my love for Disneyland. Disneyland is to Brittany like peanut butter is to jelly. I don’t know what it is, but I have always had a love for this place. I grew up going to Disneyland, and as an adult I have been for Halloween, for Christmas, for my 21st birthday, and it’s where I ran my first half marathon.
I knew there was a Disneyland Paris, but I never thought I would go.
Paris was never on my radar, but the one place that put it there was Disneyland. I briefly entertained the idea of going to Disneyland Paris with my roommate MaryBeth a few months ago, and when she expressed interest I knew we had to make this work. Never did I imagine I would find myself walking through the gates of the happiest place on earth…Europe edition.
Disneyland Paris is smaller than the parks in the states, but I loved every part of it. We arrived at open and left at close, which wasn’t hard to do as the park was only open for 8 hours. I couldn’t have asked for a better adventure. Going in January meant less crowds allowing us to go on every ride we wanted, and we really only waited in a long line once.
Disneyland Paris is very similar to Disneyland, Main Street felt just like it does in California (albeit smaller), but one major difference was the food. There were no snack stalls around (maybe because it was winter?) and the restaurant options were more French themed. Naturally. I thought the food was fine, but we met a few other Americans that thought the food was gross.
I stuck to basics like salad, cake, popcorn, and a cupcake. Everything for me was good aside from the cupcake…but it was worth it because…Minnie.
If you avoid reading the signs, everything felt as it does in California. The audio for the rides are all in French, but they also had English audio most of the time. The signs are all in French, but it’s not hard to figure out what the rides are if you’re a seasoned Disney goer.
“que le monde est petit!”
Disneyland in the states usually has multiple languages spoken, so really it didn’t feel like I was in France. There were a few differences in rides, like Space Mountain in France is “Hyperspace Mountain” and it was Star Wars themed, Indiana Jones was a weird roller coaster in France (I prefer the California ride), and the Haunted Mansion was legit scary.
Fantasyland still makes me feel like I’m eight years old regardless of where I am, and I now notice how much it resembles Bavaria and I will never look at it the same.
I never felt rushed here – I love how big Disneyland in California is, and the ride selection is better, but the mass amounts of humans and the long lines really taint the experience sometimes. This experience in Paris was much more casual and I would go back in a heartbeat.
The firework show at the end of the day was fantastic, and it was fun to see the Disney Illumination show on Sleeping Beauties castle. The show was in both English and French and showcased movies like: Frozen, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and of course…Star Wars!
I haven’t been back to Disney since moving to Germany and visiting Neuschwanstein, the castle that was part of Disney’s inspiration.
Château de Sleeping Beauty, ou Neuschwanstein?
This day quickly became one of my favorite days since moving to Europe. I will never forget this experience, and I couldn’t imagine going with a better partner in crime! Our tickets were significantly cheaper than they would have been in the states, and we included a shuttle pick up to and from the park to avoid dealing with parking/trains.
Me when I’m stressed.
A stress free visit to the happiest place on earth. Until next time Disney, Au revoir.
Q: Disney fan?
Blissfulbritt 