Is Disney Premier Access Worth It?

Disney Premier Access is Disneyland Paris’s fast pass system. It lets you skip lines on rides and is available in two formats:

Disney Premier Access One
Disney Premier Access Ultimate

Disney Premier Access One is pay-as-you-go. You select a ride using the Disneyland mobile app and pay to skip that ride. Prices start from €5 and increase up to €18 depending on the ride’s popularity and current wait time.

Disney Premier Access Ultimate allows you to skip all eligible rides once at both Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. This add-on costs €90, €120 or €160 per person, depending on the day.

I regularly buy Premier Access One at Disneyland Paris. Let me give you some examples as to the prices I’ve paid and the time it’s saved me.

My wife and I took turns skipping one ride while the other stayed with our young baby.

I went first and spent €7 on the Premier Access Pass for Ratatouille. At the time, the standby wait time for the ride was 60 minutes, and I was at the front of the line in under one minute.

This means the €7 Premier Access Pass saved me 59 minutes.

My wife then did the same at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, again spending €7. When she went on the ride, the standby wait time was 50 minutes. However, she had to wait 25 minutes.

This meant that the €7 Premier Access Pass saved her 25 minutes.

As you can see, getting Disney Premier Access has a real potential benefit. However, it’s not for everyone—I’ll talk more about that in a moment.

How Does the Disney Premier Access Pass Work?

It’s very easy to buy and use Disney Premier Access. To begin, you’ll need to install the Disneyland Paris mobile application. It’s available for free from the iOS and Android store.

Then, you can either sign up for a free account or log in. Once logged in, you’ll see the banner for Disney Premier Access on the front page.

Here, you’ll be able to:

Buy Disney Premier Access Ultimate
See Disney Premier Access One ride availability & prices

Buying Disney Premier Access Ultimate is easy. Once you’ve paid, you’ll get a QR code that can be used on all eligible rides at both parks at any time of the day.

Buying Disney Premier Access One has a few more steps:

Select the ride you want to skip
Select the time slot you want
Check-out using your bank details
Claim the QR code to skip the line

The time slot for Disney Premier Access One holders is one hour. To scan your QR code, you must be at the ‘Premier Access Entrance’ within that time slot.

In both instances, once you scan your QR code, you can walk down a separate line, bypassing the majority of the standby queue.

As you approach the ride, you’ll merge with the standby queue. This spot varies depending on the ride and is the main reason for the time you save on each ride with Premier Access.

What Rides Accept Disney Premier Access?

Here is the complete list of rides accepting Disney Premier Access in both Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios:

Crush’s Coaster
Big Thunder Mountain
Peter Pan’s Flight
Ratatouille: The Adventure
Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
Autopia
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
Phantom Manor
Cars ROAD TRIP
Orbitron

However, Disney Premier Access passes, especially the fixed-time Disney Premier Access One, have been known to sell out. This is particularly true for popular rides and peak times of the day (10am until 4pm).

Who Is the Disney Premier Access Pass Best For?

In my experience, here’s who should strongly consider buying Disney Premier Access:

Those Visiting For The Day

Visiting Disneyland Paris for one day only? Then I recommend the Disney Premier Access Ultimate for the best chance of going on all the rides.

Limited Friends & Family

If you’re travelling with friends or family who can’t go on rides, then reducing your wait means you can spend more time together in the park.

I used Disney Premier Access when my wife and I travelled with our young son. I also used it so that I could go on rides that my elderly parents couldn’t. They waited on a nearby bench, and I was back in 20 minutes instead of 60.

Peak Season Travellers

During the peak season, popular rides at Disneyland Paris can have a wait time of circa 100 minutes. Therefore, if you want to experience these popular rides, Disney Premier Access is the best option.

Who Is The Disney Premier Access Pass Not For?

In my experience, here’s who should skip buying Disney Premier Access:

Families

If you’re travelling as a family then the cost of Disney Premier Access can quickly add up. For example, a family of four can expect to spend:

Disney Premier Access One: Minimum of €20 per ride
Disney Premier Access Ultimate: Between €360 and €640

Of course, all of this is on top of everything else. Theme park tickets, food, drinks, souvenirs, accommodation, transport – the list goes on!

Out-of-Season Travellers

The cost of both types of Disney Premier Access is dynamic. This means that the price increases or decreases depending on expected demand.

So, although Disney Premier Access costs more during the peak season, it’s when you’ll save the most time.

As a result, if you’re visiting Disneyland Paris out of season, Disney Premier Access may be unnecessary, regardless of how cheap it is.

To avoid wasting money on the Disney Premier Access pass, check ride wait times in the days before your trip. This should give you a good idea of how long the wait for rides will be during your visit.