Dining for NYE

[ronirp]

We are going to be at WDW over NYE, and it just hit me that NYE is going to be crazy to find a place to eat. My thought is to do a TS lunch and grab dinner at the park. That way we can go eat at one of the resorts and then go to the park. I am also debating between Epcot and MGM (I know not to do MK). If we go to Epcot, I probably would like to eat there - there are so many good choices. Anything special during New Year day? We are leaving that evening, but should have time for a nice lunch.

 

[mamacatnv]

Just a little word of advice. The parks sometimes fill to capacity fast and by trying to enter into them in the afternoon you do run the risk of being denied entry. As a WDW resort guest you are guaranteed entry into a park you just may not be able to decide which one. It is my understanding that MK tends to fill the fastest followed by Epcot.

If you time it right and get on the phone for an ADR as soon as you are eligible you could try and get a Rose & Crown ressie that will coinside with one of the 2 Illumination shows that goes on on NYE.

Happy planning

 

[lpizzuro123]

We did not have any reservations. We got into the park early (before 10:30 am) and stayed all day. We had lunch at CS in Mexico - I was on line for more than 40 minutes. Walking past Rose and Crown in the early evening (maybe around 6:00 pm) my boyfriend asked if they were seating anyone without reservations for dinner. They gave us a beeper and by 7:00 pm we were sitting on the patio eating dinner. This worked out great because there was an early IllumiNations showing at 7:30 so we had front row seats for this. While we were waiting for this table they started giving out hats and noisemakers for NYE - which my boyfriends son (16 at the time) ran over and got for us.

By the time we finished dinner Epcot WS was packed. Walking around the lake I think we got stuck in a people traffic jam by Mexico for about 20 minutes where you could not even walk. We were planning on staying for the midnight IllumiNations and by 10:30 found a place to sit on the lake right by where you walk through between Future World and World Showcase. We met some great people and just talked and hung out. My boyfriends son had FP for Test Track at 10:30 so he went over there by himself and rode. He said that part of the park was pretty empty. I would not give up our seats for IllumiNations.

We have done NYE in Epcot a few times and I would highly recommend it. They do a wonderful extended version of IllumiNations. You have to go with the mind set that the park will be very crowded - you will probably not get to ride many rides - and most important - the park will be very crowded. I know when I called earlier to make reservations since it was NYE they took a $10.00 deposit per person that you would lose if you did not cancel prior to 48 hours (this was why I did not make reservations since I was not sure what we were doing). We had reservations for Boma for breakfast the next morning and they took the same $10 per person deposit. Not sure if they are still doing this for NYE and NY Day.

Linda