Goodness gracious, what is the enjoyment in being one in a giant herd of cattle?? And to think people pay extra to be there that time of year?? LOLOLOL
It’s really fun. I would not do it with little kids because it is a loooong day. I have a 2 and 1yo and we won’t do it again for a while.
The Epcot fireworks are incredible. I’ve cried. I will remember ringing in the new year at Epcot for the rest of my life.
It’s really not that bad.
If you get to the park early, rope drop is your friend as usual. You can do a lot of FW first thing without crazy waits. People don’t start streaming in until later. You have your 3 pre-booked FP to your advantage too.
You book a TS lunch, enjoy it, then slowly tour World Showcase all afternoon, exploring and stopping for the films in France, Canada, China, do the American Adventure, etc.
Watch the early fireworks (staking out a spot super early isn’t necessary) then do a late TS dinner after. We never do 2 TS in one day except for NYE. It’s a nice reprieve from the crowd. By the time you’re done with your late TS dinner, it’s time to decide where to watch the late fireworks and head over. We have always found our spot an hour ahead of time, no earlier. We’ve just enjoyed the time with our family and talked about our trip while we waited (and honestly, people wait longer these days in the hub for HEA!)
Watch the late fireworks, then head to TT and Soarin on the way out. There’s a mass exodus after the fireworks and lines aren’t bad. We walked on TT the last time we did it.
It’s a long day but doable if you’re smart about it. We alternate going at slower times (May/Sept) and busier times (NYE/Easter). We have a wonderful time on NYE - just as wonderful as going when it’s slow.
Believe it or not, we’ve experienced more rude guest encounters during slow times than we ever did on NYE.