Disneyland Paris is one of Europe’s premier theme parks but it can have a reputation for being a little “kiddy”. When you are competing with Europe Park, Efftling and Alton Towers with huge coasters and thrills galore, the rides can seem a bit tame and the theming something from our childhoods. However, I can categorically state that no matter how old you are, you are going to have a blast. So if you’re all grown up, taking a child-free trip with your friends or significant other, here are some top Disneyland Paris tips for adults.

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“I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty.” – Walt Disney on why he would wholeheartedly approve of Disney adults!

1. Don’t Miss the Arcades

Whether you need to get down in a hurry, or you need somewhere to relax for a while, the arcades that run parallel to Main Street in Disneyland Park are a good bet. For some reason, these two stretches of covered walkway, that run behind the shops, are ignored by most people. Maybe they think they are for shop deliveries? You’ll find cute pavement cafes, some history of America(?) and the parks in here, and just a spot which seems distinctly more chilled. This also means you can dash through if you are in a rush, or hide from the rain if needs be.

The Liberty Arcade is all about the link between the USA and France, including the Statue of Liberty. Pop behind this sign for a random diorama of its opening day in NYC.

The Discovery Arcade has display cabinets that celebrate the history of some important inventions and a set toilets.

2. Enjoy an Adult Beverage

Although things are changing over in WDW, they still have a long way to go when it comes to alcohol. DLP was the first “castle park” to introduce alcohol way back in 1993. (I think WDW has only just started serving in the last year). Throughout US parks, cocktails are available in selected spots (and all around the world in EPCOT) but on the whole they are sugary, sweet and brightly coloured. Usually they are tasty but you never quite feel sophisticated with one. Basically, they are made to be an event, part of the important snack culture in the US parks.

In Disneyland Paris however, you can grab a glass of wine or bottle of beer in most eating spots. That includes both table and counter service locations. It is deemed to be part of the French experience. The sad part of this drinks experience is that most of the bars within the parks serve the same thing, rather than the drastically different menus in the US parks. This means a bar crawl isn’t as exciting and you aren’t going anywhere specific for your favourite beverage.

There is one main exception to this, however. Main Street has a cart that serves Champagne and ordering a glass here feels fun and decadent. The bubbly comes in a plastic glass with a logo and that is for you to keep. Its a nice souvenir. Look for the cart outside Gibson Girl in the afternoon and evening.

The hotels and Disney village are another matter…but we will talk about that later.

3. Hit All of the DIsneyland Paris Rides for Adults

OK, so technically none of these rides are only for adults.

• RC Racer – This really might not look all that but you will really lose your tummy, especially if you sit in one of the back rows.
• Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain – Although I miss the original Jules Verne themeing, this is pretty cool and has the best launch at the beginning. This goes upside down and can be a little head bumpy so take your ears and hats off. Sit at the front for the best experience.
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril – This is an OG Paris ride but was bought as one of those build-a-rollercoaster kits so I am sure I have ridden the exact same ride in two other parks in the world. It is a bone-jangler and you will be whipped about a bit as it zips around at 35mph.
• Avengers Assemble: Flight Force – Rock and Rollercoaster has had quite the facelift at DLP. It races up to 57mph with a decent launch at the beginning. Again this one can be bit of a head rattler.
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – Although this is beside Avenger’s Campus, it has been spared the Guardians of Galaxy retheme seen elsewhere and is still based on the ’50s Twilight Zone., It is a multi-drop ride and is a bit too hardcore for me (but even the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop is a little too droppy for me).
• Crush’s Coaster – Crush traverses the tracks at speeds of up to 40mph but the spinning ride vehicle can increase the G-force and make it feel crazy.
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – This is more intense than the same ride elsewhere in the world. The final section of the ride zooms up to 100mph in the final tunnel. Sit at the back for the wildest experience.

4. Give Everyone a Break

Yourselves

Long park days are tiring, and not just for little ones. You are going to be walking tens of thousands of steps and being up from dawn to dusk. Remember to take breaks and relax. If you start to get irritable with each other, it is time to stop and watch a show or grab a bite to eat with a seat. In fact, queueing for shows like Mickey and the Magician is the perfect excuse to have a snack whilst sitting on the floor and relaxing…and then you get to sit down even more as you watch the show.

Other People

Everyone is trying to have an amazing day despite the crowds and the planning. The weather may be maddening hot, or depressingly rainy and tempers may be fraying. Forgive crying children, pushy parents and stressed out families. They are all just trying to have a magical time after shelling out lots of money on this trip, in the same way you are. As Lucy from my favourite podcast The Disneyland Paris Show says, “Be The Magic”.

5. Skipping the Queues

Premier Access

This is the Disneyland Paris’ paid queue skipping pass. There are two versions of this.

You can either buy the pass for the day, Disney Premier Access Ultimate, and it will give you fast track entrance to the included rides once over the course of the day. Alternatively, you can opt to go a la carte with Disney Premier Access One. This is bought for an individual attraction and can only be used once.

Visiting Disneyland Paris as an adult means you are dealing with your own budget and yours alone. You could splash out on something like this and here are no additional dependents that you have to pay for at the same time. This is good for you but it does make me a little sad for large families that can’t afford to pay for them all.

Single Rider

The single rider queue for the larger rides is used to fill up the ride vehicles when they hold an odd number of guests. The queue is usually much shorter than the regular queue as it usually means splutting up from others in your party for the ride. Obviously, families with children are far less likely to want to do this and so you can take advantage and enjoy the shorter line.

6. Go Beneath the Castle’s Facade

Disneyland Paris has the most beautiful castle of any of the Disney parks. Kiddos will find it pretty enough but it takes a proper grown up to appreciate all the details you can find here. Let us share some of our favourite secrets:

• Look up at the top of the castle. The 16 towers reaching for the sky are all inspired by real chateaus in France. The cutest detail here though, is the golden turret covered in bumps. Look closer and you will see that these are actually golden snails, escaping their spot on an escargot plate.
• The landscaping is unusual. Look at the trees and their unnatural shape. This is taken right from the artistry of Eyvind Earle who created the original Sleeping Beauty aesthetic.
• Inside the castle you will find two shops. As you pass through, the one on the right is the Christmas shop. On the left is the crystal shop where you can buy some wildly expensive crystal models, pretty jewellery and even your own crystal wand.
• Go up the stairs on your right and you will find the most incredible stained glass. British artist Paul Chapman was coaxed out of retirement by the idea of telling a fairytale through the medium of coloured glass. A true artisan, he had previously worked on windows in St Paul.s Cathedral and Notre Dame, and was officially appointed by the British crown. Clearly, the result is beautiful. Up here you will also find gorgeous tapestries, sleeping guards and even the cursed spinning wheel.
• Descend into the cavern under the castle (round to the left as you face the front of the castle). Down here you will find the gnarled dragon, slumbering gently. This is Merlin’s dragon but you will find plenty of people who are sure it is Maleficent.

7. Give Disneybounding a Go

As adults, you are beholden to a few dress code rules:

• No costumes.
• No floor length dresses.
• No offensive slogans.
• A top, bottoms and shoes must be worn at all times.

When it comes to DisneyBounding, it is point number one that concerns us. You are not allowed to go to DIsneyland Paris in fancy dress (or in a costume). That is where DisneyBounding comes in. You CAN go to the park in clothes that suggest a character’s garb. You can wear the colours of a character with a few fun accessories, giving the impression of your favourite princess or villain. This is a growing phneominom and it is a nice bit of magic for the adults to enjoy. It is fun both to Bound, and to see if you can work out other peoples’. Here are a few examples of my DisneyBounds:

Check out our full article all about DisneyBounding

8. Get Your Gram On!

There are some excellent places to get photos in Disneyland Paris, perfect for bragging on social media.

• Sleeping Beauty’s Castle – It is THE castle and its square trees and pink and blue hues are just stunning.
• Fantasia Gardens – Before you enter the park, you will walk through Fantasia Gardens. Don’t ignore the gorgeous landscaping. It was influenced by Versailles’ formal gardens and includes a gorgeous floral clock of Mickey.
• Main Street Square – The bandstand in the centre frames the castle perfectly.
• Toy Story Land – Giant toys and characters from the film bring this land to life.
• Alice’s Curious Labyrinth – This attraction is unique to Paris and is worth exploring. It is full of characters from the film and a cool Cheshire cat hedge. At the end you will find the very cool castle of the Queen of Hearts which is cool in itself and is a great spot to take a selfie with the main castle.
• Walt Disney’s Studios Park Gates – Based on a pair of classic Hollywood studio gates, these never have a crowd and are pretty iconic.
• The Partner Statue at Hollywood Boulevard – Mickey and Walt holding hands…need i say more.
• Bistro Chez Rémy – Giant plates, champagne corks and more make you feel lie you have shrunk to the size of a rat. It is very Instagrammable.
• Pink Porch – Opposite the Coca-Cola van on Main Street, this pretty pink house might not scream Disney but its one for the IYKYK crowd.

9. Relax in a Bar

Outside of the parks, it is time to look for some of those speciality cocktails akin to those across the pond. I know we have mentioned alcoholic drinks but this is about the atmosphere and the more unique drinks. These are a few of the best places to grab a bevvi9e of an evening.

• Fleur de Lys Bar, The Disneyland Hotel – Mentally prepare your wallet for this option, as it is the most expensive. You’ll see a lot of champagne on this menu which is expected for their high end bar, but the champagne-based cocktails are an eye-wateringly high price (€28 a pop) and some are very strange. This is worth a visit for a quieter experience and for a little poke around the hotel, but it isn’t that fun and the normal cocktails can be found elsewhere for much cheaper.
• The Bleeker Lounge, Art of Marvel Hotel – Open in the afternoon and evening, Bleeker Lounge has a really cool Manhattan loft vibe and some very fun cocktails.
• Skyline Bar, Art of Marvel Hotel – In the same hotel, with “views” of the New York, Skyline Bar serves classic cocktails including Manhattans and Martinis. It gives the impression of a classy high rise bar in the city. Pay attention and you might spot a Marvel character jetting across the sky.
• Redwood Bar and Lounge, Sequoia Lodge – This bar is so cozy. It has an American lodge theme with lots of wood and an exposed stone fireplace with a roaring fire.
• Captain’s Quarters, Newport Bay Hotel – A small nautical themed bar. You can order a couple of drinks and they will be served at your table with some nuts and olives. The only downside to this bar is the lighting which is quite bright so isn’t that relaxing.
• Billy Bobs Country Western Saloon, Disney Village – This is a Western themed bar/restaurant with live entertainment including circus acts, live music and more. They have a dance floor on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Sports Bar, Disney Village – If you want to watch sports, this is a great spot as it has some big screens. It is also good if you are on a budget, because despite the fact it serves many of the same drinks as other Disney Village bars, they are cheapest here.
• Skip the Royal Pub, it has next to no English pub charm.

Of course, nobody is saying you have to have a hard drink to go to a bar. You could enjoy a fun mocktail or a glass of your favourite soda product. It is just nice to have a space with less kiddos and a seat to rest upon.

10. Forget You Are an Adult for a Bit

If you can lose your grown up inhibitions for just a moment, you are going to have a magical time. Wave at your favourite characters in the parade, giggle your way around the carousel and watch the fireworks open-mouthed and put your cynicism aside. I promise you, nobody will judge you for having the most fun. One Imagineer, interviewed on “The Imagineering Story” mentions seeing a very fancy French couple waltzing to the Main Street Electrical Parade music. Too cute!

Plus, there are some of Disney’s old rides here that remain in their original form so it will scratch that Millennial Disney Adult itch. You KNOW you want to sing along with the dolls on Small World really!

11.) Don’t Skip the Fireworks

The fireworks show is a must see. It has nostalgia, sentimentality and big, pretty bursts of fire. The best thing? It isn’t after your bedtime! If you are ride crazy, the run up to fireworks time will let you hit some of the larger rides with a shorter queue, which is nice. However, the fireworks shows are great and worth giving up a few last minute rides for, especially if you are only here for a day.

12.) Dip into Paris

Disneyland Paris is just one hour away from the centre of the city by RER train. This means you can spend the morning with Mickey and climb the Eiffel Tower at lunch. There are even dedicated travel companies that run towards from Disneyland Paris to both Paris and Versailles Palace. of course, if you have visited the city before then you can make this a theme park only trip but if you have never seen the city of lights and love, then make sure you have a little time to explore.

Why not take a look at our Paris post here

Final Thoughts on Our Top Disneyland Paris Tips for Adults

As a child, I never visited a Disney park which is probably why I can confirm Disneyland Paris is great fun for adults. I don’t have those nostalgic memories of trips in times gone by. The theming, the fun to be found and feeling of letting Disney do the hard work all make it a wonderful trip. See you in the parks!

Rosie xx