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8 Things You’ve Probably Walked Straight Past at Disneyland Paris
Eight details, corners and experiences that are easy to miss when you are rushing from ride to ride.
Boot Hill
Phantom Manor’s story does not quite end when you leave the attraction.
Head around the left-hand side of Phantom Manor and you will find Boot Hill Cemetery, an area that is very easy to miss if you simply follow the main route away.
Take a bit of time to look at the headstones. The epitaphs are full of dark jokes, names and little details, while the cemetery adds another layer to the story of Thunder Mesa.
It is exactly the sort of place we mean when we say Disneyland Paris rewards you for slowing down and looking around rather than heading straight for the next ride.
The Dragon
There is a dragon underneath Sleeping Beauty Castle, and it is surprisingly easy to visit Disneyland Paris without ever seeing it.
La Tanière du Dragon sits beneath the castle in a dark cavern. Head down and you will find the huge dragon resting beside the water.
Do not assume it is just a static display. Stay for a while and watch what happens when it wakes up.
It is one of the details that makes the Disneyland Paris castle different, and it takes very little time to see once you know it is there.
The Castle Gallery
Do not just walk through the castle on the way between Main Street and Fantasyland. Head upstairs.
La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant tells the story of Sleeping Beauty through stained glass, tapestries, artwork and beautifully detailed interiors.
Because there is no ride queue pulling you towards it, it is very easy to pass underneath and never realise how much there is above you.
We think the castle is much better when you treat it as something to explore rather than simply a backdrop for photographs.
The Evil Queen
Next time you pass Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains, look up at the window above the attraction.
The Evil Queen appears at the window and looks down over Fantasyland. It is a tiny piece of theming, but exactly the kind of detail you can miss when your attention is on the entrance, the queue time or where you are going next.
You may need to wait a moment and keep watching the window.
Once you know she is there, it is difficult to walk past without looking up again.
Adventure Isle Caves
Adventure Isle is not just scenery to walk around on the way to another attraction. Go inside it.
There are caves, tunnels, bridges and passages to explore, with pirate details, skeletons and treasure hidden through the island.
It is the sort of area where having no particular destination is the point. Take a different path, head into the caves and see where you come out.
There is far more tucked away here than you might expect from simply walking around the outside.
The Nautilus
The Nautilus is not just part of the Discoveryland scenery. You can actually go inside.
Les Mystères du Nautilus is a walk-through attraction inspired by Captain Nemo’s submarine. Step aboard and explore the rooms and details inside rather than simply walking past the submarine outside.
It is easy to overlook because it does not behave like a conventional ride and can disappear into the wider Discoveryland landscape.
When it is open, it is well worth taking the time to have a look around.
Snow White’s Cottage
There is another easy-to-miss detail tucked away inside La Chaumière des Sept Nains, the shop beside the castle in Fantasyland.
Head further inside and you will find Snow White’s cottage hidden at the back.
It is beautifully themed and very easy to miss if you only pop into the shop, look at the merchandise and leave again.
This is a good example of why we tend to look beyond the obvious purpose of shops and buildings at Disneyland Paris. Sometimes there is much more hiding inside.
Main Street’s Hidden Sounds
Main Street, U.S.A. is full of details you will never notice if you only use it as the route between the entrance and the castle.
Every now and then, stop walking and listen. Around Main Street, Flower Street, Market Street and Victoria’s, sounds from the buildings help make the street feel lived in.
Listen for details such as tap dancing, piano lessons and even someone brushing their teeth above Victoria’s.
They are deliberately subtle. You are not supposed to have them announced to you. They are simply there for the people who stop long enough to notice.
More guides
Before You Start Your Park DayArrive early, know your first target and start the day ahead of the crowds.
8 Tips for Your First Few Hours at Disneyland ParisWhat we do after that first early rush: when to pause, where to look next and how to keep the morning working for you.
Extra Magic TimeHow we use the quieter start without trying to do everything at once.