What to pack for Disneyland Paris in December with kids

In December, Disneyland Paris has highs around 7 °C (45 °F) and lows around 2 °C (36 °F), with light rain on about 12 days and dark before 5 pm. Most lines are outdoors. For long park days with kids, pack a warm waterproof coat, hats and gloves, waterproof shoes, ponchos, and a rain cover for the stroller.

The story

You come up from the train at Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy a little before the parks open, and it’s 3 °C. The sky is the color of the castle’s slate roofs, and a fine drizzle hangs in the air without quite falling. The kids are in hats and gloves, with a fleece under their coats, and the stroller has its rain cover on.

Main Street is dressed for Christmas: a tall tree at the end, garlands with Mickey-shaped wreaths across the street, music from every doorway. The first ride you head for has an hour’s wait on the sign, and almost all of the line is outside, under a few roofs and a lot of open sky. Standing still is what makes you cold. You hand out the hand warmers and the snacks, and the little one naps in the stroller under the cover.

By early afternoon the drizzle turns to rain. The ponchos come out of the backpack, and the families without them crowd under the arcades along Main Street. Your shoes are the waterproof ones, so the puddles in the queue don’t matter. The family in front of you, in fabric sneakers, spends the rest of the day with wet feet.

The sun sets around 4:55 pm, and by five it’s dark. The castle and the tree light up, and you find a spot early for the evening show. Waiting there for forty minutes, the cold comes up through your shoes: a second pair of socks and a dry hat make the difference. In the train back, the kids are asleep before the second stop.

Disneyland Paris in December is cold, grey, and often damp, with short days and long outdoor lines, but rarely freezing in the afternoon. Pack warm layers, a waterproof coat, hats and gloves, waterproof shoes, ponchos, and what the kids need to wait outside without getting cold.

What to pack for Disneyland Paris in December

Pack for standing still in the cold and the damp, not just for walking.

Clothes

A warm, waterproof coat with a hood for each person: you’ll be outside from opening until after dark.
A fleece or a warm sweater to go under it, and thermal tops or leggings for the coldest days: about one day in three starts at or below freezing.
Long trousers that dry fast, rather than jeans, which stay wet after a shower.
Hats, gloves, and a scarf or neck warmer for everyone, plus a spare pair of gloves for the kids.
A costume for a child under 12, if they want to wear one: it must not drag on the ground, and it goes under or over the warm layers. Costumes aren’t allowed from age 12.

Shoes

Waterproof shoes or boots with a good grip, already worn in: the paths are often wet, and you’ll walk all day.
Warm socks, and a spare pair for each person in the day bag.

For the day

Ponchos for the rain: easier than umbrellas in a crowded line.
Hand warmers for the long waits and the evening show.
A small backpack under 55 × 40 × 25 cm (22 × 16 × 10 in), the largest bag allowed in the parks; bigger bags go to the storage outside.
A reusable bottle, and a small flask for a warm drink if you like: glass bottles aren’t allowed.
Snacks for the lines, and a small mat or folding cushion to sit on before the evening show.
Park tickets bought ahead for your dates, saved on your phone.

For the kids

A stroller with a rain cover and a warm footmuff or blanket: it’s where small children nap, and where the layers go.
A full change of clothes for each child, in a waterproof bag.
Something to do in the lines, for when the waits are long.

Documents, money and tech

Passports, or national ID cards for EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens, and any visa you need (see Good to know).
A plug adapter if you come from outside continental Europe: sockets are types C and E, at 230 V.
A power bank: the park app, its maps and the wait times, and the cold all drain phone batteries.
An eSIM for France, so the park app works everywhere.
A hotel near the parks, if you can: a short trip back to change wet clothes or rest at midday helps on long days with small children.

Good to know

Weather: December runs from about 2 to 7 °C (36 to 45 °F), by Météo-France’s 1991–2020 averages for Melun, the nearest station with full normals, about 30 km (19 mi) south of the parks. There’s at least 1 mm (0.04 in) of rain on about 12 days of the month, for 63 mm (2.5 in) in all; it freezes on about 11 nights, and the sun shines for under two hours a day on average.
December or January: January is a little colder and a little drier, by the same normals.

Month	High	Low	Days with rain	Frosty nights
December	7 °C (45 °F)	2 °C (36 °F)	about 12	about 11
January	7 °C (44 °F)	2 °C (35 °F)	about 11	about 11

Daylight: the sun rises between 8:20 and 8:45 am and sets around 4:55 pm, so the evening shows start in the dark and the last hours in the parks are cold.
The Christmas season: Disney Enchanted Christmas runs from November 7, 2026 to January 6, 2027 in both parks, Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World. The weeks around Christmas and New Year are busy: arrive before opening, and check the day’s hours in the park app.
Park rules: bags larger than 55 × 40 × 25 cm, glass bottles, and selfie sticks aren’t allowed, and bags are checked at the entrance. Lockers are at the entrance of each park, and strollers are left outside the rides. Check the parks’ rules before you pack.
Getting there: the Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy station is at the parks’ gates, served by the RER A from central Paris and by high-speed trains.
Plugs: types C and E, 230 V.
Money: euro (EUR). Cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere in the parks.
Entry: France is in the Schengen area. If you’re not an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen, check whether you need a visa before you go. The EU’s Entry/Exit System has been fully running since April 10, 2026: on your first entry, officers take a photo of your face and, usually, your fingerprints (not for children under 12), and your passport isn’t stamped. ETIAS, the travel authorization for visitors who don’t need a visa, isn’t running yet; the EU will announce its start date several months ahead (checked October 19, 2026).
More of Europe in December: what to pack for Europe in December, from Paris to Amsterdam. Disney in the sun instead: what to pack for Orlando in December.

Questions

Is Disneyland Paris cold in December?

Yes: highs are around 7 °C (45 °F) and lows around 2 °C (36 °F), and it freezes on about 11 nights of the month. Long waits in outdoor lines make it feel colder, so pack a warm waterproof coat, hats, gloves, and warm socks.

Does it rain at Disneyland Paris in December?

Often, but lightly: there’s at least 1 mm of rain on about 12 days of the month, for 63 mm (2.5 in) in all, mostly drizzle and showers. Ponchos and waterproof shoes cover it.

What should I wear to Disneyland Paris in December?

Warm layers under a waterproof coat with a hood: a thermal top or a fleece, trousers that dry fast, a hat, gloves, and a scarf. Wear waterproof shoes you’ve already broken in, and carry spare socks.

What time does it get dark at Disneyland Paris in December?

Around 5 pm: the sun sets around 4:55 pm all month. The evening shows start in the dark, so keep the warmest layers for the end of the day.

What do I need to enter France for Disneyland Paris?

A passport, or a national ID card if you’re an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen. France is in the Schengen area: if you’re not an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen, check whether you need a visa, and expect the EU’s biometric border check on your first entry; ETIAS isn’t running yet.