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You might think that Disney is only for families with young children, but I’m hoping that this post will convince you that it is actually really easy to enjoy a solo trip to Disneyland Paris as an adult.
I visited Disneyland back in November when Christmas celebrations were in full swing. This was my first visit and I quickly discovered my inner child and found myself successfully resisting the urge to run through the whole park screaming as my six year old self exploded with excitement.
How to Enjoy a Solo Trip to Disneyland Paris
Visit During Term Time
I visited towards the end of November from Wednesday to Sunday and it was only at the weekend that I noticed a considerable increase in the number of children. This meant that for three days I was able to walk around in relative peace, allowing me to get to grips with where things were, take as many photos as I want and eat and shop without too many small people getting under my feet.
Take the Eurostar
Save even more time and money by travelling on the Eurostar. You don’t even need to worry about luggage allowances, just as long as you can lift your own case onto the train. Even getting through security is easier and quicker.
Stay in a Park Hotel
If you really want to make the most of your time during your solo trip to Disneyland Paris then you should consider staying in one of the on-site hotels. There are plenty to choose from, all with their own personalities and design and best of all, they’re all within 15 minutes walk of the two park entrances. This will simply save you travel time and even though they might be a little more expensive I definitely think it’s worth treating yourself to make your trip even more enjoyable.
Make a Plan
You could always just turn up and go with the flow, but I would recommend making a plan. In order to make the most of your time and see and do everything, take a good look at the website and note down everything you want to do. If there are any particular shows, parades or dining experiences that you want to enjoy then note them down.
Download the App
If you really want to successfully plan and enjoy a solo trip to Disneyland Paris you definitely need to download the official app. With this you can view a detailed map of the whole resort, this allows you to plan everything from how long it will take to get from your hotel to the park entrances, where every restaurant, shop and ride is. It gives you an idea of wait times for your favourite rides, daily schedules for parades and shows and will generally just let you discover all the magic on offer.
Extra Magic Hour!
If you’re staying in one of the Disney Park Hotels during your solo trip to Disneyland Paris you’ll be entitled to Extra Magic Hour, this means you can enter the parks one or two hours before the general public, although this depends on the season. If you don’t take advantage of this then you are a fool.
Start at the Back
When arriving at either of the parks it is easy to get distracted, if not slightly overwhelmed by excitement, but you should definitely start at the back of the park and work your way forward. Not only will this ensure that you don’t miss anything but it will also put you slightly ahead of everyone else as they start at the front and work their way to the back.
Use Single Rider
Help reduce the wait time for certain rides and fill seats by using the Single Rider Pass. Simply join the signposted queue, once you reach the front, you’ll be guided towards any spare single seat within a ride vehicle. Check the wait time indicator at the entrance, this should allow you to directly compare the estimated Single Riders wait with the regular queue time. You could save an hour, or you could only save a few minutes, but it all adds up to more time to do other things in the Disney Parks.
Find a Good Spot
If you want a good view of the parades you’ll want to find a spot early. Seriously, head to Main Street up to an hour before the parade is due to start and find the best vantage point. When you find the space with the best view, stand on the curb and don’t move. If you lose your spot you won’t get it back as the crowds get bigger. Allow any small children to stand in front of you and you’ll be thanked by their parents. However, if you are particularly tall don’t be crappy and stand directly in front of shorter people.
Table For One
Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner but avoid the busiest times. Have breakfast as early as possible and then head to the parks ready for Extra Magic Hour. Go for lunch any time after 2pm and then aim to have dinner around 8pm. If you are offered a seat at a bar instead of a table, then take it – the staff will appreciate your helpfulness and you’ll probably get better service than if you’re awkward and difficult to please. It will also help if you look at the menus and decide what you want to order before you sit down, this will also save time and mean you get served quicker.
Buy a Meal Plan
Food at Disneyland Paris is not cheap. A breakfast buffet can be at least €20 per day, other meals could you around €30 and then you have to remember that drinks are extra. Portions are quite large so I would personally recommend you opting for the Half Board Plus option – this means you get breakfast for every day of your trip plus one other meal (lunch or dinner) at more than 15 of the selected buffet and table service restaurants across the whole site.
If you think you might get a little peckish in between then buy snacks before getting on the Eurostar and take them in with you. Pack a refillable water bottle and fill it at the free water fountains. This could save you up to €10 a day.
Get Your Camera Out
Your enjoying a solo trip to Disneyland Paris then take your camera and wander. There are so many things to take photos of that you’ll probably miss if you’re only concentrating on going from one ride to the next. If you’re on your own then slow down, enjoy some Disney magic and treat yourself to some great memories.
Treat Yourself
You’ve enjoyed a brilliant trip to the happiest place on Earth, so visit the variety of shops and take some great presents home with you (whether you give them away or keep them for yourself is up to you.)Â
Have you enjoyed a solo trip to Disneyland Paris yet?
Let me know in the comments.
New Post Notifications
Have just booked my first solo trip for next year. Just a couple of nights but I’m really looking forward to it.