New Year's Eve Advice?

[fatalysis]

Any advice you can give to us WDW first-timers with a 4 and 6 yr old whose first full day will be on NYE? Based on last year's NYE schedule, I was planning on going to MK with the following plan:

• Go early in the morning (already have an ADR for BOG) since I hear they tend to close at some point during the day
• Try to get on some rides and utilize any FP I can get
• Have an early character lunch at most likely Crystal Palace. If instead we get an ADR and leave the park for Chef Mickeys, do you think we run the risk of not getting let back in?
• Spend the rest of the afternoon watching the afternoon parade and walking around since it seems like by this time it'll be a crowded sh*tshow
• Stay at MK until the 7pm Wishes show. Doubt my kids will stay up to midnight, so we'll probably leave the park for dinner and then back to our resort (POR)

Curious for any tips or feedback you can share?

 

[jeepnjudy]

My tip...avoid MK on NYE. MK gets crazy busy and usually closes by noon because it is full to capacity which means wall-to-wall people and horrible wait times for rides. Can you do MK another day?

 

[fatalysis]

My tip...avoid MK on NYE. MK gets crazy busy and usually closes by noon because it is full to capacity which means wall-to-wall people and horrible wait times for rides. Can you do MK another day?

Yep, our trip is about 8 days, so we'll have time to hit MK at least two other times. I'm going into MK at NYE thinking that it's all about the fireworks and New Year's experience, so if we can get on a few rides that's great, if not, we still have time the rest of our trip.

Is there a big difference between the Wishes fireworks show vs the one they do at midnight on New Year's?
Do you think we're better off staying at the resort that day?

 

[jvz82]

Yep, our trip is about 8 days, so we'll have time to hit MK at least two other times. I'm going into MK at NYE thinking that it's all about the fireworks and New Year's experience, so if we can get on a few rides that's great, if not, we still have time the rest of our trip.

Is there a big difference between the Wishes fireworks show vs the one they do at midnight on New Year's?
Do you think we're better off staying at the resort that day?

It's up to you. The fireworks at MK are amazing at midnight, like nothing I've ever seen. Coolest thing ever. However, I didn't have kids back when we were there on NYE. It truly is wall to wall people, you can hardly move. This could be really overwhelming to kids, combining that with staying up until midnight? Could be rough.

In my experience, it was totally dead at MK before noon. We walked on to pretty much everything with no wait. Then we took a break at the hotel in the afternoon and got back shortly before dinner. I honestly don't even remember if we were able to go on any rides at that point. All I remember is being herded around like cattle because the crowds were so bad, lol. My husband was really stressed and didn't enjoy it. I like the chaos so I sort of liked it, and the fireworks made it worth it. But again, that was before I had kids!

 

[roseaster]

I always wanted to go to WDW over winter break. Last year our friends went and went to MK on NYE. They said it was so crowded they were barely able to move and the lines were so long that they didn't get on a single ride.

I think I would lose my mind.

 

[maranara]

We did NYE at Magic Kingdom in 2003 (pre-kids). It was PACKED. The park hit capacity within a couple of hours - we were told before we went to pick a park and plan on staying there - there is no guarantee that you will get back in. The fireworks were definitely different - they had the usual Wishes fireworks (at 9 maybe? We saw families with really little ones leave after that) and then at midnight they lit fireworks off around the entire perimeter of the park. It was spectacular. BUT...it was PACKED. Miserable crowds. And when we were there they handed out hats and noisemakers, which was awesome until you realized that every person in the park had a noisemaker and was going to use it.

 

[happymommy]

I've been a couple of times over NYE, and I'd suggest if you want to go out, do so EARLY. I'd leave by lunchtime and go enjoy the resort for the rest of the day. Not sure how long you're staying, but from Christmas to NYE it is a madhouse (so we spent a lot of time at the resort). Within a couple days after Jan. 1, the crowds are largely gone and it's much nicer.

 

[jeepnjudy]

Yep, our trip is about 8 days, so we'll have time to hit MK at least two other times. I'm going into MK at NYE thinking that it's all about the fireworks and New Year's experience, so if we can get on a few rides that's great, if not, we still have time the rest of our trip.

Is there a big difference between the Wishes fireworks show vs the one they do at midnight on New Year's?
Do you think we're better off staying at the resort that day?

I think both sets of fireworks are amazing! I have not stayed at the resort to ring in the New Year for the many times we went for NYE. However, how long you stay in the park will be based on your children and their comfort levels. My kids were great stroller sleepers so we would go at rope drop and stay through to ring in the New Year. Even then we would hang out in one of the lands and not leave right away since anything near the castle was chaos! Usually New Years Day was our down day where we slept in and enjoyed the resort. You can see and enjoy the fireworks from some of the resorts so that could be another option if you do not want to go in or stay in a park for NYE. Hope that helps!

 

[AussieNSW]

In case you are not aware they actually also have the NYE fireworks on the 30th as well. It is a dress rehearsal. We attended these this year and had the dessert party. On NYE we spent the first part of our day at Hollywood studios and in the evening went back to our resort for a swim and watched the fireworks from there at the grand Floridian. For us this was perfect. We did not have to deal with the crowds getting back to our resort.