First Time for New Years Eve - Help, please

[Dizz42]

Hello. I am new to posting but I really would like to ask everybodys help. My DH and I have reservations 12/30 thru 1/4 at GF - just the two of us. We have never gone for New Years Eve and I would appreciate any and all info or tips. Sure would like to have late dinner in MK at Liberty Tree and stay for fireworks at midnight or am I being too naive? Is there a strategy for getting around or is the optimum word "patience"?

 

[Anne MN]

If you are trying to do something in MK anytime that day. go in the morning and stay in that park. We were there New Years Eve a few years ago- it is nuts! MK closed at like 10 am and the only park open to get into was MGM. so make sure that if you go, go early and stay.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We did Disney Studios and had a wonderful time. It wasn't so crowded that it got closed like MK did. They had a great live band. And Fantasmic had three showings. We had a blast. Plus Sorcery in the Sky was really neat.

 

[snowglobe girl]

We went for New Years 2002. Everyone is right - if you plan to be in MK for the fireworks at midnight, you need to get there early in the morning and stay all day. They also shut the gates down around 10 or 11 when I was there and wouldn't let anyone else on. It was nearly impossible to ride anything, as waits were about 2 hours and fastpass return times were several hours away and some stopped giving fastpasses. The only thing that eliminated the crowd was when it started pouring (and I mean cats & dogs) the rain around 8:00pm. The park started clearing out. We decided to take our chances and go back to the room for a while (CM said that enough people had left that they were reopening the entrance) and come back. It continued to pour and we went back around 11. Got on several rides with nearly no wait. At midnight, a lot of people seemed to materialize on main street and it got a little crowded (was still pouring the rain), but I'm sure it was no where near as crowded as it would have been if it didn't rain - evidenced by earlier that day....but good news for you is that the crowds in the parks let up tremendously on Jan 1 and is was very pleasant and uncrowded after that. Nearly no / very short waits at all parks. Regards of crowds, rain, or shine, that is nothing more magical than standing in front of the castle counting down to midnight with Mickey Mouse and watching the fireworks with your family.

 

[Dizz42]

Thank you so much for your help! Sounds like a looooong day. I guess I was thinking they would have to let us in if we had a PS (that is, if I can GET the PS 90-days out ) Also, that's why I made the reservations at the GF. I was hoping to maybe go into the MK in the morning, get a hand stamp and then go back in the early evening. DH and I talked about crowds and we are prepared to not do rides because of lines. But, hey, MGM sounds like fun too. When DH agreed to go at New Years, he said, "What's the worse that could happen?" Well, Anne MN, sound like we could have a very long day in the park which I could accept as long as I could sit somewhere or as Deb & Bill say, spend NYE at MGM? Hmmmm, not to shabby and probably would be a real blast. Or as SnowGlobe Girl sez, we could get really lucky and it could rain You guys have been great! Anyway I look at it, we'll be in the "World" and that's always special. We could just go back to the room, sit on the balcony and raise a glass to each other and Mickey at Midnight.