Back in April 1992, Disneyland Paris opened its doors for the first time to thousands of guests. Since then, the park has welcomed more than 250 million visitors, expanded with the opening of Walt Disney Studios and has developed an amazing variety of new attractions, shows and parades.

We were delighted to be invited along to help celebrate 20 years of magic with a weekend packed full of fireworks, fountains and fun.

Getting there

Hop on a Eurostar at London's St Pancras International and you'll be rubbing shoulders with Mickey and friends in less than three hours. To hit the park mid-morning, book yourself on an early train heading straight to Marne-La-Vallee (Disneyland Park). We travelled in Standard Premier, which includes a good breakfast and a sizeable luggage allowance (very handy if you have the kids in tow).

Best rooms in the house

If you choose to stay at one of Disneyland Paris' seven hotels, most are situated just a short distance away from the stations. We stayed at Disney's Hotel New York, a mere 15-minute stroll away from the parks. The hotel boasts an array of facilities including two swimming pools, a gym, restaurants and bars. Rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable - but let's face it, you don't really go to Disney to spend your weekend in a hotel room.

What's to love?

The attention to detail at Disney is second to none. The resort has been carefully planned so that visitors can get the most out of their experience. Early starters can plan their day with the free FastPass service for most of the main rides and attractions. This gives you an allocated time for each ride, cutting queue times to a minimum - essential if you're only there for one day.

The parks are also not as hard to get around as you may imagine. Take a load off your feet by hopping on the Disneyland Railroad at Main Street USA or hitch a lift in one of the vintage cars.

Until September 2012, guests can also revel in extended opening hours. On most days the park will close around 10:30/11pm allowing you to really make the most of your day. Hotel guests can also have access to the park two hours before it opens to the general public, so you can avoid the queues by hitting all of your favourite rides then.

And, as most people leave the park in the early evening, this is often the perfect time to hit up some of the more popular rides.


What if I want to stay in / visit Paris?

If you want to base yourself in central Paris, you can use the RER Train to access the resort. This takes around 45 minutes and is very straightforward.


If you do one thing while you're here...

A surprise highlight was the Finding Nemo themed Crush's Coaster in Walt Disney Studios. Make sure you arrive early for this one as queues get very long!