What is the Best Way To Do Disneyland Paris on a Budget?

In this post we run through our recommendations for the best way to do Disneyland Paris on a budget. From when to book, to what to buy before you travel, and where to stay. We cover everything you need to know about cutting the spending, even if you’re only at Disneyland for one day.

Disneyland Paris is a dream destination for families, couples, and Disney enthusiasts alike who are captured by the promises of an unforgettable experience filled with characters, rides, and magical adventures.

However, these dreams can often be swept to the side at the cost of visiting a Disney park – let’s face it, it’s not a cheap holiday!

Here’s a summarised list of all of the tips in this post, click on one to be taken straight to that section or keep reading to learn more about the best way to do Disneyland Paris on a budget.  

• Book early
• Buy an annual pass
• Don’t buy the meal plan
• Bring snacks
• Buy Disney ears before you go
• Choose a budget friendly hotel
• Be flexible with your dates
• Book travel separately
• Avoid premier access
• Don’t get carried away 

10 Tips on the Best Way To Do Disneyland Paris on a Budget

Book early

The cheapest time to book a trip to Disneyland Paris, especially if you’re booking through their site directly, is as soon as the new dates are released. We’ve made the mistake of waiting before and the prices started steadily increasing before jumping quite considerably. 

Buy an annual pass

For one visit this may not actually save you any money, but if you’re planning on going a few times throughout the year then an annual pass for Disneyland Paris is definitely the way to do it and save money. A one day ticket will set you back on anywhere from €87 for one adult, whereas an annual pass for one adult starts from €289. This means that if you’re buying park tickets for more than 3 days an annual pass will save you money.  

Don’t buy the meal plan

We never buy a meal plan and there’s a few reasons for this decision,

1. We know we’re not going to be able to eat enough to make the cost worth it at the buffets, especially when we’re all tired and really just want something quick. Even if your kids eat loads at home (mine do) you’ll find that when you’re at Disney time moves so quick and you’re busy moving around the park that you don’t get as hungry or think about food as much.
2. Sitting down to a few courses or full buffet may take an hour or two, this takes away riding time and that’s the main reason we’re visiting Disneyland.
3. By having several snacks throughout the day we get to experience so much more of the fun and interesting snacks on offer at Disney. We can do it on our timeline, eat when we want and don’t have to stop as often.
4. Of course, the main reason is that it’s cheaper! A full board meal plan for one day is £90.85 for an adult and £54.51 for a child. This is £872.16 for a family of four over 3 days in the park. We spend far less on food and still have breakfast, lunch and dinner with many snacks in between!

Bring snacks

While it’s fun and tasty to buy Disney themed snacks while you’re there, this can very quickly add up to ask astronomical amount. Take some time to jump on the metro to a local supermarket and stick up on snacks and treats to save yourself some money.

Buy Disney ears before you go

Disney souvenirs aren’t cheaper at Disneyland Paris, there’s just more variety. To save some money keep an eye out for deals and buy your Disney ears and costumes before you travel.

Choose a budget friendly hotel

With two superhero mad boys it would be amazing to stay at Hotel New York, however for us it’s just not worth the cost with how often you’ll be in the room. Budget friendly hotels like Hotel Cheyenne and Santa Fe may not be as swanky but they’re still clean and comfortable for the few hours you’re awake in the rooms.

Be flexible with your dates

If you’re not confined by school holidays then spend some time looking across several dates ranges on the Disneyland Paris website. Once you search you’ll also find a section at the bottom with some suggestions if your dates are flexible. Even if you need to go during the school holidays still do some research. We were shocked to find that it was cheaper to go in August than the Easter holidays in April!

Book travel separately

In all the times we’ve been to Disneyland Paris I’ve found that it’s just cheaper to book your travel separately – whether you’re travelling by train, plane or car. By all means, try pricing it up through the Disneyland Paris website and separately to check but we’ve always found it considerably more expensive booking travel on the Disneyland Paris website.

Avoid premier access

With a good plan of action you can avoid the main queues and still have a good visit. Why but premier access when there is way better stuff to spend your money on that will improve your visit. In fact, you could probably get a couple of extra nights stay in one of the budget Disneyland Paris hotels for the cost of Premier Access for a family of 4! If you want to know which rides to prioritise without premier access then take a look at what we consider to be the best toddler rides and best rides for kids at Disneyland Paris

Don’t get carried away

Set a daily budget ahead of your trip and stick to it. It’s easy to get carried away by the Disney magic and want to buy all the snacks and all the souvenirs but that cost adds up so quickly. If you know you’re going to want to buy some of those boys then be realistic and include it in your budget from the beginning.

Best way to do Disneyland Paris on a budget – Final Thoughts

Hopefully these tips on the best way to do Disneyland Paris on a budget have armed you with the knowledge to experience the magic of Disney without breaking the bank!

To summarise, book as early and flexibly as possible, and make sure you shop around for different ticket, hotel and transport options. Don’t get swept up in the magic of Disney by eating at expensive restaurants or spending loads on souvenirs you can get much cheaper at home.