Paris Adventures: Eurostar Business Premier, Disney Magic, and City Exploration
From London's bustling energy, we were ready for our next adventure: Paris. What we didn't expect was accidentally booking Business Premier on the Eurostar, discovering that our first Disney parks would exceed every expectation, and watching Lily fall even deeper in love with the city she'd been dreaming about since our test run the summer before.
The Eurostar Surprise: When Planning Goes Sideways
Our journey to Paris started with what we thought was careful planning back in Southampton. Lindsay and I had stayed up late putting together all the puzzle pieces for our route to Disneyland Paris. What we didn't account for was that the Eurostar only allows a limited number of Eurail passengers per train.
Since we were using Eurail passes to travel around Europe, we thought we were all set. But the night before departure, we discovered our passes wouldn't get us on the train we needed. We had to scramble to buy full-fare tickets online, and the only available option was Business Premier class.
So instead of our budget-friendly rail pass journey, we found ourselves in the Eurostar Business Premier lounge with free Cokes and allegedly some beer somewhere. The girls were excited about the unexpected upgrade, and honestly, after the stress of thinking we might not make it to Paris at all, we were just grateful to be on the train.
Under the English Channel
The Eurostar journey itself was smooth once we figured out the seating situation. We had to walk pretty far to reach our seats near the front of the train, but the girls handled the long corridor walk like champs.
Going under the English Channel in the tunnel was less dramatic than we'd built it up to be, but there was still something magical about the moment we emerged in France. The landscape immediately looked different, and the girls were fascinated by spotting things that were definitely not English anymore.
At one point during our train connections, we hit 184 mph - a speed that had the girls glued to the windows and us adults quietly impressed by European rail efficiency.
We weren't going all the way to Paris proper - we'd be getting off at the first stop to change trains for Disneyland. The connection involved some train hopping that tested our luggage management skills, especially after we managed to break our suitcase getting off one of the trains.
Hôtel Dream Castle: Our Disney Headquarters
Our first Disney accommodation was the Hôtel Dream Castle, where we stayed in the Family Room, Connecting Rooms for our two nights of Disney park exploration. The castle theme had them buzzing with excitement before we'd even stepped foot in the parks.
Important note for families: Disney hotels are very strict about room capacity. We saw multiple families have problems at check-in because they hadn't booked rooms large enough for their group size. Make sure to book the right room type for your family size to avoid any issues.
This was particularly special for Lily, who had been talking about returning to Paris ever since our test run the summer before. During that 2021 trip, we'd been evaluating whether longer-term travel would work for our family, and Paris had captured her heart completely.
Disneyland Paris: First Disney Magic
Our first day at Disneyland Paris started with chocolate croissants and the kind of anticipation that only comes with experiencing Disney magic for the first time. The park had a distinctly European feel that set it apart from what we'd seen in videos of the American Disney parks.
The Mickey and Minnie parade was a highlight, though we quickly learned that meeting princesses required two-hour waits. For Lily especially, who was already in love with Paris, seeing Disney characters in the city she adored was pure magic.
Instead of waiting hours for character meet-and-greets, we focused on rides and experiences that moved more quickly. Dumbo's Flying Adventure had an hour and a half wait, but the girls were patient and excited enough to make it worthwhile.
The carousel was a hit, as carousels always are, and the girls named their horses Tilly and Lina. These simple moments of joy reminded us why we'd chosen this adventure in the first place.
The classic dark rides through Snow White and Pinocchio's stories were both fun and slightly terrifying. Lily needed hand-holding during the scarier parts, but everyone came out smiling and ready for the next adventure.
By evening, everyone was exhausted. We found the Hyperion Cafe in Discoveryland where the girls could decompress while watching old Disney cartoons on big screens.
Walt Disney Studios: Toy Story Playland
Day two took us to Walt Disney Studios, where we started much later in the day, hoping to manage energy levels better. The Studios felt smaller than the main park, but Toy Story Playland was a definite highlight.
Being shrunk down to toy size and walking through giant Tinker Toys and under enormous Christmas lights was exactly the kind of immersive experience that makes Disney special. The Slinky Dog ride had a line formed out of Lincoln Logs before entering a retro board game box for the actual ride.
We had some meltdowns on day two - the combination of late starts, crowds, and general travel fatigue was catching up with everyone. But ice cream and a return to the main Disneyland park for a few final rides helped salvage the evening.
Moving to Explorers Hotel: Pirate Paradise
After two nights at the Dream Castle, we switched to the Explorers Hotel for our final Paris days. We stayed in the Room for 6, single beds, with access to aquapark, though they also offer a Quadruple room, bunkbed, with access to aquapark or Quadruple room, single beds, with access to aquapark for smaller families. They even have themed suites - Pirate Suite, Sealife Suite, and Princess Suite that sleep 6 - but these were unavailable when we visited.
The change of scenery was exactly what we needed, and the pirate theme was carried throughout the property.
The girls declared it the "awesomest place we stayed in of all the hotels of on vacation," which was high praise considering we were only a few weeks into our journey. The pirate theme came complete with a slide that went from inside to outside and back inside again.
The European-style outlets were a relief after struggling with UK adapters. We'd only brought two adapters for England, which meant constant charging rotations and negotiations over who got to plug in what when.
Paris Proper: A City Lily Loves
Our day trip into Paris was especially meaningful for Lily, who had been talking about the city nonstop since our 2021 test run. That summer trip had been part of our research into whether long-term family travel could work for us, and Paris had left such an impression on her that she'd been asking to return ever since.
Notre-Dame Cathedral was our first stop. Both Lindsay and I were curious to see the restoration work following the devastating 2019 fire. The scaffolding and construction were extensive, but you could still sense the majesty of the building beneath all the repair work.
The heat was intense that day, making the walk through Paris more challenging with three kids. But the tree-lined promenades provided shade and relief as we made our way toward the Eiffel Tower.
Seeing the Eiffel Tower never gets old, especially when you're watching your children experience it. For Lily, this was a return to somewhere special, while Cora and Harper were seeing it for the first time.
We found a shady spot for lunch and soaked in the atmosphere of being back in the city that had helped convince us to take this leap into full-time travel.
Aquapark Adventures
The water park at the Explorers Hotel was the perfect way to end our Paris adventure. The alligator slide that came out of an alligator's mouth (not real, as the girls carefully noted) was a huge hit.
Cora had a minor accident involving biting her tongue on the dragon slide, but with some comfort and a special drink, she was back to enjoying the water attractions. These little bumps in the road are part of family travel, and learning to handle them calmly helps everyone get back to having fun more quickly.
Paris Reflections
Paris with kids proved to be everything we'd hoped when we'd first tested this lifestyle the year before. For Lily especially, returning to her favorite city and experiencing Disney magic there created memories that perfectly captured why we'd chosen this adventure.
The combination of Disney fantasy and French culture gave the girls a taste of how different countries put their own spin on familiar experiences. These were their first Disney parks, making Paris Disney particularly special in our family's story.
Most importantly, we'd successfully navigated our first major European destination as a traveling family. The logistics were more complex than Southampton or London, but we'd figured out train connections, hotel arrangements, and managing tired kids in crowded tourist areas.
Want to see our complete Paris adventure? Check out our video series:
Next destination: the French Riviera, where we'd discover that slowing down is what its all about.
Planning your own family trip to Paris? You can use the hotel links throughout this page (we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you), or contact Lindsay at lindsay.clarkson@fora.travel for personalized booking assistance. As a travel advisor, she can often secure perks like room upgrades and special amenities that aren't available when booking directly.
