The Disneyland Hotel esplanade

The Disneyland Hotel is built directly over the park entrance, so its long pink Victorian facade, turrets and clock face stand at the head of the esplanade like the front of a stage set. It is the resort's best single building and, unlike the castle, you can photograph it without a ticket: the esplanade in front is open ground between the station and the turnstiles.

Work it from the far end of the esplanade, where the flower beds, lamp posts and railings lead the eye up to the facade. Morning is the cleaner hour — the light is on the front of the building and the arriving crowd has not yet stacked up along the gates. By mid-morning there is a continuous queue across the width of the esplanade, which is honest to plan around rather than fight.

The hotel's own garden terraces are for hotel guests. If you are staying there, that is by far the easiest place at Disneyland Paris to make a calm picture — ask the hotel first, because the resort's own rules still apply on its ground.

Everything here is outside the turnstiles, so no park ticket is needed. The parks' equipment rules stop at the gates, but the resort can still decline anything that looks like a commercial production, so keep it to a camera and a family.