Let’s Get Real. This Is the CHEAPEST Way to Do Disneyland Paris (And 3 Popular Myths People Think All the Time!)
Are you dreaming of a magical holiday to Disneyland Paris but worried about breaking the bank? Scrolling through Facebook and seeing character meals, Disney hotels and Ultimate Premier Passes – but feeling a little sick at the potential cost? Fear not! In this budget-friendly post, I will spill the tea on the cheapest way to do Disneyland Paris. From smart planning tips to deep discounts, let’s talk about the best-kept secrets to making Disneyland Paris possible (and incredibly memorable!) on a shoestring budget.
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⁉️ What’s So Great About the Cheapest Way to Do Disneyland Paris? (And Will I Still Have a Good Time?)
I hear a lot of people ask, What is the cheapest way to do Disneyland Paris? The truth is, what is ‘cheapest’ is a personal preference: it depends on what is the best value for you. Something can actually cost more but feel cheapest because it provides more value. For example, staying in a Disney hotel may be more expensive than an off-site hotel, but being closer to the parks might make it worth it for some people.
With all that being said, there have been plenty of times when my family has been desperate for a holiday, and we didn’t have much money to spend (we still don’t!). Or, we wanted to go to Disneyland Paris as a last-minute trip, so saving up for a long time wasn’t feasible.
That’s when I came up with these ultimate budget tricks for the absolute cheapest way to do Disneyland Paris when you want to be there in any way possible.
✨ The magic is what you bring to it, and you will make priceless memories even on a tight budget!
Your Complete Guide to the Cheapest Ways to Do Disneyland Paris on a Budget
- The Cheapest Time to Go to Disneyland Paris
- 5 Steps for Finding the Best Deal, Whether That’s as a Package Holiday or Separately
- 3 Myths People Think About Spending Money at Disneyland Paris
- Best Tips for Enjoying Your Budget Holiday
Cheapest Time to Go to Disneyland Paris
For a budget holiday, your first consideration will be booking your trip during the cheapest time. Because the parks are less busy, the savings can be substantial. (A bonus perk for you is that all the queues will be shorter!)
Aim to go at the quietest times to get the lowest price on your holiday.
📅 3 Hacks for the Cheapest Time to Go to Disneyland Paris
- Get to know the off-peak seasons. The cheapest months to visit Disneyland Paris are mid-January to the start of March. I stayed in a Disney hotel for only £100 a night one February. In contrast, the last week of May (half-term) tends to be very busy as French school kids are also on holiday. But the February half-term is much quieter and cheaper.
- Avoid weekends if you can. Weekends at Disneyland Paris are popular no matter what month it is. If you can snag a mid-week break, it will always be less expensive than Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Play with the calendar dates on either side of your trip. Even a 1-day difference can save you a lot of money on tickets, hotel and transport. Europeans have slightly different holidays than we do, so sometimes changing your trip by a week avoids a popular season.
Cheapest Way to Do Disneyland Paris – in 5 Steps
Even if you’re new to booking Disney holidays, I promise you can easily organise a budget trip! I will show you the cheapest way to do Disneyland Paris in 5 steps.
STEP #1. Get Your Expenses Organised
If you are keeping track of your budget for the cheapest Disneyland Paris holiday, it’s best to keep your costs organised. Keeping it all in your head feels overwhelming very quickly!
Write a budget sheet or keep a notebook to track your Disney holiday quotes and expenses. Make sure it includes space for accommodation, tickets, travel, food and shopping.
✏️ PRO TIP I created this Disneyland Paris Budget Planner to add up all my expenses. This budget planner also has sample costs for things like Disney meals and souvenirs. And it has a calculator to work out the total costs.
STEP #2. Consider the Cheapest Travel Costs
I always look at travel options before booking the rest of a budget holiday. The three ways to get to Disneyland Paris are: flying, driving or taking the train.
🛫 If you’re travelling to Disneyland Paris by plane: price up your flight, airport parking and airport transfers to/from your hotel. You could either book a shuttle or get a taxi.
🚗 If you’re travelling to Disneyland Paris by car: factor in fuel costs, the ferry, insurance, breakdown cover and toll charges.
🚄 If you’re travelling to Disneyland Paris by Eurostar: Get a price for your Eurostar ticket. Add transport to the Eurostar station and a hotel, if needed, the night before. Also, consider that Eurostar no longer has a direct service to Chessy, so either you will change in Lille or make your way from Gare du Nord in Paris which requires an additional train ticket. ➡️ Check out my full guide to Taking the Eurostar for First-timers.
📝✔️ Once you’ve looked at the cost of travel, pop that amount on your Budget Sheet from Step #1.
STEP #3. Choose the Cheapest Accommodation
There are plenty of choices for accommodation in Disneyland Paris. Here are your options, ranked from most popular to least popular:
- A Disneyland Paris hotel
- An offsite hotel – local or Disney partner hotel
- Villages Nature (Center Parcs resort)
- Privately accommodation (apartments like AirBnB)
- Camping
- Campervan
➡️ Check out How to Get the Cheapest Accommodation for Disneyland Paris to save the most money on accommodation.
STEP #4. Find the Cheapest Disney Park Tickets
Picking the right park tickets takes a little bit of planning.
Types of Disneyland Paris Park Tickets
Disneyland Paris offers a choice of these park tickets:
- Park tickets for one park per day (Disneyland Park OR Walt Disney Studios)
- Park tickets for both parks on the same day
Each Disney park ticket can be bought:
– As a 1-day ticket
– As multiple-day tickets
🤓 GOOD TO KNOW Tickets for 1 park are cheaper than park hoppers
Disney park tickets can be confusing if you’re not sure about the number of days you need or whether you want to do both parks on the same day. ➡️ If you need help choosing, check out Cheapest Tickets for Disneyland Paris.
Annual Passes
If you are going for 5 days or more, then an Annual Pass might be the cheapest option. They come as Bronze, Silver and Gold with specific perks for each one. ➡️ Considering an annual pass? Check out: How to Decide if a Disneyland Paris Annual Pass is Right for You.
👱🏻♀️ My Advice on Getting the Cheapest Tickets
I find the cheapest Disneyland Paris park tickets by checking the price at Attractions Tickets, as they are usually the least expensive. Then I compare them to a Disney package, which I’ll explain in Step #5.
STEP #5. Look at a Disney Package vs. Booking Separately
The last step is to compare the price of a Disneyland Paris package against booking it yourself separately.
🤔 FAQ: Is it cheaper to book Disneyland Paris as a package or separately?
It depends! Sometimes it’s cheaper as a package and sometimes it’s cheaper separately. This is because travel companies will be running different promotions throughout the year. And some seasons are much more popular than others.
I recommend getting one quote for a Disney package and comparing that to what you can book separately.
PACKAGE HOLIDAYS
🤓 GOOD TO KNOW A package holiday will normally include your hotel and tickets. It can sometimes include your transportation as well.
Looking for convenience? If it’s your first time booking Disneyland Paris, you may feel most comfortable looking at a package holiday.
*Where to compare Disneyland Paris Package holidays*
Here is a list of my favourite Disneyland Paris package holiday companies. You can get a FREE quote from all of them, and then weigh up the best deal for your budget.
- The first place to check is Disneyland Paris directly. For booking Disney the cheapest way possible, start with a quote for Davy Crockett Ranch (but only if you’re driving, as it is not accessible by train or bus). And then check the value hotels: Hotel Santa Fe and Hotel Cheyenne.
- Another great option for discount Disneyland Paris holiday packages is Attraction Tickets. They often have free gift cards and/or other incentives plus the same guarantees as booking with Disney.
- Magic Breaks is well-trusted for its Disneyland Paris packages. They also run promotions throughout the year.
📝✔️ Once you have some package holiday prices, write them onto your Budget Sheet from Step #1.
DIY HOLIDAYS
The three prices you need for separately booking your DIY Disneyland Paris holiday are:
• Accommodation
• Disneyland Paris park tickets
• Transport
*Where to compare Separately booked holidays*
My favourite places to find all the costs for a budget Disneyland Paris DIY holiday are:
- Expedia, Booking.com and Hotels.com for hotels. And, check out The Cheapest Accommodation For Disneyland Paris for how to save the most money.
- Skyscanner and Google Flights for airfare
- Eurostar for train tickets
- Eurotunnel Le Shuttle for the ferry (if you’re able to drive)
- Attraction Tickets for Disney park tickets
📝✔️ Once you have your DIY holiday prices, write them onto your Budget Sheet from Step #1.
📊📉 This is How I Compare Costs to Find the Cheapest Way to Do Disneyland Paris
To illustrate how I would find the cheapest way to do Disneyland Paris, here’s a cost sample for a February half-term trip.
(1) First, I check the prices on a Disney package:
- £449.92 for Disney Hotel Santa Fe (the cheapest) including 2-day park tickets. But not including breakfast
- £156 for the Eurostar train
= Total £605.92
(2) Then I work out the costs for a holiday I booked separately:
- £92 for one night at the Moxy Val d’Europe including buffet breakfast (local hotel)
- £12 (approx) for 2 days’ transport between the park and the hotel on the Metro
- £297 for 2-day Disney park hopper tickets (both from AttractionTickets)
- £156 for the Eurostar train
= Total £557 (I also earned cashback! See below)
💥 RESULT: In this example, a DIY holiday worked out almost £50 cheaper and breakfast is even included. But it doesn’t always work out cheapest to book your hotel and tickets separately, so that’s why it’s important to check the price of a Disney package as well.
BONUS TIP! Use TopCashback Incentives to Save Even More
✏️ PRO TIP I usually get around 20% cashback on our hotels and 6% cashback on Disney park tickets using free cashback promotions every trip.
My favourite cashback company is TopCashback, and I use it for everything I buy online. It works like this:
- First, sign up at TopCashback for money back on online shopping
- Then, use the TopCashback search bar to go to your preferred booking company. For example, Attraction Tickets, Hotels.com or even Disneyland Paris for a package. (see picture above)
- Make your purchase and then wait for the cash to be deposited into your account.
It couldn’t be easier to get money back for money you spend online.
✨Get that Magical Disney Feeling for FREE
Some people think they need all the bells and whistles to have a Disney holiday they’ll remember for a lifetime. That’s simply not true. Here are 3 myths I de-bunk for skipping the queues, meeting characters and getting that once-in-a-lifetime photo at Disneyland Paris.
3 Myths People Think About Spending Money at Disneyland Paris
MYTH #1: You need to pay for a character meal for you or your little ones to have a character interaction.
Fact: You can meet characters for free! Characters are dotted all over the parks.
While character meals are magical, they are not the only way to get a character encounter.
- Book a Virtual Queue for the Avengers (Spiderman, Iron Man etc) at Walt Disney Studios; this costs nothing.
- You can queue up to meet a Princess at the Princess Pavilion (but be aware of this one rule that catches people out). The queues for Princesses are always going to be long, but the interior building has lots of Princess items to look at and some interactive elements, too.
- Meet Mickey Mouse in the main park. The line may seem long, but it’s indoors and they play cute cartoons while you’re waiting.
- Minnie Mouse and Daisy meet in the area next to the Hyperion Theatre in Discoveryland.
- Check out my list of all 10 Places You Can Find Disneyland Paris Characters
✏️ PRO TIP To make queues for characters go by quicker, bring sticker activity books, and snacks to pass the time.
MYTH #2: You need to buy PhotoPass to get family photos.
Fact: If you bought a smartphone in the last 5 years, you already have a fantastic camera.
You don’t need to buy the Disney PhotoPass, and some of the Disney character meets don’t even have a PhotoPass photographer.
You can get a photo for free if you ask a family behind you in the queue to take a photo for you. Return the favour when it’s their turn! Or just take a selfie. Some of my best pictures have been taken with my arm extended!
MYTH #3: You need to buy a Premier Access Pass because the queues are so long.
Fact: You can get short queues for free with a bit of planning!
- Many of the most popular rides offer Single Rider. If you’re a party of adults or have older children, consider riding alone. It’s dark on most rides anyway!
- Another way to get shorter queues is to ride first thing in the morning and later in the evenings.
- A third way to skip the queues is to use an app for queue times. Disneyland Paris app will show you wait times, but I like MagiPark more, so download it from the app store before you go.
💖The Best Budgeting Advice of All
Always remember these two things when you are planning your family’s budget trip to Disneyland Paris.
1. Be smart about the money you have to spend
Set yourself a budget and stick to it. No Disney trip is worth stressing about money. We want good memories only!
2. Treat yourself
It sounds odd given this is a post about saving money, but hear me out! If you can afford to, treat yourself to just one special thing. Whether that’s one character meal, a special Pandora charm or champagne by the castle. You will treasure that one unique memory more than expensive meals and T-shirts no one wears again.
I hope these practical tips on the cheapest way to do Disneyland Paris will help you to save. Above all, have a wonderful time. Being at Disney is always a privilege no matter how much money you have.
Over to You…
Did I answer all your questions on the cheapest way to do Disneyland Paris? Do you have anything to add? Leave a comment below👇.
➡️ READ NEXT If you found this Cheapest Guide to Disneyland Paris helpful, you will love:
❤️ The complete Planning Guide Checklist to Disneyland Paris
🩷 How to get the Cheapest Accommodation for Disneyland Paris
💜 10 Tips for the Cheapest Way to Eat at Disneyland Paris
💙 Know What to Pack for Disneyland Paris. The perfect list for getting your suitcase and park bag in order!
