9 hour Layover at Paris Airport: Enough time to sneak in a quick visit to Disneyland???

Matrixleos

DIS Veteran
Joined
May 3, 2021
I'm doing some July vacation planning and there are no direct flights to my destination. So I have the option to layover to one of these cities....

1) Vienna: 12 hour layover
2) Brussels: 11 hour layover
3) Paris: 9 hour layover

If I go with the Paris option, would it be possible to get in a couple of hours in Disneyland? I've never been and honestly, not sure if I'll have an option in the future to visit. So I'm seriously thinking about it.

Flight arrives at Paris (CDG) at 8:10am and departs at 5:50pm (Same Day). From what I understand, there is a train that runs directly from the airport and drops you off right at Disneyland. The train ride is 45 minutes ride and it runs ever 30 minutes, so I'll have total of 1 hour and 15 minutes from the airport to Disneyland. If lucky with timing, I'll arrive from the airport to Disneyland at roughly 10am and the latest I'd want to leave is 2pm. If I leave at 2pm, train goes 1:15 minutes to arrive at the airport roughly 3:15pm and gives me 2 hours to get through security checkpoint.

That would give me 4 hours at Disneyland (10am to 2pm), which I'm totally fine with. Just enough time to walk through the entire park, go on 2-3 rides and get a few snacks. Perfectly fine with that. Although, here are my questions....

Covid Testing
I'm fully vaccinated and don't mind taking any tests. Is there a location I can take a test at either at the airport or Disneyland? Or would my Covid test I'll do here in the US 48 hours in advance be enough to get me through that day trip?

Once the plane lands
1) I'll have a backpack and carry on luggage, is there a locker at the airport that I would be able to check them into?
2) Once the plane lands, how far is the train station from the airport, how long will I have to walk to get there?
3) Are my times on the train correct? Will it be a realistic 45 minutes from the train station to Disneyland. Plus if I just miss the train, do they run every 30 minutes? Do they have a daily schedule on the exact times they arrive and depart daily, maybe a app to download to my phone that gives me their arrival\departure times?

Once I arrive at Disneyland
4) Because of the time crunch, I'd rather not make a ticket purchase\reservation ahead of time if not necessary. Are people able to purchase tickets and make same day reservations once they get to the ticket booth?
5) If same day reservations are not allowed, how many days minimum in advance would I need to purchase tickets and make reservations for a late July visit on a Friday? Would reservations\tickets still be available a week out or a month out?
6) I can download the Disneyland Paris app and make ticket\reservation on the app and skip the ticket booth. Is there any other recommended shortcuts to get in the park quickly?
7) Also is there an option to do a Park Hopper and go between both parks in my limited time there?

Once in the Park
8) Definitely will get Disney Premier Access and pay the additional costs to ride Hyperspace Mountain, Star Tours, Big Thunder Mountain, Tower of Terror and Ratatoulie
9) If I purchase the "FassPass" to those rides, how front of the line are they? If I only have 3-4 hours in the parks, I don't mind paying extra for those rides if I can skip the lines fully. If not, I might be limited to only 2-3 rides in total.
10) If limited to 2-3 rides, from both parks, which are the 2-3 rides you'd recommend as can't miss?

Leaving the Park
11) How's the security checkpoint at the airport? Will arriving 2 hours before my departure be enough time to get through security?

Backup Plan
If there are any delays at the airport, I'll be forces to skip visiting Disneyland. Instead I'll head downtown and visit Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower.
12) any good lunch time restaurant recommendation either near Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower?


Would love to hear any feedback on if this itinerary would be possible, any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
 
Last edited:
The bus is 45-60 minutes and runs every 30 minutes. The train only takes 10 minutes, but schedule is irregular. With an early arrival, during rush hour there are more trains, so you can be lucky with getting there early.

But France has changed from a Health Pass (vaccinated, recovered, tested) to a Vaccine Pass (vaccinated, recovered), and the US CDC card needs to be converted first to be valid in France. There are some other threads on this board about this process. There is the option to do this at the airport. Read the threads.

But let's go with that it all works and you have 4 hours in DLP.
1. Yes, there are lockers at the train station.
2. Depends on the terminal, 2e and f is about 5-10 minutes when you leave the baggage claim.
3. Train times are irregular, look up the schedule.

4. At the moment DLP still works with park reservations and you are going in high season.
5. There is not a lot of data on this, as last year rules were more tight. So no good answer, I would have a look at the options when you land and before you board the train. If it is not possible, go into Paris city for a couple of hours and see the Eifel tower.
6. That is your quickest route.
7. No need to park hop, DLP is gorgeous and perfect to stroll through. With your limited time, do not bother with hopping.

9. Also here, not a lot of data as the premier access is still reasonably new. It is the fastpass route, so there can still be a wait. Your plan is ambitious, but it might be possible. Keep in mind the park is larger and more spread out than US parks, so getting from Space to Big Thunder Moutain will take a longer walk than you might be used to. Again, I wouldnt bother with hopping.

10. Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates, Phantom Manor, pirates and Phantom can process large crowds per hour, these three are all on the same side of the park and will help you to get accomplished more. And fill the rest of your day with distractions like the dragon under the castle, the Aladdin walk through, Alice' maze. Have a snack on Main Street and enjoy your time.

11. Is your next flight International or European? It helps you do not have baggage to check.

12. Not really, but dont have lunch in the direct area, as these are tourist traps.

Your biggest hurdle is the vaccine Pass, but your plan is not impossible.
 
Thank You for the feedback. I know it'll be a major time crunch but glad to see it's not impossible. Definitely something to consider as an option.
 
FYI you should check your luggage. The airport will transfer to your next flight so you don't have to bother with it. All you have to deal with is your backpack.

For the stress and effort I would just go into Paris!
 



GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts







facebook twitter
Top