Disneyland Paris is a magical place however it is not a cheap place. In this guide we round up our best tips for visiting Disneyland Paris on a Budget so Disney is both the happiest place on earth for you and your wallet by covering tips from best places to book and when to book to how to actually save money in Disneyland Paris Parks.
1. Check all the Countries Websites
I actually discovered this tip accidentally when I was using a VPN on my computer and was redirected to another country’s website. I was shocked to discover that the prices were cheaper than I was getting shown on the UK website.
So my number one tip is to go onto the British, the French, the German websites for Disneyland Paris because I bet you will find discrepancies in prices between all these sites.
Apparently you can use this system even if you want to book via telephone and just quote the price and the website you saw it on. I however haven’t tried this myself as I always do all of my bookings online.
Be sure to Check Package Deals – just in case
It is rare but very occasionally you can find a package deal that would be cheaper than if you booked all the component parts of your trip separately. I would say 9 times out of 10 the booking everything yourself is much cheaper but it is worth having a quick scan just to check as you may find something surprising.
Book Early
I can’t stress this enough – the earlier you book the better deal you are going to get. Flights, transport and accommodation will get more expensive the closer you get to your travel date. As someone who booked their last trip to Disney with less than a month’s notice I can tell you this from first hand experience and recommend that you don’t follow our example.
Travel in the Off-Peak Season
Wherever I am travelling in the world one of the things I always consider is travelling off peak. Off peaks is often cheaper and less crowded so is a win win. Off peak travel to Disneyland Paris is definitely going to save you money but the queues will also be far less. Its a win win.
If you are can’t travel in the true off peak season be sure to try and avoid the school holidays and the weekends as these will be the most expensive and crowded times.
Top tip: Don’t just think about your countries school holiday dates. France, Spain, UK, Germany etc will all have slightly different. Try and avoid all or as many as you can whenever you travel to Disneyland Paris.
How to Get to Disneyland Paris on a Budget
Depending on where you are coming from will depend on how to get to Disneyland Paris on a budget. If you are in Europe like we are now, driving is likely to be the cheapest option. This is what we did when we were travelling to Disneyland Paris from Amsterdam with our toddler and it was way cheaper for us than the train or the plane option.
However if you are travelling to Disneyland Paris from the UK or Ireland then you should definitely be shopping around to find out what is the best way to get to Disneyland Paris on a Budget. If you are travelling to Disneyland Paris from the UK then you should be considering:
- Eurostar
- Flying
- Car and Ferry Crossing
- Coach Travel
How to Get to Disneyland Paris on a Budget via Eurostar
Eurostar is definitely worth considering if you are travelling to Disneyland Paris from London or its vicinity. If you are considering taking the Eurostar then my top tip is to get this booked early as you are more likely to get cheaper tickets the earlier you buy. Last minute booking will see a surge in pricing
Another top top for travelling to Disneyland Paris on a budget via Eurostar is to get off the train at Paris Gare du Nord rather than booking directly into Disneyland Paris. Booking into Disneyland Paris is definitely more convenient as it means you won’t have to change however it will definitely add a fair bit onto your fare. Changing at Gare du Nord onto local transport. It will add just over an hour to your journey time but will save a lot more money.
For more Disneyland Paris Hacks including how to get from Gare Du Nord to Disneyland Paris and how to get from Charles de Gaulle to Disneyland Paris check out these post.
How to Get to Disneyland Paris on a Budget If you are Flying or taking the ferry
Flying versus ferry versus Eurostar for cheapest way to get from Disneyland Paris really depends on when you are travelling, how far out you are booking etc. My tips for finding the cheapest method for all of these is book early and if you see a deal fare price book it.
However be sure to compare all methods before you book. We use Skyscanner to compare flight costs, but be sure to have the ferry prices and Eurostar prices open at the same time so you can work out what is actually the cheapest method.
If you are using any form of public transport or flying be sure to factor in the costs of getting to the station or airport (i.e. public transport or will you need to book a taxi because of very early/late flight times etc).
Consider buying an annual pass
This is another one that may have you raising your eyebrow about but bear with me. The cost of a Disneyland Paris annual passes are actually not as expensive as you would expect.
There are actually four levels of annual pass for Disneyland Paris. The Disneyland annual passes are:
- Discovery
- Magic Flex
- Magic Plus
- Infinity
Discover is the cheapest and Infinity is the most expensive. One of the things to watch out for in annual passes is their validity as although they say annual not all passes are truly annual and have some black dates.
However if you are not travelling on one of the black out dates and are travelling a minimum of 3 but definitely 4 days in the park the annual pass will save you money. The annual pass is definitely value if you are spending 4 days in the park and could be if you are spending 3 days in the park but also plan to spend money on food and gifts in the parks then it could also be a saving.
For more information on planning your trip to Disneyland Paris in general check out this post.
If Not Be Sure to Book Your Tickets Online in Advance
If the annual pass doesn’t work as a cost saving to you be sure to book your tickets online in advance. Booking online in advance will save you time when you arrive on site (the queues for the on the day tickets can be massive) and also can save you a lot of money.
I usually recommend booking directly with Disney however it is also worth checking the prices with the following online retailers as you may find a bargain:
- Viator Disneyland Paris Tickets
- Get Your Guide Disneyland Paris Tickets
- Klook Disneyland Paris Tickets.
Stay off-site
There are lots of benefits to staying on-site at Disneyland Paris. You are in really easy walking distance or have a free shuttle into the park. You also get Early Magic Hours (EMH) which basically lets you into the park before the guests staying off site so you can get a lot of the big ticket items done before they get their big queues (i.e. meeting the Princesses in the Princess Pavilion or get on Buzz Lightyear’s Laser Blast). However staying on site comes with a heftier price tag.
If you are looking to travel to Disneyland Paris on a budget then I would recommend not staying on site but instead looking at the accommodation options in Val D’Europe. This is where we stayed on our last trip and it was very convenient. We were one train stop away from the park and our accommodation was a lot cheaper.
We stayed at he Ibis Budget on our last stay and it was basic but we only used to sleep and shower in. It was also exceptionally cheap at less than 90 euros a night for our family. If you are looking to save money at Disneyland Paris then I would recommend looking at the Ibis Budget in Val D’Europe as a great money saver.
You can check reviews and pries for the Ibis Budget here!
There are also Airbnbs and apart hotels available should you want to cater yourself. Val D’Europe is next to the train station and literally takes minutes to get to the park nd is a great option for families visiting Disneyland Paris on a budget.
You can look at reviews for hotels in Val D’Europe here.
I also loved staying at Val D’Europe as well because of the amenities nearby. My favourite was the hypermarket Auchan. This was a great place as we could stock up on snacks and drinks which leads me to my next tip.
Take Food into Disneyland Paris
For some reason when I was looking online there seemed to be a bit of myth that you can’t take food into Disneyland Paris. This is not true. They do not let you take large hampers or coolers into the park with you but you absolutely can take food into the park.
We found the best food to take into Disneyland Paris to be things that don’t spoil and we use Snack Bags to carry food into the park with us. We had peanut butter sandwiches, Ella’s kitchen pouches, cereal bars and of course drinks.
Drinks and especially water in the park is pricey and if you are travelling during summer you will need a lot of it. Be sure to take with you a collapsible water bottle and refill it at the water stations around the park. This will save you a fair few pennies.
If you or your kids don’t like water, take one of those squeeze concentrate squash with you to add some flavour into the water and problem solved!
If you do decide to eat the park then the most budget places are the self service restaurants. We ate at Colonel Hathi’s restaurant which was fine, nothing exceptional but cost 15 euros for a meal per adult so it definitely does add up. For a complete breakdown of the cheapest ways to eat Disneyland Paris check out this post. And if you are vegan at Disneyland Paris then check out this guide.
Buy Costumes and Theme T Shirts in Advance
The reaction of Ariel in the parade to see her in her costume
Kids love dressing up to meet their favourite characters and I found that you actually get better interaction during the meeting and also during the parades if you are wearing merchandise relating to a certain character. Costumes and even t shirts are expensive on site so be sure to take your Disney costumes and clothes with you.
We found the cheapest place to buy Themed T-Shirts for your trip to be Primark. They have a contract with Disney so have loads of merchandise that will be perfect whatever time of year your visit Disneyland Paris.
And while Primark was the cheapest I found for actual clothing, the cheapest place I found for actual Costumes for kids was online at Amazon.co.uk.
Also be sure to grab a pair of Mickey or Minnie Mouse Disney Ears for the entire family. These seem to be the most popular accessory at the park and I guarantee that your kids are going to want them. Buying these online in advance again will be much cheaper and also look great in your Disneyland Paris Photos!
For more tips on what to wear to Disneyland Paris check out this post.
Also if you prioritising character meetings on your Disneyland Paris Bucket list chances are you will be wanting to get the character autographs. Autograph books in the park are quite pricey so be sure to pack you Disney Autograph Book and take it with you.
Have you been to Disneyland Paris? What are your top money saving Disneyland Paris tips?
