Think you know everything there is to know about Disneyland® Paris? Think again! Whether you’re a Disneyland® Paris fanatic who’s been more times than they can count on two hands or you’re planning your very first trip to this magical place, we’ve got some tasty trivia, fun facts, and interesting information about the European Disneyland®.
Read on to discover more about Disneyland® Paris.
Summary - 17 things you probably didn’t know about Disneyland® Paris
- There is free wi-fi across the resort
- Disneyland® Paris first opened in 1992
- Walt Disney Studios® Park has changed its name
- Disneyland® Paris has changed its name - three times
- It’s one of the most expensive theme parks ever built
- There are fireworks every night
- Walt Disney Imagineering built Disneyland® Paris
- It’s the only Disney® resort outside of the US to be owned by the Walt Disney Company
- Disneyland® Hotel has its own fragrance
- It was the first Disney® castle park to serve alcohol
- You can’t stay in Sleeping Beauty Castle
- There’s a sleeping dragon under Sleeping Beauty Castle
- The Disney Characters at Disneyland® Paris are bilingual
- Stitch is very mischievous
- There are hidden Mickeys throughout Disneyland® Paris
- Scents are used in the Disney® Parks
- The most TikTokable things to do at Disneyland® Paris
1.There is free wi-fi across the resort
Yes, you read that right - there’s free wi-fi available across most of Disneyland® Paris, including Disneyland® Park, Disney Adventure World, some of the Disney® Hotels, and some areas in Disney Village®.
You can post your Insta-worthy shots of Sleeping Beauty Castle live and film videos for Disney-tok live from the theme parks without having to pay roaming charges. Free wi-fi also means you can use the Disneyland® Paris app to check wait times, create a wish list of attractions, and find your way around.
Just remember to stop scrolling and spend some time away from your screen during your trip - you might even enjoy it!
2. Disneyland® Paris first opened in 1992
Disneyland® Paris opened to the public for the first time on 12th April 1992 - it certainly doesn’t look its age! When Disneyland® Paris first opened, there was only one theme park - Disneyland® Park, plus several hotels and the entertainment complex Disney Village®.
The plans for the park were first announced back in 1985, a whopping seven years before it opened.
3. Walt Disney Studios® Park has changed its name
Walt Disney Studios® Park first opened in 2002, 10 years after the opening of Disneyland® Paris. It’s about to get a whole new iteration. Disneyland® Paris announced that the park would be getting an exciting new expansion with a whole new visual identity.
First of all, it would welcome the brand-new World of Frozen, an area dedicated to Anna, Elsa, and the kingdom of Arendelle from the much-loved Disney® movie. The park has now been renamed to Disney Adventure World.
We can’t wait to see the changes!
4. Disneyland® Paris has changed its name - three times!
And speaking of name changes…Disneyland® Paris is the Prince of the theme park world, undergoing almost as many name changes as the popular artist. When it opened in 1992, it was called Euro Disney Resort. In 1994, the name was changed to Disneyland® Paris and then again to Disneyland Resort Paris in 2002. In 2009, they decided to go back to Disneyland® Paris, and we think that was a fantastic decision!
5. It is one of the most expensive theme parks ever built
The initial cost of building Disneyland® Paris was an eye-watering $4.4 billion. It is one of the most expensive theme parks ever built (source: Steadfast Entities). But the investment doesn’t stop there.
With the park constantly evolving and improving, in 2023 Disney® revealed that they had invested over $1.5 billion in the park over the previous five years (source: Forbes). Add to this the €2 billion investment in the expansion of Disney Adventure World (source: Disneyland® Paris News), and we’re talking big bucks!
6. There are fireworks every night
Disney Tales of Magic is a spectacular nighttime show with state-of-the-art effects and incredible fireworks set to a recognisable Disney® soundtrack. The show takes place each night at Disneyland® Park at closing time.
The only night that Disneyland® Paris doesn’t have its usual fireworks show is 14th July. This is because they have special celebratory fireworks on this date for Bastille Day in France.
Bastille Day is a national holiday in France which is celebrated annually. This day in 1789 was the beginning of the French Revolution. The French people amassed their own army and stormed Bastille Prison in Paris.
7. Walt Disney Imagineering built Disneyland® Paris
Walt Disney Imagineering built Disneyland® Paris as they wanted a theme park in Europe. They had a short list of around 1,200 sites (don’t know about you, but we’d call that a long list!) before narrowing it down to a large rural area just outside Paris.
The site was chosen because it was a central point in Europe and accessible for many people. It was estimated that the site was less than a four-hour drive for 70 million people and just a two-hour flight away for 300 million more people.
8. It is the only Disney resort outside of the US to be owned by the Walt Disney Company
When Disneyland® Paris was first built, it was owned and operated by a French company called Euro Disney S.C.A. This was a public company owned by its shareholders (source: Disney Wiki). Now, this company has been acquired by the Walt Disney Company, and Disneyland® Paris is the only Disney® resort outside of the US to be completely owned by them.
9. Disneyland® Hotel has its own fragrance
Disneyland® Hotel is so fabulous that it even has its own scent. An exclusive interior fragrance was created for the deluxe hotel and is available to buy in the hotel boutique, both as a scent bottle and a scented candle.
It’s a great way to relive your time staying at the beautiful Disneyland® Hotel - you can make your own bedroom smell like it!
10. It was the first Disney® castle park to serve alcohol
A year after Disneyland® Paris was opened to the public, it began serving alcohol. It’s thought that this was in response to European tourists who wanted a more “French” experience - and drinking wine was part of that. Ooh la la!
It remained the only Disney® Park with a castle to serve alcohol until 2012 when Fantasyland expanded at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Alcohol was served at dinner in the Be Our Guest restaurant, which is Beauty and the Beast-themed (source: Park Lore).
11. You can’t stay in Sleeping Beauty Castle
It’s a well-known myth that you can stay in the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland® Paris, but sadly, it’s not true! However, there is a magical alternative to this. You can book a stay at the stunning Disneyland® Hotel which features a Disney Royalty theme.
You can even book a Sleeping Beauty Signature Suite here. This spectacular room is fit for a princess, and you’re pretty much guaranteed a good night’s sleep - after all, the clue is in the name! If you’re feeling even more flush, you can book the Royal Suite - the grandest suite in the hotel.
The Royal Suite is inspired by Elsa’s Ice Palace from Frozen and features a balcony overlooking Disneyland® Park.
12. There’s a sleeping dragon underneath Sleeping Beauty Castle
Ok, ok, last fact about Sleeping Beauty Castle. But we think we can all agree it’s pretty incredible!
All the castles at the Disney® Parks around the world are unique. You’ll find different quirks and design features on each one, which makes them different. However, Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland® Paris is the only Disney® castle to have a sleeping dragon underneath it!
La Tanière du Dragon (The Dragon’s Lair) is a dimly lit passage below the castle where the animatronic dragon sleeps. She is said to protect the castle. You can walk through the passage (if you dare!) but watch out - the dragon may wake up growling and puffing green smoke!
13. The Disney Characters at Disneyland® Paris are bilingual
The Disney Characters at Disneyland® Paris speak both French and English, and the language they use with you depends on how you greet them. Strike up a conversation with a jaunty “bonjour,” and they’ll respond in French!
14. Stitch is very mischievous
One of the most popular Disney Characters at Disneyland® Paris is Stitch from Lilo & Stitch. You can meet Stitch at his regular meet and greet inside Arcade Beta in Discoveryland at Disneyland® Park. You’ll need to join the virtual queue on the Disneyland Paris app to enjoy this experience.
However, Stitch sometimes appears throughout the theme parks and pops up to cause a bit of mischief! He often photobombs guests, steals hats, or even tries to eat autograph books!
15. There are hidden Mickeys throughout Disneyland® Paris
The attention to detail at Disneyland® Paris is incredible. Not only do the different lands have meticulous theming to drop you right into a story, but there are subtle little bits of decoration that you might otherwise miss. For example, there are hundreds of hidden Mickeys throughout the theme parks.
The Mickey silhouette is a large circle for a head with two smaller circles for his ears and it’s instantly recognisable. You’ll find these everywhere from stained glass windows in Main Street, U.S.A.® to the gears under the clock outside “it’s a small world.” We don’t know exactly how many there are but see how many you can count during your next visit.
16. Scents are used in the Disney® Parks
Ever breathed in a nostalgic aroma in the Disney® Parks? Disneyland® Paris emits these scents into the theme parks to help create an atmosphere that engages all of your senses. They first began using scents for live entertainment in 2007, when each float in the daily parade was assigned its own fragrance. Festive fragrances are also used at Christmas (source: Aroma Prime).
17.The most TikTokable things to do at Disneyland® Paris
If you’re someone who loves a scroll and enjoys posting your adventures on your social media channels, then you’ll love this one. We analysed TikTok data in 2023 and found some of the most “TikTokable” things to do at Disneyland® Paris. These include Disney Character meet and greets, Peter Pan’s Flight, and meeting Mickey Mouse.
Now that you’ve brushed up on your knowledge, it’s time to take our Disneyland® Paris quiz. Put yourself to the test and see how many you can score - only true Disney experts will get full marks!
