It's been 25 years since Disneyland Paris opened its doors, and it remains the most-visited theme park in Europe. It's easy to see why. The power of 'Disney magic' was never more apparent than when we surprised our six year old son Zachary with a trip to the park this summer. Given that he is a BIG superhero fan, the Marvel Summer of Super Heroes was too good an opportunity to pass up, and so we headed to Disneyland Paris for a two night, three day stay – with our six-week-old daughter in tow. We stayed at the Disneyland Paris Hotel, situated just metres from the park. I can't recommend it highly enough. From the concierge service waiting to take our bags and park the car, to the beautiful interior, the fantastic food and the incredibly helpful and friendly staff, who went out of their way to make our room available early so I could feed my baby, our stay was faultless. Being so close to the park, it also had the added bonus of some chance Disney character sightings, much to the delight of our son. Perhaps one of the biggest perks of staying in the hotel is the chance to enjoy more time in the two parks – Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios. Guests are able to enter the parks a full hour and a half before they open at 10am, and that counts for A LOT when it comes to the rides.
The Marvel Summer of Super Heroes went down a treat with our family
After an early start, we chose to spend the rest of the first day exploring Disneyland Paris. Zachary's excitement levels went through the roof as we first entered the park, and made our way down Main Street that leads to the iconic Sleeping Beauty castle. And then it was all about rides, rides, rides. We had VIP fast track passes for our stay at Disney, and it was certainly worthwhile. Given the time of our visit (early July) I was prepared for a lot of waiting around in the hot sun, but the passes meant that this was really minimal… Excited children, and queues don’t mix well. Favourite rides included Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars Hyper Space Mountain – although Zach later admitted he kept his eyes shut for that one! Given that we had such a young baby with us, I was expecting to spend most of my time watching from the sidelines. But actually we were able to take her on a number of rides during our stay, including It’s a Small World, Pinocchio and Pirates of the Caribbean, which I really appreciated. Day one ended with the Disney Illuminations, set against the backdrop of the castle – and what a spectacle it was. The show doesn’t start until 11pm, but it was so worth waiting for. We were all utterly enthralled – it's an absolute must.
READ: The best places in West Hollywood for celebrity spotting
There is so much to see and do
Day two was all about the Supers! After a delicious breakfast in the hotel, we set off bright and early for a day inside the Walt Disney Studios. The absolute highlight for Zach was Marvel: Super Heroes United, a live action show which sees Thanos pitted against heroes including Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Panther and Black Widow. Be prepared, this is an incredibly popular show and as such the queue was seriously long. And hot. So very hot. But that was quickly forgotten once we were sat inside the (blissfully air conditioned) theatre, with Zach's face lighting up as he saw his favourite heroes appear on stage, the impressive special effects only adding to the spectacle. Walt Disney Studios is also home to some brilliant rides. We LOVED Ratatouille (another ride we could all enjoy together) and Crush's Coaster (from Finding Nemo) – both are popular, so get there early!
MORE: HELLO!'s Editor-in-Chief won a dream free holiday - and you could too!
Of course, no visit to Disneyland would be compete without watching the world famous parade. With my other half very happily situated in one of the hotel bars watching the England World Cup game, we headed out to watch the procession. It was easy to find a good spot, and Zach was completely spellbound as the characters paraded past on their floats. It was the perfect end to our second day.
Spider-Man was of course there too!
Day three was spent revisiting some favourite rides, eating our body weight in ice cream and, of course, buying souvenirs. The shops are incredible – there is something for every Disney fan. Zach's eyes lit up at all the Marvel and Star Wars goodies – he ended up with a Hawkeye bow and an Iron Man fist - and I was able to pick up some (very) early Christmas gifts for my princess-loving nieces. And then it was time for home, tired out after a full-on three days but with the world's happiest little boy asleep on the back seat.
The Marvel Summer of Super Heroes is running until 30 September in celebration of Disneyland Paris' 25th anniversary.
DISNEYLAND PARIS – Marvel Summer of Super Heroes - Travel Package with Eurostar – Family of 4 Prices for a two night/ three-day package start from £1,318.48 based on 2 Adults / 2 Children sharing a Room with 2 double beds. Sleeps up to 4 people (Children aged 3-11). Price includes two night's accommodation at Disney's Hotel Santa Fe, three-day park hopper tickets with unlimited access to Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park and travel by Eurostar (indirect) to Disneyland Paris from London St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet or Ashford International in standard class. This price includes Hotel and Park Tickets, + a €200 Disneyland Paris Gift Card! Book by 20th August 2018. Price based on 19th September 2018 departure date, subject to availability. Terms & conditions apply. For more information on Marvel Summer of Super Heroes and other offers please call 08448 008 111 or visit: https://holidays.disneylandparis.co.uk/offers/index.
