I truly believe that "age is just a number." I always wanted to visit Disneyland Paris, and when I finally made it there, my heart was literally jumping with excitement. The little kid inside me quickly checked out the details of all rides and was on my way to hit them.
We bought the 2-day Disneyland Paris pass, which includes unlimited rides in both their parks -- Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. The tickets cost us around $145. If you book in advance, they often have special offers and deals which can be availed. The park is a bit on the outskirts of Paris so if you want to spend quality time there, I would suggest booking a hotel in the vicinity, like I did.
I would recommend to opt for the 2-day pass. It is impossible to cover all good rides in just 1 day. Keep in mind the fact that waiting time for every popular ride is no less than 30-90 mins. So in one day you will probably cover all good rides of one park. That was my goal as I shuffled through the crowds in order to make the most of my Disneyland Paris experience.
Here are some of my favorite Disney rides so if you have less time, make way to these first and I can guarantee you will have a great time.
Image from -- WanderWithJo -- Travel Blog
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril -- It is an epic roller coaster located in Adventureland (sub-section of Disneyland park). It is based around the popular flick Indiana Jones and takes you on a high speed train ride. There are lot of fast turns and dips as you zoom past jungles and temples.
Crush's Coaster -- This one was by far one of my very favorites. You see its hard to choose but I am trying. I was so amazed by the movie "Finding Nemo" and this ride is based around the turtle in the movie called Crush. The visual experience is simply amazing and your cart will swirl around moving from one place to another in jiffy.
Space Mountain, Mission 2 -- Aha, here will go -- Another big thrill ride from Disneyland Paris and surely one of the best for adrenaline junkies, like yours truly. You get the entire out of the world experience when you set off in outer space in a rocket -- Yes, that's right -- a rocket. Ever imagined how you would feel if you are sitting tight in a rocket set off to hit outer space at the speed of light ? Well, this is the exact experience which you will get (not at the speed of light, though). The ride is set in dark and the light and sound effects add to its charm.
Phantom Manor -- In the mood for ghoosebumps ? Well, then , this is your attraction. It is an eerie huge manor decorated amazingly with well, creepy stuff ! The setting and live actors are great and you are literally transformed from stepping into a dining room to a room of horrors. It's not that scary but the setup is quite amazing .
Tower of Terror -- Okay this is not for the faint hearted. I could hear people screaming from way outside, so, I decided to keep this ride for the very end -- You know in case I get sick and have to be rushed home . It was a wrong decision -- When I went once, I just "had" to go again. I did this ride twice. That's how much I loved it. The whole setting is simply extraordinary. You enter a hotel, which seems abandoned with the cobwebs and stains everywhere. Then, a concierge comes to greet you (live actor) who will narrate a chilling tale. Everything adds to the thrill and tension and you can feel the ghoosebumps as you rise high to the 13th story in a lift. And then -- the lift drops. Its a free fall (more or less) and you can feel your heart jump out of your chest. Remember the giddy feeling in the tummy you get in ferry wheels -- that's how you feel... except its faster and after the first drop -- it doesn't stop - it drops again. When the ride is over, the concierge comes and counts if everyone in the "lift based ride" is still alive and breathes a sigh of relief - so as the people part of the ride. Excellent concept and perfect implementation.
Pirates of the Caribbean - Based on the Disney movie of the same name, this ride is set in a dark dungeon full of pirates. With one huge drop , some loud sounds and amazing decoration, this ride is totally enjoyable.
Star Tours - Another excellent concept for a ride. I was so impressed by the planning and effort put into this one. Based on the popular George Lucas flick Star Wars, this is a motion stimulated ride. Something like a 8D experience, only better.
Other "fun" but not so "thrilling" rides were - It's a Small World , Buzz Lightyear laser blast & Toy Soldier's Parachute Drop - highly recommended after you are done with the Big 8 listed above.
Apart from these , Walt disney studios Paris had an array of awesome shows like Motor stunt show and Animagique - both very unique and interesting.
Another great experience was the Disney parade - they had it in the morning and evening - both times, it was a must watch spectacle with people peeping from sidelines and our favorite Disney characters coming to life.
All in all, my 2 days in Disneyland Paris were surely more enjoyable than my week in Paris.
So, do you want to visit Disneyland Paris or have you been there already ? Tell me about your favorite rides in comments.
This article was originally published here - http://wanderwithjo.com/7-must-experience-rides-when-you-visit-disneyland-paris/