Paris Diaries | Shopping, Rides, and Magical Moments

Landed in Paris at 7:30 AM after a grueling 17-hour flight. Traveling across time zones always amazes me by how it completely messes with your perception of time. You spend 17 hours on a plane—an entire day of your life—and yet, when you land, it’s like stepping out of a time machine. You’ve somehow traveled back and gotten those hours returned to you.

Upon arrival, we checked into a hotel just 10 minutes by bus from Disneyland and only a 3-minute walk to La Vallée Village outlet (talk about convenience!). We took a quick break to recharge before heading out to the outlet. We strolled around, browsing through the designer stores—a nice little detour before diving into the highlight of the day: Disneyland Paris.

You know, I can’t help but feel like Disneyland Paris had a slightly fewer rides compared to some of the others I’ve visited. Maybe it was just because we had those Premier Access tickets, which allowed us to skip most of the lines and wrapped up our visit in just half a day! Not that I’m complaining though, since I got to enjoy the park without waiting hours in line! 

As for my favorite rides, I definitely loved the Star Wars one and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril! They were just the right amount of fun without being too scary, so even someone who's a bit of a scaredy-cat like myself could enjoy them - and if I can do it, trust me, anyone can! Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to scream your heart out without anyone judging you or offering you a coupon for anger management class. The parade felt way more crowded compared to other Disneyland parks, so we couldn’t really enjoy it as much. Plus, there were no Disney princesses around to take photos with—not that I was planning to anyway (though, let’s be real, maybe I’m a little too old for that now;))). And let's not forget my mishaps: I left my glove on one of the rides and spilled hot chocolate on my white pants. Oh, classic me! I wasn’t ready to call it a day just yet, my siblings and I decided to keep the fun rolling and made our way to Val d’Europe.

We made a stop at Primark, and I scored some awesome deals—got myself a muffler, a beanie, and two pairs of gloves, all for such a steal! To top it all off, we ended the day with a little evening walk—my absolute favorite thing to do when in Europe.

Visiting Disneyland Paris was truly a dream come true. The blend of nostalgia, fun, and pure magic made the experience unforgettable. Can’t wait for the next adventure, but for now, I’ll hold onto the memories of this magical day.