How to Conquer Disneyland Paris in One Day from CDG

Sue Winter — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 22:57:03 +0000

Layover at Charles-de-Gaulle airport? Spend it at Disneyland Paris! Here’s how.

Just minutes from CDG, Paris Disneyland is the perfect one-day layover for hard-core Disney fans. If you’ve always wanted to visit an overseas Disney park, your flight through Charles-de-Gaulle can absolutely take you there. Here’s what I learned when I did Paris Disneyland in one day from CDG airport.

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Paris Disneyland is only nine minutes from CDG

TGV train at Paris CDG airport station

Closer to its home airport than either Disney World or Anaheim’s Disneyland, Paris Disneyland is only a nine-minute train ride from Charles-de-Gaulle.

Paris Charles-de-Gaulle airport has its own vast train station, located below terminal 2. Trains depart constantly for the city of Paris, all over France, and beyond.

There are several rail options to get from CDG to Paris Disney, but the quickest is the TGV. On the route from the airport, Disneyland is the first stop, just nine minutes away.

This is what it looks like inside Paris Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty castle. Yes, you can go upstairs, and outside too!

English is widely spoken at Disneyland Paris

A quick word about a very commonly-asked question. Even if you speak no French, you will have no problem at the Paris Disney parks. All the cast members speak English, the signage is in French and English, and there are lots of English-speaking guests.

Signage at the train stations and Paris airport also include English, so you should be able to find your way around fairly easily.

Direction sign in Disneyland Paris train station

Stay at an airport hotel

This plan works best if you literally stay at the CDG train station. By which I mean the airport.

If you have a layover at CDG, schedule your flights so you have a free day between them. You’ll need to spend two nights at the airport.

Why stay here instead of at Disneyland? It’s simpler, and you can get more sleep. Read on to see how this works.

I stayed at the Sheraton Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport Hotel. It’s located at the top of the stairs directly above the TGV train station. The hotel has a restaurant and a bar with good food, it’s remarkably quiet for being next to a runway, and you can watch the planes from your room.

Here’s an Orbitz link to the Sheraton at the CDG Airport.

The Paris version of Disney’s Haunted Mansion is called Phantom Manor. It’s way more spooky than its US counterparts.

TGV to Disneyland quick tips

Paris Disneyland is located in the town of Marne-la-Vallée, about 25 miles from Charles-de-Gaulle. When you look for train tickets, Marne-la-Vallée is your destination.

The TGV trains leave, and return to, CDG frequently during the day. Most of them are going much farther than Disneyland. My train was heading all the way to Marseille!

The train station at Disneyland Paris is truly just outside the park gates. You’ll have a quick walk to either the Disneyland or Studios park.

You’ll step straight out of the train station into Downtown Disney. I wish Disneyland had this!

Since you’re only riding a few minutes, and getting off at the first stop, you don’t really even need to take your seat. There are jump seats right next to the doors at the end of each car. Just hang out here and hop right off at Marne-la-Vallée.

View of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad from the Phantom Manor front porch.

Buy your TGV tickets in advance

As you’ll see throughout this post, a day at Disneyland Paris requires plenty of advance planning. One of the first things you need to do is get your train tickets.

Charles-de-Gaulle’s TGV trains transport passengers from all over France. Which means a lot of competition for seats. If you’re looking for a specific departure, don’t wait to buy your tickets. I waited until about a month before my visit and had to alter my timeline because a couple of the trains were already sold out.

You can check departure times and prices here. Don’t forget to look at both directions of your trip!

Stunning stained glass inside Paris Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Delays are possible

This is the sign for my morning train to Disneyland. Note the “retard 20 min” notice, which means it was running 20 minutes late. The sign shows that it’s the right train – going to Marne-la-Vallée (and all the way on to Marseille!) The sign also tells you where to stand to wait for your car. Look for the letter on the platform floor that corresponds to the car number on the sign. (Note that the car numbers don’t run in numerical order).

Be aware that circumstances beyond your control can delay the trains. Both my morning and evening train had 20 minute delays due to some unknown factor.

When you only have a few hours at a park, every minute counts. Don’t waste it standing on the platform at the airport. So when you choose the train to get from CDG, give yourself whatever buffer works for your comfort level.

No, this is not the Paris Disneyland train station, but it is one of two shopping arcades that run the length of Main Street USA.

Luckily, I booked a train about 30 minutes earlier than I thought I needed.

Worst-case scenario is an unanticipated rail strike. If your train just doesn’t come, it will ruin the whole day. You could potentially salvage this situation by grabbing an Uber or taxi at the airport, but it takes a lot longer to get there, especially during a rail strike. Cross your fingers and toes that this doesn’t happen.

By the way, this is exactly why my advice is to fly out of CDG the day after your Disneyland day, not the night of. You do not want to be stuck at the Disneyland train station when you’ve got a plane to catch.

Two nights at CDG, one day at Disneyland Paris

When you schedule this out, you’ll need to spend two nights at CDG. It looks like this:

Fly into CDG – late in the day if you have the option
Spend the night at CDG
Train early to Disneyland Paris
Spend the night at CDG
Fly out of CDG – early in the day if you have the option

At the Paris Disneyland castle, you can step out on the upstairs balcony to catch panoramic views of Fantasyland.

Staying at CDG keeps things simple and might save you money on your flights

When you split up your flights to include a stop in Paris, it can add some additional perks besides a day at Disneyland. You may actually find that your plane tickets cost less when you don’t just fly to CDG, connect, and fly out.

When you don’t have to directly connect the flights, you’re freed up to choose different flight times and maybe even a different airline for the second leg. This can often be cheaper than just connecting on the same airline on the same day.

The CDG Airport Sheraton to the train station is just a couple of escalators away.

Staying at the airport means you wake up there for your flight out. So there’s no worries about getting there on time, no additional travel time on the day of that flight, and a generally more chill airport experience.

Paris Charles-de-Gaulle is also just an incredibly confusing airport to navigate. If you don’t have to rush to connect to a flight it will be much less stressful.

On the way back to the airport, look for “Aeroport CDG 2 TGV” on the signs. These are the trains that will return you to CDG.

A few cautions about doing one day at Disneyland Paris

Before I jump into the actual logistics of your day at Disneyland Paris, let’s talk about why you might NOT want to do this. Plus some advice about how to best explore Disneyland Paris as a quick stop on your European vacation.

Yes, there is actually a Main Street USA at Disneyland Paris!

Do it at the end of your trip

First of all, if you really just have a day for the parks, don’t do it the first day you fly into Europe.

Jet lag is the real deal, and the last thing you need is an intense 10+ hour day right when you get there.

If you wait until the end of your European vacation, not only will you have the chance to get a good night’s sleep, you will also be familiar with the currency and maybe even the language.

Avengers Campus at Walt Disney Studios Park

This will be very difficult to do during the Paris 2024 Olympics

If you’ll be visiting Paris during the 2024 Olympics, you should expect big crowds at Disneyland, every day of the week. So a one-day strategy could be extra difficult. Set your expectations accordingly and be sure to buy your train tickets as far in advance as possible.

Also, watch out for the dragon that sleeps underneath the castle!

Don’t try to do any Disney destination in one day if…

Just like every Disney parks resort, Disneyland Paris is not a place you can completely experience in one day. If you’re a hard-core, frequent theme park visitor like me, you can make a pretty good run at it. With some planning, as you’ll see below. But do consider these cautions:

It’s your first day on the continent

If you’re exhausted from a long flight, plus jet-lagged, but the beginning of your trip is when you can fit it in, make the effort to stay on-site at DLP. This way you’ll be able to return to your room when you really need a break, and hopefully you can allot more than one day to explore the parks.

Can you imagine getting off a ten-hour flight and onto It’s a Small World?? If not, be sure to plan your Disneyland Paris trip for later in your European adventure.

You’re traveling with little kids

If you’ve got a little one with you, don’t even think about seeing both Disney Paris parks in a day. The sheer distance you’ll need to walk is hard enough for grown adults. Little ones need to go at a slower pace, and so do grown-ups who are traveling with little ones! Better to make a trip of it and stay on-site for two or three nights.

Sleeping Beauty castle is stunning from every angle.

You haven’t been to a Disney park since pre-2020

If it’s been awhile since you’ve been to a Disney park, this may not be the time to try to do it in a day. Things have changed a lot since the old paper FastPass days.

If you’re determined to make it work, be sure to do your homework about the Disneyland Paris app, learn about Premier Access, and brush up on your ride etiquette.

Frontierland at Disneyland Paris includes the Molly Brown Steamship and Phantom Manor.

You are exhausted from the rest of your vacation

If any of the above are true for you, consider spending several nights on-site at Paris Disneyland

If you want a more leisurely trip to Disneyland Paris, you can choose from 7 on-site lodgings, including the Disneyland Hotel. The entrance to Disneyland Park is underneath the hotel!

Touring tactics for a single day Disneyland Paris visit

Make a plan

Advance planning is crucial for any one-day theme park visit. Disneyland Paris has two theme parks, including about 50 attractions, 25 restaurants, shows, character meets, shops, and plenty of other random diversions. It’s of course impossible to do all these things in one day.

If you’re really going to see anything, you’ll need to prioritize and plan your touring. I literally made a minute-by-minute spreadsheet, but you don’t have to go that far.

Start by researching what’s in the parks, then decide if you even want to visit both of them on your day. This will dictate what type of ticket you’ll need.

Adventureland at Paris Disneyland features a full-size pirate ship and a fantastic version of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Once you know where you’ll be, start looking at the lands and attractions. Make a list of your top priorities and try to estimate a time for each thing. You’ll need to figure out if you can realistically do everything in the time you have.

Want to see a discussion about how my plan came together? Watch here.

Here’s a 60-second look at Paris Disneyland Resort

How to save time in line at Disneyland Paris

There are some tried-and-true theme park hacks that can help you beat the crowds at Disneyland Paris. Here are my top tips, which really helped me make the most of my day.

There are two parks right next to each other at Disneyland Paris Resort: Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. Buy a park-hopper ticket to visit both on the same day.

Rope Drop

Rope drop means being at the park gates when they open. Preferably at the front of the line.

If you’re first in the park, you can be first in line and maybe even walk on to your top priority attraction. The key to this tactic is to get to the park well before the gates open, usually at least 30 minutes early. So be sure to factor this in when you buy your train tickets.

I have tons of advice about doing rope drop right – and wrong – here on the website and in my email newsletter. Here are a few resources:

You’ll pass through a bag check and metal detector on the way into the Disneyland Paris property. Be sure to account for a few minutes to get through the line.

Be aware of Disneyland Paris Extra Magic Time

Rope drop at Disneyland Paris is complicated by early entry for hotel guests. Hotel guests can get into the park an hour earlier than day visitors, which means there will be people already on the rides when you get to the gate from your train.

Even though you don’t get this magical extra hour, it still really pays to be first for the general entry. The first hours any park is open have the lowest crowd levels and the lowest ride wait times. So you can do more in less time.

Beautiful details in Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris.

Premier Access

Premier Access is Paris Disney’s paid skip-the-line system. It’s not cheap, but it can be a great way to get a ton of stuff done in just one day.

There are two Premier Access options: Ultimate and One. Premier Access Ultimate lets you skip the line once per ride on about 16 attractions. Premier Access One is a one-time skip-the-line for a specific ride.

If you’re familiar with Disney’s old FastPass system, this is the same thing except now you pay for it. Free FastPass is a thing of the past – you either buy the Premier Access or you go through the standby queue.

The Ratatouille ride has three different entrances. You’ll save a lot of time by using Premier Access or Single Rider.

Ride single

A free way to avoid a long wait is to use the single rider queue. Major attractions like Ratatouille, Crush’s Coaster, and Hyperspace Mountain have single rider lines.

Riding single is just what it sounds like. You’ll be loaded onto an attraction without your group, to fill in an empty space in the ride vehicle.

Wait times for single rider can be significantly quicker than the regular standby queue. A 50 minute standby wait could be just 10 minutes riding single.

Did you know that Paris Disneyland’s Hyperspace Mountain goes upside-down?? It also has a permanent Star Wars theme!

If a ride has a singles line, you’ll see the wait time displayed at the queue entry and also on the app.

Click here for more tips about riding single at Disney.

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris

Make a lunch reservation

Paris Disney has some really cool themed restaurants, and if sitting down for an hour in the middle of the day sounds good to you (it sure will when you’re there!), you should choose a restaurant and make a reservation.

You can book your Disneyland Paris dining reservation up to two months ahead. If your top choice isn’t available right away, keep trying. Reservations seem to appear randomly and odds are you’ll be able to snag a time that works for you.

Know where you want to go before you get there.

My day at Paris Disney

All these tips come from my real-life experience visiting Paris Disneyland in September 2023. Here is what my day looked like.

This is the plan I made before my one day at Disneyland Paris. The third column shows actual times when things deviated from the original plan.

Have a plan but be flexible

You don’t have to make a plan as detailed as this one, but it really did help me stay on track. As you can see, I actually accomplished almost everything on my list. The biggest thing that I skipped was the railroad. The waits were long and not all the stations were open.

I spent a lot of time finessing this plan. And I asked for help. If you’d like to see the process, check out this video.

Staying flexible when you’ve got a plan like this is not easy. I really wanted to do everything on the list in the order I’d planned. But mostly because of wait times I switched a few things around.

When you go for just one day, you have to be in the mindset that you won’t be able to do everything. Be realistic about how long it’s going to take to get places, and be sure to prioritize your top experiences.

Walt’s Restaurant on Main Street

For me, lunch at Walt’s Restaurant was an absolute must-do. I knew that it’s a multi-course meal and it’s in France, so I planned for 90 minutes there. This is a big chunk of the day but I really didn’t want to rush it, and the timing turned out to be perfect.

View from my table at Walt’s Restaurant

Single rider & Premier Access

What really made it possible for me to get on so many rides was riding single and using Premier Access One. When the waits were just too long, I paid the fee and skipped the line. There were only two rides I had to do this on: Crush’s Coaster and Big Thunder.

Weekdays are less crowded

Besides the fact that I was solo, and thus nimble, I went to Paris Disneyland on a Monday in September. Crowds were relatively low, which made it easier to get around and kept ride wait times down. If I’d been visiting in the summer or on a weekend, I would’ve expected to get on fewer rides.

There is no Tomorrowland at Disneyland Paris. But there is Discoveryland, which has a unique version of Space Mountain and a Jules Verne steampunk vibe.

Bring an external battery

At Disneyland Paris your phone is absolutely essential. It is your park ticket, your train ticket, and the only way to get Premier passes for the attractions. If the battery goes dead, you don’t have a train ticket to get home.

The Disneyland app uses a ton of power, and I found my battery drained 50% by lunchtime. Luckily I had a back-up power bank with me.

The automated turnstiles at the entrance to Paris Disneyland are just like the ones in the train stations.

Even if your phone is brand-new, be prepared to top up the battery during the day. Your best bet is a small power pack like this. If you bring a charger instead, make sure it can plug into a European power outlet.

Click here to find this power pack at Target

Click here to find it at Amazon

My Disneyland Paris in one day video trip report

Here’s the live discussion on Facebook where I explain exactly how my day at Disneyland Paris turned out. It was an incredible day and I hope you have as much fun as I did.

I’m sure there are tips in the video that I’ve left out of this post. Click here to watch, or just click below.

Have you conquered Disneyland Paris in a day?

Have you experienced a day at Disneyland Paris? What went right? What went wrong? Share you thoughts in the comments below.

Paris Disneyland really does have its own European sensibility.

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