THE IMPATIENT ADULT'S GUIDE TO DISNEYLAND PARIS: 7 TOP TIPS TO AVOID THE QUEUES
By Sheila Hendrick
Anyone who’s spent 15 minutes waiting in line with a fidgety five year old would jump at the chance of skipping the queue.
After all, when you’re planning the trip of a lifetime to Disneyland Paris you want to spend as much time on the rides and amusements as you can and minimize the wait.
7 TIPS FOR AVOIDING THE QUEUES AT DISNEYLAND PARIS
There are a few ways to get around the queues or at the very least cut down on your wait times.
Here are our 7 top tips for the impatient adult planning a trip to Disneyland Paris:
1. GO OFF PEAK
It makes sense to go off-peak if you want to avoid the wait. Plan your trip to Disneyland Paris outside of school holiday times when the parks will be quieter. Even if you have to go during peak holiday times, aim for a mid-week trip. Disneyland is quieter on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you’ll really get to take more in.
2. Premier Access
Disneyland Paris Premier Access allows you to skip the normal queue on some of the best attractions including Big Thunder Mountain, Phantom Manor, Peter Pan's Flight, Ratatouille: The Adventure, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, Star Tours: The Adventures continue, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terrorᵀᴹ, Autopia®, Indiana Jones™ and the Temple of Peril, Orbitron®.
You can purchase Premier Access on the day within the official Disneyland Paris app.
3. ASK ABOUT BABY SWITCH
If you’re travelling with another adult and small children ask about Baby Switch at the rides. Disney’s Baby Switch Service allows adults to queue once and take turns on the ride while the other one minds the child or baby.
4. HEAD FOR THE BIG RIDES DURING THE PARADES
If you’re more interested in the thrill of the rides than the parades, then skip the parades. They draw big crowds, and while those crowds are watching their favourite characters go by, they can’t queue for rides! It’s much quieter at these times so you likely won’t face long lines.
5. MAKE NOTE OF THE RIDES THAT ONLY LOOK CROWDEd
There are some rides in Disneyland Paris that look a bit daunting if you’re tallying the time you’re spending in queues down to the second. But for some rides, the queues just look big. In reality they move really fast, and it helps a little that those who aren’t in on this secret can be turned off by their imagined wait time.
Of course we’re going to tell you which rides we mean: Buzz Lightyear, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril and Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland all move quite quickly. Queues for The Tower of Terror in the Production Courtyard, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion in Frontierland also tend to have queues that look more off-putting than they are.
6. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SINGLE RIDER QUEUES
If you’re travelling alone, or willing to split up from your friends every now and then, hop on the single rider queues. This isn’t available for all rides, but where it is, it can save you a lot of time. They’ll slot you in where there are single seats available to fill up the ride, even if you wouldn’t ordinarily be next in the queue. Sneaky!
7. NAB THE WAIT TIMES APP
Get a bit strategic and download the Iphone Disneyland wait times app or download the Android Disneyland wait time app, and you can figure out from there which rides you’re willing to wait around for, and which you shouldn’t waste time walking to.
If you’ve got to queue, at least you’ll know it’s worth it, and how long you’ll likely be left waiting. (But check roaming charges before using the app so you don’t get a surprise bill when you return home).
PLANNING A TRIP TO DISNEYLAND?
If you’re planning a family trip to Disneyland, take note! Book by 30th September 2015 and get up to 2 free days and nights plus kids under 7 go free! If you’re planning a trip, our Disneyland Experts can set you on the right path with excellent tips, so why not call us on 01 804 7160, or check out our best Disneyland Paris deals online.