Did you know? The cheapest place to stay near Disneyland Paris is often one of the official resorts - Disney Hotel Santa Fe or Disney Davy Crockett Ranch. Guests get free theme park tickets and parking - so they often work out cheaper than a local Airbnb or a random budget hotel (yes, really!)
Think about weather, queue times, price and festivals when booking a Disneyland Paris holiday
So, what's the best time to visit Disneyland Paris?
Well, it sort of depends what you are after. Do you want the lowest priced holiday? The shortest queues? Nice warm weather? Or a Christmas theme? Do you want a very long day so you get better value or a shorter day so you can get the children to bed at a reasonable time? Here are my thoughts, followed by a month-by-month summary:
Here’s our summary of what it’s like to visit Disneyland Paris during each month of a typical year Disneyland Paris in January (very cold, great prices, very short queues, earlier closing)
January begins with a New Year's Eve party at Disneyland Park
January at Disneyland Paris is cold, but prices are mostly very low, and queues are short.
January is the joint coldest month of the year with an average temperature of five Celsius. You can expect some rain for about a third or half of the days you visit. However, it doesn’t tend to pour down (the data actually suggests it gets less rain than August, but I’m dubious of that…). The plus side is that from mid-January onwards it is the quiet season so queues are shorter and crowd sizes are smaller. The official website suggests that the optimum time for avoiding people is Tuesday to Thursday from mid-January right through to mid-March. Data from Queue-times.com backs this up – the park significantly quietens down from the Monday of the second week and stays nice and quiet apart from Saturdays for the rest of the month. At the start of January, you will catch the tail end of the Christmas celebrations at Disneyland Paris. They usually carry on for about a week into the new year, so you can watch Christmas parades, dozens of Christmas trees, a Christmas show, meet and greets with Christmas themed characters and so on. Of course, you may not feel all that Christmassy in January and the park is very busy on New Year's Day. Once the Christmas events have finished, there won’t be any big special events which dominate the parks. However, that certainly doesn’t mean there isn’t anything happening. On a ‘normal’ day at Disneyland Paris, you can expect a handful of live shows, which are repeated a few times throughout the day (e.g. Frozen themed, Mickey Mouse themed). In the evening, there is then an early evening parade and then a show to close the day in front of the Disneyland Park Sleeping Beauty Castle. The time of the final show varies depending on the time of year - it starts earlier when it gets darker earlier. Prices for daily admission in January are as cheap as they get - as long as you visit midweek, and avoid the first week of the month. Weekends are a little more expensive but not too much. It’s a similar story if you are staying in one of the official hotels. Prices for midweek breaks in January are very low. Just try and avoid staying over a Saturday night as that bumps up the price a lot. Disneyland Paris closes earlier in January than during the summer months. The evening celebrations take place a little earlier. This is bad news if you are hoping to get a very long day for your money, but it's good news if you want to stick to a more normal schedule with young children. Exact closing times vary, but you can expect both Disneyland Paris parks to close around 6pm in January. (See latest opening hours). Disneyland Paris in February (very cold, short queues, great prices)
January and February are cold months to visit Disneyland Paris - but prices are low and queues are short
February at Disneyland Paris starts with a quiet week before getting busier for the rest of the month. Needless to say, it’s still very cold! You can expect an average of about 6 or 7 celsius and rainy days on about a third or half of days. Keep in mind that it will feel really cold when you are standing still to watch an evening parade in the evening (although they do take place earlier in winter than summer).
There isn’t a big event which dominates the parks (e.g. Christmas, Halloween) but there are still plenty of daily shows. According to Queue-Times.com the first few days of February are very quiet, before it becomes a bit busier with some very busy weekend days. This is because French schools take a couple of weeks off in February (‘Vacances d’hiver’) but the dates vary depending on which part of France you live in. There isn’t one week which must be avoided at all costs. Instead, every week apart from the first week of the month is a bit busier than mid-January. As a result, prices for staying in an official Disneyland Paris hotel tend to be a little higher around the middle of the month when a lot of children across school and other European countries are off school (read our comparison of Disneyland Paris hotels). Day ticket prices to the parks also leap up quite a bit compared to mid-January and early February. The main park at Disneyland Paris (Disneyland Park) closes a bit earlier in February than it does later in the year. It varies depending on special events but is likely to be about 8pm. (See latest opening hours). Disneyland Paris in March (a little chilly, quite short queues, great value)
March at Disneyland Paris is still the off-season for weather but it’s starting to pick up a little bit with temperatures closer to 10 celsius, which is a bit more tolerable in my book.
The first week of March tends to be quite busy as some French schools are still on their winter break. Mostly though, queue times are not that bad apart from at weekends as most children in the UK and around Europe will be at school. Again, there won’t be a special event which dominates the month but there is always a good schedule of live shows at Disneyland Paris. As it is still getting dark early, you can expect the Disneyland Park to close earlier than it does from April onwards. A typical closure time in March is about 7.30pm or 8pm but it will vary. (See latest opening hours). Disneyland Paris in April (nice temperature, expensive, busy)
Prices for staying at official Disney hotels are higher in April than they are in March
April is a busy and expensive time to visit Disneyland Paris.
The weather averages about 11 celsius, which is not exactly balmy but is warm enough for a day walking around. You will want something warm to wear for the evening parade and fireworks. April in Paris is still fairy wet, so you can expect to see some rain on about half or a third of the days you visit. Peak times vary a bit, with the dates of Easter changing each year but you will usually find that the middle weeks of April are busier than the first week. French school holidays for Easter - Vacances de printemps – vary depending on region but most French children will be off for a week or two in April. In 2022, QueueTimes.com found that the two weeks in the middle of Easter were amongst the busiest of the year. The very busiest days will be the four days around Good Friday and Easter Monday. As a result, prices for accommodation at Disneyland Paris pick up notably in April compared to March. In fact, the weekends in April can be some of the most expensive dates of the year for staying at one of the ‘official’ Disneyland hotels. From April onwards, Disneyland Park stays open a little bit later. As the nights get longer, the evening celebrations will take place a bit later. This is good news if you have older children who can cope with late nights - but it can be a bit late for young ones! The exact closing time varies, but typically Disneyland Park will be open until 9pm on weekdays and 10pm on weekends. (See latest opening hours). Disneyland Paris in May (nice temperature, mid priced)
May is a better time to visit Disneyland Paris than April, in my opinion.
It is another busy month, but data from 2022 showed that demand was more spread out than the two peak weeks around the middle of April. Beware of the three French public holidays in May which will be busy. Consecutive Mondays at the start of May and a Thursday later in the month are likely to be busy (check out public holidays here). The weather at Disneyland Paris is much better than April for a day out with an average of about 15 Celsius and less rainy days than April. I reckon that temperature is ideal for days out with children – not so hot that they’ll need constant drinks and sun cream, but not so cold that they complain a lot. Best of all, prices for staying at one of the Disneyland Paris hotels in May tend to be lower than April. Of course, they pick up again for the UK May half term but if you can avoid that week then you’ll have a good value few days. Staying over a weekend is busier and more expensive than a midweek break. Late night openings continue in May with a typical closing time of 9pm on weekdays and 10pm on weekends (subject to change - see latest opening hours). Disneyland Paris in June (nice temperature, mid-priced)
Disneyland Paris has a Pride event in June
June is another good month to visit Disneyland Paris, as long as you don’t mind fairly big crowd sizes and warm weather.
It is not quite as hot and sunny as July or August. On cooler days it will be around 15 celsius whilst hot days will likely be around 23 celsius. Prices to stay at the official accommodation should be slightly cheaper than July and August when more children are off school. Weekends remain expensive though. The French bank holiday of Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte) sometimes falls in June. If it does, it will be a very busy day at Disneyland Paris. Disneyland Paris also holds a special Pride event in mid-June. The Disneyland Park continues to close late in June (9-10pm typically). See latest opening hours. Disneyland Paris in July (hot, quite expensive, busy)
You can expect Disneyland Paris to be busy in July and August
July is the joint hottest month of the year to visit Disneyland Paris (along with August), so it isn’t for everyone. The ‘average’ temperature is a pleasant 20 Celsius but you can expect it to regularly reach 25 Celsius which can feel a bit much for a lot of walking with young children.
Having said that, everything looks great in the sunshine! Disneyland Paris is certainly busy in July but according to the QueueTimes website, it is quieter than August. The French summer holidays are longer than the UK holidays, so most children begin their ‘Vacances d’été’ somewhere around the second week of the month and go back at the start of September. Bastille Day is on July 14th and will certainly be a busy day at Disneyland Paris. Prices to stay at one of the official Disneyland Paris hotels are fairly high in July. You can expect to pay more than you would in June, and there are fewer midweek bargains because it is school holidays for so many. You can expect late closure times of about 9-10pm in July at the main park (Disneyland Park, which is one of two parks at Disneyland Paris). See latest opening hours. Disneyland Paris in August (hot, quite expensive, busy)
August is pretty much a carbon copy of July at Disneyland Paris.
The weather is very warm, with a typical temperature of 20 Celsius but regularly peaks in the mid-twenties. Schools around Europe are on holiday, so queue times are high and accommodation is more expensive than June and September. There are fewer midweek bargains to be had. Having said that, evening events are more pleasant when you aren’t freezing cold and prices for accommodation are not actually as expensive as you might be imagining (read our guide to the five best official Disneyland Paris hotels). In the UK, holiday companies have a habit of doubling prices overnight as soon as school holidays start. Disneyland Paris doesn’t inflate prices during school holidays to quite the same extent. You might be pleasantly surprised – I was! There’s a French bank holiday on August 15th which will be particularly busy. The main park at Disneyland Paris - Disneyland Park - usually closes at 9-10pm during August. See latest opening hours. Disneyland Paris in September (nice temperature, still quite busy, mid priced)
Another good month to visit Disneyland Paris is September.
Of course, this is tricky if you have children at school in the UK. Prices at the official Disneyland Paris hotels drop quite a bit compared to August, particularly if you book a midweek break and avoid weekends. The weather in September at Disneyland Paris is similar to May. Typical days will be around 16 celsius whilst the hottest days will likely be around the low twenties Celsius which is pleasant for walking in the sunshine. Much like UK schools, French schools go back in early September so you would expect queue times and wait times to plummet. However, data from Queue Times and Thrill Data suggests that it’s not really that dramatic. Overall, September is still a very busy month with long queues. 9-10pm is a typical closure time for the main Disneyland Paris park during September. Weekend closures are later than weekdays. See latest opening hours. Disneyland Paris in October (mid-priced, quite cold, Halloween themed)
October at Disneyland is Halloween themed
Disneyland Paris’s Halloween festival typically runs for the whole of October and for a few days into November, so the first question to ask is whether your kids will enjoy it.
Of course, this is Disney so it isn’t super-scary but I know my children wouldn’t like it so we avoid Halloween. The official summary for a recent year looks like this: "Prepare to be immersed in the mwah-ha-ha-happiest of Halloween atmospheres with gleefully grinning pumpkins, dead-fun decorations, bone-tingling skeletons and the most adorable ghosts, there’s fa-boo-lous fun for souls of all ages." The normal Disney parades are given an autumn twist with more of the Disney ‘baddies’ available for meet and greets. The parades are described with this blurb: "Pumpkins of all ages will jump for joy as spine-tingly music haunts the airwaves and Disney Characters parade along the streets of Disneyland Park dressed in eye-popping autumn attire”. The evening shows include more of the baddies ("Disney Villains bewitch Sleeping Beauty Castle with projections, music and water fountains for a freakishly fun moment") The weather in October at Disneyland Paris is similar to April, On a good day it will be around 16 Celsius but overall the average is around 12 Celsius – not unbearably cold but cold enough to require a good coat once you are standing still for the evening parades. Prices for official accommodation at Disneyland Paris in October are cheaper at the start of the month than at the end. This is partly because of the French school holiday 'Vacances de la Toussaint' which usually spills into the first few days of November. Disneyland Park sometimes stays open until 2am on three days around Halloween for their Disney Halloween Parties. Outside of these special events, you can expect the Disneyland Park to stay open until 8-10pm during October. See latest opening hours. Disneyland Paris in November (cheap, cold, not too busy, mix of Halloween and Christmas)
November is a month of changing themes at Disneyland Paris.
If you visit in the first few days of the month then you will catch the tail end of the Halloween festival (see October’s summary above for an idea of what to expect if you go for that). There's usually a gap of about a week before the Christmas festival starts in mid-November and then continues right until early January. The first week in November is generally quite an expensive one, as lots of French children are still off school. It then becomes a cheap time to visit as most people are back at school and aren’t quite clamouring for Christmas festivities. The weather takes a notable nosedive in November. You can expect temperatures averaging seven Celsius, compared to about 12 Celsius for October. As a result, watching evening shows can be pretty chilly. During the Christmas celebrations at Disneyland Paris, the Disneyland Park stays open until 8-10pm. See latest opening hours. December at Disneyland Paris (cold, busy, expensive, Christmas themed)
November and December are dominated by Christmas celebrations at Disneyland Paris
Unsurprisingly, Christmas dominates throughout December at Disneyland Paris. You can expect Christmas themed parades, Christmas shows, dozens of Christmas trees, decorations throughout the park and Christmas themed food and meet and greets. You will hear the word ‘magical’ a lot!
Prices for accommodation at the official hotels gradually increases throughout the month, as does crowd sizes. The end of December and New Year's Day are some of the busiest days of the year. The weather is as cold as it gets all year, with an average temperature of about five Celsius – the same as January. On most days in December, the Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris is open until 8pm or 10pm. See latest opening hours.
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