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Disney Resort Condemned, Hit by Calls for Immediate Change

Disney parkgoers have criticized the condition of one resort, urging immediate improvements in five key areas.

Since opening Disneyland Park in Anaheim in 1955, Disney has branched out into six resorts dotted across the globe, each offering enchanting experiences that capture the magic of the studio’s iconic stories.

Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris
Credit: darrenkw, Flickr

From California to Tokyo, each park reflects its unique cultural surroundings while staying true to Disney’s core mission of wonder and innovation. These destinations draw millions of visitors annually, solidifying Disney’s reputation as a global leader in entertainment. However, to say that all parks receive the same level of praise would be a lie, with some drawing more criticism than others.

Disneyland Paris, often celebrated for its charming European flair and picturesque castle, stands as one of the most visited attractions in France. Many guests praise its detailed theming and immersive atmosphere, but others have voiced concerns over maintenance, customer service, and overall park quality, citing areas where the experience falls short of Disney’s typically high standards.

Guests on Reddit recently shared their biggest complaints about Disneyland Paris, focusing on five main issues.

Four colorful Disneyland Paris tickets are fanned out against a blurred park background.
Credit: Disney

Smoking inside the park

This is an issue we’ve seen detailed at Disneyland Paris time and time again (and even experienced for ourselves). As one Reddit user put it, “The designated areas I feel are too close to some attractions (example the one close to Indiana Jones) and sometimes the CMs do not control where people Vape/Smoke, so multiple time I have seeing people doing it right at the reserve area when waiting for the night show to start.”

While Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California are fully smoke-free, Disneyland Paris allows smoking in specific designated areas within Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. According to the Disneyland Paris website, “Theme Parks’ covered and uncovered areas are non-smoking, except for designated outdoor areas specially created and equipped for smokers. This rule also applies to electronic cigarettes.”

Two guests laugh with Goofy in front of the Tower of Terror at Walt Disney Studios Park on a sunny day
Credit: Disney

However, guests frequently ignore this rule – and it’s often not enforced as it would be in the U.S. We’ve personally spotted guests smoking or vaping in most areas of the parks, from ride queues to the inside of Animagique Theater.

Vaping is often the bigger issue. As one Reddit user noted, “I didn’t have any major issues with smoking, but tons of people were vaping wherever they wanted. I saw cast members stop people smoking at least 2 times, but never for vaping, even when directly in front of them.”

A whimsical, flying elephant ride with big blue eyes, a pink hat, and a frilly collar soars through the air at an amusement park, with a fairytale castle and lamp posts in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Credit: Disney

Allergy-friendly food

“In comparison with WDE where every menu has an allergic friendly counterpart, I feel that DLP falls short in keeping the Gluten Free, Diary Free and Soy Free guests feel welcome,” said one Reddit user. “My best example was the little Windmill coffee shop next to the Princess Pavilion, when ordering coffee the only milk option was cow milk.”

Disneyland Paris guests with ice creams
Credit: Disney

Others have corroborated this complaint, with another Reddit user writing, “The allergy situation has always been very poor and shouldn’t be.” Disneyland Paris often faces criticism for its food options, but accommodating guests with allergies is an area where the parks should prioritize greater effort.

Extra Magic Time availability

Like Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Paris offers bonus time in the parks for those staying in its hotels, such as Disney Sequoia Lodge and Disneyland Hotel. But not everything is available for hotel guests at these times, meaning options are limited.

“I feel that a lot of the attractions are not even open at that time so basically you get inside to do a line for a character you want (in my case Stitch/princess pavilion) and wait for the character to come out at 9am (princess pavilion at 10am) or just go to Walt Studios and get it out of the way as quick as possible,” explained one Reddit user.

Entrance to Walt Disney Studios Park
Credit: My Frozen Life, Flickr

Popcorn buckets

Novelty popcorn buckets are always in hot demand, with Disney parkgoers waiting in line for hours for new launches at some parks (such as the Figment bucket at EPCOT). While Disneyland Paris isn’t totally left out of the popcorn bucket hype, it doesn’t get quite as many new editions as its sister parks, leaving some guests feeling neglected.

“I feel the variation of popcorn buckets are very low, not even for Christmas/halloween I felt that DLP has a special bucket,” said one Reddit user. “I love the Cinderella bucket but outside that one the 2 Minnie/mickey popcorn buckets are just too common. I wish they had more variations.”

Disney World Figment popcorn bucket
Credit: Disney

Controlling line-jumpers

Line-jumping is, again, a universal issue. However, we’ll admit that our personal experience at Disneyland Paris has also shown that the phenomenon is even worse in its two parks.

“I have felt that DLP usually gets a bigger amount of Disney teenagers traveling in groups than when I was in WDW, and therefore you occasionally get the teenage smarty pant ones that want to skip the lines without premium access (like jumping lines) or just pushy behavior (and extremely loud),” a Reddit user explained. “Some don’t even follow the No Selfie stick policy (3 times already being hit by one).”

What would you change about Disneyland Paris?

Chloe James

Chloë is a theme park addict and self-proclaimed novelty hunter. She's obsessed with all things Star Wars, loves roller coasters (but hates Pixar Pal-A-Round), and lives for Disney's next Muppets project.

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