Epcot - Nine Dragons New Years Eve

[mickeys_chick]

hi,

Has anyone on here ever spent New Years Eve in Epcot??

We have a reservation for the nine dragons restaurant at Epcot on new years eve and was just wondering whether the menu would change to a set menu or if they will just have the normal menu available, also would the prices increase?

I have a couple of questions about the logistics of the day, like planning how to last all day

 

[mickeys_chick]

delete

 

[lpizzuro123]

We have spent a few NYE in WDW. We always pick Epcot as our park for the day on this day (except for the year we welcomed in NYE on the Disney cruise). The park gets very crowded. We do not stay on property as my boyfriends father lives in Orlando. The few years we spent in Epcot we got to the park between 10:00 and 11:00 am and did not leave the park all day. I know at some point the park closed and then reopened later in the day (not sure of times). I know the first year Mission Space was around at around 10:30 am we got FP for 10:00 pm. Soaring was not open yet.

The main problem was getting something to eat. I had not made reservations as I believe for NYE you need to prepay for them and there is a 48 hour cancellation policy. We had lunch at CS in Mexico and I waited close to an hour for our food. One year we actually had much better luck with dinner. Around 6:00 we were passing Rose and Crown and my boyfriend asked about eating there. They gave us a beeper and we were seated in about an hour and a half. This worked out great because we were able to watch the first IllumiNations while eating dinner. Of course we always wait for the midnight IllumiNations also.

One year it rained so hard after the first IllumiNations that the park cleared out. We were drenched but stayed for the midnight IllumiNations (which I video taped while my boyfriend held an umbrella over my head).

We have not eaten in China for NYE but I believe that R&C had the regular menu. If you check out allearsnet and go to the dining section and scroll down to New Years Eve it list all the restaurants that have special menus for that night. Not sure how often they update this list. I do remember though that you had to leave a credit card number and cancel within 48 hours. We had reservations for Kona for breakfast on New Years morning and we needed to leave a credit card for that also. I don't know if they still do this.

The park also gets really loud - around 7:00 or so they give out hats and noisemakers and for the next 5 hours all you hear is horns blowing. We just take the parks real slow on NYE and just do what we can do. I would suggest bringing some snacks into the park that day. Even though you have reservations someplace if you start getting hungry and just want a quck bite you will have a long wait.

Linda

 

[mickeys_chick]

Thanks for all that info! I'm glad we got reservations for Nine Dragons at about 6 to break the long day up and set us up for the countdown, that was my main concern where to eat as its hard enough normal times let alone new years eve!

Were staying on site at Coronada Springs resort.....does that mean you can leave the park for a rest and come back in later in the day?? I read somewhere that at Christmas and New Year your not aloud re-entry to the parks and you have to stay all the way through.......

Going to be a long day!! But worth every minute of it!

 

[lpizzuro123]

If you leave the park and they close it there is no guarantee that you will get back in. I know they close the park in stages - first to outside guests and then there is a tier system but I am not sure what it is. The last people they close the park to is resort guests. I would suggest not leaving the park but I guess you could tell better actually being there and seeing how the day goes.

6:00 is a great time for dinner. I am sure it will break up the day. Did you have to give a credit card number and have 48 hours to cancel? I was wondering if they were still doing this.

Linda

 

[saratogagirl]

Hi, this will be our first NYE at Epcot, we all have an ADR for Nine Dragons, see you there. I did not have to put down a credit card number for the ressie, the only meal I have had to do this for is the CP