Why

Whether you are four or forty there is no denying that the is a wonderful experience and will be a joy for all the family. If you are taking the kids to Paris or to Northern France it likely that you will succumb at some stage to the pressure to bring them to Europe's most popular family attraction. It certainly has something for everyone at is easily accessible by train being only 40 minutes by RER from Paris.

Where possible try to avail of special offers and deals on online tickets . Deals such as kids free and free nights are also a good option and have a look at the Disneyland site for up to date information to help you plan your trip.

If you are going to Disneyland Paris this summer with the kids you should take advantage of the great special offers and deals on online tickets celebrating the 15 year anniversary. You can enjoy four days at Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios for the price of three or five days for the price of four and enjoy the freedom to hop between the two parks.

There are new attractions at Disneyland Paris this year where the family can meet Stitch and friends in a new animated experience Stitch Live or learn the hottest dance moves with High School Musical on Tour! Hop next door to Walt Disney Studios Park and discover four production zones, featuring thrilling attractions and spectacular shows. New for 2008, see if you dare drop in to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, this is a incredible new ride for all thrill-seekers, where the ascent is followed by a dizzying drop faster than the speed of gravity! There is a big push on now for the 15 year anniversary. Here are the top attractions according to research on Irish families.

Have a look also at our guide on how to survive a theme park and remember to bring lots of healthy snacks to help in queues and keep the budget in check. Have a look also at the posts by other parents on Disneyland here.

When and How

Disneyland is an amazing year round destination but can get crowded and hot in July and August. If possible try to go when the queues will be shortest and this is usually between January and March (as long as there are no French school holidays).There are also deals and special offers off season. There are great celebrations at Halloween and Christmas when there are extra parades and performances.

You can fly to Paris Charles De Gaulle or Beauvais and there are shuttles from both airports to bring you straight to the resort if you like. There are lots of flights from Ireland and the UK ranging from scheduled to budget flights. You can check special offers or deals and book flights here. If you are coming from the UK Eurostar is a great high speed and hassle free way to travel right into the city centre. It is only 40 minutes by RER from the centre of Paris so a hire car is not necessary.

If you decide to take the ferry from Ireland and combine a trip with a camping holiday or a stay in a Gite for a few days you can take the ferry from Cork or Rosslare. From the UK there are several ferry routes. Camping operator prices can include a return ferry crossing. You can book ferry crossings here independently and do check out our guide to travelling with the kids by ferry.

Family friendly accommodation

There are a wide range of family friendly accommodation options available. On site there are the hotels run by Disney where the children can be entertained at breakfast by the characters and in the evenings so you can live the whole experience 24/7. They can work out expensive though but you can sometimes get the benefit of early park access. Disney have some great deals which include tickets whether you are staying on site or off and it is worth looking at them if you are only staying for a few days and want to organise it all in one go. In celebration of the 15 year anniversary all kids stay and get entry to the Parks for free and you can pre book tickets and accommodation here with Disney and .

When choosing your on site hotel depending on your budget the best options are those that have the Disney meet and greet characters. The Disneyland Hotel has this as well as family rooms and a fast pass for the suites and club class. The meet and greet is also available in the Newport Bay Hotel which also has the fast pass and suites and the Davy Crocket Ranch and the Sequoria are less expensive options. There is a good comparison chart on the Disney site to help you decipher the dazzling array of options. .

If you want to stay in the city or just outside the resort it may be cheaper. You can check hotel deals here with booking.com. Pierre & Vacances offers excellent city centre Aparthotels and apartments which include the Adagio Aparthotels. Serviced apartments (which Disney also offer with packages for the Parks). Apartments are also offered also by the Apartment Service.

If you want to combine the visit with camping La Croix du Vieux Pont, Berny Rovereis is beautifully situated beside a gently flowing river. It is ideal for children and has a special parkland play area as well as three pools one with a retractable roof and another with a water slide. There are lakes, pedalos and great forest walks as well as kids clubs and good sporting facilities. You also have the option the Asterix theme park close by and the opportunity of going champagne tasting. You can book with Eurocamp, Keycamp or Siblu.

What to do

There is no end to the things to see and do with the kids in Disneyland but do try to set the right pace a try to do some non queue attractions in between the more popular rides. There are two parks namely Walt Disney Studios and Disneyland. Depending on how long you are staying and the age of your children you will certainly need two days to cover both properly and in reality you can spend a good three or four days if you want to do it all. If you are there for one day only we would suggest you focus on Disneyland first.

If your children are young you are likely to focus more on the softer rides in Fantasyland and It's a Small World. Young children will also probably enjoy meeting the characters including the Disney princesses, Mini, Mickey and Pluto. Little girls in particular will love the Sleeping Beauty's pink fairy castle.

Older children will be looking for white knuckle rides and are likely to enjoy the rides in Adventure land and Frontierland. Discoveryland features several big rides including the revamped Space Mountain rollercoaster, Star Tours and Buzz Light-year Laser Blast. Big Thunder Mountain and the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril will also be a thrill for teenagers.

At Disney Studios children can get lessons in animation in a black light show based on Disney classics. Daredevils will enjoy the Rock and Roller Coaster and the indoor roller coaster ride based on finding. Even after at the park is closed the Disney Village will keep the party going with the huge range of cinemas, restaurants, family entertainment and shopping.

Disney is constantly improving the product and you can check for updates and news on the Disney site here . Recent additions include the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Stitch live and the High School Musical 2 show.

You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday. 

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