Tips for visiting Disneyland Paris in winter

Are you planning to visit Disneyland Paris this winter?!  If you follow along with my blog, you’ll know that we adores Disneyland Paris.  We are a Disney family through and through and have been lucky enough to visit 4 times in the last 5 years.  We have reviews on four hotels, the best Disney toddler rides and many restaurants so be sure to check out our Disney article section!

People often ask me when is the best time to visit Disneyland Paris.  There really isn’t the best time as all the times of the year are amazing!   What’s wise to remember is that no matter what time of the year it is, there is a chance of bad or wet weather.  We’ve visited late Spring, Autumn and in the Winter and have been extremely lucky with the weather each time.  Actually, I say we experienced more rain on our spring trip than any other.

Tips for visiting Disneyland Paris in winter

Visiting Disneyland Paris in winter is amazing!  Whilst we haven’t visiting during the festive season, we have visited in early February and I wanted to share some tips and offer a guide to visiting Disneyland Paris in Winter.

– Stay in a Disneyland Paris Hotel.  As the weather will be cold, it would be beneficial to be staying closer to the parks in a Disney hotel.  Newport Bay, Sequoia Lodge, Santa Fe and The Cheyenne are just some of the hotels that are on property and are just amazing!  All the hotels have a wonderful theme, are a short walk or bus ride depending on whether you fancy stretching your legs, and they also come with many benefits such as Early Magic hours, hotel character meet and greets and of course being close to the magic!

– Bring a winter coat.  Being out in the parks all day can be cold!  Whether you are travelling to Disneyland Paris via car, plane or train, make sure you have room to pack a thick padded coat.

– Layers.  As well as a warm coat, I would also recommend to take layers.  Layering up means that if it is warmer than average, you can peel of them layers.  During our last visit in February half term 2020, we had pleasant weather and whilst we needed our thick padded coats, we were also lucky enough to be in jumpers too.  Wearing a vest underneath your regular clothing will also add to the warmth.

– Hats and Gloves.  Especially for the children.  I would recommend mittens that can be threaded through the children’s coats as this way, they won’t get easily lost!  If you really suffer with cold hands like myself, hand warmers are also a good idea.

– Take Boots.  Despite trainers being my ‘go to’ shoe for walking around the parks, they are not the warmest.  Taking a pair of boots will no doubt keep your feet warmer, especially if you layer up on your socks or thick tights!  Ugg boots are super warm but even just a leather boot with do just fine!

– Take indoor breaks.  Whether that be dining in a restaurant (we recommend Inventions!), resort hopping or grabbing a warm cup of hot chocolate, taking warm indoor breaks with ensure you keep warm whilst being out in the parks all day.  Either side of Main Street USA there are two indoor arcades.  There are warm places to stop off (or dry off!) and there is also plenty of seating here too.

– Schedule in indoor attractions.  There are plenty of indoor attractions in both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios.  Scheduling in some indoor rides and shows as well as character meet and greets means you won’t be having to spend too much time outdoors!  We love Mickey and the Magician show in Studios park!

– Keep warm with hot drinks!  Staying off site with a kitchen?  Take a flask and fill it up with hot drink to keep you warm throughout the day.  If your staying at a Disney hotel you can have access to a free hot drinks machine which you could also use to fill up a flask.  There are also plenty of refreshment stands scattered through out the parks too.

– Prebook Disney reservations.  I recommend that any Disney trip you take, you ALWAYS prebook your Disney meals.  More often than not, restaurants get booked up – fast!  With having your meals organised and booked in, means that you are guaranteed to get some indoor time and will save time too.  No one fancies wandering around in the cold hungry with no lunch or dinner reservations.

– Make use of Early Magic Hours.  This is an option if a) your staying in a Disney hotel 0r b) your a Disney annual pass holder (one day!)  During this time, the parks are open with select rides and character meet and greets are open from 8am.  You’ll also be able to meet several characters scattered around the park without having to queue in the cold.  A lot of people ask me if  all the Disney rides are open in the winter?  And the answer is yes!  So enjoy them as much as possible!  Having said that, always check before you visit Disneyland Paris for ride, hotel and pool closures.

And there you have it!  I hope you enjoyed my tips and ways to survive a trip to Disneyland Paris in winter.  There is so much to consider when visiting Disneyland Paris – you can read my things to do before booking your Disneyland Paris holiday here.

Thanks for reading xxx