Comparing Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World Florida is something many families will do before they book their family vacation. This is particularly true of European families, especially the British who have easy access to Paris but can also travel to Florida.
Walt Disney World in Florida opened in 1971 and has gradually expanded over the years and now consists of four Theme Parks, Two water parks, 24 Disney hotels and a campsite, a sports complex and a shopping and entertainment centre. Disneyland Paris opened far more recently in 1992 and was known originally as Eurodisney. This resort consists of only two theme parks, a shopping complex and 7 on site Disney Hotels.
Ticket prices for Disney attractions do vary with relation to special offers and extra feature but for 2010 for a British adult a 5 day park hopper pass to Paris is £165 and a 5 day Orlando pass is £238, however a 7 day pass is £240 and a 21 day pass is only £279.
Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park are equivalent parks and have very similar attractions and so offer a very similar experience for visitors in terms attractions. The Disneyland Park in Paris is larger than its Florida equivalent which means that the park has more quiet areas; however it does make for a lot more walking if you are hoping to explore every inch of the park. Both parks offer stroller rental but the strollers in Florida are attractive colourful affairs that may be a little large but can squeeze two infants inside as opposed to the ugly black contraptions that are rented out in Paris, they may be easier to control but children don’t seem to be keen on the ride. The parades and shows at both parks are brilliant but I think the fireworks in Florida and much better.
Both parks have variable opening times but the Paris Park only has late night opening for special events and in the height of the summer season. Florida has more chance of late nights at weekends, this is important because the fireworks and the light parades are really magical and an important part of the Disney experience. Also your tickets cost the same whether you are only able to be in the park from 10 until 5 or from 9 until midnight.
Paris and Florida both offer Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park (formerly Disney-MGM in Orlando). These parks are strikingly different and really the similarity stops at the name. There are a few favourite rides that appear at both parks: The Backlot Tour with Catastrophe Canyon, Rock’n’Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror and Light Motors Action but most of the offerings are quite different and relate quite strongly to the country they are in. The entrance to the Paris park is designed to look like the inside of a huge film lot and this offers clever protection from the weather, however on leaving this area the park feels quite disjointed and does not have the beautiful Art Deco theming that can be found in Orlando. Paris does have a fantastic ride called Crushes Coaster which would be a welcome addition to Orlando. It is wise to remember that Paris will present most of its shows in French although some will have some presentation in English so you need to check the times. However most things are easy to follow even without much knowledge of the language and a French Mickey Mouse is quite a novel experience.
Disney Village is the shopping and entertainment complex outside the two Paris parks. It has a large Disney Store and plenty of restaurants including Planet Hollywood and the Rainforest Cafe. There is also a lovely lake with a magnificent tethered hot air balloon that rises to give amazing views of the park and also distant views of Paris. Downtown Disney is the American version. Downtown Disney is much larger with an enormous Disney Store that puts the Paris one to shame. It is also positioned around a lake where you can hire boats ant Captain Jacks Marina. Downtown Disney is more a destination in itself than Disney Village and Orlando also offers DisneyQuest here which is very popular with older children who love all the electronic games.
Orlando also has two other Theme Praks to offer on the Disney site. EPCOT is a unique park with wonderfully advanced rides in the form of Mission Space and Soarin’ as well as the perennial favourite Test Track mixed in with educational elements and a recreation of 8 different countries around the huge lagoon. These contrasting elements make for an interesting park that offers something for all the family and is unlike any other theme park anywhere in the world.
Animal Kingdom is Disney’s attempt at a more natural looking park which offers amazing rides and shows alongside the wonders of nature. The Safari Jeep Ride should not be missed as there are so many animals to see.
The Florida climate lends itself to the establishment of water parks which are not available in Paris due to the inclement weather. Both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach provide wonderful themed water rides from gentle meandering rivers to full-on death-defying drops to amuse everyone.
Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris offer hotels on site. In Paris all of the hotels are an easy walk from the parks and Disney Village which makes getting around very easy and there is no waiting around. The hotels are also served by shuttle buses but most people prefer to walk if they are able as it is a nice walk past the lake and it is flat. WDW however is spread over such a large area that guests have to use cars or shuttle buses to get from park to park and hotel to park, this does involve waiting around and using crowded buses and can be a nightmare after the parks empty at night.
Disney operates a no smoking policy in both parks (with designated smoking areas). This seems to be upheld reasonably well in Orlando but in Paris it is not uncommon to find lots of people smoking everywhere, especially in queues where unfortunately you can’t get away even if you find it unpleasant. This seems a particular problem during the European holidays. Following the rules in not accepted as easily in Europe as it is in the USA and the Paris park has people climbing all over the walls and fences to lie on the grass and even climbing through bushes, this makes the park more untidy than the American equivalent.
Both sites operate the Fastpass system which is a wonderful way of cutting down the time you spend queuing.
Food is a national pre-occupation of the French and the food (besides the fast-food) in the Paris parks is definitely more refined than that offered in the American ones.
Climate has a large effect on how enjoyable your vacation will be. Orlando is likely to be warmer than Paris all through the year. However the stifling humidity of Florida in the summer months can prove to be too much for many visitors and they are also disappointed by the predictable afternoon rain. Paris has much lower humidity and in the summer months can still have temperatures in the high 80s, unfortunately it also has cold wet winters. Many Brits visit Orlando in October when the weather is still warm but the humidity is much less, Paris is usually wet and windy for its Halloween celebrations.
Cast members at Disney sites are there to make your vacation more enjoyable. The cast members in Orlando follow the Disney Code and are helpful, friendly and hard-working; unfortunately the urge to go the extra mile just doesn’t occur in Paris. The cast members do their jobs but they behave in ways I have never seen in Orlando, one day we saw a CM walk away from the queue he was serving as he said it was his break time and told all his customers to join other queues, the place was full and these people had already been waiting ages, I had never seen such behaviour in Disney before.
Language can be a barrier occasionally. All cast members in Paris must speak French and at least one other language. This does mean that conversations with cast members are not always spontaneous as they are not sure what language you are going to speak and you may have come across one who doesn’t speak English if you don’t speak French. Most announcements are made in several languages and warning notices are also multi-lingual. Hearing lots of languages being spoken by guests is a nice, enriching experience.
Very few people who visit either Disneyland Paris or Walt Disney World will restrict their vacation to just that site. In Orlando there are plenty of other theme parks, water parks and NASA to visit as well as huge shopping malls. These provide great entertainment but can make the vacation feel like a rather “sterile” experience. Disneyland Paris has a railway station outside its gates that can whisk you into the heart of one of the most beautiful capital cities in Europe in less than half an hour; this cultural experience adds a wonderfully unique dimension to a Disneyland trip.
Walt Disney World and the surrounding area easily has enough entertainment to keep a family amused for two or three weeks. Disneyland Park Paris is more suited to a short break as 4 or 5 days is enough to see everything and to go back to your favourites again.
The cost of a vacation is very important. American visitors are bound to find Orlando cheaper as there is no trans-Atlantic airfare to purchase. However what is surprising is that Orlando may well be cheaper for British families too. Staying in Paris really needs a Disney Hotel but in Orlando there are many off-site hotels that are still very close and are cheaper. A trip for two adults to Paris for 4 nights in a medium Disney hotel in June with park tickets cost me one third of the price of 15 nights in Orlando at a 4 star hotel, car hire, Disney and Universal Park tickets for 3 adults and one teenager. Food and gas is cheaper in America so overall the vacation is much better value.
A young family taking its first steps into the wonderful world of Disney would find Paris a suitable starting point but for those seeking a truly magical, longer vacation then it would have to be Orlando for the extra things to do, the wonderful weather and the exceptional hospitality.