Getting to Disneyland for 12/31 help

[rippev]

I am going to be driving from Albuquerque to Anaheim on the 30th and was planning on stopping and staying in Arizona then finishing the trip on the 31st and get to Disneyland around 3 or 4 PM. Is that too late and will I not be allowed into the park because I have heard that it fills up.. I just don't want to make the long trip only to be stuck outside of the park! Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Disney Dreams]

Welcome to the DISBoards!

3-4pm on New Year's Eve could very easily be too late. It is arguably THE busiest day of the year. Add to it that we have had INSANE rain in the area for the last 5 days. If it clears up - as it's supposed to - everyone will be thrilled to go out and play!

There is no way to say for sure when or if the Park will reach capacity, but a 3pm arrival on NYE could very well be bad news. You COULD call the Park a couple hours before and see if the Park is full yet and base your decision on that. At some point, it'll just be a gamble.

Safe travels,
Dreams

 

[gippaloo]

Whoo, that is a definite gamble. I am thinking that park will reach capacity way before you are wanting to go....Not to be a downer or anything, but that is the busiest day of the year (arguably as the above poster said).

 

[Sherry E]

Yep. I agree with Disney Dreams and gippaloo. It's a big gamble. Any other day you could probably swing going in at that time - maybe. But that specific date is sooooooo packed. Many people don't exit Disneyland solely for the reason that they are afraid of not being able to get back in. So it can be a madhouse all day. Add to that the fact that it has already been really, really busy this whole holiday season, and that is before many people have gotten off work for Christmas vacation. More people will be off work and available to head to DLR on 12/31. Plus, as Disney Dreams said, when the rain clears up (after today), people who have delayed their holiday trips to DLR will flock to the parks.

 

[rippev]

Thank you all so much for the help I really appreciate it!! Do I have to buy tickets specifically for that day or can I just show up that morning to purchase them? We have changed plans and will be driving straight there thanks to you guys helping!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Thank you all so much for the help I really appreciate it!! Do I have to buy tickets specifically for that day or can I just show up that morning to purchase them? We have changed plans and will be driving straight there thanks to you guys helping!

Just Monday they stopped selling tickets to Disneyland (not DCA) for those just showing up for the day. You can buy one day passes online ahead of time. I'd highly suggest this.

 

[rippev]

Oh no! Can somebody please point me in the right direction on where to buy these tickets for new years? I have my trip all planned out this would be a disaster if I wasn't able to get into the park!

 

[sonnyjane]

Oh no! Can somebody please point me in the right direction on where to buy these tickets for new years? I have my trip all planned out this would be a disaster if I wasn't able to get into the park!

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/tickets/

If you want a one-day ticket, they are near the bottom. A hopper lets you go to both parks, a one-day, one-park limits you to only one. Since it's NYE, if you want to spend it in Disneyland, you probably don't want to park-hop, since there's a good chance you wouldn't make it into DL again!

Also, today (Tuesday) the park sold out in TWO HOURS, by 10:00 AM, so DEFINITELY get that ticket ahead of time and ARRIVE EARLY!

 

[rippev]

Thank you so much for the quick response! I have one more question.. we are planning on going on both the 31st and 1st but the ticket plans on the website end on the 31st. Can you buy a 2 day park hopper and use it for two people on one day? Or how should I tackle this problem?

 

[sonnyjane]

Thank you so much for the quick response! I have one more question.. we are planning on going on both the 31st and 1st but the ticket plans on the website end on the 31st. Can you buy a 2 day park hopper and use it for two people on one day? Or how should I tackle this problem?

If you take a closer look at that expiration date, you'll notice it says Dec. 31 2011

Just buy a two-day PH ticket and you'll be fine.

 

[ConnieB]

I am going to be driving from Albuquerque to Anaheim on the 30th and was planning on stopping and staying in Arizona then finishing the trip on the 31st and get to Disneyland around 3 or 4 PM. Is that too late and will I not be allowed into the park because I have heard that it fills up.. I just don't want to make the long trip only to be stuck outside of the park! Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Consider that today, Dec 28, they stopped selling tickets to Disneyland around noon...and it's still 3 days from NYE.....I'd say that the chances are fairly good that 3pm on NYE is going to be a similiar situation. And that sure isn't what you want after a 10 hour drive!

I would suggest that you leave Thursday early, arrive in Anaheim Thursday night and plan to get up and get into the park at rope drop on Friday (NYE) and don't leave until you're done for the day! That's probably the only way you're going to guarantee that you'll be inside DL that first second of 2011.

EDITED: I should have finished reading the other posts....yes, buying a ticket ahead of time might help, but realize that if they close the park (the next step after stopping selling new tickets at the gate), then even if you show up later in the day with your prepaid ticket in hand it is NOT a guarantee that you'll get in. When they close it, it's closed to even AP holders. Being and staying inside the park is the only guarantee...so arrive early and don't leave the park at all.

 

[sonnyjane]

I would suggest that you leave tomorrow, arrive in Anaheim tomorrow night and plan to get up and get into the park at rope drop on Thursday (NYE) and don't leave until you're done for the day! That's probably the only way you're going to guarantee that you'll be inside DL that first second of 2011.

Good advice with the correction that NYE is Friday night, not Thursday, just to be clear for anyone else planning

 

[ConnieB]

Good advice with the correction that NYE is Friday night, not Thursday, just to be clear for anyone else planning

Well, duh on me, lol. Can you tell it's been a long day? I'll go correct that now, thanks!

 

[grandpa6]

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/tickets/

If you want a one-day ticket, they are near the bottom. A hopper lets you go to both parks, a one-day, one-park limits you to only one. Since it's NYE, if you want to spend it in Disneyland, you probably don't want to park-hop, since there's a good chance you wouldn't make it into DL again!

Also, today (Tuesday) the park sold out in TWO HOURS, by 10:00 AM, so DEFINITELY get that ticket ahead of time and ARRIVE EARLY!

The park sold out Monday, but not Tuesday, we have been here since Saturday. Today (Tuesday) the crowd was down and very manageable. By 9we had been on 4 rides, entering the park at 8. The key is if you want to go to DL, you have to get up early, you can't sleep in. The first 2 hours in the park are the most important.

 

[grandpa6]

The park sold out Monday, but not Tuesday, we have been here since Saturday. Today (Tuesday) the crowd was down and very manageable. By 9we had been on 4 rides, entering the park at 8. The key is if you want to go to DL, you have to get up early, you can't sleep in. The first 2 hours in the park are the most important

 

[Sherry E]

The park sold out Monday and Tuesday. Both parks were maxed out on Tuesday (confirmed by Albort). On Tuesday, the ticket sales for DL were stopped 2 hours after opening, and eventually the tickets for DCA were stopped too. As of early evening last night, there was still no one being let into either park, according to Albort.

 

[grandpa6]

The park sold out Monday and Tuesday. Both parks were maxed out on Tuesday (confirmed by Albort). On Tuesday, the ticket sales for DL were stopped 2 hours after opening, and eventually the tickets for DCA were stopped too. As of early evening last night, there was still no one being let into either park, according to Albort.

We had a hand stamp and a ticket and had no trouble getting back in!

 

[disneyprin91]

The parks will always let anyone in that has a ticket and a handstamp, they just stop selling tickets when they are at capacity. I asked the people working on the gate.