Disneyland Paris vs Walt Disney Studios – Which Is Best?

Disneyland Paris is home to two theme parks; Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. Depending on your budget and/or the amount of time you have at Disneyland Paris you may opt to only visit one of these parks. However, choosing between the two can be difficult.

In short, Disneyland is the classic park with the iconic castle, parades, and opportunities to meet Disney princesses. Meanwhile, Walt Disney Studios is a more modern Disney experience with themed Marvel & Toy Story areas and rides centred around Pixar greats such as Finding Nemo & Ratatouille.

Luckily, having visited Disneyland Paris multiple times under various different circumstances I feel well equipped to help you differentiate between the two parks and get a better understanding as to which park is right for you.

What Are The Main Differences Between The Two Parks At Disneyland Paris?

Before you decide which park you’d most like to visit on a trip to Disneyland Paris it’s first important you understand the main differences between the two.

Disneyland Park

The Disneyland Park is the ‘main park’ at Disneyland Paris and the only park in which you’ll see the iconic castle.

This park is filled with nostalgia & classic Disney experiences with a primary focus on family-friendly rides, parades and shows.

Many of the rides inside the Disneyland park at Disneyland Paris are also found in other Disney parks around the world and have been in operation since the park opened more than 30 years ago.

If you’re looking to meet Disney princesses, experience an incredible Disney parade or have little ones then the Disneyland park is likely going to be a better choice for you.

Walt Disney Studios

The Walt Disney Studios park focuses on the more modern-day Disney films (circa the ’90s onwards) with a chance to meet characters from Pixar films such as Monsters Inc & Toy Story.

There are no parades here, and the park is slightly smaller when compared to the Disneyland Park.

There are, however, themed areas for both Toy Story & Marvel with thrill rides including RC Car, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure & Crush’s Coaster.

It’s, therefore, no surprise that Walt Disney Studios is often more popular with tweens and teens.

Is It Worth Going To Both Disneyland Parks In Paris?

Given that both Disneyland Paris parks are very different it’s worthwhile experiencing both.

This gives you the most rounded Disney experience from modern classics such as Peter Pan and Cinderella through to the latest releases such as Monsters Inc, Cars & Marvel.

Most people generally find after their first visit to Disneyland Paris they do prefer one park over another.

However, I personally have never been able to commit my love to one park enough to only visit one of the two parks during a trip to Disneyland Paris.

As our little boy gets older, I imagine that we’ll begin to enjoy the Disneyland Park more as a family, giving him the opportunity to go on many height-appropriate rides and wave to Mickey Mouse in the parade.

Meanwhile, Walt Disney Studios will continue to bring back the nostalgia of my 90’s childhood with a chance to have a photo with Mike & Sulley from Monsters Inc or ride Crush’s Coaster.

Can You Do Both Disneyland Parks In Paris In One Day?

With just one day at Disneyland Paris, you can visit both Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios using a park-to-park ticket. However, I’d highly encourage you to spend a couple of days at Disneyland Paris instead, especially if you’re travelling with young children.

In my opinion, the best age for Disneyland Paris is between 3 and 10 years old (although we did take our six-month-old baby, so don’t feel as though you have to stick to this). Obviously, children at the lower end of that age bracket are going to get tired and overwhelmed more easily, and subsequently will likely need more time – especially if you want to make your trip to Disneyland as stress-free as possible!

I realise that the cost of visiting Disneyland Paris for multiple days is higher. You’re going to spend more on hotels, food and need more of that all-important Disneyland Paris spending money.

However, a couple of days at Disneyland takes the pressure off trying to do everything in a military-style operation and instead gives you the opportunity to take things at a slower pace.

All that being said, if you’re only coming on a day trip from Paris to Disneyland Paris then there are a couple of things you can do to maximise your visit.

Firstly I recommend researching the best time to visit Disneyland Paris for lower crowd levels. I appreciate not everyone can change a holiday from August to March, but something as simple as swapping a Saturday for a Tuesday can have a difference.

Once you’ve decided on when you’re going to visit Disneyland Paris, I’d recommend purchasing your theme park tickets. By purchasing your tickets to Disneyland Paris in advance you don’t have to waste your precious time queuing for tickets in the morning and instead can head straight into the park.

In my opinion, the best place to buy Disneyland Paris theme park tickets is AttractionTix.

AttractionTix is where I purchase our tickets not just for Disneyland Paris but also for Walt Disney World, Disneyland California and Universal Studios in both Orlando and Hollywood.

Then, I’d recommend purchasing Disneyland Paris Premier Access. This pass allows you to skip the line on all the major rides within the park but does require some planning in advance.

If you can I’d also recommend staying overnight in one of the hotels within walking distance of Disneyland Paris, or even in a nearby Disneyland Paris hotel with a shuttle. That way you can get to the park as soon as it opens, or even be eligible for Extra Magic Hours if you’re staying in a Disney property.

If you’re staying in a Disney property then you may be eligible for the Disneyland Paris meal plan. If not then it may be worth packing some snacks to bring to the Disneyland Paris theme parks with you.

Not only does bringing snacks to Disneyland Paris save you money, but it also saves you from waiting around in queues for anything other than rides and attractions.

It’s, of course, assumed that when visiting both parks in one day at Disneyland Paris you’ll arrive before the park opens before rope drop and stay until closing to maximise your single-day experience.

Given all this, if you can stretch to two or more ideally three days for both Disneyland Paris parks I highly recommend doing so.

Who Is The Disneyland Park In Paris Best For?

Based on the atmosphere, rides and experiences here’s who the Disneyland park is generally best for;

Kids – Since there are more family-friendly (low or no height restriction) rides

Star Wars fans – Since there’s a dedicated Star Wars shop & Star Tours ride

People who want to meet princesses – Given that there’s a special princess meet & greet area

Nostalgic Disney fans – Since there are more classic Disney rides such as Dumbo & Peter Pan’s flight.

Who Is The Walt Disney Studios In Paris Best For?

Based on the atmosphere, rides and experiences here’s who the Walt Disney Studios park is generally best for;

Fans of Toy Story – Since there’s a large incredibly immersive Toy Story land inside the park.

Marvel / comic book fans – Given that there’s an entirely new Marvel area which has recently opened inside the park.

Teens & tweens – Since many of the rides are more mature and have a higher ‘thrill’

Fans of Pixar movies – Since there’s the opportunity to meet Pixar characters including Sulley, Mike, Bo-Peep, Joy & Sadness.