Free things at Disneyland

Free extras at the parks

We’ll start with the free extras you can get in both parks, Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World. Although access to the attractions is included in the admission price, there are also free extras and services, as well as ways to save money:

• Autographs and photos with Disney characters
  During Meet & Greets with Disney characters, they are usually happy to sign autographs and pose for photos. If you hand your own camera or mobile phone to the Cast Member to take your souvenir photo, you don’t have to pay anything or use PhotoPass. Autographs are free anyway. And if you bring your own autograph book, you don’t even need to buy an expensive one from one of the shops in the parks.
• Park maps as souvenirs
  If you enjoy crafts, park maps, show programmes and Disneyland Paris admission tickets make great souvenirs to take home and can also be used for small craft projects, for example in a homemade photo album as a reminder of your trip.
• Convenient shopping service
  If you spend more than €50 in a shop, your purchases can be delivered to your hotel free of charge on request and collected from the hotel boutique. 
• On-ride photos at the attractions
  Although photos taken on attractions generally come at a cost, there is always a brief preview on the screens at the exit of the attraction. If you’re quick enough and are happy with this small version of your photo, you can take a picture of the screen. This is no longer possible at every attraction, but at Buzz Lightyear’s Laser Blast, for example, the photos are not protected, so with a bit of luck you can get a reasonable picture of your on-ride photo.
• Little extras on special days
  On special unofficial holidays, including International Women’s Day, 4 May and St Patrick’s Day, Disney often has a small extra for guests. This can range from buttons to face painting. If you’re there on one of these days, keep your eyes open!
• Pass the time in the queue with a mobile game
  To pass the time while queuing for the popular rollercoaster Crush’s Coaster in Adventure World, you can download the free game Crush’s Coaster The Game from crushcoastergame.com and start playing. Free Wi-Fi is available for this.
• Drawings from the Animation Academy
  At Disney Adventure World, you can take part in a short drawing class in which a popular Disney character is drawn each time. The great thing is that you can take your drawing home with you afterwards! If you’re happy with your artwork, you can frame it and hang it up at home as a souvenir of your holiday. With a lot of luck, you might even get the drawing made by the Cast Member leading the class. The Cast Member usually chooses at random who gets to take this sought-after drawing home.

Free extras at Disney Hotels

Naturally, the magic doesn’t end at the park gates. It continues in Disney Village and at the Disney Hotels, where you can also find a few free extras. Before we take a closer look at them, one thing is worth knowing: you can visit the Disney Hotels even if you’re not staying there. You can explore any of the hotels at any time, regardless of whether you’ve booked a Disneyland Paris package or are visiting for the day. Whether you simply want to look around the hotel, browse the shops or eat in one of the restaurants, that’s no problem. Here are some of the other freebies available at the Disney Hotels:

• Meet & Greets with Disney characters
  At each of the Disney Hotels, you can meet Disney characters either in the morning or in the evening. Exactly which characters appear varies depending on the time of day and location. At Hotel Cheyenne, for example, you can usually expect to meet Woody or Jessie, while at the Newport Bay Club, Mickey may be waiting for you dressed as a captain. If you’re not staying at one of the Disney Hotels, these Meet & Greets are generally still open to you. The exceptions are the Disneyland Hotel and Hotel New York, where separate conditions apply. 
• Birthday buttons
  Disney offers free buttons for guests celebrating a birthday or another special occasion. This lets Cast Members and other guests see from a distance that you have something to celebrate. The buttons are usually available from reception at the Disney Hotels. However, demand can be high, so they may be out of stock during your visit. Availability can vary considerably.
• Luggage storage
  As well as free parking at the hotels, Disney Hotels also offer free luggage storage. This is particularly useful if you’ve arrived by train or plane rather than by car.
• Shuttle to the parks
  Although the parks are within walking distance of almost all the hotels, most Disney Hotels and partner hotels offer free shuttle buses throughout the day. They run at regular intervals until late in the evening and continue after the parks have closed.
• Pixie Dust
  Sometimes guests at the Disney Hotels are surprised with a little extra Disney magic. With plenty of luck and some goodwill from the hotel, this Pixie Dust could be anything from chocolate coins or a coffee break to a small gift. There is no entitlement to Pixie Dust, though, and it shouldn’t be expected. If you happen to receive some of Tinker Bell’s fairy dust, simply enjoy the surprise.
• Special extras at individual hotels
  In addition to these general freebies, some Disney Hotels offer special extras that are only available at that particular hotel. One example is the Super Hero Station at Disney’s Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel, which is reserved for guests staying at the hotel. If you’re staying at Hotel Cheyenne, you can also get a map from reception designed to look like an old newspaper from the Wild West. It contains additional information about the hotel and can also make a nice addition to a scrapbook.