If you are a US resident living close to Florida, it’s likely that you have paid a visit to Disney World or Universal Studios, especially if you have kids. A family day out is always fun, but have you ever dreamed of taking your family day out across the ocean to Europe? Paris is the city of love and romance, but it’s also home to Disneyland Paris, as well as plenty of other things to see and do, so is the perfect place to travel on vacation for all of the family. What’s more, Disneyland Paris is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year so there will be plenty of spectacular celebrations of Disney proportions to be a part of. Whilst flights to Paris might seem a little on the pricey side, have you considered how much money you might save by managing to book your entire vacation accommodation for free?
Home exchange allows you to be a part of a house swapping community, full of members around the world. By allowing a family to stay at your home for their home exchange vacation at the same time as you stay at theirs, you will be able to achieve free accommodation with any of the other home swapping members who have a free house during that time. A family house swap Paris style might tempt a family with a home near the Florida Disney World to swap.
So what are the main differences between Disney World Florida and Disneyland Paris?
Size
Naturally the USA is much larger than France, and as everything seems to be bigger in the States, so are the theme parks. There are several Disney Land parks around the world, however Disney World Florida is the largest of them all and also has the most rides and attractions. Walt Disney world has been developed and expanded since it first opened, and is now a very large resort with 24 hotels, a campsite, a sports centre and a large shopping and entertainment complex.
Disneyland Paris is still a resort in its own right, but is a quarter of the size of its Florida relative with just 7 hotels and does not benefit from any waterparks.
Age
Disney Land Anaheim, California was the first of the parks to open in 1955, and then Disney World Florida opened in 1971. Disney World is a lot more modern and incorporates the latest films and characters. EuroDisney, now known as Disneyland Paris, was opened in 1992.
Rides & Attractions
Disneyland Paris, due to its size, of course doesn’t have all of the same rides as Disney World, however the general themes and characters have been copied over and where there isn’t room for a ride there’s a themed restaurant instead just like Buzz Lightyear’s Pizza Parlour. The main difference about the Paris rides is that the majority of the rides names are in French so do require a little interpretation, but this does of course add a splash of culture to your vacation.
It is said that the iconic magic castle in Paris is much more beautiful and grand than that of the USA parks, mainly thanks to the influence of French architecture, and the same has been said about the haunted mansion too.
Entertainment
The night time Disney magic of firework displays, parades and street parties takes place all year round in Orlando thanks to the warm weather, but as Paris is part of unpredictable Europe’s weather system, the nigh time entertainment only takes places during the warmer summer months when it is less likely to rain. This is a factor to take into consideration when booking your home exchange vacation; by booking it for the France summer months you are more likely to be able to enjoy the Disney experience in full.
Cost
Because of the size comparisons, it’s more expensive to visit Disney World Florida than it is to visit Disneyland Paris, but there are savings to be made when buying a group ticket for longer periods of time. So if you were to choose to visit Disneyland Paris as part of your home exchange vacation, not only would you be saving hundreds of dollars on your accommodation from the home swap but you would also be saving money on the park entry fees!
