I have been to Disneyland Paris a few times as an adult, and honestly it was as good as visiting Disneyland (Florida) when I was a child. Of course, being an adult at Disneyland is a different experience, but it doesn’t make it any less magical. There are certain rides that are adult friendly at Disneyland, and others where are you truly embrace your inner child. Naturally, everybody is different and likes different things.
This blog is a complete guide to the attractions in both parks (including highlights & top tips) and a summary of the best rides at Disneyland Paris for adults.
Read on below for a list of all the best rides at Disneyland Paris for adults.
Travelling to Disneyland Paris for Pride? Check out this guide I wrote about Magical Pride.
Disneyland Park Layout
If you’ve never been to Disneyland Paris, it is helpful before you go to understand the layout out of the parks. And it’s similar in all the Disneyland parks around the world too.
On arrival through the gates, you will be greeted by Main Street. This is a long street of stores, food spots and pretty buildings. Although there are no attractions here, it is still always worth a wander around later in the afternoon.
Main Street is also the best spot in Disneyland for watching the Disney parade which happens in the afternoon (5:30pm when we visited in June).
At the top of Main Street is a large roundabout. From there a variety of pathways split out to different zones of the park. These zones are themed and each of the rides and food spots within them are all based on this theme.
Everything is very interconnected through this main roundabout. And the benefit of visiting Disneyland Paris as an adult is how small it all really is once you get your bearings.
This means you can walk (or sprint) around the park to which ever rides have the lowest waiting times. Rather than having to commit to the attractions in a certain order in the morning.
The themed zones of Disneyland
- Frontierland (canyons & cowboys)
- Adventureland (pirates)
- Fantasyland (iconic fairytale Disney)
- Discoveryland (the future)
Walt Disney Studios Park Layout
There is then a second park across the road from Disneyland Paris. Its called Walt Disney Studios Park. For me this was the best Disney park for adults, with quite a few big-thrill rides.
The layout of this park is also fairly simple. And it is pretty much a loop that you can walk in either direction through a couple of different zones.
The themed zones of the Walt Disney Studios park
- Toon Studio
- World of Pixar
- Production Courtyard
- Front Lot (main gates & entrance)
- Avengers Campus (New for 2022)
The Complete Guide To Disneyland Paris Rides For Adults
I will share my rundown of all the Disneyland Paris ride from an adults perspective, divided by the zones that they are in. We didn’t go on every single ride across the two days, so this is a list of attractions that I can speak for firsthand having been on them.
At the end, I’ve shared a shortlist of the rides that must not be missed, and rides that are worth the wait for adults visiting Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios park.
Frontierland
Big Thunder Mountain
Worth the long wait, not to be missed
This ride is an absolute classic. And absolutely should not be missed on a trip to Disneyland Paris for adults. Although it may look like a simple roller-coaster, it truly packs a punch. This is certainly not a ride that’s just for children.
Highlights: Great speed, long track, iconic setting in the center of the lake.
Cons: Usually a long wait time, no matter the time of day.
Top tip: Frontier land has some of the best food (including vegetarian options for Disneyland Paris). So embrace the inevitable long line, and head to thunder Mountain Street after lunch. And by the time You reach the front of the line, your food will have settled.
Phantom Manor
A haunted house, but better.
This is a definitely more of an “attraction” than a ride, although it does involved sitting in a cart at one stage. However, fun special effects make it worth checking out.
Highlights: Unique style of ride, calmer for not-so-adrenaline-seekers, indoors for rainy days.
Cons: Not massively thrilling, Ride is in French (understandably!) so you may miss some of the dialogue.
Top Tip: Often the ride time for Phantom Manor gets down as low as 5-10 minutes, so keep an eye out on the Disneyland Paris App, to avoid queuing a long time for this one when it’s possible to get on it without waiting much.
Frontierland Attractions we skipped
- Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing
- Rustler Roundup Shootin’ Gallery
- Frontierland Playground
Adventureland
Pirates of the Caribbean
The ride that inspired the film!
Fun fact, did you know that the original version of his ride (in America) inspired the Pirates of the Caribbean film.. not the other way around?! This is a must do ride for adults visiting Disneyland Paris. It’s not a high-thrill adventure, but there’s lots to take in and see.
Highlights: Water based, but you won’t get wet (most of the time!), couple fun surprises, ride lasts a long time. Short wait times at start & end of the day.
Cons: Ride is in French (understandably!) so you may miss some of the dialogue.
Top Tip: The entire queue & ride takes place indoors, making it a great one to escape the midday sun or if you’re visiting Disneyland Paris in the rain.
Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril
Speedy, twisty and over in a blink!
From a distance it looks like a little wooden roller coaster tucked away at the back of the park. But it packs a lot more of a punch than you’d expect. It’s actually one of the few roller-coasters with an upside down loop in Disneyland Paris.
Highlights: Loops and a corkscrew coaster, high speed
Cons: It’s over in a blink, bit of a skull rattler
Top Tips: This is a great roller coaster for adrenaline junkies at Disneyland Paris, but it doesn’t last long to be worth queuing for 45+ minutes. Head at the start or end of the day when the wait time is around 10 minutes to make it worth it.
Adventureland Attractions we skipped
- Adventure Isle
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- Pirates Beach
- Pirate Galleon
Fantasyland
This is a biggie! A lot of the attractions in Fantasyland are mostly aimed at kids. And there are allot of character meeting opportunities too. So as two adults visiting Disneyland Paris, we didn’t spend much time in Fantasyland as we did in other areas of the park..
Pinocchio’s Fantastic Journey
This isn’t one we usually would’ve done as adults visiting Disneyland Paris. But as we were there for Disneyland Paris Pride, which gave us access to other rides until 2am, we had time to check out some of the smaller/ less popular rides too. Perhaps more suited for children, Pinocchio’s Fantastic Journey is a ride in a little cart through the story of Pinocchio.
Highlights: Something different, classic Disney, feel good vibes
Cons: Usually a long wait for a quick attraction, aimed mostly at children
Top Tips: In my opinion, this wasn’t worth the 45 minutes we waited for it. But as this wasn;t our first visit or day at Disney, it was fun to do something a little different and lesser known.
It’s a Small World
It wouldn’t be a trip to Disneyland without checking out one of it’s most iconic rides. Although perhaps best described as a “ride for all ages” rather than a Disneyland ride for adults, it’s wholesome and a rite of passage for any Disney adventure. Travel on a little boat (you won’t get wet!) through various lands to the very catchy and slightly irritating infamous theme tune.
Highlights: An iconic Disneyland ride, in a boat but no splash risk at all.
Cons: The song will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day!
Top Tips: This is a ‘must do’ for Disneyland Paris first timers, but it’s definitely not a big thrill. Try to catch it at the start or end of the day when lines are shorter.
Adventureland Attractions we skipped
- Peter Pan’s Flight – This is worth a side note. We tried to go on to see what all the hype is about (the queue for Peter Pan is consistently long, all the time).But after 45 mins of waiting, the ride shut down and we were evacuated from the queue. So we still don’t know what it’s like!
- Sleeping Beauty’s Castle
- The Dragon’s Lair
- Lancelot’s Carousel
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Alice’s Curious Labyrinth
- Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups
- Storybook Land Canal Boats
- Casey Jr. Circus Train
Character Meet & Greet Spots in Fantasyland
- Meet Mickey Mouse – We once walked past this when there was a 15 minute wait so we went in and it was a lot of fun. But I wouldn’t queue for long unless meeting the characters is a top priority for you.
- Princess Pavilion
Discoveryland
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
Arguably one of the best rides in Disneyland Paris for adults that aren’t big thrill seekers. This super unique ride involves an interactive (competitive) element, shooting targets with a laser beam, while you sit in a little cart. Your score displays on a little LED screen in front of you so you can compete with the people that you’re with and try to beat your personal best when you (inevitably) want to go on it more than once.
Highlights: Only ride in Disneyland Paris with an interactive element. Fun queuing experience, especially for Toy Story fans.
Cons: Hard to think of any!
Top Tips: Shoot everything more than once for bonus points & level ups!
Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
Disneyland Paris Park’s biggest & fastest coaster. Entirely indoors and in the dark and a massive thrill. For adrenaline junkies, this is a not-to-be-missed ride, with multiple loops and a corkscrew. Hyperspace Mountain is a Star Wars version of the iconic Space Mountain ride which features in 5 out of the 6 Disneyland Parks around the world.
Highlights: Big thrill, great fun, worth the wait.
Cons: Can often shut throughout the day, meaning queues get really backed up.
Top Tips: For an extra thrill, try to get a seat at the front of the cart.
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Star Tours is a great ride for adults visiting Disneyland Paris. It’s really cleverly put together to seem like you’re really waiting to board a Star Wars spacecraft. And after boarding, you are taken on one of 66 different 3D ride experiences.
Highlights: 66 different ride simulations means you can go over and over and experience it differently every time.
Cons: Alternates between French & English but its pot-luck what you get. Not a good ride if you get motion sick.
Top Tips: Star Tours often has short ride wait times (10-15 minutes) so try to catch it at that point to avoid waiting unnecessarily.
Discoveryland Attractions we skipped
- Orbitron
- Autopia
The Complete Guide To Walt Disney Studios Park For Adults
Now we’re hopping over to the smaller of the two parks at Disneyland Resort Paris, Walt Disney Studios. This park is still very much worth a visit, and has some great rides for adults. I’s based around the Pixar movies rather than classic Disney. So Cars, Toy Story, Up!, Ratatouille and Nemo all feature. And with the newly opened Avengers Campus and Marvel attractions, there’s even more reason to visit.
As with the Disneyland Park list, I will share my rundown of all the Studios rides from an adults perspective, divided by the zones that they are in.
For a little extra context: we went to Disneyland for Magical Pride, which happens in the Studios park. Meaning we had access to all these rides until 2am. It meant we went on more than what we would in a usual day, and often didn’t have to wait in line for the smaller rides. (Check out this guide I wrote about Magical Pride for more info).
Toon Studio
Les Tapis Volants – Flying Carpets Over Agrabah
The only ride in Toon Studios, as it’s mostly a zone for meeting characters, shopping and checking out the animation studio.
Les Tapis Volants is a small ride aimed mostly at younger kids. I’d recommend skipping through Toon Studio in this park and heading for the other zones.
World of Pixar
Cars ROAD TRIP
Originally known as the “Backlot Tour”, this ride has been refurbished into a Cars theme and it is an unexpected gem. Definitely one for adults visiting Walt Disney Studios, you take a drive around the back area of the park, seeing “behind the scenes” of some of the studios filming, with some witty narration and fun surprises.
Highlights: Great way to rest the feet for a while, lasts a decent length of time.
Cons: Right at the back corner of the park, so its a walk to the entrance.
Top Tips: A great calm ride for while your food is digesting after lunch or dinner.
Crush’s Coaster
This little gem caught us completely off guard the first time, expecting a tame kids ride but we were pleasantly surprised at how much of a little thrill it actually was. Based almost totally inside, you ride in a cart of 4 people ( 2 x 2 back to back), navigating a track as though you are Crush riding the waves. Great fun, very wholesome and faster than it looks.
Highlights: Unexpected thrill, great shelter from sun or rain (depending on the season you visit!)
Cons: Often breaks causing extra queue delays, often waiting times of 100 minutes upwards.
Top Tips: If the wait time is ever under 80 minutes – go, go, go!
RC Racer
An upgraded version of the iconic pirate ship style ride, in this version you’re seated in the race car from Toy Story and swinging back and forth on a strip of race track. RC Racer gets quite high and a lot faster than it looks from the ground, with a near inversion. A definite genuine thrill ride for adults.
Highlights: Fast, inversion, big thrill
Cons: Over very quickly
Top Tips: Because there’s only one car on the track the loading /unloading time makes it a slow moving queue. I would say it’s not worth a long wait for how fast its over again.
Ratatouille: The Adventure
What a fun ride! Regardless of kids or adults, everyone should check out the Ratatouille ride in the Walt Disney Studios Park. It’s a whirlwind ride that has you feeling like you’ve shrunk down to the size of Ratatouille and are running about in a hectic kitchen. It’s 4D and a lot of fun, without having any big drops / twists… and that’s all that I’m giving away.
Highlights: A great thrill for adults who don’t like high speed or loops.
Cons: The 4D element means you may get a little motion sick if you’re easily affected by that.
Top Tips: Don’t go on this one immediately after eating!
Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin
We hopped on this one late at night when there was no wait, and had a good little laugh. Not one really aimed at adults on a regular basis, but it did build quite bit of speed by the end. You sit in a cart with a lap bar and roll around a track as though you’re the slinky dog chasing his tail.
Highlights: Good fun and feel good.
Cons: Over quickly and mostly for kids
Top Tips: Hop on if there isn’t a line for a bit of a laugh.
Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop
A mini drop if Tower of Terror is a strong ‘no’ for you. Mostly a kids ride, but still a bit of fun, Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop is exactly as it sounds, you are sat in a chair and raised up like a toy solider, before the ride drop you (quite slowly) back down again. A ride for adults who don’t love the big thrills.
Highlights: Cute theme and a nice view of the Disneyland Park from the top
Cons: Not a big thrill or anything super special.
Top Tips: Try it out before the The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror if you’re not sure how you feel about rides that drop you from a height.
World of Pixar Attractions we skipped
- Cars Quatre Roues Rallye
Production Courtyard
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
The most iconic ride in Walt Disney Studios Park, and definitely a big thrill for adults as well as kids. You can see it from almost anywhere in the park because its so tall. The ride starts with you entering an old style hotel, and every detail is thought of, from cobwebs to old guest jackets. Making your way through the first room where you get the story of why the hotel is abandoned, you queue a second time inside before entering the “service lift”. Then the fun really begins.
Highlights: An absolute highlight of Walt Disney Studios Park. Big Thrill, Fast. Unique.
Cons: Not for the faint hearted.
Top Tips: Even if you’re unsure of big rides, go for it. You wont regret it. (well you might, but you’ll have a great photo to remember the moment…)
Avengers Campus
We last visited Disney in June 2022, painfully just 1 month before the new Avengers Campus opened. But the new zone has 2 big rides that are definitely suited for adults and kids.
Avengers Assemble: Flight Force
Originally known as the Rock’Roll coaster with Aerosmith (a firm favourite of mine), it has now had a brand new Avenger’s themed makeover. The track & carts are fundamentally the same, which means high speed, darkness and lots and lots of thrill (oh and 5G force!)
Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure
An interactive 3D ride, I imagine is a combination of the joy from the interaction element of Buzz Lightyear and thrill of the 3D element from Star Tours. I can’t wait to check it out on our next visit.
Shortlist of the Best Disneyland Rides Worth The Wait
That was a very long list of every ride at Disneyland Paris. but if you’re looking for a shortlist of the best rides for adults, and rides that are worth the wait, screenshot this summary below!
- Frontierland
- Big Thunder Mountain (classic wooden coaster, no loops)
- Phantom Manor (haunted house in a cart)
- Adventureland
- Pirates of the Caribbean (boat ride without the splash)
- Fantasyland
- It’s a Small World (Disneyland right of passage)
- Discoveryland
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast (interactive shooting ride in cart)
- Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (big thrill looping coaster)
- Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (3D big thrill ride)
- World of Pixar
- Crush’s Coaster (fast pace, spinning, no loops)
- Ratatouille: The Adventure (4D, in a little cart)
- Production Courtyard
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (big heights drop)
- Avengers Campus
- Avengers Assemble: Flight Force (big thrill looping rollercoaster)
- Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure (3D, Interactive)
