New Dover Border Checks Paused For Cars: What This Means For Disneyland Paris Travellers
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Anyone heading to Disneyland Paris this weekend might have been expecting to need extra time due to roll out of EES, the EU Entry/Exit System. From Saturday 1st November, the system was meant to roll out to car passengers at Dover Port, however, the launch has been temporarily paused.
This means that UK visitors heading to Disneyland Paris this weekend will not be facing any hiccups with a new system roll-out.
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What’s Happening With EES At Dover Port?
The new digital border system was due to go live for car travellers at the Port of Dover Saturday1st November, but French authorities appear to have delayed the rollout.
Doug Bannister, Port of Dover Chief Executive confirmed this, saying:
"Whilst Port of Dover's facilities will be ready for 1 November, we are being guided by French authorities as to when we will activate."
The EES system has been in place for coach and freight passengers since 12th October 2025. The system requires that most non-EU visitors, including UK tourists and therefore Disneyland Paris visitors, register fingerprints and have their photo taken before entering the EU.
The new date for the roll-out of this system for car passengers has not been revealed, but Mr Bannister said that the Port of Dover have requested two weeks notice before going live with the system. This is both good and bad news for UK travellers.
Why It Matters For UK Holidaymakers
The pause means there’s be no change to border procedures at the Port of Dover for those driving to France this weekend, or in the next two weeks. This means anyone who left extra time when planning their travel this weekend may be able to catch an earlier ferry, depending on their ticket, or stop for a coffee. It’s also good news as half term is not quite yet over in the UK and there will be more people on the roads and using the ferries.
However, this does mean that the roll-out is still due to happen. No matter what the date, expect teething problems, and the EES procedure will also add time to the check-in process for travellers. This means that anyone heading to Disneyland Paris in November by car from the Port of Dover needs to keep an eye on the news. Being prepared to add a good couple of hours onto travel times when the roll out is confirmed is going to be essential for a smooth travel day.
What UK Travellers Should Do
This weekend, carry on as normal. There is no change to ferry procedure for cars at this time.
Those travellers with future trips planned for November, possibly into December:
Keep an eye on the news for updates. We will be providing updates on our socials so make sure you follow along
Allow extra time, even more if travelling over the weekend, or the closer it gets to Christmas.
Pack some extra snacks and drinks in your hand luggage inside the car, and maybe load an extra show on devices for kids who may be bored waiting in queues.
Magic In A Minute
If you’re driving to Disneyland Paris this weekend the EES system launch at the Port of Dover has been delayed. This means nothing has changed yet; but anyone with travel plans from mid-November onwards needs to keep an eye on the news to allow extra time for travel when it does launch.