The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
PARIS FOR FAMILIES
Eiffel Tower This architectural marvel is a great way to get the lay of the land (toureiffel.paris/ en).
Wander in Montmartre On a first trip to Paris, don’t force the children into too many museums – tire them out climbing the steps to Montmartre and you’ll get an icecream reward at the top.
Cité des Sciences Europe’s biggest science museum, , this is unmissable (citesciences.fr).
Bofinger For classic brasserie style, head to Bofinger and indulge in the delicious food of Alsace – giant mounds of sauerkraut, sausages, seafood and a semi-dry glass of riesling (bofingerparis. com).
Musée Rodin The beautiful rococo mansion where Rodin had his studio in the early 20th century has an unrivalled collection of the sculptor’s work (musee-rodin.fr).( ) based on the availability at rides we could view on the Disney app (disneylandparis.co.uk/mobile-app).
We booked popular rides in advance using the FastPass system (where you pick up a timed ticket), plus we memorised the plan inside-out.
Food in the parks is forgettable – generic pizza, pasta and steak.
There is nothing quite like a Disney parade, but stake out your viewing spot 30 minutes early (Fantasyland and the upper platform of Disney Railroad station are the best spots). While some queuing at Disney is inevitable, armed with exclusive early and late access via the Magic Hours, plus the Fast Pass and the app, we saved at least three hours in waiting, and managed to visit all of the rides on top of our list in one (long) day.
Even if you’re not a traditional Mickey fan, there’s an inescapable magic – plus, you’ll always have Paris. Children will love the French capital, with attractions from the interactive Cité des Sciences to the giant whale skeleton at Musée National D’histoire Naturelle. Stay around Disney for two to three days, followed by time in Paris. Or stay in Paris for a long weekend and test the park for one day.
Four other great European parks
Disney Resort’s hotels are great for proximity, Magic Hours and for the Disney characters. A two-night stay at the Santa Fe Disney resort hotel for a family of four (with children aged up to 11), which will include Magic Hours and Fast Passes, costs from £950 in May half-term. Check disneylandparis.com and book in advance for the best deals. Disneyland Holidays (disneyholidays.co.uk) also offers keenly priced packages.
Disneyland Paris top five Peter Pan’s Flight Pirate ships whisk you through the Darling household and up to the skies Space Mountain Mission 2 – a superfast rollercoaster with three inversions. Twilight Tower of Terror A lift
shafts drop set in ana old Hollywood hotel really blew us away.
Rock’n’Roller Coaster Aerosmithinspired rollercoaster with surround-sound rock.
Bistrot Chez Rémy Based on the Ratatouille r restaurant, the conceit here is that guests have been shrunk to the size of rats, a and so are served with outsized silverware. It was h hilarious.
Puy du Fou – Bordeaux
Best for ages eight and up, this swashbuckling French park makes history come alive with multiple daily spectacles and period villages to explore, with real artisans and five themed hotels – plus you can pair a trip here with wine tasting in Bordeaux.
Prater – Vienna
The emperor’s old hunting park is host to a lively fun fair which hosts the 120-year-old Ferris wheel, along with an array of roller coasters, spinning rides and spinning swings that are not for the acrophobic. There is plenty to entertain children aged five and up. The on-site beer garden makes a lively break from the more sedate nature of the Austrian capital.
Legoland – Copenhagen
From the Ninjago land (new in 2016) to the adjacent Lalandia water park, Billund is a must for diehard Lego fans who have already been to the Windsor site. We would pair this with a trip to Copenhagen, around three hours away by train.
Liesberg – Gothenburg
Use Liesberg, Scandinavia’s oldest theme park, to lure the kids to Sweden’s second city, which is as gregarious as Stockholm is sophisticated, with an eclectic blend of heavy industry, neoclassical architecture and a burgeoning contemporary arts scene.