We went to Disneyland Paris back in 2019 and left with mixed feelings. The classic park was charming, the castle was beautiful, but Walt Disney Studios, the second gate, felt… unfinished. Not even a half-day park, not worth the ticket price. We came home thinking Disneyland Paris was a fine add-on to our Paris trip, not a destination in its own right. A one-and-done. Disneyland Paris 2026 is different, and in a good way.
This April I had the chance to return in the wake of the opening of Disney Adventure World on March 29th. And let’s just say: WOW.Â
Disney is putting real money and Imagineering into this resort, and it shows. I spent two full days covering both the newly rebranded Disney Adventure World and the classic park, as someone who has visited six different Disney parks across four countries and isn’t easily impressed. But I’m always willing to give second chances.Â
WHAT CHANGED
The headline change is Walt Disney Studios Park, which officially ceased to exist on March 29, 2026 and was reborn as Disney Adventure World. I visited 19 days after opening day. The rebrand is hard to recognize as more than a name change. However, Disney has been systematically transforming this park for several years, and the 2026 version is a different experience from what most people who visited before 2023 or 2024 remember.
In 2019, Walt Disney Studios felt like an unfinished Disney California Adventure. A collection of attractions that didn’t quite cohere into a park with its own identity. What’s there now seems to have a sense of purpose, and the trajectory is clearly pointing upward. Construction is still visible, and not all of the new lands are finished. But what is there is good and some of it is excellent.
The classic park, Disneyland Paris proper, has always been the slightly stronger of the two. In 2026, it remains the heart of the resort and the main reason to come. More on that shortly.
DISNEY ADVENTURE WORLD: THE "NEW" PARK
The smart move at Disney Adventure World is to go at rope drop and head straight to World of Frozen. The lines climb fast after the first hour and a half and this land is the main draw.
World of Frozen is set in Arendelle and it is very well done. The theming is immersive in a way that the older areas of the park are not, and the Frozen Ever After boat ride is a solid attraction. If you have ridden the Florida version, this one is similar with some enhancements. It is not dramatically different, but the surrounding land elevates the experience. The Arendelle merch is also really good. There are some unique items here that you won’t find at other parks.
Avengers Campus is a strong addition. Avengers Assemble is the repurposed Rock and Roller Coaster. Good roller coaster, smooth and well-paced with a satisfying layout. Note that this Pym Kitchen requires a reservation and is worth booking in advance if you want a proper sit-down meal in that area. Stark Factory is the quick-service option and is similar to the Pym Kitchen in California.
World of Pixar remains one of the better sections of the park. Ratatouille is still a fan favorite and the line reflects that. At midday it was running 60 minutes with the single rider line backed up as well. If Ratatouille is a priority, get there early or check the wait time throughout the day for a gap.
A single-day ticket starts at around $67, which is significantly less than in US parks. For what you get, especially with World of Frozen and Avengers Campus now operational, the value is cannot be beat.
My overall take on Disney Adventure World: it was barely a half-day park in 2019. It is now a full-day park. I would plan it as a morning visit, take a break in the afternoon, and return for the evening at the classic park. That two-park, two-day structure is the right way to do Disneyland Paris.
DISNEYLAND PARIS
The classic park is the one with Sleeping Beauty Castle at its center, and it remains one of the best Disney castles I have visited anywhere. I don’t give this praise lightly. The dragon under the castle has to be one of the best underrated attractions across all parks.
Walking up Main Street USA toward the castle on a clear morning is genuinely special. The castle itself is smaller than Cinderella Castle in Florida or Sleeping Beauty Castle in California, but the design is more elaborate and the setting, centered at the end of Main Street with the park radiating out from it, makes it feel like the heart of something rather than a backdrop.
A few specific things worth calling out:
PHANTOM MANOR
I rode Phantom Manor for the first time on this trip and I want to be direct: this is the best Haunted Mansion of any Disney park I have been to, and it is not particularly close. The Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World and Disneyland are beloved classics and I love them too. But Phantom Manor is doing something different. It is unsettling in a way that a family-friendly attraction rarely manages successfully. The story is darker, the atmosphere is more committed to the theme, and the experience stays with you long after you exit in a way the other versions don’t. If you are a Haunted Mansion person and you have not been to Disneyland Paris specifically for this attraction, that alone is reason enough to visit.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Previously my favorite version of Pirates of the Caribbean at any park. After this visit, I would put Tokyo’s version slightly ahead on reflection, but the Paris version remains exceptional. The ride is longer than the US versions, the set pieces are more elaborate, and it benefits from being housed in a proper building with exterior theming that makes the whole experience feel more immersive. Worth the wait.
INDIANA JONES TEMPLE DU PERIL
An underrated attraction that consistently has shorter queues than it deserves, possibly due to its intensity. A fun, compact roller coaster with a 360-degree loop that works well when other attractions have longer waits.
STAR TOURS
The same Star Tours exists at other parks, but it consistently runs with very short waits at Disneyland Paris. I walked on with a five-minute wait. One of the best rides in any Disney park for repeat value, and the Paris version is no exception.
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DISCOVERY LAND
This is unlike anything at the US parks. The entire area has a Jules Verne, 19th-century science fiction aesthetic, all brass and steam and retro-futurism, that gives Disneyland Paris one of its most distinctive design elements. Hyperspace Mountain operates here with an external launch that adds a little somethin-somethin to the familiar ride layout. The whole land is worth slowing down for just to take in the theming.Â
FOOD
EXPLORING DISNEYLAND PARIS 2026
Disney park food is Disney park food everywhere in the world. I say that not to damn it but to calibrate expectations. Inside the park, you are going to pay Disney prices for food that ranges from adequate to pretty good. Manage accordingly.
The exception is Walt’s, an American Restaurant on Main Street, which operates on a fixed-price lunch menu at around $55 per person, with a wine flight available as an add-on for about $20 more. The service is wonderfully and deliberately slow in a way that requires you to commit to it. If you have two hours and want a proper sit-down lunch experience in a beautiful space with attentive service, Walt’s delivers. Walt’s salad and the pineapple upside down cake were the highlights of my meal. The food is solid by Disney standards. I would not describe it as extraordinary by restaurant standards but the experience around it is. Book in advance. I had a reservation for one at 1:15pm and it was a perfect midday break from the park.
THE NIGHTTIME SPECTACULAR
Stay for the evening. The nighttime castle spectacular at Disneyland Paris is the best version of this type of show we have seen at any Disney park. The projection mapping on Sleeping Beauty Castle, combined with the scale of the show and the music, is genuinely impressive in a way that the US versions have not matched in my experience. This alone is a strong argument for staying at the park into the evening rather than heading out after a full day. I don’t typically like the evening shows because I’m sensitive to fireworks noise, so I loved that this one focused on drones and not explosives.Â
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Sleeping offsite in Serris or Val d’Europe, the neighborhood about 20 to 25 minutes on foot from Disney Village, works very well for repeat visitors or travelers who prioritize space and value over convenience. The tradeoff is losing early park entry, which is reserved for Disney hotel guests. For a first visit, I would lean toward staying on property for that benefit. For a return visit or a longer stay, offsite makes a lot of sense.
Single-day tickets range from approximately $67 to $130 depending on the date. Annual passes are available and make sense if you are in Europe and plan to visit more than once in a year.
The resort is best experienced over at least two days: one day for Disney Adventure World and one day for the classic park. A single-day visit is possible, but you will feel rushed and likely miss the things worth staying for, including the nighttime spectacular.
Snow White’s Enchanted Wish was under full refurbishment during my visit. The original Crystal Palace equivalent is currently closed. Check for the current attraction status before your visit.
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WHO SHOULD GO
Disneyland Paris is the best first international Disney park for anyone who grew up with the US parks and is ready to see what Disney does differently when it builds for a European audience. The classic park has enough familiarity to feel comfortable and enough difference to feel worthwhile. Discovery Land, Phantom Manor, Pirates of the Caribbean, the castle setting: these are the versions of themselves, and collectively they make a strong case.
For Disney adults specifically, Disneyland Paris in 2026 is worth a dedicated trip. Not just as a France add-on, not just as a tick on a list, but as a destination in its own right. The resort is in the middle of its most significant transformation since it opened in 1992, and visiting now means seeing a park finding its best self in real time.
I came back from my 2026 visit with a long list of things I want to do on a return trip. That is the highest compliment I know how to give a destination.
If you are planning a Disneyland Paris trip and want help building an itinerary around it, whether as a standalone destination or as part of a broader France trip, that is exactly what we do at THK Travel Advisors. Every trip is completely tailor-made. Reach out at thktravel.com or call us at 408-781-6966 and let’s start planning your journey.
