Packing for a trip to Disneyland Paris can seem straight forward enough. Clothes? Tick. Toiletries? Tick. All your travel documents? Tick. But most visitors don’t realise there can be items you can take with you which will help you save money, time or make your experience that much better.
Knowing these hacks can take your trip to the next level as you won’t get caught out having to purchase unexpected items, will have a comfortable time and can enable you to have a more budget friendly experience. Once you are in Disney food, drinks and necessities can quickly eat into your budget. But knowing ahead of your trip what you can pack to take with you can massively reduce these costs.
Before we dive into the items that you should pack for your trip to Disneyland Paris here are some items that it is easy to forget!
- Sunscreen
- Poncho
- Autograph Book
- European Adaptor Plug
- Power Bank to charge your devices
- Foldable Bag (for all your purchases. Disney sell reusable bags, but the cost of these can add up quickly!)
Table of Contents
Food
Food at Disneyland Paris can be one of the biggest expenses whilst you are there. But you can save a lot of money by bringing food and snacks with you or purchasing food from certain locations. Breakfast is very expensive in the hotels and costs from around £18 a day per person. The options are not always too exciting and can be limited, particularly if you have any dietary requirements. Bringing your own breakfast items, such as protein bars, can help you save a lot of money and you can then use that cash to pay for lunch or dinner in the parks. A quick service meal deal will still work out cheaper than breakfast in the hotel, so it is better value to do this.
If you’d like to cut costs further then taking packed lunches into the parks can help you do this. Items that don’t require refrigeration can be brought from the UK with you or you can visit the supermarket in the Val d’Europe shopping centre just one stop away on the train. There are no fridges in the Disneyland Paris hotel rooms so be sure to purchase items that do not need to be kept cold.
You can also save money by choosing wisely where to eat. The train station right at the entrance to Disneyland Paris has a few bakeries that sell sandwiches for a cheaper price than in the parks. The restaurants in Disney Village are also cheaper, so this can be a great option to stop by for lunch to take a break from the parks or to grab dinner on the way out of the parks. There are restaurant chains such as Pret, Starbucks, Earl of Sandwich, Five Guys and Vapiano as well as table service restaurants which are also cheaper than in the parks.
Drinks
Drinks are another cost that can quickly add up in the parks. Soft drinks cost around €3.80 so keeping hydrated during a fun day at Disney can cost a pretty penny! Luckily there are a few ways you can reduce this cost! The simplest option is to bring your own refillable water bottle. You can then either fill it up at the water fountains around the parks or in your hotel room as the water is safe to drink in France. All restaurants can give you free tap water. Both quick service and table service restaurants offer this, just ask for a cup of tap water when visiting.
If you are looking for drinks other than water the best place to buy these is in the Relay shop in the train station at the gates of Disneyland Paris. They offer a large range of drinks here and the prices are cheaper than what you will pay in the parks. You can bring your own food and drink into Disney so it is a great idea to stop by here on your way into Disney for the day.
Another great hack is if you are staying at a Disneyland Paris hotel you can get four free drinks a day from the vending machines in your hotel. These machines offer quite a large range of different hot beverages. This isn’t massively publicised but you can save a lot of money getting your hot drinks from here!
Packing cubes
A top tip that I use for packing is to use packing cubes. This will revolutionise the way you pack your bag when travelling! Packing Cubes are a fantastic way to save space in your case, which not only means you can have room to pack things like breakfast foods, but will also give you room to bring home any souvenirs you want!
Packing cubes are usually sold in sets, with multiple different sizes of cube for different items of clothing. Not only do they help to fit so much more into your bag they also keep you case neat, so nothing will fall out of your bag and get lost.
Packing cubes are perfect to help you take just a small cabin case or backpack as your luggage to Disneyland Paris. Nowaday where you have to pay for all the different bags you take with you on planes, taking smaller cases is better as it is much cheaper. Packing cubes can help you cut down on costs for your holiday as they enable you to fit more into your cabin cases, saving you from having to pay out for a large hold suitcase.
Comfortable Shoes
The shoes you wear to Disneyland Paris can make or break your trip! On average you will walk 20,000 steps a day, which is around 8.5 miles! Due to this the correct footwear can either make your trip a comfortable one or a very painful one!
The best type of shoes are already broken in. It can be tempting to purchase new shoes to match all your Disney outfits but if you do make sure you have worn them for a while so you can avoid getting blisters and know that they are comfortable walking long distances in. You will also want supportive shoes that have cushioning. Sometimes a trip to Disney can be function over fashion, but believe me you will have a much better time for it!
Some other ways to give your feet a well earned break so you can enjoy your trip to Disneyland Paris the most is to take frequent breaks. Some great ways to do this include going to see one of the amazing shows or visiting a table service restaurant for a sit down meal. Alternating walking and sitting can help. A trip on the Disneyland Railroad is a great option for a break as you get to see areas of the park you normally wouldn’t be able too. You can also use the train as a mode of transportation as there are four train stations around the park.
Layers
Disneyland Paris is a great destination to visit all year around, but no matter when you visit the weather can be a bit unpredictable. It is always good to take a few layers with you just in case the weather changes throughout your trip. It is a good idea to add an extra sweatshirt or jumper in colder months, a raincoat or poncho in rainy seasons and items such as a fan or cooling towel for hot months.
If there is a sudden change in weather (check out our wet weather at disneyland paris article!) that was not predicted it is good to know that you can buy clothing at Disneyland Pars as a backup. The downside to this is that apparel can be expensive, particularly if you were not planning to already purchase some items of clothing as a souvenir to take home with you. Sweatshirts cost around €40 to €50 and t-shirts cost around €23.
To fit all these extra layers into your suitcase definitely consider using packing cubes, as mentioned at a top tip above! These handy cubes will help you pack so much more into your case, which is exactly what you need when you want to add an extra layer or two into your bag!
Now you know some of the best items that you can pack to take to Disneyland Paris that will really help to enhance your trip and save you some money! These hacks can help you cut down the cost on essential items so you can use your money to buy that all important Disneyland Paris merchandise and make sure you can have a comfortable trip without any unexpected costs popping up and throwing you into a tailspin!
FAQs
Does Disneyland Paris allow backpacks?
Yes! And can take backpacks and bags into the parks and on to all the rides at Disneyland Paris apart from RC Racer and Parachute Drop. These rides have free storage for your bags for the duration of your ride.
What can’t you bring to Disneyland Paris?
There are a few items that are prohibited from bringing into Disneyland Paris so knowing this beforehand can help massively! Be sure to leave at home:
- Selfie sticks
- Items with wheels, such as large suitcases, skateboards, scooters, roller blades, roller skates or shoes with retractable wheels.
- Alcoholic beverages
- Weapons of any kind
- Folding chairs
- Glass containers (including bottles, jars and perfumes)
- Pets (unless guide dogs or service animals)
- Large picnic hampers or coolers
