How Bad is it really over New Years?

[GB]

I'm a DVC member that will be flying in 11am New Years Eve. Will be staying for 15 days, so no rush about seeing anything. Would like to do fireworks for NYE, and would like to go to the MK or Epcot. Don't care to much about riding rides (I won't wait in long lines-when a few days later everything will be a walk on). I'm just wondering how packed the MK and Epcot will really be.

Do they have any special shows for New Years or just the longer fireworks? My other question is if I'm staying at Disney resort, can they refuse my entry into a park because of full capacity and route me to another park? Or do they only stop non Disney resort guests from entry when full capacity.

I've also heard that they are shooting fireworks over Bay Lake, so maybe one of the resorts would be a better place to see fireworks.

Thanks for any info,

Gina

 

[funhouse8]

Hi Gina, We share the same name. We will also be in WDW for NYE. I have never been in the parks before on NYE but I have been doing alot of research and from what I read if your plane is just landing at 11am you are not getting into MK. They said the parks fill up and they close their doors. We will be going to Epcot. It seems that as each country brings in their New Year and there are alot of shows going on so will we in Epcot. As a guest from A wdw resort you are guaranteed entrance into a park but it might not be the park that you would choose. Epcot seems to hold more people so the chances of them closing the park is slim. I would however choose a park and make my PS for dinner now because they also say the closer we get to NYE the harder these are to come by. Maybe we will be bring in the New Year together. Enjoy, Gina

 

[nativetxn]

I've never toured on NYE. I'll just bump this back to page one for you so that you can get some more advice about this.

 

[Geoff_M]

We spent NYE at WDW this (last?) year but opted to avoid the crowds and did AK (which closed at 6 PM) and went back to our off-site hotel for a "private" celebration. funhouse9 is right, you an pretty much kiss MK goodbye if you can't get there when it opens. Last Dec 31 a CM at AK said they closed MK to newcomers around 10 AM. Epcot will be your best chance for a park to get into since it has the largest holding capacity.

As for shows, funhouse8 mentioned the entertainment at Epcot, but at MGM they usually book live bands for perform during the evening. Mostly it's "bands of the past" like the B-52's, Bon Jovi, etc.

As for fireworks, I don't recall that there are special fireworks over Bay Lake... just the normal MK fireworks behind Cindy's Castle.

Our plans worked out great. We actually started the day at MGM and did a lot there before the crowds got too bad. We then went to AKL for the balance of the day and it was great... not crowded at all. We did every attraction we wanted to during the time we had there. We felt even better about our plans with the "monsoons" hit around 7 PM and lasted until past midnight. We went to sleep early and got up early to move into the Poly and do EE at MK. It was great... there was a "late house" that day as most people were sleeping-off the night before.

 

[peachgirl]

Last Dec 31 a CM at AK said they closed MK to newcomers around 10 AM.

Yes, that's just about the time they closed. We were on our way by bus to MGM when they were putting the signs up on the roads.

The driver told us at that time that the MK parking lot was closed and that it wouldn't be anytime before they closed it entirely. A CM at MGM said later that afternoon that Epcot was close to closing the parking lot, but never did as far as I know.


You are staying onsite, so if you've really got your heart set on the MK, keep in mind they do re-open if they fall below capacity. Since onsite guests have the advantage, you may be able to get in at some point.

If the weather does what it did last year, you'd have no problem getting in later in the evening. It started raining early in the evening and didn't quit until long after midnight.

It was fun walking onto all the rides, MGM was practically empty after 10pm!

 

[robinb]

I would recommend MGM for your NYE fireworks viewing pleasure. They show Socerey in the Sky that night. It is only shown 2-3 times a year so being at MGM is pretty special.

We've been at Epcot for NYE 3 times and it's great. We're doing the MK this year for the 180-degree fireworks and I think I might advocate MGM to our group for next year.

Edited to add:

If you want to SIT DOWN and eat I would recommend that you make your Priority Seatings at the park of your choice ASAP. It will be impossible to find an opening when you get there.

 

[cathyz]

Just 1 thing to add...We stayed at GF 2 years ago in a Lakeview + MK View Room. The fireworks at midnight were ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR! These were definitely not the regular ones for every night and not even the ones for MVMCP. They had 2 other stations over by the Poly and fireworks were coming from everywhere! I expected only to see FW from the castle and it was an incredibly MAGICAL surprise. So much so were going back again this year!

 

[PamOKW]

A WDW resort guest on NYE is not guaranteed admission to the park of their choice but they are guaranteed admission to "a" park. The parks do fill and close to additional guests. But, they sometimes re-open again. You also stand the best chance of entry if you take WDW transportation to the park. The parking lots close before the parks. Crowd size can also be drastically effected by the weather. A very cold, rainy night will cut down on the number of Floridians heading to the parks to celebrate. You mention lines for rides --- there are lines for pay telephones (mostly foreign visitors phoning home for NYE)!

It is very, very crowded NYE but it is wonderful. The midnight fireworks in every park are spectacular. Epcot has all sorts of extra entertainment happening, especially in World Showcase -- it's a real party atmosphere with different musical entertainment everywhere. In the past, MGM has had a "name" entertainer performing. All the parks hand out hats and noisemakers as midnight approaches. Keep in mind that alcohol is available at Epcot (and MGM). MK is dry.

Your best bet is to get to your park of choice as early as you can and then don't leave until you ask at the gate whether you will be permitted to re-enter.

You will see the crowds begin to drastically drop-off begining 1/1. Part of the crowd tends to include folks associated with different football Bowl games in the area and they head home pretty quickly. By Monday, you may begin to have the parks pretty much to yourselves. Keep in mind that the weather may range from 25-85 during a two week period that time of year. Bring lots of layers and plan for anything. Have a wonderful time!