Disneyland isn’t exactly kind to your wallet, but you can definitely keep the damage under control 🙂 We went as a family of four who like to save where possible, but also just want to enjoy the experience. Curious how much our long weekend (three nights) at Disneyland Paris cost? And what our best money-saving tips are? Let’s break it all down!
Hi! I’m Helena, a cheerful thirty-something Belgian mom who loves exploring with her family.
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When to visit Disneyland
First money-saving tip: choose your timing wisely. We went for a weekend in March (combined with a teacher training day off for the kids). This is low season — as much as that exists at Disneyland.
I checked in advance when school holidays in France, the Netherlands and the UK were scheduled to avoid overlap. And it showed — both in the price of the trip and in the waiting times for attractions. Yay!
Another tip when booking via the Disney website: try switching countries. In our case, Belgium was the cheapest, but you’ll notice that for some dates there can be a real price difference.
Taking the train to Disneyland
I don’t like driving, my husband doesn’t like driving — decision made: we take the train.
We chose to travel to Brussels-South and take the TGV directly to Disneyland (Marne-la-Vallée Chessy).
It turned out to be a great choice: smooth connection, a table for four (best to book early), and the train practically stops at Disneyland’s doorstep.
We did have to rearrange a few things due to a national strike — but that’s part of train travel too :’)
Cost? €320 for the whole family, return.
Not cheap, but if we had gone by car we would’ve stopped somewhere for food anyway. Add fuel and tolls, and the difference probably wouldn’t have been that big. On the train, we simply brought our own picnic.
Our accommodation
We chose to leave a day early so we could start our first Disney day fresh. Our first night was at B&B Hotel près de Disneyland Paris.
Don’t expect luxury, but it’s a clean and spacious room. Breakfast is included, though expectations should be modest 🙂
Cost? €155.50
For the rest of our stay, we chose Disney Hotel Santa Fe — the budget Disney hotel for those without their own transport.
Our stay was fine, the staff were super friendly, and the kids thought it was the most beautiful hotel they had ever seen. I’ve personally seen nicer ones for that price 😀
Cost for two nights (without breakfast)? €1041.58
This hotel ended up costing about €100 more than staying elsewhere and buying tickets separately. BUT: staying at a Disney hotel gives you access to the parks one hour before official opening time.
Amazing — because in that hour, we managed to do most of the attractions.
So here’s my golden tip: either spend your money on a Disney hotel or on a FastPass. It’s worth it 🙂
Food at Disneyland Paris
Saving money on food at Disneyland Paris is easy. You’re allowed to bring all your own food and drinks, and that’s exactly what we did.
We brought breakfast, lunch and snacks — more than enough. Our kids are also quite picky eaters, so they don’t often ask for anything else 🙂
Having your own breakfast is a big advantage: you can eat while waiting in line and not waste those magical early hours.
We did our grocery shopping at Auchan near Disneyland, but you can also order groceries via Uber and have them delivered to your hotel.
For dinner, we ordered via Uber Eats each evening. Cheaper and often times tastier than what’s available inside Disneyland.
Cost for dinners: approx. €130
Souvenirs at Disneyland
Souvenirs at Disneyland are expensive. Before our trip, we took the kids to Primark near Disneyland to pick out a souvenir.
They each chose a large plush toy, a Stitch headset and a pajama set.
Cost: €77
In the park, they were allowed to choose something small. They each picked a themed straw and a fun pen.
Cost: €30
Transportation on-site
During our stay, we took a few Ubers to get to the station, hotel or shopping center.
Cost: €60
Total cost
That brings our total to €1814.08 for three nights, for two adults and two children 🙂
Before the trip, I estimated we’d spend between €1500 and €2000 — so we stayed nicely within budget, without feeling like we had to sacrifice anything.
What we deliberately didn’t spend money on
We consciously chose not to book meals with Disney characters.
Instead, we found what we think is a better alternative for us: a princess high tea in Breda. There, the kids could speak their own language (Dutch) with the princesses, there was (in our opinion) more interaction than at Disney, and there was entertainment like decorating cupcakes. Just sharing the tip!
How much did you spend on your last trip to Disneyland Paris (if you dare to calculate it 😄)? And what are your best tips to keep it affordable?
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