Disney Land – Paris

Disney holds a special and permanent place in heart because the first time I visited Disney World in Florida is the last memory I have of a vacation with my mother. I was about seven, maybe eight years old when my mother and grandmother took my younger brother and I on a “surprise adventure.” From what I remember, we got on a plane in the summer, walked through a gorgeous airport that seemed to have a hotel attached to it. We walked through the hotel that was made out of a light colored stone and had vines covering the majority of it with lights beaming from every window. We got in a car, drove to the hotel, went to bed and my mother woke us up early in the morning to get dressed for breakfast. I remember looking out the window trying to figure out where we were and she was recording us. She said “Can you guys guess where we’re going today? We’re going to Disney World!” And like two bats straight out of hell my brother and I started screaming and jumping on the bed and singing together “DISNEY WORLD! DISNEY WORLD!” The next year or two she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and I have yet to go on a family vacation that topped what she planned for my brother and I. So, coming to Disney is as close as I can get to feeling as happy as I was when my mother was alive.

While I was in Paris for a weekend on a little vacation with two friends, we actually didn’t know what else to do in the city for a second day, so we decided to go to Disney Land! We woke up super early in the morning, ate breakfast at our hostel, and then caught the train straight to Disney. What’s so awesome about Disney is that it’s so big it actually feels like its own little world. Whether you’re catching the train and getting off at the front gates of the theme park or if you’re driving to Disney World and the park has it’s own highway and monorail, it always feels “magical.”

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Getting to the park via train took 30 minutes and entering the park took another 30 minutes, which is expected at nearly every Disney Park you go to, and once we got inside we ran directly to the ticket booth. Now, there is a huge size difference between Disney World and Disney Land. To visit each theme park in Disney World, you pay about $400 per person, according to their website, because they have four theme parks. But, since Disney Land Paris has just one park, we paid $74 each to get inside. The ticket booth person handed us night blue colored tickets with Pluto on it, and we walked inside like the big little kids we are.

One downfall to this day is that it was cloudy, foggy, rainy and cold. This was the only time I’ve worn a heavy jacket inside of a Disney theme park EVER. Walking directly into the park we saw a beautiful bush garden that had colorful flowers aligned as the shape of Mickey’s head, and walking further in we passed the multiple gift shops and restaurants. They had crystals and figurines, customized mickey ears, book shops, candy stores, everything you can Imagine, and a clear view of the Disney Castle!

The first thing we did was find a restaurant and eat a quick lunch. We stood in line at a hot dog, western country side themed restaurant, ordered our food and waited for about 30 minutes in total, then ran around the restaurant looking for a place to sit. I got a hot dog with caramelized onions and cheese fries which wasn’t too bad. After our lunch, we ventured outside to start the adventure.

Immediately leaving the restaurant, the famous “Let It Go” began to play, but it was in french, and everyone around us was singing along. It was a really cute moment, and THEN I saw Ana and Elsa pop up on a horse and carriage riding right past us. We then raced in little go carts around the park before we toured the Alice in Wonderland Maze.

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The Maze takes about 10 minutes to get in and out since it’s very small. It’s essentially a bush maze with multiple in’s and out’s. It wasn’t really huge or extravagant like you’d imagine, but it was fun for the moment. The best part was seeing a giant picture made of flowers of the Cheshire Cat. Walking out of the maze, we sang along, off key, to songs that weren’t in English, and finally, rode on the It’s a Small World ride.

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I remember riding this ride when I was younger, and it was kind of creepy but was a had catchy song. The outside of the ride looks like a huge castle with multiple rooms and windows and tower houses that look to be made out of chip board. The good thing about this ride are that the lines aren’t as long as they look. It’s a boat ride that can sit about 12-15 people per boat, and most of the boats go inside right behind the other. We waited in line for about 15 minutes before we were up.

Riding through, the famous jingle immediately began to play, there were signs that said “hello” in multiple languages and then there were hundreds of dolls EVERYWHERE representing all different types of people and cultures. There was a miniature sized Eiffel tower, The Seattle Bridge, the Hollywood sign, taxi cabs and a Ferris wheel. There was a giant green sea creature rocking back and forth to the song and some of the dolls were dancing in yellow clogs. There was hundreds of different colors, dolls and tiny fixtures to see. The ride was about 15 minutes long, it felt longer than I remembered, but it was still just as fun.

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After roaming around, we headed back towards the entrance of the park for food. we walked into a bakery that smelled marvelous. Have you ever stood outside or walked past a busy Ben and Jerry’s? This cute pink bakery smelled like the sister of Ben and Jerry’s. Inside and outside, you could smell the aroma of baked goods, chocolate, waffle cones, croissants, and fresh crepes. We stood in line for about 15 minutes and then another 10 minutes after we ordered. I had the strawberry and Nutella crepe with a side of ice cream and it was just amazing.

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We then hurried up and went shopping before the parade began! I bought my great-grandmother a pink and while polka dot brioche of the Eiffel Tower with red Mickey ears at the top. For one of my sisters, I bought her a Swarovski crystal necklace in the shape of Mickey Ears. For my youngest sister, I found this cute little jewelry box that was Frozen themed, and when you opened it, “Let it Go” played with a pop up of Elsa dancing. Lastly, for myself, I made my first big girl personal purchase! I brought a pair of rose gold Swarovski crystal earrings that shined, sparkled and twinkled like stars on a clear summer night. One of my personal joys about traveling is when I shop for gifts to bring back home to my family and friends. Every gift I give has a story and makes for great memories.

After about an hour of shopping, it was time for the parade! Which is honestly no different than any other Disney parade. There was maybe 50 floats that passed us by with all of the different Disney characters in tow. It started off with Mickey, of course, in his blue and silver star studded wizard hat with Minnie by his side. Peter Pan showed up eventually and then Winnie the Pooh. Else and Anna came twirling out singing “Let in Go” but this time IN ENGLISH so we were able to sing along. it was hard to see everything so eventually we climbed on top of a trash can and watched as the parade drove by. The parade happened in the day time, so there weren’t any fireworks behind the Disney Castle, but the experience was just as magical without the fireworks. When the parade ended, we ran for the exit, jumped on our train and rode back into Paris, bought a bottle of Vodka for the night, took a nap and then got dressed for our night out.

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I had a red eye to catch around 6 in the morning, so at 9pm we took a few shots of vodka in my hotel room and then found ourselves at a cute little bar. The music and the vibe was okay, but it wasn’t until about 12am when the music progressively got better. There were people dancing on bars, taking shots, making out and having a fun time. Around 2am we left the bar and headed back to the hotel where I had to pack my clothes and go back to the airport. I said my goodbyes to my friends, thanked them for my invitation to this beautiful city, and eventually woke up in Casablanca (I was drunk the entire plane ride and actually got lost in the airport. Shout out to the Air France employees who helped me!).

Honestly, I’d rate Disney Land Paris a 5/10. I don’t see myself going back unless I’d want to bring my children one day. There weren’t many attractions for adults and the park was a little outdated. The experience was fun and I’m blessed to say that I’ve visited Disney in Paris and if you have the chance to go, you should try it out for yourself!