Shortly after our foray into the Loire Valley, we packed up our Paris Airbnb and headed out for two nights and three days at Disneyland Paris—our very first Disney Parks experience, despite Florida and California being much closer to home. I think my conclusion is; It’s… a lot.
Our first day left us exhausted and still unconvinced about the hype. The rides were fun, but honestly, we’ve been on equally exciting ones at other theme parks. We started with It’s a Small World, the Mad Hatter Tea Cups, Pirates of the Caribbean (twice), and Phantom Manor. We ended up waiting 30 min to ride Pirates of Caribbean and when you have tired and whiney kids, you feel every second of that 30 minute wait time.
The food was surprisingly good (and not surprisingly expensive). And we ran into a ton of characters even on day one: Jack Sparrow, Goofy, Mickey, multiple princesses, the fairy godmothers, plus the parade with its usual avalanche of characters.
But the crowds… everywhere, all the time. Rides, food, shopping, shows, bathrooms, get ready to wait in line. And I don’t even think it was a particularly busy day. By the time we trudged back to the hotel—21,000 steps, wet from a sudden rainstorm, carrying two tired and whiny kids—we were completely wiped.
Day 2 was a turning point. We found a rhythm, and it was also the day the girls were allowed to pick a souvenir. We took the shuttle bus into the park, finally appreciating just how far the walk actually is, even though we are staying on‑site.
With our early access, we headed straight to Disney Adventure World and rode Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure. It was cool, it actually tracks your body movements and is a video game where your shooting down drones with your Spiderman web powers. Emmalyn then had a meltdown over absolutely nothing, so we regrouped with breakfast and coffee while we looked at Premier Access options.
We decided that for Day 2, Premier Access was going to be our sanity-saver—especially for the big rides. We tested it on the newest headliner: Frozen Ever After, which regularly hits 90–120 minute waits. Our posted wait was 100 minutes, but with Premier Access we were on the ride in under 15. It the special access tickets were 15 euro per person ($25 CAD) but it was worth every euro. The ride was phenomenal.
After that, we did the Cars ride (unexpectedly fun!) and went to the Stitch Live! interactive show. Stitch appears on a giant screen and actually chats with the audience in real time. I was actually selected from the crowd and Stitch named a planet after me… and then he accidentally blew it up. But I guess it’s the thought that counts.
Finally, the girls got their souvenirs: shoulder buddies, which seem to be the popular item right now. Emmy chose Angel from the Lilo & Stitch universe, and Izzy picked Grogu ( or “Baby Yoda” as she calls him). They spent the next eight hours playing with them nonstop—even in the insufferable lines—which makes me think we should have bought them earlier.
One of our goals for the day was to watch the Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands show. Our first attempt failed—we waited 20 minutes and were still about ten people too far back to get in. Spirits were low, but Mickey ice cream bars helped. We got back in line for round two, sat on the ground for 40 minutes, handed the girls my phone, and waited it out. And damn, was it worth it. The dancing, acrobatics, and music were phenomenal. No wonder it’s one of the most popular shows in the park.
Day 2 felt so much better—newer rides, more characters, and that incredible Lion King show. We even made it back to the hotel with enough energy for showers and a bit of relaxing before we all crashed.
Day 3 had us packing up, checking out of the hotel, and heading back to the parks with one final goal: make it to the Remy ride (Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy). It was the last of the hyped “must‑see” rides we hadn’t done yet. We made good time packing up (we’re getting into a rhythm) and headed straight to Remy. The app showed a 5‑minute wait. We convinced the girls of the importance of moving quickly—it would save us a long wait. We were all on the same page, making great time.
Then we saw a line forming ahead of us. Odd, since we were still a four‑minute walk from the ride. We kept going… and the line kept going… and then we realized: it was the line for Remy. The app updated to 50 minutes. We gave up and bought Premier Access.
While we waited for our timed tickets, we saw the princess parade, found breakfast, and rode the Slinky Dog ride twice. When our time finally came, we boarded Remy—and it was really cool. You shrink down to rat size and scurry through Gusteau’s restaurant with Remy, dodging chefs and kitchen chaos. It was another one that left me a little ill, though, and happy to take a break from rides.
We caught one more show—this time fully accepting the 45‑minute wait—and it was another great one, featuring Minnie and the gang. With that, our Disney bucket list was complete. Lunch brought one final meltdown: Em accidentally dumped an entire large cup of juice, which triggered a blowout between all parties. Trying to end on a positive note, we managed to sneak onto the Tangled spinning ride while the line was short, but it clearly didn’t fix everyone’s feelings as we silently trudged out of Disney and back to the hotel to collect our bags.
We headed out for our sixth accommodation in 15 days, which was another unusual one for the books: a retirement home. Apparently that’s a thing in France—if they can’t fill the apartments or rooms in a retirement facility, they open them up as hotel rooms or Airbnbs.
Overall, reflecting after our Disney days, I wouldn’t personally go out of my way to do a Disney‑specific trip. If we were already in the area doing other things, sure—I’d go for a day or two. But I think after days of crowds and lines, I’ve accepted that I’m more interested in open spaces and natural wonders.
And if you are wondering how we’re fitting in school work around all these crazy days… we’re not. We’ve managed to get in two official school days since leaving Toronto 10 days ago. We’re planning on focusing on it more, but not quite yet, since the next 48 hours are going to be our busiest yet, as we travel through Paris to Cairo for a day and onto Nairobi, Kenya. Wish us luck.