We did Disneyland Paris in one day with hopper tickets, so a good plan was essential. We spent about 16 hours on site, including bus and extra walking from our lodge, and the kids (aged 13 and 11) managed surprisingly well.
We caught the 7:20am bus from Villages Nature and arrived around 7:40am, then queued at bag checks until 8am. I’d read that the Disney Village opens early, but the shops don’t open until 9am — only McDonald’s and Starbucks were available — so we grabbed breakfast there.
At 9am we queued for Walt Disney Studios Park since it closes earlier than the main park. We were about tenth in line, and when the park opened at 9:30am we were on our first ride by 9:35am. We focused on the big thrill rides and completed the following in roughly this order:
– Avengers Assemble: Flight Force — almost a walk-on with about a 10-minute wait. It’s a powerful coaster with dark, disorienting sections and strong sound effects; a definite highlight for thrill-seekers.
– The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror — roughly a 20-minute queue. The drops pack a lot of force and the dark, enclosed lift makes the ride feel intense and surprising; the kids loved it.
– Ratatouille: The Adventure — about a 25-minute wait. Cleverly designed with set pieces and kitchen smells that make you feel part of the movie; a favourite for my daughter.
– RC Racer — around 20 minutes. Looks scarier than it feels and is fun despite the single-car limitations.
– Cars Road Trip — roughly 15 minutes. A lovely surprise for the kids with a fun twist I won’t spoil.
We stopped for a packed lunch near Ratatouille and browsed the themed gift shop. The attention to detail in queues, cast member costumes, and ride theming really adds to the experience.
By 1pm we’d finished at Studios and moved to Disneyland Park, starting in Frontierland because I couldn’t resist Big Thunder Mountain. Over the afternoon we did:
– Big Thunder Mountain — about 30–40 minutes. A long, thrilling runaway-train-style coaster with a great atmosphere and clever queue details.
– Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril — around 20 minutes. A compact coaster with an upside-down loop and plenty of twists; the queue and theming are full of fun discoveries.
– Pirates of the Caribbean — roughly 30 minutes. A dark, immersive boat ride with a couple of satisfying drops and brilliant details (keep an eye out for Captain Jack).
– It’s a Small World — no queue; a calm, classic boat ride that’s hard to skip.
– Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain — about 20 minutes. A fast, dark coaster with a strong Star Wars overlay and a great launch—definitely a favorite.
We bumped into friends by the castle and took photos, then secured a spot on Main Street USA for the parade that ran until 6pm. After the parade we returned to Walt Disney Studios so the kids could ride more: Avengers Assemble was a 5-minute wait and Tower of Terror about 20 minutes. By 7pm we were ready for dinner and ate at Colonel Hathi’s Outpost in Adventureland — the food was comforting after a long day on our feet.
The kids’ top rides were Avengers Assemble, Tower of Terror, Hyperspace Mountain, Indiana Jones and Big Thunder Mountain. They’re 13 and 11 and over 150cm, so they could go on most of the big attractions.
As the sun set we squeezed in more rides — Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Hyperspace Mountain, Phantom Manor and one more Big Thunder Mountain — taking us into the late evening. Phantom Manor was unexpectedly good: no queue, very dark and spooky, with clever effects like a room where the ceiling appears to rise and a moving ride vehicle through eerie scenes (watch for the crying bride).
We found a good spot near the pavilion for the night shows. The Disney Electrical Sky Parade at 10:50pm was incredible — the drones and lights working together were mesmerising — and the Disney Dreams! fireworks at 11pm were magical; the final sequence was genuinely emotional.
Overall we completed most of the rides on our list and repeated our favourites a couple of times. We didn’t manage everything—Crush’s Coaster, Buzz Lightyear and Peter Pan were missed mainly because the kids wanted to redo the big thrill rides—but we were happy with the day and wouldn’t change our plan.
