Our Last Day in Disneyland Paris
Our last day in Disneyland Paris. After a whirlwind of excitement thanks to our Premier Access passes, we had already conquered most of our must-do rides. The plan for today was simple: hit the few remaining attractions, re-ride our absolute favorites, and—for the first time in any of my Disney trips—take the day at a leisurely pace, free from stress and anxiety.
Of course, the best-laid plans often have a touch of unexpected magic. There were a few things I secretly hoped to experience but hadn't dared to add to our official list, knowing my awful time management. I dreamt of a ride on the horse-drawn carriage down Main Street, something I’d seen at every park but never prioritized. I also hoped to catch two special performances for the Paris music festival: Mary Poppins with the Pearly Band and Minnie’s Marching Band. It seemed like a long shot, but a girl can dream.
The day began with a minor panic. While my husband, Brian, dealt with our luggage, I popped into the hotel gift shop, hoping to finally find the coveted Disneyland Hotel pin that had been missing all trip. There it was! But when I went to pay, my credit card was gone. After a bit too much champagne the night before, I’d switched purses and had no idea where I’d left it. I asked the cast member to hold the pin for me and rushed back to the room.
Of course, Brian informed me our bags were already with the concierge. We had to go all the way down to the lobby and ask to see our luggage. A cast member escorted us through a back door, down to the basement, and into a huge storage room—it was actually pretty cool to see behind the scenes! Luck was on my side; the card was right in the purse on top of the first suitcase I checked. Phew!
Despite the delay, we still made it for Early Entry, strolling right past the long lines of people waiting for the official park opening. We skipped our way over to redo Pirates of the Caribbean, walking right on. After one last look at the beautiful castle, I turned around, and what did I behold? The horse-drawn carriage was right there, ready to load. Wonderful! We hopped on for a ride to the front of the park. And as if on cue, the carriage unloaded us right at the Main Street Gazebo just as Mary Poppins and the Pearly Band began their show! The pixie dust was already flowing.
With two things checked off my list in a matter of minutes, we park-hopped over to Walt Disney Studios. The new entrance to this park is breathtaking, with beautiful statues and flowers outside and a vibrant, neon-lit interior. You could just sit and stare for hours.
But we had things to do! We headed straight for one of my favorite hidden gems: the drawing class. I’ve loved this experience since I first drew Mickey Mouse’s head at DisneyQuest back in 1997. And what were we drawing today? The very same Mickey head. I live for those full-circle, nostalgic moments.
Next, we tried for Crush’s Coaster, but the line was moving slowly. This gave me the perfect opportunity to book a virtual queue slot to meet Spider-Man later. Unfortunately, the ride broke down, but they escorted all the Premier Pass holders out a back way and gave us a voucher to return.
We pivoted to the Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, then headed to the backlot area of the park. We grabbed a delicious and intriguingly named hot dog creation: the "RED RAGE HOT-DOG" – a beef sausage in a red brioche bun with smoked chipotle sauce, crushed Doritos®, pickled red onions, and dried bacon. Fueled up, we found a great seat for "Alice & the Queen of Hearts: Back to Wonderland," a thrilling new stunt show.
After that, we were slinging webs on the Spider-Man ride (I was awful at it!), and then it was time to meet the man himself. My youngest daughter, Priscilla, is a huge fan, so we facetimed her back home while she was tucked into her snuggly bed for the entire experience. As we finished, we stumbled right into the Avengers Unite show—another thing that had piqued my interest but hadn't made the "must-do" list. The pixie dust was still flowing!
With some time to kill, we explored the park and found a character spot with Jessie and Mrs. Incredible. We had to choose one line, and I let Brian pick. My grand plan was for him to wait for Jessie while I met Mrs. Incredible, but he talked me out of it. As we stood in what felt like the slowest line of the entire trip, I watched the other line zip along. I totally could have done both! Oh well. We finished our time in this park with a quick, triumphant redo of Crush’s Coaster (my favorite!) before running back to the other park for one last ride on Hyperspace Mountain.
At this point, I was shocked by how much we’d fit in. I had been so worried, knowing we had to pack and check out before even starting our day, and had to be done by 6:45 PM for a dinner reservation.
Brian was craving a banana split, so we checked both ice cream shops on Main Street with no luck. He settled for a milkshake, which he had to wait in a long line for. The crowds were getting thick, and Brian grew anxious, wanting to make sure I didn’t miss my princess meet-and-greet—another fantastic perk of staying at the Disneyland Hotel.
Just then, I saw Minnie’s Marching Band ascending Main Street. The crowd was dense, and my husband was impatient. He grabbed my hand, pulling me into the Discovery Arcade, a covered passage designed to look like those in Paris, to bypass the crowd. We briskly walked through and stumbled back into the sunlight at the far end of the parade route—right in front of Minnie Mouse herself, with almost no one around her.
Brian looked at me, completely bewildered, and asked, “Do you have pixie dust coming out of your a**?”
Score! I had now seen everything I had hoped to see.
We headed back to our hotel for my princess reservation. I was wondering who it would be. It was Rapunzel! I was happy, but a little disappointed it wasn't my favorite, Cinderella. While waiting, I asked a lovely cast member if there was anywhere else I could see Cinderella. She told me I could make an appointment for 4:00 PM the next day, but I explained we were already checked out. She paused, went to speak with another cast member, and returned with the most magical news: if I could wait 20 minutes after my meeting with Rapunzel, I could meet Cinderella too! I love Disney Magic! All my desires for this trip had been met.
We strolled upstairs just in time for our dinner reservation at the Royal Banquet. This buffet-style restaurant features Mickey, Minnie, and their friends dressed in stunning, exclusive royal attire. It was a delightful experience with delicious food.
My final mission: the pin. I popped back into the gift shop, but the once-full pegs were now empty. My heart sank. I explained my morning saga to the cast member, who checked behind the counter to no avail. As my hope dwindled, another cast member overheard and told me to be patient while she checked one more place.
While I waited, I struck up a wonderful conversation with the first cast member. We bonded over our love for Disney, and she even shared some cast secrets. When I mentioned I was a wedding photographer, she swooned over my work and asked if I’d ever travel to Paris for a wedding. Um, YES! Another dream unlocked. We exchanged info, and just as I had nearly given up, the other cast member returned, pin in hand!
With the pin secured, we rushed down to book a ride to our next hotel, but the concierge was closed. The front desk tried to help us with an Uber, but warned us that many drivers refuse to pick up at the hotel's front entrance. Just as panic set in, another cast member overheard and offered to help. She showed me exactly how to order the Uber with specific instructions. Soon after, I got a call from a non-English-speaking driver who was lost. The incredibly kind cast member took my phone and gave him perfect directions.
It was late, and I was nervous that no one would be at our new hotel, The Hotel Emile, especially since we were arriving a little after 11 PM. Thankfully, an extremely nice man was at the check-in desk. He helped with our luggage, gave us fresh water, and explained that we had the nicest room in the very old building, on the 6th floor. We could either take the winding spiral staircase or walk up one flight and use an extremely small lift for our luggage. My wonderful husband walked up all seven flights while I sent the bags up. The man told me I could ride the tiny lift myself, which I happily did.
When I finally reached our room, I was utterly exhausted. It had been an amazing, overwhelming, and truly magical day. And it was over.
Time to start again at 4:30 AM the next day.
I’m still smiling thinking about this magical Disney birthday trip—every detail was absolutely perfect. Huge thanks to Danielle at Platinum Mouse for making it all happen. Her care, creativity, and expertise made this experience unforgettable. I can’t recommend her enough!
