Help me plan for NYE in the parks and dining, too!

[DisneyTravelers2008]

Tell me what I need to know about New Years Eve. We are DVC members so we go about once a year to the parks but this is our first NYE. My husband and I are taking our 21 year old son and his friend(also 21) and our 16 year old daughter (and possibly her friend). We are interested in having a few drinks and seeing the sights. We may get a few FPs, but rides are not the focus. Maybe a dinner reservation...

What are you suggestions? Which park? Where to watch fireworks? Etc...

At what time do most parks close for capacity on DEC 31?

I am not a huge fan of crowds but I can manage one night just for the "NYE experience at Disney".

 

[AngiTN]

Tell me what I need to know about New Years Eve. We are DVC members so we go about once a year to the parks but this is our first NYE. My husband and I are taking our 21 year old son and his friend(also 21) and our 16 year old daughter (and possibly her friend). We are interested in having a few drinks and seeing the sights. We may get a few FPs, but rides are not the focus. Maybe a dinner reservation...

1. What are you suggestions? Which park? Where to watch fireworks? Etc...

2. At what time do most parks close for capacity on DEC 31?

I am not a huge fan of crowds but I can manage one night just for the "NYE experience at Disney".

1. Epcot. Anywhere. With the round viewing there isn't a bad spot really.
2. It doesn't.

 

[AngiTN]

As to my main suggestion, don't let the crowds worry you. They have mastered crowd control and while there are more people there than you've ever experienced there are also more CM there than you've ever experienced and they have set up things to move crowds through so you never feel super crowded. The atmosphere is what made the night exciting. Move around, experience the different venues. Eat early, like before 5:00. Don't wait till the last minute to potty, lines are LONG.

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

1. Epcot. Anywhere. With the round viewing there isn't a bad spot really.
2. It doesn't.

Thanks so much! You gave lots of helpful answers on my prior post about NYE....for some reason this trip has me perplexed...I really dont love crowds and neither does my husband....this is our first full week trip with both of our kids in many years and ..... i am stressing over crowds and park closures and what to do and where to go ....lol!.

Are the Epcot fireworks bigger and better on NYE than regular nights? Will they be at midnight?

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

As to my main suggestion, don't let the crowds worry you. They have mastered crowd control and while there are more people there than you've ever experienced there are also more CM there than you've ever experienced and they have set up things to move crowds through so you never feel super crowded. The atmosphere is what made the night exciting. Move around, experience the different venues. Eat early, like before 5:00. Don't wait till the last minute to potty, lines are LONG.

I am curious...why should we eat as early at 5pm? {thx for all this great info!!}

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks so much! You gave lots of helpful answers on my prior post about NYE....for some reason this trip has me perplexed...I really dont love crowds and neither does my husband....this is our first full week trip with both of our kids in many years and ..... i am stressing over crowds and park closures and what to do and where to go ....lol!.

Are the Epcot fireworks bigger and better on NYE than regular nights? Will they be at midnight?

Yes, the fireworks at midnight are nothing like you've ever experienced at any point at Disney. They are at midnight

The parks have not closed to anyone but off site or local guests buying 1 day tickets at the gate in approx a decade and that is only MK. And they would get in if they had an ADR.

I am curious...why should we eat as early at 5pm? {thx for all this great info!!}

So you are finished eating and ready to experience all the special events that are held throughout the park. There are a lot of them. All are worth stopping to watch/listen to for a few minutes. Do not camp out and save a spot for watching the fireworks. Move around from space to space. Camping out is simply not needed, even though you will see lots of folks doing it.

 

[TwinkleKS]

Epcot is the best place to be. You can always to the MK fireworks on the 30th - it's the same show.
If you can, stay at one of the resorts where you can walk to Epcot. Last year we drove ... and "may" have been stuck in the Epcot parking lot for over two hours trying to leave - we were parked the absolutely worse spot.
It takes awhile to get to Epcot (unless you walk over or monorail). Make sure you are budgeting for this if you have any reservations.
We actually ate later at night, but I have younger children and a 9:00 dinner was a good break for them to get to sit down for a bit and still be awake for the fireworks.
Totally camping out for the fireworks does waste the entire day. However, you might want to think about where you want to eventually end up to watch them. We had a good view last year, but not a great view. If we had thought it out a little more we wouldn't have ended up with some trees in the way of part of the show (for the shorter people at least).

The show really is amazing!

 

[AngiTN]

Epcot is the best place to be. You can always to the MK fireworks on the 30th - it's the same show.
If you can, stay at one of the resorts where you can walk to Epcot. Last year we drove ... and "may" have been stuck in the Epcot parking lot for over two hours trying to leave - we were parked the absolutely worse spot.
It takes awhile to get to Epcot (unless you walk over or monorail). Make sure you are budgeting for this if you have any reservations.
We actually ate later at night, but I have younger children and a 9:00 dinner was a good break for them to get to sit down for a bit and still be awake for the fireworks.
Totally camping out for the fireworks does waste the entire day. However, you might want to think about where you want to eventually end up to watch them. We had a good view last year, but not a great view. If we had thought it out a little more we wouldn't have ended up with some trees in the way of part of the show (for the shorter people at least).

The show really is amazing!

Yep, we stayed at CR on the 30th, so we could walk to MK and then we stayed at Boardwalk on the 31st so we could walk to Epcot. Moved to POFQ after that for the next 3 nights
My cousin is local and always goes to watch at Epcot. He and his wife joined us at Epcot and were texted us as they were making their way to Epcot. He sent me a photo of their traffic map showing their car on Epcot Center Drive but the time to the parking lot was showing 30 min. He also told me that they pack a cooler for when they leave that night and bring chairs and actually tailgate in the parking lot for about an hour before they even try to head home.

And the traffic we saw going in to MK, as we were leaving CR to go to BWI, it was like nothing I've ever seen. It was a solid line of cars waiting, from the MK toll plaza, all the way down World Dr. and didn't stop till Epoct Center Dr ramp

 

[Disneyonmymind]

So if traffic is that bad, I guess the Disney buses won’t be any better than driving my car

 

[AngiTN]

So if traffic is that bad, I guess the Disney buses won’t be any better than driving my car

Nope not really. They don't have any magical pixie dust unfortunately. They really need it

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Moment in time pics can sometimes make things seem worse than they are, but just for some traffic visuals.....

Around 2pm on 12/31/17. The traffic on the right is heading into Epcot (you can see the Epcot toll plaza in the distance). The traffic on the left is backed up trying to turn right on MK onto World Drive to get to MK. Note, it’s still pretty far from MK at this location!



Epcot traffic on the immediate right. Hard to see, but World Drive traffic in the distance backs as far as you can see from this vantage point.


Point being.... if you have to drive or take a bus, plan for things taking way longer than you ever imagined possible.

Despite the hassle, we thoroughly enjoyed our NYE experience this year. We’ll probably do something similar this year.

 

[deedubb]

We are doing MK on the 30th and Epcot on the 31st. IMO, NYE has to be at Epcot, but I'm not sure I would do it without staying at an Epcot resort. In fact, I'm positive I would not do it, but that's just me. Not sure how long the lines will be for QS meals, but we are not going to risk it. Going to book TS meals for lunch and dinner that day.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

Moment in time pics can sometimes make things seem worse than they are, but just for some traffic visuals.....

Around 2pm on 12/31/17. The traffic on the right is heading into Epcot (you can see the Epcot toll plaza in the distance). The traffic on the left is backed up trying to turn right on MK onto World Drive to get to MK. Note, it’s still pretty far from MK at this location!

View attachment 331936

Epcot traffic on the immediate right. Hard to see, but World Drive traffic in the distance backs as far as you can see from this vantage point.
View attachment 331937

Point being.... if you have to drive or take a bus, plan for things taking way longer than you ever imagined possible.

Despite the hassle, we thoroughly enjoyed our NYE experience this year. We’ll probably do something similar this year.

Wow! Thanks for the visuals!

 

[Disneyonmymind]

Nope not really. They don't have any magical pixie dust unfortunately. They really need it

So I guess if you don’t get on the first round of buses, it’s gonna be a long long time till they come back, lol

 

[Monykalyn]

So you are finished eating and ready to experience all the special events that are held throughout the park. There are a lot of them. All are worth stopping to watch/listen to for a few minutes. Do not camp out and save a spot for watching the fireworks. Move around from space to space. Camping out is simply not needed, even though you will see lots of folks doing it.

We had a dinner reservation around 6:40 Teppan Edo, when we were done we got a drink and then watched the "early" illuminations show on NYE at the Japan gate. There is a ton to see NYE and the party atmosphere was fun, but it was crowded. PRO TIP-use the bathrooms just outside the IG- I never ever encountered any line either in the bathrooms, nor coming back into epcot, all night long:if you have a bag have someone wait inside the park with the bag-you will walk right back in without having to go through bag check. My DH and I would take turns this way. bonus-the women's BR was always well stocked and clean as well!

Epcot is the best place to be. You can always to the MK fireworks on the 30th - it's the same show.

yes yes yes! My husband and I actually did dinner at LTT and the Fireworks party on the Terrace at Tomorrowland-this was perfect! we had a great view of "New years" fireworks from the terrace, a seat, and Tink flew literally right over our heads.

If you can, stay at one of the resorts where you can walk to Epcot. Last year we drove ... and "may" have been stuck in the Epcot parking lot for over two hours trying to leave - we were parked the absolutely worse spot.

Or...walk over to DHS and catch the bus there, or at least walk over and catch the Minnie van from there. We did this-actually stopped at Boardwalk for a while as the party was still going! We walked right onto a bus at DHS back to CS-bus wasn't even 1/2 full by that time. Bus driver was listening to traffic reports and they were horrific!

NYE at Disney has been on my bucket list forever ( my previous experience for NYE in Disney was a working CM at MK in Lost and found).

 

[disneyfanforlife68]

We usually skip the 31st in the Park by either doing Hoop de doo and then watching fireworks from the contemporary or poly but this year we are at BC so you all have just convinced me to walk over to Epcot to watch. We will probably make a dining reservation too.

 

[grinder6]

We usually skip the 31st in the Park by either doing Hoop de doo and then watching fireworks from the contemporary or poly but this year we are at BC so you all have just convinced me to walk over to Epcot to watch. We will probably make a dining reservation too.

How were the New Years fireworks from both the CR and Poly? We are planning on arriving on the 31st and will just resort hop, Ohana around 9:30 and watch from either Poly beach or CR. We are staying at BAY from Dec. 31-Jan 5

 

[disneyfanforlife68]

They were great but it was also before they did the projection part.

 

[clutter]

Do they still do a practice run of NYE fireworks at MK on the 30th? We did that years ago, and it was wonderful. Then we did NYE in DHS. Fun, not as crowded and easy to leave.

 

[LizGirl]

We spent this past NYE at Epcot. I was prepared for wall to wall people and being stuck in one place. It really wasn't like that at all. Some areas were congested but the bypasses were open to allow you to move around. I really enjoyed it and would love to go back without my family since they were holding me back - lol! We found a fireworks spot maybe 30 minutes before the show with no issues. Many people were desperately trying to squeeze in at the last minute and being chased off by the CMs.

I definitely recommend having a dinner reservation somewhere. We went to Via Napoli, which was great, but the music in the Italy pavilion was incredibly loud and could not be escaped even inside the restaurant. I think I'd chose a different country next time for that reason.

Be prepared to wait a very long time for a bus. We were staying at Saratoga Springs and waited over an hour for a bus, after killing a bunch of time in World Showcase. I think we got back to our room around 3:30 or so.