Disneyland vs Disneyland Paris (8 key differences)
Disneyland Paris is a bucket list trip for many, but is it just a replica of Disneyland, only in Europe? Both Anaheim and Paris have a second theme park (Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim and Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris), Mickey Mouse, and have some repeat rides and similar features. Still, they are a world apart – literally and figuratively, in several ways. Here are some key differences between the original Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
1. The Food
The most glaringly obvious difference between Disneyland and Disneyland Paris is the food. Almost everything about the food is different between the two parks. The French value meal time and sitting down to savor any food or drink, and this reflects in the food and beverage options at Disneyland Paris.
Eating on the go
While at Disneyland & Disney California Adventure Park, you’ll see every other person carrying around a cold brew, soda, and/or a snack; you will rarely see guests walking around while eating or drinking at Disneyland Paris. It’s simply not the culture in much of Europe, and especially not in France, to eat on the go, so although it’s possible to grab a snack throughout the park, it isn’t nearly as common at Disneyland Paris as it is at Disneyland.
Going Green
One of the reasons you’ll see less eating on the go in Disneyland Paris is that their restaurants are more environmentally conscious. Even at counter-service restaurants, they provide reusable dishes and flatware and bins to dump food waste. The paper cups they provide for to-go coffee and hot chocolate could easily be compared to the paper straws that everyone hates at Disneyland. You can get a hot drink to walk around with, but don’t expect to enjoy the experience like you would stateside.
Adult beverages
For decades, Disneyland was an alcohol-free park, and although they have started to offer adult beverages at select dining locations, they still don’t allow guests to walk around with alcohol. When Disneyland Paris opened (then called Euro Disney), they had a no alcohol policy, but quickly changed it to offer wine, beer and champagne. You still don’t see many guests walking around with drinks.
Of course, California Adventure park is an entirely different story where you’ll see drinks aplenty from mid-morning until park close, but this park didn’t open until after Disneyland Paris started serving adult beverages in the park.
Table Service
Disneyland really shines with its snack foods and quick service restaurants. They have a few great sit-down table service options, but many will argue that the best food at Disneyland is casual. At Disneyland Paris, the best meal options, by a landslide, are the table service restaurants (called ‘table booking’ restaurants on the Disneyland Paris app).
Reservations
At Disneyland, you can book table service restaurants as early as 60 days ahead of your desired reservation. At Disneyland Paris, the same is true unless you are staying on property. If you are staying at a Disney hotel, you can book restaurants as soon as you book your hotel.
Quality
True, as mentioned, you can get a decent meal at a table booking restaurant at Disneyland Paris, but, in general, the quality of the food is lower than what you would expect at a Disney parks location and lower than what you would expect in France. So, yes, the rumors are true. The food is bad compared to most food in Paris and compared to Disneyland in California.
On the other hand, the original Disney park has become a foodie scene, and the food there is generally better than you would expect from a theme park.
2. The Customer Service
Disneyland isn’t Disneyland without the cast members. Almost every single cast member you encounter is there to help you with a smile, and they often go above and beyond to make your trip even more magical. Do not expect to find the same type of service at Disneyland Paris. This is not a knock against the park because it just isn’t French culture to be smiling all the time and make an over-the-top effort to appear happy and helpful. If you have experienced any service environment in France, you’ll notice the employees tend to give customers their space and time, especially while dining. The cast members I encountered there were perfectly kind, just not cheery like you’d see at Disneyland or Walt Disney World.
3. The Vibe
It’s hard to describe the Disney feeling, but if you know, you know. If you’re familiar with the original Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Aulani in Hawaii, or the Disney Cruise Line, you know what I mean. There’s a feeling of magic and happiness at a Disney theme park or vacation destination, and it’s not quite the same cozy vibe at Disneyland Paris. American culture encourages us to display joy and excitement, so when you look around at rope drop in Disneyland or Walt Disney World, there’s a shared energy coming from the crowd. Again, many other countries don’t value these outward displays of happiness like Americans do, so you won’t see as many beaming smiles from the crowd as you would at home. Just like with the customer service, this is less of a criticism and more of a recognition of a difference in culture, so you know what to expect.
4. The Hours
Disneyland Paris typically opens at 9:30 am, and Disney hotel guests get 1 hour of Extra Magic Time at either theme park. Compare this to Disneyland Resort, which opens at 8 am, and on-property guests get 30 minutes of Early Entry at only one of the two parks.
5. The Beauty
Disneyland is a work of creative genius, but Disneyland Paris is quite possibly the most beautiful of the Disney parks. The attention to detail at both parks is impressive, but the Imagineers went above and beyond in Paris, and even any small wear and tear blends right in because it appears to be part of the old world European charm. I highly recommend watching the Behind the Attraction episode about castles on Disney+ to learn more about Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, the gorgeous Sleeping Beauty castle.
6. The Shows
Disneyland Paris shines when it comes to aesthetics. Just like the park’s beauty, the entertainment at Disneyland Paris really stands out. Just when Disneyland Resort seems to be shutting down shows and leaving empty theaters sitting around, Disneyland Paris seems to add to their entertainment schedule.
You can catch several shows at both parks, and every single one is high-quality, but the standouts are the nighttime droid show and The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands. This version is not to be missed, even for those who have seen The Lion King at the Fantasyland Theater in Disneyland or even on Broadway. This stage version of The Lion King is similar to a Cirque du Soleil show, complete with the comedy and music you would expect from The Lion King, but also including jaw-dropping stunts.
7. On-Property Hotels
Disneyland Paris has seven on-property Disney hotels within a 20-minute walk and offers a shuttle to and from all except their version of the Disneyland Hotel, because it is located right at the entrance to Disneyland Paris. You have to walk under or around this very much on-property hotel to enter the park.
In contrast, Disneyland Resort has three on-property hotels, all within a short walk to both theme parks. Some consider the monorail to be hotel transportation to and from Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, but the hotel stop is actually in Downtown Disney and the in-park stop is in Tomorrowland so you miss the experience of entering via the front gates.
8. Attractions
Thrilling Rides
The biggest difference between the rides at Disneyland and Disneyland Paris is that the Paris attractions are generally scarier. Phantom Manor in Paris has a creepier storyline than the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, and Indiana Jones is an actual roller coaster in Paris. Even Casey Jr. is a small coaster in the Disneyland Paris park.
The Paris version of Big Thunder Mountain is faster and taller than the original, and Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain in Disneyland Paris goes upside down! And unlike Hyperspace Mountain, which only runs during the Star Wars Season of the Force at the original park, Hyperspace Mountain is year-round in Paris.
There are also a few unique attractions at Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park for thrill seekers like Crush’s Coaster, Avengers Assemble: Flight Force, and RC Racer and Walt Disney Studios Park still has the more eerie-themed The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror vs Disney California Adventure’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
Classics and Walk-throughs
And if your group includes younger children or those of us who just enjoy a more tame ride, not to fear, there are several classic attractions from Disneyland like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, It’s a Small World ride and several dark rides like Peter Pan but another way that the Disneyland Paris park differs from Disneyland in Anaheim is with walk-through attractions.
Walk-through attractions at Disneyland Paris include one that’s Aladdin themed, the very unique Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, a daring trip under the castle to see the dragon, and the immersive experience that is Les Mystères du Nautilus replaces the lackluster Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at the original Disneyland park.
