Disneyland Paris opened in 1992 and was the first Disney Park in Europe. I was lucky enough to visit the park in 1992 and have returned several times since. Since you could write a whole book about Disneyland Paris I have just picked out some of my favourite bits and top tips from over the years that I have been there.

The resort features six hotels: The Disneyland Paris Hotel, Hotel New York, Newport Bay Club, Sequoia Lodge, Hotel Cheyenne, and Hotel Santa Fe and the Camp Davey Crockett Campsite.

When staying at Disneyland Paris, I have stayed at the Newport Bay Club, Hotel New York, Disneyland Paris Hotel, and the Sequoia Lodge. All the Disney hotels are excellent, and rooms are of a very high standard, well-furnished and clean. Your main criteria for choosing a hotel will probably be price. My favourite hotel, however, is the Hotel New York (see additional entry) because of the theme, its location, and excellent rooms.

The Magic Kingdom Park is the jewel at the heart of Disneyland Paris and has been open since the resort premiered in 1992. Similar to the parks at Walt Disney World and Disneyland in California, the MK Park at Disneyland Paris offers the ultimate in escapism for both young and old! You enter on Main Street USA, with the first attraction on offer being the Walt Disney World railroad that takes you around the park; this is a great way to see the main attractions of the park.

The rest of the park is split into lands, and make sure that you head to Fantasyland, where some of the fun rides include Peter Pan, the carousel, Snow White, and the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Rides here are always popular, with LONG queues, so try and ride them first thing in the morning, later at night, or when there is a parade.

In Adventureland, make sure that you check out Pirates of the Caribbean, a great treat for kids who have seen the film, as well as Tom Sawyer Island!

Honey I Shrunk the Audience: (Discoveryland)
A brilliant, fun 3D adventure that also allows you to sit down for 10 minutes! This adventure based upon the Honey, I Shrunk The Kids films starring Rick Moranis and is taken from the same ride at EPCOT in Walt Disney World in Florida. It will appeal to people of all ages, but some scenes (involving snakes and mice!) will be scary for younger children as well as some adults! Don't worry about language problems, as the show is shown both in French and English alternately, and non-languge-speaking guests are provided with head phones.

Disney Studios:
If you have been to Disney MGM Studios in Florida, then you may at first be slightly disappointed by the size and number of rides at Walt Disney Studios. Take heart--most Disney theme parks start small and grow over the years! The newly opened Disney Studios Park is quite small compared to the Florida equivalent, but offers some old favourites, such as the hair-raising Rock n Roller Coaster, as well as the stunning Moteurs, a great family-fun car-stunt show! Don't miss Armageddon, and there are also lots of sit-down theatre-style attractions here, including a great film about the history of cinema and Animagique, starring your favourite Disney characters, which makes this park a good bet for a rainy day. The equivalent to Main Street USA is also a covered pavilion featuring shops (with mainly Disney merchandise) and food outlets (mainly fast food!)

Rock 'n' roller coaster starring Aerosmith:
FASTPASS (This is the only roller coaster in this park, so make sure that you ride it early in the morning to save queueing time.) This is a fantastic ride that goes from 0 to 60mph in less than three seconds! (It slows down VERY dramatically after that, though!) The pre-ride area is fantastic, as you enter the worlds of music-making with Aerosmith and dash off to catch their concert in a MASSIVE stretch limo! With over 100 speakers per vehicle, the musical effects are great, and this is a brilliant ride (but not one for straight after lunch because of the loops and
turns!!).

The food is pretty much the same here as in the other park (burgers, fries, etc.). You can always eat in one of the hotels at lunchtime, where food tends to be of a better standard than the parks or at the Disney Village, where Chef Mickey's is great fun. (Don't forget to keep your park ticket and have your hand stamped as you leave the park!)
Saving time in the parks:

Weather:
If you can stand the rain, stay in the park, as many guests will go home when it rains, meaning that the rides are quieter, with shorter queues! Rain wear is advisable, though, and you can always buy the yellow Mickey Mouse ponchos when it rains. A good tip if you have children is to buy a poncho and draw something else on it, as thousands of people will all have the same ponchos, which can make it hard to identify your child.
Another thing to remember is to always wear suitable clothing in the parks. If it's hot, drink plenty of water and use sun cream, and always wear very comfortable shoes.

Cost?
A Disneyland Paris Holiday is not a particularly cheap holiday, but there are some ways that you can save money if staying 'in the heart of the magic':

There are lots of ways to get to Disneyland Paris, including Euro Tunnel and flying. I have only ever flown into Charles de Gaulle airport. The airport is located approximately 45 minutes from Disneyland Resort Paris, which can cost up to about £60 in a taxi. A cheaper alternative is to get the RER Disneyland Paris coach, which operates out of airport terminals. The transfer time is approx. 45 minutes to an hour, and it costs just over £10 per adult. It can be quite crowded during the daytime, so allow plenty of time for your return journey.

Packages are available with a number of tour operators, but almost all packages to Disneyland Paris include the following:
Room with en-suite bathroom (most rooms feature one king-size bed or two doubles)

As the Diisney hotels are located close together, you can walk to the parks and between resorts, although buses do run from and to the parks from all the hotels except the Disneyland Hotel.
Disney Village: the place to be at night!

There is a nice art shop that offers original cells from Disney films that is worth a look. There are also lots of snack places to eat, from Annette's Diner, where the waiters whiz around on roller skates, to Chef Mickey's, which offers a set meal for around 30€, including an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet (if your kids like to see Disney characters, then this is THE place to eat, with a whole host of characters walking around whilst you eat!).

The Sports Bar is a great place to chill and catch some sports on TV, as well as sample some great French beers and wines and cocktails (there are also tables outside if the weather is nice!). Hurricanes is the nightclub that opens at 11pm and closes at about 4am. It's a strange place in that it can be very busy with lots of great people and music, or else there can only be six people in the whole place! The dance floor is large, and they do offer themed nights, such as Mr & Mrs, Hawaii, etc. Be warned that the drinks are quite expensive (around 5€ for bottled beer).