After nearly four months of closure, Disneyland Paris reopened yesterday (July 15th). Let’s take a photographic tour of the resort to see how the altered experience measures up and what changes the parks have made.
It’s Time For Magic
Like other Disney Parks around the world, Disneyland Paris has rolled out a set of mandatory health and safety rules which included increased sanitation, limited attendance, physical distancing, hand washing and the wearing of masks by guests and staff.
To visit Disneyland Paris, you must buy a ticket and register for the day(s) you would like to attend. Due to the reduced capacity of the park, the number of guests is being strictly controlled. Of course, the positive side of this is shorter lines.
The new procedures begin as soon as you arrive. When you pull into the parking lot, you’ll be asked to leave one space between your car next to you. Ground markers will help guests keep their distance at bag check. At the entrance, you’ll find hand sanitizer, distance markers on the ground, and a check of your park reservation before you enter.
The queues in Disneyland Paris have been measured out with safety markings every meter (a little more than 3′). Guests will find hand sanitizer stations at the entrance and exit of every attraction, shops, and high-touch areas. Plexiglass has been added to queues wherever 1 meter of physical distance cannot be assured (such as switchback queues). Railings and other high-touch items have been noted for frequent disinfection.
Disneyland Paris hasn’t forgotten bathrooms either.
Being at Disneyland Paris should feel safer than taking public transport or shopping in a supermarket. Disney’s effort to prepare for guests has been incredible.
Disneyland Paris Attractions
There is one ride in particular that deserves our attention. The Disneyland Railroad has returned after an absence of 2 years! It is wonderful to see and hear the trains again in the park.
Queue configurations have changed for popular rides such as Big Thunder Mountain.
The park has taken advantage of the closure to work on attractions like Peter Pan’s Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean, which have restored effects that we haven’t seen in operation for years.
Despite aggressive attendance restrictions, distancing procedures in the attractions can increase waiting times:
- Star Tours decreased from 40 guests per cabin to a maximum of 24
- The Tower of Terror elevators can accommodate up to 14 people compared to 21 previously
- On Roller Coasters, groups are separated by one empty row
FastPass and Single Rider are suspended for now, allowing visitors to move through queues faster. It should be noted that masks and social distance are mandatory throughout the parks, including the rides.
The biggest loser is Phantom Manor. The issue isn’t the vehicles, which are able to maintain full capacity. The problem is the elevators, which can only hold 6 groups each. As a result, the ride can quickly back up outside the attraction as a line forms for the first scene of the attraction.
Disneyland Paris – Looking Good!
Here’s something that may shock those of you who haven’t visited Disneyland Paris in a while . . . The parks are reopening in EXCELLENT condition. The vegetation is well maintained and in full bloom. Buildings, like most on Main Street USA, have been repainted. Some facades have received mini renovations, and beautification work is still underway in a few areas such as Fantasyland (where a pavement replacement project is underway).
Disney Characters
The Disney characters are also back, because coming to Disneyland without seeing the Big Cheese, just wouldn’t be Disney.
We really like the temporary setup for Characters. Yes, they are kept at a distance, but more guests will be able to see them and take a selfie if they’d like. It’s quicker, adds ambiance to various areas, and is a lot of fun.
Marvel
Princesses
Meet Mickey & Pals
Main Street
Star Wars
Some photo spots require reservations through the Lineberty app. We don’t like seeing reservations being handled by a 3rd party app when Disney already has everything it needs to do it in-house.
Disneyland Paris Restaurants
Fast Food establishments have seen their options reduced. This is a temporary procedure to help reduce wait times.
The wait in fast food lines starts outdoors, with a queue dedicated to the restaurant. An employee is in charge of ensuring that guests disinfect their hands before sending them to one of the indoor queues to place an order.
For all-you-can-eat restaurants, such as the Plaza Garden, guests no longer serve themselves at a buffet. Your waiter now takes the order of starters, entrees, and desserts. But, you can order as much as you want since it’s all-you-can-eat.
We were pleasantly surprised that the food quality and service was much improved!
Disneyland Paris Hotels
Of all the Disneyland Paris hotels, only the Newport Bay Club is currently open. Other hotels will begin opening by early September.
Let Us Help
Theme parks are reopening, and whether you are ready to travel yet or not, there’s no better time to lock in low rates on future travel. But waiting on hold and not knowing what questions to ask isn’t the magical part of a vacation. That’s why MiceChat has partnered with Get Away Today to handle all the difficult stuff for you . . . all for no extra cost. That’s right, they do all the work and it doesn’t cost you extra.
Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park booking and rescheduling plans. We know you’re as uncertain about the future as we are. That’s why Get Away Today is offering the most flexible Disney travel options available. Ask about:
Price Protection – If a better special comes out after you have booked, you’ll get the better deal.
Peace of Mind – Make hotel changes, reschedule dates, drop nights, change ticket vouchers and more, as many times as you’d like for a small, one-time fee.
Layaway Plan – Lock in your 2020 or 2021 Walt Disney World Resort vacation for just $175 down. By booking early, you secure your availability and have the flexibility to pay as you go. Make as many interest-free payments as you’d like, whenever you’d like, with final payment due just seven days prior to travel.
Give your family something to look forward to:
- Visit Get Away Today HERE
- We are expecting high call volume as Disney resumes hotel bookings and tickets sales. So, please fill out our request form and a vacation advisor will call you back: Vacation Information Request Form HERE
Let’s Hear From You
Disneyland Paris was closed for 123 days. After a long shutdown here in France, life is slowly returning. We were thrilled to see Disneyland Paris again and the new health and safety procedures were far more reassuring than off-putting. It was great to see so much upkeep done in the parks and the tremendous amount of effort put into preparing the resort for guests to return.
It might be some time before our American readers can visit Paris again, but are you glad to see our beautiful Disneyland return to operation? Were you encouraged to see so much work done in the parks? Do the new procedures here seem sound to you?
À bientôt – Thank you for reading – Max (DLPwelcome)