Disneyland Paris gives you plenty of opportunities to book things before you travel, but that does not mean you need to lock every part of the trip in months ahead.
Some bookings are worth sorting early because availability is limited or because missing them would genuinely affect your holiday. Others are much easier to leave until you know how your days are going.
For us, the aim is to get the important things secure without turning the whole holiday into a timetable. We book the parts that would be difficult or disappointing to miss, then leave enough space to change our minds, follow the weather, react to queue times or simply decide that everyone would rather do something different.
This guide is about working out which bookings matter to you, rather than trying to complete somebody else's Disneyland Paris checklist.
Book what matters. Leave room for the rest.
The easiest way to decide what deserves an advance booking is to ask how you'd feel if you missed it. Some things are worth securing because they are limited, important to your family or difficult to replace. Others are mostly about convenience.
Get the things that actually get you there sorted first.
If missing a particular experience would genuinely disappoint you, don't leave it to chance.
You're mostly paying for convenience or certainty. Decide what that is worth on your trip.
Not essential, but one of the extras we genuinely enjoy and use.
Book the things that actually get you there
Get your hotel, transport and park tickets sorted first. If you're flying or travelling by train, we'd obviously get those booked rather than leaving them until the last minute.
Then make sure everything is linked properly in the Disneyland Paris app before you travel.
Beyond that, though, we don't think you need to arrive with every meal, attraction and evening already mapped out. For us, that's when a holiday starts becoming an itinerary.
- HotelGet your accommodation confirmed, particularly if you're travelling during a busy period or want a specific Disney Hotel.
- TravelBook whatever gets you there, whether that's Eurostar, flights, LeShuttle or another route.
- Park TicketsMake sure your park access is sorted and that the bookings you need are linked correctly before you travel.
Book the one you really care about
Popular table-service restaurants can fill, so if you've got your heart set on somewhere in particular, we'd book it ahead.
Not because you'll definitely be unable to eat anywhere otherwise. It's because if that particular restaurant is part of the experience you've imagined, why take the risk?
You can book something well in advance and then, when the reservation actually comes around, everyone's exhausted, you're on the opposite side of the resort and nobody really wants the meal you've organised.
That's fine for us. It might not be fine for you.
Restaurants You Might Like to Boook
If it's important, this is one we'd reserve
If character dining is something you particularly want to do, we'd be much more inclined to reserve it. Availability is limited and these are experiences people can build a big part of their trip around.
We've done character dining occasionally and it can be brilliant. It's also expensive, and we don't personally feel the need to do it every trip.
Character dining can be a brilliant way to meet several characters without using up park time queuing, especially with younger children.
It is expensive, though, so we would only book it if the character experience is something your family genuinely wants rather than because it feels like something you are supposed to do at Disneyland Paris.
Auberge de Cendrillon at Disneyland ParisFood & Drink · Disneyland Park · Fantasyland
La Table de Lumière at Disneyland ParisFood & Drink · Disneyland Hotel · HotelRoyal Banquet at Disneyland ParisFood & Drink · Disneyland Hotel · HotelRegal View Restaurant at Disneyland ParisFood & Drink · Disney Adventure World · Adventure BaySometimes you're paying for certainty, not necessity
Photo: John Giannis TekeridisReserved viewing & show access
- You are paying to remove some of the uncertainty around finding a viewing spot or getting into a particular performance.
- We normally wouldn't bother. We're happy to arrive earlier, find somewhere to watch or work a normal show time into the day.
- If you've only got one day or a particular show really matters to someone in your group, that certainty can be much more valuable.
Premier Access
- You are mainly paying to save queueing time.
- We almost never buy it because we're usually at Disneyland Paris for several days and can try an attraction another time.
- With only one or two days, the calculation changes. Saving an hour can be worth much more when your park time is limited.
PhotoPass+ is different for us
This is where we're probably the opposite of plenty of people. We love PhotoPass.
Part of the fun for us is knowing where the ride cameras are. We'll be sitting there beforehand deciding what ridiculous face or pose we're going to do, ride it, and then go and see whether the photo actually worked.
Those ride photos become part of the holiday. So while we'll happily skip some of the extras other people consider essential, PhotoPass is something we genuinely get value from.
Don't book somebody else's perfect Disney trip
It's incredibly easy when planning Disneyland Paris to end up with a list of things the internet says you must book.
You don't.
Booking everything has a cost that isn't shown on the checkout screen: you lose flexibility.
At 3pm you might be exhausted. It might be pouring with rain. The children might want to go back to the pool. You might unexpectedly find a short queue for something you've been waiting all trip to ride. Or everyone might simply fancy something completely different to the meal you booked months ago.
For our family, having room to change the day is worth more than having every element guaranteed. For yours, certainty might be exactly what makes the trip relaxing.
Book the things you'd hate to miss. Leave yourself enough space to enjoy everything you didn't plan.
