Touring Both Parks in One Day?

[shaycamp21]

We are staying offsite at a nearby Airbnb in July so won't have the benefit of the extra early magic hours for hotel guests. Not sure how much we can see and do but I just purchased a one day ticket for both parks for my family. Since we only have one day we would like to make the most of it and I know we can't see and do it all. I am trying to focus my planning on doing rides / attractions that we can't see or do at WDW (or even at DLR) since we'll definitely be going back there but not sure if we'll have the chance to be in Paris again.

I feel like time is running out as I try and plan a strategy for touring and was wondering if anyone could suggest any links for touring both parks in one day or have any strategies of their own to share. I know July will be super busy so I need all the help I can get. Thanks

 

[BadPinkTink]

I did this plan for a previous USA poster who was planning a one day visit. I July the park will close around 10pm or 11pm as it does not get dark until that time. The main night time fireworks show projected onto The Castle will be at park closing. The show is approx 20 minutes. People usually start getting viewing places about an hour before the show. You will need to check park closing time for the day of your visit. For example if park closing is at 10pm, the show starts at 10pm, people start getting viewing places at 9pm.

As you are not staying onsite you will need to check the last train times / bus times. You did not say if you will have a car. The last trains after the park closes can get very crowded.

For just one day, you need to get there about 45 minutes before park opening for general public. Most likely you should get there around 9am and go straight to The Studios Park. Go straight to Crushes Coaster and then go to single rider line in Ratatouille. Take a look in the shop in the Ratatouille area and then exit The Studios Park.

On your way out of The Studios take a look at the shops and get a quick service food. This should take you to 1pm

Go straight to the Main park and walk down Main Street. You wont have time to dawdle or browse the shops. Go direct to Discoveryland and either Fastpass Star Tours or Buzz Lightyear. While you wait for your Fastpass window you will have time to do ONE of the following, Space Mountain or Buzz or Star Tours, depending on which fastpass you decided on.

Once you have done 2 rides in Discoveryland, walk or run to Fantasyland. Exit Discoveryland and head towards the Wishing Well, Pizza Belle Notre, stage side of the Castle. Find the pathway under The Castle to the dragon. Exit the dragon and come up into Fantasyland. Depending on time, check out the upper walk through area of The Castle.

Pick 2 rides in Fantasyland, leaving Peter Pan as your second ride. Exit Peter Pan and walk smartly to Pirates of The Caribbean.
After Pirates get a quick service food in Au Chalet des Marrionettes and then head into Adventure Land.

In Adventureland you have Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones and Phantom Manor.

By this stage it should be evening time and you should get some more food. Depending on time you could do a table service. Depending on park closing time you will probally have time to do 1 more ride or do some shopping before heading back to Main Street to find a spot to watch the night time fireworks and animation show projected onto The Castle

Skip table service meals, skip parades, skip character meet and greets, skip wandering about the shops, skip shows and you should be able to fit in my touring plan

 

[shaycamp21]

Thanks! Also for anyone else planning I found this: http://www.dlpguide.com/planning/advice/queue-times/

 

[TommyJK]

I've been working on a similar plan myself. Doing both parks in one day, in early August when it will also be busy, staying offsite.

Here is the general strategy I am going to try that I wrote about in another post:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/busy-day-in-august-which-park-first.3677267/

 

[ninergrl6]

The parks aren't big, especially Walt Disney Studios. It's not hard to see both in one day as long as you have a strategy. There's only one nighttime show, so you're not forced to choose. On my first visit WDS closed at 7 pm (in June!) so we had limited options at night.

 

[Minerva Mouse]

Oh Boy, lol... I'm going in late August and I didn't even realize there were two parks... I think I need to start planning, lol....

 

[ninergrl6]

Oh Boy, lol... I'm going in late August and I didn't even realize there were two parks... I think I need to start planning, lol....

They're smaller than the parks in the States, and they're adjacent to each other (and "Downtown Disney") like the parks in Anaheim. You'll be fine, and there's plenty of folks around here who can help you

 

[Minerva Mouse]

They're smaller than the parks in the States, and they're adjacent to each other (and "Downtown Disney") like the parks in Anaheim. You'll be fine, and there's plenty of folks around here who can help you

That's good to hear. Thank you.

 

[Dumbo7]

Oh Boy, lol... I'm going in late August and I didn't even realize there were two parks... I think I need to start planning, lol....

First I would do crushes coaster. It looks very cool. We weren’t able to get on it. Then I would single rider Ratettouie. Don’t expect Walt Disney World. Disneyland Paris Is an amusement park with Disney touches. Not much cm interaction. The signature restaurant silver Spur was little more than a sit down counter service restaurant. So if like counter service in Disney you might be ok. If signature restaurants are your thing you’ll be disappointed. I liked it’s a small world. Pinocchio was a waste of time. Hyperspace mountain was a great ride. Enjoy. Just to say you’ve been. Otherwise we are not going back.

 

[Agent 86]

It may be a little late, but I was recently at DLP and I think it would be possible to do the majority of both parks in a single day.

As others have noted, I'd start with Hollywood Studios prioritising Crush's Coaster and Ratatouille. After that, it's up to your what other rides you'd like to do. The ... Aerosmith / Rock and Roll coaster is okay, but nothing too amazing. I personally love Tower of Terror, but it's not unique so you could skip it.

Really, after Crush's Coaster and Ratatouille, you could pretty much head straight to Disneyland.

Once you arrive in Disneyland, I'd grab a Fast Pass for Big Thunder Mountain ASAP as it is easily the most popular ride there (at least it was when we visited). Peter Pan was also really popular, but most of the other rides seem to max out at around a 30 minute wait time with plenty of others (e.g. POTC and IASW) only hitting 5 to 10 minutes. Surprising Buzz and Star Tours did get some longer wait times, but I think that was because of all of the closures when we visited (Phantom Manor, Space Mountain and Tea Cups were all closed).

 

[Kahana-ri]

Agree with previous post. We arrive as soon as the parks opened and easily spent the day seeing pretty much everything. We where there in March and many of the rides/attractions were under repair or remodel. Compared to WDW, Disneyland Paris is much smaller. Still great fun.