Imagine planning a once-in-a-lifetime Disney vacation—flights booked, hotel secured, pricey tickets in hand—only to be told at the entrance that you should come back later. That’s the confusing situation currently unfolding at Disneyland Paris.
New signage has appeared once again at the entrances to both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. This time, instead of encouraging guests to leave midday, the signs now advise visitors not to arrive until after 3:00 p.m.This updated messaging has taken many off guard—and raised questions about crowd control, guest experience, and value for money.
“Come Back Later”: The Return of 3PM Entry Messaging
Guests arriving early are now greeted with prominent signs suggesting they delay their visit until 3:00 p.m. or later. The goal appears to be crowd mitigation, but for tourists—many of whom spend well over €100 per person for admission—it’s causing stress and confusion.
Earlier iterations of this message suggested guests leave the park during peak hours. Now, the focus is on pushing arrival times later, an attempt to ease the overwhelming midday surge caused by seasonal tourism and special events.
A Perfect Storm of Tourists and Music Lovers
This weekend, the crowd levels in Paris surged thanks to Fête de la Musique (World Music Day) on June 21, a city-wide event drawing thousands of locals and tourists. Meanwhile, Disneyland Paris is celebrating its own music-centric seasonal event: the Disney Music Festival, which runs from April 21 to September 7, 2025.
The festival has brought:
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Live concerts with beloved Disney and Pixar characters
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Themed food and drink offerings
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Music activations in every land of the park
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Limited-time merchandise
And while fans are thrilled with the entertainment, it’s led to overwhelming crowds, with Disneyland Park reaching full capacity just before the 7:25 p.m. Grand Orchestra Finale.
The Problem for Tourists: “Why Did I Pay for a Full Day?”
Many guests are wondering why a park ticket that costs up to €119 (with transportation) would come with an unofficial recommendation to only enjoy the park for half the day. Tourists unfamiliar with the event calendar may not know about the Music Festival—or expect their dream vacation to come with a delayed start time.
For guests on tight schedules, or families with early dinner reservations, asking them to arrive after 3:00 p.m. feels like a major disruption to plans carefully booked months in advance.
Are There Any Silver Linings?
While the suggestion may irk some, arriving later in the day does come with perks. Cooler temperatures, shorter evening lines, and nighttime entertainment (like fireworks) are all benefits of a post-3:00 p.m. park visit. But for those who crave a full day of magic, this compromise still feels like a letdown.
Disney has not publicly addressed the signage, and Cast Members onsite have offered little beyond reiterating that the suggestion is meant to reduce congestion and improve guest flow.
Will This Continue?
Disneyland Paris continues to be one of the most-visited theme parks in Europe, and with major events on the horizon and a new “Avatar” land in development, managing capacity will remain a priority. But Disney may need to strike a better balance between crowd control and delivering on the expectations of its paying guests.
For now, if you’re visiting Disneyland Paris this summer, you might want to sleep in—and plan to enter the magic a little later in the day.
