Christmas At Disneyland Paris (2024): Here is Everything You Need To Know Before Your Trip
Want to spend Christmas at Disneyland Paris but not sure how to plan your trip? This article will give you all the details you need to know!
If you know me or are a long-time reader of this blog, you know I am a self-proclaimed Disneyland Paris fanatic!
I’ve visited Disneyland Paris a number of times but my favorite was during Christmas! Disney is magical all year round, but it truly outdoes itself during this “most beautiful time of the year”.
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As in my previous article on the best tips for visiting Disneyland Paris, I recommend going there at least once during the festive season! If you’re considering visiting Disneyland Paris at Christmas, then this guide is for you!
I am detailing everything there is to know about Christmas at Disneyland Paris from the weather, what the crowds are like, the vibe, and all the useful practical tips!
Before You Go, Here’s How To Plan Your Visit To Disneyland Paris: Practical Quick Tips
- Before going to Disneyland Paris, make sure that you have already bought this 1 day Disney entry ticket to avoid wasting time in lines or this multi-day entrance ticket if you plan on visiting for more than one day. Ps. Do not buy the tickets on the day of your visit as they tend to be much more expensive.
- Take advantage of the extra magic time by staying at one of the Disneyland Paris Hotels. You can stay at Relais Spa Chessy Val d’Europe if you’re on a budget, Disney’s Newport Bay Club for a luxury mid-range stay (this is actually where I stayed when I visited Disney), or Disney’s Hotel New York® – The Art of Marvel for a luxurious stay. All these hotels offer a free shuttle to Disneyland Paris and are 10 minutes away from the park on foot.
- Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation, and more. If you’re considering travel insurance for your trip, check out World Nomads.
- You’ll also need sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes, and a refillable travel water bottle.
Disneyland Paris At Christmas
During the Christmas season, the happiest place on earth turns into a Christmas village with sounds of Christmas songs, dances, and performances from cast members who are perfectly dressed to bring out the Christmas theme, magical Christmas parades on Main Street that truly bring out the Christmas feels, the well-decorated theme park and let’s not forget Mickey and friends in there Christmas attires to lighten up the entire mood!
If you can’t tell already, my visit to Disneyland Paris during Christmas was a magical one that I’ll never forget! This is probably because I love both Disney and Christmas!
Ready to have the same magical time as I did? Keep reading as I’ll be going through everything that I believe is worth knowing before visiting Disneyland Paris during Christmas!
When Does Christmas Begin At Disneyland Paris?
The exact dates of the Christmas season at Disneyland Paris or Disney Enchanted Christmas as it’s officially called change a lot, but the celebrations usually start from mid-November to early January!
For this year, you’ll be able to experience Christmas at Disneyland Paris from 9th November 2024 to 6th January 2025
What To Expect At Disneyland Paris At Christmas
As you’d imagine, no one knows how to be extra like Disney, and Christmas sees even more decorations! To help you with browsing, I’ll be breaking this down.
Christmas at Disneyland Paris: Main Street
The Main Street is the heart of Christmas at Disneyland Paris! The entire street is decked in Christmas lights and decorations including the buildings along the street, Christmas and Mickey-themed Garlands, and more! The entire atmosphere just feels magical.
The gardens also take on a Christmas theme with lots of small Christmas trees, famous Disney characters miniatures, and more.
Since it rarely snows in Paris — meaning it also rarely snows during Christmas at Disneyland Paris either, Disney creates some kind of snowflakes that fall along Main Street — a touch that creates a white winter kind of Christmas!
They don’t do it all the time but rather a few times throughout the day, and it lasts for about 5 minutes!
Beautiful Christmas Trees
Just at the end of Main Street, you’ll find the main Christmas tree that is not only big and tall (standing at 24 m (78ft)), but also perfectly decorated.
The tree is beautiful during the day but it’s even more dazzling at night when all the lights are illuminated!
The entire Town Square looks like a Christmas village with additional smaller Christmas trees all illuminated in various colors!
Buy Your Disney Entry Ticket In Advance (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Before going to Disneyland Paris, I highly recommend buying your entry ticket here in advance!
Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade
This is probably my favorite part of celebrating Christmas at Disneyland Paris! This festive parade also happens on Main Street.
It starts with Disneyland dancers gracing the street with their perfectly choreographed moves and stunning attires that set the mood for the entire show, accompanied by beautiful Christmas songs! And luckily, I was right in front to see everything clearly.
If you think this is magical, you’re not wrong! It’s incredibly magical and I can’t remember how much I danced, laughed, waved, and screamed! This already impressive show is then followed by Mickey’s train!
And as Disneyland Paris calls it, it’s really dazzling! The train is perfectly decorated with various Disney themes and Mickey goes around waving at people!
Mickey’s train is not the only one though! There are a number of others that are equally impressive although everyone is always looking out for the main one!
Lastly, at the end of the parade, another train with Santa passes and it’s also as magical as you’d expect!
To be honest, I was like a little girl waving at Santa, and my entire day was made when he waved back to me! Don’t judge me! I told you I love Christmas and everything Disney!
The entire parade takes about 20-30 minutes and during all this time, I was like, I’d buy this Disneyland Paris ticket just for this! I was that impressed!
Disneyland Paris Christmas Fireworks
If you’re not yet sold, this is another reason to visit Disneyland Paris at Christmas, and I have no doubt you’ll definitely want to go after this!
It starts with a sound and light show with some of Disney’s most famous songs and characters protected on the Sleeping Beauty Castle with fireworks to set the mood for everything festive and later followed by a Christmas-themed illumination show, and if I haven’t said it already, it is incredibly spectacular! The entire crowd (me included) couldn’t stop saying wow at almost everything!
I was lucky to have gone to Disneyland Paris for Christmas during their 30-year anniversary celebration so there were 2 different fireworks shows back to back — one for the 30-year anniversary celebration and one for the Christmas celebration, and those alone are worth the entry ticket to Disneyland Paris, in my opinion!
The Disneyland Paris Christmas illumination show starts at 9 PM every night and lasts for about 20 minutes!
Related Post: Best Restaurants at Disneyland Paris
Christmas in Disney Village
Christmas lights and decorations don’t just stop inside Disneyland Park but they also extend to the village!
Of course, the decorations are not as grand as in the park itself but they also do something to spread the Christmas cheer, particularly the main street which is adorned with lights and Christmas trees.
There is also a small kind of Christmas market (just a few chalets though) where you can grab a hot drink on a chilly night or a crepe!
The best part about Disney Village is that it’s completely free to visit! You don’t need to buy a Disney Park entry ticket to access it to get a glimpse of Christmas at Disneyland Paris.
What Else Is There TO do At Disneyland Paris During Christmas?
While Christmas lights, decorations, parades, and nighttime illuminations make Disneyland Paris worth visiting during the Christmas season, it offers the usual theme park activities!
You should, however, note that these rides and attractions don’t get a Christmas overhaul in terms of decorations! They stay the same during Christmas like the rest of the year!
You can ride the usual rides and attractions like It’s a Small World, Big Thunder Mountain, Star Tours, Hyperspace Mountain, Phantom Manor, Snow White And the Seven Dwarfs, and so many others!
You can check out my complete list of rides and attractions at Disneyland Paris to know what to expect!
However, I recommend not setting your heart on a particular activity because it’s not uncommon to find some rides/attractions completely closed for renovation!
On my last Disneyland Paris Christmas visit, It’s a Small World was closed for renovation so I didn’t get to ride it which was a little bit disappointing, but because I knew beforehand that this could happen with any ride, it didn’t ruin my entire trip! Also probably because I had already experienced it on my previous visits!
All this is to say that just have an open heart instead of fully focusing on one attraction or you might be disappointed!
The good news is that most of these attractions are indoors if you’re afraid of the cold but even if some are outside, there is nothing a good jacket and layering can’t fix!
You can check out my article on what to wear in Paris in winter to fully prepare!
Are There Christmas Decorations in Walt Disney Studios Park?
If you don’t already know this, Disneyland has 2 Parks! Disneyland Park which has the kind of magic and fairytale vibe you’d expect at Disney and Walt Disney Studios Park which focuses most of the cinematic side of Disney!
Basically, this is where you’ll find attractions and rides based on hit movies from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel! Think Ratatouille, Toy Story, Avengers, Spiderman, etc.
If you’re wondering whether Disney also spreads its Christmas cheer to Walt Disney Studios Park, the answer is NO — at least in terms of decorating!
Unfortunately, this is one of the places where Disney lacks! You get to experience the magic of Christmas at Disneyland Park but as soon as you cross to the Walt Disney Studios Park, it feels like a completely different vibe!
There are no Christmas decorations, no Christmas trees, no lights, no NOTHING! The only thing that shows that it’s Christmas at Walt Disney Studios is the small Christmas market not far from Ratatouille adventure! You’ll find a few chalets selling some famous French foods, mulled wine, and more!
If you’re all about Christmas cheer, you can spend most of your time at Disneyland Park, although Walt Disney Studios Park has rides and attractions that are worth experiencing!
How Are Crowds At Disneyland Paris At Christmas?
Disneyland Paris is always going to be crowded, but Christmas time sees even more crowds! Schools in France and almost everywhere are off for the Christmas break, most people take their Christmas off, so you can expect a lot of crowds!
But even during this time, crowds vary depending on when exactly you visit! The crowds are usually manageable when you visit in November but as Christmas draws nearer, so are the crowds!
To be honest, just expect crowds regardless of when you go and there will be fewer chances of being disappointed, but if you want to maximize the chances of “lower crowds” go either in November or at the beginning of December.
What’s the weather like at Disneyland Paris At Christmas?
Since Disneyland Paris is just 32 kilometres (20 miles) east of Paris, the weather doesn’t differ much from the French Capital!
It gets cold at this time of the year with temperatures averaging around 10 °C (50 °F) or 7 °C (46 °F) if you visit in November or December respectively!
There are also chances of rain during this time of the year so pack your clothes accordingly! You can check out my article on what to wear in Paris if you’re not sure what to pack.
On my last visit, I was at Disneyland Paris for 2 days and one day the weather was OK and the other it rained, and although it wasn’t ideal and I would have preferred it not to rain, it didn’t ruin my Christmas at Disneyland Paris!
How Many Days Should You Spend At Disneyland Paris During Christmas?
![Sleeping beauty castle at night-]Disneyalnd Paris](https://dreamsinparis.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Sleeping-beauty-castle-at-night-Disneyalnd-Paris.jpg)
For all the times I’ve visited Disney, I spent 2 days and 1 night, but some people are ok to spend just one day! What do I recommend?
As someone who has been there a number of times, I recommend visiting Disneyland Paris at Christmas or any other time for 2 days!
This is enough time to fully take in Christmas Cheer — the parades, decorations, and nighttime spectacles while also still having time to enjoy the rides and attractions!
An overnight stay — if you stay at one of the Disney hotels (more on this later) will also give you access to the extra magic hour where you enjoy Disneyland Paris from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM before the park opens to the rest of the visitors!
2 days will also allow you to see and ride a number of attractions without running from one place to another!
And since the Christmas season is usually crowded here, you’ll still be able to do a lot more even when the waiting times for certain attractions/rides are longer!
Where to Stay in Disneyland Paris At Christmas
Where you stay during your trip to Disneyland Paris at Christmas can make or break your trip — literally, so here are my recommendations for where to stay!
Like other Disney Parks around the world, Disneyland Paris also has its own Disney hotels all located in the Disney Village, except one that is located inside Disneyland Park (the main fairytale park).
While you can stay in other hotels and even campsites near Disneyland Paris, I highly recommend staying in one of Disney’s hotels.
On top of taking advantage of the extra magic hour, these hotels are all located less than 15 minutes away on foot from the parks and even if you don’t want to walk, there are shuttles that transport guests to and from the hotels at various times throughout the day! Also, these hotels usually host Disney characters for a meet and greet!
One you should keep in mind about Disneyland hotels is that you’re always going to feel like you’re paying way more than the value you’re getting because, to be honest, they’re kind of overpriced, but that’s expected as with everything with a high demand!
Anyway, here are the hotels I recommend staying at!
Disney’s Newport Bay Club
I stayed at this hotel on my first visit to Disneyland Paris, and I couldn’t have been happier! The façade of the hotel is beautiful but so are its surroundings since it’s located near the lake!
Some rooms in this hotel even offer lake views! The hotel lobby is also stunning and so is the breakfast!
The room itself wasn’t luxurious but it had everything I needed! I didn’t stay here during Christmas but according to what I saw at another Disney hotel, I believe they decorate the hotel to fully bring out the Christmas mood.
Disney Sequoia Lodge
For my Christmas trip to Disneyland Paris, I stayed at this hotel! From the moment I walked inside, I could feel the Christmas vibe thanks to the beautifully decorated reception area!
Almost all the public spaces in this hotel were decorated to truly bring a Christmas feel, so you get a taste of Christmas before even heading to the park! As for the rooms, they were quite nice and big!
The rooms are almost the same at this hotel and at Disney’s Newport Bay Club, although the latter brings on a more luxurious look both on the exterior and the public spaces!
Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel
This is the newest addition to the Disney hotels and it’s perfect if you’re looking for a luxurious stay!
I haven’t stayed at this hotel yet here but according to what I read and the reviews, it’s pretty nice! It has an indoor swimming pool and a hammam, and it looks dang luxurious! Like the 2 above hotels, it’s also just a 10-minute walk from the park!
Disneyland Hotel
To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stay at this hotel regardless of how many times I visit Disney! At a rate of more than 1600 Euros a night, it’s just not feasible for me!
The hotel is located right at the entrance of Disneyland Park and if you can afford that rate, it’s the ultimate stay! It has been recently remodeled to include luxuries fit for a royal — after all, Disney calls it a 5-star royal luxury!
It has a swimming pool and a health club complete with a sauna and a fitness area, a spa run by Clarins (one of the best French skincare brands), a luxurious restaurant with special visits from Disney characters, and much more! This hotel is set to reopen in January 2024!
If my expert recommendations don’t suit you, then you can browse more hotels in and near Disneyland Paris here!
More Tips For Visiting Disneyland Paris at Christmas
I have a blogpost on all the best tips for visiting Disneyland Paris which you can read later, so I’ll not be going into details. However, I’ll be giving you just a few that I think you need to know!
Don’t drive to Disneyland Paris if you can!
Packing can be tricky at Disneyland Paris and expensive, especially if you’re not staying at a hotel to take advantage of the free hotel parking!
If that’s the case, the best way to get from Paris to Disneyland Paris is by taking a direct train on RER A to Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy train station.
Make sure that you take the train heading to Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy as this line also goes to another destination (Boissy-Saint-Léger). From the train station, it takes less than a 5-minute walk to reach the parks.
If your trip starts from Charles De Gaule Aiport, then you can check out my detailed guide on how to get from CDG to Disneyland Paris!
The other option is to either book this private transfer from Paris to Disney or take the Disneyland Paris Express shuttle from one of these places!
Eiffel Tower (14-16, rue Jean Rey – 75015 Paris) at 8.30 a.m., Opéra Garnier (8, place de l’Opéra – 75009 Paris) at 8.35 a.m., or Châtelet (1, place du Châtelet – 75001 Paris) at 8.55 a.m.
Don’t Wear Disney Costumes
Excited about your trip and want to show it by buying Disney costumes? You may want to think twice!
Disney doesn’t allow people to wear costumes as that would confuse other visitors on who the real cast members are and who are just dressed up and if you do, you’ll be turned away at the entrance.
However, a simple Disney T-shirt like this one is OK! If you have kids, then you can dress them in costumes but not adults!
Visit During the Week
Even though crowds will be there during the Christmas season, they increase even more during the weekends as more people are off work, so if you can, visit during the week!
Make Sure You Download the Official Disneyland Paris App
Finally, before you go, make sure that you download this Disneyland Paris app!
I used it all the time during my visits to check for waiting times at various attractions, to see which ride/attraction/parade is open/going on at what time, to make reservations at restaurants that require making reservations, to easily get around the parks, and everything in between! It was like my personal tour guide and I can’t recommend it enough!
Final Thoughts on How to Visit Disneyland Paris At Christmas
With this guide, I hope you’re now ready to enjoy the happiest place on earth during the most magical time of the year!
While some people say it’s not worth visiting Disneyland Paris at Christmas because of the crowds, I honestly think it’s worth enduring because as soon as you’re surrounded by all that magic, you’ll stop focusing on the crowds!
And of course, if there is something else you’d like to know as you plan your Disneyland Paris Christmas trip, just leave the question in the comments below and I’ll get back to you!
More articles to help you plan your trip to Paris.
- Best Things to do in Paris in March
- How to get from CDG to Paris
- Best rooftop bars in Paris
- How to get from Paris to Versailles Palace
- Things to do in the 16th arrondissement of Paris
- Best night tours of Paris
- A complete guide to the 20 arrondissements of Paris
- Best Souvenirs from Paris
- What is Paris famous for
- Fun things to do in Paris in November
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